Is this for me?

Topic: Is this for me? (Read 3654 times) previous topic - next topic

Is this for me?

2007-12-02 10:31 pm

First off, what a wonderful community! Reading posts for the last 45 minutes has taken me back 30 years to band, orchestra, jazz band, drum and bugle corps.... Thanks for the memories!

My son (12) is enjoying composing as he plays our piano. We have a keyboard with a standard MIDI output and I am hoping to find software that will record what he is playing and allow him to print out a score. I can't find a detailed list of features for NWC, and reading the online documentation about recording did not clarify if a score was one of the available outputs after recording (I assume it is, but we know what assuming will do!). I'm sorry in advance if it clearly says that somewhere and I missed it.

If NWC will do that, my second concern was the list of possible difficulties and workarounds I have read about when trying to record from MIDI, including the background timing needed and echo settings, among others. While I recognize that EXTENSIVE handholding is available right here, I'm not currently in a position to spend hours experimenting in the week after Christmas.

Now (finally) my question: Assuming complete comfort with software install, menu useage and the like, what kind of time investment am I looking at before keyboard press leads to file which will ultimately print as score?

Thanks in advance,
PianoDad

P.S. Grew up in Raleigh (a suburb of Fuquay-Varina), sister-in-law lives in Sydney (where everyone is as friendly as Lawrie). I feel like I just might fit in!

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #1 – 2007-12-02 10:51 pm

G'day PianoDad,
as you've done quite a bit of reading I suspect you may well have most of the little "gotcha's" with MIDI recording figured out.

Once the MIDI recording is complete you can then edit and print just like any other NWC work.

Of course, it isn't going to be perfect straight off the recording! You'll have some cleanup. The biggest problem is timing. Your sons ability to keep up with the tempo track will directly affect the usefulness of the resulting NWC file.

Some practice and fiddling with the MIDI import parameters will certainly help. See https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=6254.0

You'll also need to consider how you're going to get the MIDI from the keyboard into the PC. Do you already have a MIDI cable suitable for the task?

Some sound cards will allow MIDI connection via an on-board game port - provided you have the correct cable. Otherwise, there are some good USB MIDI interfaces available - I have an Edirol Um-1 something or other that I've played with a bit but never had the time to get serious about - have to learn piano/keyboard first

If in doubt about NWC, you can always try the demo. Available from:
http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/
click the "Try it" link.

BTW, thanks for the compliment!

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #2 – 2007-12-03 02:08 am

Hi, PianoDad

You will be best off getting the evaluation version of Noteworthy to “evaluate” the amount of time it will take to get a score. As Far As I Know, The Evaluation version has no restrictions that will hamper your ability to find out if you will have any MIDI problems or finding out if your son is able to play in strict time when entering. The only limitations that I am aware of are related to the number of saves and also a watermark on printout. The evaluation version will also allow you to find what the best parameters are for your situation so you can spend time fiddling around before Christmas (unless this is meant to be a surprise) Lawrie’s already included the Link in his post, so I won’t post it again.

I find that a 2 minute work (four parts/ String Quartet) takes me an hour to enter from scratch via the computer keyboard (the QWERTY one, not the musical one). It takes me approximately 10 minutes to work through a (2 min 4-part) composition if all the notes are already entered to check all the notes and add the final formatting touches to make it easily readable (preparation for performance, I also have to add bowing marks, which can take longer than just dynamics).

The other consideration you might want to make is whether your son is going to ever do music as an elective at school or anything that might mean group composition. When it comes to group composition, it can be frustrating to have incompatible file formats. I’m a school student and all my classmates have Sibelius or Finale. This means that I cannot currently share files effectively with them (there are converters currently available, and by the time you some will need this, it probably won’t be an issue). Also, if your son is going to take music as an elective, check if he will be able to take his noteworthy files in to work on them. (one way is to have NWC on a flash drive, if the school will let you) The School might be so strict as to only allow Sibelius or Finale to run on their computers, meaning that much time could be wasted re-entering data (unless the mxml format becomes well supported). That said, you should try (the evaluation versions of) Finale and Sibelius so that you know why you are getting noteworthy. (I think noteworthy is worth getting just for the fourms and community)

I think you’ll find that NWC is the best value for money, however you might have a few headaches with school that will cost a bit of time.

Globbilink

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #3 – 2007-12-04 03:26 am

I don't have a midi keyboard, but I wonder - if you don't have a midi cable to connect with, you might see if you can record from the midi keyboard onto a floppy disc (if those still can be found). Then import the midi file to NWC to prepare the score and print it.

For portability, until something else comes along, anything produced in NWC can be exported to midi, and the midi can then be carried on a floppy to the next computer and loaded into most programs.

If the child needs to take it home again, he would save the file from Finale or whatever as a midi file, onto a floppy, and import that to NWC on his home machine.

Decidedly low tech, but hopefully a port in a storm.

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #4 – 2007-12-04 04:17 am

Just a little point...

I did omit MIDI export (subconsciously) as it didn't work in my situation. David's right, MIDI will work for most school-based problems... but now I remember why MIDI didn't work for me. We had to compose a pop/rock song, and I had included the guitar chords as text (which won't be saved into midi) that meant that MIDI was not a feasible choice, as I would lose most of my data. But that's another problem for a different thread (I was fine, as noteworthy was on my flash drive, but the rest of my group members were reduced to writing the lyrics, as they couldn't receive a proper editable copy of all the music)

Thanks for pointing that out, David.

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #5 – 2007-12-04 04:57 am

With regard to Finale/Sibelius import export...

For the full versions of the above I expect MusicXML support in NWC will be a BIG help, BUT... Here in Oz it appears that many schools use the free Finale Notepad for their music students. I don't think they acquire the full versions very often, if at all.

This creates a problem with import/export as notepad does not support MIDI or MXML - or anything else that I can see...

This tends to encourage people to download it (notepad) instead of looking for other products - afterall, its free...

Long term - people serious about notation will likely seek something they are familiar with - Finale, of course. It is only the most discerning that will search for superior products like NWC

Actually, I'm only half kidding... NWC is IMHO vastly superior in the user interface. But there are features in the other products I'd like to see in NWC...

Re: Is this for me?

Reply #6 – 2007-12-04 05:12 am

You hit the nail right on the head there, Lawrie.

My school has computer labs full of Computers with Finale Notepad... as well as what was 4 with Sibelius 4, that is now 3 with Sibelius 5 (one of the computers died) I think this is a rather unfair system that favors the students who are familiar with Sibelius (but I suppose my music class is the largest and most advanced music class ever seen in this school)

I suppose the best solution is to have a friend who has finale proper, and pass the file to them to convert to finale format. Or if you are in a similar situation as me (with flash drives at school), bring noteworthy with you and hope that you don't get a group composition task in a group of students who are equally proficient at composing as you... I usually get other students in my group to write lyrics while I compose the music in noteworthy

I looks like the winner here is clearly noteworthy (unless Sibelius has the ability to export finale files as well as import them)