Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?

Subject: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From:
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 09:36 AM

Hi,

Does anyone know of a software or computerized method, that would take a recording from a CD or cassette and output the recording to some kind of sheet music, or even decipher the chords?

Not trying to pirate song books, but my carefree days of sitting in front of the stereo with guitar in hand for a couple of hours to figure out a piece of music seem to be behind me. I need a shortcut.

I've read that converting from MP3 to midi doesn't work.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: MMario
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 09:53 AM

There are a number of programs that claim to be able to do this, I have yet to use one that can produce any sort of recognizable copy from anything except their own samples.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 09:58 AM

This is a non-trival task for a program - as sophisticated as voice recognition. It will be interesting to see how well, or even if, this works.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 10:02 AM

for an explanation, see this page

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: MMario
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 10:02 AM

From what I understand it is actually much more complicated then voice recognition.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 10:17 AM

I can convert MP3 to .wav...and as the page says, there are attempts to convert .wav to MIDI....but it ain't easy, and the links there don't even seem to be working

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: SeanM
Date: 27 Feb 02 - 01:35 PM

I use MusicTime for tab, and it claims to do most of this. I've seen it convert MIDI to sheet, and it's usually not THAT far off. But MIDI and MP3 are a wee bit separated on the 'complication' scale...

M

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From:
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 10:25 AM

Hi,

Thanks. Once again, our own ears offer the best technology.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 11:21 AM

Unless it's a very simple single line of music you're asking a lot of any computer. Could you listen to say two guitarists jamming together and work out exactly which note is played by which player ? The human ear can often distinguish different lines in music by the pitch/tone/timbre of the voice or instrument, but much of the time we'd still get it wrong. A precocious young Mozart may have been able to write out most of the score to the "Allegri Miserere" after hearing it once, but he was an aknowledged musical genius - anyway the piece repeats about 5 times so it isn't quite as hard as it sounds. MIDI to WAV/MP3 is a doddle - it's just like recording a performer/group/orchestra playing from a score. Doing it the other way round is like giving a computer a JPEG image and asking it to name all the objects in it - it can be done, but currently a human being does it much better.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: M.Ted
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 01:12 PM

Even if you could convert an MP3 file to sheet music, you'd have a ton of extraneous information to sort through--the typical pop recording is probably between 200 and 300 measures--and a relatively simple, analog recording may have, say, guitar, banjo, bass, slide guitar and one or two voices--five staves, at least--and more, depending on the style--I have created midi files of travis picked melodies, and printed them out--boy! Talked about complicated looking music!

Mostly, all you need is a melody line with chords pasted above--one staff, 12, 16, or 32 measures--no need to bring home a whole tree when you just want to carve out a matchstick--

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Jon W.
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 11:11 PM

Dave Bryant, you say MP3/WAV to Midi is a doddle (I assume you mean easy) - do you know any software that will do it? I've been looking for some for a while.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Feb 02 - 11:25 PM

nope, Jon...he said it was the other way 'round.....midi to MP3...that's the problem

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: pavane
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 07:37 AM

A MIDI file is NOT actually music at all, it is a PROGRAM to tell a sound module which sounds to produce, and when, like an encoded score.

WAV & MP3 are just sounds, and to decode them into notes is a huge and complex task, as noted above.

However, if anyone DOES manage it, I can provide a program which analyses the chords being played.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Jon W.
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 01:19 PM

Dave Bryant said:

MIDI to WAV/MP3 is a doddle - it's just like recording a performer/group/orchestra playing from a score.

I was asking if he knew of any software to do this. This is almost the reverse of the original question of the thread.

Anyway, I decided not to be lazy and did a search and found this - a plug-in for Winamp that does the job. With a little messing around with the plug-in configuration, I was able to make it work.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Jon W.
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 01:23 PM

Meanwhile, the original question is still out there. It sounds like an interesting problem. If someone will give me a few years and a few hundred thousand dollars, I'll get right on it. Oh yeah, I'll expect a doctorate degree and a full professorship at a major university also when I'm done.

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Mar 02 - 05:35 PM

I get it now...midi to .wav (and thence to MP3) is just recording the midi output in real time,using a couple of tricks...but when you're done, you just have a different format of the midi sound....I assume you need this for some reason, but I'm not sure why *I* would need to(I just play the midi)...but since it has been worked out, I guess it is useful in certain applications.

(I have a program that will play midis, .wavs, MP3s and Real Audio files in any combination and order...so if all I want is a playlist, it is easy)

Subject: RE: Help: Output MP3 file to sheet music?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 01:43 AM

Spend three years learning to become a musician....you will get more out of it....and you will be less likely to get Alzhiemer's Disease....in your later years.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle