Contents How to Best Use this Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v View One Part. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.10 Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Measures in Each System / System Breaks. . . . 3.12 Automatic Software Updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Measure / Staff / System Spacing. . .
CHAPTER 7: Create A New Score Create a New File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 Create a New File from Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.3 Assign Initial Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 Assign Clef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6 Assign Key Signature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 12: Instrument Markings Common Markings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.2 Special Markings for Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.3 Special Markings for Woodwinds. . . . . . . . . . . . .12.4 Special Markings for Brass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.5 Special Markings for Keyboards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.6 Special Markings for Harp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How To Best Use This Guide / Technical Support This document divides topics into logical chapters that build in complexity as you progress into the guide. This guide is best viewed in Adobe Acrobat or Apple Preview for Mac, which supply thorough search capabilities. Where Can I Go for More Information? In the Menu bar, under the Help menu heading: 88 Shortcuts to open a printable PDF sheet of all keyboard shortcuts arranged by set: >> English (U.S.) set (uses letters for durations, e.g.
Automatic Software Updates / 64-bit For technical information, and to make a technical support ticket, go to http://support.presonus.com or your My.PreSonus.com account. This area of the PreSonus Web site alerts you to any major developments, including installation tips, and enables you to download the latest updates to the software. Automatic Software Updates You can set Notion to check and download software updates either automatically or manually: To set up how you will update Notion software: 1.
New in Notion 6.4 - Quick Overview New in Notion 6.4 Further integration with PreSonus Studio One: for more details, check our Notion 6.4 blog post at presonus.com New checkbox “Link to metadata” in Score>Add Title/Header/Footer. This unlinks a new text box from others of the same style meaning you can create multiples of e.g. copyright notices. This is useful for e.g.
Studio One interop: Studio One application launcher added to the ‘Send to Studio One’ dialog Positioning articulations: you can now select an articulation and use cursor arrow keys to position them - for fine positioning, use Shift+arrow Chords and enharmonics: you can now use the enharmonic tool (Shift+E) with attached chord symbols Dynamic parts list: Score>Dynamic Parts is now in your current score order, rather than the order in which the instruments were created Home and End: End key now navigates to e
New in Notion 6 - Quick Overview New in Notion 6.0 General Three new languages: Korean, Italian and Simplified Chinese now available (alongside English U.S., English UK, German, Spanish, French and Japanese) - Go to Preferences (Cmd/Ctrl+’) and select Language. Restart for the changes to take effect. Export PDF on Windows: Go to File - Print to PDF to natively print PDF on Windows. Mac users have this built in to the Print menu. High DPI display on Windows: Notion now supports High-DPI displays.
Notion Score Library: A collection of over 200 public domain scores all in the Notion format, that includes orchestral and piano works that can be used in a variety of ways from accompaniment to score study. Make sure you download the folder from your my.presonus.com account. A complete list of files can be found within the folder. Layout controls View/Hide Layout Handles: Go to View>Show Layout Handles or Cmd/Ctrl+L. Respace measure widths: Show Layout Handles and drag to respace.
CHAPTER 1: EXPLORE NOTION Startup Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Main Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 NTempo Mode or Edit Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . .
Startup Screen When you first open Notion, you view the Startup screen. This offers a quick way for you to jump right to the activity you want. You can also access Notion’s menu bar in this view. The Notion Startup screen. Start a Piece Click New Score to create a blank new score. Open a Score If you want to open a Notion score that is not in the Recent Files list, select Open. The Open dialog box for your computer’s operating system displays.
Select Your Keyboard Shortcut Set Most beginning users point-and-click with the mouse to activate and control features. This is a comfortable way to begin becoming familiar with Notion operations. As a quicker alternative to mouse clicks alone, you can press keys on your keyboard to activate or adjust Notion features (keyboard shortcuts). Although most users mix mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts, the more keyboard shortcuts you use, the less time it takes to Enter and edit scores.
Main Components With Notion, you work with controls and indicators in two main windows, plus small temporary windows called “dialog boxes.” Major Notion components (Mac). A B C D E F G H Menu bar: A thin strip providing text-based access to commonly used Notion features. Toolbar: A control panel near the top with various buttons, controls, and indicators. Score area: The large area where you view scores and edit notes, rests, and other musical markings.
Menu Bar With the Menu Bar, you click text to access commonly used features. In this thin strip are a few headings. When you click a heading, a drop-down menu appears with more options. Windows At the far right appear standard Windows buttons to minimize, restore, and quit the program. Press F11 for toggle full screen window Mac Note the three buttons on the left of the score window, to close the file, minimise the window, or make the window full screen.
NTempo (Performance) Mode or Edit Mode Notion operates in one of two modes of operation: 88 NTempo mode – This is Notion’s live-performance mode. This way, you can perform, navigate, and experiment with no chance of accidentally editing the score. 88 Edit mode – Enables you to create and edit the score. A number of features in Notion are available in both modes, and some features are available only in one or the other mode.
Toolbar The Toolbar The icons located in the toolbar allow the user easy access to tools frequently used. A - Handwriting Entry. Enter notes either directly into the Score Area, or turn on the optional handwriting zoom area B - Virtual Keyboard. Enter notes and chords or audition a melody on this interactive keyboard. C - Virtual Drumpad. Enter the desired drum or pitch while in step-time entry mode. D - Virtual Fretboard. Enter notes and chords or audition a melody with the interactive fretboard.
Virtual Instruments The virtual instruments allow you to Enter or audition notes/chords by selecting a duration and clicking the note on the instrument to either audition or Enter the note. Choose whether you’d like to Enter music as single note (melody) or multiple notes (chord). If entering chords, hit the Enter key to repeat the previous chord Choose the pencil icon to Enter notes as you select them on the virtual instrument. Choose the speaker icon to audition notes on the virtual instrument.
Score Area The largest section of the Notion window is the score area. Here you Enter and edit notes, rests, lyrics, and other musical symbols onto a score. Although you can have multiple scores open, each one appears in a separate window. Notion supports different page views you select on a per-score basis.
Entry Palette Click to Access Commonly Used Score Symbols Only available in Edit mode, the Entry Palette enables you to access markings you can place on your score by clicking an option appearing in popup menus. Most of the time, clicking on a graphic or text places a representation of that item on your Music Cursor. A few options, such as key signature, open up a separate dialog box with properties you can edit.
Hovering and Clicking To access options, simply move your cursor over a visible graphic pane, and the upper tier automatically opens. Moving your cursor to a different pane automatically closes the current menu of options and opens a different one. To lock the upper tier open, just click once on any bottom-tier pane. Keeping a group of options locked open is especially useful for such activities as Entering notes and rests into a score.
Pane Contents Pane Contents Pane Contents Pointer and textcentric markings Dynamic marks Score-level markings Accidentals Instrument-specific score markings Clefs and octave transpositions Note/rest entry Chord library Barlines, Repeats and Cuts Articulations Fretted-instrument techniques 1.
Mixer To control audio output, Notion provides an audio mixer. Created to resemble a hardware console, you access this virtual mixing board by opening a separate window in either Edit mode or NTempo mode. Open the Mixer To display the Mixer window, complete one of the following: 88 Click the button at the left end of the toolbar, or 88 Press the Mixer open/close keyboard shortcut.
Score Setup One other Notion component you will use often is Score Setup. This semi-transparent overlay on top of the score area enables you to very quickly add, move, change, and delete staves. You must be in Edit mode to use Score Setup. There are various ways of opening it up. You can: 88 Click the button in the toolbar, or 88 Go to the Menu bar and select Score > Setup, or 88 Use the keyboard shortcut of Windows: Ctrl + T; Mac: + T. Score Setup overlay over the score area (Mac).
Set Up Audio Troubleshoot Notion Sounds In rare situations after an installation or major upgrade, Notion may not be able to work with the recorded samples needed to produce instrument sounds in playback. Either you hear no instruments or you only hear a piano for each instrument. Go to the Menu Bar and select Windows: File > Preferences; Mac: Notion > Preferences. In the dialog box, click the Audio Tab. Then click the Locate Samples button.
1. If the currently active device is not the one you want to use for playback, click one of the other radio buttons on the left (Note: The Windows Default is the device you have currently configured in the Windows control panel for audio; WASAPI is available on Vista and Windows 7 platforms only). » Descriptors of all devices on your computer appear in the box on the right as you click different device-type options. 2.
Set Up MIDI Devices You have the option in Notion of setting up external MIDI devices as an alternative to a computer keyboard or as sound sources to supplement Notion’s built-in sound library. Set up a MIDI Keyboard You have the option in Notion of using an external MIDI keyboard to: 88 Perform scores, instead of using a computer keyboard. 88 Use Live Play to play anything you want live using a Notion instrument’s sounds.
◙◙MIDI IO Tab in Preferences. 1. Click the top drop-down list under the MIDI Input section. » The list identifies all MIDI devices registered and operating on your computer that are ready to send MIDI information to applications such as Notion. Select one, or None; on a Mac, you also can enable All devices. 2. In Input type, specify if you will be using a MIDI keyboard (the default) or a MIDI guitar. 3. To finish: Windows: Click OK; Mac: Close the dialog box.
Help Options Help Menu Items The menu items for help, maintenance, and learning to use the software include: Menu Item Details About Displays the release version of Notion in the lower right corner. This information may be helpful to PreSonus Technical Support if you encounter a problem. This dialog box also introduces the team that brings Notion to you. Check for Updates Discussed under Technical Support. Software Activation Starts a wizard to activate your copy of Notion.
CHAPTER 2: NOTION FILES Open a File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Save, Save As, and Revert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Export to WAV/mp3 File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4 Export to MIDI or MusicXML Files. . . . . . . . 2.5 Print a Score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.6 Dynamic Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open A File You can open an existing score to play, perform, or edit. You can double-click a Notion file (a file that has an extension of .Notion) on your hard drive or use the Open dialog box or the Open Recent list. You can open multiple files; each score appears in a separate Notion window. Using the Open Dialog Box You can use an Open dialog box to browse and open a Notion file. 1.
Save, Save As, and Revert It is good practice to get in the habit of frequently saving the edits you make. You can save your updates in the same file or as a new file in Notion format. You also have the option of saving the score to another format (an export) other than Notion. To keep in an existing file any new changes you made to the score or Mixer settings, either: 88 Use a keyboard shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + S; Mac: + S, or 88 Go to the Menu Bar and select File > Save.
Export to Audio File You can export your scores from Notion to digital audio files so anyone can listen to your composition. WAV (.wav) and mp3 files are easily added to recordable CDs or flash drives, or to post on the Web or send in an e-mail. Or, you can import the contents of audio files into a digital audio workstation. Audio File Export WAV files are uncompressed files that are relatively large but contain the most information about each sound.
Export to MIDI or MusicXML / Export for SMP Press Export to MIDI or MusicXML You can export Notion scores to MIDI or MusicXML files, useful for sharing your work with people who do not have Notion. Just as you can use MusicXML or MIDI import to bring scores created in other programs into Notion, you can also export your work out to these other formats. With this feature, the essential information in scores you create or update in Notion can be played and edited in other programs that support either format.
iOS Integration Exporting to Notion iPhone or iPad app 88 Save your Notion file as you normally would. 88 You can get the file to your iPad or iPhone in a few different ways. You can: email it; transfer it via iTunes on your computer; placing it in Dropbox; or in your iCloud Drive folder (iCloud Drive is available on both Mac and Windows).
Print a Score You can print an entire score, specific pages, or multiple parts with just one click. The software has a “what you see is what you get” approach to simplify printing. Nearly everything that is visible in the score area will be included; exceptions include highlight boxes and hidden objects/staves. Notion components outside the score area, such as the Mixer and Fretboard, are not included in printouts.
Page Setup Be careful: Changing Page Setup options, especially your choice of page size, will affect the layout of your score. Reducing paper size could move measures off one page and onto the next, throwing off any considerations you may have built into a score for page turns, or may cut off staves in large scores at the bottom of sheets. If you must reduce the paper size of your score, and you encounter these or similar spacing problems, see if reducing the font size helps.
Dynamic Parts Since hardcopy printouts are based on what is currently visible on your computer monitor, you can quickly print out specific parts (for individual musicians) by showing one instrument (Option 1) or a select few instruments (Option 2) or by printing multiple parts with one click (Option 3). Option 1: View a Dynamic Part The major advantage of this option is that you can quickly set up and switch from one part to another. 1. Go to the Menu bar and click Score > Dynamic Parts.
