Can Dorico Elements 3.5 export to a Yamaha XF MIDI File containing Chord Meta Events?

Dorico
#1

Can Dorico Elements 3.5 export to a Yamaha XF MIDI Format?

If I compose a melody line and add Chord Symbols within Dorico Elements 3.5, will these Chords get embedded as Yamaha XF Chord Meta Events when I export to the XF MIDI Format?

These are short SysEx messages that help change the Chords in any Yamaha Arranger when a Style is selected to provide the backing tracks to the melody line.

Has anyone successfully tested such an XF MIDI File to drive the Styles on a Yamaha GENOS Arranger Keyboard or a Yamaha Clavinova like the CVP-609?

Please note that exporting to a GM, GM2 or XG MIDI format is not good enough. It has to be an XF MIDI format that carries over the Chord and Lyrics information that is recognized by Yamaha Arranger Keyboards.

#2

Dorico exports MIDI files in Type 1 format, but it does not currently support the Yamaha XF extensions for MIDI files, I’m afraid.

#3

Wow!

Thanks for your lightning fast response. Hopefully you would add the Yamaha XF extensions to the XG format in a future release of Dorico. This is critical to make the exported MIDI Files to playback properly on Yamaha Arrangers while displaying the Chords and Lyrics along with the Notes.

I do have a workaround for the time being. I could export from Dorico as a Music XML file. This can be read by Notation Composer 4. When you export from Notation Composer 4 as an XG MIDI File, it also embeds the Chords as Meta Events thus creating an XF MIDI File that works flawlessly on the Yamaha GENOS and the Yamaha Clavinova CVP-609 plus any other Yamaha Arranger Keyboards.

Both the Chords and Lyrics show up perfectly on the Arranger Display window.

Dorico has the best user interface of all Notation Software Programs. It is the easiest to use. This is the future!

Thank you for designing this essential music writing tool.

#4

Dorico’s chord symbols are somewhat richer in what they can represent than the subset supported by the XG format, but nevertheless it should be possible for us to export them in the future. I can’t promise when we will get to this, though.

#5

Hi Daniel,

I am delighted to hear from you that it should be possible to handle the XF extensions to the Yamaha XG Format in a future release of Dorico.

All Yamaha Arranger Keyboards have the unique ability to read the META Events from XF MIDI files.

The Chord information is embedded as short SysEx messages under the MetaData property.

As an example I am including the mapping of some common Chord Names to their associated MetaData values.

Event MetaData ChordName
META 43 7B 01 34 00 7F 7F F
META 43 7B 01 32 08 7F 7F Dm
META 43 7B 01 35 0A 7F 7F Gm7
META 43 7B 01 31 13 7F 7F C7
META 43 7B 01 34 13 7F 7F F7
META 43 7B 01 27 00 7F 7F Bb

This is really all it takes to turn a Standard MIDI file into an XF MIDI file.

I am including the Yamaha XF Format Specifications as a ZIP attachment.
Pages 19 and 20 explains how the Chord Names are mapped to their MetaData values.

The significance of this enhancement to Dorico will be enormous to all Yamaha Arranger Keyboard players.

Any person would be able to compose a Melody Line in Dorico, write in the Chords, export to an XF MIDI file and have it played back on the GENOS, Yamaha’s flagship arranger keyboard, or the CVP-809, Yamaha’s top of the line Clavinova.

Here is where it gets interesting.

You can select any of the 550 built-in styles on the GENOS to provide instant full accompaniment to your melody line while the Chord changes happen automatically driven by the embedded Chord META Events in the XF MIDI file.

It works like magic!

Within a few minutes you can explore dozens of Styles to get more inspiration to compose your melody.

This is the fastest way to sketch out ideas based on a melody line you have in your head.

The Yamaha XF Format is recognized by the GENOS, Tyros and PSR series of Arrangers as well as the CVP series of all Yamaha Clavinovas.

As of today, the only other Music Notation Software that can write to the Yamaha XF format is Notation Composer 4 which sells for $98.

I can take a score from Dorico, export to the Music XML format, import that into Notation Conposer 4 and Export it to an XG MIDI file. Notation Composer 4 automatically adds the Chord META Events turning this into an XF MIDI file.

Once Dorico gets the ability to Export to XF MIDI, it will be a game changer. I would be able to do everything from within Dorico.

Dorico sets a new benchmark on how a modern interface can simplify the workflow from Project Setup, to Composing, Arranging, Performing and Printing.

Dorico is a joy to use!

Dorico is poised to become the next generation Music Notation Software eclipsing all competition.

I would like to publicly thank you and your team for all your hard work at Steinberg.

Best regards,

David Das

xfspec.zip (304.8 KB)

#6

Thanks, David, we’ll certainly take a look at this when we get a chance, but I can’t promise when it will be.