Midiillustrator user manual

Page 1

MidiIllustrator 2 User Manual

Rallentando Software - Music Notation Software for Everyone

Notate, print, practice & play MIDI sheet music.

www.MidiIllustrator.com MidiIllustrator Products, Help Documentation Copyright Š 2004-2009 Rallentando Software All Rights Reserved


MidiIllustrator Documentation Version 2.xx by Rallentado Software

This documentation covers all products in the MidiIllustrator range: Maestro, Virtuoso and Player For the very latest documentation, please visit our website at: http://www.MidiIllustrator.com


Contents

3

Table of Contents Foreword

Part I Getting Started

0

10

1 Getting ................................................................................................................................... Started 10 2 What ................................................................................................................................... Can You Do With MidiIllustrator? 11 3 Opening ................................................................................................................................... and Viewing Scores 12 4 Creating ................................................................................................................................... a Brand New Score 14 5 Printing ................................................................................................................................... the Score 15 6 Configuring ................................................................................................................................... Sound and Playing Back Scores 15 7 Finding ................................................................................................................................... Music Files on the Internet 16

Part II Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

18

1 Performing: ................................................................................................................................... Practice, Print and Play 18 Learn More About .......................................................................................................................................................... How MidiIllustrator Converts MIDI to Notation 19 Configure Sound .......................................................................................................................................................... and Play Back Scores 20 Open, Display.......................................................................................................................................................... and Print Scores 21 Open and View ......................................................................................................................................................... Scores 21 Display the......................................................................................................................................................... Score In Different Ways 23 Choose Colours, ......................................................................................................................................... Textures and Backgrounds for Your Score 23 Adjust the ......................................................................................................................................................... Score Layout: Using Layout Mode 24 Print the Score ......................................................................................................................................................... 26 Quickly print selected ......................................................................................................................................... parts/instruments/staves 26 Find Music Files .......................................................................................................................................................... on the Internet 27 Save and Manage .......................................................................................................................................................... your Scores 27 Playback the Score .......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Create and......................................................................................................................................................... Play a Score Playlist 28 Scroll and Fade ......................................................................................................................................................... in the Next Page (Advance Page Turn) 28 Tasks to Transform .......................................................................................................................................................... Your Scores Autom atically 30 Present Difficult ......................................................................................................................................................... Notation in Simplified Form 31 Arrange the ......................................................................................................................................................... Score for Piano Automatically 31 Reformat the ......................................................................................................................................................... Score as a Fake Book or Song Lead Sheet 31 Generate Chord ......................................................................................................................................................... Names and Guitar Frets Automatically 31 Format many ......................................................................................................................................................... Scores at once using the Task Wizard 32 Hide Traditional ......................................................................................................................................................... Staff Notation & Show Staves as a Timeline 32 Perform ance .......................................................................................................................................................... and Learning Tools 33 Practice Particular ......................................................................................................................................................... Passages w ith Special Practice Tools 34 Learn Music ......................................................................................................................................................... 'Step by Step' w ithout reading notation (on-screen piano) 34 Rapidly improve ......................................................................................................................................................... Sight Reading w ith Note Names next to every Note 34 Assign Finger ......................................................................................................................................................... Numbers to Notes either Manually or Automatically 34 Show Finger Numbers ......................................................................................................................................... on the Keys of the On-Screen Keyboard 37 Practice new ......................................................................................................................................................... Rhythms w ith the Audio/Visual Metronome 38 Sing along ......................................................................................................................................................... w ith Accompaniment: Lyrics Light up in Time w ith the Music 38 Watch your Score Performed on the Keyboard by MidiIllustrator's Performing......................................................................................................................................................... Hands 38 Connect and Interact .......................................................................................................................................................... 39 Connect a ......................................................................................................................................................... MIDI Instrument and Interact w ith the Music 39 Remotely Control ......................................................................................................................................................... functions Using Your Connected MIDI Instrument 40 Create Device/Instrument ......................................................................................................................................................... Defaults for New Scores 41 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

3


4

MidiIllustrator User Manual Make the most ......................................................................................................................................................... of your MIDI Device Capabilities 42 Custom ize the .......................................................................................................................................................... Program Interface 42 Choose a Theme ......................................................................................................................................................... (Color Scheme) 42 Customize ......................................................................................................................................................... the On-Screen Piano Keyboard Colors 43

2 Composing: ................................................................................................................................... Create and Edit Scores 43 Create a Brand .......................................................................................................................................................... New Score 45 Com pose and.......................................................................................................................................................... Edit: Using Edit Mode 46 Add Notation ......................................................................................................................................................... Quickly using Context Sensitive Entry 48 Modify a Note, ......................................................................................................................................................... or a Selection of Notes 52 Make Changes Quickly ......................................................................................................................................... w ith Context Sensitive Menus 55 Add Special ......................................................................................................................................................... Barlines to Control Playback of Efficient Scores 56 Repeat Sections ......................................................................................................................................... 56 Special Endings ......................................................................................................................................... 56 Copy and Paste ......................................................................................................................................................... Notation to/from the Clipboard 58 Edit Large Areas ......................................................................................................................................................... of Notation: Using Pow er Edit Mode 59 Find Out About ......................................................................................................................................................... Using Edit Mode on an Existing Song 61 Other Ways to.......................................................................................................................................................... Capture Your Music 63 Note Entry ......................................................................................................................................................... Via the On Screen Piano Keyboard 65 Record a Real ......................................................................................................................................................... Time Performance 66 Set Your Recording ......................................................................................................................................... Options 67 Chord Entry......................................................................................................................................................... Via a Connected MIDI Device 67 Tapping In ......................................................................................................................................................... Rhythms w ith the PC Keyboard 68 Create a Tem plate .......................................................................................................................................................... for Future Scores 69 Add/Insert Measures .......................................................................................................................................................... 70 Set the Score .......................................................................................................................................................... Titles (Com poser, Title, Footer etc.) 70 Add Fields ......................................................................................................................................................... to Score Titles (eg Page Numbers, Date etc.) 71 Enrich Your score .......................................................................................................................................................... w ith Rich Text Content including Im ages and Multim edia Content 72 Add Moveable ......................................................................................................................................................... Text to Your Score 73 Modify the MIDI .......................................................................................................................................................... Content in Your Song 74 Add Notation Expressions .......................................................................................................................................................... w hich can Control Playback (e.g. Dynam ics, Metronom e Tem pos) 75 Add and Rem ove .......................................................................................................................................................... Staves: Using the Staff Manager 76 Rem ove a Range .......................................................................................................................................................... of Measures from the Score 78 Select a Range.......................................................................................................................................................... of Notes using Advanced Criteria 78 Transpose All.......................................................................................................................................................... or Part of the Score 79 Restructure the .......................................................................................................................................................... Score 80 Key Signatures ......................................................................................................................................................... 80 Time Signatures ......................................................................................................................................................... 81 Starting Tempo ......................................................................................................................................................... 82 Clefs ......................................................................................................................................................... 82

Part III About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

85

1 Compare ................................................................................................................................... the Different Versions of MidiIllustrator 85 2 Upgrading ................................................................................................................................... from MidiIllustrator Player 87 3 MidiIllustrator ................................................................................................................................... Version History - what's new in this version 88

Part IV Contents

101

1 Contents ................................................................................................................................... 101

Part V Command Reference (Menus)

105

1 File ................................................................................................................................... menu 105 File Open/Save .......................................................................................................................................................... com m and 106 Launch Screen .......................................................................................................................................................... 107 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Contents

5

New Score .......................................................................................................................................................... 107 Score Tem plates .......................................................................................................................................................... 109 File Print Com .......................................................................................................................................................... m and 110 Quick Print Parts/Instrum .......................................................................................................................................................... ents/Staves 110 Printing and .......................................................................................................................................................... Saving Score Bitm ap Im ages 111 Creating and.......................................................................................................................................................... Printing Scores to Postscript Printers and PDF (Adobe Acrobat) 112 Print Preview.......................................................................................................................................................... 112 Print Setup com .......................................................................................................................................................... m and 112 Print Setup ......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 113 Printing Options .......................................................................................................................................................... 113

2 Edit ................................................................................................................................... menu 113 Using the Clipboard .......................................................................................................................................................... Com m ands 114 Advanced Note .......................................................................................................................................................... Selection 115

3 View................................................................................................................................... menu 116 Window View .......................................................................................................................................................... & Scroll View versus Page View 117 Hide Notation/Show .......................................................................................................................................................... Tim eline 119 Full Screen .......................................................................................................................................................... 120 On Screen Piano .......................................................................................................................................................... Keyboard 121 Performing ......................................................................................................................................................... Hands 122 Metronom e Light .......................................................................................................................................................... 122 Toolbars .......................................................................................................................................................... 123 Lists ......................................................................................................................................................... 125 Status Bar ......................................................................................................................................................... w ith Volume and Tempo Toolbar 126 Status Bar ......................................................................................................................................... 128 Editing Palettes ......................................................................................................................................................... 128 View Toolbar ......................................................................................................................................................... command 129

4 Score ................................................................................................................................... menu 129 Score Titles .......................................................................................................................................................... 130 Title Fields .......................................................................................................................................................... 131 Individual Note .......................................................................................................................................................... Nam es 132 Finger Num bers .......................................................................................................................................................... 136 Score Options .......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 138 Transcription ......................................................................................................................................................... options 139 Notation ......................................................................................................................................................... 141 Staff Tools ......................................................................................................................................................... and Namings 145 Fonts ......................................................................................................................................................... 146 Colours, Textures ......................................................................................................................................................... and Backgrounds 148 Print Margins ......................................................................................................................................................... 148 Print Layout ......................................................................................................................................................... 149

5 Staves ................................................................................................................................... menu 150 Staff Manager .......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 151 MIDI Configuration ......................................................................................................................................................... 152 bank, bank 0, bank ......................................................................................................................................... 32 154 Display and ......................................................................................................................................................... Playback 154 Staff Namings ......................................................................................................................................................... 154 Staff tools and .......................................................................................................................................................... nam ings 155 Instrum ent Dialog .......................................................................................................................................................... 156 Split Staves Dialog .......................................................................................................................................................... 157 Merge Staves .......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 157 Staff Tools .......................................................................................................................................................... 158

6 Measures ................................................................................................................................... menu 159 Clef Dialog .......................................................................................................................................................... 160 Key Dialog .......................................................................................................................................................... 160 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

5


6

MidiIllustrator User Manual Tim e Signature .......................................................................................................................................................... 161 Tem po .......................................................................................................................................................... 162 Transpose Dialog .......................................................................................................................................................... 162 View ing a Range .......................................................................................................................................................... of Measures 163 Add/Insert Measures .......................................................................................................................................................... 164 Rem oving a range .......................................................................................................................................................... of Measures 164 Split Measure .......................................................................................................................................................... 164 Join Measures .......................................................................................................................................................... 165 Barlines .......................................................................................................................................................... 165 Endings .......................................................................................................................................................... 165

7 Insert ................................................................................................................................... menu 168 Note and Rest .......................................................................................................................................................... Entry 169 Note and Rest .......................................................................................................................................................... Deletion 172

8 Notes ................................................................................................................................... menu 173 9 Rests ................................................................................................................................... menu 177 10 Lyrics ................................................................................................................................... menu 177 11 Bookmarks ................................................................................................................................... menu 178 12 Chord ................................................................................................................................... Names menu 178 Chord Selector .......................................................................................................................................................... 179

13 Guitar ................................................................................................................................... Frets menu 179 14 Free................................................................................................................................... Text menu 180 15 Expression ................................................................................................................................... menu 180 16 Layout ................................................................................................................................... menu 181 Layout Mode.......................................................................................................................................................... 181

17 Power ................................................................................................................................... Edit menu 183 Pow er Edit Mode .......................................................................................................................................................... 183

18 Perform ................................................................................................................................... menu 185 Recording a Real .......................................................................................................................................................... Tim e Perform ance 186 Step by Step.......................................................................................................................................................... 188 Practice Sessions .......................................................................................................................................................... 190 Metronom e Instrum .......................................................................................................................................................... ent Dialog 190 MIDI Echo Instrum .......................................................................................................................................................... ent Dialog 192 Lists .......................................................................................................................................................... 193

19 Tools ................................................................................................................................... menu 195 Modes .......................................................................................................................................................... 195 Performance ......................................................................................................................................................... Mode 197 Layout Mode ......................................................................................................................................................... 197 Edit Mode......................................................................................................................................................... 199 Recording a Real ......................................................................................................................................... Time Performance 202 Note Entry Via the ......................................................................................................................................... On Screen Piano Keyboard 203 Chord Entry Via......................................................................................................................................... a Connected MIDI Device 204 Pow er Edit Mode ......................................................................................................................................... 204 Task Wizard .......................................................................................................................................................... 206 Generate Chord .......................................................................................................................................................... Nam es and Guitar Frets 208 Analyze Fingering .......................................................................................................................................................... 210 Song Lead Sheets .......................................................................................................................................................... and Fake Books 212 Them e .......................................................................................................................................................... 213 MIDI Options.......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 214 MIDI Playback ......................................................................................................................................................... 214 MIDI In and ......................................................................................................................................................... Midi Echo 216 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Contents

7

Metronome ......................................................................................................................................................... 218 MIDI Device ......................................................................................................................................................... Sharing 219 MIDI Shortcut ......................................................................................................................................................... Keys 220 MIDI Instrument ......................................................................................................................................................... Routing 220 Program Options .......................................................................................................................................................... Dialog 222 Playback ......................................................................................................................................................... 222 General Preferences ......................................................................................................................................................... 225 Program Colors ......................................................................................................................................................... 225 Score Transcription ......................................................................................................................................... Wizard 227 Editing Options ......................................................................................................................................................... 228 Recording......................................................................................................................................................... Options 230 Save ......................................................................................................................................................... 230 Import Options ......................................................................................................................................................... 231 Step by Step ......................................................................................................................................................... 232 Tasks Options ......................................................................................................................................................... 234 File types......................................................................................................................................................... 235

20 Window ................................................................................................................................... menu 235 21 Help................................................................................................................................... menu 236 Registration .......................................................................................................................................................... Details 236

Part VI Program Concepts

238

1 Modes ................................................................................................................................... 238 2 Views ................................................................................................................................... 239 3 Modes ................................................................................................................................... and Default Views 241 4 Voices ................................................................................................................................... 242 5 Tuplets ................................................................................................................................... 244 6 Beams ................................................................................................................................... 245 7 MIDI................................................................................................................................... Channels and Drum Instruments 245 8 Staff................................................................................................................................... Instrument vs MIDI Echo Instrument 245 9 Fingering ................................................................................................................................... & Finger Numbers 246

Part VII Purchasing MidiIllustrator

251

1 Purchasing ................................................................................................................................... MidiIllustrator 251

Part VIII Shortcuts

253

1 Keyboard ................................................................................................................................... Shortcuts 253

Part IX FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

262

1 Buying ................................................................................................................................... and Registering 264 2 Editing ................................................................................................................................... the Score 266 3 MIDI................................................................................................................................... Files, Playback and Sound 268 4 Import ................................................................................................................................... and Export 268 5 Printing ................................................................................................................................... 269 6 Downloading ................................................................................................................................... 270 7 Miscellaneous ................................................................................................................................... 270

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

7


8

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Part X About the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator

273

1 About ................................................................................................................................... the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator 273

Part XI Contact Us

275

1 Contacting ................................................................................................................................... the MidiIllustrator Team 275

Part XII Version History and Licence Agreement

277

1 Licence ................................................................................................................................... Agreement 277 2 Version ................................................................................................................................... History 278 3 Compare ................................................................................................................................... the Different Versions of MidiIllustrator 289

Index

292

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

I


10

1

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Getting Started This documentation covers all products in the MidiIllustrator range: Maestro, Virtuoso & Player Quick Start: You can jump right into MidiIllustrator by selecting commands from the program menus and toolbars. Or, if you are new to the program, then we recommend you read this section as a quick start guide to some of the many things you can do with MidiIllustrator. Either way, you can access these Getting Started pages at any time from the Help Menu in the program. What's more, you can always hit the F1 key to get detailed help for the area in which you are working. What's New in this Version

88

If you have used MidiIllustrator products before, find out quickly what's new in this version

88

.

Introducing MidiIllustrator… Notate, print, practice and play MIDI sheet music. Rallentando Software's MidiIllustrator products bring your favourite songs and musical works to life. Musicians can generate high quality, dynamic scores, fake books and lead sheets from 1000s of MIDI & Karaoke files freely available on the World Wide Web. Composers can easily modify existing music or create brand new

scores from the ground up. The MidiIllustrator Product Range: Maestro, Virtuoso & Player Smart notation and user friendly learning tools are common to all MidiIllustrator products. MidiIllustrator Maestro adds more advanced editing options to the feature list. The free MidiIllustrator Player includes a small part of the functionality offered by other products in the MidiIllustrator range. You can open, print and playback scores created with any MidiIllustrator product (.mil files). Read more about Player 87 . Discover more about the different MidiIllustrator products 85 . Features found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro are highlighted in the documentation with the MidiIllustrator Maestro icon: All MidiIllustrator products are available for download as a free trial so that you can choose the product that's right for you. MidiIllustrator's Core Feature Set All MidiIllustrator products contains the same core learning tools and performance functionality. You can boost your musical abilities with MidiIllustrator's user friendly learning tools. Learn new music step by step, sight reading from the score or without reading a note using lead sheets with note names, chord notation, guitar frets & the on-screen piano keyboard if you prefer. The MidiIllustrator MIDI to Notation Engine MidiIllustrator takes the hard work out of generating easy to read scores from standard MIDI song files by allowing you to choose from a variety of score presentation options. You can hear the performance of the piece as the artist intended, and at the same time control the complexity of the notation in the score. Learn more about how MidiIllustrator converts MIDI to Notation 19 . Choose from the following topics to help you get started using MidiIllustrator: · What can you do with MidiIllustrator? 11 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Getting Started · · · ·

Opening and Viewing Scores 12 Printing the Score 15 Configuring Sound and Playing Back Scores Finding Music Files on the Internet 16

· Creating a Brand New Score 45 · Navigating MidiIllustrator: Selecting Modes

15

61

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

1.2

What Can You Do With MidiIllustrator? As well as generating beautiful scores from the many free MIDI files available online, all MidiIllustrator products 85 feature music learning and performance tools as part of a broader music notation package. Features fall broadly into two groups: Performing 11 and Composing 11 . Some of the more advanced editing functions are found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro (highlighted ).

Perf orming: Practice, Print and Play M idiI llus trator c ontains s ophis tic ated M I D I to notation c onvers ion tec hnology whic h c an quic kly and ac c urately generate attrac tive s c ores from mus ic of all s tyles s tored in Standard M I D I Format (SM F). · L earn M ore A bout H ow M idiI llus trator C onverts M I D I to N otation 19 M idiI llus trator c an c reate s c ores in your favorite s tyle, from one or all of your M I D I files , in a s ingle s tep. O nc e M idiI llus trator has c reated your s c ores you c an: · C onfigure Sound and P lay Bac k Sc ores 15 · O pen, D is play and P rint Sc ores 12 o O pen and V iew Sc ores 12 o D is play the Sc ore I n D ifferent Ways 23 o C hoos e C olors , T extures and Bac kgrounds for Y our Sc ore 23 o A djus t the Sc ore L ayout: U s ing L ayout M ode 24 o P rint the Sc ore 15 § Q uic kly print s elec ted parts /ins truments /s taves 26 · Find M us ic Files on the I nternet 16 · Save and M anage your Sc ores 27 · P laybac k the Sc ore 27 o C reate and P lay a Sc ore P laylis t 28 o Sc roll and Fade in the N ext P age (A dvanc e P age T urn) 28 · T as ks to T rans form Y our Sc ores A utomatic ally 30 o P res ent D iffic ult N otation in Simplified Form 31 o A rrange the Sc ore for P iano A utomatic ally 31 o Reformat the Sc ore as a Fake Book or Song L ead Sheet 31 o G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets A utomatic ally 31 o Format many Sc ores at onc e us ing the T as k Wizard 30 o H ide T raditional Staff N otation and I ns tead Show Staves as a C ompac t T imeline 32 · P erformanc e and L earning T ools 33 o P rac tic e P artic ular P as s ages with Spec ial P rac tic e T ools 34 o L earn M us ic 'Step by Step' without reading any N otation, with the on- s c reen P iano 34 o Rapidly I mprove your Sight Reading with N ote N ames dis played next to every N ote on the Sc ore 34 o A s s ign Finger N umbers to N otes either M anually or A utomatic ally 34 § Show Finger N umbers on the Keys of the O n- Sc reen Keyboard 37 o P rac tic e new Rhythms with the A udio/V is ual M etronome 38 o Sing along with A c c ompaniment - the L yric s L ight up in T ime with the M us ic 38 o Watc h your Sc ore P erformed on the Keyboard by M idiI llus trator's P erforming H ands 38 · C onnec t and I nterac t 39 o C onnec t a M I D I I ns trument and I nterac t with the M us ic 39 o Remotely C ontrol func tions U s ing Y our C onnec ted M I D I I ns trument 40 o C reate D evic e/I ns trument D efaults for N ew Sc ores 41 o M ake the mos t of your M I D I D evic e C apabilities 42 · C us tomize the P rogram I nterfac e 42

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

11


12

MidiIllustrator User Manual

o C hoos e a T heme (C olor Sc heme) 42 o C us tomize the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard C olors 37

Composing: Create and Edit Scores C reate brand new s c ores from the ground up, or us e M idiI llus trator's powerful editing tools on exis ting s c ores originally generated from M I D I s ongs . Some features are available in M idiI llus trator M aes tro only (marked

).

· C reate a Brand N ew Sc ore 45 · C ompos e and E dit: U s ing E dit M ode 46 o A dd N otation Q uic kly us ing C ontext Sens itive E ntry 48 o M odify a N ote, or a Selec tion of N otes 52 § M ake C hanges Q uic kly with C ontext Sens itive M enus 55 o A dd Spec ial Barlines to C ontrol P laybac k of E ffic ient Sc ores 56 § Repeat Sec tions 56 § Spec ial E ndings 56 o C opy and P as te N otation to/from the C lipboard 58 § M ake C opies of C omplete Staves with the Staff M anager D ialog

76

o E dit L arge A reas of N otation: U s ing P ower E dit M ode 59 o Find O ut A bout U s ing E dit M ode on an E xis ting Song 61 · O ther Ways to C apture Y our M us ic 46 o N ote E ntry V ia the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 65 o Rec ord a Real T ime P erformanc e 66 § Set Y our Rec ording O ptions 67 o C hord E ntry V ia a C onnec ted M I D I D evic e 67 o T ap I n Rhythms with the P C Keyboard 68 · C reate a T emplate for Future Sc ores 69 · A dd N ew M eas ures to the Sc ore 70 · Set the Sc ore T itles (C ompos er, T itle, Footer etc .) 70 o A dd Fields to Sc ore T itles (e.g. P age N umbers , D ate etc .) 71 · E nric h Y our s c ore with Ric h T ext C ontent inc luding I mages and M ultimedia C ontent 72 o A dd M oveable T ext to Y our Sc ore 73 · M odify the M I D I C ontent in Y our Song 74 · · · · · ·

A dd N otation E xpres s ions whic h c an C ontrol P laybac k (e.g. D ynamic s , M etronome T empos ) 75 A dd and Remove Staves : U s ing the Staff M anager 76 Remove a Range of M eas ures from the Sc ore 78 Selec t a Range of N otes us ing A dvanc ed C riteria 78 T rans pos e A ll or P art of the Sc ore 79 Res truc ture the Sc ore 80 o Key Signatures 80 o T ime Signatures 81 o Starting T empo 82 o C lefs 82

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

1.3

Opening and Viewing Scores Before you can use MidiIllustrator to convert song files into sheet music, you must first acquire some music files stored in a format that MidiIllustrator can read. To get you started, the MidiIllustrator download package includes some MIDI files as samples so you can see right away what MidiIllustrator can do. See the 'Samples' folder, usually found © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Getting Started

13

in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. MidiIllustrator can open files of the following types: File Types MidiIllustrator Can Open *.mid

Standard MIDI File (SMF) f ormat Stores mus ic al information as notes within s taves , s pec ific ally the note pitc hes and their s tarting and ending times . Instrument Sounds U nlike audio mus ic files , s uc h as .WA V and .M P 3 , M I D I files do not c ontain ins trument s ounds per s e, and the ins trument s ounds in a performanc e are ultimately determined by the M I D I s oundc ard in your c omputer. T his allows M I D I files to be muc h s maller, more portable and more eas ily modified than other mus ic file formats . Transcribing M I D I files c ontain very little (or no) information about the vis ual repres entation of the mus ic , e.g. beams , ties , c hord names . I t is up to M idiI llus trator to c onvert this s imple mus ic al information into readable s heet mus ic , generating all the notation nec es s ary to s upport the raw M I D I note data.

*.kar

Karaoke f ile A s pec ial type of M I D I file with a s taff dedic ated to s toring lyric s as well as notes in the SM F format. M idiI llus trator treats Karaoke files in muc h the s ame way as M I D I files , but inc ludes s ome advanc ed options for optimizing the pres entation of lyric s within the s c ore. When you open a Karaoke file c ontaining lyric s , M idiI llus trator will optionally as k you if you would like to pres ent the s c ore as a Song L ead Sheet. See Song L ead Sheets and Fake Books 212 for further detail.

*.mil

MidiIllustrator score T his is a s pec ial file format us ed only by M idiI llus trator to s tore all of the mus ic al and vis ual information c ontained in a s c ore.

*.mit

MidiIllustrator Score Template L ike the *.mil file format, this is a s pec ial file format us ed only by M idiI llus trator to s tore all the building bloc ks for a new M idiI llus trator s c ore. See als o Sc ore T emplates 69 .

Saving files with MidiIllustrator When MidiIllustrator notates scores, a special file format is needed to store all the information that cannot be stored in a standard MIDI or Karaoke file. If you wish to store information beyond the underlying MIDI data in a score then you must save your files in the MIL format (. mil). Files saved in the simpler MIDI format will be stripped of all formatting and a lot of musical attributes, such as chord names, fonts, colors etc. Ways to Open Files

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


14

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Files can be opened in MidiIllustrator in one of the following ways: · From the File Menu, choose Open. You can open any number of files in one go using this method, simply by holding down the Control key and selecting multiple files before clicking Open. · If the file has a MIL extension you can double click it in Explorer. If you have chosen to open ‘associate’ MIDI files and/or karaoke files with MidiIllustrator then you can also double click these files to open them with MidiIllustrator. See File Types 235 for more information about Window file associations. · Using the mouse, drag any MidiIllustrator compatible file and drop it anywhere on the MidiIllustrator window. This is more commonly known as Drag & Drop. You can open any number of files in one go using this method. What Happens When A File is Opened? If you are opening a MIDI (or Karaoke) file, MidiIllustrator can immediately transcribe the MIDI data as notation. By default, MidiIllustrator will start the Score Transcription Wizard 227 for each file opened, although you can have MidiIllustrator notate the score automatically without this step if you prefer. With the Wizard you can determine the 'style' in which the MIDI content is notated. You may also hit the 'Skip Wizard' button at any time to have MidiIllustrator notate the score automatically. By default, the score will be displayed in 'Window View'. This allows MidiIllustrator to make best use of the space on the screen and to show you as much of the score as possible without any of the limitations of page boundaries. If you would like to see the score as it would appear on the printed page simply switch to 'Page View' using the View Menu. For more information on the difference between 'Window View' and 'Page View' look here 117 . You can quickly increase or decrease the size of the score by clicking on the Zoom buttons on the toolbar. If you are opening an MIL file then MidiIllustrator has already transcribed the underlying MIDI data. MIL files typically open a little faster than other file formats for this reason.

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

1.4

Creating a Brand New Score New scores can be created in several different ways: · Create a new score from scratch 45 with the 'New Score' dialog, specifying score criteria in a few simple steps. · Generate a new score using an existing score template 45 , selected from the 'New Score' dialog. · Generate a new score instantly using the 'Default' score template 45 , from the File Menu 105 commands. New scores always open up in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

, ready for editing.

Start Composing As soon as your new score is created, you can start to capture your music What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

46

...

11

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Getting Started

15

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

1.5

Printing the Score You can print the current score at any time by choosing the 'Print' command from the File Menu 105 . In order to see what a score will look like when printed out you can switch to 'Page View' using the View Menu 116 . 'Page View' is exactly the same as the ‘Print Preview’ mode which can be selected from the File Menu. More information on the difference between Window View and Page View 117 . In order to print only certain parts/instruments/staves, use the quick print facility

26

.

You can format your scores in any number of ways before you print them. Here are just a few common tasks to get started with: · Reorganize the score layout 24 to get more or less music onto the page. · Choose print formatting options 113 (such as paper and margins size). · Choose Colors, Textures and Backgrounds 23 for your score. What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

1.6

Configuring Sound and Playing Back Scores MidiIllustrator can open files and transcribe scores without being configured for sound in any way. If, however, you wish to hear a score played back then you must configure MidiIllustrator to use the soundcard in your computer and its MIDI capabilities. Furthermore, many advanced options in MidiIllustrator (such as the Step by Step 188 mode and MIDI Echo 216 ) employ the functionality of a soundcard. In order to playback a file you must, at the very least, configure a MIDI playback device. Setting the MIDI Playback device Find out all about configuring your MIDI devices for playback in the MIDI OUT/Playback section 214 . Starting Playback When you have configured your MIDI Playback device you can begin playback of an open score by choosing Start Playback 27 from the Perform Menu (see also Keyboard Shortcuts 253 ) What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


16

1.7

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Finding Music Files on the Internet Many Internet sites offer high quality MIDI and Karaoke files for download. The MidiIllustrator download package includes some MIDI files as samples so that you can see right away some of the many things that MidiIllustrator can do. But if you are after a particular piece, or pieces of a particular genre, then visit our website to see a list of recommended MIDI file sites which will get you started. You can use the search engine on our website to find just about any MIDI file available on the web! Point your browser at our address below and choose the MIDI Files link. http://www.MidiIllustrator.com What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

II


18

2

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Things to do with MidiIllustrator... As well as generating beautiful scores from the many free MIDI files available online, all MidiIllustrator products 85 feature music learning and performance tools as part of a broader music notation package. Features fall broadly into two groups: Performing

11

and Composing

11

. Some of the more

advanced editing functions are found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro (highlighted

).

Perf orming: Practice, Print and Play M idiI llus trator c ontains s ophis tic ated M I D I to notation c onvers ion tec hnology whic h c an quic kly and ac c urately generate attrac tive s c ores from mus ic of all s tyles s tored in Standard M I D I Format (SM F). · L earn M ore A bout H ow M idiI llus trator C onverts M I D I to N otation 19 M idiI llus trator c an c reate s c ores in your favorite s tyle, from one or all of your M I D I files , in a s ingle s tep. O nc e M idiI llus trator has c reated your s c ores you c an: · C onfigure Sound and P lay Bac k Sc ores 15 · O pen, D is play and P rint Sc ores 12 o O pen and V iew Sc ores 12 o D is play the Sc ore I n D ifferent Ways 23 o C hoos e C olors , T extures and Bac kgrounds for Y our Sc ore 23 o A djus t the Sc ore L ayout: U s ing L ayout M ode 24 o P rint the Sc ore 15 § Q uic kly print s elec ted parts /ins truments /s taves 26 · Find M us ic Files on the I nternet 16 · Save and M anage your Sc ores 27 · P laybac k the Sc ore 27 o C reate and P lay a Sc ore P laylis t 28 o Sc roll and Fade in the N ext P age (A dvanc e P age T urn) 28 · T as ks to T rans form Y our Sc ores A utomatic ally 30 o P res ent D iffic ult N otation in Simplified Form 31 o A rrange the Sc ore for P iano A utomatic ally 31 o Reformat the Sc ore as a Fake Book or Song L ead Sheet 31 o G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets A utomatic ally 31 o Format many Sc ores at onc e us ing the T as k Wizard 30 o H ide T raditional Staff N otation and I ns tead Show Staves as a C ompac t T imeline 32 · P erformanc e and L earning T ools 33 o P rac tic e P artic ular P as s ages with Spec ial P rac tic e T ools 34 o L earn M us ic 'Step by Step' without reading any N otation, with the on- s c reen P iano 34 o Rapidly I mprove your Sight Reading with N ote N ames dis played next to every N ote on the Sc ore 34 o A s s ign Finger N umbers to N otes either M anually or A utomatic ally 34 § Show Finger N umbers on the Keys of the O n- Sc reen Keyboard 37 o P rac tic e new Rhythms with the A udio/V is ual M etronome 38 o Sing along with A c c ompaniment - the L yric s L ight up in T ime with the M us ic 38 o Watc h your Sc ore P erformed on the Keyboard by M idiI llus trator's P erforming H ands 38 · C onnec t and I nterac t 39 o C onnec t a M I D I I ns trument and I nterac t with the M us ic 39 o Remotely C ontrol func tions U s ing Y our C onnec ted M I D I I ns trument 40 o C reate D evic e/I ns trument D efaults for N ew Sc ores 41 o M ake the mos t of your M I D I D evic e C apabilities 42 · C us tomize the P rogram I nterfac e 42 o C hoos e a T heme (C olor Sc heme) 42 o C us tomize the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard C olors 37

Composing: Create and Edit Scores C reate brand new s c ores from the ground up, or us e M idiI llus trator's powerful editing tools on exis ting s c ores originally generated from M I D I s ongs . Some features are available in M idiI llus trator M aes tro only (marked

).

· C reate a Brand N ew Sc ore 45

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

19

· C ompos e and E dit: U s ing E dit M ode 46 o A dd N otation Q uic kly us ing C ontext Sens itive E ntry 48 o M odify a N ote, or a Selec tion of N otes 52 § M ake C hanges Q uic kly with C ontext Sens itive M enus 55 o A dd Spec ial Barlines to C ontrol P laybac k of E ffic ient Sc ores 56 § Repeat Sec tions 56 § Spec ial E ndings 56 o C opy and P as te N otation to/from the C lipboard 58 § M ake C opies of C omplete Staves with the Staff M anager D ialog

76

o E dit L arge A reas of N otation: U s ing P ower E dit M ode 59 o Find O ut A bout U s ing E dit M ode on an E xis ting Song 61 · O ther Ways to C apture Y our M us ic 46 o N ote E ntry V ia the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 65 o Rec ord a Real T ime P erformanc e 66 § Set Y our Rec ording O ptions 67 o C hord E ntry V ia a C onnec ted M I D I D evic e 67 o T ap I n Rhythms with the P C Keyboard 68 · C reate a T emplate for Future Sc ores 69 · A dd N ew M eas ures to the Sc ore 70 · Set the Sc ore T itles (C ompos er, T itle, Footer etc .) 70 o A dd Fields to Sc ore T itles (e.g. P age N umbers , D ate etc .) 71 · E nric h Y our s c ore with Ric h T ext C ontent inc luding I mages and M ultimedia C ontent 72 o A dd M oveable T ext to Y our Sc ore 73 · M odify the M I D I C ontent in Y our Song 74 · · · · · ·

A dd N otation E xpres s ions whic h c an C ontrol P laybac k (e.g. D ynamic s , M etronome T empos ) 75 A dd and Remove Staves : U s ing the Staff M anager 76 Remove a Range of M eas ures from the Sc ore 78 Selec t a Range of N otes us ing A dvanc ed C riteria 78 T rans pos e A ll or P art of the Sc ore 79 Res truc ture the Sc ore 80 o Key Signatures 80 o T ime Signatures 81 o Starting T empo 82 o C lefs 82

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .1

Learn More About How MidiIllustrator Converts MIDI to Notation One of the principle features of MidiIllustrator is its ability to generate attractive, accurate and flexible scores from the raw musical information contained in MIDI and Karaoke files. Although tremendously popular with musicians for their ability to store rich detail about the 'sounds' in a given piece of music, these files comprise mainly note pitches and durations, and typically contain very little information about how the music should be notated. MidiIllustrator is therefore tasked with filling all the gaps to complete the visual picture; for example, beaming and tying notes, creating clefs and key signatures, and placing accidentals next to notes on the score as appropriate. What You See versus What You Hear In scores generated by MidiIllustrator from MIDI files, the notation you see on the screen or printed page is completely independent of the music you hear during playback. MidiIllustrator keeps these two aspects of the music completely separate so that you may at all times hear the music performed as its author intended, even when the score has been arranged to provide maximum clarity and readability. Music performed with the most 'expression' or 'feeling' is often not the most readable music (see Accuracy versus Readability below). For this

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


20

MidiIllustrator User Manual

reason, MidiIllustrator keeps the original performance in a MIDI file intact when notating. The underlying MIDI note data is hardly ever changed. As a result, when the look of the notation is 'tidied up' for the sake of presentation, the feel of the music is never lost. Of course, when desired, you can also use MidiIllustrator's powerful editing modes 61 to make real changes to even the underlying performance data. In Edit Mode you have complete control over composition - MidiIllustrator will settle on the current interpretation of the song's original MIDI content when editing begins. Accuracy versus Readability When notating, MidiIllustrator conducts an in-depth analysis of the musical data, at all times balancing the need to: 路 display notation which is both readable and playable; and at the same time 路 produce the most 'honest' and accurate representation of the music as possible. MidiIllustrator can, for instance, readily distinguish groups of short, barely asynchronous notes played in quick succession which should correctly be notated 'arpeggiated', from groups of concurrent notes played with approximate synchronicity, which should be correctly notated as a chord. On another occasion, MidiIllustrator might decide to form a chord from a cluster of notes which, on face value, could also be notated as an arpeggio or trill. In this last case, a careful study of the music 'style', its rhythms, note pitches and changing hand positions will contribute to the decision making process. The most feasible, readable form of the music should prevail, offset against the need to display truly complex passages with accuracy. Of course, 100% accuracy in this endeavour is impossible, but in cases where a mistake is made, corrections can be easily made to the final notation. MidiIllustrator can generate attractive scores from even poorly 'sequenced' MIDI files Generally, the quality of a MIDI file's 'sequencing' can affect the quality of the resulting score. 'Sequencing' here refers to the way in which each note's attack time and duration is recorded in the MIDI file. Music which is sequenced with 'feeling' and 'expression' to sound good when played back often does not make for very readable notation. MIDI files which have, on the other hand, been 'quantized', or sequenced with greater accuracy, generally produce scores which are easier to read. Sequencing notwithstanding, MidiIllustrator will generally make sensible decisions about how to notate a complex or 'live performance' MIDI recording. With MidiIllustrator's transcription options, you may also control or limit the complexity of such scores in order to make the notation more accessible. Advanced notation features The MidiIllustrator MIDI to Notation engine can identify and represent even the most complex musical ideas, such as tuplet note groupings and multiple voicings in a single staff. Furthermore, you can instruct MidiIllustrator to notate your scores in a particular way, for example presenting difficult notation in simplified form 31 . What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .2

Configure Sound and Play Back Scores MidiIllustrator can open files and transcribe scores without being configured for sound in any way. If, however, you wish to hear a score played back then you must configure MidiIllustrator to use the soundcard in your computer and its MIDI capabilities. Furthermore, many advanced options in MidiIllustrator (such as the Step by Step 188 mode and MIDI Echo 216 ) employ the functionality of a soundcard.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

21

In order to playback a file you must, at the very least, configure a MIDI playback device. Setting the MIDI Playback device Find out all about configuring your MIDI devices for playback in the MIDI OUT/Playback section 214 . Starting Playback When you have configured your MIDI Playback device you can begin playback of an open score by choosing Start Playback 27 from the Perform Menu (see also Keyboard Shortcuts 253 ) What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3

Open, Display and Print Scores Before you can use MidiIllustrator to convert song files into sheet music, you must first acquire some music files stored in a format that MidiIllustrator can read. To get you started, the MidiIllustrator download package includes some MIDI files as samples so you can see right away what MidiIllustrator can do. See the 'Samples' folder, usually found in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. MidiIllustrator can open files of the following types: File Types MidiIllustrator Can Open *.mid

Standard MIDI File (SMF) f ormat Stores mus ic al information as notes within s taves , s pec ific ally the note pitc hes and their s tarting and ending times . Instrument Sounds U nlike audio mus ic files , s uc h as .WA V and .M P 3 , M I D I files do not c ontain ins trument s ounds per s e, and the ins trument s ounds in a performanc e are ultimately determined by the M I D I s oundc ard in your c omputer. T his allows M I D I files to be muc h s maller, more portable and more eas ily modified than other mus ic file formats . Transcribing M I D I files c ontain very little (or no) information about the vis ual repres entation of the mus ic , e.g. beams , ties , c hord names . I t is up to M idiI llus trator to c onvert this s imple mus ic al information into readable s heet mus ic , generating all the notation nec es s ary to s upport the raw M I D I note data.

*.kar

Karaoke f ile A s pec ial type of M I D I file with a s taff dedic ated to s toring lyric s as well as notes in the SM F format. M idiI llus trator treats Karaoke files in muc h the s ame way as M I D I files , but inc ludes s ome advanc ed options for optimizing the pres entation of lyric s within the s c ore. When you open a Karaoke file c ontaining lyric s , M idiI llus trator

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


22

MidiIllustrator User Manual

will optionally as k you if you would like to pres ent the s c ore as a Song L ead Sheet. See Song L ead Sheets and Fake Books 212 for further detail. *.mil

MidiIllustrator score T his is a s pec ial file format us ed only by M idiI llus trator to s tore all of the mus ic al and vis ual information c ontained in a s c ore.

*.mit

MidiIllustrator Score Template L ike the *.mil file format, this is a s pec ial file format us ed only by M idiI llus trator to s tore all the building bloc ks for a new M idiI llus trator s c ore. See als o Sc ore T emplates 69 .

Saving files with MidiIllustrator When MidiIllustrator notates scores, a special file format is needed to store all the information that cannot be stored in a standard MIDI or Karaoke file. If you wish to store information beyond the underlying MIDI data in a score then you must save your files in the MIL format (. mil). Files saved in the simpler MIDI format will be stripped of all formatting and a lot of musical attributes, such as chord names, fonts, colors etc. Ways to Open Files Files can be opened in MidiIllustrator in one of the following ways: · From the File Menu, choose Open. You can open any number of files in one go using this method, simply by holding down the Control key and selecting multiple files before clicking Open. · If the file has a MIL extension you can double click it in Explorer. If you have chosen to open ‘associate’ MIDI files and/or karaoke files with MidiIllustrator then you can also double click these files to open them with MidiIllustrator. See File Types 235 for more information about Window file associations. · Using the mouse, drag any MidiIllustrator compatible file and drop it anywhere on the MidiIllustrator window. This is more commonly known as Drag & Drop. You can open any number of files in one go using this method. What Happens When A File is Opened? If you are opening a MIDI (or Karaoke) file, MidiIllustrator can immediately transcribe the MIDI data as notation. By default, MidiIllustrator will start the Score Transcription Wizard 227 for each file opened, although you can have MidiIllustrator notate the score automatically without this step if you prefer. With the Wizard you can determine the 'style' in which the MIDI content is notated. You may also hit the 'Skip Wizard' button at any time to have MidiIllustrator notate the score automatically. By default, the score will be displayed in 'Window View'. This allows MidiIllustrator to make best use of the space on the screen and to show you as much of the score as possible without any of the limitations of page boundaries. If you would like to see the score as it would appear on the printed page simply switch to 'Page View' using the View Menu. For more information on the difference between 'Window View' and 'Page View' look here 117 . You can quickly increase or decrease the size of the score by clicking on the Zoom buttons on the toolbar. If you are opening an MIL file then MidiIllustrator has already transcribed the underlying MIDI data. MIL files typically open a little faster than other file formats for this reason.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

23

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3.2

Display the Score In Different Ways

MidiIllustrator formats the score to make the best use of the available screen space 117 , putting as much music onto the screen as possible whilst keeping the notation clear and easy to read. All the objects in the score (notes, rests, lyrics etc) are reorganised dynamically as you increase or decrease the window size. Some things to try... · Choose the best 'view' 117 to suit your task. · Choose the notation display size 117 to suit your needs. · Show individual parts (staves) 76 or ranges (measures) 163 on the screen at any time. · Use your own choice of color 23 , texture 23 and fonts 146 to make the scores easier to read. · See more of the score in Full Screen Mode 120 What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3.2.1 Choose Colours, Textures and Backgrounds for Your Score

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Color Tab The Colors, Textures and Backgrounds tab allows you to change the following score attributes: · Colors of the various components of the score (eg note and cursor colors). · Add texture and quality to your score manuscript using score textures which color the page beneath the notation. The 'texture' bitmap used to texture the score page when viewing and printing scores. Several textures are supplied with MidiIllustrator in the 'resources' folder. · Custom score backgrounds allow you to add a personal feel to your MidiIllustrator working environment. The 'background' bitmap used to fill the background behind the score document when zoomed out in Page View 117 . Several backgrounds are supplied with MidiIllustrator in the 'resources' folder. Colors To change the default color of an item, simply select the item in the list, click on the ‘Modify’ button, and choose a new color from the Color palette. Then click ‘OK’, and either ‘Apply’ or ‘OK’ in the Color tab for the changes to take effect on the score. Textures To change the page texture of a score, simply select 'Page' in the list, click on the ‘Choose Texture’ button, and choose a new bitmap from your hard disk. To remove a texture and use the default plain color, click the 'Clear Texture' button. Backgrounds To change the background of a score, simply select 'Background' in the list, click on the ‘Choose Texture’ button, and choose a new bitmap from your hard disk. To remove a background and use the default plain color, click the 'Clear Texture' button. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


24

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Make Your Own Textures and Backgrounds You can create your own image files for use as MidiIllustrator textures. Simply create a Windows bitmap file with no more than 256 colors, and place a copy in the appropriate resource folder inside the application's "Resources" folder Files, usually found in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3.3

Adjust the Score Layout: Using Layout Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu Layout Mode is for changing the dimensions and positions of score objects, such as measures, staves and lyrics. MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout to make good use of screen 'real estate'. However, if you wish to manage the layout for a particular measure, page or even the entire score, then in this mode you can either tweak the layout to simply tighten up the score a little, or you can make major changes to squeeze as much notation as possible onto a given page. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode 33 o Layout Mode o Edit Mode 46 Layout settings are applied only in Page View (Print Preview) when the score is formatted for the printed page. Applying a Custom Layout In Layout Mode, select the measure/staff combination whose dimensions you wish to customize. You can only customize a single measure/staff combination at a time. You can change the following attributes of the measure/staff combination: · Measure width (to allow more or fewer measures on a system or page) · Staff height above the staff · Staff height beneath the staff · Vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff When a selection is made, the layout frame appears marking the current boundaries of the active area. If the measure/staff contains any lyrics, then the lyric boundary frame will also appear, indicating the current vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff With the mouse, click and drag a boundary to move it. The table shows which boundaries control which layout aspect: Frame

Boundary

Direction

Change A pplies to

Measure/Staf f

L eft / Right boundary

H orizontal

M eas ure width (applies to the whole meas ure, not jus t the meas ure width of the ac tive meas ure/s taff)

T op boundary

V ertic al

H eight above the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of s ys tems on the c urrent page)

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

H eight beneath the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

25

s ys tems on the c urrent page) Lyric

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

V ertic al pos ition of lyric s beneath the s taff

Once a custom size has been applied, a colored arrow will appear, spanning the new custom boundary. Applying More than one Custom Staff Height to a System It is possible to apply staff heights to more than one measure/staff unit on a given system. In this case, the tallest of these custom height settings will be applied to the system as a whole, and shorter values be ignored (though they are not removed automatically). However, if you apply a new staff height to a given measure/staff unit, then any existing staff heights on that system will be reduced to the new staff height (if they are taller; shorter ones will remain as they are). In this way, the latest change will be the value used for the score layout). Vertical Spacing of Systems on the Page Normally, MidiIllustrator fits as many systems as possible onto a page, and if there is any space left over, it spaces the systems evenly to fill that space so that the page looks more uniform. However, as soon as you apply a vertical custom layout (staff height) to a measure/staff, systems on that page will no longer be automatically spaced vertically, allowing you to manage the alignment yourself. Removing Custom Layout (manually and automatically) Custom layout height/width can be removed using the Layout Menu 181 commands or by double clicking the appropriate custom layout frame with the left mouse button. MidiIllustrator assumes that when you are modifying the actual notation in the score, this latest change should override any existing custom layout bar widths in the 'active' area. Custom measure widths are removed automatically if the notation in the measure changes. As such, custom layout is best applied when composing is more or less complete. How Custom Layout interacts with MidiIllustrator's Automatic Music Layout In general, MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout as you modify the notation in your score. When you apply a custom layout to part of the score, MidiIllustrator will try to accommodate the requested settings. However, MidiIllustrator will still ensure that basic rules for formatting are still applied, such as ensuring that a single system or measure cannot be any wider than the page containing it! Furthermore, MidiIllustrator will always stretch the last measure in a system to reach the right margin of the page, unless the measure is the last in the score. As a result, custom width settings for such an 'end of system' measure may not be applied. Note that empty measures with custom layout height or width cannot be compressed 132 , and are treated as non-identical to other empty measures with different layout settings or no layout settings. More About this Mode You can make basic notation changes in Layout Mode, for example correcting score attributes like stave heights. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in this mode like Performance Mode 33 , the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 . Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


26

MidiIllustrator User Manual

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3.4

Print the Score

You can print the current score at any time by choosing the 'Print' command from the File Menu 105 . In order to see what a score will look like when printed out you can switch to 'Page View' using the View Menu 116 . 'Page View' is exactly the same as the ‘Print Preview’ mode which can be selected from the File Menu. More information on the difference between Window View and Page View 117 . In order to print only certain parts/instruments/staves, use the quick print facility

26

.

You can format your scores in any number of ways before you print them. Here are just a few common tasks to get started with: · Reorganize the score layout 24 to get more or less music onto the page. · Choose print formatting options 113 (such as paper and margins size). · Choose Colors, Textures and Backgrounds 23 for your score. What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .3.4.1 Quickly print selected parts/instruments/staves

Command Location: File Menu To save time when you wish to print only certain parts/instruments/staves in the score, the quick print facility is a speedy alternative to using Staff Manager 76 and other tools to format the score in order to print each part. To use the quick print dialog, simply select the staves you would like to print from the list (staves which are currently shown on the score will be automatically selected). Hold down the CONTROL key to select multiple staves. You can toggle the printing of:

· Measure Numbers and the printing of the following items if the current score contains them: · Bookmarks · Chord Names · Guitar Frets · Free Text · Expressions For printing of more advanced arrangements, see Staff Manager Lead Sheets and Fake Books" options on the Tools Menu 195 .

76

and/or the "Create

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

27

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .4

Find Music Files on the Internet Many Internet sites offer high quality MIDI and Karaoke files for download. The MidiIllustrator download package includes some MIDI files as samples so that you can see right away some of the many things that MidiIllustrator can do. But if you are after a particular piece, or pieces of a particular genre, then visit our website to see a list of recommended MIDI file sites which will get you started. You can use the search engine on our website to find just about any MIDI file available on the web! Point your browser at our address below and choose the MIDI Files link. http://www.MidiIllustrator.com What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .5

Save and Manage your Scores You might want to try: · Enabling AutoSave 230 and Background saving 230 so that your work is backed up automatically 'behind the scenes' without interruption to your current task · Saving bitmap images of your scores 111 so you can share them with other musicians · Saving a MIDI song as it is displayed 105 on the score (versus saving the notes with their actual playback times) · Save a score with modified master tempo 105 · Creating and Printing Scores to Postscript Printers and PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format™) 112 What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .6

Playback the Score See the notes light up as they are played back. The pages turn automatically. Dynamically change instruments, volume and tempo during playback. Highlight lyrics during playback for sing-along performances. Advance highlighting and page turning options. · Note highlighting options 28 · Create and play a score Playlist 125 · Scroll and Fade in the Next Page (advance page turn) 28 · Dynamically change instruments 156 · Skip backwards and forwards during playback using Keyboard Shortcuts (Navigation Commands) 253 What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


28 2. .6.1

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Create and Play a Score Playlist

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Playback Tab The Playback tab allows you to make changes to the way in which the score is displayed during playback. The following attributes can be changed: Cursor

T here · · · · ·

are five c urs or dis play options for playbac k: D oes not follow playbac k Follows neares t playbac k beat Follows exac t playbac k time Follows neares t playbac k note T urns pages but remains hidden

By default, the c urs or follows the ‘neares t beat during playbac k’. T his is generally the mos t us eful s etting for unders tanding the rhythm of the piec e, and is als o the bes t c hoic e when you are us ing the metronome. I n s c ores where notes regularly fall jus t before or after the beat, it may be more us eful to have the c urs or s taff time or the neares t note. U nles s you s elec t ‘D oes N ot Follow P laybac k’, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move from page to page on the s c ore in order to keep the c urs or vis ible at all times . T o hide the c urs or altogether during playbac k, but s till have pages turned automatic ally, s elec t 'T urns pages but remains hidden'. Note: T he ‘Follows E xac t P laybac k T ime’ s etting c an plac e quite high demands on your c omputer as the c urs or pos ition c hanges rapidly. A dvance Page Turn

T his option allows you to determine how and where in the s c ore the page is turned during playbac k. T his c an be us eful if you are s ight- reading ahead of time as you may want the page to be turned before playbac k reac hes the end of the page. Scroll and Fade In the Next Page (available only in Window V iew 117 , P erformanc e M ode 33 ) M idiI llus trator c an turn the page us ing s pec ial graphic al effec ts to ‘s plit’ the s c reen as the mus ic is played out, s howing both the c urrent pas s age and the next pas s age (on the next page) at the s ame time. T o do this , M idiI llus trator ‘reads ahead’, and determines how muc h of the next page c an be s c rolled onto the c urrent page without obs c uring the c urrent playbac k notation. T he next page c an be s c rolled on from top to bottom, or from left to right and M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally dec ide the bes t s c rolling method at any partic ular pos ition in the s c ore. T his enables you to read the s c ore at the c urrent playbac k pos ition, and als o read ahead to the notation on the next page whic h would otherwis e be hidden by redundant parts of the c urrent page. Note: I n s ome c as es , the s c ore layout will prevent M idiI llus trator from s howing any part of the next page, even when advanc e page turn s c rolling is ac tivated. I f s howing the next page would, for example, hide an important part of the c urrent playbac k page, then s c rolling will be temporarily deac tivated. T his happens mos t often when a

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

29

meas ure on the c urrent or next page is very long, taking up muc h of the s c reen and leaving no room to s how parts of both the c urrent and next pages at the s ame time. C hoos e from the following Sc rolling options : · V ertic ally if pos s ible, then H orizontally (default, rec ommended) · H orizontally if pos s ible, then V ertic ally · V ertic ally only · H orizontally only · D o not s c roll next page Staf f Tools and A dvance Page Turn D uring page turning, the s taff c ontrols of the partially dis played ‘next’ page will be temporarily dis abled until that page is s hown c ompletely and it bec omes the ‘c urrent’ page. Y ou c an c lic k on the ‘next’ page notation at any time (to advanc e playbac k), but c lic king on the s taff tools (if s hown) will have no effec t. Y ou c an c lic k on the s taff tools of the c urrent page at any time during page turning. Fading in the Next Page M ore powerful c omputers will be able to us e the advanc ed features of page turning, and allow s pec ial effec ts during the page turn. Fading in the next page will make the page turn appear muc h s moother, and les s dis trac ting if you are trying to s ight- read from the s c reen at the s ame time. C hoos e from: · Fade I n next page · N o s pec ial effec ts I f you wis h, you c an have M idiI llus trator s imply fade in the page with no s c rolling, by s elec ting “Fade I n next page “ and “D o not s c roll next page” above. NOTE: Fading the next page into view requires quite a lot of processor power. If you f ind that the page turn is slow or jerky, ensure this option is disabled. Simple Page Turn A s an alternative to s c rolling/fading in the next page, you c an s imply c hoos e to have M idiI llus trator s witc h to the next page before the c urrent page is c ompleted. T o c onfigure A dvanc e P age T urn, s imply c hoos e a ‘quantity’ from the firs t drop down box, and a unit of duration from the s ec ond drop down box. T he s ec ond has the following options : · Whole Beat(s ) · H alf Beat(s ) · M eas ure(s ) · Whole N ote(s ) · H alf N ote(s ) · Q uarter N ote(s ) · 8 th N ote(s ) · 1 6 th N ote(s ) · 3 2 nd N ote(s ) · 6 4 th N ote(s ) So you might s elec t ‘1 ’ in the firs t drop down box and ‘Whole Beat(s )’ in the s ec ond drop down box and the page will be turned one whole beat before playbac k reac hes the end of the page. Highlight Notes/Lyrics During Playback

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

T his option c an make it eas ier for you to follow a piec e


30

MidiIllustrator User Manual

during playbac k as it highlights the notes and lyric s on the s c ore as the mus ic is played. A s an aid to s ight- s inging, you c an optionally advanc e the lyric highlighting by the amount of your c hoic e. See the P laybac k 28 s ec tion of Sc ore O ptions . I f you find that when playing s c ores there is a s mall delay between when you hea r notes and when you see them highlighted on the s c ore, try adjus ting P laybac k L atenc y 214 . T he H ighlight N otes /L yric s ... option is turned on by default. Grey Muted Notes

I f a s taff has been muted (s ee the Sound s ec tion of D is play and P laybac k 154 ) this option allows you to s how the muted notes on the s c ore in a different c olor to the s tandard notes . T he c olor of the muted notes c an be c hanged us ing the C olor 23 tab. M uted notes do not highlight during playbac k if this option is enabled. T he Fade M uted N otes option is turned on by default.

A dvance Lyric Highlighting

By default, M idiI llus trator will highlight L yric s during playbac k at exac tly the time they oc c ur in the s c ore. Y ou may, however, wis h to have L yric s highlighted s lightly in advanc e of their playbac k time as an aid to ‘reading ahead’. T he drop down box c ontains the following options : · O n T ime · A Whole N ote A head of T ime · A H alf N ote A head of T ime · A Q uarter N ote A head of T ime · A n 8 th N ote A head of T ime · A 1 6 th N ote A head of T ime · A 3 2 nd N ote A head of T ime · A 6 4 th N ote A head of T ime

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7

Tasks to Transform Your Scores Automatically MidiIllustrator 'Tasks' allow you to make a number of changes to one or more of your songs in one quick step. For instance, you can use a Task to open a MIDI file and apply a series of special commands to the resulting score, such as converting the piece into a simplified two hand piano piece and highlighting all the accidentals in the score in a bright color. Alternatively you may wish to convert a large number of your Karaoke files into Fake Books with chord names and guitar frets. Tasks are managed using the Task Wizard

206 .

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator... 2. .7.1

31

Present Difficult Notation in Simplified Form

MidiIllustrator can automatically make all the decisions necessary to convert your MIDI and Karaoke files into notation. Alternatively, you can use the Score Transcription Wizard 227 to have MidiIllustrator arrange the file's musical content in a particular way, by selecting from a list of custom presentation modes (eg 'Easier to Read'). Depending on the style of the music, this can have a dramatic effect on readability. At all times, MidiIllustrator maintains the original audio performance of the score. However you choose to format or present the notation, MidiIllustrator will remember how the underlying MIDI music was 'recorded' or 'sequenced', but notates it as necessary in a simpler, easier to read manner. You can change the custom presentation mode on an open score at any time (until you begin editing 61 the score) by choosing new transcription settings from the Transcription Options 139 tab of Score Options. What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7.2

Arrange the Score for Piano Automatically

MidiIllustrator can instantly make piano solo arrangements out of your scores. When parts are merged on a single stave, or spread over more than two staves, MidiIllustrator can intelligently merge and split the hands as necessary using an analysis of chord structures and hand positions, as well as note pitches. More information on using the Task Wizard What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

206 . 11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7.3

Reformat the Score as a Fake Book or Song Lead Sheet

MidiIllustrator can optimise the score layout for a particular purpose such as creating Fake Books or Lead Sheets. You can generate scores which show a combination of the following core features: melody, lyric, chord names and guitar frets. More information on using the Task Wizard What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

206 ,

and the Song Lead Sheet

212

dialog.

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7.4

Generate Chord Names and Guitar Frets Automatically

MIDI files do not generally contain any information about chords or chord progressions. However, MidiIllustrator can intelligently analyse the music to determine which chords are being played in each beat or measure within the score. With this information MidiIllustrator can then display a combination of chord names and guitar fret graphics above the top stave. You Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


32

MidiIllustrator User Manual

can edit the chord names and fret fingerings using a library of over 900 chord/guitar frets included with MidiIllustrator. See more on how to Generate Chord Names and Guitar Frets What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

208

in your score.

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7.5

Format many Scores at once using the Task Wizard

MidiIllustrator 'Tasks' allow you to make a number of changes to one or more of your songs in one quick step. For instance, you can use a Task to open a MIDI file and apply a series of special commands to the resulting score, such as converting the piece into a simplified two hand piano piece and highlighting all the accidentals in the score in a bright color. Alternatively you may wish to convert a large number of your Karaoke files into Fake Books with chord names and guitar frets. Tasks are managed using the Task Wizard

206 .

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .7.6

Hide Traditional Staff Notation & Show Staves as a Timeline

Command Location: View Menu This command allows you to temporarily hide traditional staff notation on the score and instead show staves as a much more compact timeline. This option is very useful for producing and printing song sheets which contain only song lyrics, or perhaps chords and guitar frets. You can dramatically reduce the number of pages in a score if you do not need to see any staff notation or melody lines. Note that this command is just a different way to view the score, it only hides notes and other notation temporarily - no notation is deleted. In this state, MidiIllustrator shows the following score items on the timeline: · Lyrics · Bookmarks · Chord names · Guitar Frets · Measure Numbers (if activated) All notes and rests are hidden. The following items are also hidden in this state: · Clefs · Time signatures · Key signatures · Bar lines, including repeats (though any repeats 56 are still treated normally) · ...other traditional notation objects which cannot be displayed on the compact timeline © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

33

When you hide staff notation on the score, MidiIllustrator also automatically activates the following options: · Compress Empty Measures 132 · Hide Empty Portions of Staves 150 These options help to display the most compact score possible (you can disable/reenable them after showing/hiding staff notation). If you want to shrink the score yet further, then disabling Staff Tools 158 and Staff Namings 154 will often reduce the height of staves on the score. If Staff Tools 158 are showing in Window View, and the "Ensure Staff Tools are Always Visible 150 " option is enabled, then a dotted timeline will be shown for each active, but 'empty' staff. Notes about Hiding Staff Notation · Staff notation is only hidden when scores are viewed in Performance Mode 33 . If you change mode when staff notation is hidden, the staves will be shown as normal. · If Staff Tools 158 are visible in Window View 117 then all active staves will be shown (instead of just a single timeline) if "Ensure Staff Tools are Always Visible 150 " is also enabled on the staff menu. · Certain actions are disabled when staff notation is hidden; specifically Step by Step Mode 188 . · Certain Tasks 206 may reset the score to traditional staff notation.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8

Performance and Learning Tools Command Location: Tools Menu Performance Mode allows you to perform and interact with your songs rather than modifying any song content. You can create Practice Sessions 190 , study specific ranges of your scores and use learning tools such as Step by Step 188 . Most score editing functionality is hidden in this mode to allow you to focus on viewing, listening and performing with your scores. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode o Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode 46 When you import a song, it is initially displayed in Performance Mode. You can make basic editing changes to the score notation in Performance Mode, for example correcting note lengths, or changing score attributes like key signatures. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in this mode like Layout Mode 24 , the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. The following interactive tools are available only in Performance Mode: · Practice Sessions 190 · Step by Step 188 · View a specific range of measures 163 · Scrolling in the Next Page 28 (advance page turn) More About this Mode Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


34

MidiIllustrator User Manual

working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here

241 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.1

Practice Particular Passages with Special Practice Tools

Practice Sessions allow you to focus on part (or all) of a score whether you are studying, rehearsing or simply listening to the music. You manage Practice Sessions using the Practice Session Wizard. MidiIllustrator can accompany you during the session. You can choose to hear a section repeated in a continuous loop, or a specific number of times if you are rehearsing. How to Create or Edit Practice Sessions...

190

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.2

Learn Music 'Step by Step' without reading notation (on-screen piano)

Learn entire pieces without reading any notation! The flexible On Screen Piano Keyboard will highlight notes and chords from the current score one at a time, or 'step by step'. Read 'ahead' using advance keyboard highlighting options. The keyboard can be used as an aid to reading and playing the score (especially solo piano scores) allowing you to quickly and easily visualise chord shapes and fingering. · More information on working with Step by Step Mode 188 · How to 'jump' from one part of the score to another 188 whilst playing a connected MIDI Instrument in Step by Step Mode What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.3

Rapidly improve Sight Reading with Note Names next to every Note

The Note Names 132 function enables you to immediately identify each note by its name, and familiarise yourself with the staff line names. Remote leger line notes are immediately identifiable. Back to top

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.4

Assign Finger Numbers to Notes either Manually or Automatically

Command Location: Tools Menu Finger numbers can be assigned to notes and chords in one of three ways: · Manually using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 · Automatically for a selection of notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with finger © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

35

number Keyboard Shortcuts 253 without the need to open the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog · Automatically for the entire score, a range of staves, or a note selection using the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog Once you have assigned finger numbers to notes several new features become available: · Finger numbers can be displayed in, alongside, above or below 132 each note/chord in the score · Finger numbers can be displayed on each key during playback on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 · MidiIllustrator can show animated Performing Hands 38 performing your score over the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 Automatic Fingering Analysis Automatic Fingering Analysis is an advanced feature in MidiIllustrator which performs a customizable analysis of the notation in your scores and accordingly assigns finger numbers to each note and chord. Fingering analysis is customizable to help you assign the right finger numbers easily and quickly for a selection of notes or the whole score. See also: notes on Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible Choose what to analyze

34

.

I f a note range is s elec ted in the s c ore when the fingering analys is dialog is opened, M idiI llus trator will c hec k the Current selection only c hec kbox. I n this c as e, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore. Ignore unselected notes when calculating: With this option, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an c hoos e to analyze entire s taves or the entire s c ore. T his will take s ome time as even a bas ic analys is is quite demanding on the average P C . See A dvanced Settings below to c onfigure you own kind of analys is .

Options

Keep existing f ingering and use it when calculating: N ormally, exis ting finger numbers will be ignored in the c alc ulation and will be updated as M idiI llus trator s ees fit. With this option c hec ked however, M idiI llus trator will us e any exis ting fingering in the s c ore as a guide to how you would like finger numbers as s igned to remaining notes and thes e finger numbers will not be c hanged in the analys is . Y ou might us e this option having as s igned a finger number to a s ingle note in an arpeggio, for example, and M idiI llus trator will then as s ign finger numbers to the remaining notes in the arpeggio us ing the manually as s igned finger as a s tarting point.

Choose an instrument f ingering

I n the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator, fingering analys is c an be performed for keyboard instruments s uc h as the piano. M idiI llus trator will dec ide whic h hand to us e when fingering a given s taff bas ed on the as s igned ins trument playing hand 76 (Staff M anager). Y ou c an override this when us ing the finger analys is dialog us ing the Force Hand c ommands . A ssign separate hand f ingering f or upper/lower voices: When M idiI llus trator finds more than one mus ic al idea indic ated in a s taff with the us e of voic es 242 , it will normally as s ign both the left and right hands to finger lower and upper voic es ac c ordingly. U nc hec k this box to have a s ingle hand notes ac ros s play multiple voic es on eac h s taff. D is abling this option may have c ons equenc es for

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


36

MidiIllustrator User Manual

P erforming H ands 38 making s ome multi- voic e c hord c ombinations unplayable. A dvanced Settings

T he Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing s ettings allow you to c ontrol the effort M idiI llus trator applies to as s igning finger numbers to a range of notes . Warning! C hanging advanc ed s ettings - es pec ially Depth of analysis may dramatic ally inc reas e analys is time - s o this option s hould be c onfigured in the c ontext of your P C proc es s or s peed. G enerally, deeper analys is will res ult in better fingering, and inc reas ing the res ult s moothing will addres s errors c aus ed by ins uffic ient depth of analys is . I t's worth experimenting with different analys is s ettings on different notation s elec tions , es pec ially if you c an allow extra time for the analys is to proc eed. Remember these advanced settings: Y our s ettings will be s aved when you c los e the dialog. T hes e s aved s ettings will als o be applied when automatic ally as s igning finger numbers for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Restore A dvanced Def aults: Res tore the default s ettings for Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing.

Finger Numbers Valid finger numbers are from 1 to 5, starting with the thumb (1) on each hand through to the pinky (5). Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible

Since assigning finger numbers is a very subjective task, automatic generation of finger numbers for entire scores will inevitably include some unsuitable finger assignments. There are many rules in the analysis which favours general rules and uses specific rules rarely. Sometimes, for example, you will see a finger roll incorrectly assigned to an arpeggio, or an awkward fingering for a 4 finger chord in order to make progress to the next note sequence easier. In some case a given fingering may simply suit one player more than another. To get best results, using the following automatic fingering options in combination with your own manual fingering assignments is highly recommended: 路 Ignore unselected notes when calculating 34 . Remember that fingering for a given sequence is calculated in the context of the surrounding notation. Sometimes you will get better results if you generate fingering for a sequence in isolation. You can also do this quickly for a selection of notes using the fingering keyboard shortcuts 253 . 路 Keep existing fingering and use it when calculating 34 . This is a quick way to get the fingering you want on a chord or arpeggio. Manually assign one or two finger numbers to a given sequence of selected notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 . Select the range of notes you wish to assign finger numbers to automatically. Open the Automatic Fingering Analysis dialog and check the Keep existing

fingering and use it when calculating 34 option. MidiIllustrator will use the manually assigned finger numbers when assigning fingering to the rest of the selection. Usually, manually assigning the first and/or last note in a chord or arpeggio will help MidiIllustrator automatically assign the rest of the fingering to your requirements. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

37

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.4.1 Show Finger Numbers on the Keys of the On-Screen Keyboard

Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard The On-Screen Piano Keyboard will highlight notes and chords from the current score. It can be used as an aid to reading and playing the score (especially solo piano music) allowing you to quickly and easily visualize chord shapes and fingering. In Edit Mode, notes can added directly to your score with Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 . Moving and Sizing the Keyboard The On Screen Piano Keyboard works in a similar way to the other standard Windows toolbars found in MidiIllustrator, but unlike most toolbars it can also be sized dynamically even when it is ‘docked’. The keyboard can be docked or floated. When MidiIllustrator first starts the keyboard is docked at the bottom of the screen. As you resize the program's main window the keyboard width and height change by proportion to the main window size. MidiIllustrator will always try to make the best use of space when displaying the keyboard and its proportions will always be kept under control. You can use the title bar (on the top of the keyboard) to drag the keyboard to the top or bottom of the program window. When docked, MidiIllustrator will resize the keyboard in the context of the main window and other moveable windows such as the List Bar 125 . If the keyboard is floating on the page, it can be moved to any part of the screen with a simple click anywhere on the keyboard and by dragging it to the required location. The keyboard can also be resized by clicking and dragging any edge of the keyboard. Key Highlighting The piano keyboard highlights keys under the following circumstances: · In general, the notes from all visible staves will appear on the keyboard as they are sounded. Alternating staff notes are displayed in alternating colors. This is particularly useful in solo piano scores where left and right hands are clearly distinguished. Selecting Staves will affect the notes which appear on the keyboard during playback. If any staves are selected, only the notes from those staves will appear on the keyboard. Remaining visible staves will be ignored. This allows you to display multiple staves on the screen, and a different selection of staff notes on the keyboard. · When MIDI In 216 is received from an external midi device, such as a MIDI Piano Keyboard. · In Step by Step mode 188 the next note or notes to be played. Colors are applied using the same rules as during playback (alternating staff colors). Keyboard Highlighting Colors You can edit the keyboard colors, including piano key highlighting colors used to show which keys are being pressed during playback (such as left and right hand piano playback keys) via the Keyboard Options tab 43 in the Program Options dialog 222 . Full Size Keyboard

Y ou c an s witc h between dis playing a Full Size Keyboard (8 8 keys ) and a c ropped dis play of the c entre four oc taves of the keyboard (two oc taves on either s ide of M iddle C ).

Perf orming Hands 38

Read more about the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard P erforming H ands 38 .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


38

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Menu Commands You can access the keyboard’s menu of commands via the View Menu anywhere on the keyboard.

116

or by right clicking

The Keyboard Menu commands allow you to: · show/hide the On Screen Piano (OSP) Keyboard · dock the OSP keyboard in position · toggle between the full size OSP keyboard and the cropped keyboard · show note names on the OSP keyboard keys · show finger numbers on the OSP keyboard keys during playback (finger numbers 34 must be assigned to notes before the finger number can be shown on keys as they are played) · show/hide Performing Hands 38 on the keyboard during playback (fingering must be assigned to notes before they can be played) · edit the keyboard colors 43 , including piano key highlighting colors

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.5

Practice new Rhythms with the Audio/Visual Metronome

MidiIllustrator's flexible metronome can be fully customised to suit your needs. Resize, move and specify the style of the visual flashing 'beat' indicator. Configure your own metronome sounds to mark the accent (up beat) and normal beat (down beat) of each measure. Use 'intro' measures to prepare when rehearsing passages. MidiIllustrator optionally places beat marks in the score as a further rhythmic cue. Use the audio/visual metronome

218 .

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.6

Sing along with Accompaniment: Lyrics Light up in Time with the Music

Lyric highlighting 28 shows you which words to sing as MidiIllustrator plays the backing to your vocal. 'Advance' lyric highlighting helps you read ahead. What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .8.7

Watch your Score Performed on the Keyboard by MidiIllustrator's Performing Hands

Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard Performing Hands are a feature of the On-Screen Keyboard. Watch your score performed on the keyboard by MidiIllustrator's talented hands which can perform even the most technically challenging pieces! Once finger numbers 34 have been assigned to a range of notes in the score, MidiIllustrator's hands can perform even the most demanding pieces (finger numbers do not have to be shown © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

on the actual keyboard keys

37

39

in order for performing hands to be displayed).

The scenario for the most successful display of performing hands is with piano pieces where notes have been assigned finger positions specifically for performance on the piano. However when displayed, MidiIllustrator hands will try to play any number of instruments and musical ideas (voices 242 ) spread over any number of the visible staves in the score. The hand which will be assigned to play a given stave is determined by the hand assignment 76 in Staff Manager 76 . See finger numbers 34 for more information. The performing hands endeavor to play most chord shapes over most ranges though certain spans may be deemed unreachable in which case no fingering will be attempted giving the appearance that some notes are simply being ignored during playback... This can happen particularly if notes from multiple voices in a staff have been assigned fingers for a single hand, in which case the performing hands will not be able to correctly finger all of the notes (the default behavior when analyzing fingering automatically is for lower voice notes in any staff to be assigned to the left hand and upper voice notes to be assigned to the right hand). Fill Hands Option By default, the hands are drawn as s olid objec ts as this gives them the mos t natural appearanc e, however they c an be dis played hollow (outline only) in order to give better vis ibility of the keyboard beneath the hands .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .9

Connect and Interact Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options The MIDI Options dialog allows you to make changes to the following attributes of MidiIllustrator: · MIDI Out/Playback 214 · MIDI In/MIDI Echo 216 · Metronome 218 · MIDI Device Sharing 219 · MIDI Shortcut Keys 40 · MIDI Instrument Routing 41

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .9.1

Connect a MIDI Instrument and Interact with the Music

Interact with the music, and have MidiIllustrator accompany you as you perform using a MIDI Piano, Guitar or other instrument. MidiIllustrator can redirect MIDI Input to any instrument of any MIDI device using the MIDI Echo feature. Instantly redirect MIDI Input to a particular instrument/device on a MIDI staff (this is useful for quickly performing a certain part in a certain piece). In 'Step by Step' Mode, MidiIllustrator will listen for input from your MIDI instrument and 'step' the cursor music as you play the notes on the screen, turning pages as you go. Accompany music in a different key. MidiIllustrator optionally transposes MIDI input ‘on the fly’ as it is redirected to the device of your choice. Play in one key, whilst accompanying a MIDI file © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


40

MidiIllustrator User Manual

playback sequenced in another key. Connect a MIDI Instrument

216

and interact with the music

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .9.2

Remotely Control functions Using Your Connected MIDI Instrument

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Shortcut Keys Tab MIDI Shortcut Keys allow you to control many of MidiIllustrator’s functions using your connected MIDI instrument (such as a MIDI keyboard) as a ‘remote control’. Instead of using the mouse or keyboard, you can input certain commands using your MIDI instrument. MidiIllustrator will listen for notes entered in this way and will carry out commands accordingly. Note that for MIDI Shortcut Keys to work, you must have connected MIDI instrument connected and configured for use by MidiIllustrator, and you must be ‘listening’ for MIDI Input on a MIDI In device 216 . Note: Try not to use shortcut key pitches which you will often use during performances, or commands may be inadvertently sent to MidiIllustrator whilst you are simply playing notes on your instrument. To this end, it is best to avoid using keys near the middle of a MIDI keyboard, and instead configure less frequently used keys at either end of the instrument. Shortcut keys are deactivated in Edit Mode - Normal Entry converted to notation and added to the current score.

46

as in this state MIDI input is

Entering Note Values from your Instrument For each of the commands below, you may configure a corresponding key, or note on your MIDI Instrument. You can enter note values manually using the drop down box, or you can select an instruction from the list, click the “Use Next MIDI Note Entered...” button and then tap a key on your MIDI device to set a particular value. Enabling MIDI Shortcut Keys Don’t forget to set both “Listen for MIDI Shortcut Keys” on this Options page, and “Listen to MIDI In device” on the MIDI In / MIDI Echo Options page in order to enable MIDI Shortcut Keys. On-Screen Keyboard Once configured, you will be able to see which notes on your MIDI Instrument are configured for use as MIDI Shortcut Keys by displaying MidiIllustrator’s On-Screen Keyboard. Configured keys are highlighted with colored markers as a quick reference. I nstructi on Na me

I nstructi on

Page: Next

T urns the page.

Page: Previous

T urns the page.

Perf orm: Play/Stop

Begins /E nds playbac k.

