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Messages - MusicJohn

151
General Discussion / Re: Default stem directions
   This has been a fascinating ride, and the conclusion is that NWC makes middle line single note stems down by default 'cos these days that's the rule.  And I accept that an option to change the default is not really appropriate, especially since you can change individual occurrences manually if that's what you want.

   Thanks, all of you.

   MusicJohn, 24/Apr/09
152
General Discussion / Re: Default stem directions
   I thought I'd add a final comment here that probably reveals the age of the "Jephtha" score I'm keying in.  Though crotchets (quarter notes) and smaller having down stems are fine, with minims (half notes) which have a down stem the stem is on the right rather than on the left, so the note looks like the letter "q" rather than the letter "p".  Amazing!

   MusicJohn, 9/Apr/09
 
153
General Discussion / Re: Default stem directions
   This hare may run and run.

   So: has dear Alfred changed his mind since Novello printed my ancient "Original Octavo Edition" hardback copy of "Jephtha" in ... hmmm, it doesn't say - like most old music scores! - but it cost 2/6 (2 shillings and six pence, for those across the pond) so I would guess around 1900-1910.  Throughout, all the "single" middle-line notes for the Singers are stem up. However, in my brand new "New Novello Choral Edition" copy of "Messiah" such notes are much more obviously adjusted to "fit" their neighbours - so in a group of separate notes above the line that includes a separate middle-line note that latter is also stem down, whereas in a group below the line a separate note on the middle line is stem up.

   My second question remains: would it be possible to make the default stem direction of a separate (unbeamed) middle line note optionally one way or the other - and, I suppose, would it be worth it?

   MusicJohn, 8/Apr/09


   
154
General Discussion / Default stem directions
   I spend my day keying in choral works - presently Handel's "Jephtha" - for rehearsal purposes, before uploading them in MIDI format to my Website ... http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk .  I mostly use NWC1, though occasionally I use Version 2 (and I'm slowly getting to grips with the latter).  NWC seems every time to make the default stem for an unbeamed treble clef "b" (middle line) or bass clef "d" (middle line) a down one, and yet almost invariably the scores I work from make that note a stem-up one (I say "almost", because in a run of notes, especially in a choral staff, the stem direction in the score is adjusted to make it fit that of either the notes before or the notes after, whichever is most appropriate; I presume there are rules about this, though I don't know what they are).

   I know, of course, that the stem direction of a note can be manually adjusted (select: shift|cursor up, or down, as required), as can the stem directions of all notes for the relevant staff entered after the adjustment, but I would like to know why NWC always chooses the middle line default stem as down, and whether it might be possible optionally to change this default to whatever matches the score I am working from.

   MusicJohn, 7/Apr/09
155
General Discussion / Re: A quick Question
   Wow.  The combination of special endings and invisible headless grace notes is pretty fantastic!  I sit in awe at the feet of a true Master.  Nice work!

   MusicJohn, 6/Apt/09

PS   I wonder if, purely for playing purposes, it could be squeezed down to a single lyric line, coupled to - as Tubaboy wants - additional bars each time round?

156
General Discussion / Re: A quick Question
I am impressed, Rick, by your imaginative use of special endings - it's not exactly intuitive, but seems to work very well.  I will add it to my list of clever tricks.

MusicJohn, 6/Apr/09
157
General Discussion / Re: A quick Question
Tubaboy

Do you mean that the second time contains four EXTRA bars, or do you mean - like I supposed - that it contains four similar bars but with DIFFERENT notes?  If the latter then my suggestion fits OK; if the former ... then I don't know how to do that in a "neat" way.

MusicJohn, 5/Apr/09
158
General Discussion / Re: A quick Question
I started with the assumption that Tubaboy wanted to have two different sets of notes, one to play the first time, and the other to play the second time, and anywhere within a section of music.  You can do this with my suggested method, but not, I think, with any of the others.
Here's an example (I'm sorry it goes on so long; I can't figure out how to get it in a small box!).