Option 2: Use Score Setup The one limitation with the previous option is that you always view and print out one part. If you happen to want two or more instruments (say, for sectional rehearsals), you can use the procedure below. 1. To open Score Setup: >> Click the Score Setup button at the left end of the toolbar, or >> Press a keyboard shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + T; Mac: + T. ◙◙Score Setup. 2. View the leftmost edge of the first page so you see staff. 3.
Close or Exit/Quit With Close, you close an individual file but keep Notion running. With Exit (Windows) or Quit (Mac), you quit the program completely. Close a Score To close individual file but keep Notion operating: 88 Press Windows: Ctrl + W; Mac: + W, or 88 Select File > Close from the Menu bar, or 88 Windows: Click the close button at the top right corner of the Notion window. Mac: Click the close button at the top left corner of the Notion window.
CHAPTER 3: CUSTOMIZE YOUR VIEW Zoom and Resize/Move Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Change Page View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Hide/Show Any Instrument. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4 Move Staves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 Notation Size and Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zoom and Resize/Move Window Change Zoom Setting Zoom settings adjust the magnification of what you see in the score area of the Notion window. (Zoom is unavailable in the Mixer window.) To quickly jump from one factoryset zoom level to the next, you can use keyboard shortcuts or the Menu bar. When you zoom with keyboard shortcuts in NTempo mode, the software focuses the zoom on the current position of the playback marker.
Change Page View Notion provides different ways of viewing a score. All views automatically update to the next location in the score as you perform or play it and share the same operations in playback and editing. Go to the Menu bar and click View. Select one of the three options at the top of the menu: 88 Pages Across – This traditional page view moves “west to east” through the score with visible page breaks.
Hide/Show Any Instrument With Notion, you can hide individual items on staves and can hide entire parts (instruments/staves) in your score. This is very useful for reducing a score down to a few parts so a printout only has a solo and piano parts, or to temporarily reduce screen clutter while editing a big score. Since you are hiding a part, not deleting it, you can always show it whenever you want in the future.
Move Staves The specific order you see instruments (staves) in a score follows the sequence found in traditional orchestration practices. However, you can change the sequence. Change Staff Order The order you select affects the sequence of instruments in all systems throughout the entire score. 1. To open Score Setup, either: >> Click the Score Setup button at the left end of the toolbar, or >> Press a keyboard shortcut: Windows: Ctrl + T; Mac: + T. 2.
Notation Size and Style You have the option of altering a current score’s font size or font choice (engraver or leadsheet style). Alter the Notation Size If you have a short, simple score, you can raise the size of markings and staves so they are easier to read and fill the page more aesthetically. Alternately, if you have a score with many instruments, you have the option of making the markings smaller to fit a page better. 1. Go to the Menu bar and select Score > Full Score Options>Layout.
Transposed or Concert Pitch By default, you view the notes you Enter into Notion scores as they would appear coming from a publisher. This includes having transposing instruments (such as the Bb trumpet) appear in transposed notation. If you want, you have the option of displaying all instruments at concert pitch. Viewing all instruments in the same tuning can be a help to beginning composers and can be an aid to fine-tuning problem areas in orchestration even for more experienced orchestrators.
Change Theme The default light-gray background in the score area is easy on the eyes and is the preferred “theme” for the score area for most users. But two other themes are available. White Background If you wish, you can switch to a higher-contrast white background. This is useful if you wish to create screenshots to put into a worksheet or publication.
Set Up Measure Numbers For quick reference, it’s helpful to know the measure number at each bar. When you look at the score in Continuous view, a measure-number bar provides this on an ongoing basis at the top of the score area. With other page views we recommend you have measure numbers appear at the top of the score. Unlike the measure-number bar, these numbers do appear in printouts. To specify how you want to see measure numbers on the score itself: 1.
View One Part Usually, you view all the instruments in each system in the score area. If you want to reduce the number of staves you see, Notion enables you to hide any number of instruments. But if you need to view (or print) only one part, the quickest way to do this is with Dynamic Parts. They are dynamic in that a change you make to the notation in the score appears in the part. The reverse is also true: If you decide to make a change to the notation in the part, it appears in the full score.
The settings you specify here affect all individual parts, but do not affect the appearance of the full score. Property See This Topic Location Notation size Notation Size and Style Notation style Measure numbers Set Up Measure Numbers This chapter First system titles Part Names and Abbreviations Following system titles Measures per system Measures in Each System Multi-measure rests See the discussion below this Table.
Measures in Each System / System Breaks Measures in Each System One quick way to affect the readability of a score in your computer monitor or in a printout is to specify a default number of measures you want to see in each system. The fewer measures in each system, the more space appears between notes, rests, and bar lines. 1. Go to the Menu bar and select Score > Full Score Options>Page. » The Options dialog box opens. 2.
Measure / Staff / System Spacing Measure Spacing You can adjust the spacing of a measure, if for example, you wish to make a measure clearer, or to space out any objects that are too close together. To adjust the spacing of a measure: 1. Go to View>Show Layout Handles (or Win: Ctrl+L Mac: Cmd+L) 2. Click and drag the squares that have appeared above the measures. The square will get filled in once you have dragged. Or you can drag the measure line, or time signatures and key signatures. 3.
Part Names and Abbreviations To help you quickly find a particular part in a system, each staff identifies its instrument with the instrument’s name or abbreviation. With the setting below you can control how staves identify their instruments in the score area in Pages Across or Pages Down page view. 1. Go to the Menu bar and select Score > Full Score Options. » The Options dialog box opens. 2.
Sequencer Overlay Notion allows you to view both notation and performance information within the same staff. This special mode is called Sequencer Overlay and can be accessed via View > Show > Sequencer Overlay (or by pressing Tab). When you enable Sequencer Overlay, you will see bars appearing on top of the noteheads in your score. Those bars represent the note’s duration and position and even velocity or dynamic.
CHAPTER 4: NTEMPO MODE Play or Perform a Score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Heads-Up Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Jump to Another Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4 Play a Score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6 Perform a Score (NTempo). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8 NTempo Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Play or Perform A Score Unlike most other music software, you don’t have to assign external sounds to instruments or set up MIDI channels (until you want to). In fact, as soon as you place a note in a score, you can start listening to your work with sounds of our built-in library. And as you add more notes and instruments, the sound just keeps getting better. NTempo Mode You can listen to Notion scores in either Edit or NTempo mode. However, you can perform your score in NTempo mode.
Heads-Up Display The Toolbar display at the middle of the Toolbar gives a summary of current playback conditions. For more information about playback status, Notion provides a more detailed Heads-Up Display (HUD). You decide when you want the display to appear. An example of the Notion Heads-Up Display (HUD). A B C D E F G A Rehearsal mark – If the score has rehearsal marks, the top center area identifies the mark that pertains to the current measure where the playback marker is.
Notion provides a number of different ways to move your current view of the score to another location when you are stopped and not currently in playback. Use Go To In a Go To dialog box, specify a measure number or rehearsal mark anywhere in the score to which you want the cursor to jump. 1. To open the Go To dialog box, either: >> Go to the Menu Bar and selecting View > Go To, or >> Use the keyboard shortcut of Windows: CTL+ G; Mac: + G, or >> Right-click the Timeline. ◙◙Go To dialog box (Mac). 2.
Play a Score This playback option has Notion interpret metronome marks in the score to determine playback tempo (you do not tap). If the score does not have a metronome mark, then the software plays at the moderate speed of 90. With this CD-like playback you can start at any measure, stop at any point and jump back where you last started (or the beginning). Play All Parts Play operates the same in either NTempo or Edit mode. 1. Inform Notion where in the score you want to start.
Adjust Tempo Even in Play, the software offers some limited control over tempo in real-time. By pressing Up Arrow (for faster) or Down Arrow (for slower), you can adjust the speed while the score plays. Each press can alter the tempo by 4 or 5 beats-per-minute: so this method is not as precise as NTempo control when you perform. Keyboard Shortcuts At a glance, here are the few keyboard shortcuts you can use to play a score. 88 To begin play, press the Spacebar.
Perform a Score (NTempo) With NTempo you have continuous control of tempo as you listen to your score. In NTempo Mode To perform, it’s best to be in NTempo mode. When in this mode, the NTempo button on the left side of the Transport will be light gray. If not, click the button. A green playback marker indicates where playback will begin. If the marker has double lines along the edges (as in the close-up on the right), the software is ready for your first key press.
Helpful Tidbits Other concepts to keep in mind: 88 To cut off your sound at the end of a piece, press an NTempo key one “extra” time. 88 One concept that is not immediately intuitive: you “perform” rests, too. If you happen to notice there are only rests in the score (or, more likely, in the particular part/section you are performing), you still continue to tap. 88 Especially when first getting used to the software, it is easy to get out of sync with the rest of the ensemble.
NTempo Staff By default, each tap of a key in NTempo playback corresponds to the pulse of the meter (examples: a quarter note in 4/4 time; an eighth note in 6/8 time). If a score contains dramatic passages that require more precise control, Notion offers an optional feature: the NTempo staff. Notes on this staff specify a time value at each keypress that can be less (or more) than a beat in the current meter. You will recognize this single-line staff by its distinctive blue-colored notes.
NTempo Keyboard Shortcuts Notion provides some convenient keyboard shortcuts for use with NTempo. Basic Shortcuts Reminder: you can use a MIDI keyboard instead of a computer keyboard; this is discussed later in this chapter. 88 Perform – Tap any key on the row from A through the single-quote key. 88 Pause or Cutoff – Press Q. 88 Stop – Press Spacebar or Esc. 88 Auto-Cruise – Set a tempo then press once the U key.
Vamps To add to the flexibility of performing in live settings, NTempo offers various vamps A vamp is a repeat with no predetermined number of playthroughs. Vamps supply audio interest during scene changes in stage musicals or other activities that have the potential of varying in length from one production to the next. You use keyboard shortcuts (or MIDI key presses) to control the duration of a vamp.
Sudden Vamp IneviTably, the unexpected will happen. If there’s a delay or miscue you’d like to cover, or a difficult spot a director or choreographer needs to have repeated often, you can use a sudden vamp. With this emergency vamp you decide on-the-fly which measures to repeat as well as the number of times. 1. As you perform through the score, glance ahead and determine a phrase you feel would make a good vamp. Determine how many measures are involved. 2.
Fades Although rarely used, automatic fades are available by computer keyboard or MIDI keys. The advantage with either type of fade is you can concentrate on tempo and let the software take the responsibility of altering the overall volume. The limitation is: although you control the tempo of the fade, you do not control the degree of volume change heard with each press. As soon as you press an NTempo key, the original volume level returns.
Skip Repeat On scores with repeat bars, performing always follows repeat signs in the score. However, if you need to take a repeated section once, and only take the second ending (if used), there’s a Take Next Repeat keyboard shortcut/MIDI key you can press. Take Next Repeat (Skip Repeat) To inform Notion to disregard an upcoming repeat bar/first ending: 1. Wait until you Enter a repeat (the playback marker passes the left repeat sign). 2.
MIDI Keyboard: Defaults You can use an external MIDI keyboard to control NTempo to perform a score. The major advantage to using a hardware controller instead of keys on a computer keyboard is most models are velocity sensitive: the harder you press keys, the louder the sound. Thus, you can control tempo and volume at the same time with a MIDI keyboard. You can use the defaults from the factory (detailed below) or customize one, some, or all the commands to suit your own preference.
Listed By Key: C below Middle C Move back by measure C# Move back by note in NTempo staff D Move forward by measure D# Move forward by note in NTempo staff; works as a cutoff or pause E Vamp previous four measures F Vamp previous three measures F# Move back to previous rehearsal mark G Vamp previous two measures G# Move forward to next rehearsal mark A Vamp previous measure A# Once: back to where you last started Twice: back to the beginning B Jump out of vamp or repeat Middle C key
MIDI Keyboard: Customize If for any reason you want to reassign any (or all) the keys on the MIDI keyboard for NTempo commands, you can open Performance Commands to switch from factory-set default keys to your own customized layout. The key assignments you specify will be in effect across all scores, until you make another change. And it’s easy to return back to default settings at any time in the future.
Change a Command’s Key You make changes to the layout one command at a time. You first set to none a key you want to use for another command; then assign that key to a new command. 1. In the row that has the command you want to change, press either the command text itself or the REC button. » The two buttons turn red and the REC button’s text changes to STOP. 2. Press a key on the MIDI keyboard.