Perf orm: Rewind

Rewinds playbac k.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

41

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .9.3

Create Device/Instrument Defaults for New Scores

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Instrument Routing Tab MIDI Instrument Routing allows you to control the way in which certain instruments (or MIDI ‘patches’) are handled by MidiIllustrator during playback. When a MIDI file is created, each staff in the song is usually given a particular Channel and instrument Patch. You can read more about channels in the MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 section. Furthermore, when the file is first opened, MidiIllustrator will assign the default MIDI playback device to each staff. This is usually the soundcard in your computer which has 128 instrument ‘General MIDI’ sounds. If you have more than one MIDI playback device available to your system however, you may prefer that all ‘Piano’ instruments are played using a dedicated ‘Piano’ MIDI module which you may have attached to your system via MIDI cables. Or you may simply prefer some instruments sounds from one sound card over another. In this case, you can create a MIDI Instrument Routing, which will tell MidiIllustrator to use a preferred instrument from a preferred MIDI playback device every time a new MIDI song is first opened. Furthermore, some MIDI devices only ‘listen’ on certain channels, so you may wish to specify which channel is used for a particular routing. The MIDI Instrument Routing tab has the following buttons: · Add Routing · Edit Routing · Remove Routing The Add/Edit Routing Dialog When you create or edit a routing, you must supply the following information: · The Instrument you wish to route to a particular device and channel · Channel rules to use when identifying that instrument · Which channel that instrument should be played through · Which MIDI playback device that instrument should be played through For example, you may wish to have all Acoustic Grand Piano staves played using MIDI device ‘A’ on channel 1. In this case you would choose the following configuration: · Route instrument: 1. Acoustic Grand Piano · on… Channels 1-9 or 11-16 (the original channel used for this instrument) · to… Channel 1 (the new channel to be used for this instrument) · using… MIDI Device ‘A’ Here we have specified a rule concerning which channel the instrument must originally be on for the routing to apply. The reason for this is that channel 10 is often treated differently to other MIDI channels (read more about this here: MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 ) and we do not wish to mistakenly route instruments other than piano sounds. In keeping with this principle, when the original channel value is set to channel 10, the instrument names in the instrument box will automatically change to the corresponding General MIDI drum names. Bear in mind that a given instrument patch may originally be set on any channel, so specifying an original channel such as ‘Channel 13’ may dramatically limit the number of effective routings. That said, in general you should be as strict as possible with routing rules to prevent unexpected behaviour during playback.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


42

MidiIllustrator User Manual

NOTE: Routings should be used with care as some can make your songs sound strange, and may even result in silent staves during playback if MIDI devices are not attached or switched on. Once the routing has been created, it will be applied ALL MIDI FILES opened from that point on, and no reminder will be posted to inform you that a routing is being applied to a particular song staff. You can temporarily disable routings at any time by unchecking the box on the left of the routing list. When are Routings Applied? Routings are applied whenever: · A MIDI file is opened and automatically converted to notation · The “Convert Score to ‘Two Hand Piano'” Task is applied to a score. Routings will not be applied to existing *.MIL files as they are opened, and subsequent changes to channel and MIDI device settings using Staff Manager will not be overridden by routings. Duplicate or Conflicting Routings If you create duplicate or conflicting routings (i.e. routings where two different rules are applied to the same instrument/channel combination) then you may see unexpected results. MidiIllustrator will try to apply each and every routing in order to a staff in a given song, meaning that that the lowest valid routing in the list will take precedence over any others already applied.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .9.4

Make the most of your MIDI Device Capabilities

MidiIllustrator can fully exploit the MIDI features of your PC, and any external MIDI devices you may have. MidiIllustrator shares MIDI ports and devices with other Windows(tm) applications so you can truly multitask your music projects. MidiIllustrator supports the use of multiple MIDI devices for playback, meaning that you can use your PC's General MIDI functionality to provide broad instrument ranges for your scores, but redirect a particular instrument (such as a piano staff) to an external MIDI device (such as a piano module). Furthermore, you may connect a MIDI Instrument and interact with the music What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

39

.

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .10

Customize the Program Interface The MidiIllustrator interface supports smart docking for toolbars and special controls such as the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 and List Bar 125 . Dragging these controls by their title bars will automatically show the smart docking manager allowing you to dock one control to another © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

or to the main program frame in order to make the best use of your screen real-estate. Different themes or color schemes can be applied to the MidiIllustrator program interface. These themes will affect the look of all the interface components such as toolbars, menus and control windows. Themes can be chosen via the Tools Menu

195 .

The themes available are: · Black · Blue · Silver · Aqua You can also customize the On-Screen Piano Keyboard.

37

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2. .10.2

Customize the On-Screen Piano Keyboard Colors

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / On-Screen Keyboard Options Tab This tab allows you to change the On-Screen Piano Keyboard colors, including piano key highlighting colors (such as left and right hand piano playback keys). Colors To change the default color of an item, simply select the item in the list, click on the ‘Modify’ button, and choose a new color from the Color palette. Then click ‘OK’ in the Color tab for the changes to take effect on the score. Note that changes are made to the application dynamically (without the need to close the dialog box with the OK command), in order to facilitate experimentation with new settings.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2

Composing: Create and Edit Scores As well as generating beautiful scores from the many free MIDI files available online, all MidiIllustrator products 85 feature music learning and performance tools as part of a broader music notation package. Features fall broadly into two groups: Performing

11

and Composing

11

. Some of the more

advanced editing functions are found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro (highlighted

).

Perf orming: Practice, Print and Play M idiI llus trator c ontains s ophis tic ated M I D I to notation c onvers ion tec hnology whic h c an quic kly and ac c urately generate attrac tive s c ores from mus ic of all s tyles s tored in Standard M I D I Format (SM F). · L earn M ore A bout H ow M idiI llus trator C onverts M I D I to N otation 19 M idiI llus trator c an c reate s c ores in your favorite s tyle, from one or all of your M I D I files , in a s ingle s tep. O nc e M idiI llus trator has c reated your s c ores you c an:

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

43


44

MidiIllustrator User Manual

· C onfigure Sound and P lay Bac k Sc ores 15 · O pen, D is play and P rint Sc ores 12 o O pen and V iew Sc ores 12 o D is play the Sc ore I n D ifferent Ways 23 o C hoos e C olors , T extures and Bac kgrounds for Y our Sc ore 23 o A djus t the Sc ore L ayout: U s ing L ayout M ode 24 o P rint the Sc ore 15 § Q uic kly print s elec ted parts /ins truments /s taves 26 · Find M us ic Files on the I nternet 16 · Save and M anage your Sc ores 27 · P laybac k the Sc ore 27 o C reate and P lay a Sc ore P laylis t 28 o Sc roll and Fade in the N ext P age (A dvanc e P age T urn) 28 · T as ks to T rans form Y our Sc ores A utomatic ally 30 o P res ent D iffic ult N otation in Simplified Form 31 o A rrange the Sc ore for P iano A utomatic ally 31 o Reformat the Sc ore as a Fake Book or Song L ead Sheet 31 o G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets A utomatic ally 31 o Format many Sc ores at onc e us ing the T as k Wizard 30 o H ide T raditional Staff N otation and I ns tead Show Staves as a C ompac t T imeline 32 · P erformanc e and L earning T ools 33 o P rac tic e P artic ular P as s ages with Spec ial P rac tic e T ools 34 o L earn M us ic 'Step by Step' without reading any N otation, with the on- s c reen P iano 34 o Rapidly I mprove your Sight Reading with N ote N ames dis played next to every N ote on the Sc ore 34 o A s s ign Finger N umbers to N otes either M anually or A utomatic ally 34 § Show Finger N umbers on the Keys of the O n- Sc reen Keyboard 37 o P rac tic e new Rhythms with the A udio/V is ual M etronome 38 o Sing along with A c c ompaniment - the L yric s L ight up in T ime with the M us ic 38 o Watc h your Sc ore P erformed on the Keyboard by M idiI llus trator's P erforming H ands 38 · C onnec t and I nterac t 39 o C onnec t a M I D I I ns trument and I nterac t with the M us ic 39 o Remotely C ontrol func tions U s ing Y our C onnec ted M I D I I ns trument 40 o C reate D evic e/I ns trument D efaults for N ew Sc ores 41 o M ake the mos t of your M I D I D evic e C apabilities 42 · C us tomize the P rogram I nterfac e 42 o C hoos e a T heme (C olor Sc heme) 42 o C us tomize the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard C olors 37

Composing: Create and Edit Scores C reate brand new s c ores from the ground up, or us e M idiI llus trator's powerful editing tools on exis ting s c ores originally generated from M I D I s ongs . Some features are available in M idiI llus trator M aes tro only (marked

).

· C reate a Brand N ew Sc ore 45 · C ompos e and E dit: U s ing E dit M ode 46 o A dd N otation Q uic kly us ing C ontext Sens itive E ntry 48 o M odify a N ote, or a Selec tion of N otes 52 § M ake C hanges Q uic kly with C ontext Sens itive M enus 55 o A dd Spec ial Barlines to C ontrol P laybac k of E ffic ient Sc ores 56 § Repeat Sec tions 56 § Spec ial E ndings 56 o C opy and P as te N otation to/from the C lipboard 58 § M ake C opies of C omplete Staves with the Staff M anager D ialog

76

o E dit L arge A reas of N otation: U s ing P ower E dit M ode 59 o Find O ut A bout U s ing E dit M ode on an E xis ting Song 61 · O ther Ways to C apture Y our M us ic 46 o N ote E ntry V ia the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 65 o Rec ord a Real T ime P erformanc e 66 § Set Y our Rec ording O ptions 67 o C hord E ntry V ia a C onnec ted M I D I D evic e 67

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

45

o T ap I n Rhythms with the P C Keyboard 68 · C reate a T emplate for Future Sc ores 69 · A dd N ew M eas ures to the Sc ore 70 · Set the Sc ore T itles (C ompos er, T itle, Footer etc .) 70 o A dd Fields to Sc ore T itles (e.g. P age N umbers , D ate etc .) 71 · E nric h Y our s c ore with Ric h T ext C ontent inc luding I mages and M ultimedia C ontent 72 o A dd M oveable T ext to Y our Sc ore 73 · M odify the M I D I C ontent in Y our Song 74 · · · · · ·

A dd N otation E xpres s ions whic h c an C ontrol P laybac k (e.g. D ynamic s , M etronome T empos ) 75 A dd and Remove Staves : U s ing the Staff M anager 76 Remove a Range of M eas ures from the Sc ore 78 Selec t a Range of N otes us ing A dvanc ed C riteria 78 T rans pos e A ll or P art of the Sc ore 79 Res truc ture the Sc ore 80 o Key Signatures 80 o T ime Signatures 81 o Starting T empo 82 o C lefs 82

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.1

Create a Brand New Score Command Location: File Menu New scores can be created in several different ways. · Create a new score from scratch with the 'New Score' dialog, specifying score criteria in a few simple steps. · Generate a new score using an existing score template, selected from the 'New Score' dialog. · Generate a new score instantly using the 'Default' score template, from the File Menu 105 commands. New scores always open up in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

, ready for editing.

Create a New Score From Scratch Open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

From the 'Score Type' tab, select 'New Score', and the number of staves. You can specify the instruments for these staves later, using the Staff Manager Dialog 76 . At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to see in the score initially (default 30). If you want to specify the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo, select each tab as appropriate, and enter the desired value. When you have specified the score settings, hit OK to create your score. When the score has been created, you are ready to start composing

46

right away.

Generate a New Score Using an Existing Score Template Score templates templates 69 .

69

contain all the foundations for a new score. Read more about creating new

Open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

From the 'Score Type' tab, select 'New Score from Template', and choose a template from the list available below. At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


46

MidiIllustrator User Manual

see in the score initially (default 30). Note that the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo tabs are hidden as these characteristics are all determined by the template. Hit OK to create your score. Generate a New Score Using the 'Default' Score Template Read more about the 'default' template

69

.

To generate a score using the 'default' template, choose New Default Score 105 from the File Menu 105 commands. A score with the default 30 measures will be created based on the default template. Alternatively, open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

Select 'New Score from Template', and choose the 'default' template from the template list. At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to see in the score initially (default 30). Note that the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo tabs are hidden as these characteristics are all determined by the template. Hit OK to create your score. Start Composing As soon as your new score is created, you can start to capture your music What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

46

...

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2

Compose and Edit: Using Edit Mode Command Location: Tools Menu Edit Mode is for full-scale score composition. Within Edit Mode, there are 3 sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode 33 o Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode § Normal Entry 46 · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 § Mouse Entry 46 § Power Edit 59 In contrast to Performance Mode 33 , in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score; the ability to add notes, modify note pitches, durations and so forth. When you create a new score, it is initially displayed in Edit Mode, Normal Entry. Normal Entry © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

47

Normal Entry affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. The playback cursor which is displayed in Performance Mode 33 is replaced with a special cursor which shows the 'Entry' item; a rest or a note depending on how you have configured the Entry item 48 . Move the cursor to the desired insert position (time and pitch) and then use the item 'Insert' commands (see Insert Menu 168 ) to add to the notation. If it is possible to 'insert 48 ' (rather than 'add') a new item at the cursor location in a given measure, MidiIllustrator will display the insert arrows above and below the flashing entry note. In this case, items to the left of the entry item will be shifted to the right after insertion. Read more about Inserting versus Adding 48 new items in the score. MidiIllustrator will also try to automatically apply the correct qualities for the new item given its 'entry context 48 '. See more information on setting the entry item qualities 48 , and the context sensitive entry 48 qualities of Edit Mode. Notes and rests can be selected using the mouse or keyboard, and then the various modification functions can be applied to the selection using commands from the Notes Menu and Rests Menu 177 .

52

In Normal Entry mode, powerful tools are available to help you capture your musical ideas: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 Selection Editing When you have made a note selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). In order to protect existing score content when using the clipboard, some rules apply to where and how certain copied selections can be pasted into the score. Specifically: · In Normal Entry (Edit Mode), only selections from single tracks can be pasted from the clipboard. For multi-track operations such as this, use Power Edit 61 instead. · Since tuplets are treated as a unit and have to kept intact, paste operations which overlap or interfere with existing tuplets are not possible. Mouse Entry Mouse Entry allows most of the functions offered by Normal Entry 46 , but also allows you to edit notation directly using the mouse as a note entry and modification tool. By contrast to Normal Edit, the entry note is immediately displayed at the insertion point as the mouse cursor moves over the score. Clicking the left mouse button will add a new note or rest. The same context sensitive entry 48 rules apply to the entry item as in Normal Edit mode. Chord notes can be entered in Mouse Entry mode by holding the Control key down when entering (inserts a new chord note at the insertion point, and leaves the cursor at the current insertion point). Moving and Copying Notes with the Mouse - Mouse Entry and Normal Entry In Mouse Entry mode and Normal Entry mode, individual notes can be selected and dragged, or copied to new times or pitches. Certain keys will modify the behaviour when existing notes are selected and dragged on the score. If no modifier key is selected, MidiIllustrator will monitor the drag direction and limit the dragging direction to either vertical or horizontal. This behaviour makes it easier to make notation changes accurately (override this behaviour with the Alt key - see below). Using these keyboard 'modifiers' at the same time as dragging with the mouse will give different results: © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


48

MidiIllustrator User Manual

A ction

Keyboard Modif ier

Ef f ect

D ragging V ertic ally

N one

C hanges the pitc h of the s elec ted note to the new drag pitc h.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame time, at the new drag pitc h.

N one

C hanges the time of the s elec ted note to the new drag time.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame pitc h, at the new drag time.

A lt Key

E nables dragging both vertic ally and horizontally at the s ame time.

D ragging H orizontally

D ragging A ny D irec tion

Moving Rests with the Mouse Rests can be selected and repositioned vertically on the staff (if the rest type does not rely on its position relative to the staff in order to establish its identity, thus only quarter rests and shorter can be moved). Note about Edit Mode and Printing In order to make editing as comfortable and efficient as possible, the following features behave differently in Edit Mode: · Empty Portions of Staves 150 are always shown whilst in Edit Mode · Empty measures are not compressed 80 whilst in Edit Mode · Rests in empty measures are not automatically centred in Edit Mode in order to make note/rest entry easier · 'Timeline 32 ' view is temporarily deactivated in Edit Mode For this reason, scores may not print exactly the same in Edit Mode as in Performance/Layout Modes. Switching to Performance/Layout Mode before printing is therefore recommended for optimal printing results. Note about Playback In Edit Mode Normally playback continues until the end of the score is reached, regardless of whether there is still music left to play or not. In this way, lyrics and other score items are still highlighted and the metronome keeps flashing/ticking even if note playback is complete. In Edit mode, it is assumed that playback is essentially used for auditioning changes, and for this reason, playback will end automatically when the last note in the score has been played. More About this Mode Read more about what happens when you first start working with an existing song in Edit Mode - Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 . The Editing Palettes

128

contain many of the key commands and settings for Edit Mode.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.1

Add Notation Quickly using Context Sensitive Entry

Command Location: Insert Menu © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

49

Setting Entry Item Qualities The Insert menu lists all the commands available for setting the qualities for note and rest entry. These commands are also available on program toolbars 116 when the Editing Palettes 128 are displayed. Keyboard shortcuts 253 also provide a very quick route to configuring the entry item. Entry item qualities are only relevant to Edit Mode 61 (Normal Entry 46 , Mouse Entry 46 , Power Edit 59 ) when MidiIllustrator is ready to entry new notation, and the cursor is positioned on the score. These 'entry item' qualities will be applied to each new item when it is created. However, MidiIllustrator will also try to automatically apply the correct qualities for the new item given its 'entry context 48 ' (see below). The Entry Cursor The current entry item qualities are shown on the Editing Palette 128 toolbars and are also displayed as a flashing cursor (eg a flashing quarter note or a flashing rest) at the entry position. When this cursor is shown as greyed or faded, the current entry qualities are not valid for insertion at the current position. Quality

Details

Duration

T he duration of the entry note/res t c an be modified inc rementally us ing the D uration: I nc reas e/D ec reas e c ommands . I f you would like M idiI llus trator to inc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations , s ee the I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion 228 option in E diting options 228 . Triplet/Quintuplet When s elec ting tuplet durations , remember that tuplet notes are always treated by M idiI llus trator as a unit, and s o a whole tuplet will be added at the ins ertion point. For example, in the c as e of a triplet addition, a s ingle triplet note will be added followed by two triplet res ts . T here mus t be enough s pac e in the c urrent meas ure for a c omplete tuplet to be added. A dding s ubs equent notes when the c urs or is within the tuplet range will populate the various 'branc hes ' of the tuplet. T he c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator s upports the following tuplet types 244 : triplets and quintuplets . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Voice

Sets the entry voic e to U pper V oic e, L ower V oic e or Single V oic e. N ote that when adding notes and res ts to meas ure whic h c ontains more than one voic e at the ins ertion point, you mus t firs t s elec t the appropriate voic e s o that M idiI llus trator knows whic h mus ic 'idea' you are modifying. See V oic es 242 for more information. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Enharmonic

Enharmonic Spelling T hes e c ommands leave the pitc h of the entry note unchanged, and only alters the way the entry note is dis played. T he various s pellings whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h): 路 D ouble Sharp 路 Sharp 路 N atural

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


50

MidiIllustrator User Manual

· Flat · D ouble Flat When you s ubs equently alter the entry pitc h, the enharmonic s pelling will be removed and the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 will be applied to future additions (s ee below). N ote that any ac c idental in the s pelling will only be s hown if it has not already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules ), or if the E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 option is enabled (s ee below). Def ault Enharmonic Entry Spelling T his c an be either: · Sharp, or · Flat When moving the c urs or in E dit mode, vertic al pos ition c ommands alter the pitc h of the entry note. A s ingle 'up' or 'down' pitc h (from the keyboard arrow keys ) will rais e or lower the entry pitc h c hromatic ally (by a s emitone) and any appropriate ac c idental nec es s ary to repres ent the new pitc h on the s taff will be dis played automatic ally. For example in a s taff with a key s ignature of C , a pitc h up c ommand when the c urs or pitc h is at middle C will res ult in a new pitc h of C # or D b. Whether the new pitc h is dis played as C # or D b is determined by the c urrent " D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 ". T his value is s et when a s c ore is firs t c reated, and is bas ed on the opening key s ignature of the piec e. G enerally s peaking, for key s ignatures c ontaining flats (eg the key F in whic h all B notes are flattened to Bb), the default enharmonic entry s pelling will als o be flat. Similarly for the key of C and all keys c ontaining s harps , the default enharmonic entry s pelling will be s et to s harp. Y ou c an c hange the s pelling for jus t the c urrent entry by s etting the pitc h of the entry note, then c hanging the E nharmonic Spelling 48 (s ee above). But if you need to make many note additions with a different default s pelling (Sharp or Flat), you c an firs t c hange the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion. Note A ccidental

Entry Note A ccidental N ote ac c idental c ommands will alter the pitc h of the entry note. T he ac c identals whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h) are: · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat When you s ubs equently alter the entry pitc h, the ac c idental s pelling will be removed and the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 will be reapplied to the entry note (s ee above). Entry Note Shows Courtesy A ccidental With this option enabled, any ac c idental in the s pelling of the entry pitc h will be s hown even if it has already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules would not repeat the ac c idental, thus

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

51

keeping the s c ore unc luttered). I f for example, the entry note is Bb on a s taff with a key s ignature of F major, where all B notes are flat as s tandard, then no flat ac c idental will be s hown to the left of the Bb note unles s E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 is enabled. O nc e notes have been added with c ourtes y ac c identals ac tivated, the c ourtes y ac c identals c an be deac tivated by s elec ting the notes and us ing c ommands from the N otes 52 menu. N ote that the Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 option in Sc ore O ptions 132 will override any 'per note' c ourtes y ac c idental s etting, and will dis play ac c identals (as appropriate) next to every note. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion. Pitch

Rais es or lowers the pitc h of the entry note c hromatic ally, or the vertic al pos ition of the entry res t. See D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 (above) for information on the enharmonic s pelling of the new pitc h (flat or s harp). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Volume...

O pens the E ntry N ote V olume D ialog s o you c an s et the default volume for the entry note (default 6 4 ). T his volume will be applied to all notes added until the volume is c hanged onc e again. When notes are s elec ted, their volume c an be c hanged us ing c ommand in the N otes 52 menu. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Automatic Rest Placement In general, MidiIllustrator automatically fills all the silence in a measure with rests according to standard notations rules (completing beats with rests as necessary etc). As you add and remove notes, these virtual rests are shortened, lengthened and deleted as necessary to 'complete' the notation. In Edit Mode, these automatically placed rests are displayed in a different color to rests which have been specifically added to the score (manually placed rests are darker, the same color as notes). As you 'firm up' automatic rests they are displayed as other manually entered notation. Adding Notes and Rests in Multiple Voices To assist with composing in multiple voices in a given measure, MidiIllustrator also displays a special 'virtual' type of rest where more than one voice is displayed in a given measure. Read more about Voice Guide Rests 242 . Context Entry When the entry note duration at the current insertion point cannot be accommodated, MidiIllustrator will try to automatically apply a 'duration fit' for the new item given its 'entry context'. This automatic fit can apply to several contexts: 路 The 'rest space' is too short for the entry note duration: When for example you have selected a whole note duration and there is only a quarter rest at the insertion point, the context duration will be set to a quarter note 路 New notes added at the same time as existing notes (in the entry voice 242 ) on a staff must take the duration of the existing notes. In this case the entry duration will be set to the duration of any existing note at the insertion point in the same voice and staff. 路 When inserting a note (rather than adding, see Inserting versus Adding 48 below) if 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


52

MidiIllustrator User Manual there is limited insert space, and the entry note duration is too long, it will be shortened.

In some cases, entry note qualities other than duration will prevent MidiIllustrator from selecting a duration which fits into the current context. In this case, the flashing cursor item will be displayed in faded colors, indicating that no addition or insertion is possible. Inserting versus Adding If it is possible to insert (rather than 'add') a new item at the cursor location in a given measure, MidiIllustrator will display insert indicator arrows both above and below the flashing entry note. Moving the cursor to the left of an existing item at any time will display the insert arrows indicating that insertion with the current entry qualities is possible. When a note or rest is inserted rather than added, all items (notes and rests) to the right of the entry item will be shifted further to the right to make room for the new item. When a measure contains more than one voice, notation in all voices to the right of the insert point will be shifted (rather than just notation in the entry voice). The insert arrows are only displayed when inserting is possible.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.2

Modify a Note, or a Selection of Notes

The Notes menu will only appear when a note has been selected 113 . Some commands behave differently depending on the current mode 61 and some are only available when the score is in Edit mode

46

.

As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Read more below about how the 'mode' affects Notes Commands below

52

.

Notes Commands Pitch

Rais es or lowers the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ) c hromatic ally. A c c identals 52 are automatic ally applied for the new pitc h, taking into ac c ount the c urrent key s ignature. See D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 52 (I ns ert M enu 168 ) for information on the enharmonic s pelling of the new pitc h (flat or s harp). O c tave c ommands rais e or lower the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ) c hromatic ally by a whole oc tave. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Volume

Rais es or lowers the volume of the s elec ted note(s ). Choose Volume... O pens the N ote V olume D ialog s o you c an s et the volume for the s elec ted notes note (default 6 4 ). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Change Duration

A llows you to c hange the duration of s elec ted notes . T he duration of the notes c an be modified inc rementally us ing the D uration: I nc reas e/ D ec reas e c ommands . I f you would like M idiI llus trator to inc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations , s ee the I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion 228 option in E diting options 228 . N ote durations c an only be inc reas ed if there are no c onflic ting notes ahead of the note

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

53

to be lengthened (s ee exc eptions to this rule in E dit M ode, below). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Duration Increases In Edit Mode I n E dit M ode, M idiI llus trator will try to s hift 'c onflic ting' notes in a given meas ure to the right in order to make way for note lengthening operations . N otes are only s hifted when nec es s ary, s pec ific ally: · I f there is res t s pac e to the right of a note to be lengthened, this s pac e will be taken to ac c ommodate the new note length. · I f there is no s pac e, or not enough s pac e to the right of the note to be lengthened, then M idiI llus trator will c hec k s ee if there is room at the end of the note's meas ure to ac c ommodate the new note length. · N otes 'in the way' of the operation will be 's hifted' as far as pos s ible into the res t s pac e at the end of the meas ure, and the note will be given the des ired length if pos s ible. · M idiI llus trator us es a 'bes t pos s ible' approac h in duration c hanges . I f, for example, you want to inc reas e a quarter note to a whole note duration, but there is only room for a half note, then the half note value will be s et (ins tead of s imply failing the operation). Shif t Notes

T he Shift c ommands c an be us ed to move the s elec ted notes in the following ways : · U p a s taff: notes will be moved to the next visible s taff above their c urrent s taff. · D own a s taff: notes will be moved to the next visible s taff below their c urrent s taff. · Forwards : notes will be nudged to the right by a s mall amount. · Bac kwards : notes will be nudged to the left by a s mall amount. I n all c as es note durations are unc hanged. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Synchronise Selected Notes

A llows the s ync hronization of s elec ted notes by attac k time, duration or both. A ll notes in the s elec tion will take on the appropriate qualities of the firs t note in the s elec tion (identified with a different s elec tion c olor). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Stems

Sets the s tems of all s elec ted notes to point up or down. See als o Stem D irec tion in V oic es 242 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Voice

Sets all s elec ted notes to U pper V oic e, L ower V oic e or Single V oic e. See V oic es 242 for more information. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Enharmonic Spelling

T hes e c ommands leave the pitc h of the s elec ted notes unchanged, and only alters the way the notes are dis played. T he various s pellings whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h): · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat N ote that any ac c idental in the s pelling will only be s hown if it has not already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules ), or if the Show C ourtes y A c c idental 52 option is enabled (s ee below). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

A ccidental

N ote ac c idental c ommands will alter the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ).

A c c identals other than c ourtes y ac c identals c an only be altered in E dit M ode

46

T he ac c identals whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h) are: · D ouble Sharp

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

.


54

MidiIllustrator User Manual

· · · ·

Sharp N atural Flat D ouble Flat

Show Courtesy A ccidental With this option enabled, any ac c idental in the s pelling of the note pitc h will be s hown even if it has already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules would not repeat the ac c idental, thus keeping the s c ore unc luttered). I f for example, the entry note is Bb on a s taff with a key s ignature of F major, where all B notes are flat as s tandard, then no flat ac c idental will be s hown to the left of the Bb note unles s Show C ourtes y A c c idental 52 is enabled. N ote that the Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 option in Sc ore O ptions 132 will override any 'per note' c ourtes y ac c idental s etting, and will dis play ac c identals (as appropriate) next to every note. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion. Ties

Disable Tying on Selected Notes (Perf ormance Mode Only) A llows the enabling or dis abling of automatic tying on s elec ted notes . When tying is dis abled, even notes whic h s hould be tied bec aus e of their s ound duration will only be dis played as a s ingle untied note. T his option is us eful for s implifying the notation in s ome c as es . This command is no longer available once the score has entered Edit Mode (s ee E diting a Song for the Firs t T ime 61 ).

Tie Notes Together (Edit Mode Only) T ies together (or unties ) c ontiguous s elec ted notes of the s ame pitc h. To tie two or more notes: 1. A ll the notes to be tied must be selected (using the mouse or keyboard) 2. The notes must be the same pitch, voice and staf f 3. There can be no space (gaps) between them T ying notes of different pitc hes (s lurs ) is not pos s ible in the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator. T o remove a tie, s elec t the tied note(s ) and revers e the c ommand. See als o Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Finger Numbers (Manual and A utomatic)

Finger numbers c an be as s igned to notes and c hords in one of three ways : · M anually us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253

· A utomatic ally for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 without the need to open the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog · A utomatic ally for the entire s c ore, a range of s taves , or a note s elec tion us ing the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog V alid finger numbers are from 1 to 5 , s tarting with the thumb (1 ) on eac h hand through to the pink (5 ). T o as s ign fingering manually to one or more notes : Selec t the notes to be updated, and apply the finger c ommand 1 - 5 . T o remove any fingering, apply finger c ommand 0 . T o as s ign fingering automatic ally to one or more notes : Selec t the notes to be updated and c hoos e an automatic fingering c ommand: · A utomatic Fingering Finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore · A utomatic Fingering - Ignore Unselected Surrounding Notes Finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

55

other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an read more about automatic fingering analys is 34 and how as s igning finger numbers enables other M idiI llus trator features s uc h as P erforming H ands 38 . Delete... 172

Read about the different ways to remove notes 172 from the s c ore. E s s entially, the typic al delete and bac ks pac e c ommands apply to the neares t note at the c urs or pos ition (E dit M ode) or to all notes at the c urs or pos ition (P erformanc e M ode) when the Shif t key is depres s ed when deleting. Note that tie notes and tuplets are treated dif f erently when deleted 172 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Reset Original Values of Note

Revers es any c hanges made to s elec ted notes and returns them to their ‘original’ values . ‘O riginal’ refers to the qualities the note had when it was originally notated from a M I D I file, the ‘raw’ data.

Note Beams and Custom Beaming Beams are handled automatically

245

by MidiIllustrator.

Understanding How Instructions are Interpreted Depending on the Current MidiIllustrator 'Mode' Note: This information only applies to certain versions of the program

.

When you make changes to notes individually or as a group, the final result will depend on a number of factors; most importantly the current Mode 61 . In Performance Mode 33 , MidiIllustrator will automatically try to present the music as clearly as possible when you edit the notation using Notes menu commands. The effect of the note editing commands is tempered by the Transcription Options 139 of the score you are editing. For instance, if you have opted to simplify the presentation of the music by ‘forcing chords’ or ‘preventing tie notes’ then these presentation guidelines will override manual editing changes. However, in Edit Mode 46 , your instructions will be followed very closely by MidiIllustrator with little or no automatic 'correction' or intuitive decision making (for example, automatic selection of voice when you alter the length of a note so that it overlaps other notes). See more about the different MidiIllustrator Modes

61

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.2.1 Make Changes Quickly w ith Context Sensitive Menus

Several of the menus which appear in the main program menu are usually available as context menus which appear at the current mouse position when you right-click the mouse on the score, providing easier access to the commands you need most often. In general, the commands available in the context menu are the same as the commands available in the dynamic menu entries in the main program menu which change with the state of the score. For example: if you select a range of notes in your score, the main program menu will dynamically show the Notes Menu. Right-clicking one of the notes in the selection will also show the notes menu as a context menu at the mouse position. Some extra entries such as clipboard commands may be added to a context menu to help with common activities.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


56

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.3

Add Special Barlines to Control Playback of Efficient Scores

Command Location: Measures Menu This page covers the use of the following measure/bar functions: · Barlines 56 o Special Barlines - Repeats 56 o Setting the Number of Repeats 56 · Endings 56 o Special Notes on Ending Playback 56

Barlines Each measure (or bar) can have a left barline style and a right barline style. Whilst all barline types have a decorative affect on the score, some also affect the way in which the score is played back. Lef t barlines can be: · Single · Sec tion O pen · Repeat O pen

Right barlines can be: · · · ·

Single D ouble Sec tion C los e Repeat C los e

In addition, right barlines of type ‘Repeat Close’ can have the following attribute: · Repeat Count (the number of times a section should be repeated) MidiIllustrator generally manages barlines for you automatically. For instance, a Section Close barline is placed at the end of the score when a MIDI file is first imported, or when measures are deleted from the score. Similarly, MidiIllustrator adds double barlines before clef changes to indicate the completion of a musical phrase. All of these settings can be overridden manually, and the style of all barlines in the score can be changed using the Measure Menu/Toolbar commands. Special Barlines - Repeats In addition to the decorative function of barlines (which usually instruct the reader in some way), ‘Repeat Barlines’ can be added to a score, and MidiIllustrator will observe these repeated section markers during playback. Nested Repeats MidiIllustrator supports nested repeats, which means repeat sections within repeat sections. You can think of repeat barlines in much the same way as brackets in a mathematical formula. Consider the following: ( ( x * 2) * 3) The outer loop is repeated 3 times, the inner loop is repeated twice for every outer loop. Similarly in the example below, the range bar 1 to bar 5 is repeated 3 times, the inner loop of bar 3 is repeated twice for every outer loop. As a result, bar 3 will be heard a total of 6 times (3 * 2).

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

57

Playback and Repeats When playing back, MidiIllustrator only considers repeats which begin at or before the playback starting position. So in the example above, if playback begins at bar 2 or even half way through bar 1, only the inner repeat section (bar 3) will actually be repeated. In general, you should make sure that there is a Repeat Close for every Repeat Open barline. If a score contains an uneven balance of left and right repeat barlines (open and close) then MidiIllustrator will try to make the best of calculating which sections to repeat. Setting the Number of Repeats Set the number of times a section should repeat by placing the cursor in the measure with the Repeat Close barline (right side), and choosing "Set Repeat Count" from the Measures/Barline Right Menu. The repeat count is displayed in brackets just above the Repeat Close barline, using the same font as "Measure Numbers" (see Fonts 146 ). This count can be hidden or shown using the Show Barline Repeat Count Measures Menu 80 .

132

command on the

Ignoring Repeats You may want MidiIllustrator to ignore repeats during playback. You can toggle this behaviour using the "Ignore Barline Repeats" command in the Perform Menu.

Endings Endings can be used with bar repeats to create very efficient scores where only the ending of a particular passage varies from one verse to the next. In this case it is not necessary to score multiple verses in their entirety, but instead to score the common part of one or more verses only once and then add any different "endings" for each verse. The basic method for using endings is as follows: 1.Identify the range of measures which contains a passage which is to be repeated 2.Set the left barline on the first measure in the passage to be Repeat Open (see barlines above) 3.Set the right barline on the last measure including the first v erse ending in the passage to be Repeat Close 4.Set the repeat count on the last measure to the number of verses with different endings 5.Set the ending number for each measure in the first v erse ending to 1 6.If necessary, add new measures immediately after the first ending measures (and after the repeat close barline) and set the endings on these measures to 2 7.Repeat the last step for any new endings The following score example shows a possible ending arrangement where one passage in the score is played three times but has a different ending each time:

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


58

MidiIllustrator User Manual

In the example, the playback sequence would be: P laybac k s tarts

1

2

Repeat s equenc e begins with repeat open barline (loop 1 /3 )

E nding 1 begins

E nding 1 ends with repeat c los e barline

Repeat s equenc e (loop 2 /3 )

E nding 2 begins

Repeat s equenc e (loop 3 /3 )

E nding 3 begins

3

4

5

3

6

3

7

8

9

During playback, endings can be applied within nested repeat sequences. In this case each ending number applies to the count of the inner bar repeat sequence which hosts the ending, not to the total number of times a nested sequence is actually played. So if the outer measures in the example (1 and 9) were also marked as repeat open/close measures then the entire sequence above would simply be repeated: 1 2 [3 4 5] [3 6] [3 7] 8 9

1 2 [3 4 5] [3 6] [3 7] 8 9

Setting Endings in Power Edit Mode In Power Edit Mode, the endings of a range of measures can be set with a single command. Select the desired range of measures and assign an ending using the "Set Ending" command ( Measures Menu 80 ). Special Notes on Ending Playback · As stated above in the barlines section: when playing back, MidiIllustrator only considers repeats which begin at or before the playback starting position. · Furthermore, when playback begins inside an ending measure, playback will continue from that point and will not play any measures earlier than the ending measure in which playback began. To hear a given ending played in the context of the whole score you must begin playback from the start of the score or the start of the repeat loop which hosts the ending (measure 3 in the example above). · For the sake of simplicity, bar repeat instructions within endings greater than 1 will be ignored during playback; i.e. if measure 7 in the example above contained a Repeat Close barline then it would be ignored · If endings are not properly formed or repeat open/close barlines are incomplete in a score then they will be ignored during playback and each measure in the score will instead be played in sequence.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.4

Copy and Paste Notation to/from the Clipboard

Command Location: Edit Menu

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

59

Using the MidiIllustrator clipboard you can cut, copy and paste notation from one part of the score to another, or even to another score. Keyboard Shortcuts

253

exist for these commands.

These commands are only available in Edit Mode 46 . All kinds of notation can be copied and pasted from one part of the score to another, or to a different score, as long both scores are in Edit Mode. Once items are selected many times as desired.

113 ,

they can be cut or copied to the clipboard, and then pasted as

Copying/Pasting Large Ranges For copying/pasting large selections (including multi-track selections of notes/rests), use Power Edit 59 instead. Cut

C uts the c urrent s elec tion from the s c ore, and plac es them on the c lipboard ready for pas ting els ewhere in the s c ore, or in another open s c ore.

Copy

C opies the c urrent s elec tion to the c lipboard ready for pas ting els ewhere in the s c ore, or in another open s c ore. A nother way to Make Copies of Complete Staves I f you wis h to make a c opy of one or more complete s taves inc luding notation, ins trument, name and other s taff properties , then try "making a c opy of the s elec ted s taff 76 " with the Staff M anager D ialog 76

Paste and 'Insert & Paste 59 '

P as tes any s elec tion previous ly c ut or c opied from the s c ore to the c lipboard. I n order to protec t exis ting s c ore c ontent when us ing the c lipboard, s ome rules apply to where and how c ertain c opied s elec tions c an be pas ted into the s c ore. Spec ific ally: 路 I n N ormal E ntry (E dit M ode), only note/res t s elec tions from s ingle trac ks c an be pas ted from the c lipboard. For multi- trac k operations s uc h as this , us e P ower E dit 59 ins tead. 路 Sinc e tuplets are treated as a unit and have to kept intac t, pas te operations whic h overlap or interfere with exis ting tuplets are not pos s ible. Note: I n P ower E dit M ode you c an als o us e the Insert & Paste 59 c ommand to automatic ally c reate new meas ures as you pas te/ins ert a c opied range.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.5

Edit Large Areas of Notation: Using Power Edit Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu / Edit Mode Power Edit Mode, is one of the sub modes of Edit Mode 46 . Power Edit allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats, and moving or copying multi-staff selections of notation from one part of the score to another (or to another score altogether using C 58 opy/Cut/Paste Clipboard Functions 58 ). 路 Edit Mode o Normal Entry 46 o Mouse Entry 46 o Power Edit Selecting Ranges of the Score with Power Edit The selection range or 'drag' range in Power Edit can be set using the keyboard arrow keys or the mouse. With the mouse, left-click the score and drag over the measure(s)/stave(s) group you wish to 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


60

MidiIllustrator User Manual

work with. When the mouse is released, you can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and click/dragging elsewhere on the score (on another page if you wish). The selection will be extended to the clicked/dragged location With the keyboard, use the arrow keys to select measure(s)/stave(s) group. You can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and using the arrow keys (up/down for staffs, left/right for measures). Depending on the value you have chosen for the Select Entire Bars 183 option, mouse and keyboard cursor command will round the selection range to the nearest whole measure, or just the nearest whole beat. Selecting Entire Staves In order to select an entire staff, simply click the score just to the leftmost edge of the staff (just to the left of the clef). The entire staff will be selected. The selection can be extended to more whole staves by holding down the Shift key and repeating the action. Another way to Make Copies of Complete Staves: If you wish to make a copy of one or more complete staves including notation, instrument, name and other staff properties, then it will probably be faster to try "making a copy of the selected staff 76 " with the Staff Manager Dialog 76

Copying vs Moving the Selection ('Control Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop) When you have made a selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). Cut the current selection to place it on the clipboard, then if desired, select a new location in this or another score, and paste the previous selection into the score. For fast transfer of selections from one part of the score to another, click and hold the left mouse button over the existing selection. Hold the left button down, and drag the selection to the new 'drop' location. As you move, the drop area is highlighted in a different color to individuate it from the drag selection. Only valid, compatible drop areas will be highlighted. A compatible drop area is one which has exactly the same measure structure as the drag area (ie all measure lengths as the same). Releasing the mouse button will drop the selection in its new location. Holding down the Control key will copy the existing selection, rather than moving it. Replacing vs Merging with Existing Notation (Power Edit Menu Option) Select from the Power Edit Menu 183 either of the following paste options: 路 Paste & Replace: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will be overwritten by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. 路 Paste & Merge: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will, where possible, be merged by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. Where pasted content conflicts with existing content (eg conflicting voices), the existing content will take precedence and dropped/pasted content will not be added Inserting Dragged/Copied Measures ('Alt Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop, or 'Insert & Paste' menu command) By default, MidiIllustrator does not create new measures for pasted or dropped selections in Power Edit mode - dropped or pasted ranges either replace or merge with existing notation. However with the 'Insert & Paste' command, MidiIllustrator will create new measures prior to pasting/dropping copied range, meaning that existing notation shifted forwards as the score is lengthened to make room for the new dropped/pasted content. When choosing a drop point with the mouse, holding the 'Alt' key will display the 'insert' point with arrows instead of the usual 'drop range'. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

61

Note that for new measures to be inserted, the following criteria must be satisfied: · the Select Entire Bars 183 option must be enabled · all dragged/copied measures must be the same length/time signature and must be the same length/time signature of the measure at the 'insert point' (the time signature of any measures created by the 'insert' action will also be the same as the time signature of the measure at the 'insert point'). Deleting the Selection Using the 'delete' or 'backspace' key when a selection has been made will delete all notation in the range, but will leave the measure/staff structure intact. To remove whole measures/ staves, see Remove Measures 78 . Using Other Functions Whilst in Power Edit Whilst in Power Edit, certain notation functions will automatically apply to the current range selected (if any). This often makes it faster to apply changes to a particular range of measures. These functions include: · Clef 82 · Key Signature 80 · Transpose Notes 79 · Remove Measures 78 · Endings 56 More About this Mode Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.2.6

Find Out About Using Edit Mode on an Existing Song

Introduction to Modes: Performance Mode

33

and Layout Mode

24

versus Edit Mode

46

MidiIllustrator offers a broad range of functionality and therefore presents several distinct 'modes' for working with your scores. These modes allow you to work with your scores in very different ways, each mode offering a set of particular commands, whilst temporarily hiding other commands to help you focus on the task in hand. You simply switch seamlessly

between modes depending on what you want to do with the program. Performance Mode 33 allows you to perform and interact with a song. Layout Mode 24 is for changing score dimensions and positions, and Edit Mode 46 is for full-scale composition. Within Edit Mode, there are three sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes o 1. Performance Mode 33 o 2. Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode 46 § 3. Normal Entry 46 § 4. Mouse Entry 46 § 5. Power Edit 59 The different Modes can be set using the 'Modes and Views' toolbar (shown below), with © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


62

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Keyboard Shortcuts 253 , or via the Tools menu the shortcut keys and the list above.

195 .

The numbers on the toolbar correspond with

Edit Modes (buttons highlighted below in the blue box) are available only in MidiIllustrator Maestro.

Normal Entry 46 affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. Mouse Entry 46 allows these same functions, specifically allowing you to add and modify notation directly using the mouse. Power Edit 59 allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats. When you import a song, it is initially displayed in Performance Mode. During import, MidiIllustrator generates the score using its musical 'interpretation' rules and your current Score Transcription Options 139 . You can change these options even after the score has been created and MidiIllustrator will dynamically apply the new options to the whole score. You can make basic changes in Performance or Layout Mode, for example correcting note lengths, or changing score attributes like stave heights or key signatures. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in these modes, the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. MidiIllustrator continually reinterprets the notation from the original MIDI data automatically as you make changes, always trying to render the clearest and most accurate presentation of the raw musical (MIDI) data. Editing a Song for the First Time By contrast, in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score - add notes, modify note pitches, durations etc. In Edit Mode you will have complete control over composition - MidiIllustrator will settle on the current interpretation of the song's original MIDI content when editing begins. When you begin formally editing a score for the first time by entering Edit Mode, MidiIllustrator 'locks' the current interpretation of the underlying, original MIDI performance, and hands over complete control over the score to you. In this way, you can be sure that MidiIllustrator will no longer 'override' any future composition decisions you make. The main areas of MidiIllustrator's automatic interpretation which no longer apply in Edit Mode are: · Automatic application of Score Transcription Options (such as "Make the score Easier to Read") - although you can still apply "one off" conversions to the score to apply new transcription rules whenever you wish · Automatic note durations and note attack times (and automatic chording of notes) · Automatic voice assignment · Automatic identification of tuplets Note that even in Edit Mode MidiIllustrator will continue to play back sequences imported from a MIDI file as they were originally performed as long as 'Play Imported MIDI as Originally Performed' is checked (Perform Menu).

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

2.2.3

63

Other Ways to Capture Your Music Command Location: Tools Menu Edit Mode is for full-scale score composition. Within Edit Mode, there are 3 sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode 33 o Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode § Normal Entry 46 · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 § Mouse Entry 46 § Power Edit 59 In contrast to Performance Mode 33 , in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score; the ability to add notes, modify note pitches, durations and so forth. When you create a new score, it is initially displayed in Edit Mode, Normal Entry. Normal Entry Normal Entry affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. The playback cursor which is displayed in Performance Mode 33 is replaced with a special cursor which shows the 'Entry' item; a rest or a note depending on how you have configured the Entry item 48 . Move the cursor to the desired insert position (time and pitch) and then use the item 'Insert' commands (see Insert Menu 168 ) to add to the notation. If it is possible to 'insert 48 ' (rather than 'add') a new item at the cursor location in a given measure, MidiIllustrator will display the insert arrows above and below the flashing entry note. In this case, items to the left of the entry item will be shifted to the right after insertion. Read more about Inserting versus Adding 48 new items in the score. MidiIllustrator will also try to automatically apply the correct qualities for the new item given its 'entry context 48 '. See more information on setting the entry item qualities 48 , and the context sensitive entry 48 qualities of Edit Mode. Notes and rests can be selected using the mouse or keyboard, and then the various modification functions can be applied to the selection using commands from the Notes Menu and Rests Menu 177 .

52

In Normal Entry mode, powerful tools are available to help you capture your musical ideas: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 Selection Editing When you have made a note selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). In order to protect existing score content when using the clipboard, some rules apply to where and how certain copied selections can be pasted into the score. Specifically: · In Normal Entry (Edit Mode), only selections from single tracks can be pasted from the clipboard. For multi-track operations such as this, use Power Edit 61 instead. · Since tuplets are treated as a unit and have to kept intact, paste operations which overlap or interfere with existing tuplets are not possible. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


64

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Mouse Entry Mouse Entry allows most of the functions offered by Normal Entry 46 , but also allows you to edit notation directly using the mouse as a note entry and modification tool. By contrast to Normal Edit, the entry note is immediately displayed at the insertion point as the mouse cursor moves over the score. Clicking the left mouse button will add a new note or rest. The same context sensitive entry 48 rules apply to the entry item as in Normal Edit mode. Chord notes can be entered in Mouse Entry mode by holding the Control key down when entering (inserts a new chord note at the insertion point, and leaves the cursor at the current insertion point). Moving and Copying Notes with the Mouse - Mouse Entry and Normal Entry In Mouse Entry mode and Normal Entry mode, individual notes can be selected and dragged, or copied to new times or pitches. Certain keys will modify the behaviour when existing notes are selected and dragged on the score. If no modifier key is selected, MidiIllustrator will monitor the drag direction and limit the dragging direction to either vertical or horizontal. This behaviour makes it easier to make notation changes accurately (override this behaviour with the Alt key - see below). Using these keyboard 'modifiers' at the same time as dragging with the mouse will give different results: A ction

Keyboard Modif ier

Ef f ect

D ragging V ertic ally

N one

C hanges the pitc h of the s elec ted note to the new drag pitc h.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame time, at the new drag pitc h.

N one

C hanges the time of the s elec ted note to the new drag time.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame pitc h, at the new drag time.

A lt Key

E nables dragging both vertic ally and horizontally at the s ame time.

D ragging H orizontally

D ragging A ny D irec tion

Moving Rests with the Mouse Rests can be selected and repositioned vertically on the staff (if the rest type does not rely on its position relative to the staff in order to establish its identity, thus only quarter rests and shorter can be moved). Note about Edit Mode and Printing In order to make editing as comfortable and efficient as possible, the following features behave differently in Edit Mode: · Empty Portions of Staves 150 are always shown whilst in Edit Mode · Empty measures are not compressed 80 whilst in Edit Mode · Rests in empty measures are not automatically centred in Edit Mode in order to make note/rest entry easier · 'Timeline 32 ' view is temporarily deactivated in Edit Mode For this reason, scores may not print exactly the same in Edit Mode as in Performance/Layout Modes. Switching to Performance/Layout Mode before printing is therefore recommended for optimal printing results. Note about Playback In Edit Mode

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

65

Normally playback continues until the end of the score is reached, regardless of whether there is still music left to play or not. In this way, lyrics and other score items are still highlighted and the metronome keeps flashing/ticking even if note playback is complete. In Edit mode, it is assumed that playback is essentially used for auditioning changes, and for this reason, playback will end automatically when the last note in the score has been played. More About this Mode Read more about what happens when you first start working with an existing song in Edit Mode - Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 . The Editing Palettes

128

contain many of the key commands and settings for Edit Mode.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.3.1

Note Entry Via the On Screen Piano Keyboard

Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard This tool allows you to enter single notes or whole chords directly into your score using the On Screen Piano Keyboard 37 . Note entry with the on screen keyboard is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Notes are entered by positioning the cursor to the desired insertion point, and selecting the entry pitch from the screen keyboard using the left mouse button. When the left mouse button is released, the note is added. Holding down the Shift key whilst entering notation will result in rest entry rather than note entry. The duration of the note or rest added is determined by the entry item qualities be set before entering a new item.

48

, and should

Chord notes can be added in exactly the same way as with the mouse or computer keyboard; holding the Control key down whilst clicking notes on the on screen piano will keep the cursor in the current time position, ready for adding another note to the current chord. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


66 2.2.3.2

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Record a Real Time Performance

Command Location: Perform Menu The record tool allows you to capture a real time performance from a connected MIDI device. The performance is instantly converted to notation using your Recording Options 67 rules and is added directly to your score. Recording is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Before you can record to your score you must have configured a MIDI In device that you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device.

216

and ensured

You can configure the way in which newly recorded MIDI will be transcribed by MidiIllustrator by setting the Recording Options 67 . Beginning a Recording Session When you are ready to record, position the cursor to the track and time where you would like recording to start. All new MIDI data will be added to the staff you selected before recording started. Existing data on that staff will be overwritten with the newly recorded data. Begin recording by selecting the record command from the Perform toolbar or the Perform Menu 185 . This will initiate playback of the score from the cursor position. Depending on your Recording Options 67 , the metronome 218 will sound a set of introductory beats. The score will play as you record. Any notation on the active recording staff is muted during recording. The active recording staff is highlighted during recording (in the same way as the 'echo to' 245 staff). If you do not wish to hear other staves as you record, mute them individually using Staff Tools 158 or collectively using the Staff Manager 76 . When you have finished recording, end the recording session the same way as you began it, or by ending playback. If the end of the score is reached, recording and playback will stop automatically. If you need more recording time, Add Measures 70 before recording. Do not worry about ending the recording session as soon as you have finished performing; existing data on the active staff will only be deleted if it is replaced with newly recorded data (ie. if you don't play any notes, the existing notation will be untouched). Now the recording session is complete, MidiIllustrator will convert the raw recorded MIDI into notation just as if opening and transcribing an existing MIDI file, applying your Recording Options 67 . You can also Tap In Rhythms

68

with just the PC keyboard whilst recording.

My Recording is Out of Sync with the Existing Notation and/or the Metronome! Sometimes there is a delay between a musician playing a MIDI instrument and the resulting MIDI instructions reaching MidiIllustrator. This is know as MIDI device latency 216 . If you find that recorded notes are out of sync with existing notation even though you played notes at the same time as you heard them played back, then you should experiment with values for MIDI device latency 216 in MIDI Options. This should allow MidiIllustrator to compensate for the device delay. Notes for Good Recording Use the metronome 218 ! Use of the metronome whilst recording is highly recommended as the more accurate a performance is, the better it will be notated by MidiIllustrator. Try to adhere to the rhythm as far as possible. If you are trying to get a very clean score, then try not to apply too much 'feeling' to the © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

67

performance. Liberal timing will make the score harder to read when it is notated. Experiment with Recording Transcription Options

67

to get the best results.

Which MIDI Events are Captured When Recording? MidiIllustrator captures all note on/off events, and all 'Controller' type events, such as sustain pedal messages. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.3.2.1 Set Your Recording Options

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Recording Options Tab Recording options determine how MidiIllustrator transcribes live MIDI performances recorded into the program 66 . You can also determine metronome settings for the recording session. Choose how you would like *Recorded* MIDI converted to notation

T he options for c onverting M I D I played in during a rec ording s es s ion are identic al to the options available for c onverting M I D I files as they are opened and trans c ribed by M idiI llus trator (s ee T rans c ription O ptions 139 ). I t may be benefic ial to apply more of the available 's implific ation' rules when rec ording, however, as this will improve the likelihood of c lean and tidy notation when interpreting 'live performanc e' data.

Rules f or Metronome Use During Recording

I n general, the rec ording metronome inherits the dis play and audio s ettings of the playbac k metronome 218 (M I D I O ptions 39 ). H owever, the "I ntro" c an be different for the rec ording metronome. Furthermore, when s elec ted, "A lways us e M etronome when Rec ording" will c aus e the M etronome to play throughout any rec ording s es s ion (highly rec ommended) regardles s of the playbac k M etronome s ettings .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.3.3

Chord Entry Via a Connected MIDI Device

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI In This tool allows you to enter single notes or whole chords directly into your score using a connected MIDI device. Before you can add notes to your score in this way you must have configured a MIDI In device 216 and ensured that you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


68

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Note entry with a connected MIDI device is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Notes are entered by positioning the cursor to the desired insertion point, and entering the desired note pitch(es) using your connected MIDI device. When all the notes held down on the device have been released, the chord/note is added. Holding down the Shift key whilst entering notation will result in rest entry rather than note entry. The duration of the note or rest added is determined by the entry item qualities be set before entering a new item.

48

, and should

Chord notes can be added in exactly the same way as with the mouse or computer keyboard; holding the Control key down whilst clicking notes on the on screen piano will keep the cursor in the current time position, ready for adding another note to the current chord. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.3.4

Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard

Command Location: Perform Menu (Record Command) This tool allows you to enter single note rhythms using the computer keyboard. You can quickly and easily capture the rhythm of a tune without having to worry about playing the right notes or assigning complex note durations individually. No note pitches are assigned, and only durations are assigned. After you have tapped in a new rhythm sequence, you can easily assign pitches to each note using the mouse 46 or keyboard commands 253 . To tap in rhythms: 1.Follow exactly the same steps as starting a recording session 66 . 2.Once the session is underway, simply hit the "Enter" key at the time each new note should be created. When the key is pressed, the new note begins, and when the key is released, the new note ends. The new notes are added to the recording staff when recording ends. My Rhythm is Out of Sync with the Existing Notation and/or the Metronome! If you find that when you have 'tapped in' a sequence of notes in time with the metronome that and there is a delay between your entered notes and the recorded notes as displayed, try setting a value for Playback Latency 214 . Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator... 路 Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard

69

68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.4

Create a Template for Future Scores Command Location: File Menu Score templates contain all the foundations necessary for creating a new score in one step. You can easily create a template with your favourite properties in order to save time in the future when creating new compositions. Templates can be created from scratch, or generated automatically from an existing score. The MidiIllustrator installation package contains some basic templates to get composers up and running. Templates contain the following core information: 路 A specific number of Staves, each containing: o Key Signature 80 o Time Signature 81 o Opening Clef 82 o Staff Namings 154 o Staff Instrument 156 路 All the score attributes specified in Score Options, including (but not limited to): o Fonts 146 o Score colors, backgrounds and textures 23 o Notation Preferences 132 (eg. measure numbers, note names etc) ...and so forth Templates do not generally contain more than one measure, as the score initial score length is usually specified when generating a new score from the template. Templates are stored with the extension *.mit, in the program 'templates' folder, usually found in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. Create and Save a Template from Scratch, or from the Current Score To create a template from scratch, first create a new score 45 with the desired attributes. Alternatively, open an existing score which would make a good template for future scores. Then select Save As Template 105 from the File Menu commands. This command will create a copy of the current score, and strip from it all non-template data (notes, lyrics, MIDI data etc). The template will be saved in the 'templates' folder with the name you supply. Creating a template from an open score does not affect the open score in any way, and when the template has been created, you can continue working with the original score. The new template is now available from the New Score dialog 45 . The 'Default' Template The default template is a special template which can be accessed quickly from the File Menu 105 or the Launch Screen 105 . The default template is a unique template saved in the 'templates' folder with the name default.mit. If this file does not exist, The default template functions will not work. Any template can be set as the default template. Simply save your template with the name default.mit in the 'templates' folder, or generate a new default template using the Save As Default Template 105 command, File Menu.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


70

MidiIllustrator User Manual

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.5

Add/Insert Measures Command Location: Measures Menu The Add / Insert Measures dialog allows you to add measures to the end of the score, or insert a number of new measures before the current measure.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.6

Set the Score Titles (Composer, Title, Footer etc.) Command Location: Score Menu / Titles Score Titles are customizable text entries in the score. Score Titles are displayed as rich text click context menu in the edit boxes.

72

objects so font formatting is possible using the right-

MidiIllustrator displays the following titles: · Score Title (top of the first page) · Copyright (not displayed on the score) · Composer (beneath the title, right side, first page) · Reference (beneath the title, left side, first page) · Footer (bottom of the page, first page and all remaining pages) · Header (top of the page, first page and all remaining pages) Titles are edited using the Score Titles dialog, Score Menu. Headers and Footers The drop down boxes allow you to modify the header/footer style and alignment. The default setting is Normal (i.e. the header/footer is shown but does not have a border) but this can be changed using the drop down boxes described below. The first drop down box allows you to customise the header/footer as follows: · None – no header/footer will be displayed · Normal – the header/footer will not have a border · Boxed – the header/footer will be bordered with a box · Curve Boxed – the header/footer will be bordered with a curved box The second drop down box allows you to set alignment. Title text can include custom MidiIllustrator "Fields 71 ". These fields 71 are populated automatically with the latest information when titles are displayed or printed (such as page count, file name, date etc). Note that titles are only visible in Page view (Print Preview). © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

71

Titles can also be double-clicked with the mouse and edited directly from the score in most modes.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.6.1

Add Fields to Score Titles (eg Page Numbers, Date etc.)

Command Location: Score Menu / Titles 'Fields' are special text strings which can be inserted into Score Titles

70

.

These fields are automatically populated with the score information when titles are displayed or printed (such as page count, file name, date etc). Fields can be added manually, or with the Insert Field Menu in the Score Titles dialog. Fields contain no spaces, and should always be wrapped with square brackets [ and ]. The available fields are: Type

Field

Description

T itles

[ti tl e_scoreti tl e]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the Sc ore T itle.

[ti tl e_copy ri ght]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the C opyright T itle.

[ti tl e_composer]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the C ompos er T itle.

[ti tl e_ref erence]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the Referenc e T itle.

[pa ge_number]

Subs titutes the page number.

[pa ge_tota l ]

Subs titutes the total page c ount.

[ba r_tota l ]

Subs titutes the total meas ure c ount.

[ba r_f i rstonpa ge]

Subs titutes the number of the firs t meas ure on the page.

[ba r_l a stonpa ge]

Subs titutes the number of the las t meas ure on the page.

[f i l e_ti tl e]

Subs titutes the file title exc luding the extens ion eg "M y Song".

[f i l e_ti tl e_ext]

Subs titutes the file title inc luding the extens ion eg "M y Song.mid".

[f i l e_pa th]

Subs titutes the file path eg "C : \Songs \M y Song.mid".

[f i l e_l oca ti on]

Subs titutes the file path eg "C : \Songs ".

[ti me_H]

Subs titutes the c urrent hour (2 4 hour c loc k).

[ti me_h]

Subs titutes the c urrent hour (1 2 hour c loc k).

[ti me_M]

Subs titutes the c urrent minute.

[ti me_S]

Subs titutes the c urrent s ec ond.

[ti me_f orma t_12]

Subs titutes the c urrent time (1 2 hour c loc k).

[ti me_f orma t_24]

Subs titutes the c urrent time (2 4 hour c loc k).

[da te_d]

Subs titutes the c urrent day of the week eg "M onday".

[da te_D]

Subs titutes the c urrent day of the month eg "1 2 ".

P age I nformation M eas ure I nformation

File I nformation

T ime

D ate

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


72

MidiIllustrator User Manual

[da te_m]

Subs titutes the c urrent month name eg "M ay".

[da te_M]

Subs titutes the c urrent month of the year eg "5 ".

[da te_Y]

Subs titutes the c urrent year.

[da te_f orma t_YMd]

Subs titutes the c urrent date..

Note that you can reference other titles using fields. In this case, references must not be 'circular' ie if you place the Copyright field in the Composer title, then the Copyright title cannot also contain the Composer field, or an endless loop would result! Example of Field Usage The following text in the footer would show page numbers on each page of the score: Page [page_number] of [page_total] Notes about Fields · Titles are only visible in Page view (Print Preview) · If you apply font formatting to a field in a score title then you MUST apply the same formatting to the entire field including the square brackets, or the field will not be properly substituted in the score

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.7

Enrich Your score with Rich Text Content including Images and Multimedia Content Many of the items displayed in the score are rich text objects. Rich text is a range of text which can be customized with font formatting and layout commands much like the text in any word processor document like Microsoft Word. In fact, fully formatted Rich Text Format (RTF) content can be copied and pasted directly from applications like Microsoft Office into your score. In general rich text items support the following basic RTF formatting features: · Font formatting such as font style (e.g. bold, italic, underline, etc.) · Hyperlinks (e.g. http://www.MidiIllustrator.com) · Bullets and line numbering · Paragraph alignment within the rich text item (e.g. Left, justified, etc.) · Text colors · and much more... Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) Furthermore, MidiIllustrator rich text items fully support Object Linking and Embedding giving you great flexibility to provide rich content such as images in your scores. OLE is a technology that allows the linking and embedding of documents and other objects such as images and other multimedia content. For example you might embed an image or photo into the Score Title as decoration, or insert a link to a relevant external document somewhere in the notation of your score. You simply copy the content to the clipboard from another application and paste it into your score when editing a rich text item. Typically OLE content can be quickly and easily edited in an application designed specifically to handle the OLE content format. When you begin editing the rich text item, simply double-click the OLE content and it will typically open in another application for editing. Close that application when editing is complete and the content will be automatically updated in your score. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

73

The following MidiIllustrator rich text items can store and display rich text and OLE objects in your score: · Lyrics 177 · Bookmarks 178 · Chord Names 178 · Free Text 73 · Expressions 75 · Staff Names and Instrument Names (Staff Namings) 154 · Score Titles 70 Default Fonts for Rich Text Items All of these items are associated with a Default font 146 used only when creating a new rich text item. Once a new rich text item has been created, fonts and formatting for rich text items can subsequently be changed on a per-item basis using the Formatting Toolbar 72 or the rightclick context menu 72 in the rich text editing boxes. See also: Applying the Default Font to All Score Items of a Particular Type 146 . Warning! Inserting large OLE objects into rich text items can make your MidiIllustrator scores very large when saved, and also impair the display of the score, especially during playback. Formatting Toolbar The following score items can be edited in place, the formatting toolbar will appear automatically when editing begins allowing you to change common rich text formatting features: · Lyrics · Bookmarks · Chord Names · Free Text · Expressions Right-click Context Menu in Rich Text Editing Boxes The following score items are not edited in place but instead they have dedicated editing dialogs where formatting can be applied using the right-click context menu in each item's rich text editing box: · Expressions · Staff Names and Instrument Names (Staff Namings) · Score Titles

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.7.1

Add Moveable Text to Your Score

Command Location: Insert Menu Free Text items are rich text 72 objects which can be edited directly in place on the score. Font formatting is possible using the format toolbar which appears when editing a Free Text item. Creating and Anchoring a Free Text Item When created, a free text item must be anchored to the score in one of three ways. Depending on the anchor type, the free text item will move with the score as it changes, or stay fixed to its original location. Items can be cut, copied and pasted 58 but their anchor type does not change.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


74

MidiIllustrator User Manual

1) Anchored To Measure The item will be anchored to the intersection of the insertion time and the highest visible staff in the measure. This type of item will always be visible even if staves are hidden or measures are compressed and it will move if, for example, other measures are inserted or deleted earlier in the score. Items anchored in this way appear in all views 117 . 2) Anchored To Page The item will be anchored to the top left corner of the page on which it was created. This type of item can only be created and will only be visible on the screen in Page View/Print View and when printed because page numbers are not meaningful in Window view or Scroll View (see Window View and Page View 117 ). The page number of a page anchored item is fixed and it will not move relative to the notation as the score layout changes. Example: If a page anchored item is inserted on page 1 of a score, and a three pages worth of new measures are inserted at the start of the score, the item will still appear on page 1 of the score. 3) Anchored To Measure & Staff The item will be anchored to the intersection of the insertion time and a particular staff in the measure. This type of item will not be visible if the anchor stave is hidden and it will move if, for example, other measures are inserted or deleted earlier in the score. Items anchored in this way appear in all views 117 . Note that if you wish to have your text move relative to specific notation items such as notes or rests in a given measure and/or staff, you will get better results anchoring your Free Text items to the Measure & Staff . Moving Free Text Items When selected, a link between an anchored item and its anchor is displayed using dotted lines. A single Free Text item can be selected and dragged with the mouse to a new position on the score. Its new position is always considered relative to its anchor's position. If the anchor moves, so will the item. See also: Expressions

75

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.8

Modify the MIDI Content in Your Song MidiIllustrator allows you to control many of the underlying MIDI aspects of a song, and specifically manage advanced MIDI options for each staff. · Edit staff MIDI attributes 156 : Device, Channel, Pan, Volume, Patch, and Bank Select Method. · Transpose individual staves 79 to concert pitch or the staff instrument's native pitch. · Reorder, merge, split, add and delete staves, using the Staff Manager 76 . · Set the Master volume and tempo 126 for playback. o Store the adjusted tempo 105 when you save a score. What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

2.2.9

75

Add Notation Expressions which can Control Playback (e.g. Dynamics, Metronome Tempos) Command Location: Insert Menu Expressions are rich text 72 objects which can be customized to suit your needs. Expressions differ from other rich text objects (such as Free Text 73 items) as they can be associated with MIDI events which alter the performance of a piece during playback. See also Expression Menu commands 180 . Expressions are created using the Expression dialog and can be created and edited only in Edit Mode 46 . The Expression Dialog With the expression dialog you can quickly choose from a range of common musical expressions from to insert directly into your score. Alternatively you can customize these preconfigured expressions or create your own. As well as decorating your score, expressions can also instruct playback changes such as tempo and volume using MIDI instructions. Key steps to Insert an Expression: · Insert an expression directly into the score by double-clicking an item in the Expression List. · Alternatively check the Customize Expression checkbox and enter your own expression text. Double-clicking the Expression List will then insert an item into the new expression. · Optionally set Playback Changes (MIDI) values to change how or if the expression will affect playback. Expression Anchors When created, an expression will be automatically anchored to the score in one of two ways. Items can be cut, copied and pasted 58 but their anchor type does not change. 1) Anchored To Time & Staff Expressions which contain MIDI volume and/or pan instructions will always be anchored to a particular staff as well as a particular time since these MIDI instructions are staff specific. This type of item will not be visible if the anchor staff is hidden and it will move if, for example, other measures are inserted or deleted earlier in the score. Items anchored in this way appear in all views 117 . 2) Anchored To Time Expressions which contain MIDI tempo instructions will be anchored to the highest visible staff in the measure at the given time since tempo changes apply to the entire score. This type of item will always be visible even if staves are hidden or measures are compressed and it will move if, for example, other measures are inserted or deleted earlier in the score. Items anchored in this way appear in all views 117 . Moving Expressions When selected, a link between an anchored item and its anchor is displayed using dotted lines. A single expression can be selected and dragged with the mouse to a new position on the score. Its new position is always considered relative to its anchor's position. If the anchor moves, so will the item. Parts of the Description Expression Dialog Expression List

T he expres s ion lis t c ontains a range of c ommon mus ic al expres s ions inc luding: · D ynamic s · M etronome T empos · T empo M arks · T empo A lterations

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


76

MidiIllustrator User Manual

· M ood M arks · A rtic ulations · M is c ellaneous C lic k a tab above the lis t to s ee the des ired expres s ion type. Expression Fonts M os t expres s ions us e one or two fonts ; for example the M idiI llus trator font or T imes N ew Roman. T he M idiI llus trator font is typic ally us ed to dis play mus ic al items s uc h as dynamic s or metronome note marks . T imes N ew Roman is the default font us ed for dis playing textual expres s ions s uc h as T empo A lterations and M ood M arks . T he default expres s ion text font c an be c hanged for eac h s c ore us ing the Fonts T ab 146 in the Sc ore O ptions D ialog 138 . C hanging this default font will update all the items in the E xpres s ion L is t with the new font however exis ting expres s ions in your s c ore will not be c hanged. C hanging the s ize and c olor of this default font will als o c hange the s ize and c olor of all the items in the E xpres s ion L is t. T o c us tomize the fonts us ed in a partic ular expres s ion, us e the right- c lic k c ontext menu in the E xpres s ion T ext edit box. Expression Text

Customize Expression T his text box c ontains the expres s ion whic h will be ins erted into your s c ore. E xpres s ions are ric h text 72 objec ts s o font formatting is pos s ible us ing the right- c lic k c ontext menu in the edit box. Y ou may enter any text in this field us ing any font, thereby c reating your own expres s ion. Y ou c an have your expres s ion apply M I D I playbac k c hanges even if it does not explic itly c ontain them in the text (s ee below).

Playback Changes (MIDI) f or this Expression

E xpres s ions c an be as s oc iated with M I D I events whic h alter playbac k performanc e. Spec ific ally you c an make c hanges to: · T empo · V olume or V eloc ity of notes · P an (the s eparation of the playbac k ac ros s the left and right s tereo c hannels ) A nchors and MIDI Playback Changes T empo events as s oc iated with an expres s ion will be applied to all s taves in the s c ore. V olume and P an events as s oc iated with expres s ion will be applied to only the s taff to whic h they are anc hored. Synchronize tempo with expression text I f this option is enabled, when you update the tempo metronome values in the expres s ion text, M idiI llus trator will attempt to s ync hronize the values in the tempo c ontrols with the new text value. T his s ync hronization is als o attempted in revers e when values c hange in the tempo c ontrols .

See also: Free Text

73

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.10 Add and Remove Staves: Using the Staff Manager Command Location: Staves Menu The Staff Manager displays information about all the staves in the score and allows you to: 1.Change the underlying MIDI properties 152 of each staff in the score (MIDI Configuration Tab) 2.Alter the staff display and playback features (Display and Playback Tab) 3.Assign the instrument playing hand to be used when calculating fingering 34 and showing Performing Hands 38 on the On Screen Piano Keyboard 37 (Display and Playback Tab). MidiIllustrator will initially assign a hand to use when fingering a given staff based on an analysis of the clefs used in the staff. 4.Edit the staff namings 154 (Staff Namings Tab) © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

77

5.reorder, add, copy and remove staves The Staff Manager dialog is made up of three tabs (MIDI Configuration 152 , Display and Playback and Staff Namings 154 ) and a Staff Display Window. The window lists each of the staves contained within the MIDI file and displays their details. A pply/A pply Now

The A pply button applies all of the c hanges made to the s taff/s taves without the need to c los e the dialog box by hitting the O K button. E .g. I f you hide a s elec ted s taff and rearrange the order of the remaining s taves thes e c hanges will not be reflec ted on the s c ore until you pres s the A pply button. I f you would like your c hanges to be made immediately us e The A pply Now button. When this button is us ed any c hanges made to the s taves will be reflec ted on the s c ore right away, without the need to c lic k the A pply button.

The buttons on the left-hand side of the window can be used to edit selected staves, either individually or in groups (simply hold down the shift key as you select the staves for your group). O pens · · · ·

the Staff O ptions menu and enables you to do the following: M ute – all s taves , none of the s taves and s elec ted s taves V is ibility – s how all s taves , hide all s taves and hide s elec ted s taves Selec t – all s taves and none of the s taves C olumns – autos ize c olumn widths

A llows you to move s elec ted s taves to a higher pos ition on the s c ore.

A llows you to move s elec ted s taves to a lower pos ition on the s c ore.

A dds a new s taff. D eletes the s elec ted s taff. M akes a c opy of the s elec ted s taff and ins erts it as a new s taff. A ll s taff information and notation is c opied to the new s taff, inc luding: · Staf f name · Instrument · Key signatures · Clef s · Notes · Lyrics · Free Text (note that only 'meas ure & s taff anc hored' Free T ext 73 items are c opied to the new s taff, 'page anc hored' items and 'meas ure anc hored' items are not c opied) · Expressions and any as s oc iated MIDI playback changes (note that any tempo E xpres s ions 75 and hidden tempo M I D I events 82 are not c opied to the new s taff as tempo ins truc tions are typic ally s tored only in the top s taff) I f you wis h to c opy only the notation from one s taff to another (and not the s taff ins trument and other properties ), then you might try Selec ting E ntire Staves 59 in P ower E dit M ode ins tead.

In addition, within the Staff Display Window, the following buttons may be used to hide or to mute selected staves. U s ing the c hec k box c olumns marked overhead with a c ros s (x) and a s peaker, s elec ted s taves c an be hidden/s hown and muted/unmuted. T he firs t c olumn is the hide/s how func tion and the s ec ond the mute func tion.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


78

MidiIllustrator User Manual

2.2.11 Remove a Range of Measures from the Score Command Location: Measures Menu The Remove Measures dialog allows you to select a range of measures for deletion from the score. Typically, you may want to remove the empty ‘lead in’ measures which are sometimes found at the very beginning of the score. You may, however, also wish to reduce the size of a particular score, or simply remove sections which are not of interest to you. Note that rather than removing measures from the score, you may find it more convenient to simply view a particular range of measures, using the Viewing a Range of Measures 163 command. If you only wish to remove one measure, say measure 5, simply enter ‘5’ in both in the ‘First’ and ‘Last’ boxes of the dialog, and only that measure will be removed.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.12 Select a Range of Notes using Advanced Criteria Command Location: Edit Menu The Advanced Note Selection Dialog allows you to make note selections in the score using many different criteria. Selection Criteria & Selection Range Select the selection criteria from the list on the left, and then select the Measure and Staff range that the selection should apply to. If there is a current note selection in the score, then you can choose to apply any advanced selection action to just that existing selection, rather than a measure/staff range (Checkbox: Use current selection as range). Notes in hidden staves will not be selected (show or hide staves using the Staff Manager Dialog 76 ). Once you have made a selection, you can apply commands to the selected notes using commands from the Notes Menu 52 . General

Selec t all the notes in the range, or invert any exis ting s elec tion.

Pitch

Selec t all the notes above or below a c ertain pitc h. A value of 6 0 is the M I D I pitc h for M iddle C . C lic k the "A bove" or "Below" value to c hange it to another value between 2 0 and 1 0 0 .

Chords

Selec t the various parts of a c hord. A c hord is a group of notes : · of identic al duration · in a s ingle times pan · in a s ingle s taff T his s elec tion c riteria is us eful for pic king out melody or harmony notes in a c hord or range of c hords .

Tie Notes

Selec t tie notes or parts of tie note s equenc es .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

79

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.13 Transpose All or Part of the Score Command Location: Measures Menu / Transpose The Transpose dialog allows you to transpose the notes in some or all of the measures in the score. If you would like to transpose only note sounds as they are played, but leave notes where they are on the staff, see Transpose note sounds 152 in the MIDI Configuration section of the Staff Manager Dialog. Using the Transpose dialog, notes may be transposed: · in all the measures on the score; · from the current measure to the next key change; and · between specific measures. Transposing notes There are four ways to transpose notes: 1.by using the left and right arrows on the right of the Key Signature Graphical Display and by clicking through until you find your desired key; 2.by selecting a major or minor key from the drop down boxes located below the Key Signature Graphical Display; 3.by shifting notes by a selected number of half steps either up or down towards the bottom of the dialog box; or 4.by checking the ‘Transpose entire piece to key closest to C Major (minimize accidentals)’ box. A pply new key to A LL staves

E nables you to c hange the key on all s taves in the piec e rather than jus t the s elec ted s taff.

A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges .

Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

Do not transpose Drum notes:

M I D I C hannel 1 0 is generally us ed to play a partic ular group of drum ins truments . T hes e drums us e M I D I information in a different way to other ins truments . T rans pos ing thes e drums may have undes irable effec ts , s o you c an opt to leave drum notes as they are when trans pos ing the res t of the s c ore. I f a given s taff is us ing C hannel 1 0 then M idiI llus trator will as s ume it c ontains drum notes . For more information s ee the M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 s ec tion.

Recalculate existing Chords/Guitar Frets

I f the s c ore is dis playing c hord names and/or guitar frets , thes e c hord values will be automatic ally rec alc ulated (bas ed on the newly trans pos ed notation) when the trans pos ition is c omplete.

