BANJOJUDY - Posted - 06/03/2013:  12:37:37

Does anyone have any experience and/or recommendations for a software package that will take a recording and convert it into musical notation that can be printed into a pdf format or something else that could be shared via computer transfer?

BDCA - Posted - 06/03/2013:  12:52:15

That sounds like an impossible dream. There are programs that can scan notation and convert it into tab, but they don't perform very well.

Of course a midi file can be turned into notation. You can convert MP3 to midi BUT it's usually not very accurate and requires a really simple score.

intelliscore.net/

Cya!

Bob

bournio - Posted - 06/03/2013:  13:26:07

Ive done this before using Reaper and this plugin wiki.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/ReaTune it works on Monophonic sources, and can be set to send a MIDI signal when pitch changes.

I recorded this onto a new channel, then saved the MIDI file, amd imported it into a score reader.

If you have logic, there is a really easy tool for this called "convert audio to MIDI"

Send me a message if you want any specific help.

rudy - Posted - 06/03/2013:  17:23:05

quote:

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Originally posted by bournio

 Ive done this before using Reaper and this plugin wiki.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/ReaTune it works on Monophonic sources, and can be set to send a MIDI signal when pitch changes.



I recorded this onto a new channel, then saved the MIDI file, amd imported it into a score reader.



If you have logic, there is a really easy tool for this called "convert audio to MIDI"



Send me a message if you want any specific help.

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I have no doubt that this would work, having watched ReaTune pitch correct a stream of flowing notes.  It's too bad that the solution is so technical.

It does seem like there would be "an app for that..." in these days where you can hold your phone up to catch a snippet of a tune on the radio and it then dutifully reports back to you the name of the song.

All that said, I have a friend who I can hum a tune to and she can jot down the notation about as fast as I can hum it.  I can't read a lick, so it's very mysterious to me.

rudy - Posted - 06/03/2013:  17:41:54

From a quick Google search it does seem like at present it's a two step process, as Bournio has done.  There are apps for iPhone that convert a single note melody to MIDI, then there are many programs that can convert a MIDI file to printed notation.

Finale Notepad is a freeware notation program that lets you play the melody (even on your computer keyboard) and convert it into printed notation.  If you can see the notation on your screen you can always do a screen capture and convert it to a jpg photo file to share.

I don't have any personal experience with Finale Notepad, but I might download the freeware to play with.

BDCA - Posted - 06/03/2013:  20:17:56

I have tried Finale and it's maybe 60% to 70% accurate...

cya!

bob

bournio - Posted - 06/04/2013:  02:49:10

I know, I was shocked there wasn't an app for it, although the first stage is quite complicated, and processor heavy!

Last time I recorded into a score editor it was 100% accurate, and practically unreadable, it notated tiny timing differences!

rudy - Posted - 06/04/2013:  03:57:46

quote:

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Originally posted by bournio

 

I know, I was shocked there wasn't an app for it, although the first stage is quite complicated, and processor heavy!



Last time I recorded into a score editor it was 100% accurate, and practically unreadable, it notated tiny timing differences!

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I'm surprised that there's not someplace that you set quantization rate to reflect the minimum timing difference desired when doing the audio to MIDI conversion.

rudy - Posted - 06/04/2013:  04:02:11

quote:

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Originally posted by BDCA

I have tried Finale and it's maybe 60% to 70% accurate...

cya!

bob

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Bob, I think Finale and Finale Notepad are based on Finale, but are entirely different programs.

From the description it looks like it just notates exactly what you input from the computer keyboard or MIDI but I don't know for sure.  This topic has my interest piqued, I just need to find a bit of time to play with it.  As a free download it won't hurt anything to try it out.

Jethro Aberdeen - Posted - 06/04/2013:  19:18:37

The only way I know of transcribing music is to do it the tablature way for stringed instruments, and grand staff for piano.  Your best bet is to search for  tab or grand staff music for  the piece of music you are looking for. Most likely someone has already  created it. I have found Tabedit to be a very good program for notating both tab and grand staff for any instrument, and print out is great for a teaching tool with the midi sound out of your speakers to aid in learning. Unfortunately it takes years of music study to be very proficient at scoring and transcribing songs. I don't think you' d be happy with the results of converting software  but I don't have any  experience with them. I think the converting software has difficulty with music that contains many sounds, and instruments, singling out a single instrument is not easy  for software at this point. A talented musician with music training can transcribe almost anything. Ask here on the Hangout for songs you'd like and see what you get. I write out both tab and standard notation for many instruments, having studied for many years. If you are looking to write out your own music, any midi software will work, Tabedit being a great choice. What I find bewildering is requests for songs that are not appropiate to the instrument. 

Kevin

Edited by - Jethro Aberdeen on 06/04/2013 19:28:15

rudy - Posted - 06/05/2013:  04:01:53

Hi Kevin,

What I find bewildering is requests for songs that are not appropiate to the instrument.

That's an interesting thing in itself.  I might find it odd myself, but in the grand scheme of things music is meant to be fun.  Other than instruments that can't play to needed notes I don't find it odd that folks enjoy trying out a tune they like on the particular instrument that they play.

I've whittled away many hours playing unconventional (if not inappropriate...) tunes on banjo myself.

Edited by - rudy on 06/05/2013 04:03:29

Stiv_MacRae - Posted - 06/05/2013:  14:14:16

quote:

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Originally posted by rudy

 

... in the grand scheme of things music is meant to be fun.  

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My early music teachers didn't get the memo on this.

rudy - Posted - 06/05/2013:  17:20:27

quote:

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Originally posted by Stiv_MacRae

 

quote:

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Originally posted by rudy

 

... in the grand scheme of things music is meant to be fun.  

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My early music teachers didn't get the memo on this.

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Wrong teachers.

When I was in 5th grade we had a "expert" from a local music shop that came in and evaluated anyone interested in music.  I still remember to this day being told I should work towards developing skill in other things that interested me because I had no musical aptitude.  Luckily, I was a dumb kid and didn't really pay any attention to him.

Later in life I realized he was just a kid working for the local band instrument dealer hoping to sell some brass.

BDCA - Posted - 06/06/2013:  07:43:32

Same happened to me. I joined the band in elementary school, and after a few weeks they took away my trumpet and gave me a baritone, then they took that away and showed me the door. My mom bought me a guitar, a nylon stringed Ginani (I am amazed I still remember, and hire a guitar teacher. He was teaching the Mel Bay method and after a weeks he told my parents I had no musical talent. I was given Alan Lomax's book Folk Songs of North America, 680 hard covered pages of magic! It had all the guitar chords and words to some of the songs I was hearing on the folk music show on the radio. They opened this show with Roger Sprung playing Stars and Stripes Forever, which blew me away. I discovered he was giving lessons at my local music shop. I started with a Pete Seeger model but Roger thought I had more talent for the guitar, and by the following summer I was playing rhythm guitar in his band, touring all the festivals with my brand new D-28 (which I still own).

If it wasn't for Roger, I would have graduated high school and wouldn't be living in my car...Just Kidding!

Cya!

Bob

Edited by - BDCA on 06/06/2013 07:44:47