MIDI Keyboard: Live Play If you have a MIDI keyboard, you have the option of playing anything you want – with any instrument sounds Notion can reach. With Live Play you can try out a solo on any available instrument (even from non-Notion sources such as VSTi and MIDI Out) as a solo – or with accompaniment as you play any score. All you do is select a part in a score, and everything you play will sound for that instrument.
CHAPTER 5: THE MIXER Channel Strips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Fader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 Pan, Mute, and Solo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 Insert VST Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5 VST Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.6 Master Channel Strip . . . . .
Channel Strips / VSTi + / ReWire Each channel strip in represents a separate instrument in your score. Large scores will therefore have a large number of separate instrument channel strips – too many than can be comforTably viewed at one time. Thus, you view a few channel strips at a time, grouped by different instrument sections.
Fader On an individual instrument basis you can control gain (volume). View Volume Levels A familiar “LED” display represents the volume of the instrument during playback. This peak meter dynamically displays a part’s current output volume - the louder the sound, the longer the bars become as they reach towards the top of the display. You are warned with red bars when the output is saturated and is susceptible to distortion or clipping.
Pan, Mute, and Solo Panning Immediately above the fader are controls for panning (specifying the left-right placement of the instrument in stereo). With the stereo sounds of Notion, you have two dimensions to specify: left/right placement and “width” of the sound. You drag the L dot (for left speaker) and/or the R dot (for the right speaker) to specify the sonic placement of the instrument in a stereo field.
Insert VST Effects You can assign up to eight VST effects from third-party manufacturers to the Insert buttons at the top of each Mixer channel strip. An Insert button that has an effect assigned to it turns blue. TIP: The more you “share” the same effect across a number of instruments, the less computer memory you consume (always a good idea for playback, especially with large scores). When possible, place effects on all parts at once or any subset of instruments.
Plug-in Manager With the Plug-in Manager you make your choice of VSTs and VSTis known to Notion and selectively remove from consideration other ones (while keeping them installed on your computer). If you have one or more installed VSTs that do not appear in an Insert button’s menu, or installed a VSTi that does not appear when you are in the process of adding a new staff in Score Setup, complete the following steps.
Add a New VST or VSTi If you installed a VST effect or VSTi and it does not appear on this list, click Browse. In the Open dialog box, browse to the location of the module. Either select certain ones directly (hold down the Windows: Ctrl Mac: key and click any number of VSTs) or select the folder to enable all the items inside the folder. Before you exit Plug-in Manager, ensure all your new entries are enabled. If you are using Notion in 64-bit mode, then only 64-bit VST can be enabled.
Master Channel Strip By default, the sounds from all instruments generated by Notion or VSTi modules arrive at the Mixer’s Master channel strip for final mixing before the output goes to your computer’s sound card. Since this is a centralized end point, this is a convenient place to control overall gain, pan, and effects. Access the Master Channel Strip If the Master channel strip is not currently visible, click the Master button (located in the upper right of the Mixer window).
Buses The best way to fine-tune the audio for any subset of the instruments in your score is to use buses. There are many creative ways to use buses, such as controlling the volume of any number of instruments you select or placing particular effects on some instruments. The Notion Mixer console supplies eight separate stereo buses (labeled A through H). Access the Bus Channel Strips If the bus channel strips are not currently visible, click the Bus button located in the upper right of the Mixer window.
To set a number in any circle, complete one of the following: 88 Click the circle once then drag your mouse upward to increase a number or downward to decrease it. (You can also use a left/right motion, if you prefer). Then click anywhere in the mixer away from the circle to keep the number. 88 If you prefer to type in a number, click a circle once. A temporary text box opens with the current number displayed. Replace the current number with a new value between 1 and 100. Decimals 1 through 9 are supported.
Output Button By default, all sounds from all instruments directly route to the Master channel strip. If you send to a bus, then some audio signals also route to bus channel strips (and then join up with the direct signals at the Master channel strip). Signals from the Master channel strip then route to your sound card to analog outputs (such as line out and headphone connectors) on your computer. With the Output button (located at the bottom of each channel strip), other options become possible.
Control Volume and Panning for Groups of Instruments Since Notion reads and responds to dynamics and other score markings in an exacting manner, you can go to a part that sounds a little drowned out and give that instrument a louder dynamic marking (or, placing a softer dynamic marking on loud instruments). After you save your change, the score retains the balance you wanted for every playback afterwards. This serves many situations well, especially when Notion is operating alone or as an accompaniment.
Send to External Equipment By default, sounds from Notion instruments route to your computer’s sound card. All mixing of instrument sounds and effects are completed by that point and you can hear your finished score played through speakers, headphones, or a house amplification system you hook up to your computer’s analog output connectors.
CHAPTER 6: EDITING TOOLS Edit Mode Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 Select and Highlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4 Undo and Redo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6 Cut, Copy, and Paste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7 Delete and Substitute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.8 Clear and Clear Special . . . . . . . . . . .
Edit Mode Operation Notion operates either in NTempo mode or Edit mode. You are in Edit mode when the button in the toolbar is grey. If it is blue, you are in NTempo mode (click the button to switch to Edit mode). As the names suggests, you must be in Edit mode to make any change to a score. You will notice several changes from NTempo mode operation: 88 You can view and use the Entry Palette only in Edit mode. 88 You view a light gray editing marker, only seen in Edit mode (discussed below).
As an example of how the Music Cursor works, here are the steps to adding a Fermata symbol: 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. Have the Entry Palette visible. 2. In the palette, hover over the fourth pane from the right: . 3. In the pop-up menu click the Fermata symbol. » Notice you have a representation of that symbol on your Music Cursor. 4. Position the Music Cursor so the fermata is in the location where you want it to appear in the score. ◙◙Position the symbol where you want it. 5.
Select and Highlight To inform Notion which items in your score you want to edit, copy, or delete, you first select or highlight them. With click-select, you click your mouse on one or more existing items. With highlight, you “draw” a box around them. Click-Select Items With your cursor as the Pointer (select tool), you can click-select an existing item in your score to edit it. 88 A click-selected item turns orange in color to show it is selected.
Quickly Highlight a Measure To quickly highlight certain staves (same measure): 1. Ensure your Music Cursor is the Pointer, then either: >> Double-click anywhere in the measure, or: >> Press Alt + A » Notion places an empty box in this one measure in all staves in the system. Only the staff you clicked is selected. If this is all you need, you are done with this procedure. 2.
Undo and Redo Part of the creative process involves changing your mind. Undo and Redo are two quick ways to alter recent edits. Notion offers a number of other ways to delete or substitute items already on your score. Undo With Undo you reverse a previous edit (even after saving a file if you have not closed it yet). Selecting Undo once reverses your last edit. Selecting Undo twice reverses the last two edits you completed, and so on.
Cut, Copy, and Paste Cut, copy, and paste are useful features to help save time as you create or edit your score. TIP: Notion also offers a time-saving method of copying and pasting measures containing repeating notation. See Duplicate. Cut 1. Highlight or click-select content of any size in your score. 2. Complete one of the following: >> Go to the Menu bar and select Edit > Cut, or >> Press Windows: Ctrl + X; Mac: + X, or >> Right-click and select Cut in the context menu.
Delete and Substitute For flexibility and speed, Notion offers different ways to change items you placed in the score area. Selecting the method to use depends partially on what you are doing at the moment and partially on your work style. To remove/change items you placed on a score, you can: 88 Click-select and delete any number of items, or 88 Delete what you highlight, or 88 Delete an entire part (instrument), or 88 Substitute a new duration for a note/rest – or multiple notes/rests at once.
In the example below, the middle box (with quarter notes) is unshaded and will not be deleted. ◙◙The contents of the top and bottom measures will be deleted 1. Complete one of the following: >> Press the Delete key, or >> Select either Edit > Delete or Edit > Clear (to empty out measures) in the Menu bar, or >> Right-click and select Edit > Delete in the context menu. Delete a Part (Staff) If needed, you can quickly remove certain staff(s) in your score. 1.
Clear and Clear Special Notion also provides a selective version of delete, called clear. Instead of a blanket removal, clear selects specific items for deletion. This advanced form of deletion can save significant time with updates and fine-tunings. Edit > Clear The difference between Edit > Delete and Edit > Clear is how the removal treats bar lines (measures). With a delete, everything highlighted/click-selected, including bar lines, are removed.
1. Below the dividing line are 15 options. Click as few or as many as you need deleted in one click: – Accidentals – Articulations – Slurs – Dynamics – Pedal markings – Instrument changes – Velocity overdubs – Measure rests – Tempo marks – rit. & accel. marks – Tempo overdubs – Rehearsal marks – Chord symbols – Text boxes – Lyrics 2. Click OK. » You can undo your editing, if needed.
Hide/Show Score Objects There can be a number of reasons why you want to hide objects on the score from your monitor and printouts, including: 88 Hide certain objects to reduce score clutter, temporarily. 88 Have Notion respond to a marking during playback (and .WAV file output) you do not want displayed in a printed score to live musicians. 88 Place warning text, fingering, or other information-only marks to a score that can be hidden or displayed in a few clicks.
Duplicate Many tunes make use of a recurring phrase that repeats exactly, or with a few changes, over a number of measures. To help reduce the time to create your score, you can identify a repeating group of items and have Notion automatically insert new measure(s) immediately to the right of your highlight to duplicate these items. You are then free to make any changes, if needed, to the contents of the new measures without altering the original items.
Express Entry Mode Notion provides a quick way for you to place your choice of a wide variety of text-based score markings on your Music Cursor for placement anywhere on your score. How To Use Express Entry Mode With the cursor as the Pointer, just press the single-quote ( ‘ ) key and start typing. Once Notion knows what you want, it auto-completes the entry for you on your Music Cursor.
For This Text: Press ‘ And Type: For This Text: Press ‘ And Type: flam flam neck neck or nk flautando fla non-vib. non or nv fluttertongue flutt normale norm fz fz open open gliss, down gld or dow p (pluck finger) p gliss, up glu P (pull off) pu or po growl grow palm palm H (hammer-on) h picked pk hands hands pizz. piz or zz or pz hard batter hardb or hab plunger plu hard mallets hard plunger closing cl half plunger hal or flu port.
For This Text: Press ‘ And Type: For This Text: Press ‘ And Type: snares off snaref or snof sul pont. pont snares on snare or snon sul tasto tas soft beater softb or sob sweep swe soft mallets sof or som T (play finger) t soft soft tacet tace solo solo thumb thu solo-tone mute sol tongue slaps tgs spiccato spi or pic trem. trem stick shot stick- tutti tut sticks stic vamp (see auto-vamp) stir stir vib.
CHAPTER 7: CREATE A NEW SCORE Create a New File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 Create a New File from Template. . . . . . . . 7.3 Assign Initial Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 Assign Clef. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.6 Assign Key Signature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.7 Assign Time Signature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.8 Assign Metronome Mark . .
Create a New File With Notion, you can quickly create a new score so you can begin quickly to capture your musical ideas. A new score always opens in Score Setup, so you can add instruments right away. To benefit first-time users, this chapter takes you quickly through the customization of a new file and does not explore every option available. Details on all the various options available appear in the remainder of this guide, especially in Chapter 11, Edit Score.
Create a New File From Template To help save you time and effort, Notion provides a quick way to create a new multi-instrument score based on your choice of template. Although these scores include typical orchestration for ten different ensembles, you often need to make changes covered in this chapter and: 88 Adding staves assigned to instruments other than Notion sounds. 88 Deleting instruments (staves) 88 Moving instruments around in a different order. Create a New File from a Template 1.
Assign Initial Instruments Notion makes it easy to add instruments quickly. In Score Setup, you are free to mix and match Notion sounds with other sources, but for brevity, the procedures below discuss using only Notion sounds. Details on using other sound sources appear later in Chapter 11. Step One: Create a New Score Begin by creating a new score, either a blank one or from a template. You view Score Setup with two groups of options appear on the right.
Step Three: Remove Instruments If you need to remove staves (as might happen if you created a new file from a template), click the the left of the instrument’s first measure. button located to Step Four: Close Score Setup When you finish selecting the instruments you want, click the Exit Score Setup button at the top of the score area, or press the Esc key, or click the button in the toolbar, or press the keyboard shortcut of Windows: Ctrl + T; Mac: + T. Score Setup ends (the score area undarkens).
