ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From:
Date: 27 Jan 98 - 01:57 AM

Just a word from a hard-core free software user.

If you are have MusicTeX installed (and hence TeX). Then there are two free programs to put MIDI files into MusicTeX format.

One is Lilypad which is GNU softwsare. There is a version for PC based computers and one for UNIX platforms. You can find it at any site that caries GNU software. The primary site is

ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/convert/!INDEX.html

The other is Rosegarden. That is the one that I use and I am not sure it available for other than UNIX platforms. It comes with a sequencer, and editor, and facilities to convert MIDI files to TeX files which are in turn printed with the usual TeX printing drivers. I think Lilypad is similar.

Both are free!

It seems to be a floribund type of software.

Murray

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Jan 98 - 08:26 PM

Glad to see that this thread is still active. Before Christmas I had a brief dalliance with WinGroove - shareware which makes my Soundblaster 16 sound card sound somewhat more realistic than the standard synthesized noises.

I haven't yet spent the US $20 on the registered version - with the present state of world currency fluctuations it is getting more expensive every day.

Would appreciate any feedback please. It is available on http://www.cc.rim.or.jp/~hiroki/english/wgregist.html

Regards John

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: GaryD
Date: 25 Jan 98 - 12:31 AM

Hi people, Good to get back here..changed server with new Email address: [e-mail]...My son Lance was the one who said he could do some conversion of Alan's program for our Mac..About ready, Alan? Meanwhile, thought some of you "oldertimers" might be amused as I was to find my new server is a coffehouse, where instead of people coming to listen to folk music (as in my day)..they come to chat & get on computers & the internet!...times do change! Keep on the sunny side!..Gary

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: DrWord
Date: 13 Jan 98 - 03:07 PM

This is just my $.02 worth for Alice. I *really* don't think viruses are a problem, if you avoid XXX sites and hackers|crackers. I work at a high school, and our ISP server is on the campus. We've downloaded hundreds of executable files without virus problems. 99% of viruses are completely harmless, anyway. They just replicate without damaging your hardware or software. Perhaps you can get some of the software by DCC from people you trust.

Dennis

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Selene
Date: 11 Jan 98 - 04:35 PM

Hi all

The noteworthy composer? Right, I'll check it out.

Thanks!

Selene

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Jan 98 - 12:49 PM

Good show, Alice! I'll betcha you have plenty of songs to share with us. I believe Alan has somebody working on a Mac version of his MIDI2txt program, so you should soon be able to post tunes with the best of 'em. In the meantime, I guess you could e-mail a mac-made midi to one of us Windows/DOS people, and we could convert and post the midi. I THINK that may work, but I don't know much about macs.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alice
Date: 01 Jan 98 - 12:43 PM

Well, after all of my complaining, I finally found what I was looking for. It is probably similar to Noteworthy Composer, as described above. I called all the mail order catalogs and just asked them to describe what they had for the Mac, whether it was in their current catalog or not. I found Concertware Home CD (Mac/Win) for $35 from Mac/PC Connection catalog. There is a piano keyboard on the screen that you play by clicking notes with the mouse, or you can add a MIDI keyboard to play, and the score is created in sheet music before your very eyes!! You can easily transpose to other keys, score up to 32 staves of instruments at a time, create harmony, type lyrics in several ways under the notes, enter guitar chords.... and more that I haven't played with yet, since it was delivered to my door only yesterday. I decided this was my birthday/Christmas gift. Now, when I figure out how to save this notation as a MIDI file that can be shared with all of you.... alice in MT

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Jon W.
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 12:34 PM

Selene - I endorse Noteworthy Composer also, and there are several other good ones out there. Search the forum threads for one called "music notation software" from a few weeks ago for more suggestions.

There are also programs that allow you to input music from a MIDI-equipped keyboard (piano style) hooked up to your computer. Alan of Australia apparently uses one. I have also seen shareware that detects the pitch of a note you sing into your computer's microphone. Combining that with MIDI conversion, someone ought to be able to come up with a program where you can sing or play a song into your computer microphone, and have the notes (funny little ball and stick things) come out on your screen or printer. There's a challenge for all you musician/code hackers who have a lot of time on your hands. Or maybe it's already been done. Anyone ever hear of such a thing?

