Bryan Creer wrote:
>Phil Taylor said -
>>>>Multivoice abc using V: started in abc2midi and (at least in its basics)
>>>>is now supported by most programs.
>>>
>>>In at least two incompatible versions (see above).
>>
>>Not completely incompatible (see above).
>
>That sounds a bit like "slightly pregnant" or "almost a virgin". Jack Campin
>posted an interesting version of Shingly Beach recently using BarFly
>notation. Muse, abcmus and my own abc2nwc couldn't cope with it. abc2win
>produced all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. I don't
>imagine abc2ps could handle it. Frank Nordberg recently posted separate
>BarFly and abc2ps versions of a tune.
As far as I know, neither abcMus nor abc2win will currently work with
multivoice abc at all. The tune will work with Muse and abcm2ps with a minimal
amount of editing (just insert a return after every V:n field). The stuff
in the %%Bfly line just records all of Jack's default settings (page size,
which of the clef styles to use, size and tilt of the note heads etc.) and
is irrelevant to other programs. The V: fields in the header specify that
the first two voices should be merged onto one stave and that notes in the
first voice should be drawn stems up while those in the second voice should
be drawn stems down. I'm sure that anyone who uses abcm2ps could compose
a %%staves line which specifies the same information. The transpose and
program directives apply to player programs; in abc2midi you would need
to insert them on a separate line following the first instance of each V:
field like this:
V:1
%%MIDI program 1 74
D|G4 c4 |BdcA F2D2|...
V:2
%%MIDI program 1 74
D|G4 G2F2|GBAF D2C2|...
V:3
%%MIDI program 1 57 transpose -12
z|G4 D4 |G4 D4 |...
The resulting tune will take up much more vertical space and look much
messier, because the relevant information is now spread through the tune
instead of being concentrated in three consecutive lines in the header.
However, it should work in abc(m)2ps, abc2midi and Muse. It won't work
in abcMus or abc2win unless those programs get updated. I don't know
about abc2nwc; I haven't downloaded it because I don't use nwc.
Phil Taylor
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