Entering a score... help!

[Degeneratemoo]

I'm trying to enter some sheet music onto my PC to play as a midi file and subsequently transfer to CD so I can use it as a backing track for singing.

I have a Roland keyboard (sorry I cannot remember the model but it has full midi support) and Cubasis 5 on my PC.

The problem I have is the score editor in Cubasis 5 seems really complicated. Perhaps I'm being a little naive but all I want is to enter the score, note for note, from what's on the original sheet music into the computer.

When using Cubasis it seems to try to guess the notes I want and I end up not getting what I originally wanted at all! I've been throught he help and that indicates that it should be responding the way I want it to but it adds extra bits in and doesn't put the notes in I tell it too.

I know that the new Cubase 4 score editor looks really good, but I cannot afford that.

Does anyone know where I'm going wrong with Cubasis or of any other good score editing software that I could use (preferably for free!).

EDIT: Just as a side note, I'm no good at playing the piano so it's no good setting the PC up (or the Roland) to record the notes played, I need to be able to enter the notes manually on the PC.

Many thanks,

DG

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi DG,

I'm not at all familiar with Cubase, but others here have used it and might be able to offer advise to you on that.

For my own personal "creations" I use a program called NoteWorthy Composer. It is a basic 'nuts and bolts' application (with a very basic price of $39 USD) that allows the user to enter notes on multiple staves, enter lyrics and much more. I've been using that application for over 5 years now and it still fulfills all my needs for composing, arranging and simplified engraving.

Btw, welcome aboard to MIMF ... This is a very interesting and addicting forum community and we cordially invite you to become a regular participating member in the plethora of ongoing discussions here.

 

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha DG,

Welcome aboard! Please do make yourself feel right at home and stay for a spell.

Cheerio,

Corno Dolce

 

[Degeneratemoo]

Hi DG,

For my own personal "creations" I use a program called NoteWorthy Composer. It is a basic 'nuts and bolts' application (with a very basic price of $39 USD) that allows the user to enter notes on multiple staves, enter lyrics and much more. I've been using that application for over 5 years now and it still fulfills all my needs for composing, arranging and simplified engraving.

I've just downloaded 'Finale Notepad 2008' and 'Noteworthy Composer'. The interface for Finale Notepad is lovely but I find it difficult to get the slurs right as they have to be drawn in (unless I'm doing it wrong) whereas Noteworthy allows you select the notes to slur and it does it for you. Also, Finale Notepad doesn't always allow me to put the notes where I want to put them (it just beeps at me) even though that is how they are on the original score, not sure what I'm doing wrong there...

Couple of points with Noteworthy, if I've made an error with a note, how do I go back and edit it? The only way I've found is to delete the note entirely and put it back in, is that correct?

Finally, what is the best way to get these files sounding like they are coming from a real piano? Is it the quality of the instruments used? Would I be best writing the score to midi and letting the Roland piano handle it with the built in instruments?

Many thanks!

DG

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi DG,

On the NWC corrections, if it is a note value edit, all you have to do is highlight the note and change the value (1=whole note, 2=half note, 3=quarter, etc). If you need to physically move the note on the staff, highlight it and while holding both the CTRL and SHIFT keys down, simply press the UP or DOWN arrow key. You can move multiple notes this way as well.

I'll admit, NWC doesn't have the best sound files - I only use them for auditing and editing scores ... might be that you could let the Roland play the midi file. Not certain that you could use the Roland as a direct playback device within NWC.

I am not at all familiar with Finale Notepad nor its Sibelius counterpart. I looked into purchasing Sibelius at one point, but just can't yet justify the expense when NWC still fulfills all my present wants and needs in a notation software application.

 

[Degeneratemoo]

Thank for the info.

If necessary I can always load the midi into cubasis if that has a better instrument set, I'll have a play around with it.

One question regarding midi, when saving, NWC asks if it should be saved as a midi 0 or 1 type, what's the difference?

Also are all of the additions and note changes (i.e. slurs etc) saved into the midi and thus played back correctly regardless of the device? For a practice I saved a midi from NWC and loaded it into Finale Notepad, it only contained the basic notes and no slurs etc, if it's the case that midi doesn't support such features correctly then the Roland won't be playing the score back correctly?

Thanks!

 

[Krummhorn]

. . .
One question regarding midi, when saving, NWC asks if it should be saved as a midi 0 or 1 type, what's the difference?

DG,

• Type 0 Midi - is a single track of data where all channels are funneled into one single track. Editing of individual voices (channels) can be difficult.
• Type 1 Midi - is a multi-track of data where each voice (channel) has its own track which makes editing later on a rather easy chore.

Both forms contain the same 'data', but its how the information within the file is stored makes up the difference in the two formats.

. . . Also are all of the additions and note changes (i.e. slurs etc) saved into the midi and thus played back correctly regardless of the device? For a practice I saved a midi from NWC and loaded it into Finale Notepad, it only contained the basic notes and no slurs etc, if it's the case that midi doesn't support such features correctly then the Roland won't be playing the score back correctly?

Thanks!

I've not experimented with taking the saved recorded midi file and importing it into another notation software application. As far as I know, NWC behaves like WYSIWYG except the "G" is replaced by "H" (hear). How another application interprets NWC may be another matter.

Have you tried exporting a NWC recorded midi directly into the Roland?

 

[Degeneratemoo]

Thanks again.

The next step is try try the midi in the Roland and see what happens I guess!! I'll let you know how it sounds!

 

[Krummhorn]

Cool, DG ...

In the meantime, I'll try to research the NWC forums for more info on this.