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Topic: Opening Midi with NWC (Read 7542 times) previous topic - next topic

Opening Midi with NWC

I belong to a men's chorus, and to help us learn our parts somebody was kind enough to create midi files with all the voices and two hand piano accompaniment.  I have in the past opened these files with NWC and was able to add lyrics to my staff so that I could sing along with it.  I'm trying to do that with the new version of NWC, but more than half of the files have "bad bytes" when I try to convert them.  The resulting music has extra rests around time signature and/or key changes on certain parts.  This results in the accompaniment being pushed over bar lines, making some very strange tied notes and 32nd rests.  Trying to fix it by hand takes forever.  Is this a bug that needs to be fixed? This was one of the big selling points about NWC; another way for me to learn music for our performances.  If there is a simple fix, that would be wonderful.  I've tried to download the midi files again, but get the same exact errors.   

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #1 –
Noteworthy Software would need to confirm this but I have a feeling that the MIDI import routine hasn't been changed for quite some time.

Perhaps you could post one of the files for us to examine and see if we get the same results?  A couple of the guys are quite good at MIDI.
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #2 –
In addition to posting a file or two, you might in the meantime play with the import options (Tools menu, Options selection, Import tab), in particular, the note and rest resolutions.  If your note resolution is at a sixty-fourth note for example, and your midi file is not perfect (i.e. is human-generated rather than computer-generated), you can get all kinds of strangeness in the import.  You might also turn off "detect compound time" if you don't need it.  Nevertheless, the import should never outright fail, no matter what the input file is.  But the import options may help work around this problem for now.  Sorry if they don't help any.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #3 –
If NWC2 reports bad bytes when importing a MIDI file, then there is probably something wrong with the files. If anything, NWC 2.1 should be slightly better at dealing with MIDI file anomalies than earlier versions.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #4 –
Using mf2t to convert the file to text and recreating it with t2mf solves many problems. More details <here>.
I have yet to find a MIDI file that was fixed by the above method that NWC cannot import. YMMV

Many apps generate invalid MIDI files. Many playback apps ignore errors. Sometimes this results in acceptable sound.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #5 –
Thanks for the responses.  The midi files were created with Forte Free, so I think that may be the source of the problem.  They play through Windows Media without a hitch.  When I have a chance, I will try the suggestion to use that other program to convert it.  More than likely, it's not a NWC error.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #6 –
If you like the sound of the MIDI file as imported into NWC but the score is a visual mess, you could still have your cake and eat it, too.  Of course, often the messy-looking import also sounds terrible, but if not, try this for a much shorter solution.

Import the MIDI file with the options that yield the result closest to the MIDI playback in Windows Media Player.  In Page Setup, make all these staves hidden.  Open a new blank NWC file and re-import the MIDI file.  This time use the Import options that yield the best-looking notation.  In the 1st NWC import, add 4 blank staves (Ctrl-A) 4 times or once for each vocal part).  One by one, select all of each staff of the good-looking import and copy (or Ctrl-C) and then paste (Ctrl-V) into successive blank staves of the good-sounding import.  Keep these new staves visible but in Staff Properties (F2) under MIDI check the Muted check box.  Now you should have a neat looking score that still has a "human" playback feel.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #7 –
Milton - that's all good feedback, but unfortunately, I think my suggestion of trying different import options was a red herring in this case.  It appears that the MIDI file was technically corrupt in some minor way, and no matter the import options, NWC would complain about it, without even trying to use the options to convert the data.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #8 –
With the help of another member, I was able to get those midi files to work for me.  Seems that these particular files (with more than one key change) needed to be opened by another program and then saved as a midi file again.  Noteworthy can then open them without a problem.  Through trial and error, I found that the PianoRoll creator software, a very basic (& free!) midi program, works beautifully for this purpose.  It's an extra step, but it is well worth the effort.  Just wish I knew about this work-around months ago!

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #9 –
If you send us an example MIDI file that exhibits the problem, we might be able to use it as a basis for improving NWC handling.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #11 –
Thanks Rick. We plan to improve NWC handling of this situation for the next release.

Re: Opening Midi with NWC

Reply #12 –
Yes!  That was precisely the same problem.  Numerous "bad byte" errors.  I opened it with the PianoRoll creator program, saved it as a midi again, then opened it back up with NWC2.  Comes out perfectly, very usable.  Seems to be a problem if there are a lot of key changes or time signature changes with a single composition.  BTW, my concert went well and I felt very prepared.  I am so happy with my purchase of Noteworthy Software.