Score Error?


Attached is a screen shot of a MusicXML file that was created in PhotoScore and imported into Cubase. There is a green line on the score in the second staff, and I have no idea what it means. Can anyone help?

(to confirm, just look in Preferences>Scores>Colors for Additional Meanings, and see if that green corresponds with “Moved Graphic”). I am pretty sure that what we are seeing there is a long crescendo (scissors), not at is correct position. I have sometimes seen Cubase import extraneous crescendos by Music XML. You should be able to select it (even while it is that horrible green :wink: ) and simply delete it.

Thanks Vic. I had tried yesterday, but was unable to delete the line. However, when I re-opened the project today, the green line has mysteriously disappeared. BTW there are no crescendos in the printed score.

Do you mean, not in the original?

Yes I mean not in the original.

However, I do have an additional update. The third time I opened the project the green lines were back. By playing with the colors in the preferences I figured out these were moved slurs. (There are no slurs either in the original score, only ties.) Although I was unable to delete these in the score editor, I looked in the list editor and found a number of slur events which I deleted to correct the problem.

(I’ve found that there’s still quite a bit of “voodoo” going on with Music. XML… even with exports from Cubase itself, re-imported back into Cubase!)

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of room for interpretation in the MusicXML standard. Your example to the contrary, its seems that the only test Cubase ever uses is whether or not it can successfully import its own export. Two examples:

  1. Before the chord track was implemented, I could always export MusicXML from Cubase and import it into Finale, and the chords symbols would be correctly represented. After the chord track, chord symbols in a MusicXML score imported into Finale would be displayed with both the root note and the bass note even though the two were the same (e.g. C/C).

  2. Cubase exports note numbers starting at 0 whereas Finale uses drum note numbers starting at 1. So if I want to export a drum track in MusicXML I have to set up a special drum map in Cubase with the O-Notes as n+1.

I have reported both these problems to Cubase support and their answer is: If we can export a MusicXML file and then re-import it back into Cubase, we consider the export correct. That misses the whole point of having a MusicXML function in the first place. Why bother creating a MusicXML export function if another product can’t use it?

Not that I know anything about these things, but the next question immediately springs to mind… Is it possible that Finale is the odd one out here…? For example, do all (or most) other apps, like Cubase, start their note numbers at ‘1’…?

Sorry, just being provocative, to encourage the discussion. (Then I thought - oh no, will this just turn into another ‘Standards’ merry-go-round of manufacturer blame and counter claim about compliance…?)

Wonder what the R&D team in London’s view on all this is and what their new app will support…? Might be a good question to pose, at Daniel’s next Q&A (forum blog) session.

Usually in cases where there is a gray area in a standard, the dominant industry product prevails. I’m not sure that either Cubase or Finale are the dominant industry product, or for that matter, if there is one. I think in this case it would probably be the leading score editor which, in the US at least, would be either Finale or Sibelius.

In support of the root note/bass note error I will say that MusicXML exports from Cubase which I import into Notion, a popular iPad scoring app, started having the same problem after the addition of the chord track in Cubase.

Indeed. There’s no need for MusicXML at all if just importing/exporting from Cubase. I hope they can get something sorted out by the next version. There was talk of the team in London having a look at the current score editor, but I don’t know if anything will change before the new scroring software is released.

If they are seriously undertaking a score editor upgrade project that is indeed good news. As far as DAW’s go the Cubase score editor is the best of the lot, definitely better that the next closest two–Logic and Pro Tools. On the other hand, the Cubase score editor still lacks features that entry level score products (like Finale Print Music) have such as correct guitar chord representation in tablature mode and Roman numeral chord symbol translation. I haven’t seen a score editor wish list posted here in a long time. I may be motivated to generate one and hope that others join in.

Good idea!