Assign Clef When you first assign an instrument for a staff, Notion selects the default clef used for each instrument in standard score practices, but you are free to change it. The following assumes you want to change the clef used for an instrument at the start of your score; with a few different steps you can also change the clef for any instrument as many times as you need later in the score. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Assign Key Signature By default, Notion creates a new score in C Major / A minor (for non-transposing instruments). It’s a good practice to assign a working key signature right from the start. Of course, this decision does not lock you in: you can always change keys at any time in the future here at the start of the score and any number of times in the flow of your composition. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Assign Time Signature By default, Notion provides a Time signature of for new scores. But you can quickly change this to another signature of your choosing at the beginning of the score. Also, you can change Time signatures throughout your file as often as you need. Ensure you are in Edit mode before you start. Option 1: Change Time Signature By Clicking This option is faster, but offers the fewest options. 1. Double-click the existing time signature on any staff.
No Time Signature Notion supports scores with no time signature. This can be a significant help for you to jot down ideas without having to stop to iron out meter counts, particularly if you will change meters often (you can concentrate on note/rest entry and take the time to add separate time signatures later). Simply remove the existing time signature (click so it turns orange in color and press Delete) and don’t replace it with an another signature.
Assign Metronome Mark By default, Notion plays every score at the moderate pace of 90. But you can change this initial tempo. And, of course, you are free to add other metronome marks throughout your score. Example of an edited metronome mark with a customized descriptor (“Presto”). Set an Initial Tempo To change the metronome mark at the beginning of your score to a tempo other than 90: 1. Double-click the existing metronome mark. » The software displays a temporary text box at this location. 2.
CHAPTER 8: ENTER NOTES AND RESTS Notation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.2 Enter Notes and Rests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4 Accidentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.6 Chords. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.8 Triplets and Other Tuplets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.9 Ties and Slurs. . . . . . .
Notation Overview You can begin adding notes and rests right away to a new or existing score. You can enter standard musical notation or fretted instrument tablature.
Disable or Enable Automatic Transposing Before you start Entering notes, consider how you want their pitches to appear on staves. By default, transposing instruments, such as a trumpet, appear in a different key. For example, a “Bb” trumpet’s part appears in your notation staff to be at a different pitch/key than keyboards and other “C” instruments, but sounds correctly in tune during Notion playback.
Enter Notes and Rests You have a choice of using the Entry Palette or keyboard shortcuts – or any mix of the two – to Enter notes and rests on a musical staff. To begin, you must be in Edit mode. Option 1: Use the Entry Palette To use the Entry Palette to Enter notes and rests: 1. In the Entry Palette hover over the third pane from the left: » A pop-up menu displays. . ◙◙Note/rest entry options. 2. Click the note or rest value you need. » The item appears on your Music Cursor. 3.
Red Notes - Too Many Notes / Too High or Low Shortcut for Dotted Notes/Rests To place a dotted note/rest on your Music Cursor using a keyboard shortcut: 1. Select the desired note or rest value (for example: Q, for quarter note). 2. Press D once for a single dot. Press twice for two dots. (International shortcut set, dot is the + key) 3. To listen to a note before you place it, hover your Music Cursor over any degree on the notation staff and press the A key.
Accidentals Accidentals raise or lower the pitch of an existing note by a small interval. Notion not only supports traditional flat, sharp, and natural symbols – you also have access to quarter-tone accidentals if you use Option 1 (with Music Cursor) below. A different method, Option 2 (without the Music Cursor), enables you to make half-step changes directly to existing notes. You must be in Edit mode.
Option 2: Alter Directly Notion provides a convenient set of keyboard shortcuts you can press to add or edit accidentals on selected notes already on the score (the Music Cursor is not involved). Quarter-tones are not available with this feature. 1. Click an existing note on the score (or, for multiple notes, either click-select certain notes or highlight contiguous notes). 2. Hold down Shift as you press an Up Arrow key (for sharp) or Down Arrow key (for flat).
Chords Notion supports chords from simple to complex for any instrument and can be used in multi-voice parts. You must be in Edit mode. Add Notes To build chords in a standard musical staff: 1. Enter the first note of the chord the same way you Enter a single note. It doesn’t matter which note in the chord you Enter first. 2. Place the Music Cursor at the pitch of the next note at about the same horizontal position. 3. Click the mouse or press Enter.
Triplets and Other Tuplets Beats usually divide into multiples of two (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and so on) or three (dotted quarter, dotted eighth, dotted sixteenth). The Time signature determines the division of the beat. Tuplets are notes whose division differs from the current time signature (for example, a triplet in 2/4 time). Triplets, a type of tuplet. You can create a tuplet on a standard notation staff, NTempo staff, or Tablature staff.
Option 2: By Entry Palette Many find the Entry Palette option the most convenient way to create a tuplet out of existing notes already on a staff. 1. Highlight or click-select adjacent notes you want to make into a single tuplet. 2. In the Entry Palette, hover over the third pane from the left and click in the pop-up menu. » Immediately the notes become a tuplet. You will see a triplet when you highlight three notes of equal value in a common Time signature, as in the example below.
1. In the Fit box Notion shows how many note values you selected. In the case of notes/rests of even value, this is straightforward, and you can leave this box as is. If the notes/rests you highlighted are of different time values, Notion bases the number here on the lowest value. If this is not what you intended, you can change this number (it must be a divisor of the current meter). 2.
Ties and Slurs Notion makes it easy to add ties and slurs. Place Tie Marks You can enter ties either in Edit mode or in Step Entry . A tie extends the duration of a note by adding the count of one or more other notes. You can add ties only between notes of the same pitch. To phrase together notes of different pitches, you use a slur. 1.
Slash Marks You can display notes as large slash marks. Familiar to lead sheets and score reductions, this type of shorthand is generally used to guide rhythm players or soloists through a song. With Notion, you also use slash marks to play chord names or diagrams. 1. Since Notion bases slash marks on notes that already appear on the staff, Enter note values in the places where you want the slash notation. For this feature, pitch is not considered. 2.
Alternate Noteheads For lead sheets, drum parts, or other situations where you prefer not to use standard noteheads, Notion provides many alternative options. Notion supports six types of noteheads: standard, X, diamond, triangle, slash, and circle x. Except for drums, these operate as non-pitched notes for all instruments (so they do not make alternate sounds during playback), with the exception of the “x” notehead, which plays back a mute on guitars and basses. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Multi-Voice Entry The default mode of note entry is single-voice mode: all notes on each staff pertain to a single instrument. In multi-voice mode, up to four parts can be notated on the same staff: as many as eight in a grand staff. If you want, you can assign each to a different instrument (see Short Score Staff, next topic). Two Voices It’s convenient to discuss using multiple voices on a single staff first with two voices (this topic) and then with up to four voices (next topic).
Switch Voice Parts Quickly If you accidentally Entered Voice 2 as the top part and Voice 1 as the bottom part, you could delete and re-Enter the notation, but the quicker way to remedy this is to: 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Highlight the notes that need switching. 3. Either: >> Go to the Menu bar and select Edit > Swap Voice, or >> Right-click and select Tools > Swap Voices from the context menu. » The notes switch voice positions. ◙◙Switching voices.
Short Score Staff Having three or four voices on a staff is, in one sense, an elaboration of the multi-voice entry feature (see previous topic). However, in a broader sense you are saving such significant space as you conveniently view notation for up to four parts simultaneously on the same notation staff that we give this feature the name of Short Score Staff.
Enter Voices By default, all notes you Enter are considered to be part of Voice 1. To switch to another voice use the following: 88 To switch to Voice 2, press [Windows: Ctrl + 2; Mac: + 2] or go to the Entry Palette and click in the third pane from the left. To verify you have multi-voice entry enabled and you are in Voice 2, you view a small v2 mark in your Music Cursor. 88 To switch to Voice 3, press [Windows: Ctrl + 3; Mac: + 3] or go to the Entry Palette and click in the third pane from the left.
Handwriting Recognition Handwriting recognition, Powered by MyScript™ You can now use your own handwriting as a note entry tool - either directly into the score, or into the pop-up handwriting area. Notion’s handwriting engine is powered by MyScript™ which has analyzed thousands of different music hand writing styles - this means there are no custom gestures to learn nor does the software need to “learn” your own personal style.
4. Scroll left/right/up/down with two fingers to navigate the handwriting area Delete Elements: If you find that you’ve written something that you’d like to delete simply cross out or “squiggle” over the note/score element and it will be deleted. Supported Handwriting Score Elements: Clefs: Bar lines/Repeats: Note durations: Chords / Accidentals: Tip! Keep the sharp sign small when writing Rest durations: Ties/Slurs: Tuplets: Articulations: Time signatures: Ledger lines: 8.
CHAPTER 9: MORE INPUT/ SOUND OPTIONS Step-Time Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.2 Real-Time MIDI Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5 MusicXML and MIDI File Import . . . . . . . . . 9.6 Alternative Sound Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.7 MIDI Out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.8 VST Instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.
Step-Time Input Use step-time input to enter a single note, chord, or rest at a time. This is especially useful for difficult passages, since you are not tied to any time duration between entries, plus it is one of the fastest ways of entering notes. TIP - Check and print out the Shortcuts document in the Help menu for the keyboard shortcut sets mentioned below. This useful document would also brighten up any workspace wall... Activate Step-Time Input 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Step-Time Input - Repitch existing notes Articulations To enter articulations during step-time, use the relevent shortcut before you enter the pitch, e.g. 1 for staccato. To clear your next note of any articulation, press = (equals). Voices If desired, you can change the voice during step-time. Press Alt+x where x is the voice number from 1 to 4 to switch between voices. Tuplets To enter triplets and other tuplets. you complete four steps: 1.
9.
Real-Time MIDI Input With real-time input you Enter notation at a constant tempo. Not only is this the quickest method of Entering notes/ chords/rests, it is also the preferred method when you are unsure of what note values to give individual notes (Notion does that for you). For difficult passages where you would prefer to take any amount of time to Enter notes and rests, consider using step-time input. The tempo Notion uses to capture your notes is the one set by the nearest metronome mark.
Real-Time MIDI Input Start Recording – Use this to begin recording your MIDI line Count In – How many bars do you want the count-in to be before you start recording Pre-roll - Play preceding measures during count-in Pre-roll click - Play click with preceding measures during count-in Metronome - To change whether the metronome is heard during playback and/or recording, click the metronome icon in the transport.
MusicXML and MIDI File Import You have the option of importing a MusicXML (either XML or compressed mxl files) Or MIDI file as the starting point for creating a new score. NOTE: Settings in the Real-time record menu may affect import of MIDI and XML files. MusicXML File Import This enables you to complete in Notion a score you started in a different music (or scanning) program. Any instrument that is not included in the Notion sound library is assigned to a piano sound (single staff ).
Alternate Sound Sources In one sense, our complete library of built-in instruments makes Notion completely self-contained: no other software or hardware is mandatory to use its features. Yet, you are not limited to these sounds: you always have the option of assigning to any number of parts the instrument sounds from an external MIDI device or VST instrument (VSTi). Or, you can save time and expand sound possibilities with ReWire.
MIDI Out Preconfigure Four Devices In Notion you can configure up to four external devices that can provide instrument sounds in response to MIDI commands. You inform Notion about these devices in Preferences and assign each device a letter, A through D, as a shorthand description. MIDI Out in Score Setup To create one or more staves specifically for MIDI out: 1. To open Score Setup, complete one of the following: 2.
VST Instruments and Presets This guide uses the terms VST instrument, VSTi, and Library synonymously to refer to third-party VST-based software that generates instrument sounds as a plug-in to audio applications such as Notion. To have these Libraries directly respond from your written notation, a set of rules (or preset) needs to be created. This preset maps out each notated element in the score to the corresponding sound in the Library.
Preset Expressions / Add a Multi-Channel Track Preset Expressions There may be expressions or articulations defined in your VSTi, that do not exist in Notion. To add these to your score, follow the steps: 1. Create the expression name in the Preset.xml within the Preset folder 2. Create a Rule for playback for this expression, within the Rules Editor in Notion 3.
Step 5: Assign Channels to Staves By default, the instrument in Channel 1 will be heard on the track staff. To play other instrument sounds, you have two options – or any mix of the two: 88 Create as many Basic staves as there are other channels (as many as fifteen), then assign a specific channel (a separate instrument) to each one, or (– or combine with). 88 Use Notion’s Change Instrument feature to switch from one channel to another.
Custom Rules Editor Custom Rule Editor The Notion presets (outlined above) are great, if they are the libraries you actually own! Of course there are many other VSTI’s available - but to write your own rules so they work seamlessly from your notation, requires some knowledge of how to write XML code with proper syntax.
