On Aug 13, 2006, at 7:35 PM, Darcy James Argue wrote:
Hello,
It's possible I may need to create Finale files based on a client's
Logic (sequencer) files. I've never done this before, so I have
some questions:
1) I assume the fasted way to go would be to have Finale import
MIDI files exported from Logic. Is there anything the client should
do (in terms of quantization or whatever) to make this process easier?
THe client should quantize everything in Logic to within an inch of
its life, to the exact rhythmic values and lengths that the musicians
will be seeing on the parts, before exporting the MIDI file. This is
actually impossible, as the client probably doesn't know what you
know about communicating note lengths to musicians (quarter with
stacatto, or eighth note eighth rest?) so the best bet is for YOU to
have Logic and the original file and change quantizations inside
Logic before exporting. If the client is as rushed as they usually
are, they won't even be able to do that, so you will have to do it,
basing your decisions on your ears. In fact, I don't think it is
possible to do this job properly without Logic and the client's file,
and an audio file as well, because there are octave displacements to
worry about and note lengths, and countless other musical questions
that might be different on your system.
Someone else mentioned overlapped (legato) notes, which are a huge
pain, and can be minimised by using a legato edit function. I don't
know what this would be in Logic, but I used it extensively in Cubase
on single-note parts. Chorded parts are impossible.
In files I have gotten, sometimes the composer "freetimes", that is
to say, ignores the click for a short passage. Good luck with these
passages!
2) What would be the recommended settings for importing the MIDI
files into Finale?
There is no such thing. My advice is to create hotkeys for the
Quantise dialogue box, and also for the Rettranscribe option in Mass
Edit, as you will be doing these two things quite a bit on individual
measures once the file is imported. You might even re-open the entire
file with new quantise options, as it would be quicker than editing
every measure.
You will quickly get very good at selecting quantise options, I predict.
You will also edit individual measures extensively, sometimes to the
point of getting out a pencil and staff paper (say for piano or harp
parts), as one other respondent mentioned. String parts are often
entered as blocks of chords, and you have to work out divisions and
voice-leading from these blocks, as the number of pitches often changes.
3) Does anyone have any useful tips for efficiently cleaning up the
notation of the imported MIDI files?
Finale uses the settings in the Maestro Default file for importing
MIDI files, so my usual second step is copying the staves to my own
score template.
If you think you can work from your own Maestro Default, then so much
the better.
Charge by the hour, as this will encourage the client to give you
files that are as clean as possible.
Karen (sorry I don't know her last name, is it Guthery? goes by
laloba in her email) does a lot of this, and we had a long exchange a
year and a half ago on this subject.
I will forward you our exchanges off list. One thing she said is that
the client expects the results to sound good, so you do what you can,
even if it takes you outside the realm of strict transcription. I
take this to mean things like a single flute line in a fortissimo
sequence might be transcribed as octaves in a full woodwind section,
etc.
Christopher
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