Select Current Key

A nalys es the piec e to determine the key it is c urrently in.

Transpose entire piece to key closest to C Major (minimize accidentals)

T rans pos es the piec e to the key c los es t to C M ajor, thereby s implifying the notation as muc h as pos s ible and making the piec e as eas y to play as pos s ible.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


80

MidiIllustrator User Manual

2.2.14 Restructure the Score The Measures menu offers the following commands when the cursor is in an active part of the score: Clef 82

O pens the Set C lef for M eas ures dialog allowing you to edit the c lef in a range of meas ures .

Key Signature 80

O pens the E dit Key dialog allowing you to edit the key in a range of meas ures .

Time Signature 81

O pens the E dit T ime Signature dialog allowing you to edit the time s ignature in a range of meas ures .

Starting Tempo 82

O pens the T empo dialog allowing you to s et the s tarting tempo for the s c ore (you may add tempo M I D I events later in the s c ore us ing the E xpres s ions D ialog 75

).

Transpose Notes 79

O pens the T rans pos e N otes dialog allowing you to trans pos e notes in a range of meas ures .

Compress Empty Measures 132

M ake the bes t us e of s pac e on the s c reen or printed page, by c hoos ing to s how identic al, empty meas ures as a s ingle meas ure

View Measure Range

O pens the Range of M eas ures to D is play dialog allowing you to c hoos e the range of meas ures that you want dis played on the s c ore.

163

A dd/Insert Measures

O pens the A dd M eas ures dialog allowing you to add meas ures to the s c ore.

70

Remove Measures 78

O pens the Range of M eas ures to Remove dialog allowing you to s elec t the range of meas ures that you want to delete from the s c ore.

Split Measures 164

Splits the c urrent meas ure in two (or, ins erts a barline).

Join Measures 165

J oins the c urrent meas ure to the next meas ure.

Show Measure Numbers 132

D is plays /hides numbering above eac h meas ure on the s c ore us ing your Sc ore O ptions 138 s ettings .

Choose Barlines & Endings 56

O pens the barline and ending s elec tion dialog for the c urrent meas ure.

Set

56 Ending 56 Barline Lef t/Right 56

O pens the ending dialog

Show Barline Repeat Count 132

D is plays above the meas ure (when appropriate) the number of repeats whic h will be applied to a s ec tion repeat barline 56 during playbac k.

56 for the c urrent meas ure. E dits the barline 56 s ettings for the c urrent meas ure (inc luding any s pec ial endings s uc h as repeats )

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.14.1 Key Signatures

Command Location: Measures Menu / Key Signature The Key dialog allows you to change the key signature: 路 in all the measures on the score 路 from the current measure to the next key change 路 between specific measures. Remember that only the notation is changed and that the underlying note sounds are not. If you want to change note pitches you should use the Transpose 79 dialog. Clicking the drop down box will display as many keys as possible on the screen for quick selection. Guess Key

A llows M idiI llus trator to analys e the piec e and then determine the mos t appropriate key s ignature for the s c ore, or you c an c hoos e the key yours elf. T here are two ways of c hoos ing the key, either by us ing the left and right arrows on the right of the Key Signature G raphic al D is play and c lic king through until you find your des ired key, or by s elec ting a major or minor key from the drop down boxes loc ated below the Key Signature G raphic al D is play.

A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

81

c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges . Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

A pply new key to all staves

E nables you to c hange the key on all s taves in the piec e rather than jus t the s elec ted s taff.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.14.2 Time Signatures

Command Location: Measures Menu This tool allows you to change the time signature for a range of measures in the score. MidiIllustrator can intelligently reorganize music in the score as necessary to allow time signature insertions which would otherwise upset the existing rhythmic structure of the music. The time signature dialog allows you to change the time signature: 路 for all the measures on the score 路 from the current measure to the next time signature change 路 between specific measures Protecting the Existing Rhythmic Structure Time signature changes affect the location of barlines, beats and the resulting notation (such as beaming and tying). In order to limit these effects to only the desired score range, MidiIllustrator will try to protect existing time signatures ahead of the rhythmic range you are editing. This is achieved by extending the score and shifting sections of the music to make room for the new rhythm range, rather than simply overwriting any existing meter values. For this reason, complex time signature changes can result in changes to the timings of individual notes and other notation events as measures are extended accordingly (the price of keeping existing meter intact). Choosing a New Time Signature To change the numerator (Number of Beats) and denominator (Beat Duration) of the time signature, click the buttons under the signature display graphic.

A pply Undo Changes

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges . A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

MIDI Files and Time Signatures Sometimes, MIDI files do not supply a time signature to MidiIllustrator during import (especially those recorded from a live instrument performance). In these cases MidiIllustrator automatically assigns a time signature. You can change this automatic assignment at any time with the time signature dialog.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


82

MidiIllustrator User Manual

2.2.14.3 Starting Tempo

Command Location: Measures Menu Allows you to set the starting tempo for the score. Note: The starting tempo is not displayed on the score. You may also add tempo marks and tempo changes (including MIDI events) later in the score using the Expressions Dialog 75 .

Remove all hidden tempo events

A n imported M I D I s c ore may c ontain M I D I tempo events at any point in the s c ore, and thes e are not s hown on the s c ore even though they c ontrol playbac k s peed. C hec k this option to remove thes e hidden tempo events . T his option does not remove M I D I tempo events c reated as s oc iated with E xpres s ions 75 .

MIDI Files and Tempo Sometimes, MIDI files do not supply a time signature to MidiIllustrator during import (especially those recorded from a live instrument performance). In these cases MidiIllustrator automatically assigns a tempo. You can change this automatic assignment at any time with the tempo dialog. Note: You can also save a score with modified master tempo

105 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

2.2.14.4 Clefs

Command Location: Measures Menu / Clef MidiIllustrator automatically chooses the best clef for each stave/measure in a new score. The Clef dialog allows you to change the clef in the following ways: · in all the measures on the score; · from the current measure to the next clef change; and · between specific measures. When you change a clef, MidiIllustrator automatically repositions notes on the stave with regard to the new pitch structure of each clef. Clicking the drop down box will display as many clefs as possible on the screen for quick selection. Choose from 8 clefs: · Treble Clef · Bass Clef · Alto Clef · Tenor Clef · Octave Adjusted Treble Clef (Higher) · Octave Adjusted Treble Clef (Lower) · Octave Adjusted Bass Clef (Lower) · Neutral Clef A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges .

Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

83


Part

III


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

3

85

About the Different MidiIllustrator Products The table below shows at a glance which of the key areas of functionality are available in each product. Throughout this documentation, features found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro are highlighted with the MidiIllustrator Maestro icon: For a comprehensive list of MidiIllustrator product features, see What can you do with MidiIllustrator? 11 . For a timeline of all MidiIllustrator product releases and updates including details about the original MidiIllustrator product, see the Version History 88 . MidiIllustrator Player is a free product, and includes a small part of the functionality offered by other products in the MidiIllustrator range. With MidiIllustrator Player, you can open, print and playback scores created with other MidiIllustrator products (.mil files). Read more about Player 87 . Feature

Description

MidiIllustrator Maestro

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso

Perf orming: Notate, Print, Practice and Play Generate A ttractive, A ccurate and Flexible Scores f rom MIDI f iles

T he s ame advanc ed 'M I D I to s c ore' c onvers ion engine is us ed in all M idiI llus trator applic ations to c reate beautiful s heet mus ic ins tantly.

Yes

Yes

Hear the Music, See the Music!

M idiI llus trator brings your s c ores to life! See the notes light up on the s taff as they are played bac k; the pages turn automatic ally.

Yes

Yes

Single c ommand s c ore c onvers ion tools s uc h as 'C onvert to T wo H and P iano' and 'C onvert to Fake Book'. G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets automatic ally. Format many Sc ores at onc e us ing the T as k Wizard.

Yes

Yes

Custom Transcription Options

C us tom pres entation modes allowing you, for example, to pres ent diffic ult notation in s implified form.

Yes

Yes

Ref ormat the Notation

E as ily c hange the way the mus ic is repres ented. C hange keys , time s ignatures , trans pos e notes etc . Remove notation s elec tions or c omplete meas ure ranges .

Yes

Yes

Perf ormance and Learning Tools

P rac tic e partic ular pas s ages with s pec ial prac tic e tools . L earn mus ic 'Step by Step' without reading any notation, with the on- s c reen piano. P rac tic e new rhythms with the metronome.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Transf orm Your Scores A utomatically with 1-Step Tasks

Modif y Score Layout

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

C us tomis e the dimens ions and pos itions of s c ore objec ts , s uc h as meas ures ,


86

MidiIllustrator User Manual

s taves and lyric s .

Connect and Interact

C onnec t a M I D I ins trument and interac t with the mus ic . M idiI llus trator knows where you are in the s c ore and turns the pages automatic ally.

Yes

Yes

C reate brand new s c ores , or edit exis ting s c ores with powerful editing tools . E nter notation quic kly with the keyboard, and make prec is ion c hanges with mous e editing func tions .

Yes

No

T ools to quic kly and eas ily c apture your mus ic al ideas and performanc es : N ote entry via the on- s c reen piano, rec ord a real- time performanc e, or enter c hords us ing a c onnec ted M I D I ins trument.

Yes

No

M idiI llus trator M aes tro examines the s c ore as you work, and automatic ally as s igns note and res t entry 'qualities ' appropriate to the c ontext.

Yes

No

Q uic kly build s c ores with powerful c opy/pas te func tions and drag/drop operations .

Yes

No

C reate a template with your favourite properties in order to s ave time in the future when c reating new c ompos itions .

Yes

No

Composing: Create and Edit Scores Composing and Editing

Capture Your Music

Context Sensitive Editing

Editing tools

Score Templates

MidiIllustrator Maestro and MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Each MidiIllustrator product is two powerful programs wrapped into a single package. As well as generating beautiful scores from the many free MIDI files available online, all products feature music learning and performance tools as part of a broader music notation package.

MidiIllustrator Maestro builds on the score editing functionality of MidiIllustrator Virtuoso. Beyond the 'single-step' smart notation power of the MidiIllustrator Virtuoso, MidiIllustrator Maestro brings composition to the feature list, enabling a world of musical creativity at your fingertips. · Capture your musical ideas quickly with context sensitive notation entry 48 . · Compose naturally with intuitive keyboard commands 46 and make precision changes with mouse editing functions 46 . · Record live performances 66 directly into your scores. · Create a brand new score 45 from the ground up, or modify scores converted originally from MIDI files using powerful copy/paste functions 58 and drag/drop operations 59 . © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

87

With MidiIllustrator Maestro you simply switch seamlessly between editing and performance modes 61 depending on what you want to do with the program. One Format for All MidiIllustrator Products The MidiIllustrator product range uses a common file format, meaning that scores created in one MidiIllustrator product can be opened and worked with in all MidiIllustrator products.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

3.2

Upgrading from MidiIllustrator Player To buy MidiIllustrator now, please visit our website at:

http://www.MidiIllustrator.com/buy.htm About MidiIllustrator Player and the MidiIllustrator Product Range With MidiIllustrator Player, you can open, print and play back scores created with any MidiIllustrator product (.mil files). You can also change the presentation of the score to suit your needs, for example changing the notation size, or varying the score playback tempo. MidiIllustrator Player is free software with no usage limits or trial period restrictions. MidiIllustrator Player contains only a small part of the functionality offered by other products in the MidiIllustrator range. If you like the features of MidiIllustrator Player then download a free trial of MidiIllustrator Virtuoso or MidiIllustrator Maestro from our website. If you are creating or working with MidiIllustrator scores, please feel free to distribute the MidiIllustrator Player installation program among your friends, thereby allowing them to print, view or play unlimited sheet music. This is a great way to share your scores with musicians who do not yet have access to the full versions of MidiIllustrator Virtuoso or MidiIllustrator Maestro. Read about the different MidiIllustrator products

85

.

Distributing MidiIllustrator Player from Your Own Website You are also welcome to host the MidiIllustrator Player installation program on your website, or link to the file directly on our website. The direct download address on our website for the MidiIllustrator Player is: http://www.MidiIllustrator.com/download/MidiIllustratorPlayerSetup. exe Distribution of MidiIllustrator products is subject to the terms laid out in the license.txt included with each product's installation program. How to buy MidiIllustrator

251

Buying MidiIllustrator is quick, simple and safe using any of the payment methods detailed below: All MidiIllustrator products come with free technical support and regular free updates. Registered users also receive major discounts on future releases from Rallentando Software. Payment Methods 路 Buy securely online with a Credit/Debit Card (recommended method): the easiest way to buy MidiIllustrator takes just a few minutes online. This method is guaranteed secure and very quick - you receive your purchase almost instantly via email! 路 Buy with PayPal: Pay with a bank account - no credit card needed. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


88

MidiIllustrator User Manual · Buy over the Phone: using our Toll-Free Phone Number. · Fax/Mail Orders: Send your order to us directly.

To buy MidiIllustrator using any of these methods or for more information visit our website at:

http://www.MidiIllustrator.com/buy.htm Alternatively, you can contact us for more information

275 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

3.3

MidiIllustrator Version History - what's new in this version A ll produc t releas es for the M idiI llus trator range are lis ted in the table below.

Feedback We are constantly improving and adding new features to MidiIllustrator.

Y ou may als o wis h to read this c omparis on of M idiI llus trator produc ts 85 .

If you have any thoughts about the MidiIllustrator range, or you would like to see a particular feature in the next version, please email us 275 , providing us much detail as possible about the feature or suggestion.

M aintenanc e updates are highlighted with a gray background, major releas es with a black background.

MidiIllustrator Player Version 2.00 2009-07-04 New Feature

Description

Free MidiIllustrator Player 87

U pdated to s upport all the new features in s c ores c reated us ing M idiI llus trator V irtuos o and M idiI llus trator M aes tro Version 2.00

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 2.00 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 2.00 (s ee M aes tro only func tions below 88

)

2009-07-04 New Feature

Description

Finger Numbers 52 and A utomatic Fingering A nalysis 34

N ow you c an as s ign finger numbers to eac h note either manually or in a s ingle s tep with M idiI llus trator's A utomatic Fingering A nalys is 34 . Fingering analys is is c us tomizable to help you as s ign the right finger numbers eas ily and quic kly for a s elec tion of notes or the whole s c ore. O nc e you have as s igned finger numbers to notes s everal new features bec ome available: · Finger numbers c an be dis played in, alongs ide, above or below 132 eac h note/c hord in the s c ore · Finger numbers c an be dis played on eac h key during playbac k on the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 · M idiI llus trator c an s how animated P erforming H ands 38 performing your s c ore over the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37

Enrich your score with Rich Text Content 72

T he following M idiI llus trator ric h text items c an s tore and dis play ric h text and O L E 72 objec ts in your s c ore: L yric s , Bookmarks , C hord N ames , Free T ext (N ew), E xpres s ions (N ew), Staff N ames and I ns trument N ames (Staff N amings ) and Sc ore T itles H ere are jus t a few of the formatting features s upported by the new ric h text items : · Font formatting s uc h as font s tyle (e.g. bold, italic, underline, etc .) · I mages /photos (jpeg, bitmaps etc .) · T ext c olors · File A ttac hments (even other s c ores ! )

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

89

· H yperlinks (e.g. http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om) · P aragraph A lignment (e.g. L eft, J us tified, etc .) · Bullets and line numbering E as ily add objec ts s uc h as images and other multimedia c ontent to your s c ore. Perf orming Hands

P erforming H ands are an animation feature of the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 . P erforming H ands c an be us ed both as a learning tool and when c ompos ing to s ee how the hands move when fingering your keyboard c ompos itions .

38

A lternatively you c an s imply enjoy watc hing your s c ore performed on the keyboard by M idiI llus trator's talented hands whic h c an perform even the mos t tec hnic ally c hallenging piec es !

Expressions 75 which Control Playback 75 (e. g. Dynamics, Metronome Tempos, A rticulations etc.)

E xpres s ions are ric h text 72 notation whic h c an be c us tomized to s uit your needs . E xpres s ions differ from other ric h text objec ts (s uc h as Free T ext 73 items ) as they c an be as s oc iated with M I D I events s uc h as T empo, V olume and P an whic h alter the performanc e of a piec e during playbac k. C ommon expres s ions inc lude: · D ynamic s · M etronome T empos , T empo M arks and T empo A lterations · M ood M arks · A rtic ulations

Measure Endings

M idiI llus trator now s upports endings as part of its c omprehens ive barline 56 func tionality.

56

E ndings c an be us ed with bar repeats to c reate very effic ient s c ores where only the ending of a partic ular pas s age varies from one vers e to the next. Y ou need only s c ore the c ommon part of one or more vers es onc e and then add any different "endings " for eac h vers e. N aturally, M idiI llus trator c an obs erve ending behavior as well as nes ted repeat ins truc tions in the s c ore during playbac k.

Quick Print Parts/ Instruments/ Staves 26

P rint any c ombination of parts , ins truments or s taves in a s ingle c ommand, without having to modify the s c ore at all. T he new quic k print dialog s aves you time when printing.

Fully Customizable OnScreen Piano Keyboard Colors

T he c olors us ed to dis play O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 c an be c onfigured with the Keyboard O ptions 43 tab in the P rogram O ptions dialog 222 .

37

With this feature you c an c hange the c olors of various parts of the keyboard as well as the Keyboard H ighlighting C olors 37 us ed to s how whic h keys are being pres s ed during playbac k.

Score Starting Tempo 82

A s well as s aving a modified mas ter tempo 105 with a s c ore, you c an now s et the s tarting tempo 82 for any s c ore.

Completely New Program Interf ace 42

T he entire M idiI llus trator applic ation has been overhauled with a c ompletely new interfac e providing greater layout c ontrol and improved ac c es s ibility. T he new interfac e als o s upports s everal new c olor s c hemes (themes ) 42 and tabbed doc uments , as well as s mart doc king for toolbars and s pec ial c ontrols s uc h as the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 and L is t Bar 125 . By default, eac h program in the M idiI llus trator s eries us es a different theme 42 .

Context Menus 55

Key c ommands are now available as right- c lic k c ontext menus , providing eas ier ac c es s to the c ommands you need mos t often. E xtended C lipboard A c tions 58 have als o been added to the c ontext menus .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


90

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Better Printer Management

M idiI llus trator's new printer manager s tores information about your preferred printer and als o s tores print s etup details with eac h s c ore, s uc h as : · P aper O rientation · P aper Size

New Ways to Show Individual Note Names 132

I ndividual note names c an now be dis played along with finger numbers (new) in, alongs ide, above or below 132 eac h note or c hord in the s c ore.

Finger Numbers Displayed on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37

O nc e as s igned to notes in the s c ore, finger numbers c an be dis played on the top of eac h key during playbac k.

New Dynamic Tempo and Volume Controls

T he V olume and T empo toolbar has been integrated into the brand new M idiI llus trator Status Bar.

126

Extended Clipboard A ctions

T he c lipboard now s upports the c opy and pas te for lyric s , bookmarks , c hords , frets , free text and expres s ions .

58

Tabbed Documents/ Scores

M idiI llus trator s c ores are now arranged as 'tabs ' muc h like popular applic ations s uc h as Firefox and I nternet E xplorer. T abs provide eas ier ac c es s and management of your open s c ores with more than one s c ore open at a time.

Interf ace Improvements

M any interfac es have been improved through redes ign and new features for example: A pply Now buttons whic h update your s c ore ins tantly when you make c hanges to dialog c ontrols (without requiring you to c los e the c urrent interfac e dialog) are now available on the following dialogs : · Sc ore O ptions · Sc ore T itles · Staff M anager Staff M anager 76 als o has a new layout.

New Program Options 222

T he P rogram O ptions dialog inc ludes new tabs : · Keyboard O ptions 43 for c onfiguring the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 · P rogram C olors 225 hos ting reorganized c olor management items from the C olor tab 23 in the Sc ore O ptions dialog 138

Extended Insertion and Item Shif t f unctions, with Keyboard Shortcuts

L yric s , bookmarks , c hords , frets , free text and expres s ions c an all be s hifted bac kwards and forwards in the s c ore us ing new menu c ommands and Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . · When ins erting "N ext/P revious " items (s uc h as L yric s , Bookmarks etc .) optionally inc lude meas ure beats 228 as N ext/P revious c urs or ins ert loc ations · When s hifting items s uc h as L yric s , Bookmarks etc . Forward or Bac k, optionally inc lude meas ure beats 228 as c urs or ins ert loc ations

Free Text Items

Free T ext I tems are ric h text 72 objec ts whic h c an be pos itioned anywhere in the s c ore providing a great alternative to L yric s and Bookmarks .

73

M oreover thes e objec ts c an be anc hored 73 to the meas ure, page or s taff s o that they move relative to the s c ore as it c hanges . New Metronome Light Options 122

· T he M etronome L ight now dis plays the beat c ount numeric ally in order to help with c ounting and rhythm exerc is es · T he flas hing effec t of the metronome is now more c onfigurable, allowing the dis play of s olid c olors without flas hing effec t

Support f or MidiIllustrator running on Linux with WINE

We have c onfirmed that M idiI llus trator runs on L inux us ing the WI N E emulator.

Staf f Manager, Staf f Copy Functions Improved 76

T he C opy Staff c ommand in Staff M anager now c opies L yric s , Free text and E xpres s ions as well as the res t of the s taff notation and properties .

Hide Upper/ Lower Voice Rests 242

M idiI llus trator intuitively handles the dis play of res ts in the notation. T his option gives the c ompos er greater c ontrol to optionally hide all automatic ally drawn upper/lower voic e res ts allowing for a more s treamlined s c ore.

Improved Score

Better management of s taff s ys tems bas ed on c lef s ize and notation c ontent means that s taves

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products Layout

91

are even more c ompac t making even better us e of your s c reen real- es tate 117 .

New Program Icons

M idiI llus trator M aes tro Minor Fixes and Improvements

M idiI llus trator V irtuos o

M idiI llus trator P layer

· I mprovements to barline graphic s , and introduc ed new barline toolbar buttons · I t is now default behavior 149 to print s c ore notation c olors 23 but not to print page textures 23 , whic h are now s eparate options · Searc h the help file for keywords direc tly from the s earc h box in the main program menu bar · N ew page bac kground textures 23 · E xtra handling of invalid key s ignatures in M I D I files · A c c identals no longer repeat on notes whic h tie from the previous meas ure. T o s how an ac c idental on a note tied from a previous s ys tem/page, a c ourtes y ac c idental 52 c an be us ed · Staff ins trument names c an now be edited in Staff M anager and the Staff I ns trument dialogs · Re- enabled default editing option 228 "A uto- tie off- beat notes whic h c ros s beats " · I mprovements to Sc roll V iew

Added extensions to all file names in List Bar, so the extension column does not need to be visible to identify file type Improved splash screen dismissal behavior

·

· · I mproved handling of improperly s truc tured M I D I files whic h c ould res ult in s ome M I D I notes hanging when imported · A ddres s ed oc c as ional T ooltip flic ker when running under Windows V is ta · U pdated file as s oc iations to work with Windows V is ta with U A C enabled MidiIllustrator Maestro/Virtuoso/Player Version 1.02 2008-11-15 New Feature Fixes and Improvements

Description · Fixed: V is ta A utoSave error D etails : M idiI llus trator enc ountered a s poradic error with default A utoSave s ettings when running under M ic ros oft Windows V is ta. · Fixed: E nharmonic s pelling/pitc h s hift error D etails : C orrec ted an is s ue with enharmonic s pelling and pitc h s hift func tions where pitc h c hange was not properly s tored. · O ther performanc e improvements

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 1.01 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.01 2007-06-07 New Feature

Description

New Score Samples

T hree · · ·

new c omplete s c ore s amples are inc luded with eac h M idiI llus trator ins tallation program. A nitra's D anc e by E G rieg A mazing G rac e by J N ewton T he E ntertainer by S J oplin

T hes e s c ores exploit s ome of M idiI llus trator's many s c oring features and formatting options , inc luding the us e of textures , fonts , lyric s , c hords and notation learning tools s uc h as individual note naming. M idiI llus trator is now c ompatible with M ic ros oft Windows V is ta. Several interfac e improvements mean that all M idiI llus trator programs run perfec tly on the new M ic ros oft Windows operating s ys tem. Vista Compatibility New Program Icons and Graphics

N ew images have been inc orporated into the different M idiI llus trator produc ts for thos e c us tomers who have more than one M idiI llus trator produc t ins talled at a time. I t is now muc h eas ier to as s oc iate various mus ic file types with a given M idiI llus trator applic ation.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


92

MidiIllustrator User Manual M idiI llus trator M aes tro

M idiI llus trator V irtuos o

M idiI llus trator P layer

Trial Printing

P rinting is now fully enabled in the trial vers ions of M idiI llus trator M aes tro and M idiI llus trator V irtuos o, allowing mus ic ians to print c omplete s c ores whils t auditioning eac h program.

MIDI Device Volume 126 automatically set

Some programs erroneous ly reduc e the mas ter volume of the "M ic ros oft G S Wavetable SW Synth", whic h is the default M I D I devic e us ed for playbac k on many Windows s ys tems . I f the Windows 'mas ter' volume for this devic e has been s et to zero, then no s ound will be heard during playbac k of any s c ores whic h us e the devic e. M idiI llus trator now c hec ks to s ee if the Wavetable Synth is the playbac k devic e eac h time playbac k begins . I f it is , and the c urrent volume is zero, M idiI llus trator automatic ally inc reas es the volume to 5 0 % . T his ac tion s imply reproduc es the res ult you would s ee if you manually inc reas ed the "M I D I " or "SW Synth" volume value in the Windows M ixer dialog (als o know as "the Windows volume c ontrol").

Fixes and Improvements

· Playlists

125 :

Score adding capacity increased

It is now possible to add an unlimited number of scores to a playlist in a single action. The previous limit was ~300 scores at a time · Fixed: Step by Step 188 cursor positioning reset Details: This release fixes an issue with Step by Step mode whereby cursor positioning was occasionally reset to the playback start position during note 'step' auditions whilst using the cursor keys

MidiIllustrator Player Version 1.01 2007-06-07 New Feature

Description

Free MidiIllustrator Player 87

With M idiI llus trator P layer, you c an open, view, print and playback s c ores c reated with any M idiI llus trator produc t (.mil files ). Y ou c an als o c hange the pres entation of the s c ore to s uit your needs , for example c hanging the notation s ize, or varying the s c ore playbac k tempo. MidiIllustrator Player is a free produc t, and inc ludes a s mall part 87 of the func tionality offered by other produc ts in the M idiI llus trator range. T he M idiI llus trator P layer ins tallation program c an be freely dis tributed among mus ic ians - this is a great way to s hare your s c ores with mus ic ians who do not yet have ac c es s to the full vers ions of M idiI llus trator V irtuos o or M idiI llus trator M aes tro. Read more about P layer in the M idiI llus trator doc umentation 87 .

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 1.00 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.00 (s ee M aes tro only func tions below 88

)

2006-11-13 New Feature

Description

Program Modes

T o s upport a broad range of func tionality, M idiI llus trator now has three dis tinc t 'modes ' for working with your s c ores in very different ways . E ac h mode offers a s et of partic ular c ommands , whils t temporarily hiding other func tions to help you foc us on the tas k in hand. Y ou s imply s witc h s eamles s ly between modes 61 depending on what you want to do with the program. · Perf ormance Mode 33 allows you to perform and interac t with your s ongs . I n P erformanc e M ode you c an c reate P rac tic e Ses s ions 190 , s tudy s pec ific ranges of your s c ores and us e learning tools s uc h as Step by Step 188 . M os t s c ore editing func tionality is hidden in this mode to allow you to foc us on s c ore viewing, lis tening and performing. · Layout Mode 24 is for c hanging the dimens ions and pos itions of s c ore objec ts , s uc h as meas ures , s taves and lyric s . M idiI llus trator automatic ally formats the mus ic layout to make good us e of s c reen 'real es tate'. H owever, if you wis h to manage the layout for a partic ular meas ure, page or even the entire s c ore, then in this mode you c an either tweak the layout to s imply tighten up the s c ore a little, or you c an make major c hanges to s queeze as muc h notation as pos s ible onto a given page.

61

· Edit Mode 46 is for full- s c ale s c ore editing and c ompos ition (s ee below 88 ) Hide Traditional Staf f Notation / Show Stave

M idiI llus trator c an hide traditional s taff notation on the s c ore and ins tead s how s taves as a muc h more c ompac t timeline.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

93

Timeline 32 T his option is very us eful for produc ing and printing s ong s heets and 'fake books ' whic h c ontain only s ong lyric s , or perhaps c hords and guitar frets . Y ou c an dramatic ally reduc e the number of pages in a s c ore if you do not need to s ee any s taff notation or melody lines . Score Titles 70

Sc ore T itles are c us tomizable text entries in the s c ore. Y ou c an apply fonts and c olors of your c hoic e. T he following 'titles ' are available: · Sc ore T itle · C opyright · C ompos er · Referenc e · Footer (firs t page and all remaining pages ) · H eader (firs t page and all remaining pages )

Title Fields 71

'Fields ' are s pec ial text s trings whic h c an be ins erted into Sc ore T itles 70 . Fields are automatic ally populated with updated s c ore information when titles are dis played or printed (s uc h as page c ount, file name, date and s o forth...).

Page Textures and Score Backgrounds 23

A dd texture and quality to your s c ore manus c ript us ing s c ore textures whic h c olor the page beneath the notation. C us tom s c ore bac kgrounds allow you to add a pers onal feel to your M idiI llus trator working environment.

Launch Screen

T he M idiI llus trator 'launc h' s c reen allows you quic k and eas y ac c es s to the program's mos t c ommon ac tivities .

107

A utoSave 230 and M idiI llus trator will periodic ally s ave c hanges and make bac kups of your open s c ores , and c an Background s ave your s c ores in the bac kground s o that you c an c ontinue working uninterrupted. Saving 230 Store A djusted Tempo 105

I f you have adjus ted the M as ter tempo 126 of the s c ore you are working with, you c an s tore the new tempo with the s c ore when you s ave it.

Undo/Redo 113 more powerf ul and easier to use

T he new undo/redo s ys tem allows a virtually unlimited number of c ommands to be undone/redone. Furthermore, M idiI llus trator now attempts to retain the current zoom, view and mode when undoing/ redoing to a previous /future s tate (rather than res toring the zoom/view/mode of that other undo s tate).

List Bar 125

Several new features have been added to the L is t Bar: · A dd the c urrent (open) s ong to the c urrent P laylis t with a s ingle c lic k. · C us tom L is t Font: T he L is t Bar Font button allows you to s et a c us tom font for dis play of all text in the L is t Bar. Y ou c an, for example, c hoos e a larger font to make reading from a dis tanc e eas ier. · T yping into lis t c yc les lis t s elec tion to firs t oc c urrenc e of letter typed and dis plays s elec ted entry (and s o on with next letter typed). · Y our preferred lis t- c olumn- widths are now s tored and res tored for eac h 'tab' in the lis t bar. C olumn 'autos izing' is a new menu option. · L ogged files are now managed more effic iently with automatic removal of duplic ate entries . · T he L is t Bar T abs now fully s upport XP T hemes . · "Windows " tab renamed to "O pen Sc ores " for c larity.

Easier Text Object Entry 168 and Improved Layout (Lyrics 177 , Chords 178 , Bookmarks 178 )

T ext entry has been redes igned s uc h that: · O bjec ts s uc h as lyric s and c hords c an be edited with great ac c urac y right in the s c ore s o c hanges are dis played dynamic ally as you type. · N ew c ommands and s hortc uts allow you to navigate from lyric to lyric or ins ert a new item 177 with jus t a keys troke. · I nline text editing ac c epts c lipboard c ommands like c opy and pas te. · E dited text c an be s elec ted with mous e drags , double- c lic ks and other s tandard 'wordproc es s or- like' keyboard navigation c ommands . · A ll text items on the s c ore are now better jus tified for eas ier reading and better horizontal alignment (making meas ure widths more effic ient s o that more notation c an fit onto eac h page).

Improved Perf ormance

M idiI llus trator M aes tro and M idiI llus trator V irtuos o operate more effic iently than earlier vers ions , with better memory management and fas ter operation times es pec ially on large editing operations .

Better MIDI Device Management 214 f or Musicians with Removable MIDI Devices and/or f requent MIDI System Changes

M idiI llus trator has a new s ys tem for remembering and res toring your M I D I I N and O U T devic e preferenc es . T his means that you c an s wap M I D I devic es (s uc h as U SB M I D I ports /adapters ) in and out of your s ys tem between M idiI llus trator s es s ions and M idiI llus trator will s till be able to play s aved s ongs with the devic e they were originally c onfigured to us e, even if the Windows M I D I devic e c onfiguration has c hanged or been reordered. M idiI llus trator will only res et to the default Windows devic es when the s ys tem c hanges if the M idiI llus trator preferred defaults are no longer unavailable. Furthermore, a new option for s etting s taff/trac k M I D I P laybac k (M I D I O U T ) devic es allows you to keep your s aved s ong playbac k devic es in s ync with your program devic es . Simply s et eac h s taff

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


94

MidiIllustrator User Manual

to us e the "default playbac k devic e 152 " and whenever you c hange default playbac k devic e, your s ongs will us e the lates t default playbac k devic e automatic ally. New Score Views 117

N ew Sc roll V iew 117 viewing mode is des igned es pec ially for eas ier editing of s c ores allowing you s c roll horizontally through the s c ore one meas ure at a time.

New Playback Cursor 28 Options

N ew c urs or dis play option allow you to hide the c urs or altogether during playbac k, but s till have pages turned automatic ally.

A udition Current Measure 185

P lays jus t the c urrent meas ure and then returns the c urs or to the pre- playbac k pos ition. V ery us eful if you are making "trial and error" c hanges to the notation.

Play Imported MIDI Notes as Originally Perf ormed 185

O ptionally play imported M I D I s ongs as they were originally performed, rather than adhering to the notated times dis played on the s c ore (where the notation may have been 'tidied' for eas ier reading). T his has always been the default behavior in earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator.

A dvanced Note Selection 78 ...

T he new A dvanc ed N ote Selec tion D ialog 78 allows you to make note s elec tions in the s c ore us ing many different c riteria (for example s elec ting only the upper or lower notes in a range of c hords ).

Improved Navigation 116

A hos t of new navigation 116 and s elec tion 113 c ommands allow you to move eas ily around the s c ore and work with the notation. N ew objec t deletion 172 c ommands have been added.

New Keyboard Shortcuts 253

E xtens ive Keyboard Shortc uts 253 s upport all the key c ommands , inc luding: · N ew c urs or c ommands allow s kipping bac kwards /forwards 253 during playbac k. · Staff M anager s taff s elec tion 253

Playback Latency Conf iguration 214 - Synchronizing Sounds and Screen Updates

I f you find that when playing s c ores there is a s mall delay between when you hea r notes and when you see them highlighted on the s c ore, or if the c urs or appears to move jus t before the beat, then you c an us e this feature to c orrec t for any M I D I O ut devic e "latenc y" and s ync hronize the s ound and s c reen events .

MIDI In Latency Conf iguration 216

C us tomize M idiI llus trator to work with any M I D I devic e latenc y you experienc e with your M I D I s ys tem s etup.

Editing Options

A new group of options allows you to c onfigure your editing environment, inc luding: · Chords: o A uto- C orrec t manually entered c hord names o A uto- A dd frets to manually entered c hords · Selection: o I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion · Sounds: o A udition c hord when note c lic ked with mous e o A udition c urs or ins ertion pitc h o A udition note ins ertions and c lipboard pas te o A udition c hanges to exis ting notation · Notation: o A uto- tie off- beat notes whic h c ros s beats

228

A uto-Correct Manually Entered Chord Names 228

M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally make c orrec tions to c ommon s pelling and format errors in c hord names .

A uto-A dd Frets to Manually Entered Chords

When manually editing c hord names , the c orres ponding fret for the modified c hord name will be automatic ally added/updated when c hord name editing c ompletes .

228

Barline Dialog 56 and Repeat Display 56

T he barline dialog has replac ed the barline toolbar c ommands . Repeat c ount on repeat s ec tions c an now be s hown or hidden.

Improved User Interf ace

N ew Time Signature 81 , Clef 82 , Key 80 , and Transpose Dialogs 79 for fas ter, eas ier c hanges . Previewing changes is now eas ier with the "U ndo C hanges " dialog button whic h immediately removes any c hanges to the s c ore made us ing the "A pply" button, without having to c los e the dialog and hit "U ndo". Furthermore, many dialogs now remember how they were 'last used' s o that c ommon tas ks are eas ier to perform as dialog options are automatic ally c onfigured when the dialog is opened.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

95

T ime Signature D ialog new features : · A c omprehens ive s et of options to add and modify exis ting meter values . · M idiI llus trator c an intelligently reorganize mus ic 81 in the s c ore as nec es s ary to allow time s ignature ins ertions whic h would otherwis e ups et the exis ting rhythmic s truc ture of the mus ic . T rans pos e D ialog new features : · E as ier to us e with numbered s teps , now with quic k "O c tave U p/D own" buttons . · E xis ting C hords /G uitar Frets automatic ally rec alc ulated (bas ed on the newly trans pos ed notation) when the trans pos ition is c omplete. C lef and Key D ialogs : · N ew key and c lef s elec tion c ontrols for fas ter s c ore c hanges . Import Options

N ew options to c ontrol how M idiI llus trator manages M I D I trac ks (s taves ) during import or editing.

231

Playback Options

P laybac k O ptions 28 are now program s pec ific and no longer s c ore s pec ific .

New Horizontal Scroll Bar

N ew H orizontal s c rollbar allows horizontal s c rolling in P age V iew (as well as page number c hanging in Window V iew).

Menus and Toolbars

M enus and T oolbars have been reorganized to allow eas ier orientation of the program. A ll the c ommands from previous vers ions of M idiI llus trator are s till available but s ome have reloc ated to new menus /toolbars /s c reen pos itions (for example, the 'Setup' menu is now the 'T ools ' menu! ).

MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.00 ONLY New Feature

Description

Composing and Editing with Edit Mode 46

Beyond the 's ingle- s tep' s mart notation power of M idiI llus trator V irtuos o, M idiI llus trator M aes tro introduc es a s uite of c ompos ition c ommands : · C apture your mus ic al ideas quic kly with c ontext s ens itive notation entry 48 . A dd or ins ert new notation. · C ompos e naturally with intuitive keyboard c ommands 46 (Normal Entry 46 ) and make prec is ion c hanges with mous e editing func tions 46 (Mouse Entry 46 ). · Rec ord live performanc es 66 direc tly into your s c ores . · C reate a brand new s c ore 45 from the ground up, or modify s c ores c onverted originally from M I D I files us ing powerful c opy/pas te func tions 58 and drag/drop operations 59 .

Power Edit Mode

P ower E dit M ode 59 allows you to quic kly edit large areas of the notation, applying c hanges to whole meas ures or beats , and moving or c opying multi- s taff s elec tions of notation from one part of the s c ore to another with drag/drop operations 59 (or to another s c ore altogether us ing C opy/C ut/ P as te C lipboard Func tions 58 ).

59

Score Templates Sc ore templates c ontain all the foundations nec es s ary for c reating a new s c ore in one s tep. Y ou 69 and the quick c an eas ily c reate a template with your favorite properties in order to s ave time in the future when start Def ault c reating new c ompos itions . Score Template 69

T he M idiI llus trator ins tallation pac kage c ontains s ome bas ic templates to get c ompos ers up and running.

Record Your Perf ormance 66

T he rec ord tool allows you to c apture a real time performanc e from a c onnec ted M I D I devic e. T he performanc e is ins tantly c onverted to notation us ing your Rec ording O ptions 67 rules and is added direc tly to your s c ore.

Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard

T his tool allows you to enter s ingle notes or whole c hords direc tly into your s c ore us ing the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 .

65

Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67

E nter s ingle notes or whole c hords direc tly into your s c ore us ing a c onnec ted M I D I devic e.

Tap In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

T his tool allows you to enter s ingle note rhythms into your s c ores us ing the c omputer keyboard. Y ou c an quic kly and eas ily c apture the rhythm of a tune without having to worry about playing the right notes or as s igning c omplex note durations individually.

Copy/Cut/Paste Clipboard Functions 58

U s e the M idiI llus trator c lipboard to c ut, c opy and pas te notation from one part of the s c ore to another, or even to another s c ore.

Copy Complete

M ake identic al c opies of the s elec ted s taff (inc luding s taff name, ins trument, M I D I properties etc ).

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


96

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Staves 76 New Entry Item Toolbar 128

T he E ntry I tem toolbar forms part of the E diting P alettes 128 and is for s etting note and res t entry qualities 48 .

Recording Options 67

Rec ording options determine how M idiI llus trator trans c ribes live M I D I performanc es rec orded into the program 66 . Y ou c an als o determine metronome s ettings for the rec ording s es s ion.

A ccidentals 52 , Enharmonic Spelling 48 and Individual Courtesy A ccidentals 52

N ote ac c identals as well as enharmonic s pellings c an be s et for eac h note, and individual c ourtes y ac c identals c an be c hos en (as well as the global 'Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 ' option of earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator).

Tuplet Note Entry

M idiI llus trator has always identified tuplets ac c urately when generating s c ores from M I D I files . M idiI llus trator M aes tro als o s upports the entry of s everal tuplet types .

244

Voice Guide Rests 242

C ourtes y ac c identals are now brac keted for c larity.

I n general, M idiI llus trator automatic ally 48 fills all the s ilenc e in a meas ure with res ts . V irtual voic e 'guide' res ts are s hown to fac ilitate multi- voic e note entry.

MidiIllustrator Version 2.01 2006-07-10

· Improved third party PDF (portable document format) support. · Improved List Bar Playlist functions for handling scores not saved in a ‘playlist ready’ state. · Fixed: Font redraw quality. Details: Some notation was not redrawn correctly when Advance Page Turn was deactivated, causing periodic ‘blurring’ of notation until screen redrawn. · Fixed: Bookmark reference updates on Practice Sessions. Details: Practice sessions containing bookmark ranges were not properly reset when measures containing bookmarks were removed. · Fixed: Pitch wheel event order incorrect. Details: Some events processed in wrong order resulting in incorrect application of subsequent note pitches. · Fixed: Hidden tracks being selected causing "Step by Step" mode problems. Details: Tracks could still be selected when hidden causing cursor to vanish temporarily. · Fixed: Measure contents deletion error. Details: Notes crossing deleted measure range were not completely deleted with measure range removal. · Fixed: MIDI Notes Off command not sent at correct time. Details: ‘All Notes Off’ MIDI command sent too soon after MIDI stream completed, causing notes to continue sounding after playback ended on © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

97

some external MIDI devices. · Minor bug fixes to score layout · Updated MidiIllustrator Setup Installer. · Updated product documentation. MidiIllustrator Version 2.00 2006-01-01 New Feature

Description

List Bar 125

T he L is t Bar c ontains four powerful tools for managing and working with your mus ic , inc luding: · Playlists – full featured s ong jukebox! C reate a lis t of s ongs and M idiI llus trator will open, s how and play eac h in turn. · Browser – A c c es s your mus ic quic kly with this on- s c reen s ong folder viewer. · Score Log – Keep s taff of your s c ore viewings and prac tic e s es s ions .

Smart Page Scrolling 28

M idiI llus trator c an turn the pages of the s c ore us ing s pec ial graphic al effec ts to s croll, s plit and fade the s c reen as the mus ic is played out, s howing both the c urrent pas s age and the next pas s age (from the next page) at the s ame time. Y ou need never take your eyes off the s c ore when reading ahead; better than s heet mus ic !

Full Screen 120

See more of the s c ore in Full Sc reen M ode! M aximize the us e of your s c reen and fill it with the s c ore - and nothing els e.

“Listening” Step by Step Input A nalysis 188

T he new “Jump to User Input” option enables M idiI llus trator to c los ely monitor your input from a c onnec ted M I D I I ns trument. When you move around from one pas s age to another whils t playing a piec e, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move the Step by Step c urs or to the new input pos ition. Furthermore, you c an play through mis takes , and M idiI llus trator will s till know the exac t pos ition you are reading and playing from, and will automatic ally s how that part of the s c ore, turning the pages as nec es s ary.

6 New Clef s 82

M idiI llus trator now s upports the following c lefs : · T reble C lef · Bas s C lef · A lto C lef · T enor C lef · O c tave A djus ted T reble C lef (H igher) · O c tave A djus ted T reble C lef (L ower) · O c tave A djus ted Bas s C lef (L ower) · N eutral C lef

Edit the Time Signature 81

I ntelligent time s ignature editing allows you to make c hanges to the underlying time s ignature of the s c ore without ac c identally dis torting the s c ore layout.

Editable Barlines including Repeat sections 56

D ec orate your s c ore with many different barline s tyles , inc luding nes ted repeat s ec tions whic h c an be applied by M idiI llus trator during playbac k.

Print Scores to Image Files 111

P rint your s c ores to bitmaps and s hare them with others , or open them in other applic ations .

Split Measures

A llows you to s plit the c urrent meas ure in two (or, ins ert a barline).

164

Join Measures 165

A llows you to ins tantly join the c urrent meas ure to the next meas ure.

New Toolbars: Editing Palettes

C ontext s ens itive toolbars : only thos e editing toolbars whic h are us eful at a partic ular time are s hown, leaving room for more of the s c ore to be s hown on the s c reen.

128

MIDI Instrument Routing 41

C reate powerful rules s tating whic h M I D I playbac k devic e and c hannel you would like to us e for the different ins truments in your s ongs . Routings are applied automatic ally when you open a s ong, s aving you time.

MIDI Shortcut Keys 40

A c c es s many of M idiI llus trator’s func tions quic kly and eas ily us ing your c onnec ted M I D I ins trument (s uc h as a M I D I keyboard) as a ‘remote c ontrol’.

Print Options 111

N ew printing options : · P rint odd or even pages · P rint jus t the c urrent page · C ollate c opies enabled

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


98

MidiIllustrator User Manual

A djustable Step by Step Playback Position 188

A s of vers ion 2 .0 , you c an now s et a different playbac k s tarting pos ition when you want M idiI llus trator to ac c ompany you during Step by Step M ode.

Improvements to Tasks: Convert Score to 'Two Hand Piano' 234

T his popular tas k has been improved to automatic ally handle drum s taves and non- piano ins trument s taves . T he new Tasks Options tab in P rogram options allows you to c onfigure tas k behavior for better tas k res ults .

New Interf ace Optimized f or Windows XP

N ew toolbar buttons and improved interfac e layout in vers ion 2 !

Individual Note Names

M idiI llus trator vers ion 2 .0 introduc es a new way to s how the name of eac h note on the s c ore. Y ou c an now c hoos e to have the note name plac ed inside the note ins tead of to the left. U nder different c irc ums tanc es (s uc h as printing vs . window view), one layout may be eas ier to read than the other.

Show Individual Note A ccidentals

Y ou c an c hoos e to have the s ignature repeated for eac h and every note on the s c ore, making it muc h eas ier to remember to s harpen or flatten a partic ular note when performing a piec e.

Full Support f or Foreign Language Characters

M idiI llus trator c an now dis play lyric s and other text in all languages , inc luding s pec ial c harac ters and ac c ents .

Backwards Compatibility

M idiI llus trator vers ion 2 .0 is c ompletely c ompatible with earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator and c an s eamles s ly open, edit and s ave s c ores generated in M idiI llus trator vers ion 1 .xx.

Show all staves Command

Shows all s taves ins tantly (even empty ones ).

Hide Empty Staves

H ides all empty s taves ins tantly.

T he lates t vers ion of M idiI llus trator als o s upports Windows XP T hemes (for thos e running M idiI llus trator on Windows XP ), integrating M idiI llus trator fully with the look and feel of the XP environment.

MidiIllustrator Version 1.02 2004-07-06 · I mproved M I D I playbac k performanc e and applic ation s tartup time. · Fixed "Step by Step N ote Sounds " problem D etails : A pplic ation c ould oc c as ionally hang when c urs or movement triggered playbac k of groups of "Step" notes in Step by Step mode. · Fixed mis s ing updates when Status Bar hidden. D etails : When Status Bar hidden, updates were not made to c ontext M enus (I ns ert, N otes etc ) reflec ting any c urrent item s elec tion. A ls o Status Bar and M enus not always redrawing properly when Status Bar toggled on/off. · U pdated produc t doc umentation. · U pdated M idiI llus trator Setup I ns taller. MidiIllustrator Version 1.01 2004-02-19 · Fixed c onflic t between M etronome and drum trac ks . D etails : M uting c hannel 1 0 trac ks als o muting M etronome when both are us ing M I D I c hannel 1 0 for playbac k. · Fixed problem with E xplorer file as s oc iations (regis tered vers ion only). D etails : D ouble- c lic ked M I D I files not always opening unles s M idiI llus trator already running. · Fixed M I D I playbac k error inc urred on s ome P C s during prac tic e s es s ion playbac k loops . D etails : A pplic ation c ould oc c as ionally hang between finis hing one playbac k loop and beginning another. · Fixed empty M I D I trac k overload during import. D etails : Some M I D I files c ontaining many empty trac ks c aus ing overload during res t c reation phas e of import. E xc es s ive empty trac ks now dropped during import. · Fixed s ome Windows M E /9 8 c ompatibility is s ues . · Fixed other minor bugs , inc luding s ome tie note editing errors and trac k tools func tionality. · U pdated produc t doc umentation. · U pdated M idiI llus trator Setup I ns taller. MidiIllustrator Version 1.00 2004-01-14 First public release.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


About the Different MidiIllustrator Products

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

99


Part

IV


Contents

4

Contents Getting Started · Getting Started 10 · What can you do with MidiIllustrator? · Opening and Viewing Scores 12 · · · ·

11

Creating a Brand New Score 45 Printing the Score 15 Configuring Sound and Playing Back Scores Finding Music Files on the Internet 16

15

About the Different MidiIllustrator Products · Compare the Different MidiIllustrator Products 85 · MidiIllustrator Version History - what's new in this version

Things to do with MidiIllustrator...

88

11

Performing: Practice, Print and Play 11 · Learn More About How MidiIllustrator Converts MIDI to Notation 19 · Configure Sound and Play Back Scores 15 · Open, Display and Print Scores 12 o Open and View Scores 12 o Display the Score In Different Ways 23 o Choose Colors, Textures and Backgrounds for Your Score 23 o Adjust the Score Layout: Using Layout Mode 24 o Print the Score 15 § Quickly print selected parts/instruments/staves 26 · Find Music Files on the Internet 16 · Save and Manage your Scores 27 · Playback the Score 27 o Create and Play a Score Playlist 28 o Scroll and Fade in the Next Page (Advance Page Turn) 28 · Tasks to Transform Your Scores Automatically 30 o Present Difficult Notation in Simplified Form 31 o Arrange the Score for Piano Automatically 31 o Reformat the Score as a Fake Book or Song Lead Sheet 31 o Generate Chord Names and Guitar Frets Automatically 31 o Format many Scores at once using the Task Wizard 30 o Hide Traditional Staff Notation and Instead Show Staves as a Compact Timeline 32 · Performance and Learning Tools 33 o Practice Particular Passages with Special Practice Tools 34 o Learn Music 'Step by Step' without reading any Notation, with the on-screen Piano 34 o Rapidly Improve your Sight Reading with Note Names displayed next to every Note on the Score 34 o Assign Finger Numbers to Notes either Manually or Automatically 34 § Show Finger Numbers on the Keys of the On-Screen Keyboard 37 o Practice new Rhythms with the Audio/Visual Metronome 38 o Sing along with Accompaniment - the Lyrics Light up in Time with the Music 38 o Watch your Score Performed on the Keyboard by MidiIllustrator's Performing Hands 38 · Connect and Interact 39 o Connect a MIDI Instrument and Interact with the Music 39 o Remotely Control functions Using Your Connected MIDI Instrument 40 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

101


102

MidiIllustrator User Manual o Create Device/Instrument Defaults for New Scores 41 o Make the most of your MIDI Device Capabilities 42 · Customize the Program Interface 42 o Choose a Theme (Color Scheme) 42 o Customize the On-Screen Piano Keyboard Colors 37

Composing: Create and Edit Scores · Create a Brand New Score 45

11

· Compose and Edit: Using Edit Mode 46 o Add Notation Quickly using Context Sensitive Entry 48 o Modify a Note, or a Selection of Notes 52 § Make Changes Quickly with Context Sensitive Menus 55 o Add Special Barlines to Control Playback of Efficient Scores § Repeat Sections 56 § Special Endings 56 o Copy and Paste Notation to/from the Clipboard 58

56

§ Make Copies of Complete Staves with the Staff Manager Dialog o Edit Large Areas of Notation: Using Power Edit Mode 59 o Find Out About Using Edit Mode on an Existing Song 61 · Other Ways to Capture Your Music 46 o Note Entry Via the On Screen Piano Keyboard o Record a Real Time Performance 66 § Set Your Recording Options

76

65

67

o Chord Entry Via a Connected MIDI Device o Tap In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68 · Create a Template for Future Scores

67

69

· Add New Measures to the Score · Set the Score Titles (Composer, Title, Footer etc.) 70 o Add Fields to Score Titles (e.g. Page Numbers, Date etc.) 71 · Enrich Your score with Rich Text Content including Images and Multimedia Content o Add Moveable Text to Your Score 73 · Modify the MIDI Content in Your Song 74 · Add Notation Expressions which can Control Playback (e.g. Dynamics, Metronome 70

· · · · ·

72

Tempos) 75 Add and Remove Staves: Using the Staff Manager 76 Remove a Range of Measures from the Score 78 Select a Range of Notes using Advanced Criteria 78 Transpose All or Part of the Score 79 Restructure the Score 80 o Key Signatures 80 o Time Signatures 81 o Starting Tempo 82 o Clefs 82

Command Reference (Menus) · File menu 105 · Edit menu 113 · View menu 116 · Score menu 129 · Staves menu 150 · Measures menu 80

105

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Contents · · · · · · ·

Insert menu 168 Notes menu 52 Lyrics menu 177 Bookmarks menu 178 Chord Names menu 178 Guitar Frets menu 179 Free Text menu 180

· Expressions menu · Rests menu

· Layout menu · · · · ·

180

177 181

Power Edit menu Perform menu 185 Tools menu 195 Window menu 235 Help menu 236

183

Program Concepts 238 · Modes 61 · Views 117 · Modes and Views 241 · Voices 242 · Tuplets 244 · MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 · Staff Instrument vs MIDI Echo Instrument

Purchasing MidiIllustrator · Purchasing MidiIllustrator

Shortcuts · Keyboard Shortcuts

245

251

253

About the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator · About the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator

273

Version History and Licence Agreement · Licence Agreement 277 · Compare the Different MidiIllustrator Products · MidiIllustrator Version History 88

85

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

103


Part

V


Command Reference (Menus)

5

105

Command Reference (Menus) The following menus and commands are available (depending on the current mode context): · File menu 105 · Edit menu 113 · View menu 116 · Score menu 129 · Staves menu 150 · Measures menu 80 · Insert menu 168 · Notes menu 52 · Lyrics menu 177 · Bookmarks menu 178 · Chord Names menu 178 · Guitar Frets menu 179 · Free Text menu 180 · Expressions menu · Rests menu

and

180

177

· Layout menu · · · · ·

61

181

Power Edit menu Perform menu 185 Tools menu 195 Window menu 235 Help menu 236

183

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1

File menu The File menu offers the following commands: L aunc h Sc reen 107

O pens the M idiI llus trator 'launc h' dialog whic h allows you quic k and eas y ac c es s to the program's mos t c ommon ac tivities .

O pen 106

O pens files of the following formats * .mil, * .midi and * .kar. A ls o allows you to navigate quic kly to your favourite file loc ations . For more information on opening files and c reating s c ores s ee O pening and V iewing M I D I Files 12 .

N ew Sc ore

O pens the 'new s c ore' dialog allowing you to c reate a new s c ore from a template, or from s c ratc h.

45

N ew D efault Sc ore

45

C reates a new s c ore us ing the 'default' s c ore template 45 .

Save 106

Saves an open s c ore us ing the s ame file name. A ls o allows you to navigate quic kly to your favourite file loc ations .

Save A s 106

Saves an open s c ore to a s pec ified file name, and allows you to s ave the s c ore with an adjus ted M as ter tempo. A ls o allows you to navigate quic kly to your favourite file loc ations .

Save A s T emplate 69

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

Saves a c opy of the c urrent s c ore in a s pec ial template format, s o that you c an c reate new s c ores 45 us ing the c urrent s c ore as a s tarting 'model'. T he c urrent s c ore is not c hanged in any way by this ac tion.


106

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Save A s D efault T emplate 69

Saves a c opy of the c urrent s c ore as the default template 69 . T he c urrent s c ore is not c hanged in any way by this ac tion.

Save A s Special...

Quantize MIDI Files as Notated I f you are s aving a file in M I D I format and this box is c hec ked, M idiI llus trator will s et the timing of eac h note in the s c ore to its exac t notated value, overriding the original value for that note. Remember that M idiI llus trator does not alter the underlying M I D I performanc e of an imported M I D I file. When you play bac k a M I D I file you hear the original imported M I D I s equenc e, even though the notation may have been reorganis ed for enhanc ed pres entation. T his rule applies to s aving files too. T he note timings in the s aved files will always be the s ame as the values in the original M I D I file unless you us e this option to forc e the M I D I layout to mimic exac tly the notation you s ee on the s c reen. Store A djusted Tempo I f you have adjus ted the M as ter tempo 126 of the s c ore you are working with, and would like that tempo to be s tored with the s c ore when you s ave it, s ave the s c ore us ing "Save A s " from the File M enu 105 and s pec ify this option. When the s c ore is reopened in the future, the "1 0 0 % " s c ore M as ter tempo will equivalent to the effec tive tempo at the time the s c ore was s aved.

Close

C los es an open s c ore.

Close A ll

C los es all open s c ores .

Revert to Saved

C los es an open s c ore without s aving c hanges made, and reopens the las t s aved c opy. A ll c hanges s inc e you las t s aved the s c ore will be los t.

P rint 110

P rints the c urrent s c ore.

Q uic k P rint P arts /I ns truments /Staves 26

I n order to print c ertain parts /ins truments /s taves in a s ingle s tep, us e the quic k print fac ility 26 .

P rint P review 117

P rint P review is the s ame as P age V iew. D is plays the s c ore on the s c reen as it will appear when printed.

P rinting O ptions 113

A llows you to c hoos e print formatting options s uc h as paper s ize and orientation, margins and layout.

Exit

E xits M idiI llus trator.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.1

File Open/Save command As well as offering the standard Windows functionality for managing your files, MidiIllustrator includes some further options for navigating to your favorite file locations. As MIDI file collections grow it can become harder to track down particular files quickly. MidiIllustrator allows you to store a list of favorite folders, and jump quickly to those folders with the click of a button. This File’s Dir.

T his button only appears when you have one or more s c ores open on the s c reen. When c lic ked the folder of the c urrently ac tive s c ore will open. T his button is dis abled when the c urrent folder is the s ame as the folder of the c urrently ac tive s c ore.

+ Favorite

A dds the folder s hown in the C urrent D ir window to your lis t of favorites (if it does not already exis t).

- Favorite

Removes the favorite dis played in the C urrent D ir window. N ote: this does not phys ic ally remove the folder, only the

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

107

s hortc ut is removed. Set this f older as the def ault location f or song f iles

When c hec ked, M idiI llus trator will s tore a referenc e to the c urrent folder. T he f irst time you us e the File/Save dialog (eac h time you run M idiI llus trator) the dialog will move to this folder. Y ou c an als o s et this value in the P rogram O ptions folders s ec tion.

Quantize MIDI Files as Notated

I f you are s aving a file in M I D I format and this box is c hec ked, M idiI llus trator will s et the timing of eac h note in the s c ore to its exac t notated value, overriding the original value for that note. Remember that M idiI llus trator does not alter the underlying M I D I performanc e of an imported M I D I file. When you play bac k a M I D I file you hear the original imported M I D I s equenc e, even though the notation may have been reorganis ed for enhanc ed pres entation. T his rule applies to s aving files too. T he note timings in the s aved files will always be the s ame as the values in the original M I D I file unless you us e this option to forc e the M I D I layout to mimic exac tly the notation you s ee on the s c reen.

Store A djusted Tempo

I f you have adjus ted the M as ter tempo 126 of the s c ore you are working with, and would like that tempo to be s tored with the s c ore when you s ave it, s ave the s c ore us ing "Save A s " from the File M enu 105 and s pec ify this option. When the s c ore is reopened in the future, the "1 0 0 % " s c ore M as ter tempo will equivalent to the effec tive tempo at the time the s c ore was s aved.

Current Folder

Shows the full name of the c urrent folder, ready for adding to favorite file loc ations .

Favorites

Favorites c ontains a lis t of all your favorite folders . When a favorite is s elec ted from the drop down box that folder is opened immediately. C lic k the arrow buttons to the right of the drop down box in order to navigate quic kly to the next/ previous entries in the lis t.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.2

Launch Screen Command Location: File Menu The MidiIllustrator 'launch' screen allows you quick and easy access to the program's most common activities. The activities are split into the two fundamental groups of MidiIllustrator functionality; Performing and Composing 11 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.3

New Score Command Location: File Menu New scores can be created in several different ways. 路 Create a new score from scratch with the 'New Score' dialog, specifying score criteria in a few simple steps. 路 Generate a new score using an existing score template, selected from the 'New Score' dialog.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


108

MidiIllustrator User Manual 路 Generate a new score instantly using the 'Default' score template, from the File Menu commands.

New scores always open up in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

105

, ready for editing.

Create a New Score From Scratch Open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

From the 'Score Type' tab, select 'New Score', and the number of staves. You can specify the instruments for these staves later, using the Staff Manager Dialog 76 . At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to see in the score initially (default 30). If you want to specify the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo, select each tab as appropriate, and enter the desired value. When you have specified the score settings, hit OK to create your score. When the score has been created, you are ready to start composing

46

right away.

Generate a New Score Using an Existing Score Template Score templates templates 69 .

69

contain all the foundations for a new score. Read more about creating new

Open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

From the 'Score Type' tab, select 'New Score from Template', and choose a template from the list available below. At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to see in the score initially (default 30). Note that the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo tabs are hidden as these characteristics are all determined by the template. Hit OK to create your score. Generate a New Score Using the 'Default' Score Template Read more about the 'default' template

69

.

To generate a score using the 'default' template, choose New Default Score 105 from the File Menu 105 commands. A score with the default 30 measures will be created based on the default template. Alternatively, open the 'New Score' dialog from the File Menu

105 ,

or the Launch Screen

105 .

Select 'New Score from Template', and choose the 'default' template from the template list. At the bottom of the dialog, select the number of measures you want to see in the score initially (default 30). Note that the Time Signature, Key Signature and Tempo tabs are hidden as these characteristics are all determined by the template. Hit OK to create your score. Start Composing As soon as your new score is created, you can start to capture your music What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

46

...

11

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

109

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.4

Score Templates Command Location: File Menu Score templates contain all the foundations necessary for creating a new score in one step. You can easily create a template with your favourite properties in order to save time in the future when creating new compositions. Templates can be created from scratch, or generated automatically from an existing score. The MidiIllustrator installation package contains some basic templates to get composers up and running. Templates contain the following core information: 路 A specific number of Staves, each containing: o Key Signature 80 o Time Signature 81 o Opening Clef 82 o Staff Namings 154 o Staff Instrument 156 路 All the score attributes specified in Score Options, including (but not limited to): o Fonts 146 o Score colors, backgrounds and textures 23 o Notation Preferences 132 (eg. measure numbers, note names etc) ...and so forth Templates do not generally contain more than one measure, as the score initial score length is usually specified when generating a new score from the template. Templates are stored with the extension *.mit, in the program 'templates' folder, usually found in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. Create and Save a Template from Scratch, or from the Current Score To create a template from scratch, first create a new score 45 with the desired attributes. Alternatively, open an existing score which would make a good template for future scores. Then select Save As Template 105 from the File Menu commands. This command will create a copy of the current score, and strip from it all non-template data (notes, lyrics, MIDI data etc). The template will be saved in the 'templates' folder with the name you supply. Creating a template from an open score does not affect the open score in any way, and when the template has been created, you can continue working with the original score. The new template is now available from the New Score dialog 45 . The 'Default' Template The default template is a special template which can be accessed quickly from the File Menu 105 or the Launch Screen 105 . The default template is a unique template saved in the 'templates' folder with the name default.mit. If this file does not exist, The default template functions will not work. Any template can be set as the default template. Simply save your template with the name default.mit in the 'templates' folder, or generate a new default template using the Save As Default Template 105 command, File Menu.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


110

MidiIllustrator User Manual

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.5

File Print Command Command Location: File Menu This command presents a Print 111 dialog box, where you may specify the range of pages to be printed, the number of copies, the destination printer, and other printer setup options. If you would like to print a specific range of measures, then you should use the View Measure Range 163 dialog before printing. In order to print only certain parts/instruments/staves, use the quick print facility

26

.

Shortcuts Keys: CTRL+P

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.6

Quick Print Parts/Instruments/Staves Command Location: File Menu To save time when you wish to print only certain parts/instruments/staves in the score, the quick print facility is a speedy alternative to using Staff Manager 76 and other tools to format the score in order to print each part. To use the quick print dialog, simply select the staves you would like to print from the list (staves which are currently shown on the score will be automatically selected). Hold down the CONTROL key to select multiple staves. You can toggle the printing of:

· Measure Numbers and the printing of the following items if the current score contains them: · Bookmarks · Chord Names · Guitar Frets · Free Text · Expressions For printing of more advanced arrangements, see Staff Manager Lead Sheets and Fake Books" options on the Tools Menu 195 .

76

and/or the "Create

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

5.1.7

111

Printing and Saving Score Bitmap Images Command Location: File Menu The following options allow you to specify how the document should be printed or alternatively saved as a series of bitmap images. You can also use third party products alongside MidiIllustrator to generate portable versions of your MidiIllustrator scores. Read about Creating and Printing Scores to Postscript Printers and PDF 112 (Adobe Portable Document Format™). Printer

T his is the ac tive printer and printer c onnec tion. C hoos e the Setup option to c hange the printer and printer c onnec tion.

Setup

D is plays a P rint Setup 113 dialog box, s o you c an s elec t a printer and printer c onnec tion.

Print Range

Spec ify the pages you want to print: Print Range · A ll - P rints the entire doc ument · Current Page - C urrent page only · Selection - P rints the c urrently s elec ted text · Pages - P rints the range of pages you s pec ify in the ‘From’ and ‘T o’ boxes Print: · A ll P ages in Range · O dd P ages · E ven P ages

Copies

Spec ify the number of c opies you want to print for the above page range.

Collate Copies

P rints c opies in page number order, ins tead of s eparated multiple c opies of eac h page.

Print Quality

Selec t the quality of the printing. G enerally, lower quality printing takes les s time to produc e.

Output To…

With this feature, you c an s ave images of eac h page of the s c ore and s hare them with other mus ic ians . Output to: · Printer – default, s imply prints the s c ore on a printer as normal · Bitmaps 256 Color – C reate and s ave an image of eac h page of the s c ore as a 2 5 6 c olor bitmap. Files will be larger than 1 6 c olor bitmaps . · Bitmaps 16 Color – C reate and s ave an image of eac h page of the s c ore as a 1 6 c olor bitmap. Files will be s maller than 2 5 6 c olor bitmaps . Saving Score Images · Compress Bitmaps – images s aved with this feature will be s maller than their unc ompres s ed c ounterparts . · Bitmap Format – C hoos e to s ize the images s o they c an be eas ily fitted onto a “s c reen” view (s maller) or a muc h higher definition “printer” res olution s uitable for s ending to a printer at a later s tage. P rinter s ize images will take up more s torage s pac e but produc e better quality prints . I n all c as es , a s eparate bitmap file is c reated for eac h page of the s c ore (us ing the c urrent print layout s ettings ) and s c ore images are s tored in the s ame dis k loc ation as the c urrent s c ore. P rint P review (P age V iew) will give a good

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


112

MidiIllustrator User Manual

idea of how the s c ore will look when s aved to bitmap files .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.8

Creating and Printing Scores to Postscript Printers and PDF (Adobe Acrobat) Command Location: File Menu / Print Using third party products alongside MidiIllustrator, you can generate portable versions of your MidiIllustrator scores which can be shared with friends and other musicians. You can generate both Adobe PDF files (Portable Document Format) and PostScript files using the “Print to File” option in the Print dialog 111 . MidiIllustrator score printing has been shown to be compatible with the following products: · Adobe Acrobat PDFwriter http://www.Adobe.com · Adobe Distiller http://www.Adobe.com · PDFCreator (free) http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/ · Ghostscript (free) http://www.Ghostscript.com · pdf995 (free) http://www.pdf995.com/ Unfortunately we cannot provide any support for these products, and you should contact the respective developers in each case with any questions you may have. The product names shown here are trade marks of their respective owners.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.9

Print Preview Command Location: File Menu -OR- View Menu This is the same as choosing Page View

117

from the View Menu.

Use this command to display the active document as it will appear when printed. When you choose this command, the main window will be replaced with a print preview window in which a single page of the document will be displayed in its printed format. You can navigate Page View in the same way as Window View.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.10 Print Setup command Command Location: File Menu Use this command to select a printer and a printer connection. This command presents a Print Setup 113 dialog box, where you specify the printer and its connection. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

113

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.10.1 Print Setup Dialog

Command Location: File Menu The following options allow you to select the destination printer and its connection. Printer

Selec t the printer you want to us e. C hoos e the D efault P rinter, or c hoos e the Spec ific P rinter option, and s elec t one of the c urrently ins talled printers s hown in the box. Y ou ins tall printers and c onfigure ports us ing the Windows C ontrol P anel.

Orientation

C hoos e P ortrait or L ands c ape.

Paper Size

Selec t the s ize of paper that the doc ument is to be printed on.

Paper Source

Some printers offer multiple trays for different paper s ourc es . Spec ify the tray here.

Options

D is plays a dialog box where you c an make additional c hoic es about printing, s pec ific to the type of printer you have s elec ted.

Network...

C hoos e this button to c onnec t to a network loc ation, as s igning it a new drive letter.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.1.11 Printing Options The Printing Options menu offers the following commands: P rinter Setup 113 A llows you to s elec t a printer to whic h the s c ore s hould be s ent, as well as the paper s ize to be us ed and the layout (orientation) of the s c ore. T he ‘P roperties ’ button allows you to s elec t various properties dependent on the printer s elec ted. M argins 148

E nables you to s et the margins of the page to whic h the s c ore will be printed.

L ayout & P rint Size 149

L ets you amend c ertain elements of the page layout, i.e. page title, page numbering, and the ‘s ize’ of the notation on both the P rint V iew and the printed page.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.2

Edit menu The Edit menu offers the following commands: Undo

Revers es the las t c hange made to the c urrent s c ore. Y ou c an undo more than one ac tion by repeatedly s elec ting this c ommand. T he number of c hanges that c an be undone/redone in s equenc e is limited only by the amount of free dis k s pac e on your s ys tem. Undo and the Current View M idiI llus trator attempts to retain the current zoom, view and mode when undoing/redoing to a previous /future s tate (rather than res toring the zoom/view/mode of that other undo s tate). T his generally makes the trans ition to a different s tate muc h s moother. C hanging to a new undo s tate when the new s tate is a P rac tic e Ses s ion 190 will generate a warning as many non prac tic e features are dis abled in this s tate.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


114

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Undo Grouping U ndo c ommands are grouped s o that s imilar c ommands are undone/redone as a unit. I f, for example, a number of notes or c hords are delete one at a time in a c ertain meas ure, then applying the undo c ommand will res tore all notes deleted in that meas ure in one go. A s s oon as the delete operation moves into a new meas ure, a s eparate 'unit' of deleted notes is identified and the deletion would be undone as a s ec ond undo c ommand, and s o forth. Redo

A llows the revers al of an U ndo c ommand providing it is us ed immediately after the U ndo ac tion has been made. Subs equent c hanges to the s c ore will render the Redo c ommand inac tive to earlier U ndo c ommands , but it will s till revers e the las t U ndo ac tion performed.

Cut, Copy, Paste

U s ing the M idiI llus trator c lipboard in E dit M ode 46 you c an c ut, c opy and pas te notation 58 from one part of the s c ore to another, or even to another s c ore. M ore information on how to us e thes e func tions ... 58

58

Select

N otation c an be s elec ted us ing the mous e, with the keyboard, or with thes e c ommands . T he "Select Item(s) at Cursor" c ommands allow s elec tion of notes to the lef t or right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition. T hes e c ommands c an be c alled as keyboard s hortc uts 253 and allow you s tart and extend note s elec tions very quic kly indeed. O nly note s elec tions c an be initiated in this way, though other s elec tion types c an be extended us ing thes e c ommands (s ee below). Res ts c an only be s elec ted in E dit M ode 46 . Selecting Chords, Groups of Notes, and Extending the Existing Selection O nc e a note, res t or lyric is s elec ted, repeating the c ommand will s elec t any other items in that s ame time (mos t us eful for quic kly s elec ting a c omplete c hord of notes ). Repeating the c ommand or s elec ting in the oppos ite direc tion at this s tage will extend the exis ting s elec tion in that direc tion, immediately s elec ting all notes in the bounds of the s elec tion. Note: T o initiate a lyric or res t s elec tion, you mus t left- c lic k a lyric or res t with the mous e. "Select A ll..." enables you to s elec t all the notes , lyric s , bookmarks , s taves , c hord names or guitar frets on the c urrent s c ore providing they are vis ible. "Select Nothing" des elec ts everything previous ly s elec ted.

A dvanced Note Selection 78 ...

O pens the A dvanc ed N ote Selec tion D ialog 78 allowing you to make note s elec tions in the s c ore us ing many different c riteria.

Switch Between Cursor and Selection

T his c ommand toggles between dis playing the c urs or, and s elec ting any note or res t at the c urrent c urs or ins ertion point. I n multi- voic e meas ures where both notes and res ts oc c ur at the c urs or ins ert time, notes will be s elec ted over res ts .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.2.1

Using the Clipboard Commands Command Location: Edit Menu Using the MidiIllustrator clipboard you can cut, copy and paste notation from one part of the score to another, or even to another score. Keyboard Shortcuts

253

exist for these commands.

These commands are only available in Edit Mode 46 . All kinds of notation can be copied and pasted from one part of the score to another, or to a different score, as long both scores are in Edit Mode. Once items are selected many times as desired.

113 ,

they can be cut or copied to the clipboard, and then pasted as

Copying/Pasting Large Ranges Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

115

For copying/pasting large selections (including multi-track selections of notes/rests), use Power Edit 59 instead. Cut

C uts the c urrent s elec tion from the s c ore, and plac es them on the c lipboard ready for pas ting els ewhere in the s c ore, or in another open s c ore.

Copy

C opies the c urrent s elec tion to the c lipboard ready for pas ting els ewhere in the s c ore, or in another open s c ore. A nother way to Make Copies of Complete Staves I f you wis h to make a c opy of one or more complete s taves inc luding notation, ins trument, name and other s taff properties , then try "making a c opy of the s elec ted s taff 76 " with the Staff M anager D ialog 76

Paste and 'Insert & Paste 59 '

P as tes any s elec tion previous ly c ut or c opied from the s c ore to the c lipboard. I n order to protec t exis ting s c ore c ontent when us ing the c lipboard, s ome rules apply to where and how c ertain c opied s elec tions c an be pas ted into the s c ore. Spec ific ally: · I n N ormal E ntry (E dit M ode), only note/res t s elec tions from s ingle trac ks c an be pas ted from the c lipboard. For multi- trac k operations s uc h as this , us e P ower E dit 59 ins tead. · Sinc e tuplets are treated as a unit and have to kept intac t, pas te operations whic h overlap or interfere with exis ting tuplets are not pos s ible. Note: I n P ower E dit M ode you c an als o us e the Insert & Paste 59 c ommand to automatic ally c reate new meas ures as you pas te/ins ert a c opied range.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.2.2

Advanced Note Selection Command Location: Edit Menu The Advanced Note Selection Dialog allows you to make note selections in the score using many different criteria. Selection Criteria & Selection Range Select the selection criteria from the list on the left, and then select the Measure and Staff range that the selection should apply to. If there is a current note selection in the score, then you can choose to apply any advanced selection action to just that existing selection, rather than a measure/staff range (Checkbox: Use current selection as range). Notes in hidden staves will not be selected (show or hide staves using the Staff Manager Dialog 76 ). Once you have made a selection, you can apply commands to the selected notes using commands from the Notes Menu 52 . General

Selec t all the notes in the range, or invert any exis ting s elec tion.

Pitch

Selec t all the notes above or below a c ertain pitc h. A value of 6 0 is the M I D I pitc h for M iddle C . C lic k the "A bove" or "Below" value to c hange it to another value between 2 0 and 1 0 0 .

Chords

Selec t the various parts of a c hord. A c hord is a group of notes : · of identic al duration · in a s ingle times pan · in a s ingle s taff T his s elec tion c riteria is us eful for pic king out melody or harmony notes in a c hord or range of

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


116

MidiIllustrator User Manual

c hords . Tie Notes

Selec t tie notes or parts of tie note s equenc es .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3

View menu The View menu offers the following commands: Window View 117

D is plays the s c ore on the s c reen making full us e of the s ize of the monitor s c reen. I t is not a repres entation of how the s c ore will appear when printed (s ee page view below) but it makes the bes t us e of your s c reen 'real es tate'!

Page View (Print Preview) 117

P age V iew is the s ame as P rint P review. T his view allows you to evaluate the s c ore prior to s ending it to print, and therefore to adjus t the page layout or printer s et up as des ired before printing. T he s c ore is dis played on the s c reen as it will appear printed us ing the c urrent printer s etup and page layout.

Scroll View (Editing) 117

T his viewing mode applies the s ame rules for layout as Window view, exc ept that the format for the s c ore is a s ingle s ys tem whic h s c rolls horizontally along the page. T his makes editing muc h s impler as the dynamic c hanges to the s c ore objec t s izes whic h oc c ur as you edit (eg s taff height) do not res ult in c ons tant reformatting of the s c ore.

