Midi import: missing instruments

Discuss Finale Songwriter here.

Moderators: Peter Thomsen, miker

apaschou
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 8:58 pm
Finale Version: SongWriter 2012
Operating System: Mac

Post by apaschou » Wed Jun 03, 2015 9:18 pm

Hi,

Using SongWriter 2012 demo software on mac to ensure it fits my needs before buying it, I am testing the midi connection to the instrument, and the midi files import/export. Connecting to the instrument was OK. But I was disappointed with the midi import from a midi file... When importing my song with Garage Band, I can see 13 different instruments imported (of course, I can't see the score as Garage band is not a score program, but at least all instruments were there).
Opening the same file on the keyboard (a Yamaha Tyros 3) seems also OK, with all 13 instruments played.

Opening it with SongWriter is disappointing: only two "voices" appear in the mixer, and 2 lines in the score. Looking into the "Score Manager", I see only two "Channels", both indicated with "unknown" instrument.

Why can I not get the 13 instruments in SongWriter ? One of the goal for me to purchase SongWriter is to be able to open midi file, see the score, and select (activate/deactivate, or delete) specific midi channels, and then re-export in midi format in order to play (after transfer on the Yamaha Tyros) only some voices of an original midi file. The export to .mid file exists in SongWriter, but as I cannot get the original instruments channels at the import, this isn't helpful.

Did I miss something at the import to have all instruments imported ?

I can provide the .mid file upon request (I am not allowed to post its URL in this forum).

Many thanks for any help.


User avatar
Peter Thomsen
Posts: 6601
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Jun 04, 2015 5:17 am

Welcome to the forum!

As you probably know, Songwriter is basically the same program as the “full Finale” minus some of the advanced Finale features.
Thus, SongWriter 2012 has the same bugs as Finale 2012.
I could be wrong here, but I seem to recall that there were reports about a MIDI import bug in Finale 2012.

Unfortunately there is not a SongWriter version of Finale 2014 (As Far As I Know).

It might be a good idea that you also posted your question in MakeMusic’s own user forum.
Some of the users there know a lot about MIDI file import and workarounds.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

User avatar
miker
Posts: 5993
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:28 pm
Finale Version: Finale 27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by miker » Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:15 pm

Try downloading the demo of PrintMusic 2014, and see if all of the instruments appear.
Finale 27 | SmartScorePro 64
Mac OS 13.2.1 Ventura
Copyist for Barbershop Harmony Society

apaschou
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 8:58 pm
Finale Version: SongWriter 2012
Operating System: Mac

Post by apaschou » Thu Jun 04, 2015 8:09 pm

Hi,

Many thanks for all the replies. I tried with "Print Music 2014", but the result is unfortunately the same... I don't know to which extent my midi file is standard (I assume it should not be too bad as my Yamaha Tyros 3 can play it very well), but maybe it contains some special stuff that Finale is not able to interpret...

I found a way to workaround this. I downloaded "Muse Score 2" (this is a freeware), opened the midi file and then re-export in midi. After this operation, I could open the newly generated midi file with Finale SongWriter 2012, recovering the original 13 midi channels and instruments. It seems however that I lost some battery elements in the operation (there are some changes with the battery when playing the file), but the rest of the instruments are OK. I am just disappointed that Finale is less good than a freeware program to interpret some midi files (for some reasons)... I will test more midi files with SongWrite to check if it is at least importing well a majority of midi files. If yes, I will buy it. If no, I will try another software.

Best regards.

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