Skip to main content
Topic: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble (Read 8326 times) previous topic - next topic

Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

I created a midi using some music scanning software (photoscore). Then I imported it into NWC2 (it's easier to use & has much better features!) but when it imports, it always converts the bass clef to a treble. It adjusts the notes for the treble but of course with all the ledger lines, they're not super easy to read. The sound is still okay, but if you wanted to print, you'd have to do some formatting. It would be nice if it just read in the bass clef...

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #1
Highlight everything and move it UP 12 times and then change the clef to bass - this'll maintain correct pitch.

I don't recall a way to specify the import clef - perhaps if you change the staff range during the import it may affect the clef assigned - otherwise I dunno...
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #2
Just to add that NWC2 also converts the treble clef octave down (the one with the litte 8 under it) to a normal treble clef, converting all the notes down on the staff.

Of course, as Lawrie said, I could manually move/transpose all the notes - but this really is unacceptable. Doing this is a workaround to a problem. Instead of doing a workaround, NWC2 should recognize different clefs and import them/open them as they exist - not converting them at all.

Is this a problem that's expected to be fixed??

Thanks,
BA

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #3
G'day BA,
I definitely stand to be corrected as I don't deal with the innards of MIDI files, ever, but I'm pretty certain there is NO clef information in a MIDI file.  Given this lack how can any notation product import a clef that isn't there?

Of course, one could always ask for "smarter" import but I would expect 8vb treble clef would usually be imported as bass given that the MIDI note numbers would correspond to the bass clef more closely...  As such, I'm surprised you found it to be importing as treble with the notes shifted down.  Unless, of course, the notes were being written well up in the staff or even above it, which seems an odd place to use an octave down clef..?



I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #4
I'm pretty sure a midi file must be able to recognize clefs. In NWC 1.75 I was able to open a midi file with bass clef & treble all the time. Now it could be that the program creating the midi file is not converting the clef correctly (doing a translation from a treble clef behind the scenes).... but nonetheless, if midi is too simple for NWC2 to convert properly, then I suggest NWC2 should support importing MusicXml files (alot more detail). This is something I suggested in another post. After all, if you're going to provide functionality to import, it should work well.

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #5
Quote
...some music scanning software (photoscore).
Quote
if midi is too simple for NWC2 to convert properly, then I suggest NWC2 should support importing MusicXml files

BA, Photoscore can save your scanned music as XML

You can import that into NWC2 with the mxml2nwcc.exe utility, found at 
http://www.niversoft.com/downloads/mxml2nwcc.zip

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #6
Clefs are not stored in a MIDI file. I am not aware of any differences between NWC 1.75's and NWC2's MIDI Import routines.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #7
For the most part, MIDI files contain performance data. They also can contain key and time signature information, but it is optional. MIDI files do not contain any clef information of any kind. NWC1 and NWC2 contain the same basic guessing logic that decides on the clef to use for a staff. Currently, they only select between a bass or treble clef.

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #8
Hi there!

I've tried out the NWC2xml and it works great! It maintains the proper clefs and it even handles the staves properly. (Previously, if my song had a piano intro (2 staves for 4 bars, e.g.,) and then a vocal line was added for 3 staves, when I saved and imported as midi, it read the staves very simply, putting the RH piano line on stave 1 and then the vocal line in bar 5 also on stave 1. Anyways, now it works correctly.)

Thanks for telling me about that!

BA

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #9


Warren - #2,
Thank you for the CTRL/SHIFT hint.  To use it I changed the clef sign then right clicked and chose Select All then CTRL/SHIFT and using the up/down arrow put the notes where they belonged in the new clef.

Dufrdan
Sparks, NV

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #10
Quote
I've tried out the NWC2xml and it works great! ...Thanks for telling me about that!

 You're most welcome.  It's like magic,eh?

Re: Problem with Import - Converts Bass Clef to Treble

Reply #11
Warren - #2,
Thank you for the CTRL/SHIFT hint.  To use it I changed the clef sign then right clicked and chose Select All then CTRL/SHIFT and using the up/down arrow put the notes where they belonged in the new clef.

Dufrdan
Sparks, NV
Thanks for researching older posts on this.  I don't think it has come up since last October.
Since 1998