Hide Staf f Notation - Show Timeline 32

A view of the s c ore in whic h traditional s taff notation is temporarily hidden, and ins tead s taves in the s c ore are 'c ompres s ed' s hown as a c ompac t timeline (P erformanc e M ode O nly)

Toolbars

Shows · · · · · · · ·

or hides the following T oolbars : File T oolbars and Zoom P erform 185 V olume and T empo 126 L is ts 125 E diting P alettes 128 M eas ure M odes 61 and V iews 117

T he E diting P alettes 128 toolbar is c ontext s ens itive and will bec ome vis ible depending on the editing s tate M idiI llus trator is in. T he ‘Res tore D efault T oolbar L ayout’ option revers es all c hanges made to the toolbars and reins tates the original toolbar layout. Status Bar 128

Shows or hides the s tatus bar at the bottom of the s c reen. Y ou c an s how a lis t of Status Bar dis play options by right c lic king on the Status Bar.

Full Screen 120

E nter/L eave Full Sc reen M ode

Keyboard 37

A llows · · ·

you to: s how/hide the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 (O SP ) doc k the O SP keyboard in pos ition toggle between the full s ize O SP keyboard and the c ropped keyboard · s how note names on the O SP keyboard keys · s how finger numbers on the O SP keyboard keys during playbac k (finger numbers 34 mus t be as s igned to notes before the finger number c an be s hown on keys as they are played)

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

117

路 s how/hide P erforming H ands 38 on the keyboard during playbac k (fingering mus t be as s igned to notes before they c an be played) 路 edit the keyboard c olors 43 , inc luding piano key highlighting c olors For further information, s ee the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 s ec tion. Metronome Light

A llows you to s how/hide and doc k/undoc k the M etronome L ight. Y ou may als o edit the metronome light flas hing c olors in the P rogram C olors 225 dialog.

Zoom 117

A llows you to zoom in and out of the s c ore. N ote that zooming does not c hange the ac tual printing s ize of the notation it s imply alters the magnific ation of the s c ore on the s c reen. For more information s ee Zooming vs P rint Size 117 . O nc e you have found a zoom s etting you are happy with, this c an be s et as your P referred Zoom 225 - als o available a c ommand from the "T oolbars & Zoom" toolbar.

Navigation Commands

A llows you to navigate the s c ore by referenc e to P age, M eas ure, Staff/Sys tem and I tem. Cursor Navigation During Playback Whils t playing the s c ore, holding down the Control key during the main navigation c ommands will move the playbac k c urs or and then res tart playbac k from the new c urs or loc ation. Shortc uts 253 are available for eac h c ommand.

Go Directly to Score Location...

O pens the G oto... dialog box and enables you to s elec t the Bookmark, P age or M eas ure that you wis h to find, and will take you to that part of the s c ore.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.1

Window View & Scroll View versus Page View Window View and Scroll View versus Page View MidiIllustrator can format and display the current score in three quite different ways. In summary: Window View 117

Window V iew dis plays the s c ore on the s c reen making full us e of the s ize of the monitor s c reen. I t formats the s c ore to make the bes t us e of your s c reen 'real es tate'; I deal for performanc es ! I t is not a repres entation of how the s c ore will appear when printed (s ee P age V iew below).

Scroll View (Editing) 117

T his viewing mode is des igned es pec ially for editing. I t applies the s ame rules for layout as Window view, exc ept that the format for the s c ore is a s ingle s ys tem whic h s c rolls horizontally ac ros s the page. T his makes editing muc h s impler as the dynamic c hanges to the s c ore objec t s izes whic h oc c ur as you edit (e.g. s taff height) do not res ult in c ons tant reformatting of the s c ore.

Page View (Print Preview) 117

P age V iew is es s entially the s ame as P rint P review. T his view allows you to evaluate the s c ore prior to s ending it to print, and therefore to adjus t the page layout or printer s et

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


118

MidiIllustrator User Manual

up as des ired before printing. T he s c ore is dis played on the s c reen as it will appear printed us ing the c urrent printer s etup and page layout.

You can choose to format the score making best use of space available on the screen (Window View) or you can format the score for the printed page (Page View). When you want to compose or make significant editing changes to you score, then choose Scroll View. Window View and Scroll View If you are at the computer, perhaps studying or playing back a score, then you will want MidiIllustrator to squeeze as much as possible on to the visible page. With Window View MidiIllustrator paginates the score so that each page is exactly the same size as the MidiIllustrator window. This means that if you increase the size of the window each page becomes larger and the total number of pages decreases. The opposite is true if you decrease the size of the window. You can reduce the size of the window until only one system with only one measure is visible. These ‘virtual pages’ bear no relation to the number of printed pages. Window View is not a true representation of how the score will appear when printed. MidiIllustrator stretches and/or shrinks the measures on each system so that they fit perfectly into the window space available. This makes the score much tidier. MidiIllustrator only puts as much of the score on to each page as the screen size will allow. This means that it is generally not necessary to scroll different parts of each page into view. If the first system on a page contains too many staves to fit on to the screen, MidiIllustrator will reluctantly add a scroll bar to the right side of the screen so that the lower staves can be scrolled into view. Scroll View Scroll view applies the same rules for layout as Window view, except that the format for the score is a single system which scrolls horizontally across the page. Normally when you change the score notation, MidiIllustrator repaginates automatically, reformatting the score to accommodate the notation changes (for example increasing staff/system height or measure width to house new notes). These dynamic changes can result in quite a lot of score movement as systems are shifted about according to the new layout. Scroll View focuses a single system on the page, restricting dynamic changes to the score object sizes which occur as you edit. This viewing mode allows you scroll horizontally through the score one measure at a time using the horizontal scroll bar at the base of the score window. Scroll view does not support scrolling and fading in of the next page Turn.

28

with Advanced Page

Note about Scroll View and Printing Measure numbers are automatically displayed on all measures in scroll view, to make measure operations easier. For this reason, scores may not print exactly as they appear in Scroll View and print previewing in Page View is therefore recommended. Page View and Print Preview Page View is essentially the same as Print Preview. Unlike Window View, Page View sets the boundaries of each page using the current printed page configuration. This means that the larger the paper size in your printer the more MidiIllustrator will squeeze on to each page of the score. When you switch from Window View to Page View only a portion of the screen is used to show each page of the score. The score is shown one page at a time in the middle of the screen. Pages do not fill the screen as in Window View. Page shape and size is determined by printer © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

119

settings, such as paper size and orientation. This view allows you to evaluate the score prior to sending it to print, and to adjust the page layout or printer set up as desired before printing. The score is displayed on the screen exactly as it will appear when printed. Zooming vs Print Size MidiIllustrator allows you to change the magnification of the current view using the Zoom In and Zoom Out commands (View Menu) 116 . Zooming does nothing to change the true physical printing size of the notation. Instead, the magnification of the current page is altered so that notes, lyrics and other musical objects appear larger or smaller. Print size, on the other hand, physically changes the point size of the font used to print the score. It has no effect in Window View, but in Page View, the larger the font the longer the score will become as the number of pages increases to accommodate the larger systems required to house the larger notes etc. Print size can be configured in the Print Layout 149 section of the Score Options dialog. Print size changes may or may not be relative to Font sizes for certain items depending on how you configure individual score Fonts 146 . ZOOMING

PRINT SIZE

Window View / Scroll View

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the N o effec t. notation on the s c reen. I nc reas es or dec reas es the number of pages in the s c ore.

Page View / Print Preview

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of eac h page as it is dis played on the s c reen. I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the notation in proportion to the s ize of the page. H as no effec t on the number of pages or the layout of s ys tems and meas ures on eac h page.

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the font that M idiI llus trator will us e to print the s c ore. A s you inc reas e the font s ize the notation bec omes larger and fewer s ys tems /meas ures c an be fitted on to eac h page.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.2

Hide Notation/Show Timeline Command Location: View Menu This command allows you to temporarily hide traditional staff notation on the score and instead show staves as a much more compact timeline. This option is very useful for producing and printing song sheets which contain only song lyrics, or perhaps chords and guitar frets. You can dramatically reduce the number of pages in a score if you do not need to see any staff notation or melody lines. Note that this command is just a different way to view the score, it only hides notes and other notation temporarily - no notation is deleted. In this state, MidiIllustrator shows the following score items on the timeline: · Lyrics · Bookmarks · Chord names · Guitar Frets · Measure Numbers (if activated) All notes and rests are hidden. The following items are also hidden in this state: · Clefs

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


120

MidiIllustrator User Manual · · · ·

Time signatures Key signatures Bar lines, including repeats (though any repeats 56 are still treated normally) ...other traditional notation objects which cannot be displayed on the compact timeline

When you hide staff notation on the score, MidiIllustrator also automatically activates the following options: · Compress Empty Measures 132 · Hide Empty Portions of Staves 150 These options help to display the most compact score possible (you can disable/reenable them after showing/hiding staff notation). If you want to shrink the score yet further, then disabling Staff Tools 158 and Staff Namings 154 will often reduce the height of staves on the score. If Staff Tools 158 are showing in Window View, and the "Ensure Staff Tools are Always Visible 150 " option is enabled, then a dotted timeline will be shown for each active, but 'empty' staff. Notes about Hiding Staff Notation · Staff notation is only hidden when scores are viewed in Performance Mode 33 . If you change mode when staff notation is hidden, the staves will be shown as normal. · If Staff Tools 158 are visible in Window View 117 then all active staves will be shown (instead of just a single timeline) if "Ensure Staff Tools are Always Visible 150 " is also enabled on the staff menu. · Certain actions are disabled when staff notation is hidden; specifically Step by Step Mode 188 . · Certain Tasks 206 may reset the score to traditional staff notation.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.3

Full Screen Command Location: View Menu See more of the score in Full Screen Mode! You can enter Full Screen Mode by clicking the F11 key. All menus and toolbars will be hidden, and the score will be shown using the entire screen, making much more of the notation visible. Keyboard shortcuts can be used to initiate functions such as playback, rewind etc. Hit Escape or F11 to return to normal viewing mode. Menu Access in Full Screen Mode You can access the hidden MidiIllustrator menus in Full Screen Mode simply by hitting the Alt key followed by the letter of each menu. For example: Alt + V brings up the View Menu. You can then select an item from the menu using the keyboard cursor or the mouse. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts whilst in Full Screen Mode. For example: Alt + L shows/hides the Lists Bar. To see a full list of shortcuts, look here

253 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

5.3.4

121

On Screen Piano Keyboard Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard The On-Screen Piano Keyboard will highlight notes and chords from the current score. It can be used as an aid to reading and playing the score (especially solo piano music) allowing you to quickly and easily visualize chord shapes and fingering. In Edit Mode, notes can added directly to your score with Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 . Moving and Sizing the Keyboard The On Screen Piano Keyboard works in a similar way to the other standard Windows toolbars found in MidiIllustrator, but unlike most toolbars it can also be sized dynamically even when it is ‘docked’. The keyboard can be docked or floated. When MidiIllustrator first starts the keyboard is docked at the bottom of the screen. As you resize the program's main window the keyboard width and height change by proportion to the main window size. MidiIllustrator will always try to make the best use of space when displaying the keyboard and its proportions will always be kept under control. You can use the title bar (on the top of the keyboard) to drag the keyboard to the top or bottom of the program window. When docked, MidiIllustrator will resize the keyboard in the context of the main window and other moveable windows such as the List Bar 125 . If the keyboard is floating on the page, it can be moved to any part of the screen with a simple click anywhere on the keyboard and by dragging it to the required location. The keyboard can also be resized by clicking and dragging any edge of the keyboard. Key Highlighting The piano keyboard highlights keys under the following circumstances: · In general, the notes from all visible staves will appear on the keyboard as they are sounded. Alternating staff notes are displayed in alternating colors. This is particularly useful in solo piano scores where left and right hands are clearly distinguished. Selecting Staves will affect the notes which appear on the keyboard during playback. If any staves are selected, only the notes from those staves will appear on the keyboard. Remaining visible staves will be ignored. This allows you to display multiple staves on the screen, and a different selection of staff notes on the keyboard. · When MIDI In 216 is received from an external midi device, such as a MIDI Piano Keyboard. · In Step by Step mode 188 the next note or notes to be played. Colors are applied using the same rules as during playback (alternating staff colors). Keyboard Highlighting Colors You can edit the keyboard colors, including piano key highlighting colors used to show which keys are being pressed during playback (such as left and right hand piano playback keys) via the Keyboard Options tab 43 in the Program Options dialog 222 . Full Size Keyboard

Y ou c an s witc h between dis playing a Full Size Keyboard (8 8 keys ) and a c ropped dis play of the c entre four oc taves of the keyboard (two oc taves on either s ide of M iddle C ).

Perf orming Hands 38

Read more about the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard P erforming H ands 38 .

Menu Commands You can access the keyboard’s menu of commands via the View Menu anywhere on the keyboard.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

116

or by right clicking


122

MidiIllustrator User Manual

The Keyboard Menu commands allow you to: · show/hide the On Screen Piano (OSP) Keyboard · dock the OSP keyboard in position · toggle between the full size OSP keyboard and the cropped keyboard · show note names on the OSP keyboard keys · show finger numbers on the OSP keyboard keys during playback (finger numbers 34 must be assigned to notes before the finger number can be shown on keys as they are played) · show/hide Performing Hands 38 on the keyboard during playback (fingering must be assigned to notes before they can be played) · edit the keyboard colors 43 , including piano key highlighting colors

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.4.1

Performing Hands

Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard Performing Hands are a feature of the On-Screen Keyboard. Watch your score performed on the keyboard by MidiIllustrator's talented hands which can perform even the most technically challenging pieces! Once finger numbers 34 have been assigned to a range of notes in the score, MidiIllustrator's hands can perform even the most demanding pieces (finger numbers do not have to be shown on the actual keyboard keys 37 in order for performing hands to be displayed). The scenario for the most successful display of performing hands is with piano pieces where notes have been assigned finger positions specifically for performance on the piano. However when displayed, MidiIllustrator hands will try to play any number of instruments and musical ideas (voices 242 ) spread over any number of the visible staves in the score. The hand which will be assigned to play a given stave is determined by the hand assignment 76 in Staff Manager 76 . See finger numbers 34 for more information. The performing hands endeavor to play most chord shapes over most ranges though certain spans may be deemed unreachable in which case no fingering will be attempted giving the appearance that some notes are simply being ignored during playback... This can happen particularly if notes from multiple voices in a staff have been assigned fingers for a single hand, in which case the performing hands will not be able to correctly finger all of the notes (the default behavior when analyzing fingering automatically is for lower voice notes in any staff to be assigned to the left hand and upper voice notes to be assigned to the right hand). Fill Hands Option By default, the hands are drawn as s olid objec ts as this gives them the mos t natural appearanc e, however they c an be dis played hollow (outline only) in order to give better vis ibility of the keyboard beneath the hands .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.5

Metronome Light Command Location: View Menu / Metronome Light The Metronome Light flashes in time with each beat of the music to give you a visual © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

123

representation of the time signature of the piece. The Accented Beat will flash in a different color to the normal beat, and the default settings are dark blue for the Accented Beat and pale blue for the Normal Beat. The color settings may be changed using the Program Colors 225 tab of Program Options, and the length of time that the colors are displayed for on each beat can be changed in the Metronome 218 tab of Setup, Program Options. The Metronome Light also displays the beat count to help with counting and rhythm exercises. The Metronome Light is turned on by default and works independently from the Metronome audio. The sound and light of the metronome are independent so that you can use either one at a time, or both as you choose. If you do not wish to use the Metronome Light simply hide it using the Show/Hide command. The Dock/Undock command allows you to choose between having the Metronome Light floating on the screen or docked in a position of your choice. If the Metronome Light is floating on the page, it can be moved to any part of the screen with a simple click anywhere on the Metronome Light and by dragging it to the required location. The Metronome Light can also be resized by clicking on and dragging any of its edges (MidiIllustrator will automatically ensure that the size of the Metronome Light will be kept proportional to its original height and width). As well as being available via the View menu, the Show/Hide and Dock/Undock commands may also be accessed by right clicking on the Metronome Light. For the most part you will probably want to have the Metronome Light docked on the toolbar or somewhere similar on the page, but sometimes it may be useful to have it floating on the screen. For example, you may be playing along to a piece some distance from the computer screen in which case you may want the Metronome Light floating in the centre of the screen and as large as possible so that you can see it clearly from where you are sitting.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.6

Toolbars The View menu offers the following commands: Window View 117

D is plays the s c ore on the s c reen making full us e of the s ize of the monitor s c reen. I t is not a repres entation of how the s c ore will appear when printed (s ee page view below) but it makes the bes t us e of your s c reen 'real es tate'!

Page View (Print Preview) 117

P age V iew is the s ame as P rint P review. T his view allows you to evaluate the s c ore prior to s ending it to print, and therefore to adjus t the page layout or printer s et up as des ired before printing. T he s c ore is dis played on the s c reen as it will appear printed us ing the c urrent printer s etup and page layout.

Scroll View (Editing) 117

T his viewing mode applies the s ame rules for layout as Window view, exc ept that the format for the s c ore is a s ingle s ys tem whic h s c rolls horizontally along the page. T his makes editing muc h s impler as the dynamic c hanges to the s c ore objec t s izes whic h oc c ur as you edit (eg s taff height) do not res ult in c ons tant reformatting of the s c ore.

Hide Staf f Notation - Show Timeline 32

A view of the s c ore in whic h traditional s taff notation is temporarily hidden, and ins tead s taves in the s c ore are 'c ompres s ed' s hown as a c ompac t timeline (P erformanc e M ode O nly)

Toolbars

Shows · · · ·

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

or hides the following T oolbars : File T oolbars and Zoom P erform 185 V olume and T empo 126


124

MidiIllustrator User Manual

· · · ·

L is ts 125 E diting P alettes 128 M eas ure M odes 61 and V iews 117

T he E diting P alettes 128 toolbar is c ontext s ens itive and will bec ome vis ible depending on the editing s tate M idiI llus trator is in. T he ‘Res tore D efault T oolbar L ayout’ option revers es all c hanges made to the toolbars and reins tates the original toolbar layout. Status Bar 128

Shows or hides the s tatus bar at the bottom of the s c reen. Y ou c an s how a lis t of Status Bar dis play options by right c lic king on the Status Bar.

Full Screen 120

E nter/L eave Full Sc reen M ode

Keyboard 37

A llows · · · · ·

·

·

you to: s how/hide the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 (O SP ) doc k the O SP keyboard in pos ition toggle between the full s ize O SP keyboard and the c ropped keyboard s how note names on the O SP keyboard keys s how finger numbers on the O SP keyboard keys during playbac k (finger numbers 34 mus t be as s igned to notes before the finger number c an be s hown on keys as they are played) s how/hide P erforming H ands 38 on the keyboard during playbac k (fingering mus t be as s igned to notes before they c an be played) edit the keyboard c olors 43 , inc luding piano key highlighting c olors

For further information, s ee the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 s ec tion. Metronome Light

A llows you to s how/hide and doc k/undoc k the M etronome L ight. Y ou may als o edit the metronome light flas hing c olors in the P rogram C olors 225 dialog.

Zoom 117

A llows you to zoom in and out of the s c ore. N ote that zooming does not c hange the ac tual printing s ize of the notation it s imply alters the magnific ation of the s c ore on the s c reen. For more information s ee Zooming vs P rint Size 117 . O nc e you have found a zoom s etting you are happy with, this c an be s et as your P referred Zoom 225 - als o available a c ommand from the "T oolbars & Zoom" toolbar.

Navigation Commands

A llows you to navigate the s c ore by referenc e to P age, M eas ure, Staff/Sys tem and I tem. Cursor Navigation During Playback Whils t playing the s c ore, holding down the Control key during the main navigation c ommands will move the playbac k c urs or and then res tart playbac k from the new c urs or loc ation. Shortc uts 253 are available for eac h c ommand.

Go Directly to Score Location...

O pens the G oto... dialog box and enables you to s elec t the Bookmark, P age or M eas ure that you wis h to find, and will take you to that part of the s c ore.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus) 5.3.6.1

125

Lists

Command Location: View Menu / Toolbars The List Bar contains four powerful tools for managing and working with your music. Click on the tabs to show each list and its corresponding control set in turn. You can easily resize and move the List Bar using the mouse. Right click any list to bring up a context menu of actions relevant to that list; including the following general commands: List Bar Font The List Bar Font button allows you to set a custom font for display of all text in the List Bar. You can, for example, choose a larger font to make reading from a distance easier. AutoSize Columns Your preferred list-column-widths are now stored and restored for each 'tab' in the List Bar. Column 'autosizing' is also a menu option which will tell MidiIllustrator to size list columns to fit list content as it changes. Autosizing is enabled by default, but will be deactivated if you size a column manually. List

Purpose

Browser

T his lis t s hows the c ontents of a partic ular folder whic h might c ontain the mus ic (M I D I , Karaoke and M idiI llus trator files ) on whic h you are c urrently working. I t allows you quic k ac c es s to a lis t of s c ores whic h c an be opened with a s ingle c lic k. Sinc e the lis t is always on the s c reen, there is no need to c ons tantly reopen and c los e the File O pen dialog whils t you are brows ing a c ollec tion of files . The f ollowing button/menu commands are available: · Browse button “…”: C lic k the button to brows e to a partic ular folder. T he s tandard File O pen dialog will be s hown, but modified to s elec t a folder. T he number of s ong files in eac h folder is s hown in the “Folder N ame” field of the Folder O pen dialog. · Single Score Browse Mode: O nly one s c ore will be open at a time, s aving s ys tem res ourc es and making brows ing fas ter. E ac h time a s c ore is opened, all other s c ores will be c los ed. Y ou will be prompted to s ave and open s c ores whic h have been modified. · Play Scores on Open: E ac h s c ore will be played (if pos s ible) as s oon as it is opened. Sc ores c an only be played if M I D I playbac k devic es have been s etup in M idiI llus trator.

Playlists

T his is an advanc ed tool for c reating, s toring and playing lis ts of your favourite s c ores . Y ou c an load up a playlis t and begin playbac k whils t you are entertaining friends , or for your own lis tening/viewing pleas ure. T he following button/menu c ommands are available and enable you to c reate new playlis ts and add s ongs to thos e lis ts : · A dd Songs to L is t · A dd the C urrent (open) Song to the P laylis t · Remove Selec ted Songs · N ew L is t · Rename L is t · D elete L is t · C lear L is t Begin Playback

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


126

MidiIllustrator User Manual

T his c ommand will s witc h M idiI llus trator to Playlist Mode. Pause Between Playing Songs T his c ommand will ins ert a s mall delay in between s ongs in Playlist Mode. T his provides a more pleas ant trans ition between the end of one s ong and the s tart of another s ong. I t is generally only nec es s ary to enable this option on very fas t s ys tems . Playlist Mode I n this mode, all editing and modific ation of s c ores is dis abled, as M idiI llus trator prepares to play eac h s c ore in turn from the c urrent playlis t. A s a res ult, many menus / toolbars will be dis abled in this mode. Y ou c an exit P laylis t M ode at any time by hitting the E s c ape key. M idiI llus trator will play eac h s ong in the playlis t, and then res tart at the beginning. E ac h s ong will be opened and dis played as a s c ore in the normal way. O nly one s c ore will be open at a time, s aving s ys tem res ourc es and making the applic ation more effic ient. E ac h time a s c ore is opened, all other s c ores will be c los ed. Y ou will be prompted to s ave and open s c ores whic h have been modified when you firs t enter P laylis t M ode. I f a s ong has been s aved in prac tic e mode, it will be opened and played in prac tic e mode. So you may want to avoid adding s uc h s ongs to c ertain playlis ts as the prac tic e s es s ion may ins truc t a s ec tion of the s ong to loop forever! Open Scores

T his lis t s imply s hows a lis t of all open s c ores , and allows eas y s witc hing between them.

Log

T he log c ontains a his tory of the las t 3 0 0 s ongs opened. D ouble c lic k an item in the lis t to reopen the s ong ins tantly. I f you are working through a large group of works (s uc h as Bac h C horales ) then the log will help you keep s taff of whic h works you have rec ently viewed. Y ou c an als o monitor your prac tic e s es s ions as eac h entry is dated!

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.6.2

Status Bar with Volume and Tempo Toolbar

Command Location: View Menu / Toolbars / Status Bar with Volume & Tempo Volume and Tempo controls are integrated into the Status bar allowing you to dynamically change the Master volume and Master tempo of a score as it is played back. As an alternative, you can use the Volume and Tempo keyboard shortcuts 253 to set the Volume and the Tempo at any time. You can show a list of Status Bar display options by right clicking on the Status Bar. Summary The slider to the left controls the volume. To the right, the current tempo is displayed in beats per minute. When values are changed, the new volume/tempo is shown in the left of the status bar as a percentage of the score’s original volume/tempo at the current cursor position. Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

127

These controls are master overrides, not absolute settings (see below). Use the Tempo dialog 82 to set the starting tempo for the score or add tempo MIDI events later in the score using the Expressions Dialog 75 . Volume The volume is a master setting meaning that the individual volume setting of each staff is incremented or decremented from its original value as the volume changes i.e. it is not an absolute setting. Note that the final volume of scores when played back is controlled by the Windows Mixer dialog (or the 'Windows volume control'). In general, MidiIllustrator does not alter the volume settings at this level (see the exception below). Automatically Adjustment of MIDI Device Volume Some programs erroneously reduce the master volume of the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth", which is the default MIDI device used for playback on many Windows systems. If the Windows 'master' volume for this device has been set to zero, then no sound will be heard during playback of any scores which use the device. MidiIllustrator now checks to see if the Wavetable Synth is the playback device each time playback begins. If it is, and the current volume is zero, MidiIllustrator automatically increases the volume to 50%. This action simply reproduces the result you would see if you manually increased the "MIDI" or "SW Synth" volume value in the Windows Mixer dialog (also know as 'the Windows volume control'). Volume Control Behavior The volume control has two modes depending on the staff selection state of the score. These modes are designed to allow you to easily focus on a particular instrument or instruments in a score. You can individuate a selection of instruments gradually by increasing the performance volume relative to other instruments in the score. Mode 1) No Staves Selected · If no staves are selected and the slider is in the central position, staves will play back at their individual designated volume (see the Volume setting in the MIDI Configuration 152 section of Staff Manager). · As the slider is moved to the right, the volume on all staves will be steadily increased to a maximum of 127. · As the volume is moved to the left, the volume on all staves will be steadily decreased to a minimum of 0. If the various staff volumes are uneven, then some staves will reach the boundaries of 0 or 127 before others, at which point increasing or decreasing the volume further will have the effect of gradually synchronizing all staff volumes. Eventually all staves will have the same minimum or maximum value. Mode 2) Staves Selected When one or more staves in the score is selected, altering the volume will effect the selected and unselected staves in different ways. · At the central position all staff volumes will play at 100% of their original values. · As the volume slider is moved to the right, the volume of all selected staves will increase to a maximum of 127. At the same time the volume of all unselected staves will decrease at the same rate towards 0. · As the volume slider is moved to the left, the volume of all selected staves will remain at exactly 100% of their original values. At the same time the volume of all unselected staves will decrease at the same rate towards 0. Shortcut © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


128

MidiIllustrator User Manual

You can quickly reset the volume to its original value (100%) by clicking on the "Vol:" label to the left of the slider. Tempo The tempo displayed on the status bar is the number of beats per minute (BPM) based on the current beat length and the current rate of play back. The beat length is also illustrated with a note graphic. The note will be equivalent to one beat in length. Like the volume control, the tempo control is a master override, not an absolute setting. The tempo value you specify will reduce or increase the original tempo of the piece (at the current cursor point) to a percentage of its original value. For instance, if the piece was originally recorded at 60 BPM in 3:4 time then setting the tempo to a value of 250% will result in a tempo of 150 BPM (2.5 * 60 BPM = 150 BPM). MIDI Tempo controller events in the current MIDI file control the speed at which a song is played back, and these events will update the status bar BPM value dynamically during playback. As the song playback rate slows down or speeds up, the BPM value will decrease or increase accordingly. The Master % value will not change with these tempo ‘events’, however, and if the tempo at a certain point in the MIDI file drops from 240 BPM to 120 BPM and you have manually set the Master tempo to 25%, for example, the actual tempo you will hear in playback will drop from 60 BPM to 30 BPM (25% of 120 BPM). The tempo can be modified to any percentage of its original value, so long as the resulting tempo is between 20bpm and 750bpm. Saving the Tempo You can apply the current master tempo to a saved copy of your score, using the Save As Dialog 105 . Alternatively, use the Tempo dialog 82 to set the starting tempo for the score or add tempo MIDI events later in the score using the Expressions Dialog

75

).

Shortcut You can quickly reset the tempo to its original value (100%) by clicking on the "Tempo:" label to the left of the slider.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.6.2.1 Status Bar

Command Location: View Menu Use this command to display and hide the Status Bar with Tempo and Volume controls

126 .

You can show a list of Status Bar display options by right clicking on the Status Bar. Typically the Status Bar describes the action to be executed by the selected menu item or depressed toolbar button.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.6.3

Editing Palettes

Command Location: View Menu / Toolbars © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

129

MidiIllustrator allows you to edit the notation in the score using context sensitive toolbars. In this way, only those toolbars which are useful at a particular time are shown, leaving room for more of the score to be shown on the screen. You can hide or show the editing palettes using the View/Toolbars/Editing Palettes Menu command. The editing palettes consist of the following toolbars: · Insert Toolbar (for inserting lyrics, bookmarks, guitar chords and chord names · Selected Item toolbar (for editing lyrics, bookmarks, guitar chords and chord names) · Notes Toolbar (for editing note attributes) · Entry Item toolbar (Edit Mode

46

only, for setting note and rest entry qualities

48

)

At any one time, only one of the above toolbars will be shown, depending on the current selection in the score. For example, if you select a note, the Insert Toolbar will vanish and the Notes toolbar will appear in its place. The toolbars contain a subset of the commands found in each toolbar's respective menu. Palette Positioning By default, the editing palettes are show docked on the right side of the screen, but you can move them to any other location, just as with the rest of MidiIllustrator’s toolbars. NOTE: Placing the editing palettes next to resizing tools such as the on-screen keyboard or the List toolbar may produce unwanted resizing of toolbar as the editing palettes are shown or hidden with context changes to selections in the score. You can restore the default positioning of all toolbars by selecting View/Toolbars/ Restore Default Toolbar Layout.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.3.6.4

View Toolbar command

The toolbars are displayed across the top of the application window, below the menu bar. The toolbars provide quick mouse access to many commands used in MidiIllustrator. To hide or display the Toolbar, choose Toolbar from the View menu.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4

Score menu The Score menu offers the following commands: Options 138

A llows you to c us tomis e many as pec ts of the s c ore.

Transcription Options 139

A llows you to c ontrol the way in whic h M idiI llus trator c onverts M I D I files into s heet mus ic /notation. N ote that you c an als o ac c es s thes e options via Sc ore O ptions 138 .

Titles 70

O pens the Sc ore T itles dialog. Sc ore T itles 70 are c us tomis able text entries in the s c ore. N ote that titles are only vis ible in P age view (P rint P review). T itles c an als o be doublec lic ked with the mous e and edited direc tly from the s c ore.

Individual Note Names 132

Shows /hides the written name of eac h note on the s c ore. Several dis play options are available (in, alongs ide, above or below eac h note) - s ee Sc ore L ayout 132 .

Finger Numbers 34

Shows /hides the finger number (where it has been as s igned) of eac h note on the s c ore.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


130

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Several dis play options are available (in, alongs ide, above or below eac h note) - s ee Sc ore L ayout 132 . Show/Hide Score Objects

Shows /H ides a variety of objec ts in the s c ore.

132

Notation 132

A llows you to c onfigure s ome s ettings from the N otation tab of Sc ore O ptions .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.1

Score Titles Command Location: Score Menu / Titles Score Titles are customizable text entries in the score. Score Titles are displayed as rich text click context menu in the edit boxes.

72

objects so font formatting is possible using the right-

MidiIllustrator displays the following titles: · Score Title (top of the first page) · Copyright (not displayed on the score) · Composer (beneath the title, right side, first page) · Reference (beneath the title, left side, first page) · Footer (bottom of the page, first page and all remaining pages) · Header (top of the page, first page and all remaining pages) Titles are edited using the Score Titles dialog, Score Menu. Headers and Footers The drop down boxes allow you to modify the header/footer style and alignment. The default setting is Normal (i.e. the header/footer is shown but does not have a border) but this can be changed using the drop down boxes described below. The first drop down box allows you to customise the header/footer as follows: · None – no header/footer will be displayed · Normal – the header/footer will not have a border · Boxed – the header/footer will be bordered with a box · Curve Boxed – the header/footer will be bordered with a curved box The second drop down box allows you to set alignment. Title text can include custom MidiIllustrator "Fields 71 ". These fields 71 are populated automatically with the latest information when titles are displayed or printed (such as page count, file name, date etc). Note that titles are only visible in Page view (Print Preview). Titles can also be double-clicked with the mouse and edited directly from the score in most modes.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

5.4.2

131

Title Fields Command Location: Score Menu / Titles 'Fields' are special text strings which can be inserted into Score Titles

70

.

These fields are automatically populated with the score information when titles are displayed or printed (such as page count, file name, date etc). Fields can be added manually, or with the Insert Field Menu in the Score Titles dialog. Fields contain no spaces, and should always be wrapped with square brackets [ and ]. The available fields are: Type

Field

Description

T itles

[ti tl e_scoreti tl e]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the Sc ore T itle.

[ti tl e_copy ri ght]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the C opyright T itle.

[ti tl e_composer]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the C ompos er T itle.

[ti tl e_ref erence]

Subs titutes the c ontents of the Referenc e T itle.

[pa ge_number]

Subs titutes the page number.

[pa ge_tota l ]

Subs titutes the total page c ount.

[ba r_tota l ]

Subs titutes the total meas ure c ount.

[ba r_f i rstonpa ge]

Subs titutes the number of the firs t meas ure on the page.

[ba r_l a stonpa ge]

Subs titutes the number of the las t meas ure on the page.

[f i l e_ti tl e]

Subs titutes the file title exc luding the extens ion eg "M y Song".

[f i l e_ti tl e_ext]

Subs titutes the file title inc luding the extens ion eg "M y Song.mid".

[f i l e_pa th]

Subs titutes the file path eg "C : \Songs \M y Song.mid".

[f i l e_l oca ti on]

Subs titutes the file path eg "C : \Songs ".

[ti me_H]

Subs titutes the c urrent hour (2 4 hour c loc k).

[ti me_h]

Subs titutes the c urrent hour (1 2 hour c loc k).

[ti me_M]

Subs titutes the c urrent minute.

[ti me_S]

Subs titutes the c urrent s ec ond.

[ti me_f orma t_12]

Subs titutes the c urrent time (1 2 hour c loc k).

[ti me_f orma t_24]

Subs titutes the c urrent time (2 4 hour c loc k).

[da te_d]

Subs titutes the c urrent day of the week eg "M onday".

[da te_D]

Subs titutes the c urrent day of the month eg "1 2 ".

[da te_m]

Subs titutes the c urrent month name eg "M ay".

[da te_M]

Subs titutes the c urrent month of the year eg "5 ".

[da te_Y]

Subs titutes the c urrent year.

[da te_f orma t_YMd]

Subs titutes the c urrent date..

P age I nformation M eas ure I nformation

File I nformation

T ime

D ate

Note that you can reference other titles using fields. In this case, references must not be 'circular' ie if you place the Copyright field in the Composer title, then the Copyright title cannot Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


132

MidiIllustrator User Manual

also contain the Composer field, or an endless loop would result! Example of Field Usage The following text in the footer would show page numbers on each page of the score: Page [page_number] of [page_total] Notes about Fields 路 Titles are only visible in Page view (Print Preview) 路 If you apply font formatting to a field in a score title then you MUST apply the same formatting to the entire field including the square brackets, or the field will not be properly substituted in the score

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.3

Individual Note Names Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Notation Tab Show/Hide Score Objects

Note Inf ormation: Note Names and Finger Numbers 52

Bookmarks

I f you have ins erted Bookmarks 168 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

Chord Names

I f you have ins erted C hord N ames 178 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

Guitar Frets

I f you have ins erted G uitar Frets 179 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

Free Text

I f you have ins erted Free T ext items 180 this c hec k box allows you to s how/ hide them as des ired.

Expressions

I f you have ins erted E xpres s ions 180 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

N ote N ames and Finger N umbers are both kinds of 'per note information' whic h c an be dis played on the s c ore us ing the note information dis play preferenc es (s ee below). Note Inf ormation Display Pref erences Show inside notes

Y ou c an als o c hoos e to have note information plac ed inside the note. I n s ome c irc ums tanc es (s uc h as printing vs . window view), one layout may be eas ier to read than the other. P lac ing note information ins ide the notes als o generate s maller s c ores for printing, as les s horizontal/vertic al s pac e is needed to name eac h note. When note information is drawn ins ide the note, the text c olor is c ontrolled by M idiI llus trator in order to maximize c larity.

Show to lef t of note

When this option has been s elec ted the name will be dis played near eac h note on the s c ore (s ee below for pos itioning options ).

Note that if both N ote N ames and Finger N umbers are s et to dis play ins ide or to the left of the note, Finger N umber dis play will override the N ote N ame. I f you wis h to s how both N ote N ames and Finger N umbers for notes then one of the s e information types c an be s hown ins ide the note, the other to the left of the note. A lternatively, s how note information outs ide the s taff.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Show outside staf f

133

When note information is s hown outs ide the s taff it c an be automatic ally arranged by M idiI llus trator to c reate the mos t c ompac t s c ore bas ed on note pos itions , s tem direc tions , voic es and the note names /finger numbers relative to the owning note. A lternatively you c an c us tomize the dis play of note information to s uit your needs . Position automatically outside staf f (recommended def ault): T his is the rec ommended s tyle for the mos t eas ily c onfigured s c ore with optimal s pac ing. Position above the staf f Position below the staf f A lways position voices separately above/below the staf f : With multiple voic es in a s taff, s eparating the fingering above and below the s c ore is rec ommended for c larity. Show placeholder f or non-f ingered notes in part-f ingered chord: When note names are s hown, they are s hown for all notes . H owever finger numbers may have been as s igned to jus t a few of the notes in the s c ore. I f only part of a given c hord has been fingered and the finger numbers are dis played outs ide the s taff (i.e. not next to their owner note) then it may be hard to tell whic h finger number pertains to whic h note. Showing a plac eholder for non fingered notes in a c hord will s tac k the finger numbers in the s ame way that the c hord notes are vertic ally s tac ked, making it c learer whic h note owns whic h finger number.

Maximizing Clarity of Note Inf ormation Y ou may find that it helps to zoom 117 in on the piec e in order to s ee the note names /finger numbers c learly on the s c reen, or c hange the P rint Size 149 if you are printing your s c ore. Y ou may c hange the c olor and font of the note information fonts in the Fonts 146 tab - experiment to s ee what looks bes t on your s c ore. Fonts c an als o be Bold or Regular in s ize whic h may improve legibility. Note Inf ormation Fonts T wo c onfigurable fonts 146 are us ed to dis play note information. T he s ize of the N ote N ame/Finger N umber font c annot be c hanged as the note names s tart to overlap the notation if they are bigger than the note 'heads ' (es pec ially on c hords where many notes may overlap). For this reas on, a N ote N ame/Finger N umber is always roughly the s ame s ize as a note head. Notation

Compress Empty Measures

I n order to make the bes t us e of s pac e on the s c reen or printed page, you c an c hoos e to C ompres s E mpty M eas ures . M idiI llus trator will c ompres s c ontiguous empty meas ures as long as the meas ures are: 路 c ompletely empty i.e. none of the vis ible s taves in the meas ure c ontain any notes ; and 路 identic al i.e. they s hare the s ame time s ignature, key s ignature, c lef and bar ending T his option is turned on by default.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


134

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Show Bar Repeat Count

D is play (where appropriate) above the meas ure the number of repeats whic h will be applied to a s ec tion repeat barline 56 during playbac k.

Show Courtesy A ccidental f or Every Note

With this option enabled, the key s ignature is effec tively repeated for eac h note on the s c ore, making it muc h eas ier to remember to s harpen or flatten a partic ular note when performing a piec e. N ote that this 'global' c ommand overrides the individual per note s etting for dis playing c ourtes y ac c identals agains t notes (s ee N otes M enu 52 and E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 ); U nlike in s tandard notation, M idiI llus trator will not jus t as s ume that a s harp or flat ‘holds ’ for the meas ure when this option is enabled. I ns tead, in a piec e written in the key of G whic h c ontains a s ingle s harp (for example), every s ingle F in the s c ore will be marked with its own ac c idental (s harp), even multiple F# notes in the s ame meas ure.

A ssign More Space To Longer Notes

Y ou c an c hoos e to have M idiI llus trator alloc ate more s pac e on a s c ore to the longer notes than to the s horter notes as an aid to s ight reading.

Color Voices in Perf ormance Mode

A pplies dis tinc tive c olors to the different voic es 242 on the s c ore when in P erformanc e M ode. T hes e c olors are always applied in E dit M ode to make editing eas ier. C olors c an be s elec ted us ing the C olor 23 s ec tion of Sc ore O ptions .

Hide A LL upper/lower voice guide rests H ides all automatically drawn upper/ in Perf ormance Mode lower voic e 'guide' res ts . See more information about V oic e G uide Res ts 242 . Playback

Play Notes as Imported/Recorded

P lay imported M I D I s ongs as they were originally performed, rather than adhering to the notated times dis played on the s c ore. T his allows playbac k of a rec orded s ong as it was originally c aptured, even though the notation may have been 'tidied' by M idiI llus trator for eas ier reading (perhaps us ing T rans c ription O ptions 139 ). N ote that this option only applies to s c ores whic h c ontain s ome original M I D I c ontent or rec ording s es s ion data.

Measure Numbers

Y ou may c us tomize if, and how, M eas ure N umbers (#) are dis played on the s c ore. T he dis play of meas ure numbers may be affec ted by the c urrent 'view' (s ee below). T he default s etting is a C urved Box (whic h enc los es the M eas ure N umber) on E very M eas ure s tarting at Bar 1 , but this c an be c hanged us ing the three drop down boxes . T he meas ure numbers c an be s et as follows :

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

135

· N one - no meas ures numbers will be dis played · N ormal - meas ure numbers will not be enc los ed · Boxed - meas ure numbers will be s urrounded by a box · C urved Box - meas ure numbers will be s urrounded by a c urved box I f N one has been s elec ted above, the 2 remaining drop down boxes will be grayed out, but they c an be edited if N ormal, Boxed or C urved Box has been s elec ted. T he options available are as follows : · E very M eas ure · E very Sys tem · E very P age · E very 5 th Bar · E very 1 0 th Bar T he third drop down box allows you to s et a s tart point as follows : · From Bar 1 · From Bar 2 etc (depending on the number of bars in the piec e) Note that measure numbers are shown on A LL measures when in Scroll View as this inf ormation is usef ul f or editing. Beat Marks

A s an aid to unders tanding the beat pattern of a s c ore, M idiI llus trator c an plac e s mall marks ‘on the beat’ above the top s taff. I f, for example, the time s ignature is 4 :4 , then four beat marks will s pan the top of eac h meas ure. D is playing beat marks works well when the c urs or is s et to follow ‘the neares t beat during playbac k’. Y ou may c us tomize the beat mark c olor to bes t highlight the loc ation of the beats in the mus ic . T he Beat M arks c an be c us tomized us ing the three drop down boxes . T he firs t drop down box provides the following options : · H idden - T he Beat M arks will not appear on the s c ore. · N ormal - T he Beat M arks will be permanently dis played on the s c ore (exc ept during P laybac k if the ‘C ountdown’ option has been s elec ted. See the ‘N ote’ below). · P laybac k O nly - T he Beat M arks will only appear on the s c ore during P laybac k. I f H idden has been s elec ted above, the two remaining drop down boxes will be grayed out, but they c an be s elec ted if N ormal or P laybac k O nly has been s elec ted. T he s ec ond drop down box allows you to dis play the Beat M arks on the: · T op Stave · A ll Staves T he third drop down box offers two options : · Static – whereby the Beat M arks s tay in plac e as the mus ic is played. · C ountdown – whereby the Beat M arks dis appear as they are pas s ed in the s c ore. T he default s etting is ‘P laybac k O nly’ on the ‘T op Stave’ with ‘C ountdown’.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


136

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Note: Y ou may wis h to view the Beat M arks all the time, in whic h c as e you would s elec t ‘N ormal’ from the firs t drop down box, and they will be dis played on the s c ore. H owever, if you then s elec ted ‘C ountdown’ from the third drop down box, the Beat M arks would dis appear when they were pas s ed in the s c ore during P laybac k. T herefore, if you truly want the Beat M arks to be on dis play at all times , even during P laybac k, make s ure you have s elec ted ‘Static ’ in the third drop down box as well as ‘N ormal’ in the firs t. Bookmarks

A llows you to c us tomize any Bookmarks 168 whic h have been plac ed on the s c ore. T he default s etting is a C urved Box (whic h enc los es the Bookmark), but this c an be c hanged us ing the Bookmark drop down box. T he options available are: · N ormal – no s urround · Boxed · C urve Boxed

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.4

Finger Numbers Command Location: Tools Menu Finger numbers can be assigned to notes and chords in one of three ways: · Manually using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 · Automatically for a selection of notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with finger number Keyboard Shortcuts 253 without the need to open the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog · Automatically for the entire score, a range of staves, or a note selection using the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog Once you have assigned finger numbers to notes several new features become available: · Finger numbers can be displayed in, alongside, above or below 132 each note/chord in the score · Finger numbers can be displayed on each key during playback on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 · MidiIllustrator can show animated Performing Hands 38 performing your score over the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 Automatic Fingering Analysis Automatic Fingering Analysis is an advanced feature in MidiIllustrator which performs a customizable analysis of the notation in your scores and accordingly assigns finger numbers to each note and chord. Fingering analysis is customizable to help you assign the right finger numbers easily and quickly for a selection of notes or the whole score. See also: notes on Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible Choose what to analyze

34

.

I f a note range is s elec ted in the s c ore when the fingering analys is dialog is opened, M idiI llus trator will c hec k the Current selection only c hec kbox. I n this c as e, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

137

Ignore unselected notes when calculating: With this option, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an c hoos e to analyze entire s taves or the entire s c ore. T his will take s ome time as even a bas ic analys is is quite demanding on the average P C . See A dvanced Settings below to c onfigure you own kind of analys is . Options

Keep existing f ingering and use it when calculating: N ormally, exis ting finger numbers will be ignored in the c alc ulation and will be updated as M idiI llus trator s ees fit. With this option c hec ked however, M idiI llus trator will us e any exis ting fingering in the s c ore as a guide to how you would like finger numbers as s igned to remaining notes and thes e finger numbers will not be c hanged in the analys is . Y ou might us e this option having as s igned a finger number to a s ingle note in an arpeggio, for example, and M idiI llus trator will then as s ign finger numbers to the remaining notes in the arpeggio us ing the manually as s igned finger as a s tarting point.

Choose an instrument f ingering

I n the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator, fingering analys is c an be performed for keyboard instruments s uc h as the piano. M idiI llus trator will dec ide whic h hand to us e when fingering a given s taff bas ed on the as s igned ins trument playing hand 76 (Staff M anager). Y ou c an override this when us ing the finger analys is dialog us ing the Force Hand c ommands . A ssign separate hand f ingering f or upper/lower voices: When M idiI llus trator finds more than one mus ic al idea indic ated in a s taff with the us e of voic es 242 , it will normally as s ign both the left and right hands to finger lower and upper voic es ac c ordingly. U nc hec k this box to have a s ingle hand notes ac ros s play multiple voic es on eac h s taff. D is abling this option may have c ons equenc es for P erforming H ands 38 making s ome multi- voic e c hord c ombinations unplayable.

A dvanced Settings

T he Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing s ettings allow you to c ontrol the effort M idiI llus trator applies to as s igning finger numbers to a range of notes . Warning! C hanging advanc ed s ettings - es pec ially Depth of analysis may dramatic ally inc reas e analys is time - s o this option s hould be c onfigured in the c ontext of your P C proc es s or s peed. G enerally, deeper analys is will res ult in better fingering, and inc reas ing the res ult s moothing will addres s errors c aus ed by ins uffic ient depth of analys is . I t's worth experimenting with different analys is s ettings on different notation s elec tions , es pec ially if you c an allow extra time for the analys is to proc eed. Remember these advanced settings: Y our s ettings will be s aved when you c los e the dialog. T hes e s aved s ettings will als o be applied when automatic ally as s igning finger numbers for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Restore A dvanced Def aults: Res tore the default s ettings for Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing.

Finger Numbers Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


138

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Valid finger numbers are from 1 to 5, starting with the thumb (1) on each hand through to the pinky (5). Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible

Since assigning finger numbers is a very subjective task, automatic generation of finger numbers for entire scores will inevitably include some unsuitable finger assignments. There are many rules in the analysis which favours general rules and uses specific rules rarely. Sometimes, for example, you will see a finger roll incorrectly assigned to an arpeggio, or an awkward fingering for a 4 finger chord in order to make progress to the next note sequence easier. In some case a given fingering may simply suit one player more than another. To get best results, using the following automatic fingering options in combination with your own manual fingering assignments is highly recommended: · Ignore unselected notes when calculating 34 . Remember that fingering for a given sequence is calculated in the context of the surrounding notation. Sometimes you will get better results if you generate fingering for a sequence in isolation. You can also do this quickly for a selection of notes using the fingering keyboard shortcuts 253 . · Keep existing fingering and use it when calculating 34 . This is a quick way to get the fingering you want on a chord or arpeggio. Manually assign one or two finger numbers to a given sequence of selected notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 . Select the range of notes you wish to assign finger numbers to automatically. Open the Automatic Fingering Analysis dialog and check the Keep existing

fingering and use it when calculating 34 option. MidiIllustrator will use the manually assigned finger numbers when assigning fingering to the rest of the selection. Usually, manually assigning the first and/or last note in a chord or arpeggio will help MidiIllustrator automatically assign the rest of the fingering to your requirements.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5

Score Options Dialog Command Location: Score Menu The Score Options dialog allows you to make changes to the current score and set the default behavior for all other scores. Other scores will continue to use the default score options (see the Set As Default command below). The dialog contains the following tabs: · Transcription Options 139 · Notation 132 · Staff Tools and Namings 145 · Fonts 146 · Colors, Textures and Backgrounds · Print Margins 148 · Print Layout 149

23

To the right hand side of each Score Options tab there are buttons which allow you to change the Score Options for not only the current score but also for all MIDI and Karaoke files subsequently opened in MidiIllustrator. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

139

The following buttons are displayed on the right hand side of each Score Options tab: Restore Def aults

Res ets the values in the c urrent Sc ore O ptions tab to the default s ettings . C hanges to values in the tab will not affec t the c urrent s c ore until you hit ‘O K’ or ‘A pply’. Note: thes e may not be the default s ettings c reated when you ins talled M idiI llus trator, as you are able to overwrite the ‘defaults ’ (s ee below).

Set A s Def ault

Sets the values in the c urrent Sc ore O ptions tab as the new default values . A ll M I D I and Karaoke files opened s ubs equently will us e thes e new default s ettings . Note: E xis ting .mil files previous ly s aved with M idiI llus trator will not be affec ted by thes e new defaults unles s you open eac h .mil file, s elec t the given Sc ore O ptions tab and s elec t ‘Res tore D efaults ’.

Page View/Window View

T oggles the view of the s c ore between P age V iew and Window V iew 117 T his enables you to quic kly s ee the effec t of any c hanges to the Sc ore O ptions in the different views without having to c los e the Sc ore O ptions dialog (us eful when, for example, c hanging P rint L ayout options whic h apply only to P age view)

A pply Now

When this c hec kbox is s elec ted, c hanges made to the various s c ore s ettings will be applied to the c urrent s c ore immediately without the need to c lic k the A pply button after eac h c hange. Note: T his option is not available for all tabs in the Sc ore O ptions dialog.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.1

Transcription options

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Transcription Options Tab Note: The behaviour of this command changes when a score has been 'edited'. See below: When Can I Change Transcription Options for a Score? 139 Choosing Transcription Options for Importing MIDI Files When converting MIDI into notation MidiIllustrator can automatically make all the necessary to present the musical content in the most honest and readable way. Transcription Wizard automatically opens when you open a MIDI file and you can different transcription options for each new score. MidiIllustrator will convert the score using the transcription options of your choice.

decisions The Score specify file into a

Presentation Modes Using the slide control you can choose from the following settings: · Much Easier to Read · Easier to Read · Normal · Strict · User Defined A description of each mode is given in the table below. Each presentation mode consists of a particular configuration of the Conversion Rules. PRESENTA TION MODE

DESCRIPTION

Normal

T he default s etting. Bes t c ompromis e between ac c urac y and readability.

Much Easier to Read

Signific ant s implific ation. U s eful for pres enting more c omplex piec es or 'live performanc e rec ordings ' in a more readable format.

Easier to Read

Some s implific ation of the notation to improve readability.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


140

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Strict

A dhere c los ely to s tandard notation rules . A very ac c urate repres entation of the midi c ontent.

User Def ined

Y ou c hoos e your own c ombination of pres entation rules .

Conversion Rules As the Transcription settings are selected using the slide control the Conversion Rules that apply to that particular setting will be checked automatically by MidiIllustrator. However, if you choose the User Defined option, you can decide which (if any) of the conversion rules should be applied to your score. CONVERSION RULES

DESCRIPTION

Minimize Rests

M idiI llus trator c an generally improve the readability of a s c ore by minimizing the number of s mall res ts on the s taff. Where pos s ible, notes of moderate length whic h are followed by s mall res ts (s uc h as 6 4 th res ts ) will be extended to fill the gap, thereby reduc ing c lutter on the page. T his will apply only to notes whic h c an be extended to a ‘c lean’ duration without the need to c reate tie notes . N otes will not be extended outs ide their original beat or meas ure.

Prevent Overlapping Notes (within each Voice)

P reventing notes of the same voic e 242 from overlapping c an improve the readability of the s c ore in ins tanc es where more than one mus ic al idea exis ts in a s ingle s taff. For example, notes or groups of notes in a s taff may be held as they are arpeggiated. T his c an res ult in rather blurred notation when trans c ribed ac c urately. A s an alternative M idiI llus trator c an ins is t that notes in a given voic e do not overlap, rendering a c learer s c ore in c ertain c as es . Note: With or without this option enabled, M idiI llus trator will only ever allow notes in the s c ore to overlap when not doing s o would be a mis repres entation of the mus ic .

Contain Notes in Measure

With this option M idiI llus trator c an ens ure that notes whic h begin in a given meas ure c onc lude in that s ame meas ure. P reventing notes from tying into s ubs equent meas ures c an improve the readability of c ertain s tyles of mus ic .

Voicing is Low Priority

By default, M idiI llus trator will us e different voic es 242 when notating, in order to c learly illus trate multiple mus ic al ideas on a s ingle s taff. Where more than one mus ic al idea is notated on a s ingle s taff, it is c ommon for the notes in eac h idea to be rhythmic ally independent and to overlap one another as a res ult. A s a res ult thes e notes may have diffic ult fingerings . U s ing this c ommand you c an dis c ourage M idiI llus trator from us ing multiple voic es in the s c ore. T his will res ult in les s ac c urate notation but will often have the benefit of pres enting mus ic whic h is eas ier to read and play.

Force Single Voice

T his option has exac tly the s ame effec t as the ‘V oic ing is L ow P riority’ option. I n this c as e, however, the entire s c ore will be notated us ing a s ingle voic e 242 .

Force Chords

M idiI llus trator automatic ally tries to identify c hords i.e. groups of notes whic h begin and end together. I n s ome M I D I files , groups of notes whic h are intended to be repres ented as c hords may not have been s equenc ed with very s imilar durations . T his is es pec ially c ommon in M I D I rec ordings of live performanc es . T his c an res ult in c omplex looking note groups . Y ou c an improve the readability of s uc h note groups in the s c ore by enc ouraging M idiI llus trator to make ac c urate c hords out of notes whic h begin together but whic h may vary in duration.

Prevent Tie Notes A ltogether

E nabling this option prevents the us e of any tie notes in the s c ore. T his c an make the s c ore les s ‘hones t’ but has the benefit of rendering c ertain s tyles of mus ic s ubs tantially eas ier to read. I f you are es pec ially interes ted in the note pitc hes of a piec e rather than the note durations this c an make live or unquantis ed M I D I rec ordings muc h more ac c es s ible.

When Can I Change Transcription Options for a Score? Depending on how you want to use a particular kind of score you may wish to present the notation in a particular way. In order to facilitate this, MidiIllustrator provides a list of custom presentation modes. Depending on the style of the music this can have a dramatic effect on readability and playability. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Transcription options can be applied to a score at several different times: 1.When the score is being created as an import from a MIDI file, using the Score Transcription Wizard 2.After the score has been created (either from a MIDI file, or using the New Score program functions

141

45

), and you decide that different transcription rules should be applied to the open score from now on 3.After the score has been edited using Edit Mode 46 - special rules apply in this case In cases (1) and (2), after you have chosen a set of transcription rules, MidiIllustrator will automatically try to apply these rules every time you manually change the score in any way (for instance if you delete a note or group of notes). In case (3) the rules are applied only once when they have been changed, and never automatically by MidiIllustrator (see the reasons for this below). Note: Changing the presentation style of the score does not impact the playback of the score in any way. When you play the score you will always hear it as it was originally sequenced. Note timings and durations may appear differently in the score but the actual time and duration of the note sounds never changes. Choosing Transcription Options AFTER a Score has been Created After a score has been created from a MIDI file or using the New Score 45 program functions , you may decide to retranscribe your score with new options to make sight reading a little easier, for example. You can do this at any time via the Transcription Options tab in Score Options. Choosing Transcription Options AFTER a Score has Entered Edit Mode After you have begun editing the score using Edit Mode 46 , transcription rules are no longer applied automatically, in order that you may keep complete control over the score, and not have you editing decisions overridden by MidiIllustrator. You can still apply "one off" conversions to the score to apply new transcription rules whenever you wish, however these new options will be only be applied to the score when you hit the OK button or APPLY button, and will not be applied automatically by MidiIllustrator at any time (this also means that each time you reopen the Transcription Options Dialog after a Score has Entered Edit Mode, the "Strict" setting is always selected automatically, even if you change it for a "one off" conversion). Read more about editing a score for the first time

61

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.2

Notation

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Notation Tab Show/Hide Score Objects

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

Bookmarks

I f you have ins erted Bookmarks 168 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

Chord Names

I f you have ins erted C hord N ames 178 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

Guitar Frets

I f you have ins erted G uitar Frets 179 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.


142

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Note Inf ormation: Note Names and Finger Numbers 52

Free Text

I f you have ins erted Free T ext items 180 this c hec k box allows you to s how/ hide them as des ired.

Expressions

I f you have ins erted E xpres s ions 180 this c hec k box allows you to s how/hide them as des ired.

N ote N ames and Finger N umbers are both kinds of 'per note information' whic h c an be dis played on the s c ore us ing the note information dis play preferenc es (s ee below). Note Inf ormation Display Pref erences Show inside notes

Y ou c an als o c hoos e to have note information plac ed inside the note. I n s ome c irc ums tanc es (s uc h as printing vs . window view), one layout may be eas ier to read than the other. P lac ing note information ins ide the notes als o generate s maller s c ores for printing, as les s horizontal/vertic al s pac e is needed to name eac h note. When note information is drawn ins ide the note, the text c olor is c ontrolled by M idiI llus trator in order to maximize c larity.

Show to lef t of note

When this option has been s elec ted the name will be dis played near eac h note on the s c ore (s ee below for pos itioning options ).

Note that if both N ote N ames and Finger N umbers are s et to dis play ins ide or to the left of the note, Finger N umber dis play will override the N ote N ame. I f you wis h to s how both N ote N ames and Finger N umbers for notes then one of the s e information types c an be s hown ins ide the note, the other to the left of the note. A lternatively, s how note information outs ide the s taff. Show outside staf f

When note information is s hown outs ide the s taff it c an be automatic ally arranged by M idiI llus trator to c reate the mos t c ompac t s c ore bas ed on note pos itions , s tem direc tions , voic es and the note names /finger numbers relative to the owning note. A lternatively you c an c us tomize the dis play of note information to s uit your needs . Position automatically outside staf f (recommended def ault): T his is the rec ommended s tyle for the mos t eas ily c onfigured s c ore with optimal s pac ing. Position above the staf f Position below the staf f A lways position voices separately above/below the staf f : With multiple voic es in a s taff, s eparating the fingering above and below the s c ore is rec ommended for c larity. Show placeholder f or non-f ingered notes in part-f ingered chord: When note names are s hown, they are s hown for all notes . H owever finger numbers may have been as s igned to jus t a few of the notes in the s c ore. I f only part of a given c hord has been fingered and the finger numbers are dis played outs ide the s taff (i.e. not next to their owner note) then it may be hard to tell whic h finger number pertains to whic h note. Showing a plac eholder for non fingered notes in a c hord will s tac k the finger numbers in the s ame way that the c hord notes are vertic ally s tac ked, making it c learer whic h note owns

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

143

whic h finger number. Maximizing Clarity of Note Inf ormation Y ou may find that it helps to zoom 117 in on the piec e in order to s ee the note names /finger numbers c learly on the s c reen, or c hange the P rint Size 149 if you are printing your s c ore. Y ou may c hange the c olor and font of the note information fonts in the Fonts 146 tab - experiment to s ee what looks bes t on your s c ore. Fonts c an als o be Bold or Regular in s ize whic h may improve legibility. Note Inf ormation Fonts T wo c onfigurable fonts 146 are us ed to dis play note information. T he s ize of the N ote N ame/Finger N umber font c annot be c hanged as the note names s tart to overlap the notation if they are bigger than the note 'heads ' (es pec ially on c hords where many notes may overlap). For this reas on, a N ote N ame/Finger N umber is always roughly the s ame s ize as a note head. Notation

Compress Empty Measures

I n order to make the bes t us e of s pac e on the s c reen or printed page, you c an c hoos e to C ompres s E mpty M eas ures . M idiI llus trator will c ompres s c ontiguous empty meas ures as long as the meas ures are: · c ompletely empty i.e. none of the vis ible s taves in the meas ure c ontain any notes ; and · identic al i.e. they s hare the s ame time s ignature, key s ignature, c lef and bar ending T his option is turned on by default.

Show Bar Repeat Count

D is play (where appropriate) above the meas ure the number of repeats whic h will be applied to a s ec tion repeat barline 56 during playbac k.

Show Courtesy A ccidental f or Every Note

With this option enabled, the key s ignature is effec tively repeated for eac h note on the s c ore, making it muc h eas ier to remember to s harpen or flatten a partic ular note when performing a piec e. N ote that this 'global' c ommand overrides the individual per note s etting for dis playing c ourtes y ac c identals agains t notes (s ee N otes M enu 52 and E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 ); U nlike in s tandard notation, M idiI llus trator will not jus t as s ume that a s harp or flat ‘holds ’ for the meas ure when this option is enabled. I ns tead, in a piec e written in the key of G whic h c ontains a s ingle s harp (for example), every s ingle F in the s c ore will be marked with its own ac c idental (s harp), even multiple F# notes in the s ame meas ure.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

A ssign More Space To Longer Notes

Y ou c an c hoos e to have M idiI llus trator alloc ate more s pac e on a s c ore to the longer notes than to the s horter notes as an aid to s ight reading.

Color Voices in Perf ormance Mode

A pplies dis tinc tive c olors to the different voic es 242 on the s c ore when in P erformanc e M ode. T hes e c olors are always applied in E dit M ode to


144

MidiIllustrator User Manual

make editing eas ier. C olors c an be s elec ted us ing the C olor 23 s ec tion of Sc ore O ptions . Hide A LL upper/lower voice guide rests H ides all automatically drawn upper/ in Perf ormance Mode lower voic e 'guide' res ts . See more information about V oic e G uide Res ts 242 . Playback

Play Notes as Imported/Recorded

P lay imported M I D I s ongs as they were originally performed, rather than adhering to the notated times dis played on the s c ore. T his allows playbac k of a rec orded s ong as it was originally c aptured, even though the notation may have been 'tidied' by M idiI llus trator for eas ier reading (perhaps us ing T rans c ription O ptions 139 ). N ote that this option only applies to s c ores whic h c ontain s ome original M I D I c ontent or rec ording s es s ion data.

Measure Numbers

Y ou may c us tomize if, and how, M eas ure N umbers (#) are dis played on the s c ore. T he dis play of meas ure numbers may be affec ted by the c urrent 'view' (s ee below). T he default s etting is a C urved Box (whic h enc los es the M eas ure N umber) on E very M eas ure s tarting at Bar 1 , but this c an be c hanged us ing the three drop down boxes . T he meas ure numbers c an be s et as follows : · N one - no meas ures numbers will be dis played · N ormal - meas ure numbers will not be enc los ed · Boxed - meas ure numbers will be s urrounded by a box · C urved Box - meas ure numbers will be s urrounded by a c urved box I f N one has been s elec ted above, the 2 remaining drop down boxes will be grayed out, but they c an be edited if N ormal, Boxed or C urved Box has been s elec ted. T he options available are as follows : · E very M eas ure · E very Sys tem · E very P age · E very 5 th Bar · E very 1 0 th Bar T he third drop down box allows you to s et a s tart point as follows : · From Bar 1 · From Bar 2 etc (depending on the number of bars in the piec e) Note that measure numbers are shown on A LL measures when in Scroll View as this inf ormation is usef ul f or editing.

Beat Marks

A s an aid to unders tanding the beat pattern of a s c ore, M idiI llus trator c an plac e s mall marks ‘on the beat’ above the top s taff. I f, for example, the time s ignature is 4 :4 , then four beat marks will s pan the top of eac h meas ure. D is playing beat marks works well when the c urs or is s et to follow ‘the neares t beat during playbac k’. Y ou may c us tomize the beat mark c olor to bes t highlight the loc ation of the beats in the mus ic .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

145

T he Beat M arks c an be c us tomized us ing the three drop down boxes . T he firs t drop down box provides the following options : · H idden - T he Beat M arks will not appear on the s c ore. · N ormal - T he Beat M arks will be permanently dis played on the s c ore (exc ept during P laybac k if the ‘C ountdown’ option has been s elec ted. See the ‘N ote’ below). · P laybac k O nly - T he Beat M arks will only appear on the s c ore during P laybac k. I f H idden has been s elec ted above, the two remaining drop down boxes will be grayed out, but they c an be s elec ted if N ormal or P laybac k O nly has been s elec ted. T he s ec ond drop down box allows you to dis play the Beat M arks on the: · T op Stave · A ll Staves T he third drop down box offers two options : · Static – whereby the Beat M arks s tay in plac e as the mus ic is played. · C ountdown – whereby the Beat M arks dis appear as they are pas s ed in the s c ore. T he default s etting is ‘P laybac k O nly’ on the ‘T op Stave’ with ‘C ountdown’. Note: Y ou may wis h to view the Beat M arks all the time, in whic h c as e you would s elec t ‘N ormal’ from the firs t drop down box, and they will be dis played on the s c ore. H owever, if you then s elec ted ‘C ountdown’ from the third drop down box, the Beat M arks would dis appear when they were pas s ed in the s c ore during P laybac k. T herefore, if you truly want the Beat M arks to be on dis play at all times , even during P laybac k, make s ure you have s elec ted ‘Static ’ in the third drop down box as well as ‘N ormal’ in the firs t. Bookmarks

A llows you to c us tomize any Bookmarks 168 whic h have been plac ed on the s c ore. T he default s etting is a C urved Box (whic h enc los es the Bookmark), but this c an be c hanged us ing the Bookmark drop down box. T he options available are: · N ormal – no s urround · Boxed · C urve Boxed

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.3

Staff Tools and Namings

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Staff Tools and Namings Tab The Staff Tools and Namings tab allows you to make changes to the Staff Name and the © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


146

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Instrument Name on the current score, and to show/hide Staff Tools. Show Tools

A llows you to s how/hide the Staff T ools 158 buttons on the left- hand s ide of the firs t s ys tem on the page. T his option is only available in Window V iew.

Ensure Tools are A lways T his option is us ed in c onjunc tion with the following two c ommands : Visible (i.e. even when · Staff T ools hiding empty staves) · H ide E mpty Staves Y ou c an c hoos e to s how or hide the ‘Staff T ools ’ on the left of the firs t s ys tem on eac h page of the s c ore. A s et of Staff T ools is s hown for eac h s taff or s taff in the s c ore. I f, however, you have c hos en to hide s taves whic h are empty (s ee ‘H ide E mpty Staves ’ below) then a given s taff may be hidden in whic h c as e the Staff T ools c annot be s hown for that partic ular s taff. I n order to ens ure that you c an always ac c es s the Staff T ools for all s taves when you have opted to ‘H ide E mpty Staves ’ you s hould enable the item ‘E ns ure Staff T ools are A lways V is ible’. T his will ens ure that all the s taves in the firs t s ys tem of eac h page will be vis ible whether empty or not and their c orres ponding Staff T ools will als o be s hown.

Show Namings

Y ou c an c hoos e to dis play or to hide the names of the s taves and the as s oc iated ins truments on the s c reen and printed page us ing the Show N amings c hec k box. T he box is c hec ked by default, as many us ers like to s ee this detail on the s c ore, but there are times when you may wis h to hide the names , e.g. if you wanted to fit more of the s c ore onto the s c reen/printed page. T his option overrides all of the other N ame s ettings in the Staff D ialog tab.

The Window View and the ‘Printer and Page View’ dialogs allow you to customise the Window View and the Printer/Page Views respectively. Each dialog allows changes to be made to a) the First System on the Page and b) the Remaining Systems, as detailed below. Staf f & Instrument Names

A llows you to s how/hide both the s taff and ins trument names e.g. Staff 1 A c ous tic G rand P iano.

Staf f Name

A llows you to s how/hide the name of the s taff e.g. Staff 1 .

Instrument Name

A llows you to s how/hide the name of the ins trument e.g. A c ous tic G rand P iano.

Use Short Names

T his option determines whether the full or abbreviated s taff/ins trument name is dis played when namings are s hown on the s c ore. T o edit the ac tual namings s ee Staff N amings 154 . Full names might be ‘L eft H and’ and ‘A c ous tic G rand P iano’ whereas s hortened names might be ‘L ft H nd’ and ‘A c o G ra P ia’. For this option to work, however, the Staff N ame and/or I ns trument N ame options must als o have been s elec ted. E .g. if you have c hos en to hide the Staff N ame and to s how the I ns trument N ame, and you then s elec t U s e Short N ames , only the I ns trument Short N ame will be dis played. T o s how the Short Staff N ame as well, c hec k the Staff N ame box.

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.4

Fonts

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Fonts Tab The Fonts tab allows you to customize the fonts used in the current score. Default Fonts are for New Items Only Many of the items displayed in the score are displayed as rich text

72

objects in which case the © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

147

font specified here is simply the font used when creating a new rich text item. These fonts are shown in the list with the word 'New Item Default' following the item name; e.g. "Staff Namings (New Item Default)". Item fonts and formatting for rich text items can subsequently be changed on a per-item basis using the Formatting Toolbar 72 or the right-click context menu 72 in the rich text editing boxes. Applying the Default Font to All Score Items of a Particular Type Once changes have been made to a default font and the Score Options Dialog is closed, you will be offered the chance to update all items in the score with the new default font you have assigned. Any formatting changes you have made to individual score items will be lost when the default font formatting is applied. Changing a Font Simply double-click the item that you wish to change (e.g. page title or staff namings) or select an item and click on the Modify button which will open the Font dialog. You can then select the font of your choice. The Font Dialog In addition to the settings found within the usual Windows font dialog there are some special settings used by MidiIllustrator. Size/A uto-Size in proportion with print size

M os t notation objec ts in the s c ore are automatic ally s ized by M idiI llus trator in order to keep them in proportion to other items in the s c ore. When you zoom a s c ore, thes e items are s c aled automatic ally. Y ou c an inc reas e or dec reas e the s ize of an item relative to other notation items by c hanging its font s ize. M idiI llus trator will s till s c ale your items relatively when you inc reas e the P rint Size 149 of the s c ore, however if you wis h to fix the s ize of c ertain fonts s o that they do not s c ale in proportion with the res t of the notation, then unc hec k the A uto-Size in proportion with print size c hec kbox. N ote that c hanging print s ize is different to zooming. For more information on this topic s ee Zooming vs P rint Size 117 . Note Inf ormation Fonts T here are two N ote I nformation 132 fonts us ed to dis play N ote N ames 132 and Finger N umbers 34 on the s c ore: 路 N ote I nformation - I ns ide/L eft of note: us ed when N ote N ames /Finger N umbers are s hown with their owner note 路 N ote I nformation - O uts ide s taff: us ed when N ote N ames /Finger N umbers are s hown with their owner note For both of thes e fonts , the font s ize is c ons trained in order to ens ure that the note names do not overlap the s urrounding notation. C hange the zoom 116 or the P rint Size 149 to inc reas e the s ize of note names /finger numbers along with note head s izes . Similarly, the s ize of G uitar Frets is fixed and managed by M idiI llus trator.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


148 5.4.5.5

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Colours, Textures and Backgrounds

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Color Tab The Colors, Textures and Backgrounds tab allows you to change the following score attributes: · Colors of the various components of the score (eg note and cursor colors). · Add texture and quality to your score manuscript using score textures which color the page beneath the notation. The 'texture' bitmap used to texture the score page when viewing and printing scores. Several textures are supplied with MidiIllustrator in the 'resources' folder. · Custom score backgrounds allow you to add a personal feel to your MidiIllustrator working environment. The 'background' bitmap used to fill the background behind the score document when zoomed out in Page View 117 . Several backgrounds are supplied with MidiIllustrator in the 'resources' folder. Colors To change the default color of an item, simply select the item in the list, click on the ‘Modify’ button, and choose a new color from the Color palette. Then click ‘OK’, and either ‘Apply’ or ‘OK’ in the Color tab for the changes to take effect on the score. Textures To change the page texture of a score, simply select 'Page' in the list, click on the ‘Choose Texture’ button, and choose a new bitmap from your hard disk. To remove a texture and use the default plain color, click the 'Clear Texture' button. Backgrounds To change the background of a score, simply select 'Background' in the list, click on the ‘Choose Texture’ button, and choose a new bitmap from your hard disk. To remove a background and use the default plain color, click the 'Clear Texture' button. Make Your Own Textures and Backgrounds You can create your own image files for use as MidiIllustrator textures. Simply create a Windows bitmap file with no more than 256 colors, and place a copy in the appropriate resource folder inside the application's "Resources" folder Files, usually found in the active user 'Documents' folder, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiIllustrator..." sub-folder. A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.6

Print Margins

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Print Tab The Print Margins tab enables you to make changes to the page margins on the selected score. Top, Bottom, Lef t, Right

T hes e boxes dis play the dis tanc e between the edges of the page and the s tart of the text/ notation in terms of the unit s elec ted in the U nit drop down box. E .g. if there is a figure of 1 4 .0 0 in the T op box when the U nit s elec ted is M illimetres (mm) the text/notation will s tart 1 4 mm from the top of the page. I f the U nits are c hanged, e.g. to C entimetres , then the figure in the T op box will be adjus ted ac c ordingly and in this c as e will be dis played as 1 .4 0 .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

149

T he value for eac h margin c an be inc reas ed/dec reas ed by c lic king on the left and right arrows on the right- hand s ide of the box. Units

T here are three c hoic es of unit as follows : · M illimetres · C entimetres · I nc hes M illimetres is s et as the default unit.

Set Minimum Margins f or Current Printer

T his button automatic ally c alc ulates the minimum margins that c an be applied to the page and res ets the figures in the four margin boxes ac c ordingly.

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.4.5.7

Print Layout

Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Print Layout Tab The Print Layout tab allows you to configure particular aspects of the printed page. The Print Display Window is made up of two check boxes: Use notation colors on printed pages

T his c hec k box enables you to c hoos e whether to print any c olored s ec tions of the s c ore 23 as they are repres ented on the s c reen (Window V iew) or in blac k and white. T his option c an be partic ularly us eful if you have a c olor printer, and you are us ing c olor on the s c reen to enhanc e readability, yet would like to print your s c ores in blac k and white to s ave ink. T hes e s ettings are applied in P age V iew (P rint P review) enabling you to s ee the final res ult prior to printing. T his c hec k box enables you to c hoos e whether to print any page texture 23 you have c hos en.

Use page textures on printed pages

T his option c an be partic ularly us eful if you have a c olor printer, and you are us ing c olor on the s c reen to enhanc e readability, yet would like to print your s c ores in blac k and white to s ave ink. T hes e s ettings are applied in P age V iew (P rint P review) enabling you to s ee the final res ult prior to printing.

Score Titles

T his c hec k box allows you to c hoos e between dis playing or hiding the various s c ore titles on the printed page. · Score Title (top of the firs t page) · Copyright (not dis played on the s c ore) · Composer (beneath the title, right s ide, firs t page) · Ref erence (beneath the title, left s ide, firs t page) · Footer (bottom of the page, firs t page and all remaining pages ) · Header (top of the page, firs t page and all remaining pages ) See Sc ore T itles 70 for more information.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


150

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Print Size

T he dimens ions of all the objec ts on the printed page are s et bas ed on the ‘print s ize’. T he ‘print s ize’ in points equates to the height of a note head. T he ‘P rint Size (in points )’ box will s how the figure of 5 by default but this c an be adjus ted us ing the left and right arrows on the right- hand s ide of the box. P rint s ize is quite different to zooming. For more information on this topic s ee Zooming vs P rint Size 117 . T he print s ize effec tively determines the phys ic al s ize of the notation relative to the paper you are printing on. I f you reduc e the point figure the entire s c ore will s hrink relative to the s ize of the page, and c onvers ely, the higher the number, the larger the s c ore bec omes . E .g. if you inc reas e the figure from 5 to 1 0 the s c ore may jump from its original length of two pages to four pages , and if you s hrink it the s c ore may go from being two pages long to fitting on half a page. N ote: T hes e values only affec t P age V iew and P rinted P ages .

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5

Staves menu The Staves menu offers the following commands: Staf f Manager 76

O pens the Staff M anager dialog box.

Choose Staf f Instrument 156

O pens the M I D I Staff I ns trument Setup dialog box.

Show Staf f Namings 154

Shows /H ides the Staff N amings .

