Edit MIDI parameters?
Will MuseScore allow me to edit MIDI parameters (Channel, Program Change, Velocity, etc.) on MIDI files? I looked at the Handbook and could not find an answer. I know that I can import MIDI files, as well as export my score as a MIDI file; I just have not been able to find a way to manipulate the MIDI parameters directly.
If MuseScore can't do it, can you recommend and app for Mac that will be a good MIDI file editor? (I'm not quite looking for a full-blown DAW.) Thanks for any help.
OS: OS X 10.14, Arch.: x86_64, MuseScore version (64-bit): 2.3.2, revision: 4592407
Comments
My advice ....
You can create scores with Musescore that, with thought put into your arranging, will work around all of the things you have identified wanting to do except natively directly editing a midi file.
What if you want more including native midi file editing.....
For macOS
To date,
I have not seen any stand alone no $ cost / open source license MIDI editor product that works reliably that is comparable to MuseScore.
Depending on your keyboards / synths some have add on or bundled software that may achieve your desired outcome.
The easiest way to "play" with MIDI reliably really is to bite the bullet and find a commercial DAW. They all have some sort of MIDI editor. The bonus is you get a heap of other stuff bundled in.
In reply to My advice .... You can… by Ron Southworth
Thank you so much for your reply, Ron. Yes, as you say, one can achieve manipulating most MIDI parameters through MuseScore's "musical" interface (which is why I love it so much). And as you also say, sometimes I have wanted to see and/or manipulate the raw MIDI data, thus my query.
Someone suggested that I check out StudioOne (a DAW for Mac); it has a free (stripped down) version available. I also saw MidiKit in the App Store, which looks promising (for $12.99).
On a side note (for those reading who are involved in the development of MuseScore), I am not necessarily asking that the functionality to manipulate raw MIDI data be added to MuseScore; I think that MuseScore does well what it is intended to do. I was just wondering if it could also show/edit raw MIDI data; but I wouldn't want MuseScore to turn into a true DAW at the risk of lacking in its scoring capabilities, which it now does so well. As my father used to say, by your meat from the butcher and your bread from the baker.
Thanks again.
You can edit the channel for a staff in view / Mixer, program changes by adding instrument changes from the Text palette, velocity using the Inspector, and many other things using the Piano Roll Editor. So, while MuseScore not a full sequencer, but depending on your needs, it may suit them already.
In reply to You can edit the channel for… by Marc Sabatella
Thank you, Marc. In View -> Mixer I could see how to change a "Sound", however, not a channel. In the Text palette I could change the name of the instrument, however, I had to right-click, choose Change Instrument, to actually effect an instrument change. And I could not find a menu item labeled "Piano Roll Editor" or anything similar. I am running version 2.3.2; I will soon upgrade to 3.x and see what I find there.
Regardless, as I said in a prior post, I was just curious; I'm ok with using a different tool to edit the raw MIDI data. And it's good to know what MuseScore can do to effect MIDI parameter changes, so thank you for your help.
In reply to Thank you, Marc. In View ->… by wagill
Most.of what I described applies only to the current 3.0 version, not older versions. But note - even in 2.3.2, after adding an instrument change, you can go directly.to the Mixer to change the associated sound. The Piano Roll Editor is in the right-click menu, as documented in the Handbook, but most of its capabilities require you to update to 3.0