I'm sort of in both categories that Selene mentions - I have to both hear and see a tune in order to play it, more often than not.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 08:56 PM

Hi, Selene - the Noteworthy composer (see link above) will allow you to play a MIDI file, and to view or print it as notes on a staff. It's quite easy to use. You can do a lot with the unregistered version of the program, but you can do a lot more if you pay the $39 registration fee.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Selene
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 05:37 PM

HI all

Jon, yes, what I see is notes, what I hear is music (well, most of the time) Or at least in this case. The thing is, there are two types of musicians (roughly, don't jump all over this statement please!) from what i've learned, the ones that can hear something and play it, and the ones that have to see it. I'm one of the second type, if I see a tune, I have a lot less trouble playing it, than if I hear it.

My brother was the one that claimed this thing existed (me being virtually computer illiterat-he must have got my portion of the genes!) he said he'd seen it somewhere, unfortunatly he can't remember where. He said if you downloaded a tune, you could play it and it would appear as notes (i.e. the funny black balls with sticks-his words, not mine!) on the screen. Does this make any kind of sense? Maybe we had the same dream? (just kidding, thanks for confirming it, I was thinking I was ripe for the funny farm)

Selene

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Jon W.
Date: 30 Dec 97 - 12:55 PM

Joe's right, MIDIScan was just too much hassle to use for simple melodies - maybe if you had an orchestral score (or at least a complex piano arrangement) it would be easier than hand entry of notes, but not for folk melodies.

Selene, please clarify what you mean by converting music into notes. Is "music" what you hear, and "notes" what you see on paper (or computer screen)? If so, it seems that I have read about somewhere sometime a device that can convert any instrument into a MIDI input device. That, combined with the proper software, could convert music to notes. Anybody else heard of, seen, or used such a device? Or am I just dreaming?

Jon W.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Don Of Poteen
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 06:29 PM

Alan, Haven't spoken to you in a while! Lots going on Holidays and all. WOW! Just came in and read your instructions on MIDI work. Did the down load and created the groups. I'm supposing this will work. What great help! For those who are experiencing problems and just want to pull out your strings go back read up and DOIT. I'm going after that gentle annie piece now! G-Day Don of Poteen

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: GaryD
Date: 27 Dec 97 - 07:21 PM

Hello Again..Good to see this thread continuing..I've been off awhile..Especially pleased to see some Mac talk..I'm getting bigger memory chip next week, so looking forward to trying to work on getting this beast to give me some music...Those of you in the know...how much virus problem is there, and can you give suggestions about what sites are less likely to be problems..also doesn't my anti virus programs do anything to alleviate the problem?

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: dulcimer
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 08:13 PM

MusicTime Deluxe, around $40.00, converts MIDI's to sheet with multiple staves. Does a good job most of the time. Mine is version 3.0 for Windows. Don't know if it is available for Mac.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 03:38 AM

Joe,
Or, if your program allows click on the staff with a mouse. I presume you mean a computer keyboard, but my preferred method is a MIDI keyboard and just play the thing. I'm no good on keyboard but you don't have to be; just play it slowly and get the program to fix your timing errors and speed it up when finished. I imagine all the programs you mentioned will do this. B-in-a-B and Cakewalk certainly will. Save the result as a MIDI.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 02:51 AM

I think the easiest way to enter a tune is to do it from a keyboard onto a staff with a program like Noteworthy Composer, Band-in-a-Box, or Cakewalk - something that can create a MIDI file.
What ABCmus is good for is immediate gratification - with a minimum of effort, you can play a tune posted here or one of the SongWright tunes in the database. For ten bucks, it does a really slick job of it.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 12:10 AM

G'day,
I think Joe's advice re ABCMUS and Noteworthy Composer is pretty good. I've played with ABCMUS and found it to be well worth $10. There's enough software support for ABC to make it worth while. My own commitment is to MIDI and I've gritted my teeth and paid the money for hardware and software that will allow me to do anything - print high quality scores, play MIDI files at gigs (rarely), you name it.