!NoteWorthyComposer(2.0)
|SongInfo|Title:""|Author:"<Name>"|Lyricist:""|Copyright1:"Copyright © 2009 <Name>"|Copyright2:"All Rights Reserved"
|PgSetup|StaffSize:16|Zoom:4|TitlePage:Y|JustifyVertically:Y|ExtendLastSystem:N|DurationPadding:Y|PageNumbers:0|StaffLabels:None|BarNumbers:None|StartingBar:1|AllowLayering:N
|Font|Style:Staff Italic|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:10|Bold:Y|Italic:Y|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:Staff Bold|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:Y|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:Staff Lyric|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:7|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:Page Title Text|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:24|Bold:Y|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:Page Text|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:12|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:Page Small Text|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 1|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 2|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 3|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 4|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 5|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|Font|Style:User 6|Typeface:"Times New Roman"|Size:8|Bold:N|Italic:N|CharSet:0
|PgMargins|Left:1.27|Top:1.27|Right:1.27|Bottom:1.27|Mirror:N
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff"|Group:"Standard"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Section Close|Visible:Y|BoundaryTop:12|BoundaryBottom:12|Lines:5|Style:Standard|Layer:Y|Color:Default
|StaffProperties|Muted:N|Volume:127|StereoPan:64|Device:0|Channel:1
|StaffInstrument|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatOpen
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:6
|Bar|Color:6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Down|Color:6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|MPC|Controller:vol|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:1|Pt1:0,0|Pos:8
|Text|Text:"zero vol"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:5|Wide:Y
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatClose
|MPC|Controller:vol|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:1|Pt1:0,127|Pos:8
|Text|Text:"reset vol"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:5|Wide:Y
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-3
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-4
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Bar
|AddStaff|Name:"Staff-1"|Group:"Standard"
|StaffProperties|EndingBar:Section Close|Visible:Y|BoundaryTop:10|BoundaryBottom:10|Lines:5|Style:Standard|Layer:N|Color:Default
|StaffProperties|Muted:N|Volume:127|StereoPan:64|Device:0|Channel:2
|StaffInstrument|Trans:0|DynVel:10,30,45,60,75,92,108,127
|Rest|Dur:Whole|Visibility:Never
|MPC|Controller:vol|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:1|Pt1:0,0|Pos:-5|Color:7
|Text|Text:"zero vol"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:-8|Wide:Y|Color:7
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatOpen
|Text|Text:"Green Notes 2nd time only"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:8|Color:2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-6
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:-5
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-2|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:-1|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:0|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Bar
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:1|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:16th,Triplet=First|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:16th,Triplet|Pos:6|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:16th,Triplet=End|Pos:5|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:8th|Pos:4|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:3|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:16th|Pos:2|Opts:Stem=Up|Color:2
|Note|Dur:4th|Pos:1
|MPC|Controller:vol|Style:Absolute|TimeRes:Quarter|SweepRes:1|Pt1:0,127|Pos:-5|Color:7
|Text|Text:"reset vol"|Font:StaffItalic|Pos:-8|Wide:Y|Color:7
|Bar|Style:MasterRepeatClose
|Rest|Dur:Whole|Visibility:Never
|Bar
!NoteWorthyComposer-End


   MusicJohn, 3/Apr/09
159
General Discussion / Re: A quick Question
   Hi, tubaboy.

   I'm not sure I understand what Richard is suggesting, but I suspect he may have misunderstood your question - at least, he hasn't answered the one I think you're asking.  So ... this is what I say and suggest:-

   There's no intrinsic method - Noteworthy doesn't include programmable stuff like "If this is the first time then play such-and-such, else play other-such-and-such", but you can fake it, using layering.

   Set up (so as to extend within the repeat) a duplicate staff, but with the alternate (second time) notes.  These can be anywhere at all within the note sequence.  This staff is to be layered under the main staff.  Outside the repeat - before the repeat open symbol - zero the duplicate's output using the MPC volume control.  At the end of the repeated portion, but within the portion (ie, before the repeat close symbol) zero the main staff's volume and reset to a use level the layered duplicate staff volume.  Thus, for the first time the main staff plays while the repeat staff is muted, but in the repeat the main, first-time staff is effectively muted while the duplicate, second-time staff plays.  Then, beyond the repeat close symbol, re-set each staff's volume to the correct, playable, level.

   MusicJohn, 2/Apr/09




160
General Discussion / Noteworthy Player v. Viewer

   Once upon a time - back in the days of NWC 1 - there was the Noteworthy Player, Version 1.75b of which is still downloadable from http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/player/.  The Player can read, notate and play not only .NWC files but also .MID and .RMI files.

   Now, as part of the package associated with NWC2, there is the Viewer, Version 2.0 of which is available from http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/nwc2/viewer.htm.  The Viewer seems to play ONLY .NWC Files (1 or 2), and NOT to play .MID files.  That seems rather sad - and odd, considering that .MID Files can be loaded into NWC2 itself!

   As an aside, I see that the Noteworthy Site map includes two pointers to the Player (the page above) but no pointer to the Viewer!

   Any comment?

   MusicJohn, 4/Mar/09
161
General Discussion / Re: Stabat Mater -Dvorak
   And at last I've completed this Herculaean task ... well, I've keyed in the whole Work, from the standard Choral score, and sent it off to Richard for putting in the Scriptorium (he'll probably upload it by this coming Friday; meanwhile anyone who wants a Midi-based preview can find it on my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk).

