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Topic: Learning Tapes (Read 7751 times) previous topic - next topic

Learning Tapes

I want to create learning tapes (files) for a barbershop quartet. After a quick look at Composer, it looks very good. But a key requirement is to be able to easily emphasize/deemphasize one or more of the four parts so, for example, the baritone can hear and learn his part. It is not clear how Composer does this. Can someone give me some advice? Thanks, Lynn.

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #1 –
Welcome aboard :^)

Just type 'M' (or via the menu Tools/Mute List) and you'll be able to mute/unmute any part.

Another solution is to modifiy the volume per staff, so you can still hear the other staves but lower.
in that case, type 'r', and edit the staves one by one.

You can quickly access to the current staff's properties by pressing F2.

You'll see that you can do much more there, I prefer to let you investigate :)

NWC is a simple, elegant, powserful program.
And its users are usually ready to help.

Don't forget to go and see the users pages (via the "user links page" on NWC site) or the repository : the Scriptorium

Hope this helps,
 Marsu (simple user)

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #2 –
Just as a quick supplemental comment:

You'll want to have each part on its own staff so that muting/volume controls can be done on a staff by staff basis.

If desired for printing purposes, the staffs can be "layered" (e.g. "combined").

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #3 –
A simple way would be to place each part on its own staff.
Create 4 versions with the required part panned hard left and the other parts panned hard right.
You wont need to alter the staff volume.
That way the end user need only use the balance control or left/right volume control on their playback device to emphasize their part.

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #4 –
Thanks, guys.  I will probably need to keep it as simple as possible because many of the "students" are not computer literate. The balance control approach is the way barbershop learning tapes have traditionally been done.

Actually, what I really want to do is scan in the music first.  I am testing SharpEye.  If anyone knows of another scanning software please let me know.

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #5 –
Lynn, I've tried some of music-oriented OCRs (OMR??).
None of us had satisfied me at that time, but this computer science is in (slow) progress.
Maybe you'll find a tool that is correct enough (i.e. the work to be done AFTER the recognition is acceptable).
My own conclusion was: if the sheet is perfectly scanned (lines are straight and horizontal) and the score is clean (not handwritten, no "noise"), then it's worth the try.
Otherwise, it's much more quicker to enter it with NWC entirely.

Such a subject was already discussed in https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=726, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=454, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=842, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1088, https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=291 and some others.

SharpEye is not the worst, at least :)
 

Re: Learning Tapes

Reply #6 –
I find that that using separate staffs, and then using the pan controls mentioned by Barry Graham above works fine for me.  Just go to the midi section under Staff Properties, set the pan for the staff that you wish to isolate to zero. Then go to the other staffs, and set their pan values to 127.  You'll then have one staff isolated on the left channel on playback. This works great for those who use learning tapes in their cars, or have home stereos with balance controls.

Incidentally, the staffs can be overlayed for printing in barbershop style, and then switched back to four tracks by clicking the appropriate box on Staff Properties/visual. As a new user, I didn't understand at first that the overlay process is reversable.