I’m trying to create optimal, editable MIDI, exporting a MIDI file from my Logic Pro session (I’m doing this instead of MusicXML because I need the MIDI tempo map to be exact so I can sync it with something). However, I still can’t for the life of me figure out a suitable workflow due to the current limitations of Dorico 2.1’s MIDI import functionality, and I was wondering if there were any workaround possible. Here’s what I did: in Logic Pro, I selected MIDI and “normalized” any MIDI region or other parameters, then exported. First, I tried importing into Sibelius. When doing so, I’m asked to round to the shortest valued notes on import (I chose 16th) and the shortest valued triplet (I chose 8th note triplets). I got the resulting sort of input, which was highly usable (here’s just the first untouched page from Sibelius):
As you can see, more messy note overlaps and more editing necessary.
Finally, I thought: why not import into Sibelius FIRST, then export MIDI from Sibelius, THEN import THIS into Dorico? However, when I did this, I got the exact same Dorico result as in the above (surprising to me - I was presuming that what I saw in Sibelius was what would be exported, not - I’m guessing — the underlying MIDI data which I presume was actually retained).
My question: Is there ANY way to create MIDI that looks closer to the Sibelius example, to reduce the amount of editing I would need to do to the data once in Dorico? Any thoughts would be appreciated (I have a tight deadline and would much otherwise prefer to switch to Dorico, but this is definitely getting in the way). Note that I’ve tried editing more in Logic first, but this is also very time-consuming and seems unnecessary since this step wasn’t needed when using Sibelius. Much thanks in advance -
Just an update: I think I may have found a workaround, which I’ll share in case anyone runs into the same problem: After exporting MIDI from Logic, I’m importing it into Dorico (just to set up the instruments automatically, afterwards deleting the actual notes); and then also importing the same Logic MIDI file into Sibelius (using their better import options, at least at present). I then export from Sibelius using MusicXML, and import the MusicXML file into Dorico into a 2nd flow. I then simply select all, filter just notes/chords, then paste into the first flow. Tempo map retained, with better MIDI requiring less editing …
Fingers crossed (as we’ve already been discussing) that Dorico will come up with an even more “kick ass” solution to MIDI import than Sibelius’ already decent one (which I’m sure you guys will, since every other feature you’ve addressed has certainly ended up that way thus far!)
Dorico’s midi import is still at quite a preliminary stage, but we’ve got lots of ideas for how to improve it. I’m pretty confident that we’ll ultimately have an import that can do a better job than Sibelius, as the handsome, modest chap that wrote the one in Sibelius has about 15 years more experience now, and will use that extra expertise to improve the Dorico one.
If you have a midi file that doesn’t import well, as above, then he would love to receive them for improving our algorithms. You can mail them to him directly at p dot walmsley at steinberg dot de
File emailed. It would be amazing to have an even better experience than Sibelius. I’d ideally like to count more on the importing program (Dorico) to sort out the “raw” MIDI data on import, rather than having to do more tweaking in Logic (since the Logic MIDI data is designed to optimize for demo playback, not for perfect “actual” rhythmical placement). Until then, being able to tell Sibelius to round to the nearest 16th note and to look out only for 8th note triplets in addition, etc. on import does seem to help. But I definitely welcome an even better, perhaps more automatic way to “sort out” raw MIDI data imported from a DAW into Dorico, in the future, for sure.
…