Staf f Tools 158

Show Staf f Tools Shows /H ides the Staff T ools 158 . Ensure Staf f Tools are A lways Visible T his option is us ed in c onjunc tion with the following two c ommands : · Show Staf f Tools · Hide Empty Portions of Staves Y ou c an c hoos e to s how or hide the ‘Staff T ools ’ on the left of the firs t s ys tem on eac h page of the s c ore. A s et of Staff T ools is s hown for eac h s taff or s taff in the s c ore. I f, however, you have c hos en to hide portions of s taves whic h are empty (s ee ‘Hide Empty Portions of Staves’ below) then the firs t s ys tem of a given s taff may be hidden in whic h c as e the Staff T ools c annot be s hown for that partic ular s taff. I n order to ens ure that you c an always ac c es s the Staff T ools for all s taves when you have opted to ‘Hide Empty Portions of Staves’ you s hould enable the item ‘Ensure Staf f Tools are A lways Visible’. T his will ens ure that all the s taves in the firs t s ys tem of eac h page will be vis ible whether empty or not and their c orres ponding Staff T ools will als o be s hown.

Show A ll Staves Now (inc. empty portions)

Show all hidden s taves , and als o s how empty portions of thos e s taves .

Hide Completely Empty Staves Now

H ides (makes inac tive) all s taves whic h c ontain no mus ic ,

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

151

lyric s or other mus ic al information. Hide Empty Portions of Staves

Shows /H ides E mpty portions of "A c tive" Staves . When a piec e of mus ic c ontains empty s taves (i.e. s taves that do not c ontain any notes , lyric s , bookmarks , c hord names or guitar frets ) M idiI llus trator gives you the option to ‘hide’ thes e empty portions s o they no longer appear on the s c ore. N ote that this is not the s ame as hiding a s taff. I f you hide a s taff (or M I D I trac k) none of its c orres ponding s taves will be s hown in the s c ore, empty or otherwis e. H iding empty portions of s taves on the other hand allows you to keep all your s taves vis ible but will only dis play ‘populated’ s taves for eac h s taff. I f, for example, only the piano part is playing in the early s tages of a s c ore and the other ins truments in the s c ore are s ilent until the piano s olo has c ompleted, then M idiI llus trator will only s how the piano part on the s c reen in thos e meas ures whic h s pan its s olo. O ther parts will not be s hown until later in the s c ore. T he benefit of hiding empty s taves is that the s c ore bec omes eas ier to read as there is les s ‘c lutter’ on the page. I t als o allows you to fit more of the mus ic that you are interes ted in on to the s c reen. T his is es pec ially us eful when playing bac k multi- s taff orc hes tral piec es . When an ins trument in the s c ore is not playing its s taff c an be hidden providing more room for the ac tive ins truments . N ote that: · H iding empty s taves c an impac t the dis play of the Staff T ools s ee ‘Ensure Staf f Tools are A lways Visible’ above. · E mpty P ortions of Staves are always s hown whils t in E dit M ode to make editing eas ier - s ee this N ote about E dit M ode and P rinting 46 .

Split Staf f 157

O pens the Split Staff dialog box.

Merge Staves 157

O pens the M erge Staves dialog box.

Merge A ll Staves into One

M erges all the s taves in the s c ore into one s taff.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.1

Staff Manager Dialog Command Location: Staves Menu The Staff Manager displays information about all the staves in the score and allows you to: 1.Change the underlying MIDI properties 152 of each staff in the score (MIDI Configuration Tab) 2.Alter the staff display and playback features (Display and Playback Tab) 3.Assign the instrument playing hand to be used when calculating fingering 34 and showing Performing Hands 38 on the On Screen Piano Keyboard 37 (Display and Playback Tab). MidiIllustrator will initially assign a hand to use when fingering a given staff based on an analysis of the clefs used in the staff. 4.Edit the staff namings 154 (Staff Namings Tab) 5.reorder, add, copy and remove staves The Staff Manager dialog is made up of three tabs (MIDI Configuration 152 , Display and Playback and Staff Namings 154 ) and a Staff Display Window. The window lists each of the staves contained within the MIDI file and displays their details. A pply/A pply Now

The A pply button applies all of the c hanges made to the s taff/s taves without the need to c los e the dialog box by hitting the O K button. E .g. I f you hide a s elec ted s taff and rearrange the order of the remaining s taves thes e c hanges will not be reflec ted on the s c ore until you pres s the A pply button. I f you would like your c hanges to be made immediately us e The A pply Now button. When this

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


152

MidiIllustrator User Manual

button is us ed any c hanges made to the s taves will be reflec ted on the s c ore right away, without the need to c lic k the A pply button.

The buttons on the left-hand side of the window can be used to edit selected staves, either individually or in groups (simply hold down the shift key as you select the staves for your group). O pens · · · ·

the Staff O ptions menu and enables you to do the following: M ute – all s taves , none of the s taves and s elec ted s taves V is ibility – s how all s taves , hide all s taves and hide s elec ted s taves Selec t – all s taves and none of the s taves C olumns – autos ize c olumn widths

A llows you to move s elec ted s taves to a higher pos ition on the s c ore.

A llows you to move s elec ted s taves to a lower pos ition on the s c ore.

A dds a new s taff. D eletes the s elec ted s taff. M akes a c opy of the s elec ted s taff and ins erts it as a new s taff. A ll s taff information and notation is c opied to the new s taff, inc luding: · Staf f name · Instrument · Key signatures · Clef s · Notes · Lyrics · Free Text (note that only 'meas ure & s taff anc hored' Free T ext 73 items are c opied to the new s taff, 'page anc hored' items and 'meas ure anc hored' items are not c opied) · Expressions and any as s oc iated MIDI playback changes (note that any tempo E xpres s ions 75 and hidden tempo M I D I events 82 are not c opied to the new s taff as tempo ins truc tions are typic ally s tored only in the top s taff) I f you wis h to c opy only the notation from one s taff to another (and not the s taff ins trument and other properties ), then you might try Selec ting E ntire Staves 59 in P ower E dit M ode ins tead.

In addition, within the Staff Display Window, the following buttons may be used to hide or to mute selected staves. U s ing the c hec k box c olumns marked overhead with a c ros s (x) and a s peaker, s elec ted s taves c an be hidden/s hown and muted/unmuted. T he firs t c olumn is the hide/s how func tion and the s ec ond the mute func tion.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.1.1

MIDI Configuration

Command Location: Staves Menu / Staff Manager This dialog allows you to change the underlying MIDI properties of a file (e.g. the MIDI device or the instrument for a selected staff or staves). Any changes made will be reflected in the Staff Display Window. Device

A s s uming more than one devic e is available, others c an be s elec ted us ing this drop down box. T o c hange the lis t of devic es s ee the M I D I P laybac k 214 tab in P rogram O ptions .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

153

I f you s elec t the "Def ault Device" entry in the lis t then M idiI llus trator will always us e the default playbac k devic e as c hos en in the M I D I P laybac k 214 tab in P rogram O ptions . Whenever you c hange this default playbac k devic e, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally play any s c ores with the new playbac k devic e (if they were s aved with the "D efault D evic e" as the s taff ins trument devic e). Using multiple MIDI devices f or playback M idiI llus trator s upports the playbac k of a s ingle file us ing multiple M I D I devic es . Y ou may, for example, wis h to direc t a partic ular ins trument in the s c ore, s uc h as a piano, to an external M I D I module, whils t direc ting the remaining orc hes tral parts to your c omputer s oundc ard. A s long as you have made more than one devic e available for playbac k in the M I D I P laybac k 214 s ec tion of the P rogram O ptions dialog, you c an us e different M I D I devic es on eac h s taff within the s c ore. T his is a powerful feature whic h requires additional proc es s ing power and is not nec es s arily available on all Windows c omputers . I f you experienc e s low or c hoppy playbac k whils t us ing multiple M I D I devic es , try s elec ting a c ommon M I D I devic e for all s taves to improve performanc e. Channel

A ny c hannel from 1 to 1 6 may be s elec ted from the drop down box. N ote: G enerally C hannel 1 0 is us ed to play a partic ular group of drum ins truments . I f a given s taff is us ing C hannel 1 0 , then M idiI llus trator will as s ume it c ontains drum notes . For more information s ee the M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 s ec tion.

Transpose (note sounds only)

T his drop down box enables you to trans pos e the note sounds on a s elec ted s taff from as little as one half s tep to as muc h as 2 4 half s teps up or down. T his c ommand is als o available in the Staff I ns trument D ialog 156 . T his c ommand only affec ts the sound of notes during playbac k. N ote pos itions on the s c ore are unc hanged. T o trans pos e and repos ition notes on the s c ore (perhaps with a new key s ignature), s ee the T rans pos e D ialog 79 .

Instrument Patch

T here may be up to 1 2 8 ins truments available, any one of whic h may be s elec ted for a s pec ific s taff or s taves . T he lis t of available ins truments may c hange depending on the M I D I c hannel you have s elec ted for the s taff. T o learn more about this s ee the M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 s ec tion.

Volume

T his is the s tarting volume for the s taff (you may add volume M I D I events later in the s c ore us ing the E xpres s ions D ialog 75

).

When the volume box is c hec ked, the volume may be c hanged us ing either the drop down box, or the left and right arrows on the right- hand s ide of the volume dis play. T he range is 0 (muted) to 1 2 7 (maximum volume). T he default s etting for M I D I s taves that do not s pec ify a value for volume is 6 4 . Pan

T his is the s tarting pan for the s taff (you may add pan M I D I events later in the s c ore us ing the E xpres s ions D ialog 75

).

A pan s etting of 6 4 means that the s tereo balanc e is equal on the left and right c hannels , and this is the default behaviour for M I D I s taves that do not s pec ify a value for s tereo pan. Y ou may wis h to c hange the s tereo balanc e s o that it is higher or lower on one s ide, and this c an be done us ing either the drop down box, or the left and right arrows to c hange the default figure. T he lower the number the more the balanc e is on the left c hannel, and c onvers ely the higher the number the more the balanc e is on the right c hannel. Bank 0

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the C oars e A djus t M ethod (#0 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Bank 32

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the Fine A djus t M ethod (#3 2 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


154

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.1.1.1 bank, bank 0, bank 32

Command Location: Staves Menu / Staff Manager Some MIDI devices contain more than 128 instruments. MIDI Patch (instrument) commands only allow you to select between 128 instruments. The Bank Select method allows you to switch between banks of 128 instruments. For example, if a MIDI device has 256 instruments they will likely be divided into two banks, each of 128 instruments. In order to access instrument number 129, you would have to access the first instrument in the second bank. You would therefore send a bank select message to switch to the second bank on the MIDI device, followed by a patch message to switch to the first instrument in the current bank. Most devices use only the Bank 0 select method, but you can use the Bank 32 method to access devices with more than 128 banks.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.1.2

Display and Playback

Command Location: Staves Menu / Staff Manager Specific features of selected staves may be altered using this dialog the staves will be reflected in the Staff Display Window.

76

. All changes made to

Sound

Sound on a s elec ted s taff or s taves may be turned on or off (muted).

Staf f Visibility

Selec ted s taves c an be s hown or hidden.

Hide Empty Staves on this Staf f

E mpty s taves on this s taff may be s hown or hidden. See H ide E mpty P ortions of Staves 150 in the Show/H ide s ec tion for more information.

Show Lyrics on this staf f

I f there are L yric s within the s c ore, they c an be s hown or hidden.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.1.3

Staff Namings

Command Location: Staves Menu / Staff Manager Displays both the Full Name (‘Name’) and the Short Name of the selected staff, e.g. the name may be ‘Staff 1 (Acoustic Grand Piano)’ with a short name of ‘Trk 1 (Aco Gra Pia)’. Both the Name and Short Name may be edited. Staff namings are displayed as rich text 72 objects so font formatting is possible using the right-click context menu in the edit boxes. It is useful to have the two name types as you may, at times, only wish to display the short name of the staff on the score (see Staff Tools and Namings 145 ) rather than the Full Name. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

The instrument name for the staff can be edited but it will be set to the chosen instrument whenever a new instrument patch is selected in Staff Manager 76 or the Instrument dialog

155

156 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.2

Staff tools and namings Command Location: Score Menu / Score Options / Staff Tools and Namings Tab The Staff Tools and Namings tab allows you to make changes to the Staff Name and the Instrument Name on the current score, and to show/hide Staff Tools. Show Tools

A llows you to s how/hide the Staff T ools 158 buttons on the left- hand s ide of the firs t s ys tem on the page. T his option is only available in Window V iew.

Ensure Tools are A lways T his option is us ed in c onjunc tion with the following two c ommands : Visible (i.e. even when · Staff T ools hiding empty staves) · H ide E mpty Staves Y ou c an c hoos e to s how or hide the ‘Staff T ools ’ on the left of the firs t s ys tem on eac h page of the s c ore. A s et of Staff T ools is s hown for eac h s taff or s taff in the s c ore. I f, however, you have c hos en to hide s taves whic h are empty (s ee ‘H ide E mpty Staves ’ below) then a given s taff may be hidden in whic h c as e the Staff T ools c annot be s hown for that partic ular s taff. I n order to ens ure that you c an always ac c es s the Staff T ools for all s taves when you have opted to ‘H ide E mpty Staves ’ you s hould enable the item ‘E ns ure Staff T ools are A lways V is ible’. T his will ens ure that all the s taves in the firs t s ys tem of eac h page will be vis ible whether empty or not and their c orres ponding Staff T ools will als o be s hown.

Show Namings

Y ou c an c hoos e to dis play or to hide the names of the s taves and the as s oc iated ins truments on the s c reen and printed page us ing the Show N amings c hec k box. T he box is c hec ked by default, as many us ers like to s ee this detail on the s c ore, but there are times when you may wis h to hide the names , e.g. if you wanted to fit more of the s c ore onto the s c reen/printed page. T his option overrides all of the other N ame s ettings in the Staff D ialog tab.

The Window View and the ‘Printer and Page View’ dialogs allow you to customise the Window View and the Printer/Page Views respectively. Each dialog allows changes to be made to a) the First System on the Page and b) the Remaining Systems, as detailed below. Staf f & Instrument Names

A llows you to s how/hide both the s taff and ins trument names e.g. Staff 1 A c ous tic G rand P iano.

Staf f Name

A llows you to s how/hide the name of the s taff e.g. Staff 1 .

Instrument Name

A llows you to s how/hide the name of the ins trument e.g. A c ous tic G rand P iano.

Use Short Names

T his option determines whether the full or abbreviated s taff/ins trument name is dis played when namings are s hown on the s c ore. T o edit the ac tual namings s ee Staff N amings 154 . Full names might be ‘L eft H and’ and ‘A c ous tic G rand P iano’ whereas s hortened names might be ‘L ft H nd’ and ‘A c o G ra P ia’. For this option to work, however, the Staff N ame and/or I ns trument N ame options must als o have been s elec ted. E .g. if you have c hos en to hide the Staff N ame and to s how the I ns trument N ame, and you then s elec t U s e Short N ames , only the I ns trument Short N ame will be dis played. T o s how the Short Staff N ame as well, c hec k the Staff N ame box.

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


156

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.3

Instrument Dialog Command Location: Staves Menu / Choose Staff Instrument There are 3 types of 'Instrument' Dialog: · The Staff Instrument Dialog (details below) · The Metronome Instrument Dialog 190 · The Echo Instrument Dialog 192 The Staff Instrument dialog allows you to: · change the underlying MIDI properties of a staff, e.g. the instrument or volume setting; · alter the staff display and playback features; and · edit the staff namings. The dialog is very similar to Staff Manager 76 but the key difference is that the Staff Instrument dialog can be opened during playback (via the Staves Menu 150 or Staff Tools 158 ) and certain staff properties may be edited ‘on the fly’. The Staff Manager cannot be opened during playback. A pply/A pply Now

The A pply button applies all of the c hanges made without the need to c los e the dialog box by hitting the O K button. I f you would like your c hanges to be made immediately, us e The A pply Now button. When this button is us ed any c hanges made to the s taves will be reflec ted on the s c ore s traightaway, without the need to c lic k the A pply button. A pplying Instrument Changes Quickly A s well as us ing the A pply/A pply Now buttons , you c an ins tantly apply ins trument c hanges by double- c lic king an ins trument name in the ins trument lis t. I f the A pply button is available, doublec lic king the lis t will have the effec t of pres s ing this button, effec ting the new ins trument immediately.

Name

D is plays the Full N ame of the s elec ted s taff, e.g. Staff 1 (A c ous tic G rand P iano). T he N ame may be edited. Staff namings are dis played as ric h text 72 objec ts s o font formatting is pos s ible us ing the rightc lic k c ontext menu in the edit boxes .

Short

D is plays the Short N ame of the s elec ted s taff, e.g. a s taff with the full name of ‘Staff 1 (A c ous tic G rand P iano)’ may have ‘A c o G ra P ia’ as its s hort name. T he Short N ame may be edited.

Device

A s s uming more than one devic e is available, others c an be s elec ted us ing this drop down box. T o c hange the lis t of devic es s ee the M I D I P laybac k 214 tab in P rogram O ptions .

Channel

A ny c hannel from 1 to 1 6 may be s elec ted from the drop down box. N ote: G enerally C hannel 1 0 is us ed to play a partic ular group of drum ins truments . I f a given s taff is us ing C hannel 1 0 , then M idiI llus trator will as s ume it c ontains drum notes . For more information s ee the M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 s ec tion.

Transpose

T his drop down box enables you to trans pos e only the note s ounds on a s elec ted s taff. See T rans pos e note s ounds 152 in the M I D I C onfiguration s ec tion of the Staff M anager D ialog for more information.

Bank 0

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the C oars e A djus t M ethod (#0 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Bank 32

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the Fine A djus t M ethod (#3 2 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Volume Level

T he volume level c an be c hanged us ing the s lide c ontrol. T he range is 0 (muted) to 1 2 7 (maximum volume).

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

157

T he default s etting for M I D I files that do not s pec ify a value for volume is 6 4 . Pan

A pan s etting of 6 4 means that the s tereo balanc e is equal on the left and right c hannels , and this is the default behaviour for M I D I files that do not s pec ify a value for pan. Y ou may wis h to c hange the s tereo balanc e s o that it is higher or lower on one s ide us ing the s lide c ontrol. T he lower the number the more the balanc e is on the left c hannel, and c onvers ely the higher the number the more the balanc e is on the right c hannel.

A udition Instrument

When an ins trument has been s elec ted from the I ns trument D is play Window, pres s this button to hear what the ins trument s ounds like.

Instrument

T he I ns trument D is play Window lis ts up to 1 2 8 ins truments , any one of whic h may be s elec ted for a s pec ific s taff or s taves .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.4

Split Staves Dialog Command Location: Staves Menu / Split Staves The Split Staves dialog allows you to divide a single staff into two separate staves. One of the reasons you may wish to split a staff is because the left and right hands on piano scores are often recorded on a single MIDI staff and need to be split before being played. Staves can be split automatically (recommended) or manually using the Range method. Using the automatic method, MidiIllustrator conducts an extensive analysis of the score and splits the staff based on chord structures and hand positions, as well as the pitch. The Range method allows you to select only the pitch criteria upon which the staff will be split, and is generally not recommended. A utomatic

I f you want M idiI llus trator to analys e the s c ore and to determine the bes t s plit for the s taff, s imply s elec t the s taff from the Staff D is play Window, then s elec t the ‘A utomatic ’ option and pres s ‘O K’. T he main benefit of this method is that M idiI llus trator analys es the mus ic , and when dec iding how to s plit a given s taff it takes ac c ount of c hord s hapes and patterns , as well as determining the hand pos itions required to play thes e s truc tures mos t eas ily.

Range

T o s plit a s taff us ing the Range method, s imply s elec t the s taff from the Staff D is play Window and c hoos e the Range option. Y ou then have a c hoic e of whic h note to us e as the referenc e point for the s plit and you need to dec ide whether the s plit s hould be bas ed on all notes above or below that note. E .g. Y ou may dec ide that all notes above C 3 s hould be plac ed on a s eparate s taff. T he main benefit of this method is that you c an determine the exac t bas is for the s plit yours elf. N o ac c ount is given to the mus ic al s truc ture of the s c ore when us ing this method.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.5

Merge Staves Dialog Command Location: Staves Menu / Merge Staves The Merge Staves dialog allows you to merge two or more staves into a single staff. The dialog consists of a Staff Display Window, which displays the staves available for merging, and a drop down box from which you can select the staff into which the other staff/staves are to be merged.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


158

MidiIllustrator User Manual

For example, if you wanted to merge Staff 1 into Staff 2, you would select Staff 1 from the Staff Display Window and Staff 2 from the drop down box at the bottom of the dialog and press ‘Merge’. If you wanted to merge more than one staff into Staff 2, say Staff 1 and Staff 3, you would simply hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key as you select Staves 1 and 3. It is important to remember when deciding which staves should be merged, that if the instruments on the staves are different, only the staff into which the other staff/staves are to be merged will retain its MIDI configuration (e.g. instrument, device etc).

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.5.6

Staff Tools Command Location: Score Menu / Show/Hide The Staff Tools allow you to quickly access and change the properties of a single staff in the score. Each visible staff in the score has its own set of Staff Tools. MidiIllustrator Player note: Only the Play/Mute/Solo staff tool is available in MidiIllustrator Player. The Staves Tools comprise the following buttons:

A left click on this button toggles between the Play and the Mute commands. If the Mute command is selected, the staff will not be played during playback. When the staff is set to Play , the button and the notes on the staff will be shown in black. When the Mute function has been selected the button will grey out as will the notes on that staff. A right click toggles between Play All Staves and the Solo mode. If the Solo option is selected then only this staff will be selected for playback and the other staves will be muted automatically (and greyed out). A black ‘S’ will appear on the note when Solo mode has been selected, and the black ‘tick’ will be displayed when Play All Staves has been selected.

A left click on this button opens the Staff Instrument 156 dialog which allows you to change the various properties of the selected staff, e.g. the instrument or volume setting. A right click opens the Staff Manager 76 dialog with the appropriate staff selected. The Staff Manager dialog allows you to change, amongst other settings, the underlying MIDI properties of a file and the staff display and playback features.

A left click on this button selects the staff, which can be useful when applying commands such as Split Staves 157 and Merge Staves 157 . As in Windows Explorer, if you wish to select all staves within a specific section of the score, simply hold down the ‘Shift’ button on your keyboard as you select the two staves on either side of the selection and all of the staves in between will also be selected. This is faster than clicking on each staff’s Staff Tools ‘Selection’ button individually. To deselect staves, hit the ‘Escape’ button on your keyboard. In the Select Staves mode, the color of the stave lines of the selected staff will change to the ‘selected staff’ color which can be set in the Color 23 section of Score Options, and the button will turn black. A right click will turn on MIDI Echo

216

enabling MIDI data received from an external MIDI device © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

159

to be ‘echoed’ to that staff’s instrument. A thick colored line will appear on the left-hand side of the clef and an ‘E’ will appear on the button when this mode has been selected. The screen shot below provides a summary of the Staff Tools:

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6

Measures menu The Measures menu offers the following commands when the cursor is in an active part of the score: Clef 82

O pens the Set C lef for M eas ures dialog allowing you to edit the c lef in a range of meas ures .

Key Signature 80

O pens the E dit Key dialog allowing you to edit the key in a range of meas ures .

Time Signature 81

O pens the E dit T ime Signature dialog allowing you to edit the time s ignature in a range of meas ures .

Starting Tempo 82

O pens the T empo dialog allowing you to s et the s tarting tempo for the s c ore (you may add tempo M I D I events later in the s c ore us ing the E xpres s ions D ialog 75

).

Transpose Notes 79

O pens the T rans pos e N otes dialog allowing you to trans pos e notes in a range of meas ures .

Compress Empty Measures 132

M ake the bes t us e of s pac e on the s c reen or printed page, by c hoos ing to s how identic al, empty meas ures as a s ingle meas ure

View Measure Range

O pens the Range of M eas ures to D is play dialog allowing you to c hoos e the range of meas ures that you want dis played on the s c ore.

163

A dd/Insert Measures

O pens the A dd M eas ures dialog allowing you to add meas ures to the s c ore.

70

Remove Measures 78

O pens the Range of M eas ures to Remove dialog allowing you to s elec t the range of meas ures that you want to delete from the s c ore.

Split Measures 164

Splits the c urrent meas ure in two (or, ins erts a barline).

Join Measures 165

J oins the c urrent meas ure to the next meas ure.

Show Measure Numbers 132

D is plays /hides numbering above eac h meas ure on the s c ore us ing your Sc ore O ptions 138 s ettings .

Choose Barlines & Endings 56

O pens the barline and ending s elec tion dialog for the c urrent meas ure.

Set

56 Ending 56 Barline Lef t/Right 56

O pens the ending dialog

Show Barline Repeat Count 132

D is plays above the meas ure (when appropriate) the number of repeats whic h will be applied to a s ec tion repeat barline 56 during playbac k.

56 for the c urrent meas ure. E dits the barline 56 s ettings for the c urrent meas ure (inc luding any s pec ial endings s uc h as repeats )

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


160

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.1

Clef Dialog Command Location: Measures Menu / Clef MidiIllustrator automatically chooses the best clef for each stave/measure in a new score. The Clef dialog allows you to change the clef in the following ways: · in all the measures on the score; · from the current measure to the next clef change; and · between specific measures. When you change a clef, MidiIllustrator automatically repositions notes on the stave with regard to the new pitch structure of each clef. Clicking the drop down box will display as many clefs as possible on the screen for quick selection. Choose from 8 clefs: · Treble Clef · Bass Clef · Alto Clef · Tenor Clef · Octave Adjusted Treble Clef (Higher) · Octave Adjusted Treble Clef (Lower) · Octave Adjusted Bass Clef (Lower) · Neutral Clef A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges .

Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.2

Key Dialog Command Location: Measures Menu / Key Signature The Key dialog allows you to change the key signature: · in all the measures on the score · from the current measure to the next key change · between specific measures. Remember that only the notation is changed and that the underlying note sounds are not. If you want to change note pitches you should use the Transpose 79 dialog. Clicking the drop down box will display as many keys as possible on the screen for quick selection. Guess Key

A llows M idiI llus trator to analys e the piec e and then determine the mos t appropriate key s ignature for the s c ore,

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

161

or you c an c hoos e the key yours elf. T here are two ways of c hoos ing the key, either by us ing the left and right arrows on the right of the Key Signature G raphic al D is play and c lic king through until you find your des ired key, or by s elec ting a major or minor key from the drop down boxes loc ated below the Key Signature G raphic al D is play. A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges .

Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

A pply new key to all staves

E nables you to c hange the key on all s taves in the piec e rather than jus t the s elec ted s taff.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.3

Time Signature Command Location: Measures Menu This tool allows you to change the time signature for a range of measures in the score. MidiIllustrator can intelligently reorganize music in the score as necessary to allow time signature insertions which would otherwise upset the existing rhythmic structure of the music. The time signature dialog allows you to change the time signature: 路 for all the measures on the score 路 from the current measure to the next time signature change 路 between specific measures Protecting the Existing Rhythmic Structure Time signature changes affect the location of barlines, beats and the resulting notation (such as beaming and tying). In order to limit these effects to only the desired score range, MidiIllustrator will try to protect existing time signatures ahead of the rhythmic range you are editing. This is achieved by extending the score and shifting sections of the music to make room for the new rhythm range, rather than simply overwriting any existing meter values. For this reason, complex time signature changes can result in changes to the timings of individual notes and other notation events as measures are extended accordingly (the price of keeping existing meter intact). Choosing a New Time Signature To change the numerator (Number of Beats) and denominator (Beat Duration) of the time signature, click the buttons under the signature display graphic.

A pply Undo Changes

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges . A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

MIDI Files and Time Signatures Sometimes, MIDI files do not supply a time signature to MidiIllustrator during import (especially those recorded from a live instrument performance). In these cases MidiIllustrator automatically assigns a time signature. You can change this automatic assignment at any time with the time signature dialog. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


162

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.4

Tempo Command Location: Measures Menu Allows you to set the starting tempo for the score. Note: The starting tempo is not displayed on the score. You may also add tempo marks and tempo changes (including MIDI events) later in the score using the Expressions Dialog 75 .

Remove all hidden tempo events

A n imported M I D I s c ore may c ontain M I D I tempo events at any point in the s c ore, and thes e are not s hown on the s c ore even though they c ontrol playbac k s peed. C hec k this option to remove thes e hidden tempo events . T his option does not remove M I D I tempo events c reated as s oc iated with E xpres s ions 75 .

MIDI Files and Tempo Sometimes, MIDI files do not supply a time signature to MidiIllustrator during import (especially those recorded from a live instrument performance). In these cases MidiIllustrator automatically assigns a tempo. You can change this automatic assignment at any time with the tempo dialog. Note: You can also save a score with modified master tempo

105 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.5

Transpose Dialog Command Location: Measures Menu / Transpose The Transpose dialog allows you to transpose the notes in some or all of the measures in the score. If you would like to transpose only note sounds as they are played, but leave notes where they are on the staff, see Transpose note sounds 152 in the MIDI Configuration section of the Staff Manager Dialog. Using the Transpose dialog, notes may be transposed: · in all the measures on the score; · from the current measure to the next key change; and · between specific measures. Transposing notes There are four ways to transpose notes: 1.by using the left and right arrows on the right of the Key Signature Graphical Display and by clicking through until you find your desired key; 2.by selecting a major or minor key from the drop down boxes located below the Key Signature Graphical Display; 3.by shifting notes by a selected number of half steps either up or down towards the bottom of the dialog box; or 4.by checking the ‘Transpose entire piece to key closest to C Major (minimize accidentals)’ box.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

163

A pply new key to A LL staves

E nables you to c hange the key on all s taves in the piec e rather than jus t the s elec ted s taff.

A pply

A llows you to experiment with new s ettings , applying c urrent values to the s c ore whils t leaving the dialog open for any future c hanges .

Undo Changes

A llows you to ins tantly undo any c hanges made to the s c ore s inc e the dialog was opened, us eful for auditioning and revers ing c hanges with the A pply button.

Do not transpose Drum notes:

M I D I C hannel 1 0 is generally us ed to play a partic ular group of drum ins truments . T hes e drums us e M I D I information in a different way to other ins truments . T rans pos ing thes e drums may have undes irable effec ts , s o you c an opt to leave drum notes as they are when trans pos ing the res t of the s c ore. I f a given s taff is us ing C hannel 1 0 then M idiI llus trator will as s ume it c ontains drum notes . For more information s ee the M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 s ec tion.

Recalculate existing Chords/Guitar Frets

I f the s c ore is dis playing c hord names and/or guitar frets , thes e c hord values will be automatic ally rec alc ulated (bas ed on the newly trans pos ed notation) when the trans pos ition is c omplete.

Select Current Key

A nalys es the piec e to determine the key it is c urrently in.

Transpose entire piece to key closest to C Major (minimize accidentals)

T rans pos es the piec e to the key c los es t to C M ajor, thereby s implifying the notation as muc h as pos s ible and making the piec e as eas y to play as pos s ible.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.6

Viewing a Range of Measures Command Location: Measures Menu The Measure Range dialog allows you to select a specific range of measures for printing or display on the screen. This command is available in Performance Mode all measures are shown at all times.

33

and Layout Mode

24

only. In Edit Mode

46

,

The current measure total is shown. When you choose a new range, measures outside that range are temporarily hidden (not deleted). You may, for example, want to focus on a particular part of the selected piece, say from the beginning of measure 3 to the end of measure 11, and by entering the starting point of your selected range in the ‘First’ box and the ending point in the ‘Last’ box, which in this case would be 3 and 11 respectively, this range of measures will be displayed on the screen. If you only wish to display one measure, say measure 4, you would simply enter ‘4’ in both in the ‘First’ and ‘Last’ boxes, and only that measure will be displayed. If you subsequently decide to focus on a different section of the piece you would simply change the range of measures that you had entered into the ‘First’ and ‘Last’ boxes. To revert to the original score, simply click on the ‘Show All’ button which will show all of the measures in the score. Practicing a range of measures If you wish to practice a specific part of the score you may find it useful to create a Practice Session 190 for the specific measure range rather than using this dialog. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


164

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.7

Add/Insert Measures Command Location: Measures Menu The Add / Insert Measures dialog allows you to add measures to the end of the score, or insert a number of new measures before the current measure.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.8

Removing a range of Measures Command Location: Measures Menu The Remove Measures dialog allows you to select a range of measures for deletion from the score. Typically, you may want to remove the empty ‘lead in’ measures which are sometimes found at the very beginning of the score. You may, however, also wish to reduce the size of a particular score, or simply remove sections which are not of interest to you. Note that rather than removing measures from the score, you may find it more convenient to simply view a particular range of measures, using the Viewing a Range of Measures 163 command. If you only wish to remove one measure, say measure 5, simply enter ‘5’ in both in the ‘First’ and ‘Last’ boxes of the dialog, and only that measure will be removed.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.9

Split Measure Command Location: Measures Menu A given measure can be split into two parts, creating two smaller measures with new time signatures. This is especially useful if you wish to break a single, long measure (perhaps containing extended trill notes) onto two separate systems or pages. When you open the Split Measures dialog, MidiIllustrator will automatically determine all the possible split points in the measure, and the resulting time signatures the two resulting smaller measures will have after the split is completed. Move the slider control to the desired split position in the measure. You can also round up the possible split points to a particular note size. Once the action is completed, you can (if desired) edit the Time Signature measure.

81

for each new

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

165

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.10 Join Measures Command Location: Measures Menu A given measure can be joined to the measure which follows it, creating a single larger measure with a new time signature, from two smaller measures. MidiIllustrator will automatically determine new time signature of the single measure once the join is completed. Once the action is completed, you can (if desired) edit the Time Signature measure.

81

for the new

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.6.11 Barlines Command Location: Measures Menu This page covers the use of the following measure/bar functions: · Barlines 56 o Special Barlines - Repeats 56 o Setting the Number of Repeats 56 · Endings 56 o Special Notes on Ending Playback 56

Barlines Each measure (or bar) can have a left barline style and a right barline style. Whilst all barline types have a decorative affect on the score, some also affect the way in which the score is played back. Lef t barlines can be: · Single · Sec tion O pen · Repeat O pen

Right barlines can be: · · · ·

Single D ouble Sec tion C los e Repeat C los e

In addition, right barlines of type ‘Repeat Close’ can have the following attribute: · Repeat Count (the number of times a section should be repeated) MidiIllustrator generally manages barlines for you automatically. For instance, a Section Close barline is placed at the end of the score when a MIDI file is first imported, or when measures are deleted from the score. Similarly, MidiIllustrator adds double barlines before clef changes to indicate the completion of a musical phrase. All of these settings can be overridden manually, and the style of all barlines in the score can be changed using the Measure Menu/Toolbar commands. Special Barlines - Repeats In addition to the decorative function of barlines (which usually instruct the reader in some way), ‘Repeat Barlines’ can be added to a score, and MidiIllustrator will observe these © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


166

MidiIllustrator User Manual

repeated section markers during playback. Nested Repeats MidiIllustrator supports nested repeats, which means repeat sections within repeat sections. You can think of repeat barlines in much the same way as brackets in a mathematical formula. Consider the following: ( ( x * 2) * 3) The outer loop is repeated 3 times, the inner loop is repeated twice for every outer loop. Similarly in the example below, the range bar 1 to bar 5 is repeated 3 times, the inner loop of bar 3 is repeated twice for every outer loop. As a result, bar 3 will be heard a total of 6 times (3 * 2).

Playback and Repeats When playing back, MidiIllustrator only considers repeats which begin at or before the playback starting position. So in the example above, if playback begins at bar 2 or even half way through bar 1, only the inner repeat section (bar 3) will actually be repeated. In general, you should make sure that there is a Repeat Close for every Repeat Open barline. If a score contains an uneven balance of left and right repeat barlines (open and close) then MidiIllustrator will try to make the best of calculating which sections to repeat. Setting the Number of Repeats Set the number of times a section should repeat by placing the cursor in the measure with the Repeat Close barline (right side), and choosing "Set Repeat Count" from the Measures/Barline Right Menu. The repeat count is displayed in brackets just above the Repeat Close barline, using the same font as "Measure Numbers" (see Fonts 146 ). This count can be hidden or shown using the Show Barline Repeat Count Measures Menu 80 .

132

command on the

Ignoring Repeats You may want MidiIllustrator to ignore repeats during playback. You can toggle this behaviour using the "Ignore Barline Repeats" command in the Perform Menu.

Endings Endings can be used with bar repeats to create very efficient scores where only the ending of a particular passage varies from one verse to the next. In this case it is not necessary to score multiple verses in their entirety, but instead to score the common part of one or more verses only once and then add any different "endings" for each verse. The basic method for using endings is as follows: 1.Identify the range of measures which contains a passage which is to be repeated 2.Set the left barline on the first measure in the passage to be Repeat Open (see barlines above) Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

167

3.Set the right barline on the last measure including the first v erse ending in the passage to be Repeat Close 4.Set the repeat count on the last measure to the number of verses with different endings 5.Set the ending number for each measure in the first v erse ending to 1 6.If necessary, add new measures immediately after the first ending measures (and after the repeat close barline) and set the endings on these measures to 2 7.Repeat the last step for any new endings The following score example shows a possible ending arrangement where one passage in the score is played three times but has a different ending each time:

In the example, the playback sequence would be: P laybac k s tarts

1

2

Repeat s equenc e begins with repeat open barline (loop 1 /3 )

E nding 1 begins

E nding 1 ends with repeat c los e barline

Repeat s equenc e (loop 2 /3 )

E nding 2 begins

Repeat s equenc e (loop 3 /3 )

E nding 3 begins

3

4

5

3

6

3

7

8

9

During playback, endings can be applied within nested repeat sequences. In this case each ending number applies to the count of the inner bar repeat sequence which hosts the ending, not to the total number of times a nested sequence is actually played. So if the outer measures in the example (1 and 9) were also marked as repeat open/close measures then the entire sequence above would simply be repeated: 1 2 [3 4 5] [3 6] [3 7] 8 9

1 2 [3 4 5] [3 6] [3 7] 8 9

Setting Endings in Power Edit Mode In Power Edit Mode, the endings of a range of measures can be set with a single command. Select the desired range of measures and assign an ending using the "Set Ending" command ( Measures Menu 80 ). Special Notes on Ending Playback · As stated above in the barlines section: when playing back, MidiIllustrator only considers repeats which begin at or before the playback starting position. · Furthermore, when playback begins inside an ending measure, playback will continue from that point and will not play any measures earlier than the ending measure in which playback began. To hear a given ending played in the context of the whole score you must begin playback from the start of the score or the start of the repeat loop which hosts the ending (measure 3 in the example above). · For the sake of simplicity, bar repeat instructions within endings greater than 1 will be ignored during playback; i.e. if measure 7 in the example above contained a Repeat Close barline then it would be ignored · If endings are not properly formed or repeat open/close barlines are incomplete in a score then they will be ignored during playback and each measure in the score will instead be played in sequence. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


168

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.7

Insert menu The Insert menu allows you to add a variety of different objects to the score. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. The following objects can be added: Note

I ns erts a new note 48 at the ins ertion point, and then moves the c urs or forwards ready to ins ert the next note.

Chord Note

I ns erts a new note 48 at the ins ertion point, and keeps the c urs or in the c urrent time pos ition, ready for adding another note to the c urrent c hord. I ns erts a new res t at the ins ertion point.

Rest

I n general, M idiI llus trator automatic ally fills all the s ilenc e in a meas ure with res ts . Read more about A utomatic Res t P lac ement 48 . Lyric

I ns erts a new ric h text 72 L yric at the ins ertion point (or a new vers e if a L yric already exis ts ).

Bookmark

Bookmarks are des igned to help you navigate through files by providing points of referenc e. For example, you may wis h to make a note on the s c ore of where you got to in your las t P rac tic e Ses s ion, or to mark the s tart and end of part of a piec e that you find diffic ult and you wis h to prac tic e at a later date. U s ing the 'G oto' button in the V iew M enu 116 you c an then jump s traight to that part of the s c ore us ing the Bookmark as a referenc e. T o ins ert a new ric h text 72 Bookmark s imply s elec t the part of the s c ore at whic h point you wis h to ins ert a bookmark and c hoos e the Bookmark c ommand from the I ns ert M enu. When a Bookmark is c reated the bar number of the ins ertion point will be added automatic ally and you c an c hoos e to keep this as your Bookmark or you c an edit it by c lic king on the text. I f a bookmark is already in plac e and you wis h to edit it, s imply c lic k on the Bookmark and edit as des ired. Bookmarks c an be us ed with: 路 P rac tic e Ses s ions 190 路 V iewing a Range of M eas ures 163

Chord Name

A llows you to manually ins ert a s ingle ric h text 72 C hord N ame at the ins ertion point. T he C hord N ame will appear above the top s taff. For more information on C hord N ames s ee the C hord Selec tor 179 dialog. M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally generate c hords for the entire s c ore s ee G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets 208 for more information.

Guitar Fret

O pens the C hord Selec tor 179 dialog s o that you c an c hoos e a G uitar Fret c hord fingering whic h will then be plac ed above the top s taff at the c urrent c urs or ins ertion point. M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally generate c hords for the entire s c ore s ee G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets 208 for more information.

Free Text 73

I ns erts a ric h text free text item 73 whic h c an be freely moved, and anc hored to the s c ore in different ways . See als o Free T ext M enu c ommands 180 .

Expression 75

I ns erts a ric h text 72 notation E xpres s ion 75 whic h c an be freely moved, and anc hored to the s c ore in different ways . E xpres s ions differ from other ric h text 72 objec ts as they c an be as s oc iated with M I D I events whic h alter the performanc e of a piec e during playbac k. See als o E xpres s ion M enu c ommands 180 . This command is available only in Edit Mode 46 .

Switch between By default, the E nter key (and left mous e button in M ous e E ntry mode) adds notes at the c urs or Note/Rest Entry ins ertion point. H olding down the Shift key at the s ame time adds res ts . I n order to add res ts at all times , toggle between N ote / Res t E ntry M ode. Entry...

48

Y ou c an s et all the qualities for the c urs or entry note/res t. T he 'entry' qualities will be applied to eac h new item when it is c reated.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

169

H owever, M idiI llus trator will als o try to automatic ally apply the c orrec t qualities for the new item given its 'entry c ontext 48 '. Read more about C ontext E ntry here 48 . Delete... 172

Read about the different ways to remove note and res t groups 172 from the s c ore. E s s entially, the typic al delete and bac ks pac e c ommands apply to the neares t note or res t at the c urs or pos ition (E dit M ode) or to all notes /res ts at the c urs or pos ition (P erformanc e M ode) when the Shift key is depres s ed when deleting.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.7.1

Note and Rest Entry Command Location: Insert Menu Setting Entry Item Qualities The Insert menu lists all the commands available for setting the qualities for note and rest entry. These commands are also available on program toolbars 116 when the Editing Palettes 128 are displayed. Keyboard shortcuts 253 also provide a very quick route to configuring the entry item. Entry item qualities are only relevant to Edit Mode 61 (Normal Entry 46 , Mouse Entry 46 , Power Edit 59 ) when MidiIllustrator is ready to entry new notation, and the cursor is positioned on the score. These 'entry item' qualities will be applied to each new item when it is created. However, MidiIllustrator will also try to automatically apply the correct qualities for the new item given its 'entry context 48 ' (see below). The Entry Cursor The current entry item qualities are shown on the Editing Palette 128 toolbars and are also displayed as a flashing cursor (eg a flashing quarter note or a flashing rest) at the entry position. When this cursor is shown as greyed or faded, the current entry qualities are not valid for insertion at the current position. Quality

Details

Duration

T he duration of the entry note/res t c an be modified inc rementally us ing the D uration: I nc reas e/D ec reas e c ommands . I f you would like M idiI llus trator to inc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations , s ee the I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion 228 option in E diting options 228 . Triplet/Quintuplet When s elec ting tuplet durations , remember that tuplet notes are always treated by M idiI llus trator as a unit, and s o a whole tuplet will be added at the ins ertion point. For example, in the c as e of a triplet addition, a s ingle triplet note will be added followed by two triplet res ts . T here mus t be enough s pac e in the c urrent meas ure for a c omplete tuplet to be added. A dding s ubs equent notes when the c urs or is within the tuplet range will populate the various 'branc hes ' of the tuplet. T he c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator s upports the following tuplet types 244 : triplets and quintuplets . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


170

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Voice

Sets the entry voic e to U pper V oic e, L ower V oic e or Single V oic e. N ote that when adding notes and res ts to meas ure whic h c ontains more than one voic e at the ins ertion point, you mus t firs t s elec t the appropriate voic e s o that M idiI llus trator knows whic h mus ic 'idea' you are modifying. See V oic es 242 for more information. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Enharmonic

Enharmonic Spelling T hes e c ommands leave the pitc h of the entry note unchanged, and only alters the way the entry note is dis played. T he various s pellings whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h): · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat When you s ubs equently alter the entry pitc h, the enharmonic s pelling will be removed and the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 will be applied to future additions (s ee below). N ote that any ac c idental in the s pelling will only be s hown if it has not already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules ), or if the E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 option is enabled (s ee below). Def ault Enharmonic Entry Spelling T his c an be either: · Sharp, or · Flat When moving the c urs or in E dit mode, vertic al pos ition c ommands alter the pitc h of the entry note. A s ingle 'up' or 'down' pitc h (from the keyboard arrow keys ) will rais e or lower the entry pitc h c hromatic ally (by a s emitone) and any appropriate ac c idental nec es s ary to repres ent the new pitc h on the s taff will be dis played automatic ally. For example in a s taff with a key s ignature of C , a pitc h up c ommand when the c urs or pitc h is at middle C will res ult in a new pitc h of C # or D b. Whether the new pitc h is dis played as C # or D b is determined by the c urrent " D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 ". T his value is s et when a s c ore is firs t c reated, and is bas ed on the opening key s ignature of the piec e. G enerally s peaking, for key s ignatures c ontaining flats (eg the key F in whic h all B notes are flattened to Bb), the default enharmonic entry s pelling will als o be flat. Similarly for the key of C and all keys c ontaining s harps , the default enharmonic entry s pelling will be s et to s harp. Y ou c an c hange the s pelling for jus t the c urrent entry by s etting the pitc h of the entry note, then c hanging the E nharmonic Spelling 48 (s ee above). But if you need to make many note additions with a different default s pelling (Sharp or Flat), you c an firs t c hange the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note A ccidental

Entry Note A ccidental

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

171

N ote ac c idental c ommands will alter the pitc h of the entry note. T he ac c identals whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h) are: · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat When you s ubs equently alter the entry pitc h, the ac c idental s pelling will be removed and the D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 will be reapplied to the entry note (s ee above). Entry Note Shows Courtesy A ccidental With this option enabled, any ac c idental in the s pelling of the entry pitc h will be s hown even if it has already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules would not repeat the ac c idental, thus keeping the s c ore unc luttered). I f for example, the entry note is Bb on a s taff with a key s ignature of F major, where all B notes are flat as s tandard, then no flat ac c idental will be s hown to the left of the Bb note unles s E ntry N ote Shows C ourtes y A c c idental 48 is enabled. O nc e notes have been added with c ourtes y ac c identals ac tivated, the c ourtes y ac c identals c an be deac tivated by s elec ting the notes and us ing c ommands from the N otes 52 menu. N ote that the Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 option in Sc ore O ptions 132 will override any 'per note' c ourtes y ac c idental s etting, and will dis play ac c identals (as appropriate) next to every note. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion. Pitch

Rais es or lowers the pitc h of the entry note c hromatic ally, or the vertic al pos ition of the entry res t. See D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 48 (above) for information on the enharmonic s pelling of the new pitc h (flat or s harp). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Volume...

O pens the E ntry N ote V olume D ialog s o you c an s et the default volume for the entry note (default 6 4 ). T his volume will be applied to all notes added until the volume is c hanged onc e again. When notes are s elec ted, their volume c an be c hanged us ing c ommand in the N otes 52 menu. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Automatic Rest Placement In general, MidiIllustrator automatically fills all the silence in a measure with rests according to standard notations rules (completing beats with rests as necessary etc). As you add and remove notes, these virtual rests are shortened, lengthened and deleted as necessary to 'complete' the notation. In Edit Mode, these automatically placed rests are displayed in a different color to rests which have been specifically added to the score (manually placed rests are darker, the same color as notes). As you 'firm up' automatic rests they are displayed as other manually entered notation. Adding Notes and Rests in Multiple Voices © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


172

MidiIllustrator User Manual

To assist with composing in multiple voices in a given measure, MidiIllustrator also displays a special 'virtual' type of rest where more than one voice is displayed in a given measure. Read more about Voice Guide Rests 242 . Context Entry When the entry note duration at the current insertion point cannot be accommodated, MidiIllustrator will try to automatically apply a 'duration fit' for the new item given its 'entry context'. This automatic fit can apply to several contexts: 路 The 'rest space' is too short for the entry note duration: When for example you have selected a whole note duration and there is only a quarter rest at the insertion point, the context duration will be set to a quarter note 路 New notes added at the same time as existing notes (in the entry voice 242 ) on a staff must take the duration of the existing notes. In this case the entry duration will be set to the duration of any existing note at the insertion point in the same voice and staff. 路 When inserting a note (rather than adding, see Inserting versus Adding 48 below) if there is limited insert space, and the entry note duration is too long, it will be shortened. In some cases, entry note qualities other than duration will prevent MidiIllustrator from selecting a duration which fits into the current context. In this case, the flashing cursor item will be displayed in faded colors, indicating that no addition or insertion is possible. Inserting versus Adding If it is possible to insert (rather than 'add') a new item at the cursor location in a given measure, MidiIllustrator will display insert indicator arrows both above and below the flashing entry note. Moving the cursor to the left of an existing item at any time will display the insert arrows indicating that insertion with the current entry qualities is possible. When a note or rest is inserted rather than added, all items (notes and rests) to the right of the entry item will be shifted further to the right to make room for the new item. When a measure contains more than one voice, notation in all voices to the right of the insert point will be shifted (rather than just notation in the entry voice). The insert arrows are only displayed when inserting is possible.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.7.2

Note and Rest Deletion Command Location: Insert Menu There are several different ways to quickly remove notes, rests and groups of these items from the score. Essentially, the typical delete and backspace commands apply to the nearest note or rest at the cursor time in Edit Mode 46 . However in Performance Mode 33 or when the Shift key is depressed when deleting, all notes/rests at the cursor time are removed. Command

Perf ormance Mode - Simple Deletion

Edit Mode - A dvanced Deletion

Delete

Del ete Chord

Del ete Si ngl e I tem

D eletes any c hord at the c urs or pos ition.

D eletes a s ingle item in the s ame time/ horizontal pos ition as c urs or, and if there are multiple items at that pos ition, deletes only the item neares t to the c urs or pitc h/vertic al pos ition.

Del ete Si ngl e I tem to Lef t

Del ete Si ngl e I tem to Lef t

Backspace

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Shif t+Delete

173

D eletes any c hord to the left of the c urs or pos ition.

D eletes a s ingle item to the left of the time/horizontal pos ition of the c urs or, and if there are multiple items at that pos ition, deletes only the item neares t to the c urs or pitc h/vertic al pos ition.

N o effec t.

Del ete Chord a nd Shi f t R ema i nder Lef t D eletes any c hord (or uns elec ted whole tuplet) at the c urs or pos ition, and s hifts all remaining notes in the meas ure to the left

Shif t+Backspace

N o effec t.

Del ete Chord to Lef t a nd Shi f t R ema i nder Lef t D eletes any c hord (or uns elec ted whole tuplet) to the left of the c urs or pos ition, and s hifts all remaining notes in the meas ure to the left

Tuplet Deletion Note that since individual tuplet notes are treated as a unit 244 , 'Shift deleting' in Edit mode will delete the entire tuplet. Simple deletes will never shift remaining tuplet notes to the left as the tuplet structure must remain intact. See keyboard shortcuts

253

for quick access to these commands.

Deleting Tie Notes Tie notes are treated differently when deleted, depending on the current Editing status the song.

61

of

In Edit mode ( ), single tie notes can be deleted, and the rest of the tie sequence will be left intact. Deleting the 3rd note in a sequence of 5 tied notes, for example, will result in two remaining tie sequences, each of 2 notes, either side of the deleted tie note range. Conversely, outside Edit mode, tie notes are treated more as a unit. As such, deleting any tie note in a sequence will either shorten, or delete the entire sequence, but will never split it into two or more individual note sequences. This is in keeping with the idea that in this state, the underlying notes in the song should be protected as much as possible, and editing operations are for visual changes only, not for audio changes.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.8

Notes menu The Notes menu will only appear when a note has been selected 113 . Some commands behave differently depending on the current mode 61 and some are only available when the score is in Edit mode 46 . As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Read more below about how the 'mode' affects Notes Commands below Notes Commands

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

52

.


174

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Pitch

Rais es or lowers the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ) c hromatic ally. A c c identals 52 are automatic ally applied for the new pitc h, taking into ac c ount the c urrent key s ignature. See D efault E nharmonic E ntry Spelling 52 (I ns ert M enu 168 ) for information on the enharmonic s pelling of the new pitc h (flat or s harp). O c tave c ommands rais e or lower the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ) c hromatic ally by a whole oc tave. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Volume

Rais es or lowers the volume of the s elec ted note(s ). Choose Volume... O pens the N ote V olume D ialog s o you c an s et the volume for the s elec ted notes note (default 6 4 ). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Change Duration

A llows you to c hange the duration of s elec ted notes . T he duration of the notes c an be modified inc rementally us ing the D uration: I nc reas e/ D ec reas e c ommands . I f you would like M idiI llus trator to inc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations , s ee the I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion 228 option in E diting options 228 . N ote durations c an only be inc reas ed if there are no c onflic ting notes ahead of the note to be lengthened (s ee exc eptions to this rule in E dit M ode, below). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Note Duration Increases In Edit Mode I n E dit M ode, M idiI llus trator will try to s hift 'c onflic ting' notes in a given meas ure to the right in order to make way for note lengthening operations . N otes are only s hifted when nec es s ary, s pec ific ally: · I f there is res t s pac e to the right of a note to be lengthened, this s pac e will be taken to ac c ommodate the new note length. · I f there is no s pac e, or not enough s pac e to the right of the note to be lengthened, then M idiI llus trator will c hec k s ee if there is room at the end of the note's meas ure to ac c ommodate the new note length. · N otes 'in the way' of the operation will be 's hifted' as far as pos s ible into the res t s pac e at the end of the meas ure, and the note will be given the des ired length if pos s ible. · M idiI llus trator us es a 'bes t pos s ible' approac h in duration c hanges . I f, for example, you want to inc reas e a quarter note to a whole note duration, but there is only room for a half note, then the half note value will be s et (ins tead of s imply failing the operation). Shif t Notes

T he Shift c ommands c an be us ed to move the s elec ted notes in the following ways : · U p a s taff: notes will be moved to the next visible s taff above their c urrent s taff. · D own a s taff: notes will be moved to the next visible s taff below their c urrent s taff. · Forwards : notes will be nudged to the right by a s mall amount. · Bac kwards : notes will be nudged to the left by a s mall amount. I n all c as es note durations are unc hanged. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Synchronise Selected Notes

A llows the s ync hronization of s elec ted notes by attac k time, duration or both. A ll notes in the s elec tion will take on the appropriate qualities of the firs t note in the s elec tion (identified with a different s elec tion c olor). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Stems

Sets the s tems of all s elec ted notes to point up or down. See als o Stem D irec tion in V oic es 242 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Voice

175

Sets all s elec ted notes to U pper V oic e, L ower V oic e or Single V oic e. See V oic es 242 for more information. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Enharmonic Spelling

T hes e c ommands leave the pitc h of the s elec ted notes unchanged, and only alters the way the notes are dis played. T he various s pellings whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h): · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat N ote that any ac c idental in the s pelling will only be s hown if it has not already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules ), or if the Show C ourtes y A c c idental 52 option is enabled (s ee below). See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

A ccidental

N ote ac c idental c ommands will alter the pitc h of the s elec ted note(s ).

A c c identals other than c ourtes y ac c identals c an only be altered in E dit M ode

46

.

T he ac c identals whic h are available (depending on the partic ular key/pitc h) are: · D ouble Sharp · Sharp · N atural · Flat · D ouble Flat Show Courtesy A ccidental With this option enabled, any ac c idental in the s pelling of the note pitc h will be s hown even if it has already been dis played on the s taff line earlier in the meas ure (normal notating rules would not repeat the ac c idental, thus keeping the s c ore unc luttered). I f for example, the entry note is Bb on a s taff with a key s ignature of F major, where all B notes are flat as s tandard, then no flat ac c idental will be s hown to the left of the Bb note unles s Show C ourtes y A c c idental 52 is enabled. N ote that the Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 option in Sc ore O ptions 132 will override any 'per note' c ourtes y ac c idental s etting, and will dis play ac c identals (as appropriate) next to every note. See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion. Ties

Disable Tying on Selected Notes (Perf ormance Mode Only) A llows the enabling or dis abling of automatic tying on s elec ted notes . When tying is dis abled, even notes whic h s hould be tied bec aus e of their s ound duration will only be dis played as a s ingle untied note. T his option is us eful for s implifying the notation in s ome c as es . This command is no longer available once the score has entered Edit Mode (s ee E diting a Song for the Firs t T ime 61 ).

Tie Notes Together (Edit Mode Only) T ies together (or unties ) c ontiguous s elec ted notes of the s ame pitc h. To tie two or more notes: 1. A ll the notes to be tied must be selected (using the mouse or keyboard) 2. The notes must be the same pitch, voice and staf f 3. There can be no space (gaps) between them T ying notes of different pitc hes (s lurs ) is not pos s ible in the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


176

MidiIllustrator User Manual

T o remove a tie, s elec t the tied note(s ) and revers e the c ommand. See als o Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Finger Numbers (Manual and A utomatic)

Finger numbers c an be as s igned to notes and c hords in one of three ways : · M anually us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253

· A utomatic ally for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 without the need to open the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog · A utomatic ally for the entire s c ore, a range of s taves , or a note s elec tion us ing the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog V alid finger numbers are from 1 to 5 , s tarting with the thumb (1 ) on eac h hand through to the pink (5 ). T o as s ign fingering manually to one or more notes : Selec t the notes to be updated, and apply the finger c ommand 1 - 5 . T o remove any fingering, apply finger c ommand 0 . T o as s ign fingering automatic ally to one or more notes : Selec t the notes to be updated and c hoos e an automatic fingering c ommand: · A utomatic Fingering Finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore · A utomatic Fingering - Ignore Unselected Surrounding Notes Finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an read more about automatic fingering analys is 34 and how as s igning finger numbers enables other M idiI llus trator features s uc h as P erforming H ands 38 . Delete... 172

Read about the different ways to remove notes 172 from the s c ore. E s s entially, the typic al delete and bac ks pac e c ommands apply to the neares t note at the c urs or pos ition (E dit M ode) or to all notes at the c urs or pos ition (P erformanc e M ode) when the Shif t key is depres s ed when deleting. Note that tie notes and tuplets are treated dif f erently when deleted 172 . See the Keyboard Shortc uts 253 for this func tion.

Reset Original Values of Note

Revers es any c hanges made to s elec ted notes and returns them to their ‘original’ values . ‘O riginal’ refers to the qualities the note had when it was originally notated from a M I D I file, the ‘raw’ data.

Note Beams and Custom Beaming Beams are handled automatically

245

by MidiIllustrator.

Understanding How Instructions are Interpreted Depending on the Current MidiIllustrator 'Mode' Note: This information only applies to certain versions of the program

.

When you make changes to notes individually or as a group, the final result will depend on a number of factors; most importantly the current Mode 61 . In Performance Mode 33 , MidiIllustrator will automatically try to present the music as clearly as possible when you edit the notation using Notes menu commands. The effect of the note editing commands is tempered by the Transcription Options 139 of the score you are editing. For instance, if you have opted to simplify the presentation of the music by ‘forcing chords’ or ‘preventing tie notes’ then these presentation guidelines will override manual editing changes. However, in Edit Mode 46 , your instructions will be followed very closely by MidiIllustrator with little or no automatic 'correction' or intuitive decision making (for example, automatic selection © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

177

of voice when you alter the length of a note so that it overlaps other notes). See more about the different MidiIllustrator Modes

61

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.9

Rests menu The rests menu will only appear when a rest has been selected. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Vertical Position

Rais es or lowers the vertic al pos ition of the s elec ted res t (s ) by roughly the height of a s ingle s taff line.

Duration

A llows you to c hange the duration of s elec ted res ts . T he duration of the res ts c an be modified inc rementally us ing the D uration: I nc reas e/D ec reas e c ommands . I f you would like M idiI llus trator to inc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations , s ee the I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion 228 option in E diting options 228 .

Delete... 172

Read about the different ways to remove res t groups 172 from the s c ore. E s s entially, the typic al delete and bac ks pac e c ommands apply to the neares t res t at the c urs or pos ition (E dit M ode) or to all res ts at the c urs or pos ition (P erformanc e M ode) when the Shift key is depres s ed when deleting.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.10

Lyrics menu The Lyrics menu will only appear when a lyric has been selected. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Lyrics are displayed as rich text 72 objects which can be edited directly in place on the score and font formatting is possible using the format toolbar which appears when editing a Lyric. Keyboard Shortcuts

253

exist for quick access to these commands.

The menu offers the following commands: Edit Lyric

A llows the editing of s elec ted lyric s .

Insert New Verse

I ns erts a new vers e at the ins ertion point.

A dd/Edit Next Lyric

A dds a new lyric at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a lyric already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that lyric . See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

A dd/Edit Previous Lyric

A dds a new lyric at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the lef t of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a lyric already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that lyric . See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

Shif t Lyric

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Delete Lyric(s)

D eletes s elec ted lyric s .

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


178

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.11

Bookmarks menu The Bookmarks menu will only appear when a bookmark has been selected. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Bookmarks are displayed as rich text 72 objects which can be edited directly in place on the score and font formatting is possible using the format toolbar which appears when editing a Bookmark. The menu offers the following commands: Edit Bookmark

A llows the editing of s elec ted bookmarks .

Insert New Line

I ns erts a new line at the ins ertion point.

A dd/Edit Next Bookmark

A dds a new bookmark at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a bookmark already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that bookmark. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

A dd/Edit Previous Bookmark

A dds a new bookmark at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the lef t of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a bookmark already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that bookmark. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

Shif t Bookmark

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Delete Bookmark(s)

D eletes s elec ted bookmarks .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.12

Chord Names menu Chord Names can be created, edited and deleted using the Chord Names menu and the Chord Selector 179 dialog. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Chord Names are displayed as rich text 72 objects which can be edited directly in place on the score and font formatting is possible using the format toolbar which appears when editing a Chord Name. Edit Chord Name

A llows you to edit the s elec ted c hord name by plac ing the c urs or alongs ide the exis ting c hord name.

Open Chord Name Selector

O pens the C hord Selec tor 179 dialog whic h allows you to quic kly c hange the s elec ted c hord name.

Insert New Line

I ns erts a new line at the ins ertion point.

A dd/Edit Next Chord Name

A dds a new c hord name at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a c hord name already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that c hord name. See als o the option: "Include measure beats as Next/Previous insert locations 228 " in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

A dd/Edit Previous Chord Name

A dds a new c hord name at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the lef t of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a c hord name already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that c hord name. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

Shif t Chord

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Delete Chord Name(s)

D eletes the s elec ted c hord name.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

179

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.12.1 Chord Selector Command Location: Insert Menu If you are creating or editing chord names or guitar frets, then you can use the Chord Name and Guitar Fret Selector as an aid to quickly selecting a particular chord. The Selector can display over 900 chords and variations and includes: 路 a description for each chord; 路 names of the key notes in each chord; and 路 guitar fret fingerings. Some chords also have alternative names and fret fingerings. You can open the Selector from either the Guitar Frets menu or the Chord Names menu. Alternatively, you can double click the mouse on an existing guitar fret, or right click on an existing chord name and open the Selector from the context menu 55 . Selecting a Chord Begin by entering the key of the chord in the drop down box. The Selector automatically lists all of the chord types associated with that key. If you have Guitar Chord Variations checked then there may be more than on entry for a given chord, this allows you to select a particular fret fingering for the chord of your choice. You can choose to synchronize the guitar fret graphic and the chord name text if you are showing both, by selecting the Update checkbox. Note: MidiIllustrator may not offer every single possible fingering for a given guitar chord. In some cases it may also be necessary to manually edit the text of a chord name if you cannot find the exact format using the Selector.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.13

Guitar Frets menu Guitar frets can be created, edited and deleted using the Guitar Frets menu and the Chord Selector 179 dialog. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Open Guitar Fret Selector

O pens the C hord Selec tor 179 dialog whic h allows you to quic kly c hange the s elec ted guitar fret.

Next Chord Fingering

When there is more than one c hord fingering available for a s elec ted c hord, you c an s elec t this c ommand to c yc le through the different fingerings .

Shif t Guitar Fret

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Delete Guitar Fret(s)

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted guitar fret.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


180

5.14

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Free Text menu The Free Text menu will only appear when a Free Text object has been selected. Free Text items 73 are displayed as rich text 72 objects which can be edited directly in place on the score and font formatting is possible using the format toolbar which appears when editing a Free Text item. Furthermore a single Free Text item can be selected and dragged with the mouse to a new position on the score. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Keyboard Shortcuts

253

exist for quick access to these commands.

The menu offers the following commands: Edit Free Text Item

A llows the editing of s elec ted Free T ext items .

Insert New Line

I ns erts a new line at the ins ertion point.

A dd/Edit Next Free Text Item

A dds a new Free T ext item at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if a Free T ext item already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that Free T ext item. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior.

A dds a new Free T ext item at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the lef t of the c urrent c urs or A dd/Edit Previous Free pos ition) or if a Free T ext item already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that Free T ext Text Item item. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior. Shif t Free Text Item

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Delete Free Text Item D eletes s elec ted Free T ext items . (s)

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.15

Expression menu The Expression menu will only appear when an expression object has been selected. Expressions 75 are displayed as rich text 72 objects so font formatting is possible using the right-click context menu in the edit boxes. As well as appearing in the main program menu, these menu commands are usually available as a context menu 55 when you right-click the mouse on the score. Keyboard Shortcuts

253

exist for quick access to these commands.

The menu offers the following commands: Edit Expression

Begin editing the s elec ted expres s ion. This command is available only in Edit Mode 46 .

A dd/Edit Next Expression

A dds a new expres s ion at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the right of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if an expres s ion already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that expres s ion. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior. This command is available only in Edit Mode 46 .

A dd/Edit Previous Expression

A dds a new expres s ion at the next pos s ible ins ertion point (to the lef t of the c urrent c urs or pos ition) or if an expres s ion already exis ts at that pos ition, begins editing that expres s ion. See als o the Insertion options in E diting O ptions 228 to alter this behavior. This command is available only in Edit Mode 46 .

Shif t Expression

A llows you to quic kly s hift the s elec ted item(s ) forwards or bac kwards in the s c ore.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

181

This command is available only in Edit Mode 46 . Delete Expression(s)

D eletes s elec ted expres s ions .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.16

Layout menu Option

Description

Reset Custom Layout 24 on...

I f any c us tom layout 24 exis ts it c an be s elec tively removed from the following areas in a s ingle c ommand: · E ntire Sc ore · T his P age · Selec ted Stave/Sys tem · Selec tion N ote that c us tom layout height/width c an als o be removed by double c lic king the c us tom layout frame with the left mous e button. M ore about L ayout M ode 24 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.16.1 Layout Mode Command Location: Tools Menu Layout Mode is for changing the dimensions and positions of score objects, such as measures, staves and lyrics. MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout to make good use of screen 'real estate'. However, if you wish to manage the layout for a particular measure, page or even the entire score, then in this mode you can either tweak the layout to simply tighten up the score a little, or you can make major changes to squeeze as much notation as possible onto a given page. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode 33 o Layout Mode o Edit Mode 46 Layout settings are applied only in Page View (Print Preview) when the score is formatted for the printed page. Applying a Custom Layout In Layout Mode, select the measure/staff combination whose dimensions you wish to customize. You can only customize a single measure/staff combination at a time. You can change the following attributes of the measure/staff combination: · Measure width (to allow more or fewer measures on a system or page) · Staff height above the staff · Staff height beneath the staff · Vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff When a selection is made, the layout frame appears marking the current boundaries of the active area. If the measure/staff contains any lyrics, then the lyric boundary frame will also appear, indicating the current vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


182

MidiIllustrator User Manual

With the mouse, click and drag a boundary to move it. The table shows which boundaries control which layout aspect: Frame

Boundary

Direction

Change A pplies to

Measure/Staf f

L eft / Right boundary

H orizontal

M eas ure width (applies to the whole meas ure, not jus t the meas ure width of the ac tive meas ure/s taff)

T op boundary

V ertic al

H eight above the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of s ys tems on the c urrent page)

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

H eight beneath the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of s ys tems on the c urrent page)

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

V ertic al pos ition of lyric s beneath the s taff

Lyric

Once a custom size has been applied, a colored arrow will appear, spanning the new custom boundary. Applying More than one Custom Staff Height to a System It is possible to apply staff heights to more than one measure/staff unit on a given system. In this case, the tallest of these custom height settings will be applied to the system as a whole, and shorter values be ignored (though they are not removed automatically). However, if you apply a new staff height to a given measure/staff unit, then any existing staff heights on that system will be reduced to the new staff height (if they are taller; shorter ones will remain as they are). In this way, the latest change will be the value used for the score layout). Vertical Spacing of Systems on the Page Normally, MidiIllustrator fits as many systems as possible onto a page, and if there is any space left over, it spaces the systems evenly to fill that space so that the page looks more uniform. However, as soon as you apply a vertical custom layout (staff height) to a measure/staff, systems on that page will no longer be automatically spaced vertically, allowing you to manage the alignment yourself. Removing Custom Layout (manually and automatically) Custom layout height/width can be removed using the Layout Menu 181 commands or by double clicking the appropriate custom layout frame with the left mouse button. MidiIllustrator assumes that when you are modifying the actual notation in the score, this latest change should override any existing custom layout bar widths in the 'active' area. Custom measure widths are removed automatically if the notation in the measure changes. As such, custom layout is best applied when composing is more or less complete. How Custom Layout interacts with MidiIllustrator's Automatic Music Layout In general, MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout as you modify the notation in your score. When you apply a custom layout to part of the score, MidiIllustrator will try to accommodate the requested settings. However, MidiIllustrator will still ensure that basic rules for formatting are still applied, such as ensuring that a single system or measure cannot be any wider than the page containing it! Furthermore, MidiIllustrator will always stretch the last measure in a system to reach the right margin of the page, unless the measure is the last in the score. As a result, custom width settings for such an 'end of system' measure may not be applied. Note that empty measures with custom layout height or width cannot be compressed

132 ,

and

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

183

are treated as non-identical to other empty measures with different layout settings or no layout settings. More About this Mode You can make basic notation changes in Layout Mode, for example correcting score attributes like stave heights. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in this mode like Performance Mode 33 , the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.17

Power Edit menu These commands detail some of the Power Edit

59

options.

Option

Description

Select Entire Bars

T his c ommand affec t the way that s elec tions are made in P ower E dit M ode 59 . M ous e and keyboard c urs or c ommand will s elec t whole meas ures , rather than jus t whole beats .

Paste & Replace 59

T hes e options determine how M idiI llus trator treats notation when it is dropped/pas ted onto exis ting range in the s c ore. T he options are explained in the s ec tion: Replac ing vs M erging with E xis ting N otation 59 .

-orPaste & Merge 59 Insert & Paste 59

C reates new meas ures prior to pas ting/dropping a c opied range (ins tead of reus ing the exis ting range). O nly works with the 'Selec t E ntire Bars ' option enabled (s ee above).

Delete Selection 59

D elete all notation in the range, but leaves the meas ure/ s taff s truc ture intac t.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.17.1 Power Edit Mode Command Location: Tools Menu / Edit Mode Power Edit Mode, is one of the sub modes of Edit Mode 46 . Power Edit allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats, and moving or copying multi-staff selections of notation from one part of the score to another (or to another score altogether using C 58 opy/Cut/Paste Clipboard Functions 58 ). 路 Edit Mode o Normal Entry 46 o Mouse Entry 46 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


184

MidiIllustrator User Manual o Power Edit

Selecting Ranges of the Score with Power Edit The selection range or 'drag' range in Power Edit can be set using the keyboard arrow keys or the mouse. With the mouse, left-click the score and drag over the measure(s)/stave(s) group you wish to work with. When the mouse is released, you can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and click/dragging elsewhere on the score (on another page if you wish). The selection will be extended to the clicked/dragged location With the keyboard, use the arrow keys to select measure(s)/stave(s) group. You can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and using the arrow keys (up/down for staffs, left/right for measures). Depending on the value you have chosen for the Select Entire Bars 183 option, mouse and keyboard cursor command will round the selection range to the nearest whole measure, or just the nearest whole beat. Selecting Entire Staves In order to select an entire staff, simply click the score just to the leftmost edge of the staff (just to the left of the clef). The entire staff will be selected. The selection can be extended to more whole staves by holding down the Shift key and repeating the action. Another way to Make Copies of Complete Staves: If you wish to make a copy of one or more complete staves including notation, instrument, name and other staff properties, then it will probably be faster to try "making a copy of the selected staff 76 " with the Staff Manager Dialog 76

Copying vs Moving the Selection ('Control Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop) When you have made a selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). Cut the current selection to place it on the clipboard, then if desired, select a new location in this or another score, and paste the previous selection into the score. For fast transfer of selections from one part of the score to another, click and hold the left mouse button over the existing selection. Hold the left button down, and drag the selection to the new 'drop' location. As you move, the drop area is highlighted in a different color to individuate it from the drag selection. Only valid, compatible drop areas will be highlighted. A compatible drop area is one which has exactly the same measure structure as the drag area (ie all measure lengths as the same). Releasing the mouse button will drop the selection in its new location. Holding down the Control key will copy the existing selection, rather than moving it. Replacing vs Merging with Existing Notation (Power Edit Menu Option) Select from the Power Edit Menu 183 either of the following paste options: 路 Paste & Replace: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will be overwritten by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. 路 Paste & Merge: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will, where possible, be merged by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. Where pasted content conflicts with existing content (eg conflicting voices), the existing content will take precedence and dropped/pasted content will not be added Inserting Dragged/Copied Measures ('Alt Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop, or 'Insert & Paste' menu command)

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

185

By default, MidiIllustrator does not create new measures for pasted or dropped selections in Power Edit mode - dropped or pasted ranges either replace or merge with existing notation. However with the 'Insert & Paste' command, MidiIllustrator will create new measures prior to pasting/dropping copied range, meaning that existing notation shifted forwards as the score is lengthened to make room for the new dropped/pasted content. When choosing a drop point with the mouse, holding the 'Alt' key will display the 'insert' point with arrows instead of the usual 'drop range'. Note that for new measures to be inserted, the following criteria must be satisfied: · the Select Entire Bars 183 option must be enabled · all dragged/copied measures must be the same length/time signature and must be the same length/time signature of the measure at the 'insert point' (the time signature of any measures created by the 'insert' action will also be the same as the time signature of the measure at the 'insert point'). Deleting the Selection Using the 'delete' or 'backspace' key when a selection has been made will delete all notation in the range, but will leave the measure/staff structure intact. To remove whole measures/ staves, see Remove Measures 78 . Using Other Functions Whilst in Power Edit Whilst in Power Edit, certain notation functions will automatically apply to the current range selected (if any). This often makes it faster to apply changes to a particular range of measures. These functions include: · Clef 82 · Key Signature 80 · Transpose Notes 79 · Remove Measures 78 · Endings 56 More About this Mode Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18

Perform menu The Perform menu offers the following commands: Start/Stop Playback

Starts /s tops playbac k from the c urrent c urs or pos ition and plays to the end of the s c ore. Y ou c an s kip bac kwards and forwards during playbac k us ing Keyboard Shortc uts (N avigation C ommands ) 253 P laybac k end times are s elec ted s lightly differently in E dit M ode. See N ote about P laybac k I n E dit M ode 46 .

Rewind

T akes the c urs or bac k to the s tart of the piec e.

A udition Current Measure

P lay jus t the c urrent meas ure and then return the c urs or to the pre- playbac k pos ition.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


186

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Start/Stop Recording

Start/s top rec ording 67 to the c urrent s taff/s c ore from a c onnec ted M I D I devic e.

Step by Step Mode 188

A c tivates Step by Step M ode s o you c an ‘s tep’ the c urs or through the s c ore s elec ting notes one at a time or in ‘c hord groups ’.

Practice Session 190

C reate, Start/Stop or E dit a P rac tic e Ses s ion us ing the P rac tic e Ses s ion Wizard.

Master Tempo

A llows you to inc reas e or dec reas e the playbac k tempo of the piec e, and to res et the playbac k tempo to its original value. T his value c an be s aved 105 with the s c ore.

Master Volume

E nables you to inc reas e or dec reas e the playbac k volume of the piec e (or s elec ted s taves ) and to res et the playbac k volume to its original value. T his is a master volume s etting. C hanging the mas ter volume will affec t s taff volumes differently depending on whether or not thos e s taves are c urrently s elec ted. For more information s ee the V olume s ec tion of the E xtended Sequenc er T oolbar 126 .

A ctivate Metronome

A c tivates or deac tivates the M etronome 218 .

Conf igure Metronome Instrument

O pens the M etronome I ns trument 190 dialog.

A ctivate MIDI In

A c tivates or deac tivates M I D I I n. For further information on M I D I I n s ee the M I D I I n/M I D I E c ho 216 s ec tion.

A ctivate MIDI Echo

A c tivates /deac tivates M I D I E c ho. For further information on M I D I E c ho s ee the M I D I I n/ M I D I E c ho 216 s ec tion.

Conf igure Echo Instrument

O pens the M I D I E c ho devic e I ns trument 192 dialog.

Play Notes as Imported/Recorded

P lay imported M I D I s ongs and rec ordings as they were originally performed, rather than adhering s tric tly to the notated times dis played on the s c ore. T his is es pec ially us eful when, for example, a s equenc ed piec e was performed with feeling, but has been trans c ribed to be eas ier to read 139 . Read more about how the performanc e c an vary from the notation in the What Y ou See vers us What Y ou H ear 19 s ec tion of H ow M idiI llus trator c onverts M I D I to N otation 19 .

Ignore Barline Repeats 56

I gnore or apply any s pec ial endings s uc h as barline repeats .

Scroll and Fade In the Next Page 28

Sc roll in the next page during playbac k to make reading ahead eas ier (available only in Window V iew 117 , P erformanc e M ode 33 ).

Display...

Enter Playlist Mode 125

· Highlight Notes/lyrics During Playback 28 : M idiI llus trator will highlight the notes and lyric s on the s c ore during playbac k when this c ommand has been s elec ted. · Grey Muted Notes 28 : Show the muted notes on the s c ore in a different c olor to the s tandard notes , and do not highlight them during playbac k. Begins P laylis t M ode.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.1 Recording a Real Time Performance Command Location: Perform Menu The record tool allows you to capture a real time performance from a connected MIDI device. The performance is instantly converted to notation using your Recording Options 67 rules and is added directly to your score.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Recording is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

187

.

