MIDI files to sheet music

[Erik Galindo]

Does any one out there know of a program or plug-in or what have you that can take a midi file and convert it into sheet music. I went to a friend's studio and digital performer does it automatically. I know protools lags a bit in the midi department, so any other program would be fine. Especially if it can do it in reverse...sheet music into midi. I heard of a program called Finale that can do it, but word was that it was a pain in the place where the sun don't shine. Thanks everyone.
Erik

[Rail Jon Rogut]

A Google search for notation Windows gave me lots of hits.. including this one

Rail

[Camilo Toledo]

There are some programs, a few good ones, that you can take sheet music ( in hard copy or electronically) and try to make a midi file. Sibelious and Finale.

You can take a midi file and use any of the majority of notation programs and create sheet music. But it will always be in concert key, it won't have repeats, ( among other standard notation) it will be as long as the song, and it will translate just as good as the midi file is. You will need to work on it a lot, to make a decent chart.

Encore 4.5 is one of the user friendly notation programs, I use it everyday. You can entered notes by mouse/PC keyboard or with a midi enabled keyboard controller. After you finish your score, or instrument part, you can make a midi file, and then import it into pro tools. The best results if making a midi file is to imput the notes using a keyboard controller for a more realistic and human feel.

Finale is a great program, I highly recommend it if you want your charts to look great, but specially if you want to write your charts in detail. You can entered notes by mouse/PC keyboard or with a midi enabled keyboard controller. You can also make a midi file and then transfer to pro tools.

Sibelius is another great program, I have used it but not extensively. All features of the above notation programs, and a few extras. This program has a interesting feature (probably what you are looking for)which lets you scan printed sheet music, but not hand written music. It hasn't been perfected yet, at least it didn't work that great for me. Some of the scanned music had missing notes, accents, or incomplete staves, just to make some references, and trying to make a midi file from this scanned charts was a disaster.

There are more programs, some cheese ones and some others which are good. The ones that I mentioned could probably be called the standard ones, since they are used by the majority of pros.

Just take in consideration that this are "notation programs" I make midi files since It works for me and I use them only as reference. I could be wrong but I think that notation programs will not give you a great sounding midi file, and sequencer programs will not give you a great finished and profesionally looking chart.

Some people write midi files using sequencer type programs, thinking of making charts. Others write charts using notation programs, thinking in making midi files.

the reality is....
if you want a great midi file, use a sequencer program.
if you want great sheet music, use a notation program.