MicNotator

For best results with MicNotator, follow these basic guidelines:

The purpose of MicNotator is to allow users to input notes via a wind instrument instead of a MIDI keyboard. This version of MicNotator is not designed for use with a vocalist (i.e., does not accommodate wide vibrato, glissandi, etc.). When using MicNotator, keep in mind that the desired result is to notate and print the music as you want it, not to record your performance. So think of it more like a typewriter and less like a tape recorder.

 Note: MicNotator does not support Windows NT 4.0 or earlier.

Setting up MicNotator

• Plug the microphone into your computer. Make sure it is plugged into the Mic In port, not Line In. If you’re using a Mac that does not have a Mic port, you may need a USB to microphone adapter, such as the iMic from Griffin Technology.
• From the MIDI menu, choose Device Setup > Audio Setup. The MicNotator dialog box appears.
• Place a checkmark on Enable MicNotator.
• Under Mic Level, use the slider to control the microphone input level. THE MIC LEVEL IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SUCCESSFUL NOTE ENTRY WITH MIC NOTATOR. For best results, use the small clip-on PrintMusic microphone available from MakeMusic Customer Service at 1.800.843.2066.To set the mic level, follow these steps:
• Place the microphone as follows:

• Play your instrument and watch the level lights.
• Move the slider next to the level light up or down to obtain the correct input level. The lights should be green most of the time; red is too high, blue is too low. Occasional red readings are acceptable. To ensure accurate pitch detection, follow the guidelines for mic placement and mic level above.

Using MicNotator with Speedy Entry

Before you begin, make sure you’ve set up the MicNotator for your instrument. See Setting Up MicNotator. You’ll need to use the Hands-Free MIDI method (unless you can play one-handed). For more details, see Speedy Entry.

• Click the Speedy Entry tool  , and click a measure. The editing frame appears.
• Press caps lock; then press the number key on the computer keyboard corresponding to the value you want to enter. In other words, you’re now telling PrintMusic what the note values are going to be before you specify the pitches. A smaller note value, such as an eighth note, works better for later editing.

The number you press appears in the lower-left corner of the editing frame.

• Play the notes on your instrument. Each note you play appears in the score; if Jump to Next Measure is checked in the Speedy menu, the editing frame advances automatically as soon as you fill each measure. It’s safe to outplay PrintMusic, too; it will remember up to 500 notes (and continue to notate them as fast as your computer allows).
• Edit the notes for the proper rhythms. See Speedy Entry.

Using MicNotator with Simple Entry

Make sure you’ve set up the MicNotator for your instrument. See Setting Up MicNotator. You’ll be using the Simple Entry Caret to do this. For more details, see Simple Entry. 

• Click the Simple Entry tool  .
• From the Simple menu, choose Use MIDI Device for Input.
• Under the Simple menu, ensure Use Simple Entry Caret is checked. The Simple Entry Caret appears in the score.
• Click or use the arrow keys to place the caret where you would like to start entering notes.
• Choose the duration of the note you want to enter (by clicking a duration icon or pressing its corresponding keystroke). See Keyboard Shortcuts - Simple Entry.
• Play the notes on your instrument. Each note you play appears in the score of the duration selected. Use keystrokes to quickly change durations between notes. It’s safe to outplay PrintMusic, too; it will remember up to 500 notes (and continue to notate them as fast as your computer allows). To record notes without help from the computer keyboard to specify duration, use the Hyperscribe entry method (see below).

Using MicNotator with HyperScribe

Before you begin, make sure you’ve set up the MicNotator for your instrument. See Setting Up MicNotator. For more details about HyperScribe, see Recording with HyperScribe. 

MicNotator will notate what you play, so your performance should reflect the desired printed results, rather than the desired sound. For instance, if you play eighth notes in a staccato style, they may come out as sixteenth notes rather than eighth notes. So you should play the full duration of all notes. Also, you will experience better results if you input notes at a slow tempo.

Follow the basic guidelines for quantization that you would use with MIDI input. As a general rule, you should quantize to the smallest duration that you will play (i.e., if your smallest duration is an eighth, quantize to the eighth note rather than the sixteenth). The No Tuplets quantization setting produces the best results. Even if you have triplets in your performance, you will have better results using the No Tuplets setting and then editing the triplet measures (using the speedy note tool).

• Make sure MicNotator is set to a unique input channel. See MicNotator dialog box.
• From the MIDI menu, choose Quantization Settings. The Quantization Settings dialog box appears.
• Adjust the settings, then click OK. See Quantization Settings dialog box for more information.
• Click the HyperScribe tool  . The HyperScribe menu appears.
• From the HyperScribe menu, choose Recording Tempo and Click. The Recording Tempo and Click dialog box appears. (SeeRecording Tempo and Click dialog box).
• Click the note duration you would like to use for your beat.
• Enter the tempo into the Tempo text box.
• Click on Click and Countoff to set up your click and countoff options. For details, see Playback – Click and Countoff.
• Click OK. You return to the score.
• From the HyperScribe menu, choose Record Mode submenu, then Record into One Staff. MicNotator only supports single pitch instruments.
• To start recording, click the measure in which you want PrintMusic to begin recording. Or, choose Playback Controls from the Window menu, if it isn’t already selected. Change the measure if necessary, then click Record in the Playback Controls.

Note: If you click a measure to start recording, PrintMusic will start recording into the measure you clicked, not the measure displayed in the Playback Controls.

• Click anywhere on the screen to stop recording. If the quantization settings weren’t quite right, change them; then click the first measure and try the performance again. HyperScribe will overwrite whatever music is already on the staff.

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