Before you can record to your score you must have configured a MIDI In device that you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device.

216

and ensured

You can configure the way in which newly recorded MIDI will be transcribed by MidiIllustrator by setting the Recording Options 67 . Beginning a Recording Session When you are ready to record, position the cursor to the track and time where you would like recording to start. All new MIDI data will be added to the staff you selected before recording started. Existing data on that staff will be overwritten with the newly recorded data. Begin recording by selecting the record command from the Perform toolbar or the Perform Menu 185 . This will initiate playback of the score from the cursor position. Depending on your Recording Options 67 , the metronome 218 will sound a set of introductory beats. The score will play as you record. Any notation on the active recording staff is muted during recording. The active recording staff is highlighted during recording (in the same way as the 'echo to' 245 staff). If you do not wish to hear other staves as you record, mute them individually using Staff Tools 158 or collectively using the Staff Manager 76 . When you have finished recording, end the recording session the same way as you began it, or by ending playback. If the end of the score is reached, recording and playback will stop automatically. If you need more recording time, Add Measures 70 before recording. Do not worry about ending the recording session as soon as you have finished performing; existing data on the active staff will only be deleted if it is replaced with newly recorded data (ie. if you don't play any notes, the existing notation will be untouched). Now the recording session is complete, MidiIllustrator will convert the raw recorded MIDI into notation just as if opening and transcribing an existing MIDI file, applying your Recording Options 67 . You can also Tap In Rhythms

68

with just the PC keyboard whilst recording.

My Recording is Out of Sync with the Existing Notation and/or the Metronome! Sometimes there is a delay between a musician playing a MIDI instrument and the resulting MIDI instructions reaching MidiIllustrator. This is know as MIDI device latency 216 . If you find that recorded notes are out of sync with existing notation even though you played notes at the same time as you heard them played back, then you should experiment with values for MIDI device latency 216 in MIDI Options. This should allow MidiIllustrator to compensate for the device delay. Notes for Good Recording Use the metronome 218 ! Use of the metronome whilst recording is highly recommended as the more accurate a performance is, the better it will be notated by MidiIllustrator. Try to adhere to the rhythm as far as possible. If you are trying to get a very clean score, then try not to apply too much 'feeling' to the performance. Liberal timing will make the score harder to read when it is notated. Experiment with Recording Transcription Options

67

to get the best results.

Which MIDI Events are Captured When Recording? MidiIllustrator captures all note on/off events, and all 'Controller' type events, such as sustain pedal messages. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


188

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.2 Step by Step Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Step by Step Mode Tab With Step by Step Mode you can ‘step’ the cursor through the score selecting notes one at a time or in ‘chord groups’. This command is available in Performance Mode

33

only.

When you enter Step by Step Mode a dialog will be displayed asking you which staves you would like to include in each ‘step’. Keyboard players may choose to select a single staff to practice the left or right ‘hand’ of a piece or they may select two staves to practice ‘hands together’. The keys for each chord are highlighted on the score and on the keyboard. A dashed red box is drawn around the chord(s) on the score. Note names are shown in the status bar. You can move backwards and forwards through the score using the cursor keys. Each time the cursor moves a new set of notes will be selected. If you have selected the ‘Play Set Note Sounds’ option then each new group of notes will be played back as it is selected. Stepping with a connected MIDI Instrument If you have a MIDI Instrument connected to your computer and you have configured MidiIllustrator to ‘listen’ for input from the instrument, you can step through the score by playing all the notes in each step on your MIDI Instrument. When MidiIllustrator detects that all of the notes in the step have been entered simultaneously on the MIDI Instrument the cursor will move automatically to the following step. Jump to User Input If you have enabled the “Jump to User Input” option (see below 188 ), and you move around in the score, then MidiIllustrator will automatically move the Step by Step cursor to the new input position and show that part of the score, turning the pages as necessary. For more information about setting up your external MIDI Instrument see MIDI In

216 .

Quick Starting Step by Step Mode You can choose to skip the Start Up dialog when starting Step by Step Mode by checking the box at the bottom of the dialog, and you can switch the dialog on or off in Program Options, Step by Step Mode. If you are skipping the dialog then MidiIllustrator will automatically select a single staff for Step by Step Mode based on the location of the cursor at the time. Pressing Ctrl+B will start/stop Step by Step. Playing Back (Accompaniment) Whilst in Step by Step Mode

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

189

When you want MidiIllustrator to accompany you during Step by Step Mode, you may want to have playback begin at a different starting position to the Step by Step cursor. This will give you the opportunity to have playback ‘lead in’ and allow you to prepare to start playing your part. To set the playback starting position, hold down the Control key and click the left mouse button on the score at the appropriate measure. A colored triangle marks the playback starting measure. You can then click anywhere on the score (as normal) to set the Step by Step cursor position you will play from. Step by Step Mode Options Show Dialog when starting Step by A llows you s how/hide the Step by Step dialog upon s tart up. Step Mode T he dialog c an als o be s witc hed on and off in the Step by Step tab of P rogram O ptions . Play Step Note Sounds with Cursor T his option enables you to hear the s ounds of the notes in eac h c hord by moving Lef t/Right A ctions the c urs or through the piec e, note by note or c hord by c hord, us ing the left and right c urs or keys on your c omputer keyboard. T his is a us eful tool if you are learning a new piec e and wis h to familiaris e yours elf with the note s ounds . Show Future Notes in each Step

A s well as highlighting the keyboard keys that s hould be played immediately, this option als o highlights the keys that are to be played one s tep ahead - the ‘Future N otes ’. M idiI llus trator dis plays the Future N otes in lighter c olors than the c olors us ed for the immediate notes . I f you are learning a new piec e, this c an be very us eful, as the Future N otes give you advanc ed warning of where your hands s hould be in order to play the next note or notes , thereby s peeding up the learning proc es s dramatic ally.

Jump to User Input

M idiI llus trator is able to analys e the notes you are entering with a M I D I I ns trument attac hed to your c omputer. When thes e notes are rec eived, M idiI llus trator s c ans the s c ore to determine if you: · are playing at the c urrent Step by Step pos ition (s hown with a dotted red rec tangle around notes on the s elec ted s taves ) -OR· you have s kipped to a new plac e in the s c ore and are playing the notes from a pos ition other than the c urrent Step by Step pos ition I f you have enabled “Jump to User Input”, and you move around in the s c ore, then M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move the Step by Step c urs or to the new input pos ition. Jump Marker M idiI llus trator will c alc ulate the input pos ition us ing a number of fac tors , s uc h as dis tanc e from the c urrent pos ition and note ‘matc hing’. Whils t M idiI llus trator is lis tening to your input, a s mall triangle (the “jump marker”) will be s hown at the plac e in the s c ore M idiI llus trator thinks you are c urrently reading from. O nly when M idiI llus trator is s ure that you have ‘jumped’ to a new pos ition will the Step by Step c urs or be moved to that new input pos ition. Playing Through Mistakes Step by Step mode is muc h more flexible and forgiving with “Jump to User Input enabled. I f, for ins tanc e, you mis s a note or two in a partic ular pas s age, you may s imply keep playing and onc e M idiI llus trator has determined that you have ‘played through’ an error, the c urs or will immediately be moved to your new loc ation. I n this way, you will not have to keep returning to the c urrent c urs or pos ition after mis s ing a note or two, and c an ins tead foc us on progres s ing through the s c ore. Jumping Distance I n general, the greater the gap between the c urrent Step by Step c urs or pos ition and any new input pos ition, the more reluc tant M idiI llus trator will be to move the c urs or to that part of the s c ore whic h it thinks bes t reflec ts your input. By c ontras t,

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


190

MidiIllustrator User Manual

if the jump is only a few note lengths from the c urrent pos ition, the move will be made quic kly. Bear this in mind when jumping large dis tanc es in the s c ore; you will need to play a pas s age of s everal notes quite ac c urately s o that M idiI llus trator c an be s ure that a jump is appropriate.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.3 Practice Sessions Command Location: Perform Menu Practice Sessions allow you to focus on part (or all) of a score whether you are studying, rehearsing or simply listening to the music. You create or edit Practice Sessions using the Practice Session Wizard (‘Wizard’). The Wizard will guide you through the steps necessary to design your Practice Session. Practice Sessions are available in Performance Mode

33

only.

Session Options You can decide how much of the score to show on the screen during the session, by choosing a range of measures to work with, or a section marked out with Bookmarks. You can also determine if and how, MidiIllustrator will accompany you during the session. You can choose to hear a section repeated in a continuous loop, or a specific number of times if you are rehearsing. You can also specify how the Metronome should behave during the accompaniment. During the Session Whilst you are practising the behaviour of the playback controls and the Metronome will be determined by the settings of the current Practice Session. You can stop the accompaniment at any time, and when you restart playback the cursor will move to the start of the Practice Session automatically. Playback will loop the number of times specified for the session. Every time you restart playback you restart the ‘looping’ cycle. You can end the session at any time by hitting Escape, and selecting the Practice Button on the toolbar or from the Perform Menu. If you chose to view only a range of measures during your Practice Session, then all measures in the score will be shown automatically when the Practice Session is over.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.4 Metronome Instrument Dialog Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Instruments The Metronome Instrument dialog allows you to change the underlying MIDI properties of the metronome. A pply/A pply Now

The A pply button applies all of the c hanges made without the need to c los e the dialog box by hitting the O K button.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

191

I f you would like your c hanges to be made immediately, us e The A pply Now button. When this button is us ed any c hanges made to the s taves will be reflec ted on the s c ore s traightaway, without the need to c lic k the A pply button. A pplying Instrument Changes Quickly A s well as us ing the A pply/A pply Now buttons , you c an ins tantly apply ins trument c hanges by double- c lic king an ins trument name in the ins trument lis t. I f the A pply button is available, double- c lic king the lis t will have the effec t of pres s ing this button, effec ting the new ins trument immediately. Device

A s s uming more than one devic e is available, others c an be s elec ted us ing this drop down box. T o c hange the lis t of devic es s ee the M I D I P laybac k 214 tab in P rogram O ptions .

Channel

T he default c hannel is C hannel 1 0 . T his is bec aus e mos t M I D I s oundc ards us e the s tandard G eneral M I D I (‘G M ’) ins trument c onfiguration, and in G M , notes broadc as t on C hannel 1 0 us e the drum ins trument patc hes . T hes e drum s ounds make good metronome ins truments . Y ou c an, of c ours e, us e any G M ins trument by s elec ting one of the ins truments available on c hannels other than number 1 0 . A lternatively, you c an c hoos e A utoselect, and M idiI llus trator will c hoos e a c hannel for the metronome ins trument whic h does not c onflic t with c hannels us ed by any of the s taves in the ac tive s c ore. I f all 1 6 c hannels are being us ed by s taves in the M I D I file the metronome will s hare a c hannel with one of the s taves . E ac h time you begin playbac k of a s c ore M idiI llus trator re- examines the s taves in the s c ore to find a free c hannel. When M idiI llus trator automatic ally s elec ts a c hannel for the metronome it is dis played in the s tatus bar at the bottom of the main M idiI llus trator window. I f you are us ing an external M I D I devic e to generate metronome s ounds you mus t make s ure that the external M I D I devic e is ‘lis tening’ on the des ignated c hannel, otherwis e you will not hear the metronome. M idiI llus trator will not ‘autos elec t’ C hannel 1 0 .

Bank 0

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the C oars e A djus t M ethod (#0 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Bank 32

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the Fine A djus t M ethod (#3 2 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Volume Level

T he volume level c an be c hanged us ing the s lide c ontrol. T he range is 0 (muted) to 1 2 7 (maximum volume). T he default s etting for M I D I files that do not s pec ify a value for volume is 6 4 .

Pan

A pan s etting of 6 4 means that the s tereo balanc e is equal on the left and right c hannels and this is the default behaviour for M I D I files that do not s pec ify a value for pan. Y ou may wis h to c hange the s tereo balanc e s o that it is higher or lower on one s ide, us ing the s lide c ontrol. T he lower the number the more the balanc e is on the left c hannel, and c onvers ely the higher the number the more the balanc e is on the right c hannel.

A ccented Beat/ Normal Beat

T he firs t beat in a bar will us e the A c c ented Beat ins trument. Subs equent beats in that bar will us e the N ormal Beat ins trument. T he mos t effec tive metronome s ounds are ac hieved when you alloc ate different ins truments to the A c c ented and N ormal Beats . I f, for example, you c hoos e the L ow Wood Bloc k (G M ins trument 4 3 ) for the A c c ented Beat and the H i Wood Bloc k (G M ins trument 4 2 ) for the N ormal Beat, in 4 :4 time you would get one A c c ented Beat (the L ow Wood Bloc k) and three N ormal Beats (the H i Wood Bloc k). T o c hoos e the ins trument for eac h beat, s elec t the appropriate tab, and then s imply s elec t an ins trument from the lis t in the I ns trument D is play Window.

A udition Instrument

When an ins trument has been s elec ted from the I ns trument D is play Window for both the A c c ented Beat and the N ormal Beat, pres s this button to hear the s ound of the ins truments .

A pply

T he A pply button applies all of the c hanges made without the need to c los e the dialog box.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


192

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.5 MIDI Echo Instrument Dialog Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Instruments The MIDI Echo Instrument dialog allows you to change the properties of the MIDI Echo instrument. e.g. the MIDI Echo device or volume setting. A pply/A pply Now

The A pply button applies all of the c hanges made without the need to c los e the dialog box by hitting the O K button. I f you would like your c hanges to be made immediately, us e The A pply Now button. When this button is us ed any c hanges made to the s taves will be reflec ted on the s c ore s traightaway, without the need to c lic k the A pply button. A pplying Instrument Changes Quickly A s well as us ing the A pply/A pply Now buttons , you c an ins tantly apply ins trument c hanges by double- c lic king an ins trument name in the ins trument lis t. I f the A pply button is available, double- c lic king the lis t will have the effec t of pres s ing this button, effec ting the new ins trument immediately.

Device

A s s uming more than one devic e is available, other devic es c an be s elec ted us ing this drop down box. T o c hange the lis t of devic es s ee the M I D I P laybac k 214 tab in P rogram O ptions . T he devic es available for M I D I E c ho are exac tly the s ame as the devic es available for M I D I P laybac k.

Channel

T he default c hannel is A utoselect, but you c an us e any of the c hannels lis ted. I f you c hoos e A utoselect, M idiI llus trator will c hoos e a c hannel for the M I D I E c ho ins trument whic h does not c onflic t with c hannels us ed by any of the s taves in the ac tive s c ore. I f all 1 6 c hannels are being us ed by s taves in the M I D I file the M I D I E c ho ins trument will s hare a c hannel with one of the s taves . E ac h time you begin playbac k of a s c ore, M idiI llus trator re- examines the s taves in the s c ore to find a free c hannel. When M idiI llus trator automatic ally s elec ts a c hannel for the M I D I E c ho ins trument it is dis played in the s tatus bar at the bottom of the main M idiI llus trator window. I f you are us ing an external M I D I devic e to make the M I D I E c ho ins trument s ounds , you mus t make s ure that the external M I D I devic e is ‘lis tening’ on the des ignated c hannel, otherwis e you will not hear the M I D I E c ho ins trument. M idiI llus trator will not A utos elec t C hannel 1 0 .

Transpose

T his drop down box enables you to trans pos e the note s ounds on a s elec ted s taff from as little as one half s tep to as many as 2 4 half s teps up or down. T his only affec ts the s ound of notes during playbac k. N ote pos itions on the s c ore are unc hanged.

Bank 0

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the C oars e A djus t M ethod (#0 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Bank 32

A llows you to ac c es s different banks on the c urrent M I D I devic e us ing the Fine A djus t M ethod (#3 2 ). For more information s ee Bank Selec t 154 .

Modif ied Volume

T he volume of M I D I data rec eived from the M I D I I n devic e c an be modified us ing the s lide c ontrol. T his is us eful if you want to c hange the volume of ec hoed M I D I relative to any s taves you may be playing bac k (ac c ompanying) with M idiI llus trator. T he volume of eac h note c an be inc reas ed or dec reas ed by a maximum of +/– 6 4 within the bounds of the M I D I value range 0 to 1 2 7 . E .g. if a note is played on the M I D I I n devic e with a volume of 9 6 and the modified volume is +6 4 then the final note will s ound with a volume of 1 2 7 . When the s lide c ontrol is c entred the volume of the M I D I I n will be unmodified (with a value of 0 ).

Pan

A pan s etting of 6 4 means that the s tereo balanc e is equal on the left and right c hannels , and this is the default behaviour for M I D I files that do not s pec ify a value for pan.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

193

Y ou may wis h to c hange the s tereo balanc e, s o that it is higher or lower on one s ide, us ing the s lide c ontrol. T he lower the number the more the balanc e is on the left c hannel, and c onvers ely the higher the number the more the balanc e is on the right c hannel. Instrument

T he I ns trument D is play Window lis ts up to 1 2 8 ins truments , any one of whic h may be s elec ted for a s pec ific s taff or s taves . A ny notes from your M I D I I nput devic e will be ec hoed us ing the ins trument you have s elec ted, unles s you c hoos e the E c ho to Staff option (s ee Staff T ools and N amings 145 ).

A udition Instrument

When an ins trument has been s elec ted from the I ns trument D is play Window, pres s this button to hear the s ound of the ins trument.

A pply

T he A pply button applies all of the c hanges made without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.18.6 Lists Command Location: View Menu / Toolbars The List Bar contains four powerful tools for managing and working with your music. Click on the tabs to show each list and its corresponding control set in turn. You can easily resize and move the List Bar using the mouse. Right click any list to bring up a context menu of actions relevant to that list; including the following general commands: List Bar Font The List Bar Font button allows you to set a custom font for display of all text in the List Bar. You can, for example, choose a larger font to make reading from a distance easier. AutoSize Columns Your preferred list-column-widths are now stored and restored for each 'tab' in the List Bar. Column 'autosizing' is also a menu option which will tell MidiIllustrator to size list columns to fit list content as it changes. Autosizing is enabled by default, but will be deactivated if you size a column manually. List

Purpose

Browser

T his lis t s hows the c ontents of a partic ular folder whic h might c ontain the mus ic (M I D I , Karaoke and M idiI llus trator files ) on whic h you are c urrently working. I t allows you quic k ac c es s to a lis t of s c ores whic h c an be opened with a s ingle c lic k. Sinc e the lis t is always on the s c reen, there is no need to c ons tantly reopen and c los e the File O pen dialog whils t you are brows ing a c ollec tion of files . The f ollowing button/menu commands are available: · Browse button “…”: C lic k the button to brows e to a partic ular folder. T he s tandard File O pen dialog will be s hown, but modified to s elec t a folder. T he number of s ong files in eac h folder is s hown in the “Folder N ame” field of the Folder O pen dialog. · Single Score Browse Mode: O nly one s c ore will be open at a time, s aving s ys tem res ourc es and making brows ing fas ter. E ac h time a s c ore is opened, all other s c ores will be c los ed. Y ou will be prompted to s ave and open s c ores whic h have been modified. · Play Scores on Open: E ac h s c ore will be played (if pos s ible) as s oon as it is opened. Sc ores c an only be played if M I D I playbac k devic es have been s etup

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


194

MidiIllustrator User Manual

in M idiI llus trator. Playlists

T his is an advanc ed tool for c reating, s toring and playing lis ts of your favourite s c ores . Y ou c an load up a playlis t and begin playbac k whils t you are entertaining friends , or for your own lis tening/viewing pleas ure. T he following button/menu c ommands are available and enable you to c reate new playlis ts and add s ongs to thos e lis ts : · A dd Songs to L is t · A dd the C urrent (open) Song to the P laylis t · Remove Selec ted Songs · N ew L is t · Rename L is t · D elete L is t · C lear L is t Begin Playback T his c ommand will s witc h M idiI llus trator to Playlist Mode. Pause Between Playing Songs T his c ommand will ins ert a s mall delay in between s ongs in Playlist Mode. T his provides a more pleas ant trans ition between the end of one s ong and the s tart of another s ong. I t is generally only nec es s ary to enable this option on very fas t s ys tems . Playlist Mode I n this mode, all editing and modific ation of s c ores is dis abled, as M idiI llus trator prepares to play eac h s c ore in turn from the c urrent playlis t. A s a res ult, many menus / toolbars will be dis abled in this mode. Y ou c an exit P laylis t M ode at any time by hitting the E s c ape key. M idiI llus trator will play eac h s ong in the playlis t, and then res tart at the beginning. E ac h s ong will be opened and dis played as a s c ore in the normal way. O nly one s c ore will be open at a time, s aving s ys tem res ourc es and making the applic ation more effic ient. E ac h time a s c ore is opened, all other s c ores will be c los ed. Y ou will be prompted to s ave and open s c ores whic h have been modified when you firs t enter P laylis t M ode. I f a s ong has been s aved in prac tic e mode, it will be opened and played in prac tic e mode. So you may want to avoid adding s uc h s ongs to c ertain playlis ts as the prac tic e s es s ion may ins truc t a s ec tion of the s ong to loop forever!

Open Scores

T his lis t s imply s hows a lis t of all open s c ores , and allows eas y s witc hing between them.

Log

T he log c ontains a his tory of the las t 3 0 0 s ongs opened. D ouble c lic k an item in the lis t to reopen the s ong ins tantly. I f you are working through a large group of works (s uc h as Bac h C horales ) then the log will help you keep s taff of whic h works you have rec ently viewed. Y ou c an als o monitor your prac tic e s es s ions as eac h entry is dated!

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

5.19

195

Tools menu The Tools menu offers the following commands: Modes 61

C hoos e the mode for working with your s c ore: · P erformanc e M ode · L ayout M ode · E dit M ode o N ormal E ntry o M ous e E ntry o P ower E dit

Task Wizard 206

O pens the T as k Wizard (‘Wizard’). T he Wizard will guide you through the s teps involved in applying the T as ks outlined below to your s c ores .

Convert Score to ‘Two Hand Piano’

A rranges the c urrent s c ore as a piano s olo part. Y ou c an apply this c ommand to multiple s c ores s imultaneous ly with a T as k. See the T as k Wizard 206 for further detail on this and other tas ks .

Create Lead Sheets and Fake Books

O ptimis es the s c ore layout for a partic ular purpos e. G enerates s c ores whic h s how a c ombination of the following c ore features : melody, lyric , c hord names and guitar frets . See the T as k Wizard 206 for further detail on this and other tas ks .

Tasks Options 234

O pens the T as ks O ptions 234 dialog.

Generate Chord Names and Guitar Frets 208

A nalys es the s c ore to determine the c hord keys of eac h meas ure (and beat), and dis plays c hord names and guitar frets above the top s tave. Y ou c an apply this c ommand to multiple s c ores s imultaneous ly with a T as k. See the T as k Wizard 206 for further detail on this and other tas ks .

Remove A ll Chord Names and Guitar Frets

Removes all of the c hord names and guitar frets that have been added to the s c ore. I f you would rather jus t temporarily hide thes e objec ts , you c an do s o us ing the Show/ Hide Score Objects 132 option in the Sc ore O ptions dialog 138 .

Generate Finger Numbers 34

A utomatic Fingering A nalys is 34 is an advanc ed feature in M idiI llus trator whic h performs a c us tomizable analys is of the notation in your s c ores and ac c ordingly as s igns finger numbers to eac h note and c hord.

Remove A ll Finger Numbers

Removes all of the finger numbers that have been as s igned to notes in the s c ore. I f you would rather jus t temporarily hide finger numbers , you c an do s o us ing the Show/Hide Score Objects 132 option in the Sc ore O ptions dialog 138 .

Theme 42

A llows the s elec tion of a theme or c olor s c heme for the program interfac e.

MIDI Options 39

O pens the M I D I O ptions 39 dialog.

Program Options 222

O pens the P rogram O ptions 222 dialog.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1 Modes Introduction to Modes: Performance Mode

33

and Layout Mode

24

versus Edit Mode

46

MidiIllustrator offers a broad range of functionality and therefore presents several distinct 'modes' for working with your scores. These modes allow you to work with your scores in very different ways, each mode offering a set of particular commands, whilst temporarily hiding other commands to help you focus on the task in hand. You simply switch seamlessly

between modes depending on what you want to do with the program. Performance Mode 33 allows you to perform and interact with a song. Layout Mode 24 is for changing score dimensions and positions, and Edit Mode 46 is for full-scale composition. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


196

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Within Edit Mode, there are three sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes o 1. Performance Mode 33 o 2. Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode 46 § 3. Normal Entry 46 § 4. Mouse Entry 46 § 5. Power Edit 59 The different Modes can be set using the 'Modes and Views' toolbar (shown below), with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 , or via the Tools menu 195 . The numbers on the toolbar correspond with the shortcut keys and the list above. Edit Modes (buttons highlighted below in the blue box) are available only in MidiIllustrator Maestro.

Normal Entry 46 affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. Mouse Entry 46 allows these same functions, specifically allowing you to add and modify notation directly using the mouse. Power Edit 59 allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats. When you import a song, it is initially displayed in Performance Mode. During import, MidiIllustrator generates the score using its musical 'interpretation' rules and your current Score Transcription Options 139 . You can change these options even after the score has been created and MidiIllustrator will dynamically apply the new options to the whole score. You can make basic changes in Performance or Layout Mode, for example correcting note lengths, or changing score attributes like stave heights or key signatures. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in these modes, the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. MidiIllustrator continually reinterprets the notation from the original MIDI data automatically as you make changes, always trying to render the clearest and most accurate presentation of the raw musical (MIDI) data. Editing a Song for the First Time By contrast, in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score - add notes, modify note pitches, durations etc. In Edit Mode you will have complete control over composition - MidiIllustrator will settle on the current interpretation of the song's original MIDI content when editing begins. When you begin formally editing a score for the first time by entering Edit Mode, MidiIllustrator 'locks' the current interpretation of the underlying, original MIDI performance, and hands over complete control over the score to you. In this way, you can be sure that MidiIllustrator will no longer 'override' any future composition decisions you make. The main areas of MidiIllustrator's automatic interpretation which no longer apply in Edit Mode are: · Automatic application of Score Transcription Options (such as "Make the score Easier to Read") - although you can still apply "one off" conversions to the score to apply new transcription rules whenever you wish · Automatic note durations and note attack times (and automatic chording of notes) · Automatic voice assignment © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

197

· Automatic identification of tuplets Note that even in Edit Mode MidiIllustrator will continue to play back sequences imported from a MIDI file as they were originally performed as long as 'Play Imported MIDI as Originally Performed' is checked (Perform Menu).

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.1 Performance Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu Performance Mode allows you to perform and interact with your songs rather than modifying any song content. You can create Practice Sessions 190 , study specific ranges of your scores and use learning tools such as Step by Step 188 . Most score editing functionality is hidden in this mode to allow you to focus on viewing, listening and performing with your scores. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode o Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode 46 When you import a song, it is initially displayed in Performance Mode. You can make basic editing changes to the score notation in Performance Mode, for example correcting note lengths, or changing score attributes like key signatures. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in this mode like Layout Mode 24 , the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. The following interactive tools are available only in Performance Mode: · Practice Sessions 190 · Step by Step 188 · View a specific range of measures 163 · Scrolling in the Next Page 28 (advance page turn) More About this Mode Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.2 Layout Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu Layout Mode is for changing the dimensions and positions of score objects, such as measures, staves and lyrics. MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout to make good use of screen 'real estate'. However, if you wish to manage the layout for a particular measure, page or even the entire score, then in this mode you can either tweak the layout to simply tighten up the score a little, or you can make major changes to squeeze as much notation as possible onto a given page. · Modes 61 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


198

MidiIllustrator User Manual o Performance Mode o Layout Mode o Edit Mode 46

33

Layout settings are applied only in Page View (Print Preview) when the score is formatted for the printed page. Applying a Custom Layout In Layout Mode, select the measure/staff combination whose dimensions you wish to customize. You can only customize a single measure/staff combination at a time. You can change the following attributes of the measure/staff combination: · Measure width (to allow more or fewer measures on a system or page) · Staff height above the staff · Staff height beneath the staff · Vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff When a selection is made, the layout frame appears marking the current boundaries of the active area. If the measure/staff contains any lyrics, then the lyric boundary frame will also appear, indicating the current vertical position of lyrics beneath the staff With the mouse, click and drag a boundary to move it. The table shows which boundaries control which layout aspect: Frame

Boundary

Direction

Change A pplies to

Measure/Staf f

L eft / Right boundary

H orizontal

M eas ure width (applies to the whole meas ure, not jus t the meas ure width of the ac tive meas ure/s taff)

T op boundary

V ertic al

H eight above the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of s ys tems on the c urrent page)

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

H eight beneath the s taff (overrides M idiI llus trator's automatic vertic al s pac ing of s ys tems on the c urrent page)

Bottom boundary

V ertic al

V ertic al pos ition of lyric s beneath the s taff

Lyric

Once a custom size has been applied, a colored arrow will appear, spanning the new custom boundary. Applying More than one Custom Staff Height to a System It is possible to apply staff heights to more than one measure/staff unit on a given system. In this case, the tallest of these custom height settings will be applied to the system as a whole, and shorter values be ignored (though they are not removed automatically). However, if you apply a new staff height to a given measure/staff unit, then any existing staff heights on that system will be reduced to the new staff height (if they are taller; shorter ones will remain as they are). In this way, the latest change will be the value used for the score layout). Vertical Spacing of Systems on the Page Normally, MidiIllustrator fits as many systems as possible onto a page, and if there is any space left over, it spaces the systems evenly to fill that space so that the page looks more uniform. However, as soon as you apply a vertical custom layout (staff height) to a measure/staff, systems on that page will no longer be automatically spaced vertically, allowing you to manage the alignment yourself. Removing Custom Layout (manually and automatically) Custom layout height/width can be removed using the Layout Menu

181

commands or by double © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

199

clicking the appropriate custom layout frame with the left mouse button. MidiIllustrator assumes that when you are modifying the actual notation in the score, this latest change should override any existing custom layout bar widths in the 'active' area. Custom measure widths are removed automatically if the notation in the measure changes. As such, custom layout is best applied when composing is more or less complete. How Custom Layout interacts with MidiIllustrator's Automatic Music Layout In general, MidiIllustrator automatically formats the music layout as you modify the notation in your score. When you apply a custom layout to part of the score, MidiIllustrator will try to accommodate the requested settings. However, MidiIllustrator will still ensure that basic rules for formatting are still applied, such as ensuring that a single system or measure cannot be any wider than the page containing it! Furthermore, MidiIllustrator will always stretch the last measure in a system to reach the right margin of the page, unless the measure is the last in the score. As a result, custom width settings for such an 'end of system' measure may not be applied. Note that empty measures with custom layout height or width cannot be compressed 132 , and are treated as non-identical to other empty measures with different layout settings or no layout settings. More About this Mode You can make basic notation changes in Layout Mode, for example correcting score attributes like stave heights. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in this mode like Performance Mode 33 , the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

What else can you do with MidiIllustrator?

11

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.3 Edit Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu Edit Mode is for full-scale score composition. Within Edit Mode, there are 3 sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes 61 o Performance Mode 33 o Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode § Normal Entry 46 · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 § Mouse Entry 46 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


200

MidiIllustrator User Manual § Power Edit

59

In contrast to Performance Mode 33 , in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score; the ability to add notes, modify note pitches, durations and so forth. When you create a new score, it is initially displayed in Edit Mode, Normal Entry. Normal Entry Normal Entry affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. The playback cursor which is displayed in Performance Mode 33 is replaced with a special cursor which shows the 'Entry' item; a rest or a note depending on how you have configured the Entry item 48 . Move the cursor to the desired insert position (time and pitch) and then use the item 'Insert' commands (see Insert Menu 168 ) to add to the notation. If it is possible to 'insert 48 ' (rather than 'add') a new item at the cursor location in a given measure, MidiIllustrator will display the insert arrows above and below the flashing entry note. In this case, items to the left of the entry item will be shifted to the right after insertion. Read more about Inserting versus Adding 48 new items in the score. MidiIllustrator will also try to automatically apply the correct qualities for the new item given its 'entry context 48 '. See more information on setting the entry item qualities 48 , and the context sensitive entry 48 qualities of Edit Mode. Notes and rests can be selected using the mouse or keyboard, and then the various modification functions can be applied to the selection using commands from the Notes Menu and Rests Menu 177 .

52

In Normal Entry mode, powerful tools are available to help you capture your musical ideas: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 Selection Editing When you have made a note selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). In order to protect existing score content when using the clipboard, some rules apply to where and how certain copied selections can be pasted into the score. Specifically: · In Normal Entry (Edit Mode), only selections from single tracks can be pasted from the clipboard. For multi-track operations such as this, use Power Edit 61 instead. · Since tuplets are treated as a unit and have to kept intact, paste operations which overlap or interfere with existing tuplets are not possible. Mouse Entry Mouse Entry allows most of the functions offered by Normal Entry 46 , but also allows you to edit notation directly using the mouse as a note entry and modification tool. By contrast to Normal Edit, the entry note is immediately displayed at the insertion point as the mouse cursor moves over the score. Clicking the left mouse button will add a new note or rest. The same context sensitive entry 48 rules apply to the entry item as in Normal Edit mode. Chord notes can be entered in Mouse Entry mode by holding the Control key down when entering (inserts a new chord note at the insertion point, and leaves the cursor at the current insertion point). Moving and Copying Notes with the Mouse - Mouse Entry and Normal Entry In Mouse Entry mode and Normal Entry mode, individual notes can be selected and dragged, or © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

201

copied to new times or pitches. Certain keys will modify the behaviour when existing notes are selected and dragged on the score. If no modifier key is selected, MidiIllustrator will monitor the drag direction and limit the dragging direction to either vertical or horizontal. This behaviour makes it easier to make notation changes accurately (override this behaviour with the Alt key - see below). Using these keyboard 'modifiers' at the same time as dragging with the mouse will give different results: A ction

Keyboard Modif ier

Ef f ect

D ragging V ertic ally

N one

C hanges the pitc h of the s elec ted note to the new drag pitc h.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame time, at the new drag pitc h.

N one

C hanges the time of the s elec ted note to the new drag time.

Control Key

C reates a c opy of the exis ting note in the s ame pitc h, at the new drag time.

A lt Key

E nables dragging both vertic ally and horizontally at the s ame time.

D ragging H orizontally

D ragging A ny D irec tion

Moving Rests with the Mouse Rests can be selected and repositioned vertically on the staff (if the rest type does not rely on its position relative to the staff in order to establish its identity, thus only quarter rests and shorter can be moved). Note about Edit Mode and Printing In order to make editing as comfortable and efficient as possible, the following features behave differently in Edit Mode: · Empty Portions of Staves 150 are always shown whilst in Edit Mode · Empty measures are not compressed 80 whilst in Edit Mode · Rests in empty measures are not automatically centred in Edit Mode in order to make note/rest entry easier · 'Timeline 32 ' view is temporarily deactivated in Edit Mode For this reason, scores may not print exactly the same in Edit Mode as in Performance/Layout Modes. Switching to Performance/Layout Mode before printing is therefore recommended for optimal printing results. Note about Playback In Edit Mode Normally playback continues until the end of the score is reached, regardless of whether there is still music left to play or not. In this way, lyrics and other score items are still highlighted and the metronome keeps flashing/ticking even if note playback is complete. In Edit mode, it is assumed that playback is essentially used for auditioning changes, and for this reason, playback will end automatically when the last note in the score has been played. More About this Mode Read more about what happens when you first start working with an existing song in Edit Mode - Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 . The Editing Palettes

128

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

contain many of the key commands and settings for Edit Mode.


202

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.3.1 Recording a Real Time Performance

Command Location: Perform Menu The record tool allows you to capture a real time performance from a connected MIDI device. The performance is instantly converted to notation using your Recording Options 67 rules and is added directly to your score. Recording is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Before you can record to your score you must have configured a MIDI In device that you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device.

216

and ensured

You can configure the way in which newly recorded MIDI will be transcribed by MidiIllustrator by setting the Recording Options 67 . Beginning a Recording Session When you are ready to record, position the cursor to the track and time where you would like recording to start. All new MIDI data will be added to the staff you selected before recording started. Existing data on that staff will be overwritten with the newly recorded data. Begin recording by selecting the record command from the Perform toolbar or the Perform Menu 185 . This will initiate playback of the score from the cursor position. Depending on your Recording Options 67 , the metronome 218 will sound a set of introductory beats. The score will play as you record. Any notation on the active recording staff is muted during recording. The active recording staff is highlighted during recording (in the same way as the 'echo to' 245 staff). If you do not wish to hear other staves as you record, mute them individually using Staff Tools 158 or collectively using the Staff Manager 76 . When you have finished recording, end the recording session the same way as you began it, or by ending playback. If the end of the score is reached, recording and playback will stop automatically. If you need more recording time, Add Measures 70 before recording. Do not worry about ending the recording session as soon as you have finished performing; existing data on the active staff will only be deleted if it is replaced with newly recorded data (ie. if you don't play any notes, the existing notation will be untouched). Now the recording session is complete, MidiIllustrator will convert the raw recorded MIDI into notation just as if opening and transcribing an existing MIDI file, applying your Recording Options 67 . You can also Tap In Rhythms

68

with just the PC keyboard whilst recording.

My Recording is Out of Sync with the Existing Notation and/or the Metronome! Sometimes there is a delay between a musician playing a MIDI instrument and the resulting MIDI instructions reaching MidiIllustrator. This is know as MIDI device latency 216 . If you find that recorded notes are out of sync with existing notation even though you played notes at the same time as you heard them played back, then you should experiment with values for MIDI device latency 216 in MIDI Options. This should allow MidiIllustrator to compensate for the device delay.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

203

Notes for Good Recording Use the metronome 218 ! Use of the metronome whilst recording is highly recommended as the more accurate a performance is, the better it will be notated by MidiIllustrator. Try to adhere to the rhythm as far as possible. If you are trying to get a very clean score, then try not to apply too much 'feeling' to the performance. Liberal timing will make the score harder to read when it is notated. Experiment with Recording Transcription Options

67

to get the best results.

Which MIDI Events are Captured When Recording? MidiIllustrator captures all note on/off events, and all 'Controller' type events, such as sustain pedal messages. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.3.2 Note Entry Via the On Screen Piano Keyboard

Command Location: View Menu / Keyboard This tool allows you to enter single notes or whole chords directly into your score using the On Screen Piano Keyboard 37 . Note entry with the on screen keyboard is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Notes are entered by positioning the cursor to the desired insertion point, and selecting the entry pitch from the screen keyboard using the left mouse button. When the left mouse button is released, the note is added. Holding down the Shift key whilst entering notation will result in rest entry rather than note entry. The duration of the note or rest added is determined by the entry item qualities be set before entering a new item.

48

, and should

Chord notes can be added in exactly the same way as with the mouse or computer keyboard; holding the Control key down whilst clicking notes on the on screen piano will keep the cursor in the current time position, ready for adding another note to the current chord. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


204

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.3.3 Chord Entry Via a Connected MIDI Device

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI In This tool allows you to enter single notes or whole chords directly into your score using a connected MIDI device. Before you can add notes to your score in this way you must have configured a MIDI In device 216 and ensured that you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device. Note entry with a connected MIDI device is possible only in Edit Mode

46

, Normal Entry

46

.

Notes are entered by positioning the cursor to the desired insertion point, and entering the desired note pitch(es) using your connected MIDI device. When all the notes held down on the device have been released, the chord/note is added. Holding down the Shift key whilst entering notation will result in rest entry rather than note entry. The duration of the note or rest added is determined by the entry item qualities be set before entering a new item.

48

, and should

Chord notes can be added in exactly the same way as with the mouse or computer keyboard; holding the Control key down whilst clicking notes on the on screen piano will keep the cursor in the current time position, ready for adding another note to the current chord. Other Ways to Enter Notes You can also capture your musical ideas with the following tools: · Recording a Real Time Performance 66 · Using Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 65 · Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67 · Tapping In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.1.3.4 Pow er Edit Mode

Command Location: Tools Menu / Edit Mode Power Edit Mode, is one of the sub modes of Edit Mode 46 . Power Edit allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats, and moving or copying multi-staff selections of notation from one part of the score to another (or to another score altogether using C 58 opy/Cut/Paste Clipboard Functions 58 ). · Edit Mode o Normal Entry 46 o Mouse Entry 46 o Power Edit Selecting Ranges of the Score with Power Edit The selection range or 'drag' range in Power Edit can be set using the keyboard arrow keys or the mouse. With the mouse, left-click the score and drag over the measure(s)/stave(s) group you wish to © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

205

work with. When the mouse is released, you can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and click/dragging elsewhere on the score (on another page if you wish). The selection will be extended to the clicked/dragged location With the keyboard, use the arrow keys to select measure(s)/stave(s) group. You can extend the selection by holding down the Shift key, and using the arrow keys (up/down for staffs, left/right for measures). Depending on the value you have chosen for the Select Entire Bars 183 option, mouse and keyboard cursor command will round the selection range to the nearest whole measure, or just the nearest whole beat. Selecting Entire Staves In order to select an entire staff, simply click the score just to the leftmost edge of the staff (just to the left of the clef). The entire staff will be selected. The selection can be extended to more whole staves by holding down the Shift key and repeating the action. Another way to Make Copies of Complete Staves: If you wish to make a copy of one or more complete staves including notation, instrument, name and other staff properties, then it will probably be faster to try "making a copy of the selected staff 76 " with the Staff Manager Dialog 76

Copying vs Moving the Selection ('Control Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop) When you have made a selection, you can use the 'clipboard 113 ' functions to cut or copy the selection to another location in the score, or even to another score altogether (if it is also open in Edit Mode). Cut the current selection to place it on the clipboard, then if desired, select a new location in this or another score, and paste the previous selection into the score. For fast transfer of selections from one part of the score to another, click and hold the left mouse button over the existing selection. Hold the left button down, and drag the selection to the new 'drop' location. As you move, the drop area is highlighted in a different color to individuate it from the drag selection. Only valid, compatible drop areas will be highlighted. A compatible drop area is one which has exactly the same measure structure as the drag area (ie all measure lengths as the same). Releasing the mouse button will drop the selection in its new location. Holding down the Control key will copy the existing selection, rather than moving it. Replacing vs Merging with Existing Notation (Power Edit Menu Option) Select from the Power Edit Menu 183 either of the following paste options: 路 Paste & Replace: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will be overwritten by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. 路 Paste & Merge: When pasting or dragging, any existing content will, where possible, be merged by the new content. If pasting beyond the last measure in a score, MidiIllustrator will automatically extend the score to accommodate the new content. Where pasted content conflicts with existing content (eg conflicting voices), the existing content will take precedence and dropped/pasted content will not be added Inserting Dragged/Copied Measures ('Alt Key' held during Mouse Drag/Drop, or 'Insert & Paste' menu command) By default, MidiIllustrator does not create new measures for pasted or dropped selections in Power Edit mode - dropped or pasted ranges either replace or merge with existing notation. However with the 'Insert & Paste' command, MidiIllustrator will create new measures prior to pasting/dropping copied range, meaning that existing notation shifted forwards as the score is lengthened to make room for the new dropped/pasted content. When choosing a drop point with the mouse, holding the 'Alt' key will display the 'insert' point with arrows instead of the usual 'drop range'. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


206

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Note that for new measures to be inserted, the following criteria must be satisfied: · the Select Entire Bars 183 option must be enabled · all dragged/copied measures must be the same length/time signature and must be the same length/time signature of the measure at the 'insert point' (the time signature of any measures created by the 'insert' action will also be the same as the time signature of the measure at the 'insert point'). Deleting the Selection Using the 'delete' or 'backspace' key when a selection has been made will delete all notation in the range, but will leave the measure/staff structure intact. To remove whole measures/ staves, see Remove Measures 78 . Using Other Functions Whilst in Power Edit Whilst in Power Edit, certain notation functions will automatically apply to the current range selected (if any). This often makes it faster to apply changes to a particular range of measures. These functions include: · Clef 82 · Key Signature 80 · Transpose Notes 79 · Remove Measures 78 · Endings 56 More About this Mode Read more about the difference between Performance Mode and Layout Mode versus Edit Mode 61 . The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. Read more about Modes and Views here 241 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.2 Task Wizard Command Location: Tools Menu About Tasks Tasks allow you to make a number of changes to your songs in one quick step. For instance, you can use a Task to open a MIDI file and apply a series of special commands to the resulting score, such as converting the piece into a simplified two hand piano piece and highlighting all the accidentals in the score in a bright color. The Task will then automatically save the file with a new name of your choice. You can apply these instructions to any number of files with a single Task, or you can modify only the current score, or just the scores you have open at the time. Note: It is up to you to save any Task changes to files you already have open. Using the Task Wizard Follow the instructions on each page of the Wizard, clicking the ‘Next’ button to move to the next step. You can hit the Back button at any time to make changes to the Task instructions. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

207

Available Tasks TA SK NA ME

DESCRIPTION

Convert Karaoke (MIDI & Lyric) Scores to Song sheets

T his T as k performs exac tly the s ame func tion as the Song L ead Sheet 212 dialog. U nlike the Song L ead Sheet dialog however, this T as k will not prompt you with any ques tions about how to arrange the s ong s heet (i.e. whic h s taff holds the melody and whic h s taff holds the harmony). T he T as k: · analys es the s c ore to find the princ ipal L yric s taff and the princ ipal M elody s taff, · merges the L yric and M elody s taves into one as nec es s ary, and · hides (does not delete) all other s taves .

Convert Scores to Two Hand Piano

Whatever the c urrent s c ore layout may be, M idiI llus trator will try to arrange the s c ore into the mos t s uitable form for s olo piano. T he T as k: · D epending on your T as ks O ptions 234 s ettings : o removes from the s c ore A L L drum s taves us ing c hannel 1 0 o removes from the s c ore A L L s taves whic h are not us ing a piano ins trument as their primary ins trument · merges all of the s taves in the s c ore into a s ingle s taff · s plits the s taff ‘automatic ally’ into left and right hand s taves · s ets the M I D I devic e on eac h s taff to the default M I D I playbac k devic e · s ets the M I D I I ns trument P atc h on eac h s taff to G eneral M I D I I ns trument ‘A c ous tic G rand P iano’ (#1 ) · applies any M I D I I ns trument Routings 41 you may have c reated

Convert to MidiIllustrator Format (.mil) using the *current* Score Options

T his T as k provides a quic k and eas y way to c onvert any number of your M I D I or Karaoke files into M idiI llus trator format. T his c an be us eful if you like to pres ent or arrange your s c ores in a partic ular way. Formatting preferenc es c an range from the c hoic e of c olor in the s c ore to more s ophis tic ated arrangement preferenc es s uc h as T rans c ription O ptions 139 . T he default Sc ore O ptions 138 are applied to eac h file as it is opened.

General Task Behaviour All Tasks apply the default Score Options to a score as the file is opened. If you wish the Task to apply a particular configuration to the new score, for example, a particular font size or color to the score title then you must ensure this configuration is set as the default (Score Options, Set As Default). See Score Options 138 for more information on setting defaults. Applying Tasks to the Current Score, all Open Scores and Files stored on your Hard Disk WHA T IS CHA NGED

HOW IT IS CHA NGED

Current Score

T he c hos en T as k is only applied to the vis ible s c ore. T he s c ore is not c los ed or s aved automatic ally when the T as k c ompletes .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


208

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Reversing the Task Sinc e you are applying the T as k to a s c ore whic h is already open, then you c an s ubs equently revers e any c hanges made by the T as k by s imply s elec ting the U ndo c ommand in the E dit M enu. A ll Open Scores

T he c hos en T as k is applied to all the s c ores that you c urrently have open. T he s c ore is not c los ed or s aved automatic ally when the T as k c ompletes . Reversing the Task Sinc e you are applying the T as k to s c ores whic h are already open, then you c an s ubs equently revers e any c hanges made by the T as k by s imply s elec ting the U ndo c ommand in the E dit M enu.

Files stored on your Hard Disk

M idiI llus trator opens eac h file in turn, c onverts it to a s c ore and applies the T as k. T he s c ore is given a new name us ing the c hos en s uffix. T he s c ore is s aved and c los ed. Suf f ixes Files will be given the s uffix you s pec ify e.g. ‘_2 H P ’ and the extens ion of ‘.mil’. For ins tanc e file ‘bac h.mid’ might be s aved as ‘bac h_2 H P .mil’. I t is rec ommended that you us e a s uffix for your new files to protec t exis ting files and make your new files eas ier to identify. Warning: New f iles will be created T his T as k c ommand will c reate new files , but will overwrite any exis ting files with the s ame names in the folder you c hoos e. Open f iles I f you are applying a T as k to a lis t of files s tored on your hard dis k, and one or more of thos e files is already open in M idiI llus trator, T as k behaviour is s lightly different. T he T as k will be applied to the open file as if it had jus t been opened. A copy of the modified s c ore will be s aved to dis k with a new name bas ed on the c hos en s uffix. T he original, open file will not be renamed, s aved or c los ed. Reversing the Task Sinc e a new s c ore is c reated, s aved and c los ed by the T as k, this c ommand c annot be undone.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.3 Generate Chord Names and Guitar Frets Command Location: Tools Menu MIDI and Karaoke files do not generally contain any information about chords or chord progressions. MidiIllustrator however, can intelligently analyse the music to determine which chords are being played in each beat or measure within the score. With this information MidiIllustrator can then display a combination of chord names and guitar fret graphics above the top stave. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

The resulting chord progression can be very useful for creating Fake Books

209

212 .

How MidiIllustrator analyses Chords When you instruct MidiIllustrator to generate chords for your score, it will consider the musical content of all of the staves which are visible (active) at the time of analysis. The only exception to this is ‘drum staves’, that is to say staves with a MIDI channel value of 10. Drum staves are ignored because of the way in which pitch is used by drum instruments (see MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 ). When analysing for chords, MidiIllustrator is most interested in the harmonies in the score rather than any melody notes that it may contain. MidiIllustrator will do its best to ignore melody notes, but if you need to improve the accuracy of the chords generated, then you should try to hide any melody staves in the score before analysis begins. Note: You can show or hide staves using the Staff Manager

76

.

Steps in generating Chord Names and Guitar Frets Measure Range

Y ou c an generate c hord names for all meas ures in the s c ore or jus t a range of meas ures . E xis ting c hords in the range you analys e will be replac ed. I f you wis h to reanalys e part of the s c ore then s elec t the appropriate range firs t.

Frequency of Chords D epending on your preferenc e, M idiI llus trator c an generate the bes t c hord for eac h beat, or for eac h meas ure. I f you find that too many or too few c hords are generated to matc h the melody of the piec e, then you c an c hange this s etting ac c ordingly. Chord Types

By default, M idiI llus trator will only look for and generate c hord types whic h are c ommonly found in the majority of Wes tern mus ic . I f you are uns ure whic h c hords are c harac teris tic of the type of mus ic in the s c ore you are analys ing, then you s hould c hoos e the default s etting of ‘M os t C ommon C hord T ypes ’. Y ou c an optionally add or remove partic ular c hord types as you s ee fit. I f, for example, you were analys ing a piec e of jazz mus ic , then you may want to inc lude ninth c hords in your analys is .

Display Options

M idiI llus trator c an dis play c hord information as textual c hord names , s uc h as ‘C maj7 ’ or ‘Fs us 4 ’, or as a guitar fret graphic , whic h s hows the fingering required on a c onventional s ix s tring guitar (tuning ‘E A D G BE ’). Sometimes it will not be pos s ible for M idiI llus trator to s ay exac tly whic h c hord is right for a partic ular beat. I n thes e c as es , you c an s pec ify the s ymbol M idiI llus trator s hould dis play in plac e of a c hord name. I f you wis h to leave thes e ‘unknown’ c hords blank, then s imply c lear the text in the drop down box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


210

MidiIllustrator User Manual

5.19.4 Analyze Fingering Command Location: Tools Menu Finger numbers can be assigned to notes and chords in one of three ways: · Manually using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 · Automatically for a selection of notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with finger number Keyboard Shortcuts 253 without the need to open the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog · Automatically for the entire score, a range of staves, or a note selection using the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog Once you have assigned finger numbers to notes several new features become available: · Finger numbers can be displayed in, alongside, above or below 132 each note/chord in the score · Finger numbers can be displayed on each key during playback on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 · MidiIllustrator can show animated Performing Hands 38 performing your score over the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 Automatic Fingering Analysis Automatic Fingering Analysis is an advanced feature in MidiIllustrator which performs a customizable analysis of the notation in your scores and accordingly assigns finger numbers to each note and chord. Fingering analysis is customizable to help you assign the right finger numbers easily and quickly for a selection of notes or the whole score. See also: notes on Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible Choose what to analyze

34

.

I f a note range is s elec ted in the s c ore when the fingering analys is dialog is opened, M idiI llus trator will c hec k the Current selection only c hec kbox. I n this c as e, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore. Ignore unselected notes when calculating: With this option, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an c hoos e to analyze entire s taves or the entire s c ore. T his will take s ome time as even a bas ic analys is is quite demanding on the average P C . See A dvanced Settings below to c onfigure you own kind of analys is .

Options

Keep existing f ingering and use it when calculating: N ormally, exis ting finger numbers will be ignored in the c alc ulation and will be updated as M idiI llus trator s ees fit. With this option c hec ked however, M idiI llus trator will us e any exis ting fingering in the s c ore as a guide to how you would like finger numbers as s igned to remaining notes and thes e finger numbers will not be c hanged in the analys is . Y ou might us e this option having as s igned a finger number to a s ingle note in an arpeggio, for example, and M idiI llus trator will then as s ign finger numbers to the remaining notes in the arpeggio us ing the manually as s igned finger as a s tarting point.

Choose an instrument f ingering

I n the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator, fingering analys is c an be performed for keyboard instruments s uc h as the piano. M idiI llus trator will dec ide whic h hand to us e when fingering a given s taff bas ed on the as s igned ins trument playing

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

211

hand 76 (Staff M anager). Y ou c an override this when us ing the finger analys is dialog us ing the Force Hand c ommands . A ssign separate hand f ingering f or upper/lower voices: When M idiI llus trator finds more than one mus ic al idea indic ated in a s taff with the us e of voic es 242 , it will normally as s ign both the left and right hands to finger lower and upper voic es ac c ordingly. U nc hec k this box to have a s ingle hand notes ac ros s play multiple voic es on eac h s taff. D is abling this option may have c ons equenc es for P erforming H ands 38 making s ome multi- voic e c hord c ombinations unplayable. A dvanced Settings

T he Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing s ettings allow you to c ontrol the effort M idiI llus trator applies to as s igning finger numbers to a range of notes . Warning! C hanging advanc ed s ettings - es pec ially Depth of analysis may dramatic ally inc reas e analys is time - s o this option s hould be c onfigured in the c ontext of your P C proc es s or s peed. G enerally, deeper analys is will res ult in better fingering, and inc reas ing the res ult s moothing will addres s errors c aus ed by ins uffic ient depth of analys is . I t's worth experimenting with different analys is s ettings on different notation s elec tions , es pec ially if you c an allow extra time for the analys is to proc eed. Remember these advanced settings: Y our s ettings will be s aved when you c los e the dialog. T hes e s aved s ettings will als o be applied when automatic ally as s igning finger numbers for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Restore A dvanced Def aults: Res tore the default s ettings for Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing.

Finger Numbers Valid finger numbers are from 1 to 5, starting with the thumb (1) on each hand through to the pinky (5). Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible

Since assigning finger numbers is a very subjective task, automatic generation of finger numbers for entire scores will inevitably include some unsuitable finger assignments. There are many rules in the analysis which favours general rules and uses specific rules rarely. Sometimes, for example, you will see a finger roll incorrectly assigned to an arpeggio, or an awkward fingering for a 4 finger chord in order to make progress to the next note sequence easier. In some case a given fingering may simply suit one player more than another. To get best results, using the following automatic fingering options in combination with your own manual fingering assignments is highly recommended: 路 Ignore unselected notes when calculating 34 . Remember that fingering for a given sequence is calculated in the context of the surrounding notation. Sometimes you will get better results if you generate fingering for a sequence in isolation. You can also do this quickly for a selection of notes using the fingering keyboard shortcuts 253 . 路 Keep existing fingering and use it when calculating 34 . This is a quick way to get the fingering you want on a chord or arpeggio. Manually assign one or two finger numbers 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


212

MidiIllustrator User Manual

to a given sequence of selected notes using commands in the

Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 . Select the range of notes you wish to assign finger numbers to automatically. Open the Automatic Fingering Analysis dialog and check the Keep existing

fingering and use it when calculating 34 option. MidiIllustrator will use the manually assigned finger numbers when assigning fingering to the rest of the selection. Usually, manually assigning the first and/or last note in a chord or arpeggio will help MidiIllustrator automatically assign the rest of the fingering to your requirements.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.5 Song Lead Sheets and Fake Books Command Location: Tools Menu / Generate Lead Sheets & Fake Books The Song Lead Sheet/Fake Book dialog allows you to optimise the score layout for a particular purpose. There are three different ‘style’ Tasks you can apply to your scores. TA SK

PURPOSE

Song Lead Sheet

G enerates a s c ore whic h s hows only the melody of the piec e and the ac c ompanying lyric. Note: When you firs t open a Karaoke file c ontaining lyric s M idiI llus trator will optionally as k you if you would like to pres ent the s c ore as a Song L ead Sheet.

Fake Book Style 1

G enerates a s c ore whic h s hows the melody of the piec e and the ac c ompanying lyric. Chord Names are added to the top s tave to s how the c hord progres s ion through the s c ore. L yric s will only appear if they exis t in the s c ore.

Fake Book Style 2

G enerates a s c ore whic h s hows the melody of the piec e and the ac c ompanying lyric. Chord Names and Guitar Frets are added to the top s tave to s how the c hord progres s ion through the s c ore. L yric s will only appear if they exis t in the s c ore.

Note: You can also apply these style Tasks to your scores using the Task Wizard

206 .

How MidiIllustrator converts the score MidiIllustrator automatically analyses the score to find those staves which contain the lyrics, the melody and chord harmonies. The ‘best’ melody staff and, where applicable, the ‘best’ lyric staff will be highlighted in the Lyric Staff and Melody Staff Display Windows. If MidiIllustrator has not chosen what you think are the best staves, these selections can be changed by selecting your choice of staff in each window. Reanalyse Staves

I f you have s elec ted your own s taves in the L yric Staff and

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

Chord Generation Rules

Lyric Staf f

Melody Staf f

Merge the Lyric & Melody Staves & temporarily hide other staves

Show only the Lyric & Melody Staves (temporarily hide other staves)

Hide traditional staf f notation & instead show staves as timelines (Perf ormance Mode Only) 32

M elody Staff D is play Windows , and would like M idiI llus trator to analys e the piec e again to find what it believes are the bes t L yric and M elody s taves , s imply pres s the ‘Reanalys e Staves ’ button. When M idiI llus trator generates c hords for the s c ore as part of this T as k, it will us e the c urrent s ettings for generating c hord names and guitar frets . T hes e s ettings c an be modified by opening the G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets 208 dialog. T his window dis plays all of the s taves c ontained within the s c ore. I t s hows the s taff number (#), its name (e.g. A c ous tic G rand P iano) and the number of lyric s (if any) c ontained within the s taff. O ne s taff will be highlighted when the window is firs t opened, and this will be the s taff that M idiI llus trator has found to be the mos t appropriate L yric s taff. I f M idiI llus trator has not c hos en what you think is the bes t L yric s taff, you c an c hange it by s imply s elec ting your c hoic e from within the window. T his window dis plays all of the s taves c ontained within the s c ore. I t s hows the s taff number (#) and its name (e.g. Bas s C lef) and the number of melody notes c ontained within the s taff. N ote that this las t value is a very rough analys is of eac h s taff’s ‘melodic ’ c ontent. T he s taff with the highes t number of melody notes is not nec es s arily the bes t matc h for the lyric s taff. When M idiI llus trator c hoos es the melody s taff it c hoos es the bes t melody s taff for the bes t lyric s taff. O ne s taff will be highlighted when the window is firs t opened, and this will be the s taff that M idiI llus trator has found to be the mos t appropriate s taff for the M elody. I f M idiI llus trator has not c hos en what you think is the bes t M elody s taff, you c an c hange it by s imply s elec ting your c hoic e from within the window. O nc e you have found the L yric and M elody s taves that you wis h to us e, you c an merge them into one s taff and temporarily hide the others . T his will res ult in one s taff c ombining both the M elody and the L yric s . M idiI llus trator will not delete any s taves in this proc es s . Y ou c an make the hidden s taves vis ible at a later s tage us ing Staff M anager 76 . O nc e you have found the L yric and M elody s taves that you wis h to us e, you c an temporarily hide the other s taves . T his will res ult in a s c ore made up of two s taves , one for the L yric s and one for the M elody. M idiI llus trator will not delete any s taves in this proc es s . Y ou c an make the hidden s taves vis ible at a later s tage us ing Staff M anager 76 . T his c ommand allows you to hide traditional s taff notation on the s c ore and ins tead s how s taves as a timeline. T his option c an be c hanged after the tas k has c ompleted.

If, at any time, you wish to revert to the standard score layout, simply click on the Cancel button.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.6 Theme The MidiIllustrator interface supports smart docking for toolbars and special controls such as © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

213


214

MidiIllustrator User Manual

the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 and List Bar 125 . Dragging these controls by their title bars will automatically show the smart docking manager allowing you to dock one control to another or to the main program frame in order to make the best use of your screen real-estate. Different themes or color schemes can be applied to the MidiIllustrator program interface. These themes will affect the look of all the interface components such as toolbars, menus and control windows. Themes can be chosen via the Tools Menu

195 .

The themes available are: · Black · Blue · Silver · Aqua You can also customize the On-Screen Piano Keyboard.

37

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7 MIDI Options Dialog Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options The MIDI Options dialog allows you to make changes to the following attributes of MidiIllustrator: · MIDI Out/Playback 214 · MIDI In/MIDI Echo 216 · Metronome 218 · MIDI Device Sharing 219 · MIDI Shortcut Keys 40 · MIDI Instrument Routing 41

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7.1 MIDI Playback

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Playback Tab The MIDI Playback tab allows you to choose which MIDI devices are available to MidiIllustrator for playback of scores. Note that the devices available for MIDI Echo 216 are exactly the same as the devices available for MIDI Playback. If you are using MidiIllustrator for the first time and want to learn more about setting up your soundcard and choosing MIDI devices, then see Configuring Sound and Playing Back Scores 15 in the Getting Started section. Default MIDI Device When you run MidiIllustrator for the first time it attempts to select and configure a default MIDI device for playback. MidiIllustrator will try to identify and use the ‘preferred’ MIDI device which Windows uses for all MIDI output (this device is often referred to as the MIDI Mapper). You can make any or all of the devices on the list available for playback. Select a MIDI device © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

215

from the list by ticking its check box. You must have a default device selected in order for MidiIllustrator to playback files. Set the default device by selecting it from the list and clicking the ‘Set Device As Default’ button. When opening files, MidiIllustrator will always use the default MIDI device (marked in the list with [DEFAULT]) though you can configure a file to use any of the devices which you have checked in the MIDI Playback device list. See Staff MIDI Device 152 for more information. If you want MidiIllustrator to always play songs using the [DEFAULT] device you have selected for playback, then you should ensure that each Staff MIDI Device 152 is set to the "Default Device" entry in the device list. Testing the selected MIDI Device If you have selected one of the devices in the list, you can quickly test the device by clicking the ‘Test Device’ button to hear a typical output from that device. A single MIDI note will be played on the selected device (Channel = 0, Patch = 0). MIDI Device List If there are no devices listed, then your computer does not have any sound equipment or the sound equipment has not been configured for use with Windows. In either case see the documentation that came with your computer. What if there is no sound during Playback? This can be caused by a number of problems. Assuming you have at least one MIDI device in the list and you have set that device as the default for Playback, review the check list below: · Check your hardware: Does your system make any sound at all? Are your speakers connected properly? · Check your playback devices: If you have more than one MIDI device in the list, try selecting another device. It is quite possible that one or more of the devices in the list will not make any sound. This is especially likely if the device name contains terms such as ‘MIDI OUT’, in which case the MIDI signal from MidiIllustrator is being redirected by your soundcard to an external MIDI device such as a Piano Module. If you do not have an external device connected to your computer, avoid devices with names containing these terms. · Check your song devices with Staff Manager: MidiIllustrator can play each staff or track in a song using a different device, and always tries to restore the device the song was saved with for each staff. If that device is not working, or is not setup to playback, then try selecting another device for each track in Staff Manager 76 . MIDI Devices and Scores You may choose to have different scores use different MIDI devices for playback. If a device used by one of your scores becomes unavailable to MidiIllustrator (i.e. it does not appear in the device list) then MidiIllustrator will automatically assign the default device to those scores. This will also happen if you uncheck a device which one of your open scores is using. That score will automatically switch to playback using the default device. MIDI Device Management Between Sessions MidiIllustrator remembers and restores your MIDI IN and OUT device preferences every time you start the program. This means that you can swap MIDI devices (such as USB MIDI ports/ adapters) in and out of your system between MidiIllustrator sessions and MidiIllustrator will still be able to play saved songs with the device they were originally configured to use, even if the Windows MIDI device configuration has changed or been reordered. Furthermore, MidiIllustrator will only reset to the default Windows devices when the system changes if the MidiIllustrator preferred defaults no longer exist in the Windows MIDI device list (visible via Control Panel). © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


216

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Advanced Settings - Playback Latency (see also MIDI In Latency

216 )

If you find that when playing scores there is a small delay between when you hear notes and when you see them highlighted on the score, or if the cursor appears to move just before the beat, then you can use the MIDI Out device latency to synchronize the sound and screen events. Note that Playback Latency differs from MIDI In Latency 216 which is for synchronizing connected MIDI devices (usually when recording ). You should try to correct any Playback Latency before adjusting MIDI In Latency 216 . "Latency" (or "lag") is common to all MIDI software and occurs most often with software synthesizers such as the widely used "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth", but your overall system speed is also a factor. Sometimes it takes a short while for the MIDI instructions to be processed by the MIDI device and so there is a delay between the signal being sent, and the sound being heard. This is typically around 100 ms (milliseconds) for the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" on Windows XP SP2. There is no accurate way for MidiIllustrator to calculate any latency, so you must use trial and error to set a value which synchronizes playback on your system with screen updates. First things first! Use your system's best hardware... Certain MIDI playback devices especially software synthesizers such as the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" - are more susceptible to this kind of delay than hardware MIDI devices. If you have a soundcard installed in your machine (for example: a Creative Labs SoundBlaster) then you will find that that selecting this card's MIDI device for playback over any installed "synth" devices may produce much better synchronization between visual and audio events without needing to set any value for Playback Latency. When to use Playback Latency: 路 ...when there is a small delay between when you hear notes and when you see them highlighted on the score 路 ...when you are using the PC keyboard to 'tap in' notation rhythms 68 in time with the metronome and you notice that and there is a delay between your entered notes and the recorded notes as displayed after recording MidiIllustrator automatically tries to set a value for Playback Latency when the value is left at "Auto". If in any doubt about your settings, you should leave the value set at "Auto". You may need to experiment with Playback Latency values to achieve perfect synchronization of note sounds and note highlighting on your system. Start with a very low value, maybe 20ms. If the cursor is moving before you hear the beat, increase the latency value. If it starts to move after the beat, you should reduce the latency value. Note about recording (MIDI In) latency: If you have ensured good synchronization between sound output and screen updates (if necessary using a Playback Latency value) and you are still experiencing lag when recording from a MIDI device, you should experiment with MIDI In Latency 216 .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7.2 MIDI In and Midi Echo

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI In and MIDI Echo Tab The MIDI In and MIDI Echo screens allow you to configure an external MIDI Instrument to interact with MidiIllustrator. An example of a MIDI Instrument might be a MIDI Keyboard or a MIDI Guitar. 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

217

Note: Neither MIDI Echo nor Step by Step mode will work properly unless you have configured a MIDI In device and you are ‘listening’ for MIDI In from that device. MIDI In In order for MidiIllustrator to receive input from a MIDI In device you must: · Select a device with MIDI In capabilities from the MIDI In device list. If there are no such devices listed in the MIDI In drop down box, then either there is no MIDI In capable equipment installed on your computer, or it has not been configured properly to work with Windows. · Begin ‘listening’ on the selected MIDI In device by checking the ‘Listen to MIDI In’ check box. MidiIllustrator will now hear any MIDI data generated by your external MIDI instrument. What it does with that data depends on how you configure MIDI Echo and/or Step by Step mode. MIDI Echo All MIDI data received from an external MIDI device can be ‘echoed’ to another MIDI device of your choice. Typically you would use MIDI Echo to take the MIDI notes passed in from your external MIDI Keyboard and play them through your computer’s MIDI equipment. This gives your MIDI instrument access to all the instrument sounds provided by your computer’s MIDI devices. In order for MidiIllustrator to play back MIDI data received from your external MIDI instrument you must: · Choose a MIDI Echo Instrument. See the MIDI Echo Instrument 192 dialog for details on choosing an instrument. · Begin ‘echoing’ to the selected MIDI Echo device by checking the ‘Echo MIDI’ check box. Echoing to a Staff Instrument vs Echoing to the MIDI Echo device By default, all MIDI data received through the MIDI In device will be broadcast to the MIDI Echo device. The sound you will hear will be played by the MIDI Echo instrument. You can, however, opt to have MidiIllustrator redirect the MIDI In data to any of the Staff Instruments used in the current score. For further information see Echoing to a Staff Instrument vs Echoing to the MIDI Echo Instrument 245 in the Echoing to a Staff Instrument section. MIDI In Latency (see also Playback Latency

214 )

Sometimes there is a delay between notes being input to a connected MIDI device and these notes reaching MidiIllustrator via various computer soundcards and any other MIDI device in the 'chain'. This is know as MIDI device latency (or "lag"). If you find, for instance, that recorded notes are out of sync with existing notation even though you played notes at the same time as you heard them played back, then you should experiment with values for MIDI device latency. Note that MIDI In Latency differs from Playback Latency 214 which is for correcting any delay between when you hear notes and when you see them highlighted on the score during playback. You should try to correct any Playback Latency 214 before adjusting MIDI In Latency. For example, if recorded notes are appearing later in the in the score than they were played (in time with the metronome) then choose a starting value of say 100 (100 milliseconds) and retry recording. Keep increasing the value until the notes recorded are allocated the correct time. This is a trial and error process and is different for every MIDI system setup!

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


218

MidiIllustrator User Manual

5.19.7.3 Metronome

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Metronome Tab The Metronome tab allows you to activate/deactivate the Metronome and contains the ‘Rules for Metronome Use’. The current Metronome settings are displayed on the tab and the ‘Choose Instrument’ button provides a link to the Metronome Instrument 190 dialog. Note that these metronome rules may be overridden by Practice Session settings, or Recording 67 session metronome options. Use MIDI Metronome (subject to the rules below)

190

metronome

T his c hec k box ac tivates /deac tivates the M I D I M etronome s ubjec t to the rules c ontained within the ‘Rules for M etronome U s e’ s ec tion of the tab. (See Rules f or Metronome Use below).

Rules f or Metronome Use T here are two rules as s oc iated with the M etronome: · U s e M etronome throughout playbac k of s c ore, · M etronome I ntro Bars and one as s oc iated with the M etronome L ight: · Flas h on beat for: [ ] ms Note: The ‘Use MI DI Metronome’ check box must be checked or the metronome wi l l ma ke no sound, rega rdl ess of how y ou conf i gure the metronome rul es. Use Metronome Throughout Playback of Score

T his c hec k box allows you to c hoos e whether or not to have the M etronome tic king at all times during playbac k.

Flash on beat f or: [ ] ms

T he M etronome L ight (M . L ight) flas hes in time with eac h beat of the mus ic to give you a vis ual repres entation of the time s ignature of the piec e, and different s hades of c olor are us ed to identify the A c c ented Beat and the N ormal Beat. T he ‘flas h on beat for’ drop down box allows you to s et the length of time in millis ec onds (‘ms ’) that the c olors us ed in the M . L ight are dis played for (or flas hed) on eac h beat of the mus ic . Y ou c an c hoos e from as little as 1 0 ms to as muc h as 5 0 0 ms . T o prevent any flas hing, and ins tead s ee jus t the s olid c olors , s et a flas h time of 0 . For more information about the M . L ight, s ee the M etronome L ight s ec tion of the V iew M enu 116 .

Metronome Intro Bars

M etronome I ntro Bars are metronome beats that play before playbac k of the piec e c ommenc es , and are a us eful way of familiaris ing yours elf with the rhythm of a pas s age. T he type of M etronome I ntro is s elec ted us ing two drop down boxes . T he firs t M etronome I ntro Bar drop down box c ontains the following options : · N o I ntro · 1 Bar · 2 Bars · 3 Bars · 4 Bars .. when s tarting: and the s ec ond drop down box has the following options : · at beginning of piec e · at beginning of a meas ure · at beginning of a beat · anywhere Y ou may, for example, dec ide that when you are s tarting playbac k from the beginning of the piec e, you would like the metronome to s tart playing one bar before the s tart of playbac k. I f you wanted the metronome to play throughout the piec e, as well as playing an introduc tion, you would als o have to tic k the Use Metronome throughout playback of score c hec k box. I f this is left unc hec ked, the metronome will only play the introduc tion.

Choose Instrument

O pens the M etronome I ns trument 190 dialog.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

219

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7.4 MIDI Device Sharing

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Device Sharing Tab The MIDI Device Sharing tab affords you the flexibility to control how MidiIllustrator uses and shares ‘MIDI Devices’ with other programs. MIDI devices are used by MidiIllustrator whenever some kind of MIDI function is performed. One device is used for playback, another device might be used to generate metronome beats, and yet another device might be used to ‘listen’ to a external MIDI Instrument, such as a MIDI Keyboard or a MIDI Guitar. Most MIDI devices can only be used by one Windows application at a time. This means that if another programs is using your favourite MIDI playback device at the time you start MidiIllustrator, MidiIllustrator may present a ‘Device Already Used’ error when you try to play back a score. MidiIllustrator cannot ensure that other programs will share MIDI devices. You can, however, instruct MidiIllustrator to share devices with other programs based on whether or not it is the ‘active’ window. In this way, MidiIllustrator can relinquish MIDI devices at the moment you switch to another MIDI programs which needs them. When you switch back to MidiIllustrator (thereby making it the active window once more) MidiIllustrator will once again take control of the MIDI devices. Note: Not all Windows program s share MIDI dev ices. If you find that MidiIllustrator cannot use a particular dev ice then this is probably because another program s is m onopolising that dev ice. In this case you should close all other MIDI program s. Som etim es you will want MidiIllustrator to m aintain control of MIDI dev ices ev en when it is not the activ e window. For instance, you m ay wish to hav e MidiIllustrator play back one of your songs in the background whilst you are using another program s. In this case, you would want MidiIllustrator to keep control of the MIDI Playback dev ice. COMMA ND

EFFECT

A llow Playback (MIDI Out)

When c hec ked: T he M I D I P laybac k devic e is c ontrolled by M idiI llus trator as long as playbac k is in progres s , even if M idiI llus trator is not the ac tive window. When playbac k ends the play bac k devic e is releas ed. When unc hec ked: I f you s witc h to another programs whils t M idiI llus trator is playing bac k a s ong, playbac k will end and the M I D I P laybac k devic e will be releas ed.

A llow MIDI In and MIDI Echo

When c hec ked: Both the M I D I I n and M I D I E c ho devic es are c ontrolled by M idiI llus trator as long as M idiI llus trator is running, even if M idiI llus trator is not the ac tive window. T his allows you to ec ho M I D I data from your external M I D I I ns trument even when M idiI llus trator is minimis ed. When unc hec ked: I f you s witc h to another programs , M idiI llus trator will no longer ‘lis ten’ to the M I D I I n devic e nor will it ec ho to the M I D I E c ho devic e, and both devic es will be releas ed.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


220

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7.5 MIDI Shortcut Keys

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Shortcut Keys Tab MIDI Shortcut Keys allow you to control many of MidiIllustrator’s functions using your connected MIDI instrument (such as a MIDI keyboard) as a ‘remote control’. Instead of using the mouse or keyboard, you can input certain commands using your MIDI instrument. MidiIllustrator will listen for notes entered in this way and will carry out commands accordingly. Note that for MIDI Shortcut Keys to work, you must have connected MIDI instrument connected and configured for use by MidiIllustrator, and you must be ‘listening’ for MIDI Input on a MIDI In device 216 . Note: Try not to use shortcut key pitches which you will often use during performances, or commands may be inadvertently sent to MidiIllustrator whilst you are simply playing notes on your instrument. To this end, it is best to avoid using keys near the middle of a MIDI keyboard, and instead configure less frequently used keys at either end of the instrument. Shortcut keys are deactivated in Edit Mode - Normal Entry converted to notation and added to the current score.

46

as in this state MIDI input is

Entering Note Values from your Instrument For each of the commands below, you may configure a corresponding key, or note on your MIDI Instrument. You can enter note values manually using the drop down box, or you can select an instruction from the list, click the “Use Next MIDI Note Entered...” button and then tap a key on your MIDI device to set a particular value. Enabling MIDI Shortcut Keys Don’t forget to set both “Listen for MIDI Shortcut Keys” on this Options page, and “Listen to MIDI In device” on the MIDI In / MIDI Echo Options page in order to enable MIDI Shortcut Keys. On-Screen Keyboard Once configured, you will be able to see which notes on your MIDI Instrument are configured for use as MIDI Shortcut Keys by displaying MidiIllustrator’s On-Screen Keyboard. Configured keys are highlighted with colored markers as a quick reference. I nstructi on Na me

I nstructi on

Page: Next

T urns the page.

Page: Previous

T urns the page.

Perf orm: Play/Stop

Begins /E nds playbac k.