As Joe said MIDItext is an attempt to allow Mudcatters to post tunes to this forum and provides some support for both MIDI and ABC. I think if we concentrate where possible on one of these two formats we might see more tunes posted.

I suspect if you want to print scores the easiest way is to use one of the programs mentioned above to convert from MIDI.

For another example of a posted song with tune look at the "Christmas Greetings from Down Under" thread.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From:
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 02:21 PM

Hi all

Joe, I never claimed to be an american, I am by birth British, but I moved to Holland (the netherlands) at the age of 11 months-I kicked and screamed but nobody listned! ;-) (just kidding, about the kicking and screaming) But I think I'm going to consider it a compliment on my english! And I can imagine it is satisfying (grin) I always enjoy reading books where english/american people write about the dutch, as if they're experts. They make such basic mistakes, I love catching them out! Maybe to nitpick is human? If this programme isn't very good, forget it, it'll probably be less effort, and as to downloading, just a friendly warning to everybody, at my pa's work, they've just had about 30 computers infected with a massive virus because of downloading of the internet.

Selene ;-)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alice
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 01:49 PM

I have a Mac, and since I don't have virus protection, I avoid downloading anything off of the internet. Can't afford to crash the system I use to earn my livelihood. I have been perusing the Mac mailorder catalogs (and the Apple dealer here went out of business) so if anyone out there can offer their experience using Mac music software that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, let me know. alice ps, I'm not attracted to ABC. I want good old fashioned music notation. (Old dog not having time to learn too many new tricks.)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 11:45 AM

over here ..someone HAS produced scores with a program...but I gather it is not simple...here is what he says...

The scores are generated by a program which reads the SongWright format and converts it into MusicTeX, a set of macros for the TeX or LaTeX typesetting systems (last I looked, MusicTeX was available via anonymous FTP

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Dec 97 - 08:53 PM

Ah, we tripped you up, Selene. Usually, your English is so good that one would think you had been born in the U.S., but we caught you on the "Music 101" phrase. "101" is a basic-level college course. No big thing, but there IS a certain satisfaction in catching you.(grin)
As for software that "converts music to notes," what do you mean? Do you mean converting music that you hear into notes that you can see on paper? I think there are programs like that, but I've never heard of any that work very well. I think it's Jon W who has been experimenting with a program called MIDIscan, which is supposed to read music in a computer scanner, and then change it into a MIDI file that can be played, manipulated, or printed. I fooled around with a trial version of the program, and wasn't very impressed. It was easier just to type that darn stuff into Noteworthy Composer.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Selene
Date: 23 Dec 97 - 05:47 PM

I also seem to have software problems, I can't tell the different files and programmes to use apart! I luckely have a smart bother eh, brother who tells me where I can play all the files I've been finding here. he however does also tell me that I can't have a file that converts music to notes. He says it doesn't exist, but this I do not believe. Anybody with other information welcome!

Selene

PS, what's this 101 thing? I've never heard of it.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Dec 97 - 05:40 PM

I noticed a message from Alice in the "Songbook" thread, bemoaning the lack of tunes on the Web. That inspired me to refresh this thread. I just got my registration for ABCmus (plays SongWright and ABC files), and for Noteworthy Composer (MIDI files). The registered versions have a lot of great features, but even without registration, you can use these programs to post and play lyrics here. All you need is Alan's handy-dandy MIDItxt program, referenced above. I hate to say this, but you do have to take the time to read the directions to install Alan's program properly, but it works like a charm once you get it installed.
OK, lets' see if I can find links to make it easy for everybody, so we don't get any more excuses. Maybe we can start checking the database for missing tunes and post some, eh? OK, everybody, get to work and POST!!!!

ABCMUS (for ABC and SongWright files) -$10 registration.

Noteworthy Composer (for MIDI files) - $39 registration.

