[Denemo-devel] MIDI in improvements and more

[Richard Shann]

Users of MIDI keyboards for entering notes will notice a more
streamlined system if they enter durations first. Where before you had
to return to the start point before you could play in the notes, now it
happens automatically. It means you can put in the rhythm of a whole
measure, or two or more measures and immediately start playing the notes
on the MIDI keyboard and they will be placed onto the rhythm you
entered.
Also, I have solved the problem that arises if you sometimes do not use
the MIDI keyboard (perhaps because it takes a while to set up): in this
case entering the durations immediately enters notes - so you can use
the note-names or arrow keys to get the right note either before or
after entering the duration.

I am thinking that being able to press the sharp or flat indicator
*before* entering the note would be well worth doing: this could either
be done in scheme (using the proposed hook for keypresses
http://denemo.org/index.php/Scheme_hook_for_keyboard_input or by
creating a built-in PendingSharpen command. The reason is that users of
pc-keyboard entry hear two notes when they enter a sharpened or
flattened notes (three for double sharp etc) one of which is out-of-key
and hence quite disturbing to the musical ambience.

Finally, it occurs to me that the problem of knowing that you have
accidentally entered Eb for D# (etc) on a MIDI keyboard could be
alleviated if the notes were sounded in a temperament where they were
different. I'll experiment with this, if it works I could make the
pitch-bend controller script which changes the enharmonic set also
change the tuning.

Comments most welcome!

Richard