From Tribune-Review, August 10, 1998

We Could Make Beautiful Music Together

By Steve Segal

Early in my musical career, I knew I was never going to be a threat to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s composing legacy.

Aside from my very imperfect pitch, I could never quite make the transition from musical sounds in my mind to notes on paper. I should have known that my computer could do all that for me – at least it can now.

"Autoscore," is a unique software program that enables my computer to "listen" to something sung or played on a musical instrument and instantly transcribes these sounds into musical notation. The software was created by Wildcat Canyon (www.wildcat.com).

I’ve tried some of the programs that can record notes played on special instruments that are plugged into the computer, but never one that can listen through a microphone.

I was skeptical, but I tried it and it worked.

Recording was as easy as clicking a button.

Not wanting to frighten anyone, I waited until there was nobody else in the office and then sang some simple notes into the microphone. It’s best to sing with a nonsense word like "da" – instead of real lyrics.It is also recommended to avoid syllables ending with the letters "M" or "N" or starting with the letter "L."

The notes appeared on the screen right before my eyes.

With my imperfect pitch, these notes needed some "tweaking." I needed to rearrange the notes, as well as fix the timing. By clicking on an individual note, I just dragged it to the appropriate spot. An added feature is that the software plays the new note as it is being dragged.

Once I was happy with the notes, a few simple clicks more and I copied my score and added some musical accompaniment. This was done with the multi-track sequencer, which is designed to both record and play back combinations of instruments. Some tenor sax and steel drums later, my mini concerto was finished.

For the finishing touch, I added the lyrics.

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" never sounded so good. Mom will be so proud to know that all the money she spent on those music lessons and instruments didn’t go to waste.

Aside from this simple composing, there are music editing tools included in the software.

In what can only be described as a choir master’s dream, music can be recorded only in a certain key. This "Constrain Mode" is a special recording setting which will "correct" the notes in the correct key or scale.

While "Autoscore" can record either the human voice or individual musical instruments, it can’t record chords. It is designed to detect only one pitch at a time. However, chords can easily be entered manually. So, don’t try playing your favorite Frank Sinatra album and expect to get the sheet music.

This program is designed to be a lot of fun, both for the casual composer as well as the serious musician. Of course, due to the limitations of this column – as well as the depth of my musical knowledge – I’ve left out tons of features that are included with the software.

Other than the included microphone, there is no special equipment needed. However, this is based on the assumption that one’s computer has a working sound card.

"Autoscore" is available in both Windows and Macintosh versions. There is a deluxe version ($119) and a professional version ($250). More information is available at (800) 336-0989.

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