MIDItext, a freeware program made especially for us Mudcatters by our very own Alan of Australia.

OK, everybody - NO EXCUSES!!! Get to work. Good - now I wanna hear some tunes.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: judy
Date: 12 Dec 97 - 02:15 PM

Thanks, I'll check it out and when I have time (hectic, hectic) I'll get back to everyone

judy

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Jon W.
Date: 12 Dec 97 - 11:44 AM

Sorry to lead you astray, Judy. $495? Merciful Heavens!

Meanwhile, have you considered ABC-based software? I have found entering sheet music as ABC to be quite easy (as long as all you want is the melody line). There are a few Mac programs available at this site.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: judy
Date: 12 Dec 97 - 01:41 AM

Thanks Jon,

Here's a little info on Nightingale I found on a review of it at ZDnet:

The Bottom Line

If you are in the market for a powerful and easy-to-use music-notation program for a not-too-steep price, Musicware's Nightingale is worth considering, especially if you have a scanner and are planning to do some editing and annotating of printed scores. If you can live with Nightingale's off notes, you'll discover that this bird produces some sweet music. / Christopher Breen

Nightingale 3.0, $495 (list). Company: Musicware, Redmond, WA; 800-997-4266 or 206-881-9797; http://www.halcyon.com/musicware/.

A little steep for my pocketbook
judy

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Jon W.
Date: 11 Dec 97 - 06:36 PM

I'm not a Mac user either but one package I stumbled across on the web while researching music scanning software was called Nightingale. You might want to find out more about that one. It's description made me wish I had a Mac.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bruce Johnson
Date: 11 Dec 97 - 04:54 PM

for Rosebrook:

And the upshot of it all is that we seem to have uncovered a distinct shortage of Mac expertise in this thread. I have been a DOS person since before the Earth's crust had cooled. It really bothers me that I can offer you no help in the Mac arena.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Dec 97 - 04:15 PM

for Rosebrook.....the sheet music site has some info on translating the tunes to scores, but I'm not sure it will help you...here are the relevant paragraphs...

" The scores are generated by a program which reads the SongWright format and converts it into MusicTeX, a set of macros for the TeX or LaTeX typesetting systems (last I looked, MusicTeX was available via anonymous FTP

This being the case, I thought it might be helpful to provide some of the intermediate steps. For each score, the MusicTeX source that produced it is made available, as well as the DVI output of TeX; many sites will be able to print or display DVI files."

all this shows is that there are ways to get from almost any format to almost any other format...it does not make it easy for the non-techies among us....

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: GaryD
Date: 10 Dec 97 - 11:58 PM

Hello Again!..Like the Belafonte tune, "Clear as Mud, but it covers the ground..the confusion makes me brain go round..." As a total novice, I am having a time understanding some of this, but there is light at the end of the tunnel (or should I say sound at the end of the keyboard..to use a more appropriate example)..I was excited to actually hear bluegrass tunes from this Mac with wave which is already installed..still looking for more sites to listen..Anybody help?..Gary

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bruce Johnson
Date: 09 Dec 97 - 06:12 PM

I added a message to that Muse and NoteWorthy thread I had started. NoteWorthy handles lead-in measures properly and is inexpensive (under $50)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Dec 97 - 05:35 PM

ok...I will post anything new I learn...(I can't imagine it will be more than Alan of Oz has already told us...but maybe we will figure out some easier way to talk about it..)The reason I offered to do live chat is that often one person can talk another thru something in Real Time and avoid little problems...(We can do it right here in Mudcat chat, if we have the Java necessary to use it...some don't)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: judy
Date: 09 Dec 97 - 01:29 PM

If you all chat away from here, please bring your findings back to enlighten us all. There are many more who need this information than ask for it. Me for one.

judy

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Dec 97 - 12:18 PM

oh..or I can chat in IRC, POWWOW ,Freetel, Iphone or even AOL instant messanger!...(addicted?? nahhhh...just like my options...*grin*)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Bill D
Date: 09 Dec 97 - 12:14 PM

I do have ICQ...and I can do SOME of this...I am far from an expert, but I will share anything I know anything I know that might help...ICQ # 1230275 for those who want to chat about this (or anything else relevant..)