   MusicJohn, 1/Mar/09
162
General Discussion / Re: Stabat Mater -Dvorak
Thanks, Warren, but I'd already found that, and sadly it's not much use (it's just the voice parts, with no interpretation or anything).  I shall just have to flog my way through it, as I feared would be the case.  So far in a week or so I've done the first 30 pages (of a particularly difficult score); only another 75 to go. 

Mind you, I'd still like to hear from Andre, but considering his original request was back in 2001 I doubt that I will, even if he's still "alive" (as it were).

MusicJohn, 12/Feb/09
163
General Discussion / Re: Stabat Mater -Dvorak
No-one ever answered your plea.  Did you find an NWC version - or indeed any other version - of this Stabat Mater?  I'm currently keying in the Work; it would be nice if I could borrow someone else's effort!

MusicJohn, 12/Feb/09
164
General Discussion / Re: left hand piano part
   Hi, ParrotSquawk.

   As usual virtuoso Rick as provided you with a neat answer.  But a bit of explanation might help.

   You make a "RestChord" like you make an ordinary chord, but you have to put the Rest in first, and you must have the notional or actual stems of Rest and Chord in opposite directions.

   First, insert the appropriate-duration Rest you want, with its "notional" stem in the right direction - in your case, presumably up.  If it's not in the right place vertically, select it and move it up or down to where you want it (when it's selected you can adjust its notional stem direction, if you forgot to choose it in the previous step).  Next, insert the Note you want - of the right length and in the right place - with its stem set to the direction opposite that of the rest.  Voila!

   In this way you can make a "RestChord" in which the Note is longer than the Rest - which is probably the most usual case.  Sometimes, though, you might want the Note and the Rest to have the same length, and Noteworthy won't normally let you do that.  You can persuade it, though, by a neat trick mentioned here some months ago; you select the Note/Rest combination and cycle it up (or down) in duration until you can go no further, at which point Noteworthy has rather strangely made both Note and Rest the longest (or shortest) possible - either a whole or a 64th note long - and then you cycle it back down (or up) until you reach the length you actually want for both parts.

   The final possibility is when you want the Note shorter than the Rest - I can't offhand remember ever wanting that, but who knows.  Noteworthy won't let you construct such a RestChord by the usual method (explained first above), but you can persuade it to make one in the following manner.  First, make a RestChord in which both the Rest and the Note have the shorter value that you want (as also described above), and then select the combination and use the mouse to click on the note duration (in the Note Toolbar) that corresponds to the longer rest duration you want.  Noteworthy then changes the Rest to have the chosen long duration, while leaving the Note's shorter duration alone!

   Mind you, in this last case Noteworthy also makes the duration - and the space in the staff - of the combination the duration/space of the longer Rest, which may not be quite what you had in mind, but ...!

   Regards,

   MusicJohn, 31/Jan/09
165
General Discussion / Re: Staff creation
   Hi, SNTurner.

   You say

   "I am having trouble creating a new staff for piano. I started with one treble staff and one clef staff. I entered my notes and then created a new staff and added a treble and then another staff with a clef.

   "So basicly what I have now is 4 lines of notes 2 for right hand and 2 for left and. When I select play it plays all of the lines at the same time. Instead of left and right hand together. I beleive it is playing 2 grand staffs together."

   Yes, you're right: it is.  I believe your problem stems from not realising that what Noteworthy shows in the Screen Editor view, when you're setting things up and entering notes, is NOT what you expect to see when you look a printed sheet of music (the Print view). 

   In Screen Editor view the music on a staff is displayed from left to right, and then on and on and on, to the right ... as far as it goes, all on one line.  You just keep adding notes, and the staff keeps extending, the Window you're looking through moving along to the right to keep up..  A second staff is just that, a second independent staff also stretching from left to ... right.

   Similarly, a third staff is another independent staff, a fourth a fourth one, and so on.

   If, then, you have four staves, Noteworthy assumes they are all quite separate, rather like the four voices - soprano, alto, tenor, bass - of a choral score, and so Noteworthy plays them all together.

   However, in Print View Noteworthy wraps the (set of) staves round to give you the view you expect - system after system placed down the page.

   In your particular, piano-score case, you may only need two staves - one right-hand, and with a treble clef, and the other left-hand, with a bass clef - and you simply keep adding notes until you reach the end of the piece!

   Sometimes, though, you may find it more convenient to split each hand into two separate staves with two separate sets of (related) notes - this is useful for making sure notes are stem-up or stem-down, as appropriate, and then layering the two together - and then of course you will have what you have inadvertently done already, which is make four staves which Noteworthy plays together.

