Irritations when importing Midi Files

2017-01-08 01:49 pm

   Using Noteworthy I prepare a lot of Midi Files of major Choral Works, which Files I then upload to my Website for any Singer to use to help them learn the Work. Sometimes I "borrow" Midi Files previously prepared by others, and import these into Noteworthy so that I can fettle them into my preferred format before uploading them (with thanks to their original maker).

   For the most part, Noteworthy is quite good about importing Midis, and provides an NWC version which is reasonably accurate and usable. Sometimes, however, it isn't, and doesn't.

   Here is an example using NWC2.75. It is the soprano line of the Agnus Dei from the Requiem by a well-known modern Composer, and I have shown the line in two forms. The upper staff is as the Composer wrote it (or, at least, as I keyed it in). The lower is what I get if I export the File as a Midi File, and then import it back in, otherwise untouched.

   There are, clearly, several things "wrong" with the imported staff.

   Firstly, all the time signatures are "misplaced", being positioned before rather than after the relevant bar line.

   Secondly, the staff has been given the "wrong" enharmonic signature.

   Thirdly, Noteworthy fails to "recognise" the triplets.

   Fourthly, ... there are other differences, but these are not Noteworthy's fault, because they relate to data not passed on in the Midi File - dynamic markings, beaming, some tied notes.

   It's the time signature and enharmonic tuning matters with I find most irritating. My question, then, is: can Noteworthy be changed to deal with them, or am *I* doing something wrong, and is there any way I can force Noteworthy to get them right?

   MusicJohn, 8/Jan/17

Re: Irritations when importing Midi Files

Reply #1 – 2017-01-08 04:08 pm

Quote from: MusicJohn – 2017-01-08 01:49 pm

*I* doing something wrong, and is there any way I can force Noteworthy to get them right?

Give it a KeySig. Using F major, import will default to flats.

Re: Irritations when importing Midi Files

Reply #2 – 2017-01-09 12:26 pm

Quote from: MusicJohn – 2017-01-08 01:49 pm

Thirdly, Noteworthy fails to "recognise" the triplets.

IIRC, note duration in Midi is a calculated value: we know the time sigature and duration of the note, therefore this is a quarter note. That is only approximate when converting triplets and a tool is necessary to convert them like this one.