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: rosebrook
Date: 07 Dec 97 - 08:45 PM

I really appreciate those of you who were willing to lend words of explanation.

I feel like I'm still in the dark. Is anyone with ICQ and patience willing to have a chat with me -- I have a lot of questions about what stuff does, what I need to make it do what I want.

Rosebrook

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: dulcimer
Date: 07 Dec 97 - 08:20 PM

My .0002 cents, but I have been putting MIDI files into sheet music with MusicTime Deluxe with multiple lines.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 25 Nov 97 - 06:47 PM

Came across a source of compressed MPEG files on the Gilbert and Sullivan site. While clearly not as small as an ABC or MIDI file there is the real benefit of actually hearing the performance - in this case recorded in the early 1930's. In the case of a 57 second excerpt compressed at 16:1 the file size was 200K, and this was more than adequate to get a feel for the lyrics, tune and performance, not hi-fi but certainly not too bad either.

The software to play the MPEG files is free and very uncomplicated.

Pardon me if this is old ground, but some obvious questions spring to mind:

- Is 200K too unwieldy to transmit to and/or from the DT for general consumption?

- Is an MPEG file of any assistance to Mr Greenhaus and others in assembling tunes for songs in the DT? Is it a hindrance?

- If there are copywright problems in using recorded performances, do these same legalities apply to personal or field recordings?

- Assuming that some positive answers are elicited from the above, does specific audio compression software exist in a form which is cheap and suitable for mug users such as myself?

As an aside the gurus at the G&S site had doctored the output from the original 78's to remove surface noise. Any ideas please as to a source of this software? I read a product review some years ago on some inexpensive software which did this but can no longer track it down.

Regards John

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Nov 97 - 04:31 PM

Dick,
MIDI doesn't chop music up into measures (or bars) but it does provide enough information for a program to determine the position of bar lines and therefore downbeats.

MIDI files contain timing information for every event in the file. They also have time signature and tempo.

Consider a piece of 4/4 music with a tempo of 120. Each beat takes 1/2 a second and each bar takes 2 seconds. So if the first note occurs 1 1/2 sec after the start of the file it is a lead in note and the first bar line is 2 sec after the start.

To illustrate that even a simple program can do this here is the ABC portion of the output of my MID2txt program using one of the Digitrad MIDIs as input.

X:1
T:Abdul Abulbul Amir
M:3/4
Q:1/4=140
K:D
F2|F2E2^D2|E2F2G2|B2A2^G2|A4A2|d2c2d2|e2d2B2|
A6|z4AA|A2E2E2|E2F2G2|B2A2F2|d4F2|A2A2A2|
G2F2E2|D6|-D2||

If you have a MIDI file which is wrong to start with that would be the fault of the program which created it. For example ABCMUS (a great program otherwise) would convert the above ABC to a MIDI file with the first note at the beginning of the bar i.e. if it were converted back to ABC it would look like this:-

F2F2E2|^D2E2F2|G2B2A2| etc.

Can you elaborate on your problem entering tunes into the database? What's your procedure and the specific problem? Email me if you like.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Nov 97 - 07:52 PM

Alan- I THINK the problem with pickups in MIDI is that pickups are an artifice introduced by chopping music up into measures; MIDI simply doesn't do that. Dies the expensive program you mention have a means of determining downbeats?

This is a major problem for me when it comes to entering tunes for the database.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 22 Nov 97 - 08:25 PM

Dick,
I think the problem with pickup bars or anacrusis must be a software problem, Musicator handles it perfectly, after all there is enough information in the MIDI file to get it right. The problem with Musicator is cost (it's OK if you want a sequencer, notator AND audio recording studio) but I'd be surprised if there were no cheaper programs that could get it right.

I've had the same problems with ABC programs converting between ABC and MIDI.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Ole Bull
Date: 22 Nov 97 - 07:29 PM

Where do you get SongWright software?