   OK?  If you're still having trouble, have a look at the Files in the Noteworthy Scriptorium, to see how it's done, and to use as examples.

   Good luck, and welcome to the Noteworthy community.  Once you have figured out how to make it sing, you'll find Noteworthy very quick, easy, and effective.

   MusicJohn, 24/Jan/09
166
General Discussion / Re: Opening Files with the correct NWC Version
   Hi, People.

   Eric says:-
   
"All of our installers rely on the uninstall information in the computer registry. If you remove the uninstall information or manually move the program files, then our installers will not recognize existing installations."

   Hmmm.  That is at least part of the problem, then.  Some time ago I copied all the Files to a new computer, and after that I moved them about a bit more.  Mind you, since then I've attempted (successfully, I thought) to re-install Versions 1 and 2, and the Player, but there has been no change; the OS still can't distinguish 1 from 2.  I'm obviously still doing something wrong.

   Rick G. says:-

"Check the registry for: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\nwcomposer\shell\nwc2
There should also be an entry for: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\nwcomposer\shell\nwc1"

   To me the Registry is a closed book, probably written in Sanskrit!  However, it appears to include HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\nwcomposer\shell\nwc2 but not ...\nwc1.  Despite my re-install attempt!

   Rich says:-

"When you re-installed the viewer, did you re-install from a fresh download ..."

   Yes.  I thought about that, too.

   So:  I think I'll give up, and put up with having to manually select one or other of Versions 1 & 2.  Thanks for your efforts to help, though.  And a Happy and prosperous - God and the World Financial System permitting - New Year to you all.

   MusicJohn, 31/Dec/08


167
General Discussion / Re: Opening Files with the correct NWC Version
   Hi, Rick.

   You suggest re-installing the Viewer.  Well, I did, but there's no change.  Interestingly, during the process the installer says:-

   "Looking for installed copy of NWC Version 1
   No installed copy of NWC1 detected
   No installed copy of NWC1 detected"

(yes: twice) despite the fact that NWC32.exe is sitting in a sub-Folder in the same "Noteworthy Software" Folder (and also, additionally, in a Root C Folder entitled "Noteworthy 1.75c").

   If it is a problem with the association of NWC Files with one or other of Versions 1 & 2, what can I do to make the OS distinguish them?

   Any other ideas?

   MusicJohn, 29/Dec/08
168
General Discussion / Opening Files with the correct NWC Version
   I'm still using NWC1 (v 1.75), but recently I purchased NWC2 and have been using that.  I also have the latest version of the Player.

   Some time earlier, though, I found that my Operating System - W2K - kept trying to open Version 2 Files (that I'd downloaded) in Version 1 - and of course failed - rather than in the Player.  This surprised me, because I thought that the OS saw Version 1 and 2 Files differently, and would open the former in Version 1, and the latter in the Player.

   The situation is different - but no better, though - now that I have Version 2.  Judging from the chat I've seen in the Forum (including a comment some time ago from Eric himself), Version 1 Files should open automatically in Version 1, while Version 2 Files should open in Version 2.  But for me they don't; my OS opens Version 1 Files in Version 2, which is not what I want at all.

   Obviously I've done something wrong - and it presumably involves my associating all NWC Files with Version 2.  Can anyone tell me what mistake I've made, and how to put it right, so that each File type is opened by its own Version?

   MusicJohn, 30/Dec/08
169
General Discussion / Re: NWC2 Doesn't Play Tied Notes?
   Hi, Ryan.

   In case I can shorten your task ... you'll find a lot of madrigals on my website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk. 

   And I strongly recommend you provide your singers not with their parts on their own but instead their parts together with but emphasised over all the others.  Hearing how their individual parts fit in with the rest, they'll find their own parts a lot easier to learn.

   MusicJohn, 6/Nov/08
 
171
General Discussion / Re: Layered staff with accidental collision
   In general I think Lawrie's answer is best; it should work whatever the situation.  But in this particular case David is right ... if he meant give the extra accidental space to the upper staff crotchet A only!  The A may not have an accidental, but the extra space still shifts both it and the Fsharp to the right, away from the quaver G.
   MusicJohn, 29/Oct/08
172
General Discussion / Re: Searching on the Noteworthy Website


   It might be better to make it

   site: noteworthysoftware.com +"staff size" -nwcforum

Putting "staff size" in quotes and with the plus sign means - in theory - that you only get hits with "staff size" and don't get hits for other "staff"s and other "size"s, while the "-nwcforum" means you don't get (as many) items from the Forum ... so you're more likely to get what Eric says and avoid what anyone else may have said.

   Though I have to say that at the moment such a Search doesn't seem all that useful!

   MusicJohn, 17/Oct/08
173
General Discussion / Re: Searching on the Noteworthy Website

   Hi, Rich.