Perf orm: Rewind

Rewinds playbac k.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.7.6 MIDI Instrument Routing

Command Location: Tools Menu / MIDI Options / MIDI Instrument Routing Tab © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

221

MIDI Instrument Routing allows you to control the way in which certain instruments (or MIDI ‘patches’) are handled by MidiIllustrator during playback. When a MIDI file is created, each staff in the song is usually given a particular Channel and instrument Patch. You can read more about channels in the MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 section. Furthermore, when the file is first opened, MidiIllustrator will assign the default MIDI playback device to each staff. This is usually the soundcard in your computer which has 128 instrument ‘General MIDI’ sounds. If you have more than one MIDI playback device available to your system however, you may prefer that all ‘Piano’ instruments are played using a dedicated ‘Piano’ MIDI module which you may have attached to your system via MIDI cables. Or you may simply prefer some instruments sounds from one sound card over another. In this case, you can create a MIDI Instrument Routing, which will tell MidiIllustrator to use a preferred instrument from a preferred MIDI playback device every time a new MIDI song is first opened. Furthermore, some MIDI devices only ‘listen’ on certain channels, so you may wish to specify which channel is used for a particular routing. The MIDI Instrument Routing tab has the following buttons: · Add Routing · Edit Routing · Remove Routing The Add/Edit Routing Dialog When you create or edit a routing, you must supply the following information: · The Instrument you wish to route to a particular device and channel · Channel rules to use when identifying that instrument · Which channel that instrument should be played through · Which MIDI playback device that instrument should be played through For example, you may wish to have all Acoustic Grand Piano staves played using MIDI device ‘A’ on channel 1. In this case you would choose the following configuration: · Route instrument: 1. Acoustic Grand Piano · on… Channels 1-9 or 11-16 (the original channel used for this instrument) · to… Channel 1 (the new channel to be used for this instrument) · using… MIDI Device ‘A’ Here we have specified a rule concerning which channel the instrument must originally be on for the routing to apply. The reason for this is that channel 10 is often treated differently to other MIDI channels (read more about this here: MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 ) and we do not wish to mistakenly route instruments other than piano sounds. In keeping with this principle, when the original channel value is set to channel 10, the instrument names in the instrument box will automatically change to the corresponding General MIDI drum names. Bear in mind that a given instrument patch may originally be set on any channel, so specifying an original channel such as ‘Channel 13’ may dramatically limit the number of effective routings. That said, in general you should be as strict as possible with routing rules to prevent unexpected behaviour during playback. NOTE: Routings should be used with care as some can make your songs sound strange, and may even result in silent staves during playback if MIDI devices are not attached or switched on. Once the routing has been created, it will be applied ALL MIDI FILES opened from that point on, and no reminder will be posted to inform you that a routing is being applied to a particular song staff. You can temporarily disable routings at any time by unchecking the box on the left of the routing list. © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


222

MidiIllustrator User Manual

When are Routings Applied? Routings are applied whenever: · A MIDI file is opened and automatically converted to notation · The “Convert Score to ‘Two Hand Piano'” Task is applied to a score. Routings will not be applied to existing *.MIL files as they are opened, and subsequent changes to channel and MIDI device settings using Staff Manager will not be overridden by routings. Duplicate or Conflicting Routings If you create duplicate or conflicting routings (i.e. routings where two different rules are applied to the same instrument/channel combination) then you may see unexpected results. MidiIllustrator will try to apply each and every routing in order to a staff in a given song, meaning that that the lowest valid routing in the list will take precedence over any others already applied.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8 Program Options Dialog Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options The Program Options dialog allows you to make changes to the following attributes of MidiIllustrator: · Playback 28 · General Preferences 225 · Editing Options 228 · · · · · · · ·

Recording Options 67 Keyboard Options 43 Program Colors 225 Save 230 Import Options 231 Step by Step Options Tasks Options 234 File Types 235

188

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.1 Playback

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Playback Tab The Playback tab allows you to make changes to the way in which the score is displayed during playback. The following attributes can be changed: Cursor

T here · · · ·

are five c urs or dis play options for playbac k: D oes not follow playbac k Follows neares t playbac k beat Follows exac t playbac k time Follows neares t playbac k note

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

223

· T urns pages but remains hidden By default, the c urs or follows the ‘neares t beat during playbac k’. T his is generally the mos t us eful s etting for unders tanding the rhythm of the piec e, and is als o the bes t c hoic e when you are us ing the metronome. I n s c ores where notes regularly fall jus t before or after the beat, it may be more us eful to have the c urs or s taff time or the neares t note. U nles s you s elec t ‘D oes N ot Follow P laybac k’, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move from page to page on the s c ore in order to keep the c urs or vis ible at all times . T o hide the c urs or altogether during playbac k, but s till have pages turned automatic ally, s elec t 'T urns pages but remains hidden'. Note: T he ‘Follows E xac t P laybac k T ime’ s etting c an plac e quite high demands on your c omputer as the c urs or pos ition c hanges rapidly. A dvance Page Turn

T his option allows you to determine how and where in the s c ore the page is turned during playbac k. T his c an be us eful if you are s ight- reading ahead of time as you may want the page to be turned before playbac k reac hes the end of the page. Scroll and Fade In the Next Page (available only in Window V iew 117 , P erformanc e M ode 33 ) M idiI llus trator c an turn the page us ing s pec ial graphic al effec ts to ‘s plit’ the s c reen as the mus ic is played out, s howing both the c urrent pas s age and the next pas s age (on the next page) at the s ame time. T o do this , M idiI llus trator ‘reads ahead’, and determines how muc h of the next page c an be s c rolled onto the c urrent page without obs c uring the c urrent playbac k notation. T he next page c an be s c rolled on from top to bottom, or from left to right and M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally dec ide the bes t s c rolling method at any partic ular pos ition in the s c ore. T his enables you to read the s c ore at the c urrent playbac k pos ition, and als o read ahead to the notation on the next page whic h would otherwis e be hidden by redundant parts of the c urrent page. Note: I n s ome c as es , the s c ore layout will prevent M idiI llus trator from s howing any part of the next page, even when advanc e page turn s c rolling is ac tivated. I f s howing the next page would, for example, hide an important part of the c urrent playbac k page, then s c rolling will be temporarily deac tivated. T his happens mos t often when a meas ure on the c urrent or next page is very long, taking up muc h of the s c reen and leaving no room to s how parts of both the c urrent and next pages at the s ame time. C hoos e from the following Sc rolling options : · V ertic ally if pos s ible, then H orizontally (default, rec ommended) · H orizontally if pos s ible, then V ertic ally · V ertic ally only · H orizontally only · D o not s c roll next page Staf f Tools and A dvance Page Turn D uring page turning, the s taff c ontrols of the partially

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


224

MidiIllustrator User Manual

dis played ‘next’ page will be temporarily dis abled until that page is s hown c ompletely and it bec omes the ‘c urrent’ page. Y ou c an c lic k on the ‘next’ page notation at any time (to advanc e playbac k), but c lic king on the s taff tools (if s hown) will have no effec t. Y ou c an c lic k on the s taff tools of the c urrent page at any time during page turning. Fading in the Next Page M ore powerful c omputers will be able to us e the advanc ed features of page turning, and allow s pec ial effec ts during the page turn. Fading in the next page will make the page turn appear muc h s moother, and les s dis trac ting if you are trying to s ight- read from the s c reen at the s ame time. C hoos e from: · Fade I n next page · N o s pec ial effec ts I f you wis h, you c an have M idiI llus trator s imply fade in the page with no s c rolling, by s elec ting “Fade I n next page “ and “D o not s c roll next page” above. NOTE: Fading the next page into view requires quite a lot of processor power. If you f ind that the page turn is slow or jerky, ensure this option is disabled. Simple Page Turn A s an alternative to s c rolling/fading in the next page, you c an s imply c hoos e to have M idiI llus trator s witc h to the next page before the c urrent page is c ompleted. T o c onfigure A dvanc e P age T urn, s imply c hoos e a ‘quantity’ from the firs t drop down box, and a unit of duration from the s ec ond drop down box. T he s ec ond has the following options : · Whole Beat(s ) · H alf Beat(s ) · M eas ure(s ) · Whole N ote(s ) · H alf N ote(s ) · Q uarter N ote(s ) · 8 th N ote(s ) · 1 6 th N ote(s ) · 3 2 nd N ote(s ) · 6 4 th N ote(s ) So you might s elec t ‘1 ’ in the firs t drop down box and ‘Whole Beat(s )’ in the s ec ond drop down box and the page will be turned one whole beat before playbac k reac hes the end of the page. Highlight Notes/Lyrics During Playback

T his option c an make it eas ier for you to follow a piec e during playbac k as it highlights the notes and lyric s on the s c ore as the mus ic is played. A s an aid to s ight- s inging, you c an optionally advanc e the lyric highlighting by the amount of your c hoic e. See the P laybac k 28 s ec tion of Sc ore O ptions . I f you find that when playing s c ores there is a s mall delay between when you hea r notes and when you see them highlighted on the s c ore, try adjus ting P laybac k L atenc y 214 . T he H ighlight N otes /L yric s ... option is turned on by default.

Grey Muted Notes

I f a s taff has been muted (s ee the Sound s ec tion of D is play and P laybac k 154 ) this option allows you to s how the muted

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

225

notes on the s c ore in a different c olor to the s tandard notes . T he c olor of the muted notes c an be c hanged us ing the C olor 23 tab. M uted notes do not highlight during playbac k if this option is enabled. T he Fade M uted N otes option is turned on by default. A dvance Lyric Highlighting

By default, M idiI llus trator will highlight L yric s during playbac k at exac tly the time they oc c ur in the s c ore. Y ou may, however, wis h to have L yric s highlighted s lightly in advanc e of their playbac k time as an aid to ‘reading ahead’. T he drop down box c ontains the following options : · O n T ime · A Whole N ote A head of T ime · A H alf N ote A head of T ime · A Q uarter N ote A head of T ime · A n 8 th N ote A head of T ime · A 1 6 th N ote A head of T ime · A 3 2 nd N ote A head of T ime · A 6 4 th N ote A head of T ime

A pply

T he A pply button applies all the c hanges made to the s c ore without the need to c los e the dialog box.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.2 General Preferences

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Program Colors Tab The Application Colors Tab allows you to change the Metronome Light flash colors. Colors To change the default color of an item, simply select the item in the list, click on the ‘Modify’ button, and choose a new color from the Color palette. Then click ‘OK’ in the Color tab for the changes to take effect on the score. Note that changes are made to the application dynamically (without the need to close the dialog box with the OK command), in order to facilitate experimentation with new settings.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.3 Program Colors

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / General Preferences Tab The General Preferences tab allows you to customise some of MidiIllustrator’s general features. You can, for example, set MidiIllustrator to automatically open the last file that you were working on as it starts up. A t startup...

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

...open launch screen

When you s elec t this option M idiI llus trator will dis play the launc h s c reen when it s tarts up, allowing you quic k and eas y ac c es s to the program's mos t c ommon ac tivities .


226

MidiIllustrator User Manual

or ...open Last File

When you s elec t this option M idiI llus trator will automatic ally open the las t file that you were working on when it s tarts up.

Open score transcription wizard f or MIDI/Karaoke f iles

M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally make all the dec is ions nec es s ary to c onvert your M I D I and Karaoke files into notation. A lternatively, you c an us e the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard to have M idiI llus trator arrange the file's mus ic al c ontent in a partic ular way, by s elec ting from a lis t of c us tom pres entation modes . D epending on the s tyle of the mus ic , this c an have a dramatic effec t on readability. When the ‘O pen Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard..’ box is c hec ked, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally open the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard 227 when you open a Karaoke file, or a M I D I file.

Warnings

Open lead sheet conversion dialog f or Karaoke f iles

C hec k this box if you would like the Song L ead Sheet 212 dialog to open automatic ally when you s elec t a karaoke file whic h c ontains lyric s .

Show General Messages

G eneral Warning M es s ages are dis played when you perform ac tions that have c ons equenc es that you may be unaware of. T he purpos e of thes e mes s ages is to double c hec k that you are c ompletely c omfortable with the ac tion that you are about to take. T he mes s ages c an be turned off by unc hec king the ‘Show G eneral Warning M es s ages ’ box, but it is bes t to leave the warnings on until you are s ure you are familiar enough with the bas ic mec hanic s of M idiI llus trator. Note: I f i t seems tha t Mi di I l l ustra tor i s compl eti ng certa i n a cti ons wi thout y our consent ensure thi s wa rni ng ha s been turned on.

Show MIDI Messages

M I D I Warning M es s ages are dis played when you perform M I D I ac tions that have c ons equenc es that you may be unaware of. T he purpos e of thes e mes s ages is to double c hec k that you are c ompletely c omfortable with the ac tion that you are about to take. T he mes s ages c an be turned off by unc hec king the ‘Show M I D I Warning M es s ages ’ box, but it is bes t to leave the warnings on until you are s ure you are familiar enough with the way that M idiI llus trator us es M I D I . Note: I f it s eems that M idiI llus trator is c ompleting c ertain ac tions without your c ons ent ens ure this warning have been turned on.

Pref erred Zoom Value

U s ing the P referred Zoom drop down box you c an s elec t the value for your "Pref erred Zoom" Setting (the pixel height of a s ingle s taff line) from a range of 2 to 1 6 .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

227

G enerally s peaking, M idiI llus trator remembers the zoom s etting for eac h mode and its c orres ponding view 241 , but you may want to s pec ify a preferred value for quic kly s izing your s c ores . T he "P referred Zoom" c ommand is a view/zoom c ommand available from the "T oolbars & Zoom" toolbar and the V iew M enu. Set to Current Zoom Value

T his button will automatic ally s et the value in the P referred Zoom V alue drop down box to that whic h is c urrently being us ed on the s c ore.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.3.1 Score Transcription Wizard

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / General Preferences Tab MidiIllustrator can automatically make all the decisions necessary to convert your MIDI and Karaoke files into notation. Alternatively, you can use the Score Transcription Wizard (‘Wizard’) to have MidiIllustrator arrange the file's musical content in a particular way, by selecting from a list of custom presentation modes. Depending on the style of the music, this can have a dramatic effect on readability. The options offered in the Wizard are exactly the same as the Transcription Options 139 tab of Score Options. Please see the help for Transcription Options 139 to learn more about the custom presentation modes. The Wizard essentially allows you to apply a particular set of transcription options to each MIDI or Karaoke file as you open it for the first time. By default, the Wizard starts each time you open a MIDI or Karaoke file. You can skip the Wizard at any time and have MidiIllustrator apply the default transcription options to the file. You can also prevent the Wizard from starting automatically when you open a file. See below for more information on the Wizard settings. Wizard Check Boxes and Buttons: Skip this Introduction I f this box is c hec ked, you will be taken direc tly to the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard dialog and you in Future won’t be s hown the introduc tory page of the Wizard when you open files . Back

T his button takes you bac k to the las t page you were on. I f you are on the firs t page of the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard the button will be ‘greyed’ out.

Next

T akes you to the next page of the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard.

Skip Wizard

Bypas s es the Wizard s c reens , and M idiI llus trator c reates the s c ore us ing your default Sc ore O ptions .

Help

T akes you to the Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard H elp page.

Hiding this Wizard

Y ou c an prevent the Wizard from s tarting eac h time you open a M I D I or Karaoke file, and ins tead have M idiI llus trator c reate new s c ores automatic ally us ing your default Sc ore O ptions . Y ou c an s witc h the Wizard on or off us ing the ‘O pen Sc ore T rans c ription Wizard for M I D I /Karaoke files ’ s etting in P rogram O ptions , G eneral P referenc es 225 . I f you wis h to turn the Wizard off immediately, s imply c hec k the ‘D o not s how this wizard in future, jus t us e the default s ettings ins tead’ c hec k box.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


228

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.4 Editing Options

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Editing Options Tab Chords

A uto-Correct manually entered chord names

M idiI llus trator c an make c orrec tions to c ommon s pelling and format errors in c hord names . I f, for example, a c hord name is entered as a#D im then M idiI llus trator c an c orrec t it to A #dim. Furthermore, manually typed c hords whic h M idiI llus trator rec ognizes will be automatic ally s elec ted if the c hord is right- c lic ked and edited in the C hord Selec tor 179 .

Selection

A uto-A dd f rets to manually entered chords

T here are two features to this option: 路 When manually editing c hord names in the s c ore, if M idiI llus trator finds that s ome c hords in the s c ore already have guitar fret diagrams beneath them, then the c orres ponding fret for the modified c hord name will be automatic ally added when c hord name editing c ompletes . 路 Similarly, if a c hord name is c hanged manually (i.e. without us ing the c hord s elec tor dialog) then M idiI llus trator will try to c hange any c orres ponding guitar fret to the s ame c hord (as long as the c hord name is rec ognis able).

Exclude dots when incrementing duration of selection

When us ing N ote/Res t editing c ommands to toggle through a s elec tion of durations for the c urrently s elec ted s c ore items , c hec k this item if you would like M idiI llus trator to exc lude dotted durations in the c hoic e of inc reas ed or dec reas ed durations . T his s etting als o applies to the s elec tion of c urs or entry durations

Insertion

Sounds

48 .

Include beats as Back/Forward shif t positions

When s hifting items s uc h as L yric s , Bookmarks etc . us ing the "Shift" c ommands (s ee L yric s M enu 177 and/ or Keyboard Shortc uts 253 ), inc lude meas ure beats as pos s ible s hift pos itions , rather than only allowing new items to be ins erted at pos itions whic h c ontain an item s uc h as an exis ting note, res t or lyric .

Include beats as Next/Previous insert positions

When ins erting new items s uc h as L yric s us ing the "I ns ert N ext/ P revious " c ommands (s ee I ns ert M enu 168 and/or Keyboard Shortc uts 253 ), inc lude meas ure beats as pos s ible c urs or ins ert pos itions , rather than only allowing new items to be ins erted at pos itions whic h c ontain an item s uc h as an exis ting note, res t or lyric .

A udition chord/note when note clicked When a note is s elec ted, all the notes with mouse in that s ame time and s taff (i.e. a c hord) will be s ounded together. Selec ting other notes in that s ame

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

229

time/s taff will not repeat the c hord audition unles s the A lt key is held down (s ee als o below). A uditioning Notes versus Chords H olding the A lt key down whils t c lic king the notes will play only the s elec ted notes , rather than the entire c hord. A udition changes to existing notation

A udition cursor insertion pitch

A udition note insertions and clipboard paste

A ny c hanges to exis ting notation, s uc h as s hifting notes to a new s taff or pos ition, will res ult in playbac k of the c hanged c hord notation. I n E dit mode, mous e pitc h drags , note volume c hanges , or mous e c opy operations will als o elic it an audition. Whenever you alter the c urs or entry pos ition on the s taff, the c urrent entry pitc h will be s ounded. Whenever you add a new note or pas te notes of a s ingle time and trac k (i.e. a c hord) from the c lipboard to the s c ore, the new notes will be s ounded.

A udition note insertions f rom external U s ually, notes entered us ing an external M I D I devic e are auditioned by MIDI devices the devic e its elf, or by us ing the M I D I I n/E c ho 216 features of M idiI llus trator. I f this is not the c as e, they c an be auditioned us ing this option. Notation

A uto-tie of f -beat notes which cross beats

When M idiI llus trator imports a M I D I file, it automatic ally ties all notes whic h do not originate on beats , and s ubs equently c ros s other beat boundaries . T his is c ommon notating prac tic e and is intended to improve legibility. U nc hec k this option if, when editing, you would prefer that M idiI llus trator did not c ontinue this prac tic e of auto tying, but ins tead s imply notated s ingle notes for the given duration (where pos s ible).

Power Edit

Cursor

Select entire measure

A lways show entry note name with cursor

I n P ower E dit mode, c hoos e whether the s taff s elec tion range is rounded up to the neares t beat or the neares t meas ure. A s with notes in the s c ore, the entry note name c an be s hown for eas ier rec ognition of the s taff line name. When this option has been s elec ted the name will be dis played on the left of the c urs or note (s ee below for pos itioning options ). T his option is independent of the note name dis play option: Show I ndividual N ote N ames 132 - the entry note name c an be s hown regardles s of whether or not I ndividual N ote N ames 132 are s hown for eac h note.

When shown, entry note name goes inside cursor

Warnings

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

Y ou c an als o c hoos e to have the note name plac ed inside the note ins tead of to the left. U nder different c irc ums tanc es one layout may be eas ier to read than the other.

Show Edit Mode conf irmation message Sinc e the way that M idiI llus trator automatic ally interprets the original M I D I c ontent of a file c hanges when


230

MidiIllustrator User Manual

you firs t enter E dit M ode 61 , this c onfirmation warning is in plac e to explain the c hanges whic h will be applied. I n s ummary: in E dit M ode you will have c omplete c ontrol over c ompos ition of the s c ore. M idiI llus trator will s ettle on the c urrent interpretation of the s ong's original M I D I c ontent when editing begins .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.5 Recording Options

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Recording Options Tab Recording options determine how MidiIllustrator transcribes live MIDI performances recorded into the program 66 . You can also determine metronome settings for the recording session. Choose how you would like *Recorded* MIDI converted to notation

T he options for c onverting M I D I played in during a rec ording s es s ion are identic al to the options available for c onverting M I D I files as they are opened and trans c ribed by M idiI llus trator (s ee T rans c ription O ptions 139 ). I t may be benefic ial to apply more of the available 's implific ation' rules when rec ording, however, as this will improve the likelihood of c lean and tidy notation when interpreting 'live performanc e' data.

Rules f or Metronome Use During Recording

I n general, the rec ording metronome inherits the dis play and audio s ettings of the playbac k metronome 218 (M I D I O ptions 39 ). H owever, the "I ntro" c an be different for the rec ording metronome. Furthermore, when s elec ted, "A lways us e M etronome when Rec ording" will c aus e the M etronome to play throughout any rec ording s es s ion (highly rec ommended) regardles s of the playbac k M etronome s ettings .

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.6 Save

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Save Tab A utoSave

We rec ommend that when you are working with you s c ores , you regularly s ave any c hanges , and periodic ally s ave you s c ore with a new file name as an extra level of protec tion for your hard work. H owever, M idiI llus trator c an als o s ave your c hanges to your s c ores as you work. When enabled, A utoSave will periodic ally s ave a c opy of any open s c ores with c hanges to a loc ation you c an s pec ify on your hard drive. T he default loc ation for A utoSave files is the "A utoSave" folder - s ee Program Folders below. E ac h file is s aved with a s pec ial tag unique to the file and the M idiI llus trator s es s ion in whic h it was c reated. When

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

231

you have finis hed working and M idiI llus trator c los es , all "autos aved" files c reated in that session will be deleted. I f however, for s ome reas on, M idiI llus trator or your c omputer unexpec tedly s huts down whils t you are working on a s c ore, you c an rec over any autos aved s c ore s imply by opening it at any time from the A utoSave folder. I n this c as e you s hould then s ave the rec overed file with a new name in a folder other than the A utoSave folder! N ote that the playbac k c ommand is temporarily unavailable whils t A utoSave c ompletes (this makes s aving muc h fas ter). Remember that A utoSave does not s ave the ac tual file you are working on (but rather a c opy of it), s o you s hould s till s ave your work as normal, as your progres s . Background Save

With "Bac kground Save" enabled, M idiI llus trator c an s ave your s c ores in the bac kground without you having to wait to c ontinue working on a s c ore whils t the s aving proc es s c ompletes (a great time s aver if the s c ore in ques tion is very large). Simply hit the "Save" or "Save A s " c ommands (File M enu) and then you c an c ontinue working whils t M idiI llus trator s aves your s c ore s ilently. N ote that the playbac k c ommand is temporarily halted/ dis abled whils t "Bac kground Saving" c ompletes (this makes s aving muc h fas ter). A s an extra level of protec tion, M idiI llus trator als o c reates a bac kup of any exis ting s c ores before it overwrites them us ing its "Bac kground Save" func tions . T hes e bac kups are temporary and are written to the A utoSave folder (s ee above). A s with the A utoSave func tion, all "bac kground s aved" temporary bac kup files c reated will be removed when you finis h working and the program is c los ed.

Program Folders

· Music f iles. Selec t the folder that will open by default whenever you c hoos e the O pen 106 c ommand from the File M enu. When you firs t us e M idiI llus trator the default folder will be the ‘Samples ’ folder provided with the M idiI llus trator s oftware, and it will be loc ated in your us er D oc uments folder in the Rallentando Software\MidiI llus trator... s ub- folder. · A utoSave f iles: T he loc ation where a c opy of any open s c ores will periodic ally be s aved (s ee above). Files are us ually s tored in the active user 'Documents' f older, in the "Rallentando Software\MidiI llus trator...\AutoSave" s ub- folder. I f you want to s elec t a new default folder, s imply c lic k on the ‘C hange Folder’ button to brows e the files on your c omputer. T he newly s elec ted folder will then bec ome the default folder.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.7 Import Options

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Import Options Tab Hide Completely Empty MIDI tracks

Y ou have the option of s etting M idiI llus trator to automatic ally hide c ompletely empty M I D I trac ks on the s c ore when you import or edit the notation of a file. T his allows M idiI llus trator to make the bes t us e of s pac e

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


232

MidiIllustrator User Manual

on the s c reen and printed page, s howing you only thos e s taves that are populated. T his is on by default. Hide Empty Portions of Staves On Score

Y ou have the option of s etting M idiI llus trator to automatic ally hide empty portions of s taves on s c ore within the s c ore when you import or edit the notation of a file. T his allows M idiI llus trator to make the bes t us e of s pac e on the s c reen and printed page, s howing you only the populated s taves of eac h s taff in the file. T his is on by default. See als o 'H ide E mpty P ortions of Staves ' 150 in the Staves M enu. T his is on by default.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.8 Step by Step

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Step by Step Mode Tab With Step by Step Mode you can ‘step’ the cursor through the score selecting notes one at a time or in ‘chord groups’. This command is available in Performance Mode

33

only.

When you enter Step by Step Mode a dialog will be displayed asking you which staves you would like to include in each ‘step’. Keyboard players may choose to select a single staff to practice the left or right ‘hand’ of a piece or they may select two staves to practice ‘hands together’. The keys for each chord are highlighted on the score and on the keyboard. A dashed red box is drawn around the chord(s) on the score. Note names are shown in the status bar. You can move backwards and forwards through the score using the cursor keys. Each time the cursor moves a new set of notes will be selected. If you have selected the ‘Play Set Note Sounds’ option then each new group of notes will be played back as it is selected. Stepping with a connected MIDI Instrument If you have a MIDI Instrument connected to your computer and you have configured MidiIllustrator to ‘listen’ for input from the instrument, you can step through the score by playing all the notes in each step on your MIDI Instrument. When MidiIllustrator detects that all of the notes in the step have been entered simultaneously on the MIDI Instrument the cursor will move automatically to the following step. Jump to User Input If you have enabled the “Jump to User Input” option (see below 188 ), and you move around in the score, then MidiIllustrator will automatically move the Step by Step cursor to the new input position and show that part of the score, turning the pages as necessary. For more information about setting up your external MIDI Instrument see MIDI In

216 .

Quick Starting Step by Step Mode

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

233

You can choose to skip the Start Up dialog when starting Step by Step Mode by checking the box at the bottom of the dialog, and you can switch the dialog on or off in Program Options, Step by Step Mode. If you are skipping the dialog then MidiIllustrator will automatically select a single staff for Step by Step Mode based on the location of the cursor at the time. Pressing Ctrl+B will start/stop Step by Step. Playing Back (Accompaniment) Whilst in Step by Step Mode When you want MidiIllustrator to accompany you during Step by Step Mode, you may want to have playback begin at a different starting position to the Step by Step cursor. This will give you the opportunity to have playback ‘lead in’ and allow you to prepare to start playing your part. To set the playback starting position, hold down the Control key and click the left mouse button on the score at the appropriate measure. A colored triangle marks the playback starting measure. You can then click anywhere on the score (as normal) to set the Step by Step cursor position you will play from. Step by Step Mode Options Show Dialog when starting Step by A llows you s how/hide the Step by Step dialog upon s tart up. Step Mode T he dialog c an als o be s witc hed on and off in the Step by Step tab of P rogram O ptions . Play Step Note Sounds with Cursor T his option enables you to hear the s ounds of the notes in eac h c hord by moving Lef t/Right A ctions the c urs or through the piec e, note by note or c hord by c hord, us ing the left and right c urs or keys on your c omputer keyboard. T his is a us eful tool if you are learning a new piec e and wis h to familiaris e yours elf with the note s ounds . Show Future Notes in each Step

A s well as highlighting the keyboard keys that s hould be played immediately, this option als o highlights the keys that are to be played one s tep ahead - the ‘Future N otes ’. M idiI llus trator dis plays the Future N otes in lighter c olors than the c olors us ed for the immediate notes . I f you are learning a new piec e, this c an be very us eful, as the Future N otes give you advanc ed warning of where your hands s hould be in order to play the next note or notes , thereby s peeding up the learning proc es s dramatic ally.

Jump to User Input

M idiI llus trator is able to analys e the notes you are entering with a M I D I I ns trument attac hed to your c omputer. When thes e notes are rec eived, M idiI llus trator s c ans the s c ore to determine if you: · are playing at the c urrent Step by Step pos ition (s hown with a dotted red rec tangle around notes on the s elec ted s taves ) -OR· you have s kipped to a new plac e in the s c ore and are playing the notes from a pos ition other than the c urrent Step by Step pos ition I f you have enabled “Jump to User Input”, and you move around in the s c ore, then M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move the Step by Step c urs or to the new input pos ition. Jump Marker M idiI llus trator will c alc ulate the input pos ition us ing a number of fac tors , s uc h as dis tanc e from the c urrent pos ition and note ‘matc hing’. Whils t M idiI llus trator is lis tening to your input, a s mall triangle (the “jump marker”) will be s hown at the plac e in the s c ore M idiI llus trator thinks you are c urrently reading from. O nly when M idiI llus trator is s ure that you have ‘jumped’ to a new pos ition will the Step by Step c urs or be moved to that new input pos ition. Playing Through Mistakes Step by Step mode is muc h more flexible and forgiving with “Jump to User Input enabled. I f, for ins tanc e, you mis s a note or two in a partic ular pas s age, you may

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


234

MidiIllustrator User Manual

s imply keep playing and onc e M idiI llus trator has determined that you have ‘played through’ an error, the c urs or will immediately be moved to your new loc ation. I n this way, you will not have to keep returning to the c urrent c urs or pos ition after mis s ing a note or two, and c an ins tead foc us on progres s ing through the s c ore. Jumping Distance I n general, the greater the gap between the c urrent Step by Step c urs or pos ition and any new input pos ition, the more reluc tant M idiI llus trator will be to move the c urs or to that part of the s c ore whic h it thinks bes t reflec ts your input. By c ontras t, if the jump is only a few note lengths from the c urrent pos ition, the move will be made quic kly. Bear this in mind when jumping large dis tanc es in the s c ore; you will need to play a pas s age of s everal notes quite ac c urately s o that M idiI llus trator c an be s ure that a jump is appropriate.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.9 Tasks Options

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / Tasks Options Tab The Tasks Options tab allows you to control how certain Tasks behave. You can find out more about tasks here: Task Wizard 206 . The following options can be set: COMMA ND

EFFECT

Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' - A lways open Tasks Options f or this Task

When c hec ked: T he T as ks O ptions dialog will open eac h time before the Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' T as k is run, allowing you to s elec t the options below bas ed on the kind of s ong file you are working with.

Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' - Remove drum staves

When c hec ked: A s part of the Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' c onvers ion proc es s , M idiI llus trator will remove from the s c ore A L L drum s taves (s taves us ing c hannel 1 0 ). Read more about this here: M I D I C hannels and D rum I ns truments 245 . Read more about the Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' tas k here: T as k Wizard 206 .

Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' - Remove all non 'piano' staves

When c hec ked: A s part of the Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' c onvers ion proc es s , M idiI llus trator will remove from the s c ore A L L s taves whic h are not already us ing a ‘piano’ ins trument as their primary ins trument. T he piano ins truments are the following G eneral M I D I ins truments . 1 . "A c ous tic G rand P iano" 2 . "Bright A c ous tic P iano" 3 . "E lec tric G rand P iano" 4 . "H onky- tonk P iano" 5 . "E lec tric P iano 1 " 6 . "E lec tric P iano 2 " Read more about the Convert to 'Two Hand Piano' tas k here: T as k Wizard 206 . Note: C are s hould be taken when enabling this option as not all M I D I devic es c ons ider ins trument patc hes 1 - 6 to be ‘pianos ’. A s a res ult, s taves may be unnec es s arily

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Command Reference (Menus)

235

removed from your s ongs when c onverting to two hand piano. Furthermore, the melody line of a typic al M I D I file s ong is often not played by a piano ins trument, and yet the melody noted s hould s till appear in a s olo piano arrangement of the piec e. I n this c as e, removing a s taff s imply bec aus e it is originally for a flute (or any ins trument other than a piano) is inc orrec t. E xperimenting with this option both on and off is rec ommended.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.19.8.10 File types

Command Location: Tools Menu / Program Options / File Types Tab The File Types tab allows you to control how Windows behaves when ‘working’ with MIDI and Karaoke files. Specifically, you can choose to ‘associate’ MIDI and Karaoke files with MidiIllustrator. ‘Associating’ is a Windows term which refers to the way in which different files are managed by different programs. If files with the extension ‘.mid’ are ‘associated’ with MidiIllustrator, then double clicking the mouse on one of these files in Windows Explorer will result in that file being opened in MidiIllustrator. When MidiIllustrator was installed you were asked whether or not MIDI files and Karaoke files should be associated with MidiIllustrator. You can choose to associate these file types with MidiIllustrator at any time by checking the boxes listed on this tab.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.20

Window menu MidiIllustrator allows you to have many scores open at once. They can be viewed one at a time or arranged so that more than one is visible on the screen. Open scores are listed at the bottom of the menu, and can be selected by clicking once on the score title. The Window menu offers the following commands: Next window

When more than one s c ore is open, this c ommand will take you to the next open s c ore.

Previous window

When more than one s c ore is open, this c ommand will take you bac k to the previous s c ore viewed.

Maximise

M aximis es the s c ore in the ac tive window.

Cascade

A rranges open s c ores s o they overlap and you c an s ee eac h title bar.

Tile Vertically

A rranges open s c ores in windows that do not overlap.

Tile Horizontally

A rranges open s c ores in windows that do not overlap.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


236

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.21

Help menu The Help menu offers the following commands which provide assistance with MidiIllustrator: G etting Started 10

P rovides guidanc e on us ing M idiI llus trator for the firs t time.

Contents and Index

O pens the C ontents , I ndex and Find dialog for the M idiI llus trator H elp Files .

Purchasing MidiIllustrator

P rovides information on purc has ing M idiI llus trator.

Keyboard Shortc uts 253

L is ts the keyboard s hortc uts for the various menu c ommands .

Web

I f you wis h to purc has e a c opy of M idiI llus trator or to vis it the M idiI llus trator webs ite, c lic k on this c ommand and c hoos e either the ‘Buy M idiI llus trator online’ or the ‘V is it the M idiI llus trator webs ite’ tab and, as long as you are already c onnec ted to the internet, you will be direc ted to the appropriate web page.

Send Email

I f you wis h to email the M idiI llus trator Support T eam regarding the purc has e of M idiI llus trator, or with produc t s upport and/or general ques tions , c lic k on this c ommand and c hoos e the relevant tab. T his will open the email dialog box and the addres s box will be c ompleted automatic ally for you.

Regis tration D etails 236

When you have purc has ed a lic enc e for the full vers ion of M idiI llus trator, us e this dialog to regis ter your lic enc e details .

A bout MidiIllustrator

D is plays the c opyright notic e and vers ion number of your c opy of M idiI llus trator.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

5.21.1 Registration Details Command Location: Help Menu When you have purchased a license for the full version of MidiIllustrator, use this dialog to register your license details. You must enter your details exactly as they are provided to you. The details are case sensitive. Please do not reveal your license details to anyone else; license details are individual to you and are for your use only. Sharing a license will invalidate it for all future releases.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

VI


238

6

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Program Concepts The following concepts are all key to the way in which MidiIllustrator works: · Modes 61 · Views 117 · Modes and their Associated Views 241 · Voices 242 · Tuplets 244 · MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments 245 · Staff Instrument vs MIDI Echo Instrument 245

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.1

Modes Introduction to Modes: Performance Mode

33

and Layout Mode

24

versus Edit Mode

46

MidiIllustrator offers a broad range of functionality and therefore presents several distinct 'modes' for working with your scores. These modes allow you to work with your scores in very different ways, each mode offering a set of particular commands, whilst temporarily hiding other commands to help you focus on the task in hand. You simply switch seamlessly

between modes depending on what you want to do with the program. Performance Mode 33 allows you to perform and interact with a song. Layout Mode 24 is for changing score dimensions and positions, and Edit Mode 46 is for full-scale composition. Within Edit Mode, there are three sub modes for working with your scores in different ways. · Modes o 1. Performance Mode 33 o 2. Layout Mode 24 o Edit Mode 46 § 3. Normal Entry 46 § 4. Mouse Entry 46 § 5. Power Edit 59 The different Modes can be set using the 'Modes and Views' toolbar (shown below), with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 , or via the Tools menu 195 . The numbers on the toolbar correspond with the shortcut keys and the list above. Edit Modes (buttons highlighted below in the blue box) are available only in MidiIllustrator Maestro.

Normal Entry 46 affords you all of MidiIllustrator's score editing functions. Mouse Entry 46 allows these same functions, specifically allowing you to add and modify notation directly using the mouse. Power Edit 59 allows you to quickly edit large areas of the notation, applying changes to whole measures or beats. When you import a song, it is initially displayed in Performance Mode. During import, MidiIllustrator generates the score using its musical 'interpretation' rules and your current Score Transcription Options 139 . You can change these options even after the score has been created and MidiIllustrator will dynamically apply the new options to the whole score.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts

239

You can make basic changes in Performance or Layout Mode, for example correcting note lengths, or changing score attributes like stave heights or key signatures. You can change the presentation of the notation, but in these modes, the raw music is generally protected so that you can 'interact' freely with the score without making unintentional changes. MidiIllustrator continually reinterprets the notation from the original MIDI data automatically as you make changes, always trying to render the clearest and most accurate presentation of the raw musical (MIDI) data. Editing a Song for the First Time By contrast, in Edit Mode you have full composing power with the score - add notes, modify note pitches, durations etc. In Edit Mode you will have complete control over composition - MidiIllustrator will settle on the current interpretation of the song's original MIDI content when editing begins. When you begin formally editing a score for the first time by entering Edit Mode, MidiIllustrator 'locks' the current interpretation of the underlying, original MIDI performance, and hands over complete control over the score to you. In this way, you can be sure that MidiIllustrator will no longer 'override' any future composition decisions you make. The main areas of MidiIllustrator's automatic interpretation which no longer apply in Edit Mode are: · Automatic application of Score Transcription Options (such as "Make the score Easier to Read") - although you can still apply "one off" conversions to the score to apply new transcription rules whenever you wish · Automatic note durations and note attack times (and automatic chording of notes) · Automatic voice assignment · Automatic identification of tuplets Note that even in Edit Mode MidiIllustrator will continue to play back sequences imported from a MIDI file as they were originally performed as long as 'Play Imported MIDI as Originally Performed' is checked (Perform Menu).

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.2

Views Window View and Scroll View versus Page View MidiIllustrator can format and display the current score in three quite different ways. In summary: Window View 117

Window V iew dis plays the s c ore on the s c reen making full us e of the s ize of the monitor s c reen. I t formats the s c ore to make the bes t us e of your s c reen 'real es tate'; I deal for performanc es ! I t is not a repres entation of how the s c ore will appear when printed (s ee P age V iew below).

Scroll View (Editing) 117

T his viewing mode is des igned es pec ially for editing. I t applies the s ame rules for layout as Window view, exc ept that the format for the s c ore is a s ingle s ys tem whic h s c rolls horizontally ac ros s the page. T his makes editing muc h s impler as the dynamic c hanges to the s c ore objec t s izes whic h oc c ur as you edit (e.g. s taff height) do not res ult in c ons tant reformatting of the s c ore.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


240

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Page View (Print Preview) 117

P age V iew is es s entially the s ame as P rint P review. T his view allows you to evaluate the s c ore prior to s ending it to print, and therefore to adjus t the page layout or printer s et up as des ired before printing. T he s c ore is dis played on the s c reen as it will appear printed us ing the c urrent printer s etup and page layout.

You can choose to format the score making best use of space available on the screen (Window View) or you can format the score for the printed page (Page View). When you want to compose or make significant editing changes to you score, then choose Scroll View. Window View and Scroll View If you are at the computer, perhaps studying or playing back a score, then you will want MidiIllustrator to squeeze as much as possible on to the visible page. With Window View MidiIllustrator paginates the score so that each page is exactly the same size as the MidiIllustrator window. This means that if you increase the size of the window each page becomes larger and the total number of pages decreases. The opposite is true if you decrease the size of the window. You can reduce the size of the window until only one system with only one measure is visible. These ‘virtual pages’ bear no relation to the number of printed pages. Window View is not a true representation of how the score will appear when printed. MidiIllustrator stretches and/or shrinks the measures on each system so that they fit perfectly into the window space available. This makes the score much tidier. MidiIllustrator only puts as much of the score on to each page as the screen size will allow. This means that it is generally not necessary to scroll different parts of each page into view. If the first system on a page contains too many staves to fit on to the screen, MidiIllustrator will reluctantly add a scroll bar to the right side of the screen so that the lower staves can be scrolled into view. Scroll View Scroll view applies the same rules for layout as Window view, except that the format for the score is a single system which scrolls horizontally across the page. Normally when you change the score notation, MidiIllustrator repaginates automatically, reformatting the score to accommodate the notation changes (for example increasing staff/system height or measure width to house new notes). These dynamic changes can result in quite a lot of score movement as systems are shifted about according to the new layout. Scroll View focuses a single system on the page, restricting dynamic changes to the score object sizes which occur as you edit. This viewing mode allows you scroll horizontally through the score one measure at a time using the horizontal scroll bar at the base of the score window. Scroll view does not support scrolling and fading in of the next page Turn.

28

with Advanced Page

Note about Scroll View and Printing Measure numbers are automatically displayed on all measures in scroll view, to make measure operations easier. For this reason, scores may not print exactly as they appear in Scroll View and print previewing in Page View is therefore recommended. Page View and Print Preview Page View is essentially the same as Print Preview. Unlike Window View, Page View sets the boundaries of each page using the current printed page configuration. This means that the larger the paper size in your printer the more MidiIllustrator will squeeze on to each page of the score.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts

241

When you switch from Window View to Page View only a portion of the screen is used to show each page of the score. The score is shown one page at a time in the middle of the screen. Pages do not fill the screen as in Window View. Page shape and size is determined by printer settings, such as paper size and orientation. This view allows you to evaluate the score prior to sending it to print, and to adjust the page layout or printer set up as desired before printing. The score is displayed on the screen exactly as it will appear when printed. Zooming vs Print Size MidiIllustrator allows you to change the magnification of the current view using the Zoom In and Zoom Out commands (View Menu) 116 . Zooming does nothing to change the true physical printing size of the notation. Instead, the magnification of the current page is altered so that notes, lyrics and other musical objects appear larger or smaller. Print size, on the other hand, physically changes the point size of the font used to print the score. It has no effect in Window View, but in Page View, the larger the font the longer the score will become as the number of pages increases to accommodate the larger systems required to house the larger notes etc. Print size can be configured in the Print Layout 149 section of the Score Options dialog. Print size changes may or may not be relative to Font sizes for certain items depending on how you configure individual score Fonts 146 . ZOOMING

PRINT SIZE

Window View / Scroll View

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the N o effec t. notation on the s c reen. I nc reas es or dec reas es the number of pages in the s c ore.

Page View / Print Preview

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of eac h page as it is dis played on the s c reen. I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the notation in proportion to the s ize of the page. H as no effec t on the number of pages or the layout of s ys tems and meas ures on eac h page.

I nc reas es or dec reas es the s ize of the font that M idiI llus trator will us e to print the s c ore. A s you inc reas e the font s ize the notation bec omes larger and fewer s ys tems /meas ures c an be fitted on to eac h page.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.3

Modes and Default Views Command Location: Tools Menu and Views Menu The different 'modes' in MidiIllustrator all have an associated 'view' which is optimized for working in that mode. The associated view is selected only when first entering a new mode and can generally be changed thereafter (Layout Mode 24 is an exception, see below). If you change views whilst in a particular mode, MidiIllustrator will remember your preference and set the view each time you enter that mode. Read more about Modes here

61

. Read more about Views here

117 .

The table shows which view is selected by default when entering each mode. Mode

View

More Inf ormation

Perf ormance Mode 33

Window V iew

O ptimal for s tudying s c ores ; fits the mos t mus ic into the available s c reen real es tate.

Layout Mode 24

P age V iew/P rint P review

T his is the only view available for L ayout M ode 24 , as the layout

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


242

MidiIllustrator User Manual

s ettings are only applied when the s c ore is formatted for the printed page. Edit Mode

- Normal Entry 46

Sc roll V iew

A s ingle s ys tem s c rolling horizontally along the page makes editing muc h s impler as the dynamic c hanges to the s c ore objec t s izes whic h oc c ur as you edit (eg s taff height) do not res ult in c ons tant reformatting of the s c ore.

Edit Mode

- Mouse Entry 46

Sc roll V iew

A s above, for N ormal E ntry. N ote that when s witc hing between N ormal E ntry and M ous e E ntry modes , the view will not be res et to Sc roll V iew if another view has been s elec ted.

Edit Mode

- Power Edit 59

Window V iew

O ptimal for manipulating large portions of notation; fits the mos t mus ic into the available s c reen real es tate.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.4

Voices Command Location: Notes Menu / Voice MidiIllustrator employs the concept of 'voices' in order to notate two or more rhythmic or melodic ideas on a single staff. A voice is sometimes referred to as a layer; MidiIllustrator supports multiple voices, or layers. Different instruments may use voicing in different ways. For instance, in a piano staff, hands and fingers may generate different rhythms simultaneously. Alternatively, more than one instrument part may be presented on a single staff, such as two clarinet parts.

When it is necessary to capture more than one musical idea on a given staff, MidiIllustrator will use voicing in order to present each musical idea distinctly. Upper, Lower and Single Voices With MidiIllustrator it is possible to assign combinations of the following three voice types within a given measure: Upper Voice, Lower Voice and Single Voice. When notating, MidiIllustrator will generally split notes into Upper and Lower voices when it detects parallel melodic ideas in a staff. Otherwise, it will assign a Single Voice. Rests MidiIllustrator treats each voicing within a staff as an independent musical part. As a result, rests are assigned to each voice as necessary in order to complete the part within the measure. Where possible, identical rests occurring simultaneously in a staff will be consolidated. E.g. if both the Upper and Lower voices are used in a measure and both voice ‘parts’ are silent for Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts

243

the latter half of the measure, a single line of rests in the Single Voice will be used to complete the musical line, instead of two separate rest groups, in each of the Upper and Lower voices. Color Optionally, you can choose to display the different voicing attributes of a score using color. This can greatly improve the readability of a score especially where complicated musical ideas occur simultaneously.

Stem Direction In general (Single Voice) stem direction is determined by a note’s position on the staff, i.e. stems point up on notes in the lower half of the staff and point down in the upper half of the staff. Stems on notes in the Upper Voice almost always point up by default, similarly stems in the Lower Voice almost always point down. Default behavior can be overridden using stem direction commands. Beaming Only notes in the same voice can be beamed together. This is consistent with the idea that each voice represents a separate musical part. Voice Guide Rests In general, MidiIllustrator automatically fills all the silence in a measure with rests. To assist with composing, MidiIllustrator also adds a special type of 'virtual' rest where more than one voice is displayed in a given measure. In Edit Mode 46 , voice 'guide' rests are shown to fill all the silence in an implicit but empty voice in the measure. Specifically, when an Upper (or Lower) voice note is added to a measure, and no corresponding opposite Lower (or Upper) voice exists in the time spanned by the new note, then guide rests in that 'empty' voice will be added automatically beneath or above the new note. These guide rests can be shortened or lengthened, allowing the placement of a note in the empty voice at a desired time within the span of the new note. These guide rests do not generally contribute to the readability of the score, and so they are hidden outside Edit Mode. Hiding Upper/Lower Voice Rests: Optionally, ALL automatically drawn upper/lower voice rests can be hidden outside Edit Mode. MidiIllustrator draws these rests automatically to help with reading, however these rests are not essential for understanding of the rhythm so can be hidden in Performance Mode using the 'Hide ALL upper/lower voice guide rests 132 ' option in the Notation Tab 132 of the Score Options Dialog 138 . Read more about Automatic Rest Placement

48

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


244

6.5

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Tuplets Command Location: Insert Menu / Entry Duration / Triplet/Quintuplet When importing a song, MidiIllustrator automatically identifies and notates tuplets

19

.

New tuplets and other notes can only be added to the score using MidiIllustrator Maestro . In Edit Mode 46 , you can add tuplets to the score and modify existing tuplets. Select the tuplet entry duration from the Insert Menu (Setting Entry Item Qualities 48 ). See the Keyboard Shortcuts

253

for this function.

Tuplet Notes are Treated as a Unit Because of the unusual durations applied to tuplets, they are treated slightly differently to 'normal' notes. When selecting tuplet durations for note entry, remember that groups of tuplet notes are always treated by MidiIllustrator as a unit, and so when adding a new tuplet, a whole tuplet will be added at the insertion point. For example, in the case of a triplet addition, a single triplet note will be added followed by two triplet rests. You cannot add or modify the 'tuplet rests' in a tuplet group directly, they are managed automatically by MidiIllustrator. When you remove a note from a tuplet group, it will be replaced with a 'tuplet rest' if no other note exists in that 'branch' of the tuplet. If you need to add a rest to a specific position in a tuplet, add all the notes first, then delete notes to have MidiIllustrator create rests. When all branches are empty, the tuplet will be removed altogether. When inserting even a single tuplet note, there must be enough space in the current measure for a complete tuplet to be added. Once the initial tuplet note has been inserted and the 'outline' tuplet is created, adding subsequent notes when the cursor is within the tuplet range will populate the various 'branches' of the tuplet. Existing tuplet notes can be selected using the mouse or keyboard, and then the various modification functions can be applied to the selection using commands from the Notes Menu 52 . The selected notes can also be Moved, Dragged and Copied with the Mouse 46 in Edit mode. Tuplet notes cannot be copied or moved outside their 'host' tuplet. Certain delete commands unit).

172

will delete the entire tuplet (again treating the tuplet notes as a

When a Tuplet Cannot be Displayed MidiIllustrator will always try to warn you when a tuplet cannot be entered in a certain score location (usually because of conflict or overlap with existing notation in the same voice 242 ). However in some complex operations such as copy and paste 113 operations where pasted notation is added to existing notation, it may not be musically possible to retain the original representation of tuplet notes in either the original or pasted content. In this case, MidiIllustrator will simply break the tuplet into 'normal' (non tuplet) notes and issue a warning. If the results of an operation are not as you would like, you can undo the operation 113 . Tuplet Types Supported The current version of MidiIllustrator supports the following two tuplet types: 路 triplets of the following types: o Quarter Note o 8th Note o 16th Note 路 quintuplets of the following types: 漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts

245

o 8th Note o 16th Note

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.6

Beams When importing a song, MidiIllustrator automatically 19 identifies the need for beams beams normal notes and tuplets 244 according to standard notation practice.

19

and

The current version of the program does not allow custom beaming options. For a list of note commands, see the Notes Menu

52

.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.7

MIDI Channels and Drum Instruments Command Location: Staves Menu / Staff Manager Many MIDI devices treat Channel 10 differently to the other channels (1–16). Often MIDI Channel 10 is used to access a particular group of General MIDI (GM) drum instruments. This is why when you select Channel 10 in either the Staff Manager 76 dialog or the Staff Instrument 156 dialog the list of available instruments (1 – 128) changes. Note: Not all MIDI devices treat Channel 10 this way but MIDI devices on computer soundcards often do. These drums use MIDI information in a different way to other instruments. Specifically, staves which use Channel 10 use pitch rather than the instrument patch in order to determine which drum sound is heard. For this reason special treatment is given to Channel 10 staves when, for instance, you are transposing a score. Transposing these drums may have undesirable effects, such as changing all of the Bass Drums into Acoustic Snares. As a result, you can opt to leave drum notes as they are when transposing the rest of the score. If a given staff is using Channel 10 then MidiIllustrator will assume it contains drum notes.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.8

Staff Instrument vs MIDI Echo Instrument Command Location: Staff Tools (on Score) Echoing to a Staff Instrument vs. Echoing to the MIDI Echo Instrument By default, all MIDI data received through the MIDI In device will be broadcast to the MIDI Echo device, and the sound you hear will be played by the MIDI Echo instrument. You can, however, opt to have MidiIllustrator redirect the MIDI In data to any of the Staff Instruments used in the current score. This allows you to quickly select an instrument sound for your external MIDI Instrument which is in keeping with the score you are currently reviewing. For example, you may have a multi-part score open and wish to play along with the © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


246

MidiIllustrator User Manual

performance as MidiIllustrator plays back the piece. You can decide which part you would like to perform yourself and choose to echo MIDI In to that part’s instrument. Your external MIDI Instrument will immediately take on the qualities of that part’s (staff’s) instrument. To see more about selecting Staff Instruments see the Staff Instrument 156 dialog. Selecting a Staff Instrument to receive Echoed MIDI In

In order for MidiIllustrator to play MIDI data received from your external MIDI instrument using the instrument of a particular staff you must: · Right click on the button on the Staff Tools. If the Staff Tools are not visible you can show them by selecting ‘Staff Tools’ from the Score/Show-Hide menu or enter keyboard short cut Ctrl+T. A small ‘E’ will appear on the button, and a colored bar will be drawn on the ‘echo staff’s’ first system on each page. By default, all notes on the staff will be muted as MidiIllustrator assumes that part will be played using the external MIDI Instrument. You can un-mute the staff for playback if you wish, by clicking on the button on the Staff Tools. · Begin ‘echoing’ to the selected MIDI Echo device, by checking the ‘Echo MIDI’ check box in the MIDI In/MIDI Echo 216 section of Program Options. Any MIDI Echo Instrument which you have selected will be overridden by the Staff Instrument until you disable echoing to the staff, by again right clicking on the button on the Staff Tools. If you have more than one score open, MIDI In will be echoed to the echo staff (if any) of the current score.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

6.9

Fingering & Finger Numbers Command Location: Tools Menu Finger numbers can be assigned to notes and chords in one of three ways: · Manually using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 · Automatically for a selection of notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with finger number Keyboard Shortcuts 253 without the need to open the Fingering Analysis 34 dialog · Automatically for the entire score, a range of staves, or a note selection using the © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts Fingering Analysis

34

247

dialog

Once you have assigned finger numbers to notes several new features become available: 路 Finger numbers can be displayed in, alongside, above or below 132 each note/chord in the score 路 Finger numbers can be displayed on each key during playback on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 路 MidiIllustrator can show animated Performing Hands 38 performing your score over the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37 Automatic Fingering Analysis Automatic Fingering Analysis is an advanced feature in MidiIllustrator which performs a customizable analysis of the notation in your scores and accordingly assigns finger numbers to each note and chord. Fingering analysis is customizable to help you assign the right finger numbers easily and quickly for a selection of notes or the whole score. See also: notes on Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible Choose what to analyze

34

.

I f a note range is s elec ted in the s c ore when the fingering analys is dialog is opened, M idiI llus trator will c hec k the Current selection only c hec kbox. I n this c as e, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another and relative to other notes nearby in the s c ore. Ignore unselected notes when calculating: With this option, finger numbers are as s igned to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion. T his allows you to s et fingering for a partic ular melody or mus ic al idea without having other notes influenc e M idiI llus trator's fingering c alc ulations . Y ou c an c hoos e to analyze entire s taves or the entire s c ore. T his will take s ome time as even a bas ic analys is is quite demanding on the average P C . See A dvanced Settings below to c onfigure you own kind of analys is .

Options

Keep existing f ingering and use it when calculating: N ormally, exis ting finger numbers will be ignored in the c alc ulation and will be updated as M idiI llus trator s ees fit. With this option c hec ked however, M idiI llus trator will us e any exis ting fingering in the s c ore as a guide to how you would like finger numbers as s igned to remaining notes and thes e finger numbers will not be c hanged in the analys is . Y ou might us e this option having as s igned a finger number to a s ingle note in an arpeggio, for example, and M idiI llus trator will then as s ign finger numbers to the remaining notes in the arpeggio us ing the manually as s igned finger as a s tarting point.

Choose an instrument f ingering

I n the c urrent vers ion of M idiI llus trator, fingering analys is c an be performed for keyboard instruments s uc h as the piano. M idiI llus trator will dec ide whic h hand to us e when fingering a given s taff bas ed on the as s igned ins trument playing hand 76 (Staff M anager). Y ou c an override this when us ing the finger analys is dialog us ing the Force Hand c ommands . A ssign separate hand f ingering f or upper/lower voices: When M idiI llus trator finds more than one mus ic al idea indic ated in a s taff with the us e of voic es 242 , it will normally as s ign both the left and right hands to finger lower and upper voic es ac c ordingly. U nc hec k this box to have a s ingle hand notes ac ros s play multiple voic es on eac h s taff. D is abling this option may have c ons equenc es for P erforming H ands 38 making s ome multi- voic e c hord c ombinations unplayable.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


248

MidiIllustrator User Manual

A dvanced Settings

T he Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing s ettings allow you to c ontrol the effort M idiI llus trator applies to as s igning finger numbers to a range of notes . Warning! C hanging advanc ed s ettings - es pec ially Depth of analysis may dramatic ally inc reas e analys is time - s o this option s hould be c onfigured in the c ontext of your P C proc es s or s peed. G enerally, deeper analys is will res ult in better fingering, and inc reas ing the res ult s moothing will addres s errors c aus ed by ins uffic ient depth of analys is . I t's worth experimenting with different analys is s ettings on different notation s elec tions , es pec ially if you c an allow extra time for the analys is to proc eed. Remember these advanced settings: Y our s ettings will be s aved when you c los e the dialog. T hes e s aved s ettings will als o be applied when automatic ally as s igning finger numbers for a s elec tion of notes us ing c ommands in the N otes M enu 52 or with Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . Restore A dvanced Def aults: Res tore the default s ettings for Depth of analysis and Result Smoothing.

Finger Numbers Valid finger numbers are from 1 to 5, starting with the thumb (1) on each hand through to the pinky (5). Obtaining the Best Analysis Possible

Since assigning finger numbers is a very subjective task, automatic generation of finger numbers for entire scores will inevitably include some unsuitable finger assignments. There are many rules in the analysis which favours general rules and uses specific rules rarely. Sometimes, for example, you will see a finger roll incorrectly assigned to an arpeggio, or an awkward fingering for a 4 finger chord in order to make progress to the next note sequence easier. In some case a given fingering may simply suit one player more than another. To get best results, using the following automatic fingering options in combination with your own manual fingering assignments is highly recommended: 路 Ignore unselected notes when calculating 34 . Remember that fingering for a given sequence is calculated in the context of the surrounding notation. Sometimes you will get better results if you generate fingering for a sequence in isolation. You can also do this quickly for a selection of notes using the fingering keyboard shortcuts 253 . 路 Keep existing fingering and use it when calculating 34 . This is a quick way to get the fingering you want on a chord or arpeggio. Manually assign one or two finger numbers to a given sequence of selected notes using commands in the Notes Menu 52 or with Keyboard Shortcuts 253 . Select the range of notes you wish to assign finger numbers to automatically. Open the Automatic Fingering Analysis dialog and check the Keep existing

fingering and use it when calculating 34 option. MidiIllustrator will use the manually assigned finger numbers when assigning fingering to the rest of the selection. Usually, manually assigning the first and/or last note in a chord or arpeggio will help MidiIllustrator automatically assign the rest of the fingering to your requirements.

漏 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Program Concepts

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

249


Part

VII


Purchasing MidiIllustrator

7

251

Purchasing MidiIllustrator Buying MidiIllustrator is quick, simple and saf e using any of the payment methods detailed below: A ll M idiI llus trator produc ts c ome with free tec hnic al s upport and regular free updates . C us tomers als o rec eive major dis c ounts on future produc t releas es from Rallentando Software. Payment Methods · Buy securely online with a Credit/Debit Card (recommended method): the eas ies t way to buy M idiI llus trator takes jus t a few minutes online. T his method is guaranteed s ec ure and very quic k - you rec eive your purc has e almos t ins tantly via email! · Buy with PayPal: P ay with a bank ac c ount - no c redit c ard needed. · Buy over the Phone: us ing our T oll- Free P hone N umber. · Fax/Mail Orders: Send your order to us direc tly. T o buy M idiI llus trator us ing any of thes e methods or for more information vis it our webs ite at:

http://www.MidiIllustrator.com/buy. htm A lternatively, you c an contact us f or more inf ormation 275 . How is the f ull version of MidiIllustrator delivered? M idiI llus trator is available to try before you buy it. When you buy (or 'regis ter') M idiI llus trator you rec eive a lic ens e for your c opy of the s oftware. I mmediately after we have proc es s ed your payment details , you will be s ent your pers onalized lic ens e with whic h you c an instantly ac tivate your exis ting c opy of M idiI llus trator, permanently enabling all program features . We will inc lude ins truc tions on how to do this . M idiI llus trator c an be emailed to you ins tantly and c an als o be s hipped to you on CD for eas ier ins talling. Y ou may als o buy M idiI llus trator produc ts as a gif t for s omeone els e. Discounts are available for volume purc has es . Q ues tions ? T ry the FA Q 262 for immediate ans wers to all of the mos t c ommonly as ked ques tions 262 . See the M idiI llus trator help file doc umentation for more details . Guaranteed Secure Ordering P urc has ing your c opy of M idiI llus trator is quic k, s imple and guaranteed s afe us ing any of the methods above. We take the privac y of our c us tomers very s erious ly. We will not s hare your information with any third party under any c irc ums tanc es . With our c us tomers ' expres s permis s ion, we will optionally s end out periodic email updates c ontaining details about updates and new vers ions of our produc ts as and when they bec ome available.

MidiIllustrator is published by Rallentando Software.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

VIII


Shortcuts

8

Shortcuts This documentation covers all products in the MidiIllustrator range. Some shortcuts are only available in MidiIllustrator Maestro and Virtuoso.

File menu 105

Score C trl+O Managemen t C trl+S C trl+N

Printing

View

O pens an exis ting s c ore

Saves an open s c ore us ing the s ame file name O pens the N ew Sc ore D ialog

C trl+P

P rints the c urrent s c ore

C trl+A lt+Q

Q uic k P rint P arts /I ns truments /Staves

C trl+W

T oggles between P age V iew, Sc roll V iew and Window V iew

Exit A lt+F4 A pplication

P rompt to s ave any open s c ores and then c los e the program

Edit menu 113

Undo

Clipboard

Selection

C trl+Z

U ndo

C trl+Y

Redo

C trl+C

C opy

C trl+X

C ut

C trl+V

P as te

E s c ape

D es elec t and c urrent s elec tion

B

Switc h Between C urs or and Selec tion

Shift+Right A rrow

Selec t C urrent I tem

Shift+Right A rrow (repeat)

Selec t C urrent C hord (when c ommand repeated with exis ting s elec tion - more information 113 )

Shift+L eft A rrow

Selec t P revious I tem

Shift+L eft A rrow (repeat)

Selec t P revious C hord (when c ommand repeated with exis ting s elec tion - more information 113 )

C trl+W

T oggles between P age V iew, Sc roll V iew and Window V iew

View menu 116

Views

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

253


254

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Toolbars

Zooming

Navigation Commands

F1 1

Full Sc reen (F1 1 or E s c ape returns to normal viewing mode)

C trl+H

H ides traditional s taff notation / Show s taves as timelines

C trl+K

Shows /hides the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard

C trl+L

Shows /hides the M etronome L ight

C trl+A lt+L

Shows /hides the L is ts Bar

Z+U p

Zooms in on the c urrent view

Z+D own

Zooms out of the c urrent view

Z+E nter

Sets the preferred zoom s etting

L eft A rrow

M oves to the previous note or res t

Right A rrow

M oves to the next note or res t

U p A rrow

M oves to the next s tave or s ys tem

D own A rrow

M oves to the next s tave or s ys tem

P age D own

M oves to the next page in the s c ore

P age U p

M oves to the previous page in the s c ore

C trl+E nd

M oves the c urs or to the end of the s c ore

C trl+H ome

M oves the c urs or to the s tart of the s c ore

C trl+Right A rrow

M oves the c urs or to the next meas ure in the s c ore

C trl+L eft A rrow

M oves the c urs or to the previous meas ure in the s c ore

A lt+U p A rrow

Stave/Sys tem above

A lt+D own A rrow

Stave/Sys tem below

C trl+G

O pens the G oto... (P age/M eas ure/Bookmark) dialog box

C trl+L eft I n Step by Step M ode, moves the playbac k s tart c urs or to des ired meas ure M ous e C lic k 'Skip' Back / Forward - Cursor Navigation During Playback Whils t playing the s c ore, holding down the Control key during the main navigation c ommands will move the playbac k c urs or and then c ontinue playbac k from the new c urs or loc ation. T he following navigation c ommands are available during playbac k:

C trl+P age D own

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the next page in the s c ore

C trl+P age Up

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the previous page in the s c ore

C trl+E nd

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the end of the s c ore (U s ually ends playbac k)

C trl+H ome

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the s tart of the s c ore (Rewinds playbac k)

C trl+Right A rrow

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the next meas ure in the s c ore

C trl+L eft A rrow

M oves the playbac k c urs or to the previous meas ure in the s c ore

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Shortcuts

255

Score menu 129

Options

C trl+A lt+O

O pens the Sc ore O ptions dialog

C trl+T

O pens the Staff M anager dialog

C trl+I

O pens the I ns trument dialog for the s elec ted s taff

C trl+A lt+T

Shows /hides the Staff T ools

C trl+A lt+N

Shows /hides the Staff N amings

C trl+A lt+E

H ide empty portions of s taves

Staves menu 150 Staves

Insert menu 168

Insert Commands

E nter

Notes

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new note at the ins ertion point, and moves the c urs or forwards

I ns erts a new c hord note at the ins ertion point, and leaves the c urs or at the c urrent ins ertion point

Res ts

Shift+E nter

Lyrics

I +L

I ns erts a new L yric at the ins ertion point (or a new vers e if a L yric already exis ts )

Bookmarks

I +B

I ns erts a new Bookmark at the ins ertion point (or edit exis ting Bookmark if one already exis ts )

I ns erts a new res t at the ins ertion point

Chord Names I +C

I ns erts a new C hord N ame at the ins ertion point (or edit exis ting C hord N ame if one already exis ts )

Guitar Chords

I +G

I ns erts a new G uitar C hord at the ins ertion point (or edit exis ting G uitar C hord if one already exis ts )

Free Text

I +T

I ns erts a new Free T ext item at the ins ertion point, anc hored to the c urrent measure

I +F

I ns erts a new Free T ext item at the ins ertion point, anc hored to the c urrent page

I +S

I ns erts a new Free T ext item at the ins ertion point, anc hored to the c urrent measure and staf f

Expres s ions I +E R

I ns erts a new E xpres s ion at the ins ertion point, anc hored to the c urrent time and staf f Switc h between N ote / Res t E ntry

Insert menu 168 / Notes menu 52 / Rests menu 177

Duration

D +U p A rrow I nc reas es the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion D +D own A rrow

D ec reas es the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion

1

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a Whole length

2

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a H alf length

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


256

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Dotted Durations

Tuplets

3

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a Q uarter length

4

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to an 8 th length

5

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a 1 6 th length

6

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a 3 2 nd length

7

Sets the entry duration/duration of the s elec tion to a 6 4 th length

0

Removes any dotted duration from all s elec ted notes

8

D ots the duration of all s elec ted notes

9

D oubles dot the duration of all s elec ted notes

D +E nter

N ormal duration, no tuplet

D +3

T riplet duration

D +5

Q uintuplet duration

Shif t Notes A lt+U p A rrow

Pitch

Ties

Finger Numbers

M oves c urs or/s elec ted notes one s taff up

A lt+D own A rrow

M oves c urs or/s elec ted notes one s taff down

A lt+L eft A rrow

M oves c urs or/s elec ted notes bac kwards

A lt+Right A rrow

M oves c urs or/s elec ted notes forwards

U p A rrow

I nc reas es the entry pitc h/pitc h of the s elec tion

D own A rrow

D ec reas es the entry pitc h/pitc h of the s elec tion

C trl+U p A rrow

I nc reas es the entry pitc h/pitc h of the s elec tion by an oc tave

C trl+D own A rrow

D ec reas es the entry pitc h/pitc h of the s elec tion by an oc tave

I +E nter

T ies together c ontiguous s elec ted notes of the s ame pitc h

F+1 F+2 F+3 F+4 F+5

M anual as s ignment of a finger number to a note s elec tion

F+0

M anual removal of finger numbers on a note s elec tion

F+E nter

Finger numbers are as s igned automatic ally to s elec ted notes , us ing s ettings in the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Shortcuts

F+Spac e

Synchronisin S+A g Notes

Stems

Voices

A ccidental (Entry / Selection)

Finger numbers are as s igned automatic ally to s elec ted notes in the c ontext of their pos ition relative to one another but ignoring other notes s urrounding the s elec tion (us ing s ettings in the Fingering A nalys is 34 dialog).

Sync hronis es A ttac k T ime only of s elec ted notes

S+D

Sync hronis es D uration only of s elec ted notes

S+E nter

Sync hronis es A ttac k T ime and D uration of s elec ted notes

S+U p A rrow

Sets the s tems of all s elec ted notes to point up

S+D own A rrow

Sets the s tems of all s elec ted notes to point down

C +U p A rrow Sets the entry voic e/s elec tion voic e to U pper V oic e C +D own A rrow

Sets the entry voic e/s elec tion voic e to L ower V oic e

C +E nter

Sets the entry voic e/s elec tion voic e Single V oic e

A +Right A rrow

D ouble Sharp

A +U p A rrow Sharp A +E nter A rrow

N atural

A +D own A rrow

Flat

A +L eft A rrow D ouble Flat A +C

Enharmonic E +U p A rrow Spelling

Show C ourtes y A c c idental

Rais es the entry/s elec tion E nharmonic Spelling

E +D own A rrow

L owers the entry/s elec tion E nharmonic Spelling

E +E nter

Res ets the entry/s elec tion E nharmonic Spelling

E +L eft A rrow Sets the default entry E nharmonic Spelling to flat

Volume

Delete

257

E +Right A rrow

Sets the default entry E nharmonic Spelling to s harp

V +Spac e

C hoos e entry volume/Selec tion volume

V +U p

I nc reas es the volume of the s elec tion

V +D own

D ec reas es the volume of the s elec tion

Bac ks pac e 172 Shift+D elete M ore information on the deletion c ommands

Shift+Bac ks p ac e

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


258

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Lyrics menu 177

Lyrics

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new vers e

T ab

A dd/E dit next item

Shift+T ab

A dd/E dit previous item

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted L yric

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new line

T ab

A dd/E dit next item

Shift+T ab

A dd/E dit previous item

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted item

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new line

T ab

A dd/E dit next item

Shift+T ab

A dd/E dit previous item

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted item

Bookmarks menu 178 Bookmarks

Chord Names menu 178 Chord Names

Guitar Frets menu 179 Guitar Frets G +F

When there is more than one c hord fingering for a s elec ted c hord this s hortc ut will move to the next c hord fingering

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted G uitar Fret

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new vers e

T ab

A dd/E dit next item

Shift+T ab

A dd/E dit previous item

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

Free Text 180 menu 179

Free Text

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Shortcuts

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted L yric

C trl+E nter

I ns erts a new vers e

T ab

A dd/E dit next item

Shift+T ab

A dd/E dit previous item

A lt+L eft

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) bac k in the s c ore

A lt+Right

M oves the s elec ted item(s ) forward in the s c ore

D elete

D eletes the c urrently s elec ted L yric

C trl+A lt+V

C reates new meas ures prior to pas ting/dropping a c opied range

D elete

D elete all notation in the range, but leaves the meas ure/s taff s truc ture intac t

Expression menu 180 Expression

Power Edit Menu 183 P ower E dit C ommands

Perf orm menu 185 Perf ormanc Spac e e

Learning Tools

Tempo

Volume

Starts /s tops P laybac k

C trl+Spac e

P lay jus t the c urrent meas ure and then return the c urs or to the pre- playbac k pos ition

C trl+H ome

Rewinds the c urs or to the s tart of the s c ore

C trl+B

Starts /s tops Step by Step mode

E s c ape

Stops c urrent P rac tic e Ses s ion

T +U p A rrow

I nc reas es M as ter playbac k tempo of the piec e

T +D own A rrow

D ec reas es M as ter playbac k tempo of the piec e

T +E nter

Res ets M as ter playbac k tempo of the piec e to its original value

V +U p A rrow I nc reas es M as ter playbac k volume of the piec e (or jus t the s elec ted s taves ) V +D own A rrow

D ec reas es M as ter playbac k volume of the piec e (or jus t the s elec ted s taves )

V +E nter

Res ets M as ter playbac k volume of the piec e to its original value

MIDI Echo

C trl+E

O pens the I ns trument dialog for the M I D I E c ho devic e

Metronome

C trl+M

A c tivates /deac tivates the M etronome

M +1

E nter Perf ormance Mode: O ptimis ed for lis tening to and interac ting with your mus ic

M +2

E nter Layout Mode: M odify proportions of s c ore items , like s taff heights , bar widths etc

Tools menu 195

Modes

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

259


260

MidiIllustrator User Manual

M +3

M +4

M +5

E nter Edit Mode - Normal Entry exis ting notation

E nter Edit Mode - Mouse Entry

E nter Edit Mode - Power Edit to whole meas ures or beats

: A dd to the notation and c hange all as pec ts of the

: A dd and modify notation direc tly us ing the mous e

: Q uic kly edit large areas of the notation, applying c hanges

Help menu 236

Help

F1

O pens the H elp File to provide c ontent s ens itive help

C trl+A

Selec ts all s taves

Staf f Manager Dialog 76 Selection

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

IX


262

9

MidiIllustrator User Manual

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Topics: · Buying and Activating MidiIllustrator · Editing the Score 262 · MIDI Files, Playback and Sound 262 · Import and Export 262 · Printing 262 · Downloading 262 · Miscellaneous 262

262

· Buying and Activating MidiIllustrator o How do I buy/pay for MidiIllustrator? 264 o I just purchased MidiIllustrator. Where are my license details (MidiIllustrator activation code)? 264 o How is the full version of MidiIllustrator delivered?

264

o How do I activate MidiIllustrator? o If a new version comes out, or an update, do I have to pay for the new program again? 264

264

o Which MidiIllustrator product is right for me? 264 o What is the difference between the trial and full versions? 264 o Can I pay with PayPal? 264 o I'm based outside the US and would like to pay by check. Can I do that? 264 o I'm based inside the US and I want to pay by check Where do I send my check or money order? 264 o What kind of product support do I receive when I buy MidiIllustrator?

o Can I buy a copy of MidiIllustrator on CD? o Back to top 262

264

· Editing the Score o Is it possible to delete rests in the notation? 266 o How do I add, delete or move individual notes in the score? would allow this?

264

Is there a version which

266

o The score looks & sounds odd after I converted it using the 'Two Hand Piano' Task. Why is that? 266 o How do you change the size of the font used to identify the notes (note names)?

266

o How do I adjust the time signature? 266 o How do I lower notes a whole octave? I play cello and want to print out music in the middle octave. Can this be done? 266 o I recorded a piece to MIDI in 3/4 time on my digital piano, but when I printed it out in MidiIllustrator, it was scored in 4/4 time. Why is that, and how do I change the time signature? 266 o I have a score which was originally composed in another program and saved as a MIDI file. When viewed in MidiIllustrator some (but not all) of the original treble clef guitar staves (for notating classical guitar music) are printed with a bass clef. Why is that? 266

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

263

o Is there any way that I can combine a series of pieces so I can set my computer/MIDI piano to play them? Is there a playlist facility, or a file merge function? o How do I print the MIDI file in lead sheet or fake book format? 266

266

o Can I split or join measures? 266 o Are there any editing features which MidiIllustrator Maestro does not yet offer? o Back to top 262 · MIDI Files, Playback and Sound o Where can I find MIDI files? 268 o I have connected my MIDI piano keyboard to the computer. along using the instrument sound on a particular track? the instrument from 'Echo Instrument' setup. o Back to top 262

· Import and Export o What kind of files can I open with MidiIllustrator? o Back to top 262

268

266

Can I automatically play Right now, it always plays

268

· Printing o I have changed stave color in normal view but can't get it to print the color, or show color in print preview (page view). I have told my printer to print color. What can I do? 269

o Does MidiIllustrator support PostScript and Adobe Acrobat PDF printer drivers such as FreePDF™? 262 o Nothing appears on the printed page/some on the notation is missing. Why?

269

o The edge of the score on the printed page is missing. Why? 269 o How do I print alternate (or selected) pages to make back to back printing easier? - this option is grayed out in printer menu. o Back to top 262

269

· Downloading o I really would like to try this program, but I can't get it to download. me?

Can you email it to

270

o Back to top 262 · Miscellaneous o What's the best way to learn how to use MidiIllustrator? 270 o How can I email a copy of my MidiIllustrator score to a friend who is not a MidiIllustrator owner? 270 o Are you planning a Mac version?