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Nov 97 - 04:02 PM

My $.02. MIDI files are fine, EXCEPT that when you print a conventional score (sheet music) from MIDI, you lose any pick-ups (partial initial measures) and get some strange scores. Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with this? Most of the scoring programs I've tried require that you correct the bars one at a time if you add a pickup or an initial rest; SongWright, at least, automatically places the bars if you make a change.

Alan--any ideas?

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Jon W.
Date: 21 Nov 97 - 10:27 AM

Here's my plug for ABC over MIDI - ABC is able to better preserve notational subtleties such as beamed notes better than MIDI. Whenever I load a MIDI file into my MIDI software (Music Magic), the notes that were previously beamed are shown as separate notes. This doesn't make any difference to how the computer plays it, but it could make a big difference to a musician trying to sight read the music.

On the down side, I think that ABC will only handle one staff of music - unless someone has extended it's capabilities.

Some software titles (most are available for downloading as shareware on the internet):

For printing sheet music from ABC: Muse and ABC2Win (see message from me on 19 Nov, in this thread, for a link)

For printing sheet music from MIDI: Noteworthy Composer (www.ntworthy.com, I think) and SongWright.

There was a short thread a few days ago discussing Muse and Noteworthy composer. Click Here.

Incidentally, I have heard of a new file standard called NIFF - Notation Interchange File Format - which I believe will be as powerful as MIDI and also capable of retaining all features of printed sheet music. Look for future releases of music notation software to support this standard.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: rosebrook
Date: 21 Nov 97 - 03:11 AM

Alan et. al.: Am I understanding correctly that if you have the MIDI file, I can print the sheet music? You said if I have the correct software -- what would that be? Would it be the one that you included in regards to mudcat users? Or is that software only particularly for translating the mudcat DT? Is it easier/better to convert MIDI files to printed sheet music or ABC to printed sheet music? I think I'm starting to understand, and am grateful for the instruction you have offered.

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 20 Nov 97 - 10:23 PM

Gary,
MIDI needs a lot less space than wave files. The amount depends on how elaborate the arrangement but is usually just a few kB. Wave files need 10MB per minute for stereo CD quality so one song may take 50MB or so. Mono telephone quality needs about half a MB per minute.

MIDI can only play MIDI instruments (including your sound card), wave files can be recordings of anything e.g. the track for your next CD.

Real audio is a technique for transmitting audio over the internet. It is a lossy compression technique which takes sound as in a wave file and compresses it to a much smaller size than wave files with some degradation of signal, acceptable under the circumstances. The reduction in size makes it practicable to transmit over the internet. For more details click here.

By the way tell Lance the source code for MIDItext will on its way REAL SOON NOW.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: GaryD
Date: 20 Nov 97 - 09:50 PM

Thanks for the enlightenment, people, my son Lance says a lot of my problems with this MAC may be solved with my next purchase of more memory chip.. We'll see.. Which of the music formats needs the least memory? Also, where can I go to find music laid down with WAV..I have discovered that I have that working now.. Finally, what is real audio?

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Nov 97 - 07:22 PM

Congratulations to all of the above respondents who have summarised in a few words what it has taken me ages to figure out by myself. What a marvellous team on such a great forum.

Regards John

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 20 Nov 97 - 06:29 PM

G'day,
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and as Jon basically said there is nothing you can't do if you have a MIDI file including printing sheet music (with the right software).

If you want to swap MIDI files via this forum you can use the MIDItext software which converts MIDI to text and back again. The text also includes an ABC representation of the tune. Click here to learn more or download the software.

To see an example of MIDItext in use Click here.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: ABC? gif? MIDI files? internet music 101!!!
From: Nonie Rider
Date: 20 Nov 97 - 02:11 PM

GIF and JPEG are just graphics formats; musically, they'd presumably be a scanned page of printed music. They're not a popular way to share music because they take up a lot of memory, some folks can't display 'em, and they still don't play the tune for people who can't read music.

I only included 'em in my ditty to help it rhyme and scan...

Sorry for any confusion!

--Nonie