   "I'm no expert, but I suspect that the answer is that the internal search engines will only search areas on the site that have been pre-defined or that there is a table of items that it searches through."

   Hmmm.  I suspect you're right ... but why should that be?  Doesn't an "ordinary" (non-computer-wizz-kid) person expect a search to be a complete search (if you see what I mean), unless it says specifically that it isn't?  I certainly do!  It seems absurd that the internal search for "boxmarks" should fail to turn up a UserTip devoted to that very subject!  And even odder that a similar search for "swingdings" fails to turn up anything despite Lawrie being awarded a Gold Star [:-)].

   "The Google search engines get their data from "crawling" from site to site, page to page, link to link picking up references and storing them away for use in their search engines. .... But you will find a "Google" search engine link to the to boxmarks download on the helpful html page."

   Where (I do not see it)?

   I appreciate that Help facilities take second place to real programming, but at the moment they seem a very poor second.  And if Google can search the entire Site, why can't the internal search?

   MusicJohn, 16/Oct/08
174
General Discussion / Searching on the Noteworthy Website


   I clearly have no understanding of how these things work.

   Why is it that a search of the NWC Website for "boxmarks", using its own internal search facility, fails to find anything, while a plain Google search for "boxmarks" turns up User Tip No: 56 -

   http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/composer/usertips/show.php?id=56

   And how do I get to this page from the Site - and how come an internal search fails to find the page, but does turn up (a mere) three specific FAQs?  And why, if I truncate that address after the "usertips" part and look at that page, does the list it provides contain nothing from before three years ago?

   And ... following the links from the Forum on page

   https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=6595.msg45124#msg45124

I find the PardyPack page -

   http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/uc/pardypack/

- and yet an internal Site search for "pardy" has no hits (though a search for "pardypack" does in fact turn up the same FAQ to which the Forum links)!

   I clearly have no understanding of how these things work!

   MusicJohn, 16/Oct/08
175
General Discussion / Re: Verticle alignment of layered notes
   Hi, Denny.

   Have you tried "note extra spacing"?  Select the note, and then Ctrl & E gives you a whole bunch of properties for that note, one of which allows you to move the note to the right by up to three "spaces".

   Look in the "Help" file under "note properties".

   Incidentally, this is a case where the Help file could usefully contain some sort of synonym finder; you won't find anything under "extra" or "space" ... though a Search for "extra" does reveal the FAQ relating to just this problem.

   MusicJohn, 15/Oct/08

176
General Discussion / Re: How do I change the size of staves (in points) in v.2


   It is a common problem with "Help" Files ... they don't!  Sometimes it's because the word you're searching for isn't used, though a synonym - which you haven't thought of! - is (maybe there should be some sort of automatic synonym check, so that what you get is a sort of "For 'delete' see 'erase" thing being done for you by the system) .  Sometimes it's because the "Help" Files haven't been updated following some program change.

   I suspect, though, it is most often because the Files are written, almost necessarily, by an Expert, who knows the subject well and cannot any longer imagine what it was like NOT to understand how it works.   Which is one reason why Beta testing - where with luck the Program comes up against people who don't know what it's supposed to do, and how it's supposed to do it - is so important.

   In this particular case it looks to me as though the Help Files haven't been prepared/updated with quite as much care as the excellent Guide (nwc2guide.pdf).  The latter gives suitable search "hits" for "metrics" (though you might not be able to find them without the "search" facility), even if the Help Files don't.

   Incidentally:-

a)   I think the Guide really should have an Index, or Concordance (so that those who print it out can more easily "search" for things - like "metrics" - that they're interested in).

and

b)   While browsing at the back - and not finding an Index - I noticed that the list of Performance Styles is accompanied by a brief description that includes the words "NoteWorthy Composer does not generally change its play back style based on performance styles, except in the case of Legato/Tenuto" - which is surely not correct, for "Staccato" does result in a change of play.  And by the way: what, exactly, is the difference between Legato and Tenuto?  NWC doesn't seem to give any difference.

   MusicJohn, 14/Oct/08

177
General Discussion / Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff
   Hi, Warren.

   Do I have the lyrics?  No, I don't - but that's mostly because as a Choral Singer (which is what I really do the stuff for) I always read my score while listening to the Files play, so I don't need the words, and therefore I don't bother to key them in.

   And no: when using Session to play with Midi Files (and then save them as such) the words, if originally present, aren't there.  They seem to get lost.

   I agree the van Bascoe's Player is good, but you can't save stuff using it.  So whereas it's fine for playing Midi Files after adjusting them anyway you like, since you can't save the adjusted version you have to do it all over again next time, which is a bit of a drag.

