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Topic: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes (Read 4383 times) previous topic - next topic

Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

I'm new to NW, so this may have been covered already, but I've searched and can't find anything.

I am a convert from Logic.  I tend to like to enter my notes via manually (not from a midi keyboard).  it is slow, but it works better for me.  I like the NW approach, and I am very impressed with Noteworthy's operator interface.  However, the one feature I miss is the ability to hear the note when I enter it.  I know you can play it back, but that is a little too late for me.  Providing the immediate feedback would allow me to keep a flow going.

Is there a way to set up so notes are sounded as they are entered?

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #1 –
When using the computer keyboard, you cannot hear what you enter until you play. You can, however, set play back to start from the insertion point or current measure and hear your entry very quickly. This is done from the Tools, Options, Midi tab, using the Play option.

See also: https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1626

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #2 –
Robert has brought up something that has been bothering the dickens out of me also.

When composing on NWC, I am now forced to "hear" the contemplated note in my "mind's ear", enter it, and then play back from the insertion point, just as you (NoteWorthy Online) suggest.

HOWEVER, this procedure just bugs the fire out of me.  Why? Well, when the note (tone) that I wish to hear is of short duration and and/or is followed by other notes (tones) rapidly after the note (tone) of interest sounds, then my  "auditory palette" becomes "contaminated" by the following tones and it is very difficult to fix the note (tone/chord) of interest in my mind and separate it from the following notes.

On a piano or keyboard, I can just keep on plunkin' 'till I get it right.  This is really tough, for me, to do using NWC.

How very great it would be if one could enter a note, highlight it, then strike a single key and hear that exact note (tone) isolated by itself and sustained for so long as I held down the key!

Carry it a step further, and permit a similiar capability for a chord.

Oh, powers-that-be, PLEASE consider adding this feature to your program!

Is there anyone else who would like to have this capability in NWC?

-- debo

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #3 –
If this feature ever is added, I would like to have the option of turning it off.  I don't need to have it on when composing because my mind's ear works just fine.  It would be really annoying to hear each note entered at relatively the same speed/duration (like, all quarter notes...).  If I enter a whole note and it last for the same amount of time as the eight notes that follow it, I would feel that the music is being destroyed (or something).
I would like to be able to turn it on for teaching/demonstration purposes though.  I've found that handy when working in certain other programs.

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #4 –
debo, one way to solve your problem is to connect a MIDI keyboard (or something equivalent) to your computer, make sure "MIDI input active" is on (in the Tools menu, or the piano keyboard button, or <ALT> <T> <I>) and then simply "play" your notes in.  You get immediate aural confirmation of the note.  And you can just keep on plunkin' 'till [you] get it right - deleting the false notes as you go.

I enter about half my notes this way, with my left hand on the MIDI keyboard and my right hand on the computer keyboard, to adjust the note lengths, and set dotted notes, ties, grace notes etc.  Sometimes I forget - escpecially slurs - and then edit a whole section of notes later, with both hands on the computer keyboard.

At other times, when the timing is complex, or when the accidentals don't agree with the entered defaults, I switch completely to the computer keyboard.  At these times I'm forced to hear the notes with my "mind's ear", but I'm not bothered by that - I use the MIDI keyboard method for speed rather than aural confirmation.  (But you can sometimes pick up mistakes more easily!)

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #5 –
Hey Al, You can get a combined qwerty keyboard and piano keyboard fron Creative so you can enter direct from your desk while you are in NWC. Not expensive, about $99.

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #6 –
Folks, there is a simple "work around" available using NWC that is not much trouble.

Just open a new score and create a template containing one staff, clef of your choice, 4/4 time, tempo of (say) 60 and enter a series of notes.  I like half notes. Save the template so that it is easily available whenever you want it.

Anytime you want to hear a specific note all alone and by itself, just open the template, press the Shift and Ctrl keys down and use the up/down arrows to adjust the position of the notes.  Add whatever accidentals you want. and then press F5.

The tone will sound repeatedly.  Press the "Esc" key to stop.  You can leave the template open in a separate window while you work on a tune in another window.

re: Lew / Creative keyboard.  Thanks for the heads-up.

I am going to look into the Creative keyboard product.  If anyone here has (or gets) any experience with it, please give us an evaluation.

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #7 –
Robert, debo, (and others of course), you may also consider using a virtual piano on your PC.
See https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=896.msg4869#msg4869 and following (thanks Fred & Co) Read more than the reply 10!
HTH!
P.S. #1 : I checked the links: they're out of date. So I spent some time to locate it again: you can find piano21.zip here (All the non-HTM files are from the zip file) or here also,
or easier, among others (LOL! Pianoman is there :) HERE.

P.S. #2 debo, I just felt as you do about "contaminated" when composing. But I have to add that after some time of practice, it disappeared, simply because my "mind's ear" became more exact, and now I usually enter exactly what I have in mind (even without the virtual piano) using the standard keyboard.
Years ago, I had written (under MS-DOS) a small music editor myself, and found out that hearing the note as I entered it (which my own software does) was not good in fact, especially  when one hits the wrong note... for the same reason: it was disturbing me rather than helping me.
I should mention that I'm not a pianist (though I'm trying to learn it this year).
My encouter with NWC in 1995 was the best thing it happened to me about music (not to mention my neighbor who taught me grand flute)

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #9 –
Also we had a discussion on virtual keyboards,see msg#3470
 

Re: Hearing what you enter as you enter notes

Reply #10 –
Just do it in your head!
When you're typing in MSWord or some other program,
you don't need the computer to talk to you so that you can hear what you are typing, do you?
Develop your inner ear!