Midi input problem with drum score
Hello.
I started using Musescore a few days ago to write drum scores.
I have a Zoom RT323 rythmbox that I want to use as a midi input device. It has 13 pads named kick, snare , open hh ... Everything you need to easily write drum scores.
But it does not work as intended.
I started by editing a drumset.
For example:
closed hh - voice 1 - shortcut A - stem up ( associated with the closed hh pad midi note F#1)
kick - voice 2 - B shortcut - stem down ( associated with the kick pad midi note C1)
Snare - voice 2 - shortcut C - stem down (associated with the snare pad midi note D1)
etc. .
When writing with the computer keyboard, everything is fine.
For example :
Input mode - 1/8th note - AAAAAAAA
Esc
Select first note
Input mode - 1/4 note - BCBC
I end up with a measure of basic rock rhythm . ( closed hh on voice 1 stems up, kick and snare on voice 2 stems down)
But with the midi input it does not work
Input mode - 1/8th note - closed hh pad (8 times) => the stems are down.
No big deal, I can handle that by clicking on the "reverse stems" button !
Esc - Select first note
Input mode - 1/4 note - kick pad => I get a closed hh again ! If I want a kick, I have to click on the kick in the drum palette. OK, do it.
snare pad => I get a kick again !
And so on ...
It seems like the midi note is correctlly received but misinterpreted.
I also tried with a MIDI keyboard , same result.
Does anyone know why this strange behavior ? I looked around in preferences but I have seen nothing about that.
Tested with Musescore 1.3 and Nightly on Windows 7 and MacOS X Mountain Lion
Thanks in advance for your help.
D.
Comments
Abandoning the use of voices for now, if you were to simply enter, as a single voice, the sequence: AAAABBBBCCCC would you get 4 closed hh, 4 kick, and 4 snare hits?
In other words, are the 13 pads of the rhythmbox producing different sounds during note entry using a single voice?
Also, in your basic rock rhythm example, before you entered voice 2, did you confirm that the note entry cursor had changed from blue (voice 1) to green (voice 2)?
Regards.
In reply to Try this? by Jm6stringer
Yes , I already tried this.
If I hit the pads one after the other, without changing voices, The notes are written but in sequence. Each pad produces a different sound and gives a different note on the staff. And the notes are on the correct voices (closed hh on voice 1, kick and snare on voice 2) but they are in sequence.
For your second question, I also tried this. No effect.
Thanks for your help but I am still stuck to using the keyboard instead of my pads !
The answer to your problem is that MIDI input in MuseScore is in a very primitive state. It is limited to step time input using the selected time value in the note entry palette, complicated by the need to select drumset sounds from the palette before you can enter them. And, afaik velocity information isn't captured for the note.
MuseScore is written to be a key (and mouse) driven application, and attempting to work outside those confines means you're going to run into the very limited support very quickly.
I would recommend that you change your working practice to accommodate MuseScore's program design policy, and use keyboard keys to input your drumparts rather than your Zoom pads.
Now I know this is not ideal, and also very inconvenient, but trying to force MuseScore to work in a way it is not designed for is just going to cause you more frustration.
The alternative would be to input your drum parts in a sequencer then import them into MuseScore via MIDI (or better MusicXML if your sequencer can export that).
Hopefully MIDI input will be improved in a future version. Personally I will welcome this with open arms when it arrives.
In reply to The answer to your problem is by ChurchOrganist
I don't have a very good knowledge of Musescore but it seems to me that the MIDI implementation is good enough for drum score writing.
I am aware that it is not intended for recording of drum live playing as sensitivity and note length can not be rendered properly but just entering notes should be possible.
It works fine with another instrument : I created a simple score with a piano staff.
I just played a (very) simple melody in 1/4 notes with one finger (can't do more !) on my midi keyboard on voice 1. Then I selected the first note, activated voice 2 and played another (very very) simple melody.
The result is as expected : 2 melodies on 2 voices. This is exactly what I want to do on a drum score.
So, for drum score, I think the problem is "just" in the interpretation of the midi note and the translation into the corresponding drum when working on a second voice. (it is ok on voice 1)
Hitting a key on a midi keyboard for a piano staff sends the correct note to Musescore, even on voice 2 but not for a drum staff.
Strange ...
In reply to I don't have a very good by deniss
The problem is in the way MuseScore interprets input for drum parts.
MuseScore doesn't interpret the MIDI note directly as a drum sound like a sequencer would, or as in normal step time entry for melody instruments.
In order to input drum notes you have to first select the percussion sound from the palette before entering it with mouse or MIDI keyboard - there is no way of directly entering them from the computer keyboard.
The only way of doing this is via keys assigned in the Edit Drumset dialogue which you have, I believe, already encountered.
As I said - this impacts on MIDI input, which is why I suggest you use assigned keyboard keys instead of your drum pads.
Very inconvenient I know, but you will save hours of frustration trying to get it to work the way you want it :)