   MusicJohn, 3/Sep/08
178
General Discussion / Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff
   Hi, jonashogstrom.

   I too key everything in using NWC, and then convert to Midi.  But then I use Midisoft Session - old versions were given out as Freebies back in DOS/3.1 days - to prepare the necessary emphasized voice Files (that way you can keep all the volume etc changes you put into the NWC Master).  Have a look at my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk - and you'll see what I mean.

   You can then convert everything to WAV or MP3 using Synthfont.  It all works very well for me.

   MusicJohn, 3/Sep/08

179
General Discussion / Re: priorities
Hi, Bill.

You should really have started something with your Wish List summary.

Could I add:-

A proper printed manual.

Combining two staves (like layering, but for real)

Inserting a new Staff with all the characteristics of an old one

Automatically joining two staves end to end - one from one File, say,
and the second from another

Providing an automated facility for trills and rounds and mordents
("tr~~" and "^^^^") and chord arpegios

Providing a printable note symbol where the stem is crossed to
indicate that the note is played as lots of rather smaller notes;
violins do this all the time

An alternative way of showing this for a "chord" of notes is to have
the larger notes grouped and "beamed" with the lines corresponding to
the smaller notes

Like those for staccato (.) and tenuto (_) note styles, providing a
keypress for that note length usually defined by the "'" (apostrophe)
symbol

Automating beaming as the notes are actually entered

Allowing Bar/Measure Numbers to start from a value less than zero - a
negative value - so as to showlead-ins

Having the Status bar could show all sorts of other running features
- eg the current dynamic and tempo values, the instrument, the time
signature, the key ...

In music with associated lyrics, where a note may be held (tied) or
slurred across a bar (measure) line, allowing any associated word (or
part of a word) also to extend across the bar line

Providing a backwards "Find"

Being able to force a note NOT to be included in any beamed group -
in the same sort of way that a note can be forced NOT to have a lyric
syllable attached to it

More choice for the staff visual style - esp the first bar of each
system ... Upper Brace, Upper Bracket, Upper Brace and Bracket, Lower
Brace, Lower Bracket, Lower Brace and Bracket, Standard, Orchestral,
Open

More help with "acciaccaturas" and "appoggiaturas"

Providing a real-time Mixer Board (as in Midisoft's Session/Studio)

Allowing real time adjustment of each channel's Midi effects like
volume, chorus, pan, instrument, channel number

   You can fit these into your List in whichever sections seems
most appropriate.

   MusicJohn, 22/Aug/08










181
General Discussion / Re: display suggestion
   There are many items that I would very much like to see down there at the bottom right hand corner of the Status Bar, but mainly the current value of the tempo, the dynamic, any non-default Multipoint Controller Property (such as the volume), and the instrument.  It would be good, obviously, if one could select which item was shown ... just like one can select which buttons appear in the toolbars.

   And while we're at it, wouldn't it be nice to be able to apply a "Find" backwards!  That would let us search for the running value of any item!

   MusicJohn, 6/May/08
182
General Discussion / Re: Question from newbie


   Hi, frida.

   As Rob den Heijer says, many songs are available in Midi and/or NWC format.  For example, two of the three you mention - Can she excuse my wrongs by John Dowland and Mille Regrets by Josquin de Pres - are on my Website ... http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk ... in Midi format.  I can let you have them in NWC format if you wish (E-mail me to NWC-at-thehoopers.demon.co.uk ).

   Regards,

   MusicJohn, 17/Apr/08
183
General Discussion / Re: Rythm and duration trouble with nwc2 122
   Hi, Mamannie.

   You say:-

"I've rythmic problems with a midi file saved from a nwc.
On the piano staff when there are some chords with different times (for ex 1 1/4 and 2 1/8) the midi playing makes different duration for the 1/8.
I don't know how to join my file to explain."

   Can you upload your NWC File to a website somewhere, tell us the address, and then "we" can look at it, and download it, and see what's involved?

   Regards.

   MusicJohn, 29/Jan/08
184
General Discussion / Re: 2 note tuplet
   Hi, LovesSinging.

   As David says, Noteworthy only supports triplets.  However, you get the playing effect of a duplet by simply single-dotting each of the two relevant notes.  Thus, two crotchets become two dotted crotchets, two quavers two dotted quavers, and so on.  Do this on a hidden staff, and mute the two notes on the visible staff.

   Regards,

   MusicJohn, 14/Jan/08
185
General Discussion / Re: Messe a trois voix
   Hi, Rob.