The next section is where you insert and edit the actual rules Click insert to add a new rule Double click ‘Edit Remark...’ to name the rule Set a Condition and then an action (e.g. “If this, then do that”) A condition could be an notated articulation, dynamic, technique for example. An action could be a channel change, keyswitch or dynamic change for example. In the drop down menus, either scroll and select, or click the menu once, and start typing the value you require. Press Enter to select.
ReWire If you have multiple pro-audio products on your computer, many probably support ReWire – a standard method to have one audio program control the playback of another. With ReWire, starting one automatically starts the other – and keeps both in lockstep synchronization so the output from both programs sounds like one application. In a Nutshell There are always two applications involved: one acts as a Host; the other acts as a Slave to the tempo and other playback commands of the Host.
4. Click OK. The dialog box closes. 5. Close and reopen Notion. If you want Notion to act as a Host, you must have the Slave application(s) open after Notion. 6. Please note - if you are using the Studio One & Notion interop and have ReWire checked, this will still set up a ReWire session between Studio One and Notion. You’ll see the blue ReWire icon below as a reminder if Notion has been set up as a ReWire slave in this instance.
CHAPTER 10: EDIT NOTATION Beam Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.2 Beaming Angle, Height and Cross Staff Beaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.3 Stem Direction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.4 Change Note/Rest Time Values . . . . . . . . . 10.5 Change Note Pitches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.6 Transpose. . . . . . . . .
Beam Tool Beams connect flagged notes. Beaming replaces flags with straight lines to group notes in rhythmic clusters, making it easier for musicians to read the score. Notion automatically connects or disconnects notes as you add or remove them, according to the meter and logical groupings, but you can override these defaults – even in the NTempo staff – with a beam tool.
Beaming Angle and Height and Cross-Staff Beaming With Notion you can customize the height and angle of beams for any reason. (See Stem Direction if you need to place the beam at the “opposite” side of the staff.) You can even alter the beaming in the NTempo staff. Customizing how a beam appears is often done to place more space between the beam and nearby score markings, text, lyrics, or chord names/diagrams – or to help with phrase interpretation.
Stem Direction In standard note placement, Notion places a note’s stem direction in traditional notation conventions (such as between A and B above Middle C in the treble clef ) or in the optimal direction for a series of beamed notes. However, you can override this orientation for any reason. Example of overriding default step directions.
Change Note/Rest Time Values Notion offers ways to change the duration of notes and rests you’ve already added to the notation staff. Change Individual Note/Rest Values To change the duration of individual notes or rests already in your score you could delete it and add the correct item in its place, but it is faster to substitute a new value for the existing one: 1. Place the target time value on the Music Cursor, either by clicking its icon in the Entry Palette or by pressing its keyboard shortcut. 2.
Change Note Pitches Notion provides ways to quickly change the pitch of notes already in the score. You can move notes by staff degrees, half-steps (accidentals), or octaves. The program also provides a Transpose feature (see next topic) so you can change the pitch of a whole group of notes or an entire score. Change Pitches of Existing Notes To change the pitch of a note already on a standard musical staff, you can drag it, use the arrow keys, or use the Fretboard.
Transpose You have the options of having Notion transpose your entire score, any contiguous section of it, or even scattered individual notes you select. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Select a note, a group of notes, or a group of measures in a score that you would like to transpose. >> To transpose a particular section of your score, highlight a passage (or click-select specific notes). >> To highlight an entire staff, press Windows: Shift +Ctrl + A; Mac: Shift + A.
Octave Transposition Symbols Often, when Entering very high or very low notes, it is convenient to use an octave transposition symbol. When placed above the staff, an 8va indicates that the passage is to be played an octave higher than written. An 8vb below the staff indicates an octave lower. Similarly, a 15ma above the staff tells the musician to play two octaves higher than written. In the Entry Palette (only) you can also access 15mb to play two octaves below than written.
Add Interval With a few key presses you can add intervals to selected notes (in the same time values) by using the numeric keypad, if you have one on your computer keyboard. This can be a significant time saver when you need intervals played with the same time values. Doubling with octaves. Double Notes at a Given Interval 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Make sure you have ‘Default Numpad’ selected in Preferences>General>Numeric pad 3.
Add Dynamics With Notion, you can place standard dynamic marks into any staff and have the program respond to the marks during playback and .WAV file export. You can use keyboard shortcuts or click the Entry Palette to place dynamic marks on individual instruments or on different voices of the same instrument. There are no limits on the number of different dynamics you can have throughout a score. TIP: Dynamic marks are an excellent way to communicate volume changes to musicians reading your score.
Dynamics on a Multi-Voice Staff With Notion it is easy to assign different dynamic markings on the two voices in multi-voice mode. In Edit mode, place the dynamic mark for the upper voice above the staff and place the dynamic mark for the lower voice below the staff. This voice-separation feature also enables you to place different crescendo and diminuendo “hairpin” marks on two voices. Different dynamic markings for two voices on one staff. Cresc. and Dim. Texts Notion interprets cresc. and dim.
Add Dynamics Once you have a dynamic mark on a score, there is quite a number of “tweaks” you can make to customize the mark. This topic discusses how you can: 88 Delete a dynamic mark or a group of them. 88 Move any type of dynamic mark above or below a staff. 88 Edit where a hairpin starts and ends. 88 Change the level on any text-based dynamic mark. These kinds of changes will be heard during playback and .WAV file export. >> Replace a dynamic level directly.
Edit Hairpins You can change the start and end locations of hairpins on the score in Edit mode. When you click on an existing hairpin, you view orange boxes at either end of the symbol. Click and drag a box as needed, then click anywhere in the score area. Reducing the length of a hairpin. You can also adjust the angle of the hairpin, and the opening angle too. Go to View>Show Layout Handles (Win: Ctrl+L, Mac: Cmd+L).
One of the distinctive features of Notion is its ability to deliver unlimited levels of playback dynamics within its loudest and softest extremes. In the following procedure, you can specify “in-between” volume levels above or below a dynamic marking. 1. Select the text-based dynamic mark on your score you want to fine-tune. » It appears orange in color to show it is selected. 2. Double-click this mark. » A temporary text box appears. 3.
Articulations Articulations indicate a style of performance for specific notes and chords. These embellishments add melodic depth and interest in a notation staff and specify certain sounds for a drum set. There are three ways to add articulations. You can place the symbol on your Music Cursor so you can add it: 88 To individual notes, or 88 To multiple notes at once using a menu, or 88 To multiple notes at once using keyboard shortcuts.
On Multiple Notes: By Menu This method of adding articulations to multiple notes is ideal for situations where you know the name of an articulation, but are not sure of the symbol. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Either highlight any contiguous group of notes – or click-select any number of notes in different locations (by holding down the Shift key while you click the noteheads). 3. Then right click and select Notes > Articulation from the context menu. » The Articulation dialog box opens. 4.
Delete Multiple Articulations Notion provides multiple ways to remove any number of different articulations quickly. Delete with Shortcut 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Either highlight any contiguous group of notes – or click-select any number of notes in different locations (by holding down the Shift key while you click the noteheads). 3. Press the equals key (=) twice. » Notion removes articulations from all highlighted/selected notes. Delete with Menu 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Glissando and Portamento Notion enables users to quickly add glissandi (gliss.) and portamento (port.). With Notion, you can use either technique on any pitched instrument. Glissando and portamento. You must have the origination note and the destination note already in your score before you can add a gliss. or a port. mark. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Press Shift + L: >> Once for a gliss. mark on your Music Cursor. >> Twice for a port. mark on your Music Cursor.
Arpeggios Arpeggios are chords whose notes you play in quick succession, instead of simultaneously. By definition, this symbol only sounds for instruments that can produce chords, such as guitars, harps, and keyboards. The three arpeggio symbols. To place one of the three symbols for arpeggios on your Music Cursor, you can either use the Entry Palette (hover over the middle pane: ) – or press a keyboard shortcut.
Grace Notes You can embellish melodic lines using grace notes. A grace note is a quick ornamental note added to a melodic line. Its duration is so brief that it’s not counted as part of the beats for the measure. Notion reads and plays these notes during playback. Examples of grace notes. By Keyboard Shortcut 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To place a grace note on your Music Cursor, press the G key. » A grace note displays on your Music Cursor. 3.
Ghost Notes Ghost notes produce very little sound. Although often associated with drum patterns (usually on a snare), these almost silent notes can be used with any instrument. In an actual performance, some instruments, such as woodwinds or guitars, produce ghost notes easier than others, such as keyboards or brass. Example of a snare played with ghost notes (middle of bar). This extreme dampening effect is put on notes that have a special notehead: a standard note value inside of parentheses.
Trills This expression rapidly alternates between the written note and a neighboring tone. You can place this mark on a single note or over multiple tied notes. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To place a trill mark on your Music Cursor either: >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the middle pane mark from the pop-up menu: , or and click your choice of trill >> As a keyboard shortcut, press Shift + ` (the ~ character) as many times as needed to view the symbol you want on the Music Cursor. 3.
Shortcut Slashes, Tremolos, and Shakes You can use a stem slash marking to represent repeated rhythmic figures (as in the eighth-note example below). At 32ndnote speed, this produces a tremolo (tremolando) effect that also serves as the basis for fingered tremolos (shakes). The tremolo marks on the left are equivalent to the notes on the right. Rhythmic Shortcuts and Tremolando 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Holds The hold marks fermata and tenuto – and break marks caesura and breath mark (next topic) – are similar: they all specify places in the score where you want to temporarily suspend the ongoing meter count during playback. 88 The hold marks (fermata and tenuto) cause a current note or chord (or, in the case of a fermata: perhaps a rest) to continue beyond its specified time duration. 88 The break marks (caesura and breath mark) cause a complete break.
Tenuto The musical term tenuto has a number of very different interpretations around the world. Notion uses the ten. mark as a type of hold that is less dramatic (shorter in duration) than a fermata and is used on notes or chords only. As with a fermata, you have the option of specifying a specific duration you want Notion to hold when you play the score (steps 5 through 7). 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Breaks Break marks caesura and breath mark and hold marks fermata and tenuto (previous topic) are similar: They all specify places in the score where you want to temporarily suspend the ongoing meter count during playback. The break marks (caesura and breath mark) cause a complete break outside of the current meter. The hold marks (fermata and tenuto) cause a current note, chord, or rest to continue playing beyond its specified time duration.
Breath Mark You place breath marks at locations in your score where you want a break and a pause, often shorter than the duration of a caesura. If you complete steps 5 through 7, below, Notion playback will read and hold the breath mark to your time specification. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To place this mark on your Music Cursor either: >> Press the 9 key four times, or >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the third pane from the right in the pop-up menu.
Cue Notes and Tacet Sometimes you want to show notes, yet not have Notion play them. Notes marked as cue notes or tacet are skipped during playback and WAV audio file export. Cue Notes With scores you create for live musicians, you may have need to alert them during an extended rest to listen for a certain cue from another instrument or singer and then come in. Musicians recognize these cue notes on a score by their smaller size. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Tacet If you want to not play certain notes in a part, you could delete them and, if you decide you need them later, take the time to add them back in. But a simple, time-saving way to do this is to have them show as Tacet notes so they remain silent. At any time in the future, you can remove the Tacet and the notes become immediately available for playback and WAV files. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Highlight the notes you want to keep in the score but not be heard. 3.
Swing Control One of the many innovative features of Notion is a variable swing lilt you can hear on playback. You can adjust its timing so it’s subtle or wildly pronounced. You place this feature in any number of places in your score using three components: a marking to start the swing feel, a marking to return to standard interpretation, and a slider to adjust the amount of push before or after the beat. NOTE: The swing feel does not affect the playback of triplets. 1.
5. If you want, you could continue this feature to the end of the score, or you can end it at some point to return to standard interpretation. To end this feature: >> Press Shift + G: • Three times, to end the syncopation across all staves affected. You view Straight (all) on your Music Cursor. • Six times, to end the syncopation on a particular staff. You view Straight (staff) on your Music Cursor. >> Position the Music Cursor where you want the swing feel to no longer apply.
Fill Measures with Rests To help live musicians to read your scores, the placement of rests can be as critical as the placement of notes. Notion provides a number of features that help you display rests to enhance readability. These visual features benefit musicians reading your score and do not affect playback. The playback marker will continue through incomplete or blank measures when you play or perform.
