# Importing from Notation to DAW Softwares



## ComposerWannabe (Aug 21, 2018)

Are all popular Notation softwares are top notch in this?
Let's say I have a string orchestra notated (5 parts) and i want to export it as MIDI or XML to my desktop then import it from my DAW (Reaper). Would every software for notation do this job perfectly?
What are the possible problems in this process you've come of?


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## ThomasS (Aug 21, 2018)

I can't speak for Finale or Dorico, but I do this from Sibelius to Cubase and it works fine. XML is better because it contains both the midi notes and the notation (Cubase format) so you can refer to the notation within Cubase to check a note or two, and lots of the text is there to see too. If you do this a lot, and have many articulation/program/patch changes on one part, you can customize Sibelius (with the dictionary) so that changes from, say, arco to pizz to marcato to spicatto, will embed the correct midi controller (CC) or patch change, and if this is corresponds to your articulation map in the DAW it will then make these changes automatically. You don't have to remember all the midi codes, just type them in the dictionary in Sibelius and then put the word in your score and it will add the midi codes for you invisibly. Of course, Sibelius, as well as others (I am sure) have precise note on and note offs, so if you have your score set to play the notes to full duration and you are using a Legato patch in your DAW you will still have to lengthen the ends of all notes that you want legato, which is a pain in the butt. I get around this by printing two midi files - one with notes 110% of duration, and one with 95% - and choose which parts I want so that I get the legato where I want it. in Sibelius you will hear the dynamics and hairpin curves but they don't automatically translate to your DAW, but there is a plugin for Sib that can write these in midi controller, and you should definitely do that before exporting if you want dynamics and hairpins. But if you are just going to tweak everything in your DAW anyway, just take the midi notes.

For many years I would do this for clients to hear a score in better shape than the old Sibelius output. But since NotePerformer came out I find this is unnecessary, because NotePerformer in Sibelius is really great sounding and the first time I was willing to let a client hear a score with confidence before recording.

So I am sure that all the notation programs will do just fine, but there is still a lot of work in the DAW to get it sounding right.


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## buschmann (Aug 21, 2018)

I do this all the time from Dorico/Sibelius to Logic, and Logic to Dorico/Sibelius. It will be some to do in terms of getting the details like dynamics and articulations to work the way you want it to be with your sample library of choice. Most libraries treat such things differently. In summary: I have never had problems what so ever with the transfer between notation/DAW.


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## RandomComposer (Aug 21, 2018)

ThomasS said:


> in Sibelius you will hear the dynamics and hairpin curves but they don't automatically translate to your DAW, but there is a plugin for Sib that can write these in midi controller, and you should definitely do that before exporting if you want dynamics and hairpins.


Where do I find this plugin? I've been trying to figure out how to do this for years


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## ThomasS (Aug 21, 2018)

RandomComposer said:


> Where do I find this plugin? I've been trying to figure out how to do this for years


It's been a while since I did it, but as I remember - it is a two stage process (or really 3). The plugin is called "cres./dim playback" in the "Playback" section, and is automatically on my version (Ultimate) but can be downloaded from the site for any version. Select the whole score and run the plugin and it converts all the hairpins to continuous changes in either CC7 or CC11. 

This will sound fine in Sibelius if you just want to hear the gradual change in dynamics. But if you want to export a file (midi or XML) to your DAW - you have to do one more thing, because the DAW only sees the CC changes and leaves the volume the last one, so everything until the next change is either really loud or really soft. To correct this you have to ALWAYS put a dynamic (p, mp, ff, etc) immediately after a hairpin, and to be safe both before and after. Some arrangers do this anyway, but it is essential here. BUT - before putting in the dynamics you have to change your directory in the entries for ppp,pp,p,mf,f,ff,fff, etc to be Controller Changes. You can make them either 7 or 11 (or anything else) and depending on what virtual instrument I plan to use it may be one or the other. Then you just enter your dynamics as you normally do, and Sibelius will write in the CC7 or 11 in the right spot. Then save your house style as "Dynamics Mapping" or some such thing, and go back to your original house style. From then on, whenever you need your dynamics to be CC7 or 11 just load the other house style before exporting the midi file. The thing is, Sibelius by default internally changes volume with something in the dictionary it calls "Volume" but the DAW changes it with Midi CC7 or CC11. But the Sibelius Dictionary allows you change this default, but you need to do it for each dynamic, and decide on the number (0-127) for each.


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## RandomComposer (Aug 21, 2018)

Oh wow sounds like a lot of work, I’ll give it a go once I have the time, thanks!


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## ThomasS (Aug 21, 2018)

RandomComposer said:


> Oh wow sounds like a lot of work, I’ll give it a go once I have the time, thanks!


Yeah! It is a bit fiddly. I used to do it a lot to make good sounding mockups of a Sib score, but now NotePerformer takes care of that well enough for my purposes, so it is not so much of a need. Now I sometimes render some Noteperformer audio tracks in Sib and pull them into Cubase to add the extra things that Sib can't do well. I am also learning to use Cubase better now (have used Sibelius since version one!) and learning to compose directly in Cubase now, but there are so many compositional things that are easier in Sibelius so I wish the two were linked better. I'll move to Dorico in a few years when/if they get better.


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## Rob (Aug 21, 2018)

I do this from finale to cubase every now and then and it works well... as has been said xml has the advantage of exporting notation and page formatting. Midi on the other hand exports the controller data that "human playback" generates from notation...


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## ThomasS (Aug 21, 2018)

Rob said:


> I do this from finale to cubase every now and then and it works well... as has been said xml has the advantage of exporting notation and page formatting. Midi on the other hand exports the controller data that "human playback" generates from notation...


Perhaps Finale is better than Sib in this regard. 

Question: When Cubase opens a Midi from Finale does it play all the dynamics (including hairpins)? Can you see CC7 or CC11 information in the midi file, and not just velocity? If so, my hat's off to Finale.


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## Rob (Aug 21, 2018)

ThomasS said:


> Perhaps Finale is better than Sib in this regard.
> 
> Question: When Cubase opens a Midi from Finale does it play all the dynamics (including hairpins)? Can you see CC7 or CC11 information in the midi file, and not just velocity? If so, my hat's off to Finale.


I'm not at the computer right now but I'm pretty sure it does... now I can't be so sure of the accuracy of the process, but I've seen cc11 and 7 data in cubase. It's made possible by this internal plugin in finale called human playback. It's also configurable, don't know to what extent...


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## pmcrockett (Aug 21, 2018)

ThomasS said:


> Perhaps Finale is better than Sib in this regard.
> 
> Question: When Cubase opens a Midi from Finale does it play all the dynamics (including hairpins)? Can you see CC7 or CC11 information in the midi file, and not just velocity? If so, my hat's off to Finale.


Can confirm. MIDIs exported from Finale are opening in Reaper for me with dynamics on CC7. I think this can be changed to CC1 or CC11 from within the human playback options. But if human playback is turned on, the CC dynamics export by default. There's nothing else you really have to set up.


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