Conversion to/from compound time

Dorico
1

Hi! I’m a composer, that composes in Dorico.
When starting out a section it’s very difficult to know if I should write in compound (e.g. 12/8) or in straight time (4/4). So I typically write some 20-60bars, then realize: “Oh, I should have done this in compound time”. So I need to convert.
In Dorico, as is, then I need to rewrite everything. My workaround is exporting to Sibelius, that has a straight to compound plugin. But, this just takes care of the basics.

What I’d expect from a “Next Generation Scoring Software” is to flick between straight and compound with the switch of a button. In many ways, it should be so simple, and it would be so helpful.

Thanks!

4 Likes
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Yes, it should and would.

B.

3

Presumably it converts 2+1 in compound time into 3+1 in simple?

Does it convert equal notes in 4/4 into duplets, or ‘swing’ them?

Isn’t there scope for ambiguity/wrongness?

You’ll find that the phrase “It should be easy to implement this” gets a very bad reception. You can’t know how easy it is to implement, unless you’re on the Dorico development team.

1 Like
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This is in a way very standard stuff.
Triplets eights in 4/4 becomes 3 eights in 12/8,
2 eights in 4/4 becomes duplet eight in 12/8, and vice versa.

I’m not saying it’s easy on the technical side, but on the concept-side it’s quite simple.
Of course there are complicated matters, like other tuplets, strange meters and corner-cases.
But, the basics, that would take care of 99% of my needs is quite straight forward.

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In all fairness, that’s not what he said. I read it as it should be simple to do the task, not simple to implement.

B.

6

This is a nightmare to convert

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7

Actually it is very simple, if you are careful (I think the hardest part is the triplet quavers tied to a crotchet).
The basic “change time sig, insert mode on, filter tuplets, delete” routine works fine.

Just remember that any note/rest that is not in a tuplet needs to be adjusted manually (eg crotchet to dotted crotchet etc.) - there are about a dozen of them to do.

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I managed to do the lower line by that method. Not easy, by ok.
The other ones was so difficult to get right that I needed to rewrite half of it.
Maybe one day, when I have black belt super-user in Dorico I’ll mange this well :slight_smile:

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As a former software engineer, I have to (politely) disagree (to an extent). (Resurrecting this thread because I’m just now tackling the same issue myself.)

The mathematics of rhythm and ratios are extremely well-understood, and this is not a new problem space with new territory to explore with every new user. We know that Dorico’s rhythm system is based on beats rather than notes; that notes are attached to positions based on a rhythm grid rather than being positioned relative to each other (while also interacting with each other in some complex ways that depend on voicing and other options); and we know that the Dorico team prefer to start new features by encoding certain sensible defaults, and then creating configurable options for users to alter those defaults in sensible and predictable ways based on stated user desires that align with the product’s direction and vision.

Given the above, the application of, say, a 12/8 time signature onto existing music in 4/4 or vice versa, with triplets, could be implemented with a single switch that applies in both directions: “Preserve rhythm relationships” or something similar. You could start by only permitting an enumerated set of conversion possibilities:

2/4 ↔ 3/8
2/4 ↔ 6/8
3/4 ↔ 3/8
3/4 ↔ 9/8
4/4 ↔ 6/8
4/4 ↔ 12/8

Some of those might mandate the “Preserve” switch to be on, or otherwise.

Application of the transform would require each note to be evaluated for a change of both grid position and duration. But for each of the mappings above, if the “Preserve” switch is on, that’s a simple arithmetic operation; if there are complex tuplets, I’d just want them preserved across the transform in either direction, occupying the same amount of the grid relative to the time signature – again, a straightforward arithmetic operation.

Difficult conversions (ie. requiring more user input to determine intent) would need more options to cover eg. Applying a 9/8 time signature to 4/4

Anything involving metreless music or irrational time signatures would be outside of the scope of this functionality, which would be strictly concerned with simple ↔ compound conversions.

Now, when I’m writing user stories for development teams, I try not to say “how” the problem I’m describing could or should be solved, because they will know best, and I don’t want to anchor their thinking. The above is a combination of what I would hope to see as a user, and some thinking out loud about implementation. (And I’ve ignored when “Preserve” is off, as that would be a huge topic to explore, and it’s 0100 where I am!)

As ever, there is a relevant XKCD: xkcd: Tasks
image

Right now I’m going to attempt to do my own manual conversion before going to bed. Wish me luck!

4 Likes
10

+1
Been a while, and this is still a nightmare. All too often I start a piece only to find out way too late that it should have been in compound time.