CHAPTER 11: EDIT SCORE Add Staves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 Change or Delete a Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.4 Add Audio Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.6 Change Instrument per Staff . . . . . . . . . . . 11.8 Change Instrument per Voice. . . . . . . . . . 11.10 Bar Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Add Staves In Notion you can add quite a number of staves in a very short period of time. There is no softwareimposed limit to the number of staves you can have in a score: you can add as many as you need. Practically speaking, there is a limit set by the available memory in your computer. Open Score Setup With Notion you open Score Setup to quickly add a new instruments to a score.
Step Two: Select Instruments to Create Staves Go to the palette of buttons in the upper right to select instruments you want in the score. When you hover over the name of an instrument family, a menu of instrument options appears. To lock this menu open, click the family name once (the other family names turn gray). To unlock, just click the family name a second time.
Change a Staff Change Staves in Score Setup 1. To open Score Setup either: >> Click the button in the toolbar, or >> Go to the Menu bar and select Score > Setup, or >> Use the keyboard shortcut of Windows = Ctrl + T; Mac: + T. The score area darkens, palettes appear on the right, and staves display measure one. 2. Go to the staff you want to alter and click the » The Staff Settings dialog box opens. buttons to the left of button. 3. Click the Notation/Tab Tab. ◙◙Notation/Tab Tab. 4.
Delete Staves / Show & Hide Empty Staves Change Staff Settings within the score The previous procedure saves time when you have a number of staves to change. If you only want to alter one staff, there’s a faster way to open and come out of Staff Settings: 1. In the score, click anywhere on this instrument’s staff with the Pointer. » In an editing marker, a light yellow box displays at the spot where you clicked. 2.
Add WAV Files Notion enables you to play external WAV (.wav) digital audio files to incorporate into the overall sound. To hear the file in playback in this release, you need to begin play or perform before the insertion point of the WAV file in the score. As you work with WAV files, keep in mind: 88 Whenever possible, delete the front “dead air” out of the WAV files. If you do not have third-party software to do this, insert the WAV file in advance of the beat where the WAV’s sounds actually start.
Play the WAV Play or perform in the usual way. In this release you need to start on or before the point where the WAV file’s name appears. Since the contents of the WAV file is external to Notion, then score markings, tempo marks, and NTempo performance features (other than start and stop) do not alter its playback. Remember not to move, delete, or rename the WAV file. If you do, place a WAV file with the same name in the same location and Notion will find and play it. 11.
Change Instrument per Staff Not only can you assign an instrument to a staff at the beginning of a score, but also have the option of changing the current instrument you assigned to a staff – anywhere in the flow of the score. You might do this to reduce the number of staves in a printed score or because you need the same musician (say, a percussionist) to play different instruments during your piece.
NOTE: If you selected one of the four MIDI devices, then, strictly for your convenience, the default instrument for each program number from the General MIDI specification appears. Of course, you can have your MIDI device set up to produce a completely different instrument sound than those listed here (use Staff Name and Abbreviation to identify the actual instrument name, for your reference). 4. If you want, you can customize Staff Name and Abbreviation information. 5. Press OK.
Change Instrument per Voice By default, each staff represents a different instrument in an ensemble. The previous procedure details how to switch a staff to a different instrument in the flow of a score. But there is yet another option available: you can write two voices on a staff (multi-voice entry) or up to four voices on a staff (short score staff ) and, using the steps below, assign a different instrument to different parts.
>> If the instrument you need is not on the list, then: 1. Press the New Instrument button in the lower left. » The Staff Settings dialog box opens. 2. Select a sound source in the top drop-down box. 3. Select a particular instrument from a particular family. NOTE: If you selected one of the four MIDI devices, then, strictly for your convenience, the default instrument for each program number from the General MIDI specification appears.
Bar Lines Often, you Enter bar lines when Notion alerts you that you have exceeded the beats in a measure. But you are free to add bar lines at any time. Notion also enables you to define Barline Groups to visually separate different sections of an ensemble in the score. The instruments included in the group connect their bar lines together. For details, see Brace, Bracket, and Barline Groups later in this chapter. NOTE: For completeness we should mention you can also see a dotted bar line.
Change Bar Line You can change an existing bar type to any of the other types. This edit is strictly for visual separation for a live musician to interpret: Notion playback is exactly the same with any bar line type. Optionally, you can also replace an existing bar line with a repeat bar line, but, obviously, playback will be affected. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To access the bar line tool, press the I key. >> Press once for a single bar. >> Press twice for a double bar.
Repeat Signs Repeats play a section over one or more times before moving on. Notion reads and follows these markings during playback. Place Repeats It does not matter which sign you Enter first (the start or the end repeat sign). For brevity, this procedure has you place the end repeat sign first, since this is the default for the keyboard shortcut, but that is not a mandatory sequence. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
First, Second, and Multiple Endings First and second endings provide alternate ending measures for a repeated section. With Notion, you add both the first and second endings in a single action. 1. To begin, add a start and an end repeat bar lines (see previous procedure) to your score. 2. To access the 1st ending icon, either: >> Press Shift + ; three times, or >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the last pane pop-up menu.
Repeat Measure Signs Often seen on lead sheets, these shorthand symbols inform musicians reading your score – and also Notion playback – to repeat the previous one or two measures. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To place a repeat measure sign on your Music Cursor, either: >> Press Shift + 5: 88 Once, for a one-measure repeat: 88 Twice, for a two-measure repeat: 3. In the Entry Palette, hover over the last pane symbol in the pop-up menu. and select your choice of repeat measure 4.
Navigation Marks Navigation marks in your score are very useful to keep your score to a compact size for printouts and help reduce the time and effort to finish a score. These marks cause playback to jump from one section of your score to another – the way you want – using standardized symbols: Text Meaning D.C. “da Capo” – Jump back to beginning D.S.
Rehearsal Marks Optionally, you can add rehearsal letters to help musicians reading your score find specific sections in the composition. If desired, you can mix letter and number marks in the same score. Once you add Rehearsal marks, Notion provides a number of ways for you to jump to specific marks in the score. Add a Rehearsal Mark 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2.
Change Measure Numbering Chapter 3 details how to use the Options dialog box to specify how you want to see measure numbers, if at all, and setting a default number of measures in each system. The following details how to change the numbering sequence starting at any measure and how to display or hide the number on a per-measure basis. Change Numbering If you have more than one section or movement in a score, you can restart measure numbering at any point back to “1” – or any other number. 1.
Cut Marks If there is a section of a score you want playback to skip over, you could remove it by deleting. But then the deleted measures are gone and must be re-Entered if you discover you need to re-instate this section (or a portion of it). With the Cut Marks feature you place text marks in the score where you want Notion to skip during playback (both play and perform).
Hide/Show Cut Marks Especially with long cuts, you may prefer to “collapse” all cut parts to single measures (as in the example below). Notice the original measure numbering remains in place (even though measures 66 and 67 are completely skipped over). Deleted measures collapsed to a single “X” mark. To reduce each multiple-measure cut to a single measure (containing an “x” mark), go to the Menu bar and select Tools > Hide Cuts (so it receives a checkmark). All cut sections in the score collapse.
Text Notion enables you to Enter text into your score two different ways. You can add text that is anchored: 88 To a fixed location on the page. You can add or remove measures and the text does not move from its location. 88 To an object in a staff. This text moves along with the object as you add, remove, fill in, or empty out measures. You can also easily edit existing text you’ve already Entered into your score.
Anchored to a Staff Object If you want, you can leave a message for musicians to read that is tied to a passage (specifically, an object in a measure). As you make changes to your score, and that object moves around, the text follows along. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To place the text tool on your Music Cursor, either: >> Press K, or >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the first pane and click in the pop-up menu. 3. Click your Music Cursor on the item you want to anchor text to.
Lyrics Notion provides built-in lyric features for quick entry and editing of words for singing or narration. Single Verse 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. To access the lyric tool , either: >> Press the letter L key, or >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the first pane and click in the pop-up menu. 3. Position the Music Cursor under the first note you want to add a lyric. 4. Click your mouse or press Enter. » Notion displays a temporary text box under the staff at this location.
Pick Up & Partial Measures You can then copy or cut the lyrics and paste them into another staff using Paste or Ctrl/Cmd + V. Paste lyrics from an external source Copy and paste from a text editor application, and paste into Lyrics in Notion. Notion will advance the lyrics on a space, and if you have entered hyphens (-) or underscores (_) in your text, it will space syllables and melisma respectively across notes.
System and Page Breaks If you have multiple measures you want musicians reading your score to view together (for such reasons as phrasing, lyrics, or ties/slurs), you can force system breaks or page breaks on specific measures. All these visual features are: 88 Useful with a page view of Pages Down or Pages Across. In Continuous page view there are no visual changes. To complete these features you must be in Edit mode.
Force New System If a break to a new system would help musicians read and interpret your score, you can force a new system to start with a particular measure. 1. Double-click the measure you want to start in a new system. » The measure is highlighted. 2. Right-click to open a context menu. 3. Click Measure # (the measure number). » A submenu appears. 4. Click Force New System. Force New Page You also have the option of forcing the score to continue on another page, starting with a measure you select.
Change Part Names and Abbreviations If you want to change the names and abbreviations you see on scores with a page view of Pages Across or Pages Down (not Continuous), complete the steps below. Also, be sure to take into account the display options available in Preferences for Part Names and Abbreviations. Change Multiple Staves 1. Ensure you are in Edit Mode. 2.
Change Clef With Notion you can change the clef for an instrument at any point in the flow of your composition. Often you do this to reduce ledger lines or for passages in a high or low register. You can make as many clef changes as you need. You can also change the initial clef you place at the beginning of the score. By Keyboard Shortcut 1. Be in Edit mode. 2. Press the C key until you see the type of clef you want.
Change Key Signature You can change keys any number of times in the flow of your score. Notion also supports simultaneous multiple keys. Ensure you are in Edit mode before you start. Change the Key For All Staves in a System 1. To open the Key Signature dialog box, either: >> Press Shift + K, or >> In the Entry Palette, hover over the third pane from the right and select the option. » The Key Signature dialog box opens. ◙◙Key Signature dialog box (Windows). 2.
Add Multiple Key Signatures In traditional notation, a key signature affects all instruments at the same time. But Notion also supports the use of multiple simultaneous keys. Multiple keys. Refer to the steps in the previous procedure as a guide as you: 1. Open the Key Signature dialog box. 2. At Tonic, specify one of the key signatures you want to use. 3. Clear the Enter in all parts checkbox. » The Concert key checkbox becomes available. 4.
Change Time Signature With Notion you can change Time signatures throughout your score as often as you want. Ensure you are in Edit mode. Change an Existing Time Signature There is a fast way to change an existing time signature. This method is very quick but does not offer as many options as Entering (or replacing) a signature using a dialog box (the next procedure). 1. Double-click the existing time signature on any staff. » A temporary text box appears with the current signature. 2.
Change Metronome Mark Metronome marks and accel./rit. texts affect the tempo when you play a score: these markings do not alter performing a score with NTempo (except for Auto-Resume and a few advanced NTempo markings you add to the NTempo staff ). You can place one at the beginning to serve the entire composition or you can place any number of tempo changes throughout your score. Without a metronome mark, Notion plays a score at the moderate pace of 90.
Edit an Existing Metronome Mark To change the speed (or the descriptor) of an existing metronome mark: 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. With the Pointer, double-click an existing metronome mark. » A temporary text box appears with the mark’s current specifications. 3. Type the speed you want, or edit the descriptor text, or both. 4. Either click anywhere outside of the temporary box or press Enter.
Duplicate a Metronome Mark in Multiple Places In a large score, having the same metronome mark appear above two or more staves at a time (such as one at the top and the same one above the strings) enhances readability for conductors. For flexibility, you define where you want duplicates of these marks to appear by defining tempo groups: the top instrument in a tempo group displays a duplicate mark. With Notion, a change you make to one automatically updates all duplicates across the same system.
Brace, Bracket, and Barline Groups If you have a large score with many instruments on a page, Notion offers some options to visually separate one group of instruments from another to make it easier for you, or someone reading your score, to find certain instruments quickly. These are optional visual aids that do not affect playback. Barline Groups Joining together the barlines of some adjacent parts is a great visual help to finding staves for certain sections of an ensemble at a glance throughout a score.
Bracket and Brace Groups At the left end of each page in Pages Across or Pages Down page view, or in the margin area of the Continuous page view, brackets and braces help visually group like-instruments together. By notation conventions, you usually put a bracket on instruments of the same family, but reserve a brace for only between staves of the same instrument (like the grand staff for a piano) or categorically similar instruments (such as Piccolo and Flute).
