M. Ted -

Sorry, I thought I had read everything, but I guess I didn't connect it all. I do see the connection now.

Some previous threads have debated the merits of a few, mostly hardware approaches to A/D (analog to digital) converters that theoretically allow voice/instrument conversion to MIDI; but the concensus has been that - after the intitial enthusiasm - you've got to admit that they don't really work, at least in the forms available to most of us. The repeated "how do you convert MP3 to MIDI" queries get similar discussion - but the only two good answers are "you don't" or "use your cerebral filter."

I personally find it easiest to "write the dots" and for my purposes I'm satisfied with whatever playback (MIDI) is adequate to hear whether I've messed up. (At one point many years ago, I discovered the so-called "calligraphic" pen nibs, and thought that was a great technological advance. I'd previously resorted to chicken feather quills to get the linewidth variations I wanted in hand-write scores.)

I need (and use) a different program than would be best for someone who is more comfortable making the MIDI first. I'm also a little fussy about getting clean note spacings, being able to control things like how many measures go "on a line," and being able to add notations when I want them rather than when the program thinks they're needed.

The free/cheap simple programs are a good place for people to find what works for them - and what doesn't. There isn't a program that's best for everyone, because were all a little different.

The goal is to learn enough to make your own evaluations of what you need - usually by trying some out; AND to have enough $$$ left to move up in a program type that you've learned a little about, if you need to.

John