Import from Notator (via midi)
I'm currently running dual displays with Notator 3.1 in an Atari emulator on one screen and Musescore 2.1 in the other. Unfortunately, Notator *.SON files are an orphan format, so I cannot export directly to Musescore without first saving as a standard MIDI file. (thereby losing all formatting, lyrics, RMG sliders, etc.)
MIDI import can be an ugly thing at the best of times, and this score (a theatre piece from 1994) is no exception. While it displays and plays correctly in Notator, the imported score looks like something of a dog's breakfast. I quantized "note on" events before export, so most notes at least start correctly. Note durations, however, are all over the map. Musescore MIDI import allows the option of simplifying note duration, but that can also result in re-interpreted rhythms, so I left that box unchecked. As far as that goes, I could go through the score measure by measure and edit for readability, but that would take quite some time given the length of the score.
More of a mystery to me is how parts jump between clefs for no apparent reason. Again, I could edit this measure by measure, but that would take hours. I have already spent more time on the imported score than I did to complete the original score.
I suppose direct import would be a better option, but Notator *.SON files are cleverly encrypted, and as far as I know, are yet to be deciphered.
I'm attaching the whole file in all its ugly glory. It's quite long, and would make a lot more sense with the lyrics, but there's little point adding the lyrics until the rest is readable. If anyone can suggest time-saving importing or editing tips, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Cheers,
Tom
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| My Own Man Midi Import.mscz | 84.99 KB |
Comments
If you have some extra time, try importing your exported MIDI file into various opensource/free programs that also provide notation--often more limited than Musescore--and see if anything by default results in a more pleasant form. If it happens to be the case, you can then export that into XML format and import it into Musescore. Some programs to possibly try would be Rosegarden & Muse Sequencer for Linux or Sekaiju for Windows (doesn't have XML output but provides a useful set of quantization options for re-saving in midi format). In certain circumstances, actual manual input is faster than trying to reform a whacky import.
Farewell.
In reply to If you have some extra time,… by worldwideweary
"I'm attaching the whole file in all its ugly glory"
To make it less ugly, you can start by reducing the number of voices in the import panel (and remove the clefs change): 1 My Own Man Midi Import, 2 voices.mscz
Or reduce to one voice: 2My Own Man Midi Import.mscz
In this case, one can remove all the ties (but you get notes instead of course): 2'My Own Man Midi Import.mscz
With a homemade process, I prefer remove only the necessary: 3My Own Man Midi Import3.mscz
Then, of course, you have to rebuild the voices (with select -> More -> same pitch, it saves time), the durations (with shortcuts Q, W and Shift/Q, Shift/W, you save time, too)
I did it summarily for piano 2 (in the first two systems): Piano2.mscz
Your score is long (40 pages), so it takes time.
In reply to "I'm attaching the whole… by cadiz1
Wow! Those are really an improvement over the mess I uploaded! There are still some compromises in terms of look and/or playback, but there is at least a sense of order.
I'm trying to work through what you have done here. I (apparently) don't know the process to globally affect parameters within Musescore. I'm curious how long these fixes took, and whether it would have been easier to have begun with the original MIDI export file. Each of your examples is an improvement in one way or another, though still not "true" (in one way or another) to the original 1994 file.
Thank you for taking the time to dig around my mess. Hopefully I'll find the buttons that you used so I can do the same with my original scores.
Cheers,
Tom
In reply to Wow! Those are really an… by toffle
"Hopefully I'll find the buttons that you used so I can do the same with my original scores."
![here.jpg]( "here.jpg")
In the import panel, here:
"though still not "true" (in one way or another) to the original 1994 file."
Certainly! I don't know all this "original 1994 file"
"I'm curious how long these fixes took"
Change number of voices and other settings in the import panel is very easily and faster.
For the rest, ie to clean up the ties, some minutes (for all the piano 2 ), and then, for re-organize voices and durations, it's longer, but it's rewarding (depends the part of course, the piano 2 is the more difficult).
For other parts, no problem (but I have not really take a look)
But when you accustomed to a workflow, nothing boring, really. From the moment you can navigate into the score and change the durations easily, everything is fine.
Above all at the end, when your score is clean and neat :)
In reply to Hopefully I'll find the… by cadiz1
Yes, that indeed looks like the import panel!
Now I'm really showing my ignorance, as I've never seen that when opening a Musescore file; I only see that panel when importing MIDI. (granted, it's not really needed for opening most Musescore files)
That is actually why I asked whether it would have been better for you to see the original MIDI, because I didn't know you could access the import panel otherwise.
How do I enable that?
Tom
In reply to Yes, that indeed looks like… by toffle
I had access to the import panel simply by exporting in Mid format the .mscz file you attached to your first message.
My Own Man Midi Import.mid
In reply to I had access to the import… by cadiz1
That makes all sorts of sense.
Thanks,
Tom
In reply to If you have some extra time,… by worldwideweary
Thank you, WWW. I had not considered porting the file through a third application. No doubt there is something out there that produces a better import fit for Musescore. I will most definitely try that approach if I don't make headway with Cadiz1's fixes. Notator has some very good quantization routines already, but is limited in what it can do via MIDI export. My goal is to be able to open a score in Musescore that both looks and sounds as it did in Notator. The working file I attached does neither.
Thanks again,
Tom
In reply to Thank you, WWW. I had not… by toffle
Here's hoping you have some success with it.
Also, this might be asking a bit too much, but for others also, would you be willing to take a screenshot of how the score looks in the initial few measures in the Atari Notator program and post it here on this thread? I think it might suit the post well for anyone who might attempt looking at your .mscz file to see how it ought to look according to original design. No pressure, just a thought.
Greetz.
In reply to Here's hoping you have some… by worldwideweary
I'll give that a try. Unfortunately, both the Atari and Notator emulators are buggy and unstable and the display is easily corrupted. I'm really only able to use it to access files I want to export. I'll try to dig out an actual print-out.
In reply to I'll give that a try… by toffle
Ok. By the way, if you're emulating, your hosting operating system can easily perform a screen capture. For example, The Print Screen button on your keyboard will copy display contents into the clipboard automatically in M.S. Windows. That can then be pasted into any program, e.g. Paint where you can crop etc. A personal favorite available for many Linux distributions is Shutter. Hope that helps.
In reply to Ok. By the way, if you're… by worldwideweary
Yeah, I can do that...
What I can't do is consistently access the edit screen. Notator was a wonderful program, but to save disk space, it placed different functions on dedicated screens. File access is not available from the Score Edit page, and that's the page which is most unstable under emulation.
I agree that it would be helpful to you to see what I'm aiming for.