   I'm glad Session works for you.  I like it - and have used it ever since my Windows 3.1 days back in the early 90s.  Interestingly, as a DOS/3.1 program it works fine when so used, but has odd quirks with 95, 98 or 2000 (and probably later, too).  One particularly irritating feature is its inability in these later Windows OSs to deal properly with tempos based on quaver or minim time (in Noteworthy I use a hidden Tempo track which provides crotchet-time "imitations:  4/4 instead of 2/2, and 3/4 instead of 6/8, and so on, work OK and get the bar lines in the right places).  Another is its failure to produce output Midi Files that play correctly, as regards tempos and channels, in Windows Media Player even though they're fine in Session itself.  But I haven't found a real substitute, so I continue using it.

   Good luck!

   MusicJohn, 19/Dec/07

186
General Discussion / Re: Messe a trois voix
   Hi, Rob.

   You'll find a good and downloadable copy of Midisoft Recording Studio - Version 1.11 - which works fine with most Windows OSs, on my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk.  It deals with the Kyrie (at least) OK.

   My Site also has a downloadable copy of a later Studio - Version 4.

   Eric's suggestion is quite good, save that - or so I find - any import of Midi into Noteworthy (Versions 1, anyway) loses all the dynamics, and so on ... though the Kyrie doesn't seem to have any, so that won't bother you.

   MusicJohn, 17/Dec/07
187
General Discussion / Re: No sound from one staff
   Hi, Fitzclan.

   You say:

   "I don't know what could have happened, but I finally shut down the computer and later when I rebooted, the strange behavior was no more. YAY! Just hope it doesn't happen again."

   and I am reminded that this type of effect - a midi channel going silent - has happened to me a number of times before, and always after I've loaded in, opened and played someone else's NWC file - perhaps something I've seen in the Forum or Newsgroups.  Invariably - I think - the channel remained silent even when I closed Noteworthy down and re-opened it later, with a completely different File loaded in, and only turning the machine off seemed to solve the problem and bring the channel back to life after a re-boot.

   I think, though, that it is in some way linked to the patch bank select associated with instrument selection (F2|Instrument).  It is as though once a patch bank has been chosen I'm stuck with it ... though whether it's something odd about Windows or it's to do with the sound card I do not know.  The trouble then comes when the system doesn't have anything referenced by the selected bank; and that leads to a silent channel!

   Still, this does rather restore my faith in the First Rule of Computing:  if all else fails, switch off, and then switch back on again!

   Regards,

   MusicJohn, 9/Dec/07
188
General Discussion / Re: Multiple Staff Lines on a screen page
   Hi, Bill.

   When you've had a chance to read the Help Files you'll find the solution to your problem.

   Briefly, however: on the screen Noteworthy displays the music as a single system (of however many staves you want), so it's a long strip starting somewhere on the left and with its end somewhere on the right, and in playback the music scrolls left a screen at a time along the strip.  BUT, when printing Noteworthy wraps everything round properly, so you get one, two or more systems per page, just like you'd expect.  You can also force a system break ... but NOT a new page.

   Good luck!

   MusicJohn 25/Oct/07

189
General Discussion / Re: NWC Viewer limitation
   Hi, Ole Baekgaard.

   I don't understand your problem.

   NWC is fine for entering the notes, but with its Midi output you can use any of a huge variety of Midi Players, most - if not all - which allow you to adjust Tempo and Emphasis as you please (see my Website, http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk , but not, I'm sorry to say, the Creation Mass - which will be added in due course - which you can presently find at    http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Sch%C3%B6pfungsmesse_%28Mass_no._13_in_Bb_Major%29_%28Franz_Joseph_Haydn%29 .

   A Player like Session or van Basko - http://www.freesoft411.com/freeware/van-basko%60s-karaoke-player.html - will then do all you want!

   MusicJohn, 21/Sep/07


190
General Discussion / Re: The Orchestral Staff Attribute Bug
   Well, William, voice-emphasised Midi Files work well for the several Choirs I sing with and prepare music for - hence my Website (http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk).  And I'm a rubbish Tenor, too, but still worth my weight in gold-pressed latinum, apparently  [:-)]

   And all the choral singers I know seem to prefer to have the score showing all the voices plus the piano reduction.  On the few occasions when we've been forced to sing from a score showing only "our" voice, it's been bloody awful!

   MusicJohn, 18/Sep/07
191
General Discussion / Re: Help Help Help!
   Another point to bear in mind, pianos345, is that if you've got a lot of different sorts of instruments, and you assign each sort to a different staff and then give each staff a different Midi channel, then pretty soon you run out of Midi channels - in General Midi (and with only one soundcard or the like) you only have 16, of which one - No 10 - is automatically a percussion track.  So, you need to start doubling up ... and then you run into the problem that Midi commands - especially Midi "off" commands - in a higher staff also act upon any subsequent staff that has been given the same channel.  It can get quite irritating!