270

o Are you planning a Linux version? o Back to top 262 © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

270


264

MidiIllustrator User Manual

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

9.1

Buying and Registering Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export 262 | Printing 262 | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous 262 ]

262

| Import &

Buying and Activating MidiIllustrator Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I buy/pay f or MidiIllustrator? A : T here are s everal ways to purc has e M idiI llus trator us ing our guaranteed s ec ure ordering methods . T he eas ies t and quic kes t way to buy M idiI llus trator is by c redit or debit c ard online - you will rec eive your produc t lic ens e almos t ins tantly. V is it the 'purc has e' page for more details : http://www.midiillus trator.c om/buy.htm I f you wis h, you c an purc has e M idiI llus trator by c alling RegSoft (our trus ted third party billing partner) direc tly on the telephone number below, and quoting the appropriate M idiI llus trator produc t number: · M idiI llus trator M aes tro 2 : 82317 · M idiI llus trator M aes tro 2 Upgrade: 82319 · M idiI llus trator V irtuos o 2 : 82316 · M idiI llus trator V irtuos o 2 Upgrade: 82318 T oll- free in the U SA : 1-877-RegSof t (1-877-734-7638) I nternational: +1-770-319-2718 M ore c ontac t and ordering information. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I just purchased MidiIllustrator. Where are my personalized license details (MidiIllustrator activation code)? A : I f you have purc has ed M idiI llus trator us ing a c redit or debit c ard, and you have rec eived your authorization email from RegSoft (our trus ted third party billing partner), then your pers onalized ac tivation details will be emailed to you in the next few minutes . If you do not receive an authorization email f rom RegSof t, or your activation details do not arrive in good time, then please f irstly ensure that you are able to receive emails, and that you do not have any SPA M blocking sof tware in place. P leas e als o ens ure that your I SP (I nternet Servic e P rovider) has not interc epted an email from us or RegSoft and treated it as ‘junk’ mail. T his is the mos t c ommon c aus e of mis s ing emails in the ordering proc es s . I f your ac tivation details have not arrived, pleas e c ontac t us to let us know about the ordering problem and we will res olve it immediately. C lic k here to c ontac t us regarding your order. A lternatively, c all us us ing the numbers above (s ee ans wer to H ow do I buy/pay for M idiI llus trator? 264 ). I f you have paid by c hec k, or us ing P ayP al, pleas e remember that it will take s ome time for the payment to c lear and for your ac tivation details to be s ent to you. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How is the f ull version of MidiIllustrator delivered? A : M idiI llus trator is 's hareware' whic h means you c an try the s oftware before you buy it. T o obtain the full vers ion of M idiI llus trator you mus t purc has e a lic ens e for your c opy of the s oftware. T he eas ies t way to buy M idiI llus trator is with a C redit or D ebit C ard and takes jus t a few minutes online. T his method is guaranteed s ec ure and very quic k - you rec eive your purc has e almos t ins tantly via email! Y ou will be s ent pers onalized ac tivation details with whic h to ac tivate your exis ting c opy of M idiI llus trator. We will inc lude ins truc tions on how to do

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

265

this . A s well as rec eiving your M idiI llus trator ac tivation details via email, M idiI llus trator c an als o be s hipped to you on C D to make ins tallation and bac king up eas ier. Y ou c an c hoos e to have a C D s hipped to you as part of the online ordering proc es s . Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I activate MidiIllustrator? A : Y ou will be s ent s ome pers onalized ac tivation details with whic h to ac tivate your exis ting c opy of M idiI llus trator. I n order to c omplete ac tivation s uc c es s fully, you mus t enter the details into the M idiI llus trator ac tivation page E XA C T L Y as s hown. Y ou c an ac c es s the ac tivation page through the 'H elp' menu in M idiI llus trator, s elec ting 'A c tivate M idiI llus trator'. T ype the details direc tly into the text boxes , or 'C opy' and 'P as te' them if you prefer. T he details are c as e s ens itive. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: If a new version comes out, or an update, do I have to pay f or the new program again? A : M idiI llus trator c omes with free tec hnic al s upport and regular free upgrades . We are c ons tantly trying to improve M idiI llus trator, adding new features and fixing any c ompatibility or func tionality is s ues as s oon as they are identified. Bug fixes and minor func tionality upgrades in the form of 'point releas es ' are free to exis ting owners of the c urrent 'major' vers ion. When purc has ing M idiI llus trator, c us tomers c an opt to have us inform them whenever an upgrade to M idiI llus trator is available. D is c ounted upgrades are als o available to exis ting c us tomers whenever a 'major' new vers ion of M idiI llus trator is releas ed. Y ou c an s ee a typic al lis t of 'point releas e' c hanges as in the c as e of vers ion 1 .0 to 1 .0 1 here: http://www.midiillus trator.c om/his tory.htm Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Which MidiIllustrator product is right f or me? A : M idiI llus trator is available in s everal different 'flavours ' to allow people with different mus ic al interes ts to c hoos e the func tions and features whic h bes t s uit their needs . T o learn about what the different vers ions have to offer, s ee the following page: A bout the D ifferent M idiI llus trator P roduc ts 85 . Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: What is the dif f erence between the trial and f ull versions? A : T he trial vers ion of M idiI llus trator offers all the func tionality of the full vers ion of M idiI llus trator, for a limited period of time. T here are no limitations to printing or other func tions in the trial s o you c an really get to know the program during the trial period. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Can I pay with PayPal? A : Y es ! Y ou c an purc has e us ing P ayP al by following the des ired produc t link on the purc has e page of our webs ite: http://www.midiillus trator.c om/buy.htm When you reac h the ordering page, s elec t the 'PayPal' link at the top of the page. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I'm based outside the US and would like to pay by check. Can I do that? A : T he eas ies t and quic kes t way to buy M idiI llus trator is by c redit or debit c ard either online or over the phone. H owever you c an als o pay by c hec k, by fax or you c an make a bank ac c ount trans fer us ing P ayP al (c hoos e 'P ayP al' as the payment method on our order page). I f paying by c hec k, then the c hec ks mus t be drawn on a U S bank ac c ount (unles s you are us ing E uroc heques ). I n s ome c as es , we c an als o ac c ept c hec ks drawn on a U K bank ac c ount, though in this c as e the turnaround time for s ending out your M idiI llus trator ac tivation details is quite a lot longer than the methods lis ted above. P leas e c ontac t us if you would like more information on any of the payment methods available. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I'm based inside the US and I want to pay by check. Where do I send my check or money order? A : P leas e ens ure that you have c ompleted the M idiI llus trator order form before s ending payment in the mail. T he form c an be found by following the des ired produc t link on the purc has e page of our webs ite: http://www.midiillus trator.c om/buy.htm I f you wis h to pay by c hec k, then s elec t the "P os tal M ail" link at the top of the order page. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: What kind of product support do I receive when I buy MidiIllustrator? A : M idiI llus trator c omes with free, lifetime tec hnic al s upport and regular free updates in the form of 'point releas es ' s uc h

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


266

MidiIllustrator User Manual

as a v1 .0 2 update from vers ion v1 .0 1 . We are c ons tantly trying to improve M idiI llus trator, adding new features and fixing any c ompatibility or func tionality is s ues as s oon as they are identified. When a major new upgrade is releas ed, upgrade pric es are heavily dis c ounts for exis ting c us tomers . V is it this page to read more about produc t s upport. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Can I buy a copy of MidiIllustrator on CD? A : Y es ! Y ou c an read more about this option at http://www.midiillus trator.c om/buy.htm

9.2

Editing the Score Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export 262 | Printing 262 | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous 262 ]

262

| Import &

Editing the Score Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Is it possible to delete rests in the notation? A : Y es , with M idiI llus trator Maestro. M idiI llus trator Virtuoso behaves s lightly differently to s uit a different purpos e. How Rests are treated dif f erently in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso versus MidiIllustrator Maestro T he des ign of M idiI llus trator V irtuos o is s uc h that it is intended to 'automate' the proc es s of notating as far as pos s ible. A s a res ult, M idiI llus trator V irtuos o will always try to fill all the s ilenc e in a given meas ure with res ts . Furthermore, it will automatic ally try to group res ts in ac c ordanc e with the 'rules ' of mus ic notation. T his automatic behavior c annot be overridden in M idiI llus trator V irtuos o. Res ts c annot be s elec ted and thus c annot be deleted in the s ame way that notes c an. I f you need c omplete c ontrol over res ts and other s c ore notation, then we rec ommend that you try M idiI llus trator Maestro. Read about the differenc es between M idiI llus trator V irtuos o and M idiI llus trator M aes tro. I f you wis h to hide empty s taves (i.e. s taves whic h c ontain only res ts ), then this c an be ac hieved us ing the Staff M anager by s elec ting 'H ide E mpty P ortions of Staves '. See 'H ide E mpty Staves ' in the 'Show/H ide' s ec tion of the help doc umentation for more information. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I add, delete or move individual notes in the score? Is there a version which would allow this? A : Y es , with M idiI llus trator Maestro. M idiI llus trator Virtuoso behaves s lightly differently to s uit a different purpos e. How Notes are treated dif f erently in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso versus MidiIllustrator Maestro With M idiI llus trator Virtuoso you c an delete or move exis ting notes , but new notes c annot be added to the s c ore. T hat s aid, you c an delete and move notes us ing M idiI llus trator V irtuos o, though this func tionality is bes t direc ted at 'c orrec ting' the s c ore rather than full s c ale editing operations . N otes c an be edited by s elec ting the note (or notes ) and then c hoos ing c ommands from the N otes menu. I f you need c omplete c ontrol over res ts and other s c ore notation, then we rec ommend that you try M idiI llus trator Maestro. Read about the differenc es between M idiI llus trator V irtuos o and M idiI llus trator M aes tro. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Some scores look & sound a little strange af ter being converted using the 'Two Hand Piano' Task. Why is that? A : T he 'two hand piano' T as k tries to rearrange the mus ic in the s c ore for s olo piano. G enerally the res ults are very good, but M idiI llus trator c annot always produc e perfec t arrangements as there are many diffic ult dec is ions to make in this proc es s . L is ted · · · · ·

below are the exac t s teps performed by M idiI llus trator in this tas k: M erge all of the trac ks in the s c ore into a s ingle trac k. Split the trac k 'automatic ally' into left and right hand trac ks us ing an advanc ed s et of mus ic al analys is rules . Set the M I D I devic e on eac h trac k to the default M I D I playbac k devic e. Set the M I D I I ns trument P atc h on eac h trac k to G eneral M I D I I ns trument 'A c ous tic G rand P iano' (#1 ), and Rename the trac ks ac c ordingly.

M idiI llus trator does not ignore any ins truments in the tas k in c as e they are integral to the piec e. T he exc eption here is drum trac ks (s ee below). I f you know that there is c ontent in the s c ore whic h s hould not be c ons idered for a piano s olo arrangement, then you c an greatly improve res ults of this tas k by firs t deleting the trac k c ontaining this c ontent us ing the 'T rac k M anager' from the T rac ks menu. Y ou c an hit the F1 key when the T rac k M anager is open for more information on deleting trac ks .

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

267

T his popular tas k has been improved to automatic ally handle drum trac ks and non- piano ins trument trac ks . T he new T as ks O ptions tab in P rogram options allows you to c onfigure tas k behavior for better tas k res ults . Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do you change the size of the f ont used to identif y the notes (note names)? A : N ote names always have to be kept proportional to the note head s ize in order to keep the s c ore readable, therefore you c annot explic itly c hange the font s ize for the note names . O ne option is to experiment with font types and c olor (and bold fonts via the 'Fonts ' tab, 'Sc ore O ptions ') to s ee if that makes the pres entation more favorable. T he only other option is to inc reas e the s ize of the s c ore by zooming in (or if printing, by altering the 'P rint Size' under the 'P rint L ayout' tab in 'Sc ore O ptions '). T he note name c an be s hown either in the head of the note or alongs ide the note or above/below the s taff. Y ou c an c hoos e the c leares t format depending on whether you are printing the s c ore or viewing it on the s c reen. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I adjust the time signature? A : C hanges to the time s ignature c an be made with the T ime Signature D ialog, via the M eas ures menu. Q: How do I lower notes a whole octave? I play cello and want to print out music in the middle octave. Can this be done? Y ou c an indeed lower all the notes in a trac k/meas ure range by c hoos ing "T rans pos e N otes " from the M eas ures menu. T hen in the "T rans pos ition" s ec tion, s elec t "Shift N otes " 1 2 half s teps down. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I recorded a piece to MIDI in 3/4 time on my digital piano, but when I printed it out in MidiIllustrator, it was scored in 4/4 time. Why is that, and how do I change the time signature? A : G enerally s peaking, information about time s ignature is s tored in a M I D I file when the file is firs t c reated. M idiI llus trator c an s upport and dis play any time s ignature us ed in a M I D I file. M idiI llus trator fully s upports c hanges to the time s ignature. When no time s ignature is s tored in the M I D I file, M idiI llus trator as s umes that the piec e is in 4 :4 time. Sinc e no time s ignature is being s tored in the rec orded piec e, M idiI llus trator defaults to 4 :4 for that piec e during import. Y ou c an c hange this default us ing the E dit T ime Signature D ialogue (M eas ures menu). Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I have a score which was originally composed in another program and saved as a MIDI f ile. When viewed in MidiIllustrator some (but not all) of the original treble clef guitar staves (f or notating classical guitar music) are printed with a bass clef . Why is that? A : M I D I files do not generally s tore information about c lefs , s o it is up to M idiI llus trator to dec ide whic h c lefs to us e in eac h meas ure/s tave of the s c ore. When importing a M I D I file, M idiI llus trator tries to plac e as many notes as c los e to the s tave as pos s ible (thereby reduc ing the need for leger lines ) and c hoos es a c lef ac c ordingly, regardles s of the ins trument alloc ated to that s tave. T his is why M idiI llus trator s ometimes c hanges the c lef mid s tave; it is trying to make the mus ic eas ier to read. Y ou c an forc e a partic ular c lef for all or part of a s tave us ing the 'M eas ures ' menu c ommands . T he traditional notation c lef for a guitar s tave is a treble c lef, but it varies from the s tandard piano treble c lef us ed by M idiI llus trator in that it is an oc tave higher, whic h is why the notes appear lower than you might expec t for guitar parts . Y ou c an s elec t 'oc tave adjus ted' c lefs for ins truments s uc h as guitar/banjo s o that a treble c lef c an be us ed, but all notes will be adjus ted by an oc tave ac c ordingly. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Is there any way that I can combine a series of pieces so I can set my computer/MIDI piano to play them? Is there a playlist f acility, or a f ile merge f unction? A : M idiI llus trator inc ludes s upport for playlis ts as well as other powerful s ong management features . With M idiI llus trator M aes tro, s ec tions of s c ores c an eas ily be moved, c opied, or repeated. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I print the MIDI f ile in lead sheet or f ake book f ormat? A : M idiI llus trator c an quic kly rearrange a s c ore for a partic ular purpos e, s uc h as c reating Fake Books or L ead Sheets . Y ou c an generate s c ores whic h s how a c ombination of the following c ore features : melody, lyric , c hord names and guitar frets . M idiI llus trator c an us ually identify the melody line in a M I D I file, and is als o able to generate c hords by analyzing the harmony trac ks of the file. I n order to do this , there mus t be s uffic ient information in the M I D I file for M idiI llus trator to work with (us ually one melody trac k and at leas t one harmony trac k). T o s how the both the melody line and generate c hords at onc e, s tart by opening the M I D I file in its original s tate. From the T as ks menu, s elec t "C reate L ead Sheets and Fake Books ", and then "Fake Book Style" 1 , 2 or 3 depending on the "fake book" format you would like. M idiI llus trator will give you the opportunity to c onfirm whic h trac k in the file is the melody line. I f you are us ing a Karaoke file ins tead of M I D I file, do not (if prompted) c hoos e to "C onvert to L ead s heet" as you open the file, and ins tead follow the s teps above. T here are tips in the help file whic h s how how to get the bes t res ults from M idiI llus trator's c hord generation features

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


268

MidiIllustrator User Manual

(s earc h for "c hord names " or "Song L ead Sheets and Fake Books " in the help file index). Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Can I split or join measures? A : M idiI llus trator fully s upports meas ure s plitting and joining. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: A re there any editing f eatures which MidiIllustrator Maestro does not yet of f er? A : M idiI llus trator M aes tro offers many features dedic ated to helping you c apture your mus ic al ideas , whether you are rec ording a live performanc e, modifying an exis ting s ong, or c reating a new s c ore from the ground up entering new notes one at a time. But we are s till adding new functions to make Maes tro even better. Features s till in progres s inc lude brac es , hairpins and s lurs . I f you c an think of a feature whic h you need right now but c an't find in M aes tro, pleas e let us know 275 s o we c an prioritize development.

9.3

MIDI Files, Playback and Sound Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound | Import & Export 262 | Printing 262 | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous 262 ]

MIDI files, Playback and Sound Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Where can I f ind MIDI f iles? A : M idiI llus trator c an import files of type .M I D and .KA R and c onvert thes e 'raw' mus ic files into s heet mus ic . A number of s ample files of type .M I D are inc luded with the program in the "Samples " folder. T hes e files are a good plac e to s tart when firs t finding your way around M idiI llus trator. Y ou c an learn more about finding, downloading and notating M I D I files with our s imple Step by Step G uide. Y ou c an find many more M I D I (.M I D ) files at the s ites we lis t here: http://www.midiillus trator.c om/midifiles .htm For example, at the M utopia s ite you c an find many free c las s ic al works by famous c ompos ers . A n example at the M utopia s ite would be: http://www.mutopiaprojec t.org/c gibin/make- table.c gi? C ompos er=M ozartWA O n this page, find one of the .M I D file links , for example: http://www.mutopiaprojec t.org/ftp/M ozartWA /K6 dees t/k6 dees t/k6 dees t.mid Right c lic k the M I D I file link and c hoos e "Save T arget A s " and download the file to your c omputer. N ow you c an open the downloaded M I D I file us ing M idiI llus trator, and it will be c onverted to s heet mus ic . Y ou c an then view, print or play bac k the mus ic . Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I have connected my MIDI piano keyboard to the computer. Can I automatically play along using the instrument sound on a particular track? Right now, it always plays the instrument I have conf igured in 'Echo Instrument' setup. A : Y es . With a right c lic k on the trac k s elec t button (T rac k T ools ) the M I D I ec ho devic e will ins tantly adopt the given trac k's ins trument.

9.4

Import and Export Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export | Printing 262 | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous 262 ]

262

| Import &

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

269

Import and Export Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: What kind of f iles can I open with MidiIllustrator? A : Y ou c an read about all the files M idiI llus trator opens , c reates and s aves here 12 . Bac k to FA Q T opic 262

9.5

Printing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export 262 | Printing | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous 262 ]

262

| Import &

Printing Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I have changed stave color in normal view but can't get it to print the color, or show color in print preview (page view). I have told my printer to print color. What can I do? A : M idiI llus trator c an be s et to dis able the c olor output on all printers , and this c an be manually determined by s elec ting options from: File Menu / Printing Options / Layout and Print Size. Y ou c an als o ac c es s this s c reen via the "Sc ore O ptions " c ommand. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Does MidiIllustrator support PostScript and A dobe A crobat PDF printer drivers such as FreePDF™? A : O ne of the bes t way to s hare s c ores with other mus ic ians is with the free M idiI llus trator P layer 87 . A lternatively, us ing third party produc ts alongs ide M idiI llus trator, you c an generate portable vers ions of your M idiI llus trator s c ores whic h c an be s hared with friends and other mus ic ians . M idiI llus trator c us tomers have s uc c es fully c reated P D F s c ores us ing the following produc ts : · P D FC reator (f ree, recommended) http://s ourc eforge.net/projec ts /pdfc reator/ · A dobe A c robat P D Fwriter http://www.A dobe.c om · A dobe D is tiller http://www.A dobe.c om · G hos ts c ript (f ree) http://www.G hos ts c ript.c om · pdf9 9 5 (f ree) http://www.pdf9 9 5 .c om/ I f you are us ing a P D F printer driver with M idiI llus trator whic h is not lis ted above then pleas e let us know and we will pos t the information here. U nfortunately we are unable provide any s upport for thes e produc ts , and you s hould c ontac t the res pec tive developers in eac h c as e with any ques tions you may have. Y ou c an als o generate both A dobe P D F files (P ortable D oc ument Format) and P os tSc ript files us ing the “P rint to File” option in the P rint dialogue. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: Nothing appears on the printed page/some of the notation is missing. Why? A : Several things might c aus e this . T ry the following: · T ry dis abling/enabling M idiI llus trator's c olor printing option. Y ou c an c ontrol this by opening 'Sc ore O ptions ', s elec t options from the 'P rint L ayout' tab. · T ry c hanging your printer's c olor/blac k and white s ettings . · I f you are us ing c olor on the s c ore, try c hanging the s c ore c olors to the original s ettings : ie s et the 'P age Bac kground' c olor to white, and the 'N ormal N otes ' c olor to blac k ('Sc ore O ptions ', s elec t 'C olor' tab) · D oes the printer work O K with other Windows applic ations ? D o you have the lates t drivers for your printer (the lates t drivers are us ually available for download from the printer manufac turer's webs ite). Y ou might als o try printing s c ores to bitmaps 111 or to P D F doc uments 269 to s ee if the problem lies with your printer.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


270

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: The edge of the score on the printed page is missing. Why? A : T hings to try to remedy this problem: · T ry s ubs tantially inc reas ing the margin s ize for the problematic s ide of the page ('Sc ore' M enu/'Sc ore O ptions '/'P rint M argins ' tab). · E ns ure that the c orrec t paper s ize is c hos en for the printer ('File' M enu/'P rinting O ptions '/'P rinter Setup') · D oes the print preview ('page view') look O K prior to printing? T he printer margins are highlighted in this view and s how where the printer is unable to print on the paper (the edges of the s c ore will be a s lightly faded c olor where the printer c annot reac h the paper). A ny notation s howing in this faded area will likely not be printed. · D oes the printer work O K with other Windows applic ations ? D o you have the lates t drivers for your printer (the lates t drivers are us ually available for download from the printer manufac turer's webs ite). Y ou might als o try printing s c ores to bitmaps 111 or to P D F doc uments 269 to s ee if the problem lies with your printer. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How do I print alternate (or selected) pages to make back to back printing easier? - this option is grayed out in printer menu. A : M idiI llus trator s upports alternate page printing (i.e. odd or even page printing), as well as other important printing options .

9.6

Downloading Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export 262 | Printing 262 | Downloading | Miscellaneous 262 ]

262

| Import &

Downloading Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: I really would like to try this program, but I can't get it to download. Can you email it to me? A : O c c as ionally, I nternet traffic levels c an mean that the M idiI llus trator trial s etup file is s low to download or temporarily 'unavailable'. I f this happens , pleas e try downloading again later. T o retry from our webs ite: http://www.midiillus trator.c om/download/M idiI llus tratorSetup.exe We c an only email the M idiI llus trator trial s etup file to you as a las t res ort, as many I SP s (I nternet Servic e P roviders ) do not allow attac hments as large as the trial s etup file. P leas e c ontac t us if you would like a c opy emailed to you.

9.7

Miscellaneous Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) FAQ 262 > [Buying & Activating 262 | Editing the Score 262 | MIDI, Playback & Sound Export 262 | Printing 262 | Downloading 262 | Miscellaneous]

262

| Import &

Miscellaneous Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: What's the best way to learn how to use MidiIllustrator?

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

271

A : M idiI llus trator is des igned s o that you c an get to know the program in two quite different ways : 1. You can jump right into MidiIllustrator by selecting commands f rom MidiIllustrator’s menus and toolbars: T he L aunc h Sc reen s hows a variety of the program's mos t popular tas ks . A lternatively, c hoos e 'O pen' from the 'File' menu and import one of the s ample M I D I files inc luded with M idiI llus trator - the 'Sc ore Wizard' will guide you. H over over the toolbar buttons to s ee a 'tooltip' whic h indic ates the purpos e of the button. A t the s ame time, you will s ee more information about eac h c ommand in the 'Status Bar' at the bottom of the s c reen. Feel free to experiment! Y ou c an always undo c hanges to the s c ore by c lic king on the 'U ndo' c ommand in the 'E dit' menu. OR 2. Read all about what you can do with MidiIllustrator! I f you are new to the program, then we rec ommend you read the ‘G etting Started’ s ec tion in the help doc umentation s upplied with M idiI llus trator as a quic k s tart guide to s ome of the many things you c an do with the program. E ither way, you c an ac c es s the ‘G etting Started’ pages at any time from the 'H elp' menu in M idiI llus trator. A lternatively, take a look at s ome of the many things you c an do on the M idiI llus trator webs ite home page. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: How can I email a copy of my MidiIllustrator score to a f riend who is not a MidiIllustrator owner? A : T hree options are available: 1 . T ell your friend to download the free M idiI llus trator P layer - they c an then open and play any M idiI llus trator s c ore. 2 . A lternatively, print your s c ores to bitmaps 111 direc tly from the program and s hare them with others , or open them in other applic ations . 3 . Finally, you might c ons ider trying a P D F P rinter driver 270 whic h will allow you to email a P D F doc ument of your s c ore. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: A re you planning a Mac version? A : A t the moment, we do not have any firm plans for a dedic ated M ac vers ion, though it is s omething we will c ons ider for the future. Bac k to FA Q T opic 262 Q: A re you planning a Linux version? A : We have c onfirmed that rec ent vers ions of M idiI llus trator run on L inux us ing the WI N E emulator. A t the moment, we do not have any firm plans for a dedic ated L inux vers ion, though it is s omething we will c ons ider for the future.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

X


About the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator

10

273

About the Trial Version of MidiIllustrator Command Location: Help Menu The trial version of MidiIllustrator offers all the functionality of the full, registered version of MidiIllustrator, for a limited period of time. When you start the trial version of MidiIllustrator a pop up screen appears informing you that you are using an Unlicensed Trial Copy of MidiIllustrator. The number of free tries that you have before certain functions are disabled is displayed on the screen, as is a link to the MidiIllustrator website. To clear the screen and continue with startup simply click on the ‘Continue’ button. To license/purchase a copy of MidiIllustrator click on the ‘How to Buy’ button. The full, licensed version of MidiIllustrator does not show this pop up screen. This screen will be updated each time you open MidiIllustrator and will inform you of the number of tries that you have left. As you approach the end of the trial period the screen will also remind you that your free trial will shortly run out. When the trial period has expired, Printing, Saving and Audio functions will be disabled and a special 'watermark' will appear on score page background. You can still open, view, and work with your scores after the trial period has expired if you still wish to try out certain features. If you wish to continue using the full MidiIllustrator feature set after this point, then you must buy the software. Buying MidiIllustrator is quick, easy and great value! There are several ways to purchase the full version of MidiIllustrator, see the help topic: Help Purchasing MidiIllustrator 251 . For more information visit our website at: http://www.MidiIllustrator.com MidiIllustrator is published by Rallentando Software.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Part

XI


Contact Us

11

Contact Us Command Location: Help Menu If you have any questions then please email us. Registered users should include their customer name when emailing. Many common questions are addressed in these help files. For information about new products and upgrades, please visit our website. If you have a technical question about MidiIllustrator then please provide as much detail as possible when writing so that we have the best chance of answering accurately. For support questions:

For sales and billing questions:

For more information: http://www.MidiIllustrator.com MidiIllustrator is published by Rallentando Software.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

275


Part

XII


Version History and Licence Agreement

12

277

Version History and Licence Agreement MidiIllustrator Products License Agreement Rallentando Software GRANT OF LICENSE AND TERM DISCLAIMER RESTRICTIONS COPYRIGHT REDISTRIBUTION GRANT OF LICENSE AND TERM This license agreement pertains to ALL products in the MidiIllustrator range. The MidiIllustrator product range is shareware. The Evaluation version available for download from the MidiIllustrator homepage is not functionally-limited in any way. However its use is restricted to 30 (thirty) operations, meaning that after you have executed the program 30 times it will cease to function. At this time you must register the software in order to continue using it, or remove it completely from your computer. You must NOT distribute the registered versions of MidiIllustrator products nor their registration details (code, user name) EXCEPT under the Transfer Arrangement as described in the REDISTRIBUTION section

DISCLAIMER THIS SOFTWARE IS MADE AVAILABLE "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM.

RESTRICTIONS You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Software, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law, notwithstanding this limitation.

COPYRIGHT MidiIllustrator products (MidiIllustrator Maestro, MidiIllustrator Virtuoso, MidiIllustrator Player) are Copyright (c) 2004-2009 Rallentando Software. All rights reserved.

REDISTRIBUTION A) MidiIllustrator products EVALUATION Versions (including MidiIllustrator Player) You may distribute all versions of the EVALUATION MidiIllustrator product installation packages as available on the MidiIllustrator Website at: http://www.MidiIllustrator.com subject to the following conditions: 1. The installation package remains PERFECTLY intact, as distributed on the MidiIllustrator Website 2. No money exchanges hands as part of the process either through sale of the software, through redistribution, or through any other means. 3. You must clearly represent to any recipient that Rallentando Software is the publisher of the Software and that you are not selling the Software. 4. Any subsequent transfer of this software to another party must include their acceptance of the conditions stated in this license document. B) MidiIllustrator products REGISTERED Versions "MidiIllustrator products REGISTERED Versions" refers to copies of MidiIllustrator products Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


278

MidiIllustrator User Manual

which have been registered using registration details (code, user name) purchased from Rallentando Software. 1. The registration details must NEVER be distributed EXCEPT under the Transfer Arrangement described below Transfer Arrangement You may transfer your rights under this Agreement to only one other individual, provided that the recipient agrees to the terms of this License Agreement, and provided that you completely destroy any copies of the Software, its registration details, and its documentation which you did not transfer to the recipient.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

12.2

Version History A ll produc t releas es for the M idiI llus trator range are lis ted in the table below.

Feedback We are constantly improving and adding new features to MidiIllustrator.

Y ou may als o wis h to read this c omparis on of M idiI llus trator produc ts 85 .

If you have any thoughts about the MidiIllustrator range, or you would like to see a particular feature in the next version, please email us 275 , providing us much detail as possible about the feature or suggestion.

M aintenanc e updates are highlighted with a gray background, major releas es with a black background.

MidiIllustrator Player Version 2.00 2009-07-04 New Feature

Description

Free MidiIllustrator Player 87

U pdated to s upport all the new features in s c ores c reated us ing M idiI llus trator V irtuos o and M idiI llus trator M aes tro Version 2.00

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 2.00 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 2.00 (s ee M aes tro only func tions below 88

)

2009-07-04 New Feature

Description

Finger Numbers 52 and A utomatic Fingering A nalysis 34

N ow you c an as s ign finger numbers to eac h note either manually or in a s ingle s tep with M idiI llus trator's A utomatic Fingering A nalys is 34 . Fingering analys is is c us tomizable to help you as s ign the right finger numbers eas ily and quic kly for a s elec tion of notes or the whole s c ore. O nc e you have as s igned finger numbers to notes s everal new features bec ome available: · Finger numbers c an be dis played in, alongs ide, above or below 132 eac h note/c hord in the s c ore · Finger numbers c an be dis played on eac h key during playbac k on the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 · M idiI llus trator c an s how animated P erforming H ands 38 performing your s c ore over the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37

Enrich your score with Rich Text Content 72

T he following M idiI llus trator ric h text items c an s tore and dis play ric h text and O L E 72 objec ts in your s c ore: L yric s , Bookmarks , C hord N ames , Free T ext (N ew), E xpres s ions (N ew), Staff N ames and I ns trument N ames (Staff N amings ) and Sc ore T itles H ere are jus t a few of the formatting features s upported by the new ric h text items : · Font formatting s uc h as font s tyle (e.g. bold, italic, underline, etc .) · I mages /photos (jpeg, bitmaps etc .)

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement · · · · ·

279

T ext c olors File A ttac hments (even other s c ores ! ) H yperlinks (e.g. http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om) P aragraph A lignment (e.g. L eft, J us tified, etc .) Bullets and line numbering

E as ily add objec ts s uc h as images and other multimedia c ontent to your s c ore. Perf orming Hands

P erforming H ands are an animation feature of the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 . P erforming H ands c an be us ed both as a learning tool and when c ompos ing to s ee how the hands move when fingering your keyboard c ompos itions .

38

A lternatively you c an s imply enjoy watc hing your s c ore performed on the keyboard by M idiI llus trator's talented hands whic h c an perform even the mos t tec hnic ally c hallenging piec es !

Expressions 75 which Control Playback 75 (e. g. Dynamics, Metronome Tempos, A rticulations etc.)

E xpres s ions are ric h text 72 notation whic h c an be c us tomized to s uit your needs . E xpres s ions differ from other ric h text objec ts (s uc h as Free T ext 73 items ) as they c an be as s oc iated with M I D I events s uc h as T empo, V olume and P an whic h alter the performanc e of a piec e during playbac k. C ommon expres s ions inc lude: · D ynamic s · M etronome T empos , T empo M arks and T empo A lterations · M ood M arks · A rtic ulations

Measure Endings

M idiI llus trator now s upports endings as part of its c omprehens ive barline 56 func tionality.

56

E ndings c an be us ed with bar repeats to c reate very effic ient s c ores where only the ending of a partic ular pas s age varies from one vers e to the next. Y ou need only s c ore the c ommon part of one or more vers es onc e and then add any different "endings " for eac h vers e. N aturally, M idiI llus trator c an obs erve ending behavior as well as nes ted repeat ins truc tions in the s c ore during playbac k.

Quick Print Parts/ Instruments/ Staves 26

P rint any c ombination of parts , ins truments or s taves in a s ingle c ommand, without having to modify the s c ore at all. T he new quic k print dialog s aves you time when printing.

Fully Customizable OnScreen Piano Keyboard Colors

T he c olors us ed to dis play O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 c an be c onfigured with the Keyboard O ptions 43 tab in the P rogram O ptions dialog 222 .

37

With this feature you c an c hange the c olors of various parts of the keyboard as well as the Keyboard H ighlighting C olors 37 us ed to s how whic h keys are being pres s ed during playbac k.

Score Starting Tempo 82

A s well as s aving a modified mas ter tempo 105 with a s c ore, you c an now s et the s tarting tempo 82 for any s c ore.

Completely New Program Interf ace 42

T he entire M idiI llus trator applic ation has been overhauled with a c ompletely new interfac e providing greater layout c ontrol and improved ac c es s ibility. T he new interfac e als o s upports s everal new c olor s c hemes (themes ) 42 and tabbed doc uments , as well as s mart doc king for toolbars and s pec ial c ontrols s uc h as the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 and L is t Bar 125 . By default, eac h program in the M idiI llus trator s eries us es a different theme 42 .

Context Menus 55

Key c ommands are now available as right- c lic k c ontext menus , providing eas ier ac c es s to the c ommands you need mos t often. E xtended C lipboard A c tions 58 have als o been added to the

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


280

MidiIllustrator User Manual c ontext menus .

Better Printer Management

M idiI llus trator's new printer manager s tores information about your preferred printer and als o s tores print s etup details with eac h s c ore, s uc h as : · P aper O rientation · P aper Size

New Ways to Show Individual Note Names 132

I ndividual note names c an now be dis played along with finger numbers (new) in, alongs ide, above or below 132 eac h note or c hord in the s c ore.

Finger Numbers Displayed on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard 37

O nc e as s igned to notes in the s c ore, finger numbers c an be dis played on the top of eac h key during playbac k.

New Dynamic Tempo and Volume Controls

T he V olume and T empo toolbar has been integrated into the brand new M idiI llus trator Status Bar.

126

Extended Clipboard A ctions

T he c lipboard now s upports the c opy and pas te for lyric s , bookmarks , c hords , frets , free text and expres s ions .

58

Tabbed Documents/ Scores

M idiI llus trator s c ores are now arranged as 'tabs ' muc h like popular applic ations s uc h as Firefox and I nternet E xplorer. T abs provide eas ier ac c es s and management of your open s c ores with more than one s c ore open at a time.

Interf ace Improvements

M any interfac es have been improved through redes ign and new features for example: A pply Now buttons whic h update your s c ore ins tantly when you make c hanges to dialog c ontrols (without requiring you to c los e the c urrent interfac e dialog) are now available on the following dialogs : · Sc ore O ptions · Sc ore T itles · Staff M anager Staff M anager 76 als o has a new layout.

New Program Options 222

T he P rogram O ptions dialog inc ludes new tabs : · Keyboard O ptions 43 for c onfiguring the O n- Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 · P rogram C olors 225 hos ting reorganized c olor management items from the C olor tab 23 in the Sc ore O ptions dialog 138

Extended Insertion and Item Shif t f unctions, with Keyboard Shortcuts

L yric s , bookmarks , c hords , frets , free text and expres s ions c an all be s hifted bac kwards and forwards in the s c ore us ing new menu c ommands and Keyboard Shortc uts 253 . · When ins erting "N ext/P revious " items (s uc h as L yric s , Bookmarks etc .) optionally inc lude meas ure beats 228 as N ext/P revious c urs or ins ert loc ations · When s hifting items s uc h as L yric s , Bookmarks etc . Forward or Bac k, optionally inc lude meas ure beats 228 as c urs or ins ert loc ations

Free Text Items

Free T ext I tems are ric h text 72 objec ts whic h c an be pos itioned anywhere in the s c ore providing a great alternative to L yric s and Bookmarks .

73

M oreover thes e objec ts c an be anc hored 73 to the meas ure, page or s taff s o that they move relative to the s c ore as it c hanges . New Metronome Light Options 122

· T he M etronome L ight now dis plays the beat c ount numeric ally in order to help with c ounting and rhythm exerc is es · T he flas hing effec t of the metronome is now more c onfigurable, allowing the dis play of s olid c olors without flas hing effec t

Support f or MidiIllustrator running on Linux with WINE

We have c onfirmed that M idiI llus trator runs on L inux us ing the WI N E emulator.

Staf f Manager, Staf f Copy Functions Improved 76

T he C opy Staff c ommand in Staff M anager now c opies L yric s , Free text and E xpres s ions as well as the res t of the s taff notation and properties .

Hide Upper/ Lower Voice Rests 242

M idiI llus trator intuitively handles the dis play of res ts in the notation. T his option gives the c ompos er greater c ontrol to optionally hide all automatic ally drawn upper/lower voic e res ts allowing for a more s treamlined s c ore.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement Improved Score Layout

281

Better management of s taff s ys tems bas ed on c lef s ize and notation c ontent means that s taves are even more c ompac t making even better us e of your s c reen real- es tate 117 .

New Program Icons

M idiI llus trator M aes tro Minor Fixes and Improvements

M idiI llus trator V irtuos o

M idiI llus trator P layer

· I mprovements to barline graphic s , and introduc ed new barline toolbar buttons · I t is now default behavior 149 to print s c ore notation c olors 23 but not to print page textures 23 , whic h are now s eparate options · Searc h the help file for keywords direc tly from the s earc h box in the main program menu bar · N ew page bac kground textures 23 · E xtra handling of invalid key s ignatures in M I D I files · A c c identals no longer repeat on notes whic h tie from the previous meas ure. T o s how an ac c idental on a note tied from a previous s ys tem/page, a c ourtes y ac c idental 52 c an be us ed · Staff ins trument names c an now be edited in Staff M anager and the Staff I ns trument dialogs · Re- enabled default editing option 228 "A uto- tie off- beat notes whic h c ros s beats " · I mprovements to Sc roll V iew

Added extensions to all file names in List Bar, so the extension column does not need to be visible to identify file type Improved splash screen dismissal behavior

·

· · I mproved handling of improperly s truc tured M I D I files whic h c ould res ult in s ome M I D I notes hanging when imported · A ddres s ed oc c as ional T ooltip flic ker when running under Windows V is ta · U pdated file as s oc iations to work with Windows V is ta with U A C enabled MidiIllustrator Maestro/Virtuoso/Player Version 1.02 2008-11-15 New Feature Fixes and Improvements

Description · Fixed: V is ta A utoSave error D etails : M idiI llus trator enc ountered a s poradic error with default A utoSave s ettings when running under M ic ros oft Windows V is ta. · Fixed: E nharmonic s pelling/pitc h s hift error D etails : C orrec ted an is s ue with enharmonic s pelling and pitc h s hift func tions where pitc h c hange was not properly s tored. · O ther performanc e improvements

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 1.01 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.01 2007-06-07 New Feature

Description

New Score Samples

T hree · · ·

new c omplete s c ore s amples are inc luded with eac h M idiI llus trator ins tallation program. A nitra's D anc e by E G rieg A mazing G rac e by J N ewton T he E ntertainer by S J oplin

T hes e s c ores exploit s ome of M idiI llus trator's many s c oring features and formatting options , inc luding the us e of textures , fonts , lyric s , c hords and notation learning tools s uc h as individual note naming. M idiI llus trator is now c ompatible with M ic ros oft Windows V is ta. Several interfac e improvements mean that all M idiI llus trator programs run perfec tly on the new M ic ros oft Windows operating s ys tem. Vista Compatibility New Program Icons and Graphics

N ew images have been inc orporated into the different M idiI llus trator produc ts for thos e c us tomers who have more than one M idiI llus trator produc t ins talled at a time. I t is now muc h eas ier to as s oc iate various mus ic file types with a given M idiI llus trator applic ation.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


282

MidiIllustrator User Manual

M idiI llus trator M aes tro

M idiI llus trator V irtuos o

M idiI llus trator P layer

Trial Printing

P rinting is now fully enabled in the trial vers ions of M idiI llus trator M aes tro and M idiI llus trator V irtuos o, allowing mus ic ians to print c omplete s c ores whils t auditioning eac h program.

MIDI Device Volume 126 automatically set

Some programs erroneous ly reduc e the mas ter volume of the "M ic ros oft G S Wavetable SW Synth", whic h is the default M I D I devic e us ed for playbac k on many Windows s ys tems . I f the Windows 'mas ter' volume for this devic e has been s et to zero, then no s ound will be heard during playbac k of any s c ores whic h us e the devic e. M idiI llus trator now c hec ks to s ee if the Wavetable Synth is the playbac k devic e eac h time playbac k begins . I f it is , and the c urrent volume is zero, M idiI llus trator automatic ally inc reas es the volume to 5 0 % . T his ac tion s imply reproduc es the res ult you would s ee if you manually inc reas ed the "M I D I " or "SW Synth" volume value in the Windows M ixer dialog (als o know as "the Windows volume c ontrol").

Fixes and Improvements

· Playlists

125 :

Score adding capacity increased

It is now possible to add an unlimited number of scores to a playlist in a single action. The previous limit was ~300 scores at a time · Fixed: Step by Step 188 cursor positioning reset Details: This release fixes an issue with Step by Step mode whereby cursor positioning was occasionally reset to the playback start position during note 'step' auditions whilst using the cursor keys

MidiIllustrator Player Version 1.01 2007-06-07 New Feature

Description

Free MidiIllustrator Player 87

With M idiI llus trator P layer, you c an open, view, print and playback s c ores c reated with any M idiI llus trator produc t (.mil files ). Y ou c an als o c hange the pres entation of the s c ore to s uit your needs , for example c hanging the notation s ize, or varying the s c ore playbac k tempo. MidiIllustrator Player is a free produc t, and inc ludes a s mall part 87 of the func tionality offered by other produc ts in the M idiI llus trator range. T he M idiI llus trator P layer ins tallation program c an be freely dis tributed among mus ic ians - this is a great way to s hare your s c ores with mus ic ians who do not yet have ac c es s to the full vers ions of M idiI llus trator V irtuos o or M idiI llus trator M aes tro. Read more about P layer in the M idiI llus trator doc umentation 87 .

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Version 1.00 - and MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.00 (s ee M aes tro only func tions below 88

)

2006-11-13 New Feature

Description

Program Modes

T o s upport a broad range of func tionality, M idiI llus trator now has three dis tinc t 'modes ' for working with your s c ores in very different ways . E ac h mode offers a s et of partic ular c ommands , whils t temporarily hiding other func tions to help you foc us on the tas k in hand. Y ou s imply s witc h s eamles s ly between modes 61 depending on what you want to do with the program. · Perf ormance Mode 33 allows you to perform and interac t with your s ongs . I n P erformanc e M ode you c an c reate P rac tic e Ses s ions 190 , s tudy s pec ific ranges of your s c ores and us e learning tools s uc h as Step by Step 188 . M os t s c ore editing func tionality is hidden in this mode to allow you to foc us on s c ore viewing, lis tening and performing. · Layout Mode 24 is for c hanging the dimens ions and pos itions of s c ore objec ts , s uc h as meas ures , s taves and lyric s . M idiI llus trator automatic ally formats the mus ic layout to make good us e of s c reen 'real es tate'. H owever, if you wis h to manage the layout for a partic ular meas ure, page or even the entire s c ore, then in this mode you c an either tweak the layout to s imply tighten up the s c ore a little, or you c an make major c hanges to s queeze as muc h notation as pos s ible onto a given page.

61

· Edit Mode 46 is for full- s c ale s c ore editing and c ompos ition (s ee below 88 )

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement Hide Traditional Staf f Notation / Show Stave Timeline 32

M idiI llus trator c an hide traditional s taff notation on the s c ore and ins tead s how s taves as a muc h more c ompac t timeline.

Score Titles 70

Sc ore T itles are c us tomizable text entries in the s c ore. Y ou c an apply fonts and c olors of your c hoic e. T he following 'titles ' are available: · Sc ore T itle · C opyright · C ompos er · Referenc e · Footer (firs t page and all remaining pages ) · H eader (firs t page and all remaining pages )

Title Fields 71

'Fields ' are s pec ial text s trings whic h c an be ins erted into Sc ore T itles 70 . Fields are automatic ally populated with updated s c ore information when titles are dis played or printed (s uc h as page c ount, file name, date and s o forth...).

Page Textures and Score Backgrounds 23

A dd texture and quality to your s c ore manus c ript us ing s c ore textures whic h c olor the page beneath the notation. C us tom s c ore bac kgrounds allow you to add a pers onal feel to your M idiI llus trator working environment.

Launch Screen

T he M idiI llus trator 'launc h' s c reen allows you quic k and eas y ac c es s to the program's mos t c ommon ac tivities .

107

283

T his option is very us eful for produc ing and printing s ong s heets and 'fake books ' whic h c ontain only s ong lyric s , or perhaps c hords and guitar frets . Y ou c an dramatic ally reduc e the number of pages in a s c ore if you do not need to s ee any s taff notation or melody lines .

A utoSave 230 and M idiI llus trator will periodic ally s ave c hanges and make bac kups of your open s c ores , and c an Background s ave your s c ores in the bac kground s o that you c an c ontinue working uninterrupted. Saving 230 Store A djusted Tempo 105

I f you have adjus ted the M as ter tempo 126 of the s c ore you are working with, you c an s tore the new tempo with the s c ore when you s ave it.

Undo/Redo 113 more powerf ul and easier to use

T he new undo/redo s ys tem allows a virtually unlimited number of c ommands to be undone/redone. Furthermore, M idiI llus trator now attempts to retain the current zoom, view and mode when undoing/ redoing to a previous /future s tate (rather than res toring the zoom/view/mode of that other undo s tate).

List Bar 125

Several new features have been added to the L is t Bar: · A dd the c urrent (open) s ong to the c urrent P laylis t with a s ingle c lic k. · C us tom L is t Font: T he L is t Bar Font button allows you to s et a c us tom font for dis play of all text in the L is t Bar. Y ou c an, for example, c hoos e a larger font to make reading from a dis tanc e eas ier. · T yping into lis t c yc les lis t s elec tion to firs t oc c urrenc e of letter typed and dis plays s elec ted entry (and s o on with next letter typed). · Y our preferred lis t- c olumn- widths are now s tored and res tored for eac h 'tab' in the lis t bar. C olumn 'autos izing' is a new menu option. · L ogged files are now managed more effic iently with automatic removal of duplic ate entries . · T he L is t Bar T abs now fully s upport XP T hemes . · "Windows " tab renamed to "O pen Sc ores " for c larity.

Easier Text Object Entry 168 and Improved Layout (Lyrics 177 , Chords 178 , Bookmarks 178 )

T ext entry has been redes igned s uc h that: · O bjec ts s uc h as lyric s and c hords c an be edited with great ac c urac y right in the s c ore s o c hanges are dis played dynamic ally as you type. · N ew c ommands and s hortc uts allow you to navigate from lyric to lyric or ins ert a new item 177 with jus t a keys troke. · I nline text editing ac c epts c lipboard c ommands like c opy and pas te. · E dited text c an be s elec ted with mous e drags , double- c lic ks and other s tandard 'wordproc es s or- like' keyboard navigation c ommands . · A ll text items on the s c ore are now better jus tified for eas ier reading and better horizontal alignment (making meas ure widths more effic ient s o that more notation c an fit onto eac h page).

Improved Perf ormance

M idiI llus trator M aes tro and M idiI llus trator V irtuos o operate more effic iently than earlier vers ions , with better memory management and fas ter operation times es pec ially on large editing operations .

Better MIDI Device Management 214 f or Musicians with Removable MIDI Devices and/or f requent MIDI System Changes

M idiI llus trator has a new s ys tem for remembering and res toring your M I D I I N and O U T devic e preferenc es . T his means that you c an s wap M I D I devic es (s uc h as U SB M I D I ports /adapters ) in and out of your s ys tem between M idiI llus trator s es s ions and M idiI llus trator will s till be able to play s aved s ongs with the devic e they were originally c onfigured to us e, even if the Windows M I D I devic e c onfiguration has c hanged or been reordered. M idiI llus trator will only res et to the default Windows devic es when the s ys tem c hanges if the M idiI llus trator preferred defaults are no longer unavailable.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


284

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Furthermore, a new option for s etting s taff/trac k M I D I P laybac k (M I D I O U T ) devic es allows you to keep your s aved s ong playbac k devic es in s ync with your program devic es . Simply s et eac h s taff to us e the "default playbac k devic e 152 " and whenever you c hange default playbac k devic e, your s ongs will us e the lates t default playbac k devic e automatic ally. New Score Views 117

N ew Sc roll V iew 117 viewing mode is des igned es pec ially for eas ier editing of s c ores allowing you s c roll horizontally through the s c ore one meas ure at a time.

New Playback Cursor 28 Options

N ew c urs or dis play option allow you to hide the c urs or altogether during playbac k, but s till have pages turned automatic ally.

A udition Current Measure 185

P lays jus t the c urrent meas ure and then returns the c urs or to the pre- playbac k pos ition. V ery us eful if you are making "trial and error" c hanges to the notation.

Play Imported MIDI Notes as Originally Perf ormed 185

O ptionally play imported M I D I s ongs as they were originally performed, rather than adhering to the notated times dis played on the s c ore (where the notation may have been 'tidied' for eas ier reading). T his has always been the default behavior in earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator.

A dvanced Note Selection 78 ...

T he new A dvanc ed N ote Selec tion D ialog 78 allows you to make note s elec tions in the s c ore us ing many different c riteria (for example s elec ting only the upper or lower notes in a range of c hords ).

Improved Navigation 116

A hos t of new navigation 116 and s elec tion 113 c ommands allow you to move eas ily around the s c ore and work with the notation. N ew objec t deletion 172 c ommands have been added.

New Keyboard Shortcuts 253

E xtens ive Keyboard Shortc uts 253 s upport all the key c ommands , inc luding: · N ew c urs or c ommands allow s kipping bac kwards /forwards 253 during playbac k. · Staff M anager s taff s elec tion 253

Playback Latency Conf iguration 214 - Synchronizing Sounds and Screen Updates

I f you find that when playing s c ores there is a s mall delay between when you hea r notes and when you see them highlighted on the s c ore, or if the c urs or appears to move jus t before the beat, then you c an us e this feature to c orrec t for any M I D I O ut devic e "latenc y" and s ync hronize the s ound and s c reen events .

MIDI In Latency Conf iguration 216

C us tomize M idiI llus trator to work with any M I D I devic e latenc y you experienc e with your M I D I s ys tem s etup.

Editing Options

A new group of options allows you to c onfigure your editing environment, inc luding: · Chords: o A uto- C orrec t manually entered c hord names o A uto- A dd frets to manually entered c hords · Selection: o I nc lude dots when inc rementing duration of s elec tion · Sounds: o A udition c hord when note c lic ked with mous e o A udition c urs or ins ertion pitc h o A udition note ins ertions and c lipboard pas te o A udition c hanges to exis ting notation · Notation: o A uto- tie off- beat notes whic h c ros s beats

228

A uto-Correct Manually Entered Chord Names 228

M idiI llus trator c an automatic ally make c orrec tions to c ommon s pelling and format errors in c hord names .

A uto-A dd Frets to Manually Entered Chords

When manually editing c hord names , the c orres ponding fret for the modified c hord name will be automatic ally added/updated when c hord name editing c ompletes .

228

Barline Dialog 56 and Repeat Display 56

T he barline dialog has replac ed the barline toolbar c ommands . Repeat c ount on repeat s ec tions c an now be s hown or hidden.

Improved User Interf ace

N ew Time Signature 81 , Clef 82 , Key 80 , and Transpose Dialogs 79 for fas ter, eas ier c hanges . Previewing changes is now eas ier with the "U ndo C hanges " dialog button whic h immediately removes any c hanges to the s c ore made us ing the "A pply" button, without having to c los e the dialog and hit "U ndo". Furthermore, many dialogs now remember how they were 'last used' s o that c ommon tas ks are

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement

285

eas ier to perform as dialog options are automatic ally c onfigured when the dialog is opened. T ime Signature D ialog new features : · A c omprehens ive s et of options to add and modify exis ting meter values . · M idiI llus trator c an intelligently reorganize mus ic 81 in the s c ore as nec es s ary to allow time s ignature ins ertions whic h would otherwis e ups et the exis ting rhythmic s truc ture of the mus ic . T rans pos e D ialog new features : · E as ier to us e with numbered s teps , now with quic k "O c tave U p/D own" buttons . · E xis ting C hords /G uitar Frets automatic ally rec alc ulated (bas ed on the newly trans pos ed notation) when the trans pos ition is c omplete. C lef and Key D ialogs : · N ew key and c lef s elec tion c ontrols for fas ter s c ore c hanges . Import Options

N ew options to c ontrol how M idiI llus trator manages M I D I trac ks (s taves ) during import or editing.

231

Playback Options

P laybac k O ptions 28 are now program s pec ific and no longer s c ore s pec ific .

New Horizontal Scroll Bar

N ew H orizontal s c rollbar allows horizontal s c rolling in P age V iew (as well as page number c hanging in Window V iew).

Menus and Toolbars

M enus and T oolbars have been reorganized to allow eas ier orientation of the program. A ll the c ommands from previous vers ions of M idiI llus trator are s till available but s ome have reloc ated to new menus /toolbars /s c reen pos itions (for example, the 'Setup' menu is now the 'T ools ' menu! ).

MidiIllustrator Maestro Version 1.00 ONLY New Feature

Description

Composing and Editing with Edit Mode 46

Beyond the 's ingle- s tep' s mart notation power of M idiI llus trator V irtuos o, M idiI llus trator M aes tro introduc es a s uite of c ompos ition c ommands : · C apture your mus ic al ideas quic kly with c ontext s ens itive notation entry 48 . A dd or ins ert new notation. · C ompos e naturally with intuitive keyboard c ommands 46 (Normal Entry 46 ) and make prec is ion c hanges with mous e editing func tions 46 (Mouse Entry 46 ). · Rec ord live performanc es 66 direc tly into your s c ores . · C reate a brand new s c ore 45 from the ground up, or modify s c ores c onverted originally from M I D I files us ing powerful c opy/pas te func tions 58 and drag/drop operations 59 .

Power Edit Mode

P ower E dit M ode 59 allows you to quic kly edit large areas of the notation, applying c hanges to whole meas ures or beats , and moving or c opying multi- s taff s elec tions of notation from one part of the s c ore to another with drag/drop operations 59 (or to another s c ore altogether us ing C opy/C ut/ P as te C lipboard Func tions 58 ).

59

Score Templates Sc ore templates c ontain all the foundations nec es s ary for c reating a new s c ore in one s tep. Y ou 69 and the quick c an eas ily c reate a template with your favorite properties in order to s ave time in the future when start Def ault c reating new c ompos itions . Score Template 69

T he M idiI llus trator ins tallation pac kage c ontains s ome bas ic templates to get c ompos ers up and running.

Record Your Perf ormance 66

T he rec ord tool allows you to c apture a real time performanc e from a c onnec ted M I D I devic e. T he performanc e is ins tantly c onverted to notation us ing your Rec ording O ptions 67 rules and is added direc tly to your s c ore.

Note Entry via the On-Screen Piano Keyboard

T his tool allows you to enter s ingle notes or whole c hords direc tly into your s c ore us ing the O n Sc reen P iano Keyboard 37 .

65

Chord Entry via a Connected MIDI Device 67

E nter s ingle notes or whole c hords direc tly into your s c ore us ing a c onnec ted M I D I devic e.

Tap In Rhythms with the PC Keyboard 68

T his tool allows you to enter s ingle note rhythms into your s c ores us ing the c omputer keyboard. Y ou c an quic kly and eas ily c apture the rhythm of a tune without having to worry about playing the right notes or as s igning c omplex note durations individually.

Copy/Cut/Paste Clipboard

U s e the M idiI llus trator c lipboard to c ut, c opy and pas te notation from one part of the s c ore to another, or even to another s c ore.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


286

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Functions 58 Copy Complete Staves 76

M ake identic al c opies of the s elec ted s taff (inc luding s taff name, ins trument, M I D I properties etc ).

New Entry Item Toolbar 128

T he E ntry I tem toolbar forms part of the E diting P alettes 128 and is for s etting note and res t entry qualities 48 .

Recording Options 67

Rec ording options determine how M idiI llus trator trans c ribes live M I D I performanc es rec orded into the program 66 . Y ou c an als o determine metronome s ettings for the rec ording s es s ion.

A ccidentals 52 , Enharmonic Spelling 48 and Individual Courtesy A ccidentals 52

N ote ac c identals as well as enharmonic s pellings c an be s et for eac h note, and individual c ourtes y ac c identals c an be c hos en (as well as the global 'Show C ourtes y A c c identals 132 ' option of earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator).

Tuplet Note Entry

M idiI llus trator has always identified tuplets ac c urately when generating s c ores from M I D I files . M idiI llus trator M aes tro als o s upports the entry of s everal tuplet types .

244

Voice Guide Rests 242

C ourtes y ac c identals are now brac keted for c larity.

I n general, M idiI llus trator automatic ally 48 fills all the s ilenc e in a meas ure with res ts . V irtual voic e 'guide' res ts are s hown to fac ilitate multi- voic e note entry.

MidiIllustrator Version 2.01 2006-07-10

· Improved third party PDF (portable document format) support. · Improved List Bar Playlist functions for handling scores not saved in a ‘playlist ready’ state. · Fixed: Font redraw quality. Details: Some notation was not redrawn correctly when Advance Page Turn was deactivated, causing periodic ‘blurring’ of notation until screen redrawn. · Fixed: Bookmark reference updates on Practice Sessions. Details: Practice sessions containing bookmark ranges were not properly reset when measures containing bookmarks were removed. · Fixed: Pitch wheel event order incorrect. Details: Some events processed in wrong order resulting in incorrect application of subsequent note pitches. · Fixed: Hidden tracks being selected causing "Step by Step" mode problems. Details: Tracks could still be selected when hidden causing cursor to vanish temporarily. · Fixed: Measure contents deletion error. Details: Notes crossing deleted measure range were not completely deleted with measure range removal. · Fixed: MIDI Notes Off command not sent at correct time. Details: ‘All Notes Off’ MIDI command sent too soon after MIDI stream © 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement

287

completed, causing notes to continue sounding after playback ended on some external MIDI devices. · Minor bug fixes to score layout · Updated MidiIllustrator Setup Installer. · Updated product documentation. MidiIllustrator Version 2.00 2006-01-01 New Feature

Description

List Bar 125

T he L is t Bar c ontains four powerful tools for managing and working with your mus ic , inc luding: · Playlists – full featured s ong jukebox! C reate a lis t of s ongs and M idiI llus trator will open, s how and play eac h in turn. · Browser – A c c es s your mus ic quic kly with this on- s c reen s ong folder viewer. · Score Log – Keep s taff of your s c ore viewings and prac tic e s es s ions .

Smart Page Scrolling 28

M idiI llus trator c an turn the pages of the s c ore us ing s pec ial graphic al effec ts to s croll, s plit and fade the s c reen as the mus ic is played out, s howing both the c urrent pas s age and the next pas s age (from the next page) at the s ame time. Y ou need never take your eyes off the s c ore when reading ahead; better than s heet mus ic !

Full Screen 120

See more of the s c ore in Full Sc reen M ode! M aximize the us e of your s c reen and fill it with the s c ore - and nothing els e.

“Listening” Step by Step Input A nalysis 188

T he new “Jump to User Input” option enables M idiI llus trator to c los ely monitor your input from a c onnec ted M I D I I ns trument. When you move around from one pas s age to another whils t playing a piec e, M idiI llus trator will automatic ally move the Step by Step c urs or to the new input pos ition. Furthermore, you c an play through mis takes , and M idiI llus trator will s till know the exac t pos ition you are reading and playing from, and will automatic ally s how that part of the s c ore, turning the pages as nec es s ary.

6 New Clef s 82

M idiI llus trator now s upports the following c lefs : · T reble C lef · Bas s C lef · A lto C lef · T enor C lef · O c tave A djus ted T reble C lef (H igher) · O c tave A djus ted T reble C lef (L ower) · O c tave A djus ted Bas s C lef (L ower) · N eutral C lef

Edit the Time Signature 81

I ntelligent time s ignature editing allows you to make c hanges to the underlying time s ignature of the s c ore without ac c identally dis torting the s c ore layout.

Editable Barlines including Repeat sections 56

D ec orate your s c ore with many different barline s tyles , inc luding nes ted repeat s ec tions whic h c an be applied by M idiI llus trator during playbac k.

Print Scores to Image Files 111

P rint your s c ores to bitmaps and s hare them with others , or open them in other applic ations .

Split Measures

A llows you to s plit the c urrent meas ure in two (or, ins ert a barline).

164

Join Measures 165

A llows you to ins tantly join the c urrent meas ure to the next meas ure.

New Toolbars: Editing Palettes

C ontext s ens itive toolbars : only thos e editing toolbars whic h are us eful at a partic ular time are s hown, leaving room for more of the s c ore to be s hown on the s c reen.

128

MIDI Instrument Routing 41

C reate powerful rules s tating whic h M I D I playbac k devic e and c hannel you would like to us e for the different ins truments in your s ongs . Routings are applied automatic ally when you open a s ong, s aving you time.

MIDI Shortcut Keys 40

A c c es s many of M idiI llus trator’s func tions quic kly and eas ily us ing your c onnec ted M I D I ins trument (s uc h as a M I D I keyboard) as a ‘remote c ontrol’.

Print Options 111

N ew printing options : · P rint odd or even pages

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


288

MidiIllustrator User Manual · P rint jus t the c urrent page · C ollate c opies enabled

A djustable Step by Step Playback Position 188

A s of vers ion 2 .0 , you c an now s et a different playbac k s tarting pos ition when you want M idiI llus trator to ac c ompany you during Step by Step M ode.

Improvements to Tasks: Convert Score to 'Two Hand Piano' 234

T his popular tas k has been improved to automatic ally handle drum s taves and non- piano ins trument s taves . T he new Tasks Options tab in P rogram options allows you to c onfigure tas k behavior for better tas k res ults .

New Interf ace Optimized f or Windows XP

N ew toolbar buttons and improved interfac e layout in vers ion 2 !

Individual Note Names

M idiI llus trator vers ion 2 .0 introduc es a new way to s how the name of eac h note on the s c ore. Y ou c an now c hoos e to have the note name plac ed inside the note ins tead of to the left. U nder different c irc ums tanc es (s uc h as printing vs . window view), one layout may be eas ier to read than the other.

Show Individual Note A ccidentals

Y ou c an c hoos e to have the s ignature repeated for eac h and every note on the s c ore, making it muc h eas ier to remember to s harpen or flatten a partic ular note when performing a piec e.

Full Support f or Foreign Language Characters

M idiI llus trator c an now dis play lyric s and other text in all languages , inc luding s pec ial c harac ters and ac c ents .

Backwards Compatibility

M idiI llus trator vers ion 2 .0 is c ompletely c ompatible with earlier vers ions of M idiI llus trator and c an s eamles s ly open, edit and s ave s c ores generated in M idiI llus trator vers ion 1 .xx.

Show all staves Command

Shows all s taves ins tantly (even empty ones ).

Hide Empty Staves

H ides all empty s taves ins tantly.

T he lates t vers ion of M idiI llus trator als o s upports Windows XP T hemes (for thos e running M idiI llus trator on Windows XP ), integrating M idiI llus trator fully with the look and feel of the XP environment.

MidiIllustrator Version 1.02 2004-07-06 · I mproved M I D I playbac k performanc e and applic ation s tartup time. · Fixed "Step by Step N ote Sounds " problem D etails : A pplic ation c ould oc c as ionally hang when c urs or movement triggered playbac k of groups of "Step" notes in Step by Step mode. · Fixed mis s ing updates when Status Bar hidden. D etails : When Status Bar hidden, updates were not made to c ontext M enus (I ns ert, N otes etc ) reflec ting any c urrent item s elec tion. A ls o Status Bar and M enus not always redrawing properly when Status Bar toggled on/off. · U pdated produc t doc umentation. · U pdated M idiI llus trator Setup I ns taller. MidiIllustrator Version 1.01 2004-02-19 · Fixed c onflic t between M etronome and drum trac ks . D etails : M uting c hannel 1 0 trac ks als o muting M etronome when both are us ing M I D I c hannel 1 0 for playbac k. · Fixed problem with E xplorer file as s oc iations (regis tered vers ion only). D etails : D ouble- c lic ked M I D I files not always opening unles s M idiI llus trator already running. · Fixed M I D I playbac k error inc urred on s ome P C s during prac tic e s es s ion playbac k loops . D etails : A pplic ation c ould oc c as ionally hang between finis hing one playbac k loop and beginning another. · Fixed empty M I D I trac k overload during import. D etails : Some M I D I files c ontaining many empty trac ks c aus ing overload during res t c reation phas e of import. E xc es s ive empty trac ks now dropped during import. · Fixed s ome Windows M E /9 8 c ompatibility is s ues . · Fixed other minor bugs , inc luding s ome tie note editing errors and trac k tools func tionality. · U pdated produc t doc umentation. · U pdated M idiI llus trator Setup I ns taller. MidiIllustrator Version 1.00

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement

289

2004-01-14 First public release.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

12.3

Compare the Different Versions of MidiIllustrator The table below shows at a glance which of the key areas of functionality are available in each product. Throughout this documentation, features found only in MidiIllustrator Maestro are highlighted with the MidiIllustrator Maestro icon: For a comprehensive list of MidiIllustrator product features, see What can you do with MidiIllustrator? 11 . For a timeline of all MidiIllustrator product releases and updates including details about the original MidiIllustrator product, see the Version History 88 . MidiIllustrator Player is a free product, and includes a small part of the functionality offered by other products in the MidiIllustrator range. With MidiIllustrator Player, you can open, print and playback scores created with other MidiIllustrator products (.mil files). Read more about Player 87 . Feature

Description

MidiIllustrator Maestro

MidiIllustrator Virtuoso

Perf orming: Notate, Print, Practice and Play Generate A ttractive, A ccurate and Flexible Scores f rom MIDI f iles

T he s ame advanc ed 'M I D I to s c ore' c onvers ion engine is us ed in all M idiI llus trator applic ations to c reate beautiful s heet mus ic ins tantly.

Yes

Yes

Hear the Music, See the Music!

M idiI llus trator brings your s c ores to life! See the notes light up on the s taff as they are played bac k; the pages turn automatic ally.

Yes

Yes

Single c ommand s c ore c onvers ion tools s uc h as 'C onvert to T wo H and P iano' and 'C onvert to Fake Book'. G enerate C hord N ames and G uitar Frets automatic ally. Format many Sc ores at onc e us ing the T as k Wizard.

Yes

Yes

Custom Transcription Options

C us tom pres entation modes allowing you, for example, to pres ent diffic ult notation in s implified form.

Yes

Yes

Ref ormat the Notation

E as ily c hange the way the mus ic is repres ented. C hange keys , time s ignatures , trans pos e notes etc . Remove notation s elec tions or c omplete meas ure ranges .

Yes

Yes

Transf orm Your Scores A utomatically with 1-Step Tasks

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


290

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Perf ormance and Learning Tools

P rac tic e partic ular pas s ages with s pec ial prac tic e tools . L earn mus ic 'Step by Step' without reading any notation, with the on- s c reen piano. P rac tic e new rhythms with the metronome.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

C reate brand new s c ores , or edit exis ting s c ores with powerful editing tools . E nter notation quic kly with the keyboard, and make prec is ion c hanges with mous e editing func tions .

Yes

No

T ools to quic kly and eas ily c apture your mus ic al ideas and performanc es : N ote entry via the on- s c reen piano, rec ord a real- time performanc e, or enter c hords us ing a c onnec ted M I D I ins trument.

Yes

No

M idiI llus trator M aes tro examines the s c ore as you work, and automatic ally as s igns note and res t entry 'qualities ' appropriate to the c ontext.

Yes

No

Q uic kly build s c ores with powerful c opy/pas te func tions and drag/drop operations .

Yes

No

C reate a template with your favourite properties in order to s ave time in the future when c reating new c ompos itions .

Yes

No

Modif y Score Layout

C us tomis e the dimens ions and pos itions of s c ore objec ts , s uc h as meas ures , s taves and lyric s .

Connect and Interact

C onnec t a M I D I ins trument and interac t with the mus ic . M idiI llus trator knows where you are in the s c ore and turns the pages automatic ally. Composing: Create and Edit Scores

Composing and Editing

Capture Your Music

Context Sensitive Editing

Editing tools

Score Templates

MidiIllustrator Maestro and MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Each MidiIllustrator product is two powerful programs wrapped into a single package. As well as generating beautiful scores from the many free MIDI files available online, all products feature music learning and performance tools as part of a broader music notation package.

MidiIllustrator Maestro builds on the score editing functionality of MidiIllustrator Virtuoso. Beyond the 'single-step' smart notation power of the MidiIllustrator Virtuoso, MidiIllustrator Maestro brings composition to the feature list, enabling a world of musical creativity at your fingertips. Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Version History and Licence Agreement

291

· Capture your musical ideas quickly with context sensitive notation entry 48 . · Compose naturally with intuitive keyboard commands 46 and make precision changes with mouse editing functions 46 . · Record live performances 66 directly into your scores. · Create a brand new score 45 from the ground up, or modify scores converted originally from MIDI files using powerful copy/paste functions 58 and drag/drop operations 59 . With MidiIllustrator Maestro you simply switch seamlessly between editing and performance modes 61 depending on what you want to do with the program. One Format for All MidiIllustrator Products The MidiIllustrator product range uses a common file format, meaning that scores created in one MidiIllustrator product can be opened and worked with in all MidiIllustrator products.

V iew the H elp C ontents P age 101 . V is it the M idiI llus trator Webs ite at http://www.M idiI llus trator.c om.

© 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


292

MidiIllustrator User Manual

Index -Aaccidentals - entry note 48, 169 accidentals - note selection 52, 173 Acrobat 112 activating the program 251 add measures 70, 164 adding notation 48, 169 adding versus inserting notes 48, 169 Adobe Acrobat 112 advance lyric highlighting 28, 222 advance page turn 28, 222 advanced note selection dialog 78, 115 anchor expression 75 anchor free text 73 articulations 75 associations (file) 235 audition current measure 185 AutoSave 230

-Bbackground save 230 backgrounds 23, 148 bank 154 bar endings 56, 165 bar lines 56, 165 barlines 56, 165 beams and beaming 245 bitmaps 111 bold text 72 bookmarks 178 browser 125, 193 bullets 72 buy the program 251

-Cchannel 152 chord entry 168 chord entry with MIDI device 67, 204 chord name generation 208 chord names visibility 132, 141 chord selector 179

chord tasks 178 clef 82, 160 clipboard 58, 114 color schemes 42, 213 colors textures and backgrounds 23, 148 compare versions of the program 85, 289 composing 46, 63, 199 compress empty measures 80, 159 configuration 152 configuring sound and playback 15, 20 context entry 48, 169 context menus 55 convert to 'Two Hand Piano' 206 copy entire staves 76, 151 copy just the notation in a staff 59, 183, 204 copy to clipboard 113 copy whole measures 59, 183, 204 copying notes with the mouse 46, 63, 199 courtesy accidental on entry note 48, 169 courtesy accidentals on all notes 132, 141 courtesy accidentals on individual notes 52, 173 create score 45, 107 cursor (entry cursor) 48, 169 cursor for playback 28, 222 cut 113

-Ddefault fonts 146 default score 45, 107 default template 69, 109 delay between sound and screen updates 214 delete bookmarks 178 delete chord names 178 delete guitar frets 179 delete lyrics 177 delete measures 78, 164 delete notes and rests 172 deleting notes and rests 172 delivery of the program 251 different versions of the program 85, 289 display and playback 154 dragging notes and rests with the mouse 46, 63, 199 drums 245 duration - entry note 48, 169 duration - note selection 52, 173 dynamic volume and tempo 126 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Index dynamics

293

75

-Eecho 216 edit mode 46, 63, 199 editing 46, 63, 199 editing options 228 editing palettes 128 empty staves 150 endings 56, 165 enharmonic spelling - entry note 48, 169 enharmonic spelling - note selection 52, 173 enter notes with the screen keyboard 65, 203 entering notation 48, 169 entry qualities 48, 169 expressions 75 expressions with MIDI events 75

-Ffade pages 28, 222 fading pages 28, 222 fake books 212 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 262 fields 71, 131 file commands 105 file types 235 finding music files on the internet 16, 27 finger numbers 34, 136, 210, 246 fingering 34, 136, 210, 246 fingers 34, 136, 210, 246 folders 230 font formatting 72 fonts 146 free text 73 full screen 120

-Ggetting started 236 guide rests - voices 242 guitar fret generation 195 guitar fret selector 179 guitar fret tasks 179 guitar fret visibility 132, 141

-Hhands 38, 122 help menu 101 hide / show score objects 132, 141 hide empty portions of staves 150 hide empty staves 150 hide staff notation - show timeline 32, 119 highlight notes during playback 28, 222 history 88, 278 hyperlinks 72

-Iimages 72, 111 import options 231 individual note names 132, 141 insert and paste - power edit mode 59, 183, 204 insert measures 70, 164 insert menu 168 inserting versus adding notes 48, 169 instrument dialog 156 instrument routing (MIDI) 41, 220 instruments: metronome instrument dialog 190 instruments: MIDI echo instrument dialog 192 instruments: staff instrument dialog 156 interface 42, 213 italic text 72

-Jjoin measures

165

-Kkaraoke presentation (song lead sheet) key signature 80, 160 keyboard (on screen piano) 37, 121 keyboard colors 43 keyboard options 43 keyboard shortcuts 253

-Llatency - MIDI In 216 latency - Playback 214

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

212


294

MidiIllustrator User Manual

launch screen 107 layers - concept 242 layout mode 24, 181, 197 lead sheets 195 Linux support with WINE emulator listbar 125, 193 lists 125, 193 log 125, 193 lower voice 242 lyric presentation (song lead sheet) lyrics menu 168

270

-O212

-MMac support 270 Maestro versus Virtuoso 85, 289 measure endings 56, 165 measure numbers 132, 141 measure range 80, 159 merge staves 157 metronome 218 metronome instrument dialog 190 metronome light 122 metronome tempo 75 MIDI channels and drums instruments 245 MIDI configuration 152 MIDI device sharing 219 MIDI events 75 MIDI expressions 75 MIDI In and Midi Echo 216 MIDI instrument routing 41, 220 MIDI options 39, 214 MIDI playback 152 MIDI shortcut keys 40, 220 miscellaneous expressions 75 modes 61, 195, 238 modes and views 241 mood marks 75 mouse entry - edit mode 46, 63, 199 move text objects 73 multimedia 72 multiplets 244

-Nnavigation commands 116, 123 new features in this version 88, 278 new score 45, 107

normal entry - edit mode 46, 63, 199 notation options 132, 141 note entry 48, 169 note names 132, 141 notes menu 52, 173 notes volume 52, 173

on screen piano keyboard 37, 121 on-screen keyboard options 43 opening and viewing songs 12, 21

-Ppage turn 28, 222 page view 117, 239 palettes 128 paragraph formatting 72 parts - printing individual 26, 110 paste 113 paste and merge - power edit mode 59, 183, 204 paste and replace - power edit mode 59, 183, 204 payment methods 251 PDF 112 performance mode 33, 197 performing hands 38, 122 piano - convert score to two hand piano 195 piano key finger numbers 34, 136, 210, 246 pitch - entry note 48, 52, 169, 173 play (start playback) 185 playback options 28, 222 Player: upgrading from 87 playing back scores 15, 20 playing hands 38, 122 playlists 125, 193 Portable Document Format 112 PostScript 112 power edit mode 59, 183, 204 practice session 190 preferences 225 preferred zoom 225 print layout 149 print margins 15, 26 print parts 26, 110 print preview 117, 239 print setup command 112 print size 149 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Index print size vs zooming 117, 239 print staves 26, 110 printing options 113 printing scores to Postscript Printers and PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format") 112 printing the score 15, 26 program interface 42, 213 program options 222 purchasing the program 251

-Qquantize as notated 106 quick print 26, 110 quintuplets 244

-Rrange 163 recording 66, 186, 202 recording options 67, 230 redo 113 registering the program 251 remove measures 78, 164 repeat barlines 56, 165 repeats 56, 165 rest entry 48, 169 revert to saved 105 rich text 72 right-click menus 55 routing 41, 220 RTF 72

save as template 69, 109 save options 106 save your work automatically (AutoSave) saving tempo 106 score commands 129 score layout 132, 141 score notation 132, 141 score objects 132, 141 score options 138 score templates 69, 109 score titles 70, 130 score transcription wizard 227 scroll view 117, 239 Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software

scrolling pages 28, 222 section barlines 56, 165 select all 113 select entire bars - power edit mode 183 selection 113 selection - advanced note selection dialog 78, 115 shift notes 52, 173 shortcut keys (MIDI) 40, 220 shortcuts (keyboard) 253 show / hide score objects 132, 141 song lead sheet 212 sound 15, 20 special endings 56, 165 split measure 164 split staff 157 staff display and playback 154 staff instrument vs MIDI echo instrument 245 staff manager dialog 76, 151 staff namings 154 staff notation - hiding and showing timeline 32, 119 staff tools 158 staff tools and namings 145, 155 starting tempo 82, 162 status bar 128 staves 150 step by step mode 188, 232 stop (playback) 185 sychronize notes 52, 173 synchronizing sound and screen updates 214

-T-

-S230

295

tapping in rhythms 68 task wizard 195 tasks options 234 templates 69, 109 tempo alterations 75 tempo and volume status bar controls 126 tempo marks 75 tempo saving 106 tempo starting 82, 162 text 73 text color 72 textures 23, 148 themes 42, 213 tie notes 52, 173 time signature 81, 161 timeline - instead of staff notation 32, 119 title fields 71, 131


296

MidiIllustrator User Manual

titles 70, 130 toolbar 129 tracks 150 transcription options 139 transpose 79, 162 transposing note sounds only 152 transposing the notation 79, 162 trial version of the program 273 triplets 244 tuplets 244 turning pages 28, 222 two hand piano 195

-Uundo 113 upgrading 87 upper voice 242

-Vversion history 88, 278 views 117, 239 Virtuoso versus Maestro 85, 289 voices - concept 242 voices - entry note 48, 169 voices - note selection 52, 173 voices - rests and guide rests 242 volume - entry note 48, 169 volume - note selection 52, 173 volume and tempo status bar controls

126

-Wwhat can you do with the program 11, 18, 43 window view 117, 239 WINE emulator - Linux support 270

-Zzooming in and out 116, 123 zooming vs print size 117, 239

Š 2004 - 2009 Rallentado Software


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.