Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff (Read 9230 times) previous topic - next topic

Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Hi

I would like to suggest a new feature. In our choir, we type in all music in Noteworthy for studying purposes, but since not all are in front of their computer all day like me, they would prefer mp3-files. I know it is possible to save a noteworthy file as midi, convert it to wav and then to mp3...

What I would like is the ability to export the same .nws file into multiple midi-files, one for each staff where one staff is set to max volume, and the others to a lower volume, or perhaps the main staff panned to the right, and the other staffs to the left so it is easier to hear your own. I can then probably find some tool to batch-convert these staffs to mp3 and upload them to the web server of my choir...

Automatic conversion to wav or even directly to mp3 would of course sweeten the deal :-)

Any chance this could be implemented in NW2?

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #1 –
And just minutes later I realized that synthfont (http://www.synthfont.com/) can split the midi file into one mp3/wav file per channel. Now I just need a tool that can merge the files back again with different volume for the separate channels :-)

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #2 –
If you're using synthfont, then you can actually go straight from NoteWorthy to Synthfont without the intermediate midi stage. This will mean that you can just change the values in NoteWorthy for each voice, play the file using synthfont as the output medium, then change for the next voice. You can complete the job without having to save to midi.

You will need to install either midiyoke (from http://www.midiox.com/ ) or loopbe (from http://www.nerds.de/en/loopbe1.html ).  You then set up NoteWorthy with an output of midiyoke (rather than midimapper etc)
and use midi yoke as the input port in synthfont.  (or loopbe as appropriate)

When you first run it, you will find that the sound is probably terrible in comparison with a direct midi file - but if you mess around with the latency settings, you will be able to overcome this.



 
Rich.

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #3 –
It sounds like you are making part practice files.  I have done several of these for our church choir and I find it easier to simply save a separate NWC file for each voice part with that voice max volume and the others lowered, voices panned, etc. such as scorename_alto.nwc.  Then simply render to .wav and to .mp3 for each voice part NWC file.  By the time you get the automated process down, if it is possible in NWC, you may have been able to render 3 scores' parts by saving and rendering separate NWC voice part files!  By the way, if you use Audacity to capture the audio of your NWC file playback, it's one click to export directly to mp3 without making a .wav file first.  If you have not used Audacity, that free download and installation are described on threads here that could be found with a search.  You will also need to download and install the appropriate free LAME library described in Audacity's installation instructions to be able to export to .mp3, but I think you would find it worth the small time necessary.  Good luck!

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #4 –
   Hi, jonashogstrom.

   I too key everything in using NWC, and then convert to Midi.  But then I use Midisoft Session - old versions were given out as Freebies back in DOS/3.1 days - to prepare the necessary emphasized voice Files (that way you can keep all the volume etc changes you put into the NWC Master).  Have a look at my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk - and you'll see what I mean.

   You can then convert everything to WAV or MP3 using Synthfont.  It all works very well for me.

   MusicJohn, 3/Sep/08

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #5 –
Quote from: MusicJohn –
   Hi, jonashogstrom.

   I too key everything in using NWC, and then convert to Midi.  But then I use Midisoft Session - old versions were given out as Freebies back in DOS/3.1 days - to prepare the necessary emphasized voice Files (that way you can keep all the volume etc changes you put into the NWC Master).  Have a look at my Website - http://www.thehoopers.demon.co.uk - and you'll see what I mean.

   You can then convert everything to WAV or MP3 using Synthfont.  It all works very well for me.

   MusicJohn, 3/Sep/08


Do you have the lyrics in your midi files?  There may by other midi players which can do it, but the VanBasco Player can show the lyrics such as here.  It has the ability to highlight parts, transpose, and make tempo changes.
Since 1998

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #6 –
   Hi, Warren.

   Do I have the lyrics?  No, I don't - but that's mostly because as a Choral Singer (which is what I really do the stuff for) I always read my score while listening to the Files play, so I don't need the words, and therefore I don't bother to key them in.

   And no: when using Session to play with Midi Files (and then save them as such) the words, if originally present, aren't there.  They seem to get lost.

   I agree the van Bascoe's Player is good, but you can't save stuff using it.  So whereas it's fine for playing Midi Files after adjusting them anyway you like, since you can't save the adjusted version you have to do it all over again next time, which is a bit of a drag.

   MusicJohn, 3/Sep/08

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #7 –
Greetings again John.

A small correction.  You can actually save from Van Bascoe if you click on the little "floppy disk" icon to the immediate right of the title in the transport window.  I do it all the time!

Cheers,

Bill.
 

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #8 –
Oops!  Silly me.  Very red face!  You were right John.  You can't save the EDITED midi file from Van Bascoe.

Bill

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #9 –
I'm revisiting this topic again. I have played a little more with Synthfont and found that I will be able to control it via external commands. I can load the midi-file in Synthfont and modify the instruments and volume for each staff (or track) and then save one wav or mp3-file for each staff/track. The piece that is missing now for the automation to be complete is to be able to make Noteworthy to save the midifile from command line.

I would like to start noteworthy with a parameter like this:

nwc2.exe mysong.nwc /exportmidi

The result should be that noteworthy should load the file and export it to midi and then terminate.

Anyone knows if this is possible already?

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #10 –
Quote from: jonashogstrom –
I would like to start noteworthy with a parameter like this: nwc2.exe mysong.nwc /exportmidi
The result should be that noteworthy should load the file and export it to midi and then terminate.
Anyone knows if this is possible already?
You might try: MIDI File Converter from NoteWorthy Composer V1 Downloads

To my knowledge, there is currently no command line utility to convert NWC2 files to MIDI

The browser and WinAmp plug-ins produce temp MIDI files from NWC2 files. A clever person might be able to create a script ...
Registered user since 1996

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #11 –
I completely forgot about that program.
What a pity there's not the same for NWC2.

Why not simply add, as jonashogstrom suggested, a little handling of the command line to NWC2?
For example: in this case there is no need of a stdout (that windows can't use if the program is not in pure console mode...).

Of course the old problem of the "non ASCII" letters in the filenames still applies.

Re: Export multiple midi files, one for each staff

Reply #12 –
The midiconverter suits my needs just fine for now (all our nwc-files are still in 1.75-format). How comes that the stand alone program can create the midi-files in an instant, but exporting a midi-file from nwc takes so long (somewhere between 30-60 seconds for a 3 minute song).

For the future, it would be great to have a stand alone midi converter that handles nwc2-files too.