Edit NTempo Staff If you need precise control performing a score, you have the option of adding and editing an NTempo staff. The notes you place on this single-line staff determine how much of a time value each tap of an NTempo key covers when you perform a score. For all these features you must be in Edit mode. Add an NTempo Staff 1.
Add or Edit Note Values in NTempo Staff Add/edit notes on this staff to indicate the count at each tap during NTempo playback (pitches are not considered). Since you tap keys in a regular fashion to set a tempo, generally you choose note values by the meter of the song – such as a quarter note in common or cut time or an eighth note in 6/8ths time – for the majority of your score (consider using the Duplicate feature to streamline this step).
Handle Significant Tempo Changes Although Notion responds to tempo changes in your NTempo tapping immediately, you may find that having to switch to an extreme tempo change may be easier for you with any of the features on this page. One feature is a keyboard shortcut that switches to notated metronome marks while you are tapping and two features for use while cruising that involve up to three score markings on the NTempo staff. By Shortcut Auto-Resume immediately switches playback to the notated tempo.
Restore Captured Tempo With Restore Captured Tempo, your Auto-Cruising automatically returns to a previously captured tempo (see Capture Tempo, above) during the current performance. To insert a restore captured tempo symbol: 1. In the Entry Palette, hover over the third pane from the right and click RC in the options. » The letters RC appear on your Music Cursor. 2. Place the cursor over the NTempo staff where you want to place the restore captured tempo symbol. 3. Click the mouse or press Enter.
Tempo Overdub At some point you may want to save the tempos you use in NTempo when you perform a score. With the Tempo Overdub feature you can easily capture the tempos in a performance and, if you want, further edit your tempos throughout the score (at any time afterwards). This feature is optional, intended for users that want more realistic, human-sounding playback (as opposed to producing a score for live musicians to interpret).
Hear the Performance After you capture your tempos and have ball-and-line marks above the NTempo staff, you can play your score according to these captured tempos. To hear your NTempo performance, you use NTempo’s Auto-Cruise feature: In Edit mode: 1. Press Shift + Spacebar. 2. Press the U key. » Notion plays the score with your customized tempos. In NTempo Mode: Press the U key. The software plays the score with your customized tempos. Notice in both modes you must use the U key (Auto-cruise).
Velocity Overdub An optional way to add realism to the playback of your score is to specify how much emphasis (by volume) you want Notion to play each note. Real-time MIDI input and SequencerStaves include a velocity setting for each note. However, step-time MIDI input and standard manual input do not include this property – loudness is set completely by dynamic marks.
CHAPTER 12: INSTRUMENT MARKINGS Common Markings 12.2 Special Markings for Strings. . . . . . . . . . . . 12.3 Special Markings for Woodwinds. . . . . . . 12.4 Special Markings for Brass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.5 Special Markings for Keyboards. . . . . . . . 12.6 Special Markings for Harp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.7 Special Markings for Percussion. . . . . . . . 12.8 Special Markings for Mallets. . . . . . . . . . . 12.
Common Markings Some text marks that often appear on various types of instruments appear in this list. In Edit mode, use the Entry Palette or the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor. Then position the mark where you want it and either click your mouse or press Enter. Marking Meaning Entry Palette Express Entry attacca Continue right to the next movement/song Common pane ‘ + att con sord. With mute ‘ + sord l.v.
Special Markings for Strings Notion enables you to display special text and symbols for string instruments. All special instrument markings display in the score, but not all marks will be heard in playback. In Edit mode, use the last element of the Entry Palette to see if the technique is available for the instrument you have clicked on, or for access to all techniques, use the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor.
Special Markings for Woodwinds Notion enables you to display special text for woodwind instruments. All special instrument markings display in the score, but not all marks will be heard in playback. In Edit mode, use the last element of the Entry Palette to see if the technique is available for the instrument you have clicked on, or for access to all techniques, use the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor.
Special Markings for Brass Notion enables you to display special text and symbols for brass instruments. These markings display in the score, but not all marks will be heard in playback. In Edit mode, use the last element of the Entry Palette to see if the technique is available for the instrument you have clicked on, or for access to all techniques, use the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor. Then position the mark where you want it and either click your mouse or press Enter.
Special Markings for Keyboards Notion enables you to display special text and symbols for keyboard instruments. In Edit mode, use the Entry Palette, the Express Entry feature, or a keyboard shortcut to place the marking on your Music Cursor. Then position the mark where you want it and either click your mouse or press Enter.
Special Markings for Harp Notion supports special instrument marks for the orchestral harp. Harp Tuning You can add tuning information for each harp part. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Either: >> Press the keyboard shortcut of Shift + H, or >> Go to the Entry Palette, click on the Strings pane and select Harp tuning. » A text of Harp Tuning appears on your Music Cursor. 3. Position the Music Cursor at the location where you want the tuning box to appear and either click your mouse or press Enter.
Special Markings for Percussion Notion enables you to display special characters and symbols for percussion instruments. All special instrument markings display in the score, but not all marks will be heard in playback. In Edit mode, use the last element of the Entry Palette to see if the technique is available for the instrument you have clicked on, or for access to all techniques, use the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor.
Marking Express Entry stir ‘ + stir stop stir ‘ + stops sweep ‘ + swe thumb ‘ + thu Shortcut 12.
Special Markings for Mallets Notion enables you to display special text and symbols for percussion instruments using mallets. All special instrument markings display in the score, but not all marks will be heard in playback. In Edit mode, use the last element of the Entry Palette to see if the technique is available for the instrument you have clicked on, or for access to all techniques, use the Express Entry feature to place the marking on your Music Cursor.
Special Markings for Drum Set In Notion you place notes on a five-line percussion staff to “play” a standard drum set in any score using the sounds that install with the program. (The “pitches” discussed below are the equivalents on a treble clef.) TIP: Have you checked out the various patterns and fills available with the Drum Library under the Tools heading in the Menu bar? Bass Drum and Snare The first Table details how to notate for Bass Drum and Snare (F4 and C5 pitches).
Sound Pitch Requirements (if any) 12” tom-tom strike 12” roll D5 12” rim shot Add tremolo dashes (press Shift + / three times) Use slashed notehead (press X four times) 10” strike 10” roll E5 10” rim shot Add tremolo dashes (press Shift + / three times) Use slashed notehead (press X four times) Hi-Hat Here’s how to notate for hi-hat at D4 and G5 pitches.
Ride Cymbals There are a number of ride-cymbal sounds you can generate at F5 pitch.
Special Markings for Guitar For guitar and other fretted instruments Notion provides a number of text-based markings in Express Entry, keyboard shortcuts, and the Entry Palette. Numerous other symbols and techniques for these instruments appear in Chapter 13 (starting on the next page). Once you have the marking on your Music Cursor, position the text where you want it and either click your mouse or press Enter.
CHAPTER 13: FRETTED INSTRUMENTS The Tablature Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13.2 Enter Tab Directly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.3 Fretboard: Strings/Tunings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.4 Fretboard: Enter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.6 Fretboard: Edit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.8 Enter Chord in Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Tablature Staff When you assign an instrument in the Guitars/Bass family to a part, you have the option of using a Tablature staff alone, a notation staff alone, or both. Although tablature is thought of as the medium of notation for beginning guitarists, composers/players on other fretted instruments and seasoned players wanting to quickly capture fingerings also make use of this staff.
Enter Tab Directly You can directly Enter notes into a Tab staff. Text Box Method You specify a fret number after you place the note on a string. 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Place a note or rest value (such as quarter note or eighth rest) on your Music Cursor either from clicking your choice in the Entry Palette or by pressing a keyboard shortcut. 3. Go to the place in the score where you need a note and position the Music Cursor over the correct Tab line (string). 4.
Fretboard: Strings/Tunings/Capo To quickly capture ideas, many guitarists (and players of other kinds of fretted instruments) find it convenient to first capture the fingerings they perform on an instrument before translating them into notation or Tab entries. The interactive Fretboard on the right side of the main window provides a quick, convenient way to build your score by clicking virtual strings. You view a virtual guitar for the type of instrument you selected for a part.
>> The interactive fretboard will reflect your tunings and add a capo graphic if you have specified one. Enable/Disable Octave Transposition Guitars and basses (including the upright bass) actually produce notes at a frequency that is one octave lower than the notated pitch. The open bottom string on a guitar may be E3 on a treble clef, but in reality you hear E2.
Fretboard: Enter The Fretboard uses step-time input so you can Enter information at your own pace into your composition. Symbols on the Fretboard As you work with the Fretboard, you see three symbols on its strings: An “O” represents an open string. This symbol only appears at the nut. To switch to an “X” (next), click the “O” symbol once. An “X” represents an unplayed string. This symbol only appears at the nut. To switch to an open string, click the X once.
1. To Enter a note or chord, press a keyboard shortcut or click in the Entry Palette to specify a note value. Then go to the Fretboard and click a string/fret for the note – or all the notes for a chord. Then press Enter. The note/chord appears in a solid black color in both the notation and Tab staves. A light green highlight moves to the next beat so you can immediately add the next note, chord, or rest. ◙◙Clicked the fingerings for a chord (F Major triad) and then pressed Enter. 2.
Fretboard: Edit Edit Existing Score To use the Fretboard to edit notes/chords already in your score: 1. Click any note (or any note in a chord) on either the notation or Tab staff. » The current fingering appears on the Fretboard. 2. To change a fret on the same string as the original note, click a new fret (don’t drag the existing dot) and press Enter. If you click any other string, Notion interprets this as a new note for a chord.
Enter Chord In Tab To spell out the notes in a chord, you have choices: you can use the Fretboard (see previous pages), build the notes in the notation staff, or edit directly in the Tab staff (see below). Edit Directly in Tab To build a chord within the Tablature staff: 1. Enter the first note of the chord directly or by Fretboard. It doesn’t matter which note of the chord you create first. 2.
Chord Names To help guide live musicians, a mainstay of jazz and popular sheet music is an on-going display of primary chord changes. This is strictly for musicians reading your score: Notion does not include this information for playback. Examples of chord names for musicians reading your score. The text you use to name chords becomes an integral part of your file: if you transpose the score to another key, the chord names update automatically.
1. In Edit mode, click the chord library icon at the top of the window 2. The chord library opens. If this is the first time you used this feature this session in this particular score, the chord library shows options for the default chord name of C major. If you have Entered other chords this session into this current score, then you see the diagram and chord name of the most recent chord you Entered. 3. Begin with the chord root (C through B in the upper left). Also click a flat or sharp if needed.
Chord Diagrams Since there are multiple ways of playing any chord, and some sound or “finger” better in context much better than others, you can include chord diagrams. These graphics of fingering on a fretboard help guitarists reproduce the sound you intended for your composition. This is strictly for musicians reading your score: Notion does not read this information for playback. TIP: If space on a hardcopy page is an issue, you have the option of Entering just the chord names instead of full graphics.
Phase Three: Decide on the Best Fingering The “best” fingering for a chord is partially how it sounds in context – but it also involves how comforTably a musician can come to the chord from the previous spot in the score and will be at a comforTable place to progress to the next chord/position. 1. When you finish with the name of the chord look at the diagram. You view a simple version in first position, near the nut. There will be other options in the Chord Library to choose. 2.
Recent Chords / Align Chords Use the Chord Library This option is best if you need to change both the chord name and the fingering of an existing chord diagram. 1. Click an existing diagram once so it turns orange in color. Then press the keyboard shortcut of Shift + C three times. » You see the current diagram in the chord library. NOTE: For now, ignore your Music Cursor: it still has the last diagram you Entered into the score. 2.
Play Chord Names Notion enables you to quickly play or perform chords based on chord names or chord diagrams you Enter. The major advantage of this feature is speed: you can very quickly create a rhythm part just by naming a chord and then showing the rhythm (by slash marks) you want it played. This is a significant time-saver, particularly when you want to “test out” a chord pattern without having to spell out all the notes.
For the benefit of musicians reading your score, you have the option of having Notion display all the chord diagrams used in your score at the bottom of the first page. This feature, commonly seen with guitar-oriented sheet music, provides players a central location to discover the fingerings to all the chords needed to play through your composition. This group will update as you change, add, or remove chord diagrams. You cannot change the order they appear. Example, bottom left half of first page.
Reset Tab Numbers The fret numbers for all notes you see in the Tab staff will always be accurate. But you might find after heavy editing, MIDI input, or transposing that the fret numbers shown are not in the best position for musicians reading your score. For example, let’s say you have a melody with notes at the third, fourth, and fifth frets suddenly be followed by a few notes at the tenth and eleventh frets, followed by a few notes on the first and second frets.
