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Topic: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import (Read 6141 times) previous topic - next topic

Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

I apologize in advance if I have already submitted this question as a fragment, or if the question has already been addressed elsewhere. I looked, but did not see it. I have imported a Midi file, which happens to be in the Key of C. The song drops to B-flat chord progressions quite a bit, which import properly, but are written as A-sharp. Is there any way to get accidentals to import as flats in lieu of sharps? It's a minor whine, I know. The chords just look funky as sharps. Thanks! Mike

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #1 –
From the top of my head:
Try Tools | Transpose
and fiddle with the options there.
HTH,
A

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #2 –
If you temporarily use a flat key signature, you can Audit Enharmonic Spelling and sharps will generally be replaced as flats. You can then restore the correct time signature and Audit Accidentals.

This is the only way to do it at the moment.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #3 –
The last sentence of my first paragraph should read: You can then restore the correct KEY signature and Audit Accidentals.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #4 –
It seems to be the case that MIDI importers (not just NWC) always use the key of C by default. Presumably, MIDI does not contain key signature information.

As NW Online said: Import the MIDI. If you know they key, insert the correct key signature. Then audit accidentals.

If you don't know the key, you can take a look at where the accidentals appear most often (or use your knowledge of music theory), then guess the key.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #5 –
No, key signature is an option in midi. Not all sequencers insert this (or, not all midi composers choose to use it).

NWC does indeed insert key signatures into exported midis, you can even have it insert signatures into each staff (usually channel), or just into the master track.

Fred

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #6 –
I do this a lot, and I've found it's better to use Force Accidentals first, otherwise sometimes your B's, for instance, will change to B flats. Force Accidentals, then add a key signature with flats to the sections that have the flats, then Audit Enharmonic, then Force Accidentals again, then Audit Accidentals. Then remove the bogus key signatures. You should experiment; I'm not sure that first Audit Accidentals is necessary...

The new Find (ctrl+F) feature helps if you are in D minor, for instance, and want to keep the B flats but change all your D flats to C sharps. Look at the thread "Advanced 'Find' in 1.75". I'm indebted to "marsu" for showing me this - I might or might not have figured it out myself in time.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #7 –
Aha, you were right (I knew that!). MIDI does allow key signatures, and NWC does export them. But until now, I have been importing MIDIs prepared by others using unknow programs, and have yet to encounter a key signature when they were imported into NWC. Presumably, the source did not trouble to include them.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #8 –
About key signature: I've already seen MIDI files that included key signature at each measure, and sometimes time signature at each measure. I don't know which sequencer(s) do(es) this, but I was glad to NWC that Ctrl+Left (or Right) goes to next bar, to easily remove these extra signatures.

As I think there is no way to specify a bar line in MIDI format (but I don't know it well enough), I suppose the sequencer(s) who do(es) that add these signature at regular intervals. After all, it is better than no signature at all; but to me it seems some unuseful, and takes room for nothing.
As I'm a long-time Computer user (I started as a child when hard disks were called Winchester and had more or less a capacity of one MEGA BYTE... Could you imagine this nowadays?), I always try to fight against room losses. (Word for example... especially when upgrading from version to version.)
NWC files are small, convenient, and even can be internally zipped (the current default). I love that :) when sending files via SMTP/HTTP/NNTP/FTP. But I usually store them as unzipped (on a compressed (Stacker) drive), since it allows me to extract easily lyrics for instance with a "grep" or "find -exec grep" command. Vive Unix ;)

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #9 –
You can also simply export and then re-import in NWC to eliminate all of those extra signatures.

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #10 –
!!! I should have thought to that one!!!
 

Re: Accidentals vs Key of C vs Midi Import

Reply #11 –
The correct sequence seems to be

Force Accidentals, Add bogus key signature, audit enharmonic spelling, force accidentals again, remove bogus key signature then audit accidentals. If you audit accidentals before removing bogus key signature, you will lose accidentals that belong to the bogus key signature (Bb's for example). This does not deal properly with sharpened leading notes in flat key signatures (such as C# in Dminor) unfortunately.

Geoff