# Importing Staffpad MusicXML into Cubase Pro kills Cubase



## DennyB (Mar 4, 2022)

I have a ton of Staffpad sketches and was looking forward to using my big libraries on them. No dice. Cubase dies a horrible immediate death as soon as I try and import Staffpad's MusicXML. :(. I filed this bug on the Steinberg forum.

So... won't be doing that for a while. Guess I will go try Dorico, but I only bought the elements version to see if I like it and it only support our tracks I think. I am hoping it is a good balance between Staffpad and Cubase. But so far is is alien to both. :(

Staffpad has really convinced me that I write better with notation. But I have thousands of dollars in awesome libraries in Cubase...


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## Markus Kohlprath (Mar 5, 2022)

Can't you export midi instead of music xml with staffpad? This should be no problem. I've always done that with sibelius.


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## hvromano (Mar 5, 2022)

I agree with Markus, if you export midi it should work well. Anyway, let us know the conclusions. ( i'm also on Staffpad planning to co-work if a sequencer... )


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## Jett Hitt (Mar 5, 2022)

This is a conundrum because StaffPad is not very good with midi. I find that StaffPad's midi (when it works) is terribly inaccurate. Try the midi, but also try passing XML between multiple programs like Dorico and Musescore (which is free). I have the best luck with Finale and XML.


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## Kanter (Mar 5, 2022)

until the last version of Dorico (3.x), I also found xml import was messy/problematic, and I went through Sibelius, imported the xml there and passed it on to Dorico, which worked. Since version 4 that has largely been amended in Dorico, so maybe Cubase will follow suit?

ok just imported a staffpad generated xml (make sure to opt for uncompressed, compressed wasn't parsed by Cubase) into Cubase Pro 12 (Win10), and it works without a glitch.


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## DennyB (Mar 5, 2022)

Hmmm… didn’t know about compressed/uncompressed. Where is that setting?

I would hope that their xml parser wouldn’t be platform specific…


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## Kanter (Mar 5, 2022)

at the save prompt when exporting, you choose not just the destination drive/folder but also the xml format.


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## DennyB (Mar 5, 2022)

When saving from staffpad? I am not seeing it. Maybe the iPad version doesn’t have it?

<headscratching/>


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## DennyB (Mar 5, 2022)

ahh, I saw the option when saving xml from Dorico. Is that what you were doing? Trying that now...


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## DennyB (Mar 5, 2022)

welp... when I export uncompressed xml from Dorico 4 Elements, Cubase 12 Pro on Mac still crashes...

:(


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## DennyB (Mar 5, 2022)

Midi export works just fine, though. So there you go.


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## Kanter (Mar 6, 2022)

when exporting from staffpad, this is the choice at the prompt to save


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## Nickie Fønshauge (Mar 6, 2022)

DennyB said:


> When saving from staffpad? I am not seeing it. Maybe the iPad version doesn’t have it?
> 
> <headscratching/>


Correct. The iPad version doesn't have it.


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## ZenBYD (Mar 6, 2022)

for cubase, you might need to rename the .xml to .musicxml. just rename it in finder.

but, if you're going from staffpad -> cubase, use MIDI. You'll get the automation/expression stuff as well that way. MIDI export from staffpad is very good.

XML is for notation-to-notation program. staffpad xml to e.g sibelius or Dorico works well.

Cubase has always been rough with musicxml...


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## DennyB (Mar 7, 2022)

Thank you everyone! Yeah, midi seems ok, just mapping all the instruments over.


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