Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music (Read 11971 times) previous topic - next topic

can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

from a wav or mp3 file?
i have a wav file of cremello and i would like to learn to play it.
thanks

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #1 –
I believe there are many free programs out there such as "Media Converter" that will convert a wav to midi. NWC will open a midi and convert it to written notation, although it won't be perfect unless it started out that way. In other words, if it started as sheet music in the form of an NWC file, and was recorded to wav as it played, or if it was converted from the sheet to midi via a program such as NWC and recorded to wav say on a keyboard, it should translate into sheet music perfectly.
However, if the song was originally played by a human being instead of a machine, and recorded to wav, the resulting sheet will be near impossible to read as the notes will be broken up into fragments due to imperfect timing.
Midi records events as they are, (or as it thinks they are), not as they should be.
That has been my experience although I am sure that I will be corrected promptly if I have been incorrect in any detail. Good luck.

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #2 –
Quote from: fitzclan –
If it started as sheet music in the form of an NWC file, and was recorded to wav as it played, or if it was converted from the sheet to midi via a program such as NWC and recorded to wav say on a keyboard, it should translate into sheet music perfectly.
That's funny! I must have missed the part of the wav specification where it stores the Clef, KeySig, TimeSig and Tempo.

When you read that the major TV networks have fired all their closed captioners because voice to text has been perfected, you might look at the state of sound to music notation conversion. Until then, it is a waste of time.
Registered user since 1996

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #3 –
Well, I expedted that.
If you are familiar with the song and have at least half a brain, you can get along just fine without being told what the time signature and tempo are. Right and left hand are pretty predictable last time I checked as are your replies. How funny is that?

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #4 –
Quote from: fitzclan –
it should translate into sheet music perfectly.
is still pretty funny.
Registered user since 1996

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #5 –
Well, there's still a long way to go, but Celemony's new product that they're coming out with, DNA (Direct Note Access), is starting to get a lot closer for polyphonic instruments.  This is a very interesting video from the guy who created this product.

Celemony Melodyne DNA
John

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #6 –
Quote from: John Ford –
Well, there's still a long way to go
You're right, which is why folks shouldn't lead the newbie on a wild goose chase.

Edit: clarified my agreement with quote.
Registered user since 1996

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #7 –
thanks all

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #8 –
Quote from: fitzclan –
I believe there are many free programs out there such as "Media Converter" that will convert a wav to midi.
media converter does not now seem to covert to midi.
thanks

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #9 –
To summarize (for the umpteenth time):
  • Can NoteWorthy convert a music file to sheet music (music file being defined as wav or mp3)?

Short answer = Long answer = No
Registered user since 1996

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #10 –
There are a lot of technical problems to be worked out.  If the software detects a really high note, how can it tell if it is a fundamental of a piccolo, first harmonic of a flute, fifth harmonic of a violin, seventh of a tuba, or the floor squeaked under the percussion section?

Don't look for it anytime soon on a PC--it would be hard enough on a Cray and then not perfect.
Since 1998

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #11 –
Quote
So why lead the newbie on a wild goose chase?

Are you kidding me?

John
 

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #12 –
Yeah, watch out for that dangerous information... You might learn something.
Oh no that's right, Rickki has had the final word. How dare you question it or have an alternative idea?
Someone ought to tell him that inquiring minds are the ones that bring forth brilliant inventions.
Just because he hasn't figured it out, doesn't mean it can't be done.
Rick, I hope your music is more clever than your posts. But somehow I doubt it.

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #15 –
Hi all -

I have had an enforced absence from NWC and this forum for a couple of months while (a) traveling and (b) trying to sell my house, and I am just now coming back to it. I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up on all the new threads that have been created during my absence. Thoroughly enjoyed, that is, until coming to this one.

Where did the personal attacks come from, and what does anyone expect to gain from them?

Anyone who follows this forum regularly knows that I have had my own problems with Rick G.'s way of expressing himself. He can certainly be brusque. But as anyone who follows the forum also knows, he understands NWC better than anyone else except Eric himself (and possibly Lawrie), is completely dedicated to improving the program, is always ready to help, is rarely wrong, and always admits it readily the few times that he IS wrong. For that, we should be able to put up with a certain amount of brusqueness.

And in this case, he is not wrong. Celemony's Melodyne DNA is a giant step toward the goal of reading a .wav file into music notation, but it isn't there yet. There are reasons to believe that it may never be there. The article that Barry references outlines some of the reasons for this pessimism. If you peruse Celemony's own website you will find a few more. Their product is not designed to use on general .wav files. It is designed for studio use, where each instrument has its own track. It can pull individual notes out of a chord. It has no way of telling what instrument is playing those notes. To use the website's own example, if a piano and a guitar are playing the same note on the same track, DNA cannot separate them. A .wav file is a single track. If the .wav file was recorded with a single polyphonic instrument (piano; guitar; harp....), DNA can do an amazing job of creating a score from the file. If it was recorded by a group of similar instruments (string quartet; flute trio; brass choir), the software can still do a fairly decent job. If it was recorded by a set of diverse instruments (voice & flute & guitar & piano & drums....) then even DNA is hopelessly lost. It can separate fundamental pitches. It can do nothing with the upper partials produced by the various instruments - the "extra notes" up the harmonic series that most people don't realize they are hearing, but which give each instrument its special sound. Remove the partials - play only the fundamental - and a flute and a kazoo sound the same. And if the flute and kazoo parts get confused with each other, the score really is going to look pretty funny. And sound pretty funny if someone tries to play it.

I'm not saying that separating individual instruments (as opposed to separating individual notes) can never be done - I hesitate to put anything out of reach of Celemony's group of programming wizards. But it hasn't been done yet.

OK. Back to my original concern. The outburst of personal attacks on Rick from certain quarters (you know who you are) was uncalled for and out of character for "the friendliest forum on the Internet." I'm relieved to see that it hasn't been repeated, but let's watch ourselves, shall we? In the immortal words of Rodney King, "can't we all just get along?"

Cheers,

Bill

Re: can noteworthy convert a music file to sheet music

Reply #16 –
To answer in the less immortal words of Bob the Builder:
Yes we can!