Finger Marks Notion provides an easy way for you to inform musicians reading your songs which fingers are intended to be used for playing and plucking. These finger designations, which always appear in a small font, are not needed or read by Notion. Although these marks were primarily intended for stringed instruments, they can be used with other instruments, such as keyboards.
►Left-Hand Playing or Plucking Finger Thumb Index Middle Mark Shortcut T 1 2 Finger Y then T Ring Y then 1 Pinkie Y then 2 Mark Shortcut 3 4 Y then 3 Y then 4 Also, the number 5 is available with Y then 5. Option 3: By Express Entry Express Entry options are available. In Edit mode, simply press the single-quote key (‘) then press the number or letter you want. For example, to get the “T” mark you press ‘ then T.
Slides From here up to the Harmonics topic we highlight the many fretted-instrument techniques Notion offers in the Entry Palette. These features appear in the fourth pane from the right. Options in pop-up menu, detailed in the remainder of this chapter. Some techniques can also be accessed by keyboard shortcut, such as the B key for bends. We begin with slides, with symbols that can appear on Tab staves (only).
Palm Mute and Let Ring These sounds are opposites. A light palm mute dramatically shortens the ring after striking a note, giving the note a somewhat staccato tone. A let ring permits a note or chord to resonate beyond the written duration, the same effect as a Pedal Down ( ) or Laissez Vibrare (L.V.) mark. Palm Mute Notion supports a palm mute you can add to guitars and electric bass. 1.
Bends Many guitar genres make regular use of bends: stretching a string using a playing finger pressing down on the fretboard to literally bend a little – or a lot. Notion easily accommodates a wide range of bend sounds with your choice of six adjustable symbols. Symbol Name What the Symbol Does Bend You start hearing the note at regular pitch, then hear the upward microtonal changes in pitch as the string stretches. For example, a full-step bend on a D note begins on a D and ends on an E.
Customize Timing: Drag Left or Right The sound of a bend is also defined by when you stretch and when you release a string. By clicking anywhere on a bend symbol, orange boxes appear at the ends (as in the example to the right). Click and drag an orange box to define when the bend or release ends. By dragging to the left, you shorten the time; to the right, you lengthen the waiting time.
Vibrato and Whammy Bar Notion provides sounds for guitar vibrato (two speeds) and multiple sounds of pushing in/out a whammy bar (an electric guitar effect popular in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s produced by pressing a bar that detuned all strings according to the amount of pressure applied to a bar).
Guitar Taps and Bass Slaps In Edit mode, place the mark on your Music Cursor in any of the following ways (for the Entry Palette, hover over the fifth pane from the right): Technique Entry Palette Keyboard Shortcut Express Entry Guitar Tap N key, three times ‘ + ta Bass Slap M key, three times Tap Position your Music Cursor at the note/chord affected and either click your mouse or press Enter. These marks will be heard in playback.
Hammer-On and Pull-Off Marks Hammer-ons and pull-offs are common techniques used in various genres. These two techniques are opposites: In a hammer-on you jump from an open string onto a fretted note; in a pull-off you jump off a fretted note to an open string. Notion uses small letters (H and P) to notate these performance techniques on both notation and Tab staves.
Harmonics Notion supports the notation and playback of harmonics (audible high pitches you hear above a played note). You can notate natural harmonics, normally produced by placing a finger very lightly on the top of an open string at (typically) the 12th, 7th, or 5th fret. This creates a noticeably higher pitch than you expect to hear at these positions. Natural Harmonic To add an open-string harmonic to the Tab staff: 1. Press the X key twice. » A diamond-headed note appears on your Music Cursor. 2.
Other Markings With Notion you can assign other markings to guitar/bass staves, detailed in other topics of this guide. The lists below are representative (and not exhaustive).
CHAPTER 14: SEQUENCERSTAFF About SequencerStaff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.2 Import MIDI File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.3 Create a SequencerStaff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.4 Input from MIDI Keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.5 Edit SequencerStaff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.6 Convert to Notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.
About SequencerStaff SequencerStaff allows users to edit and Enter Pitch and Duration information, Velocity Settings, MIDI Commands, and Controller Changes. A Sequencer Staff can also be converted to Notation at any time. This is designed as a hybrid of Notation and Piano Roll or Sequencer styled note-entry in a unique way which incorporates the capability to control instruments in a well defined manner.
Import MIDI File One way to begin using SequencerStaves is to import the contents of a standard MIDI file - go to Preferences>MIDI Import>Check Use Sequencer Staff. The other option is to proceed to the next few topics where you Enter music into SequencerStaves with a MIDI keyboard. Since importing the contents of a MIDI file creates SequencerStaves automatically, you do not have to create these staves ahead of time.
Create a SequencerStaff You create a SequencerStaff ahead of time if you will be inputting music information from a MIDI keyboard. Create a SequencerStaff Add a new staff to your score according to the steps in Add Staves in Chapter 11. However, do not proceed to Step Three: Close Score Setup. Instead: 1. Go to the Score Setup window. 2. Add a new instrument or click the icon on a pre-existing staff. 3.
Input from MIDI Keyboard Record onto a SequencerStaff Connect a MIDI keyboard known to Notion to your computer. Then, in the main Notion window: 1. Ensure you are in Edit mode. 2. Ensure the nearest metronome mark at the point where you will start is at a comforTable pace for real-time input. » For greater accuracy, you can set the written tempo to a lower speed for recording – and return it later to the actual intended tempo. 3.
Edit SequencerStaff Edit Notes The length of a sequencer note represents the exact duration of your key press (a dot is actually a very short line). When you highlight or click-select any number of notes, they change to an orange color to show they are selected. Then: 88 To move, press the LEFT or Right Arrow to move. Go to the right if you want to hear the note start later, or to the left if you want to hear the note start earlier. 88 To shorten duration, press Shift + Left Arrow.
Convert to Notation You do not see standard note/rest notation on a SequencerStaff. But Notion makes it easy to change from sequencer notation to standard notation. Due to the exacting information in a SequencerStaff, as opposed to the “rounding off” in standard notation, there will likely be some cleanup of note/rest values if you are going to print your composition for musicians to read. Convert to Notation In a few clicks you can convert whatever you highlight in a SequencerStaff to standard notation.
CHAPTER 15: MEDIA TOOLS Add Audio file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.2 Video Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.4 Fit in Time and Hitpoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.5 Upsampling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.6 Integration with PreSonus® Studio One®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.7 15.
Add WAV Files Notion enables you to play external .WAV digital audio files to incorporate into the overall sound. To hear the file in playback in this release, you need to begin play or perform before the insertion point of the WAV file in the score. As you work with WAV files, keep in mind: 88 Whenever possible, delete the front “dead air” out of the WAV files. If you do not have third-party software to do this, insert the WAV file in advance of the beat where the WAV’s sounds actually start.
Play the WAV Play or perform in the usual way. In this release you need to start on or before the point where the WAV file’s name appears. Since the contents of the WAV file is external to Notion, then score markings, tempo marks, and NTempo performance features (other than start and stop) do not alter its playback. Remember not to move, delete, or rename the WAV file. If you do, place a WAV file with the same name in the same location and Notion will find and play it. 15.
Video Setup Add a Video to Your Score Go to Score, Video Setup… Add/remove a video. You can add mp4, WMV (Windows only), H.264, mpeg, mov, avi, m4v, and 3gp on Mac and Windows and can run on either platform in native 64-bit. Select the volume, frame rate and start time. On Mac, you can keep the video window on top of the score in Preferences>General. - Toggle the video window on/off with Cmd/Ctrl + ‘ 15.
Fit In Time Fit a selection of music to a set duration or end time – make the selection and go to Tools, Fit in Time and choose required duration or end time. Printed metronome mark stays the same, the tempo adjustment in % will be shown, as will the end of that region.
Upsampling To output audio at 44.1 or 48 kHz, go to Preferences, Audio and select from the Sample Rate drop down box. 15.
Integration with PreSonus® Studio One® Notion can now transfer audio and note data with Studio One in both directions. Studio One is the award winning DAW (digital audio workstation) from PreSonus. You can either create new documents after transfer, or update data back into existing documents. Studio One v4, for Windows and macOS (For realtime connection, you can use ReWire for both MIDI and audio streaming between Studio One and Notion - see chapter 9.14) Versions You need at least Studio One 3.
Send to Studio One: Note data Send to Studio One from Notion File>Send to Studio One dialog, in Notion 6.4 Send note data to Studio One Do you “think in notation” but need to ultimately use a DAW? Now you can compose in Notion and then send note data (MIDI and other note related information) straight over to Studio One - whether it’s running on the same computer, or to an open instance of Studio One anywhere on the network. 1. Open Studio One either on the same machine, or a machine on the same network 2.
Send to Studio One: Audio Send audio to Studio One Ready to send your orchestral sounds over to Studio One for mixing? You can now send audio of your Notion score straight over to Studio One running either on the same computer, or to an open instance of Studio One anywhere on the network. 1. Open Studio One either on the same machine, or a machine on the same network 2. In Notion, go to File>Send to Studio One (or Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U) 3.
Send to Notion: Note data Send to Notion from Studio One Song>Send to Notion dialog, in Studio One v4 Send note data to Notion 1. In Studio One, go to Song>Send to Notion 2. Send note data of entire song or selected tracks 3. Select which running instance of Notion to send the data too (either on your computer, or anywwhere on the network) 4. Select whether to merge into an existing score (overwriting a previous transfer) or to create a new document 5.
Send to Notion: Note data / Lead sheet • VST information - if you have a matching VST enabled in both Notion and Studio One, they will be loaded on transfer, PLUS, any parameters you have changed will also be sent. Ensure you have the VSTi you are using in Studio One also enabled in Notion’s Plug-in Manager Vienna Symphonic Library in Notion..... ....
Send to Notion: Audio Send audio to Notion You can send a 16bit 44.1k wav audio mixdown from Studio One to Notion - this doesn’t ‘notate’ the audio, rather it attaches the audio as is to a new score, that can now be triggered at any point. Having audio attached to a score in Notion is useful for a number of reasons: -For transcription - needing to arrange, or add parts to existing audio by ear is made much easier, by having a synced version of the audio that you can start/loop anywhere.
Integration with Studio One: FAQ FAQ 1. Studio One can’t find Notion on the same computer (or vice versa) Check you are running Studio One 3.3 Artist/Professional or later, and Notion 6 or later In Studio One Preferences>General>Network, ensure ‘Allow remote control apps to discover this DAW’ is checked In Notion Preferences>General, ensure ‘Allow Network Discovery’ is checked 2. Studio One can’t find Notion on the same network (or vice versa) Run through checklist as per question 1 above.
Chapter 16: Reference - Instrument Ranges Notion supports a wide range of pitches on all instruments. The following Table identifies the lowest and highest ranges for the most commonly used instruments in the library. Any notes you place on staves outside of these ranges do not sound. Show Out of Range Color To show notes that are out of the standard range of an instrument, go to View, then Show Out of Range Color. This will then color notes red that are out of range.
Instrument Range Transposition Details Trombone Bass Trombone Tuba Timpani Xylophone Sounds an octave higher than written Glockenspiel Sounds an octave higher than written Piano Harp 16.
Instrument Range Transposition Details Violin Viola Cello Bass Sounds an octave lower than written Electric Piano Marimba Electric Bass Sounds an octave lower than written Acoustic Guitar Sounds an octave lower than written Electric Guitar Sounds an octave lower than written 16.
Reference - Rules Editor Conditions See chapter for 9.10 for Presets and 9.
j) Dynamic >= – asks if the dynamic is greater than or equal to a dynamic value k) Dynamic <= – asks if the dynamic is less than or equal to a dynamic value l) Flag – a flag is a user defined four letter string that will ask the “If…?” later in the rule set. This is one of the most valuable concepts in editing a ruleset. Once a flag has been assigned, it can be called upon as often as you like throughout your ruleset.
Reference - Rules Editor Techniques Techniques available for rules NB - X techniques are specific note only - they do not apply to following notes. ` 16.
Reference - Rules Editor Actions Actions To add an Action, click the plus sign below “Actions”. Actions are based on the Condition that you provide. The question you asked for the Condition was “If…?”. The answer is provided in the “Action” with a “Then…” The Action will tell the VSTi what to do based on Conditions that you have provided. i.e.
