Info Catalog lilypond-usage: Converting from other formats lilypond-usage: Invoking musicxml2ly

lilypond-usage: Invoking midi2ly

 
 4.3.1 Invoking ‘midi2ly’
 ------------------------
 
 ‘midi2ly’ translates a Type 1 MIDI file to a LilyPond source file.
 
    MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) is a standard for digital
 instruments: it specifies cabling, a serial protocol and a file format.
 The MIDI file format is a de facto standard format for exporting music
 from other programs, so this capability may come in useful when
 importing files from a program that has a converter for a direct format.
 
    ‘midi2ly’ converts tracks into (lilypond-internals)Staff and
 channels into (lilypond-internals)Voice contexts.  Relative mode
 is used for pitches, durations are only written when necessary.
 
    It is possible to record a MIDI file using a digital keyboard, and
 then convert it to ‘.ly’.  However, human players are not rhythmically
 exact enough to make a MIDI to LY conversion trivial.  When invoked with
 quantizing (‘-s’ and ‘-d’ options) ‘midi2ly’ tries to compensate for
 these timing errors, but is not very good at this.  It is therefore not
 recommended to use ‘midi2ly’ for human-generated midi files.
 
    It is invoked from the command-line as follows,
      midi2ly [OPTION]... MIDI-FILE
 
    Note that by ‘command-line’, we mean the command line of the
 operating system.  See Converting from other formats, for more
 information about this.
 
    The following options are supported by ‘midi2ly’.
 
 ‘-a, --absolute-pitches’
      Print absolute pitches.
 
 ‘-d, --duration-quant=DUR’
      Quantize note durations on DUR.
 
 ‘-e, --explicit-durations’
      Print explicit durations.
 
 ‘-h, --help’
      Show summary of usage.
 
 ‘-k, --key=ACC[:MINOR]’
      Set default key.  ACC > 0 sets number of sharps; ACC < 0 sets
      number of flats.  A minor key is indicated by ‘:1’.
 
 ‘-o, --output=FILE’
      Write output to FILE.
 
 ‘-s, --start-quant=DUR’
      Quantize note starts on DUR.
 
 ‘-t, --allow-tuplet=DUR*NUM/DEN’
      Allow tuplet durations DUR*NUM/DEN.
 
 ‘-v, --verbose’
      Be verbose.
 
 ‘-V, --version’
      Print version number.
 
 ‘-w, --warranty’
      Show warranty and copyright.
 
 ‘-x, --text-lyrics’
      Treat every text as a lyric.
 
 
 Known issues and warnings
 .........................
 
 Overlapping notes in an arpeggio will not be correctly rendered.  The
 first note will be read and the others will be ignored.  Set them all to
 a single duration and add phrase markings or pedal indicators.
 

Info Catalog lilypond-usage: Converting from other formats lilypond-usage: Invoking musicxml2ly