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Topic: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis (Read 14372 times) previous topic - next topic

Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Enharmonics are still a problem when you're converting midis, especially in minor keys, where you have to correct all those Dbs to C#. Sometimes you can use a fake key signature, force accidentals, and then use the enharmonic clean-up. But then you've got A#'s for Bbs.

I think it would work if the "Audit Enharmonic Spelling" feature could be made to respect "User Defined Key signatures". Then - for D minor, say - you could put in a temporary key signature that has Bb and C#, audit enharmonic spelling, delete the signature (leaving the normal one-flat sig), and then run "Audit Accidentals" to delete all the natural signs placed in front of unsharped C's.

I'm sending this to the wish list.

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #1 –
I never tried this, but I guessed that it would have worked, the way you describe it.
Good of you that you added it to the wish list.
Be that as it may, I think in nwc2 the Global mod might help.

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #2 –
John, I appreciate where you're coming from , but what is the effect on the user of the music you print with accidentals that are inconsistent with the key signature?

Seems to me it's quite jarring to be reading along in a flat key signature and come across an accidental sharp, and vice versa, because it's not customary.

If I'm sight reading, and encounter this, my eyes are probably going to go back to the beginning of the line to check the signature.  Distracting at the least.

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #3 –
David, it's really noticeable in two harmonic minor keys, whose "raised leading note" is a sharp:

D min: D E F G A Bb C# D
G min: G E Bb C D Eb F# G

The subdominant chord of each definitely includes a flat as the third, and the dominant chord definitely includes a sharp as the third.

At least one melodic minor ascending scale still has a mixture of accidentals:
G min (melodic): G A Bb C D E F# G

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #4 –
Sounds like a wonderful Sesame Street song. What's the name of that character in English? The count who loves counting? He did a waltz, and the scale had one flat and one sharp, exactly as described above. A Gypsy scale, I believe.
Us Dutch call the character 'graaf Tel',  which would translate to 'Count Count' - but is he?

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #5 –
It's 'Count von Count' to us Yanks.

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #6 –
Thanks!

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #7 –
John Kavanagh on 2005-08-28 wrote:

"But then you've got A#'s for Bbs."

I have encountered this, and at least when the midi import doesn't specify a key sig (ie: it's imported as in key of C major with a ton of weird accidentals), I have used something like the following fudge.. Unfortunately it doesn't happen often and I'm only half remembering the exact procedure.  But "playing it by ear" with these steps usually gives a useful result

1. Force accidentals on original imported notation.

2. Add a sensible key sig, ie: your best guess as to actual key sig.

3. Force accidentals again.

4. Transpose staff up or down to key of Cmaj from your assumed key sig.

At some point you'll have the thing in the key of C with proper spellings.  Then you can transpose it where you want it with proper spellings.

YMMV
 

Re: Enharmonic fudging when importing midis

Reply #8 –
http://archive.cs.uu.nl/pub/MIDI/PROGRAMS/MSDOS/mf2t.zip

From the doc file:
"Two programs to manipulate standard midifiles.

mf2t is a program that reads a standard midifile (format 0 or 1) and writes an ASCII representation of it that is both compact and easily parsable.

t2mf is the companion program that reparses the text representation into a midifile."

I've used these to get the key signature right before import. Saves a lot of time.
You can even rework the timesig from 4/4 to 12/8 to see where those "triplets" really are.

Helps to know your way around an MS-DOS prompt. Doskey can be a big help.
Registered user since 1996