Midi Import

• Jun 17, 2013 - 10:35

Midi import does not work very effectively when the piece to be imported starts with a "pick-up measure" (anacrusis?). Musescore assumes the music starts on the first beat of the bar and if this is not the case, you end up with some very interesting ties.


Comments

In reply to by [DELETED] 5

Not sure if this is addressed to me or just generally but I could certainly load a midi file with a pick-up bar to show what happens, together with a pdf of what it is supposed to look like and then what MuseScore did with it. If that helps.

Let me know if that's what you want.

In reply to by Ewart North

three files as requested:
1. A pdf of the music I start with where you can see the pick-up bar.
2. A midi file of this short piece which I then used as input to MuseScore
3. The same piece after being opened in MuseScore.

You can see there is no pick-up bar and the semi-breve in bar 3 is tied across to the next bar. That occurs a few times.

Attachment Size
East Bank.pdf 127.41 KB
East Bank.MID 1.52 KB
East Bank.mscz 2.21 KB

In reply to by Shoichi

Anacrusis is called a "Pick-up measure" in MuseScore.

in the Eastbank example, it's the notes before the first bar-line. they are not a full bar but Musescore midi-input treats those notes as though they are the first beat of the bar, which they are not.

If I create a new score , MuseScore I get a title page, then I get a page to define my instruments, then a key signature page Them I get a page for the time signature on which there is a tick-box to allow a "Pick-up measure" and to define the number of beats for that measure (often it's one). It's that option that is missing from the midi-input and assumes that the piece being input by midi, is starting on the first beat of the bar.

Hope I've made it clear.

Thanks for attaching your three files showing the different renderings of the same score.
My question is:
When importing the midi file into Musescore, what was your choice for the 'shortest note on import'?
I am running Musescore 1.3 under Windows XP sp3 and could not *exactly* create the same Muescore (.mscz) file.

Also:
Could you see if my attachment 'East Bank pickup' renders better for you in Musescore when you choose the same "shortest note on import' as you did with your 'East Bank' midi file.

I, too, am interested in midi / Musescore conversion and am following the topic here:
http://musescore.org/en/developers-handbook/google-summer-code/google-s….
Best regards...

Attachment Size
East Bank pickup.mid 1.23 KB

In reply to by Jm6stringer

Now that's an interesting attachment.

My shortest note was specified to be a quaver (eighth note?).

When I open your midi file in MUseScore, I do get the Pick-up bar. In fact apart from the 4/4 time signature at the start, It's fine. It shows dotted notes as tied but at least the ties no longer cross bars. I've attached the file created so that you can see the result.

The question now is, did you modify my original midi-file (and if so in what way) or is there some other explanation.

I'm using MuseScore 1.3 rel 5702 running under Windows 7 Home Premium with service pack 1.

Attachment Size
East Bank pickup.mscz 2.19 KB

I have files that don't import correctly, but I found instructions in another thread for fixing the imported file by selecting the entire score, cutting it, inserting a new measure at the beginning with the appropriate time designation and pasting the score back at the new measure.

In reply to by dmtoddma

Congrats, and welcome aboard!
You have discovered the cut/paste method of shifting a musical passage forward/backward in time. Many people take a while to grasp how powerful this tool is, not only for shifting a score into a pickup measure, but also for correcting other situations, such as when a bunch of notes don't fall on the proper beats.

Also, be advised that MIDI is not the best method for importing scores into MuseScore. By its very nature - basically a written set of machine instructions - it does not (nor does it need to) contain all the score-writing attributes necessary to produce elegant notation. However, MIDI can be a good starting point to at least 'get the notes written down'.

For more import options, see:
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/file-formats-0#share-with-other-softw…

Regards.

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