MIDI Playback in MuseScore
When opening some MIDI files in MuseScore, I can't help but notice the fact that the playback is garbled, messy, and ultimately unpleasant. When loading the same MIDI into a different software like Pianoteq, however, the playback is perfectly normal. I am certainly not a MIDI expert and am certain that there must be a reason for MuseScore playing back a MIDI file the way it does. If there a way around this dilemma, however, I would certainly like to know what it is
Comments
Could it depend on the sounfont you are using?
This software doesn't import MIDI data as it is.
Instead, it changes (quantizes the data) to something that can be converted to musical note data.
If the MIDI data is properly quantized before the import, you can get a very similar result to the original, but if not, you will not be satisfied.
Different software uses different ways to process and display the data.
For example, a software may be set to play a MIDI file as it is, but to display the musical note values in a different way.
Indeed, the fact that MuseScore is a music notation program first and foremost means it tries to optimize for readability when importing MIDI files. It does try to preserve the original timing and velocity information where appropriate, but the logistics of converting a format that was never intended to convey notation information into good readable notation does involve some compromises. I'd say it you have a MIDI that sounds exactly the way you want when listening through a "dumb" MIDI player, just keep using that player and use MuseScore not for playing back the imported file but for actually producing readable notation from it.