   MusicJohn, 16/Sep/07

192
General Discussion / Re: The Orchestral Staff Attribute Bug
   Hi, Tony.

   Congrats.

   You see, Bidderxyzzy?  Some of us are old enough to have been at Bletchley Park.  Of course, programming Colossus was rather ... how can I say ... different to the sort of stuff one does nowadays.

   MusicJohn, 15/Sep/07
194
General Discussion / Re: What would you say is the best voice?
   Hi, Rob.  We do indeed.

   Having said that ... I feel strongly that NWC is for looking at the Files, while Midi, via a Sequencer, is for listening to them.  So - as I've said before in this Forum - it seems better to me to key stuff in using NWC but then to take the Midi output and play with that in a simple Sequencer such as the
defunct-but-still-available Midisoft "Recording Session".  This in theory allows much greater flexibility over the sound output than does NWC, including - and for my purposes this is most important - the ability to solo, emphasise or mute staves on the fly (and save the result for later use).

   You will understand (even if you don't agree), then, why I find it hard to sympathise with such as bidderxyzzy, who in topic=6032 tells us he prepares practice aids for a choir which sings, whenever possible, from the original publisher's scores, but then that he must provide a kind of super intelligent metronome/pitch pipe which will teach the notes and basic rhythms, leaving more rehearsal time for learning performance style, dynamics, breathing and other things that turn the notes to music.  He sees NoteWorthy as a sequencer first and a printing program only for emergencies, and adds that he must distribute in .nwc form, not .midi because muting staves and slowing tempos is something his audience must be able to do.  And yet ... and yet ... how often has this Forum observed that NWC itself is not intended for that sort of playback, and that each of the two flavours of NWC Player, while good at actually playing Midi files, lack the right sort of control to make it truly useful to, say, Choral singers?  For that you need Midi and a suitable Player, of which there are zillions out there which, like Session (above) give all the control needed!

   MusicJohn, 11/Sep/07

195
General Discussion / Re: What would you say is the best voice?
   Hi, Drummer_Tom.

   I do a lot of choral music stuff (see
http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk).  On my Sounderblaster 64 Gold, for an SATB chorus I inevitably use piccolo, clarinet, French horn and bassoon, with my soloists (if any) being whistle, cor anglais, baritone sax (or trombone) and tuba.  If I have to double up the chorus then I usually turn the soloists into the second SATB set.  So, for SSA, I suggest piccolo, whistle and clarinet.  An alternative for a soprano voice is recorder (which can also work quite well for an alto voice).

   And you may find it worth arranging the general volume of the voices to be slightly more than the volume of the backing.  You can easily do this using the Multipoint controller, and adjusting the relative Volume or Expression values, right at the beginning of each Staff.

   Of course, once the finished Files are launched on an unsuspecting world, what it hears is, as Lawrie said, entirely dependent on what sound system it has ... but even so I reckon my choices are universally acceptable even if not always that good.

   The so-called "voices" available in the General Midi set are, on any system I've ever tried, quite awful, so I don't use them!

   Sing well!

   MusicJohn, 10/Sep/07

197
General Discussion / Re: NWC Viewer limitation
Hi, Ole.

You say "I wish that a lot other people, particularly fellow choristers, would come out in support of the improvements requested." but in truth on previous occasions in this Forum many have, including me.  And while I agree that a more amenable Player would be good, I avoid the problem by converting everything into Midi format (and posting it on my Website: http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk ), which means that my Choir(s) - three of them, totalling perhaps 400 of various persuasions - can then download them as convenient, and manipulate the volumes and tempos any way they like using any one of the excellent, and usually free, Midi Players out there in Webland.

Regards,

MusicJohn, 22/Jun/07

 
198
General Discussion / Re: Producing a "jazzy" feel
   Hi, Rosemac.

   You ask if there's any way to produce the "jazzy" feel just writing quavers.  I don't think so - unless you're using a sexy piece of software like Sibelius - but in Noteworthy you can get nearly the right sort of effect by taking your quaver pairs, turning the first one into a crotchet, and then tripletising the crotchet/quaver combination.

   MusicJohn, 26/Apr/07
 
199
General Discussion / Re: NWC Viewer limitation
   Me too; being able to start and start the Player/Viewer anywhere would be great.

   On the other hand ... all my NWC Choral Files are converted to Midi format, then revised into the several appropriate voice-emphasised versions (using Midisoft's "Recording Session"), and finally uploaded to my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk - from which my Choral colleagues can download the ones they want for use with a Midi File Player (preferably one that allows additional tempo and volume adjustment, such as "Session").

   I wish - how I wish (and yes: it's in the List)! - that Noteworthy Composer contained a real-time Mixer Board!

   MusicJohn, 16/Apr/07