Help with Anvil Studio
I used to think I was tech savvy, and I do know a good bit about music, but not in the sheet music sense with notes. I can read guitar tabs but that's about it.
So, when using Anvil Studio to edit midi files, I get a little confused. I can already use the program to remove entire parts/instruments from a midi, or change the instrument type, or things of that nature.
What I want to be able to do, is remove portions of songs, either in the beginning, middle, or at the end. All too often do I find beautiful songs that would be perfect, except at the end it tries to start all over with the whole song only to be cut short and end abruptly. I'd like to be able to "fix" songs like that. I'd also like to be able to change certain notes, if they are too high and out of range for the instruments in LOTRO.
I realize that I might be asking for a lot, but after googling possible answers I found nothing of help.
Well, in any case, I'll be hard at work trying to figure this out on my own, but I'll be checking back for any advice all the while!
Cheers,
-Duidhrastir
Hoi, Dui! I s'pose I'm probly th' closest thing we got to a Anvil Expert (all that time spent hammerin out ingots fer jewelry, y' know) so I'll try t' answer ye in ways I hope'll be comprehensible.
Anvil Studio's got a pretty steep learnin curve, an ye're right, there don't seem t' be a good manual anywhere. Took me probly 5 or 6 months o' trial an error t' get reas'nably comfterble with it. There ARE instructions in th' blue portion o' th' window under th' tools, but they ain't always clear...
SO anyways, t' shorten (truncate) a tune, place yer cursor at th' spot where y' want it t' end (or start, in case ye'd like t' delete th' annoyin tempo drumbeats that so many midis seem t' think is necessary) an then go t' File > Truncate Song, which gives ye two options, an then a box t' decide if ye're countin measures, quarter notes, eighth notes or MIDI ticks. It's pretty self-explanatory once ye've found th' Truncate Song thing.
T' change a note's pitch, there's sev'ral ways: first off, y' can place yer cursor on th' note (th' cross shape gets little arrows on its ends) an then L-click an drag it up an down th' staff. Best t' be zoomed in a bit t' do this, as it's easy t' drag farther than y' wanted to. Y" can also place th' cursor just t' th' left o' th' note an use th' up an down arrow keys t' move it, but it will only use staff intervals—can't move a half step this way if it's a whole step on th' staff. Also, if it's a note in a chord, this method moves th' entire chord. Third thing y' can do is R-click on th' note an choose Properties, which opens a box with all th' MIDI parameters o' that particular note, an y' can change th' pitch from a drop down menu.
If y' get th' hankerin t' ADD a note or two, make sure that th' Insert Mode box is unchecked (bottom of th' tools panel, near th' left edge) or else every note y' put in pushes th' rest o' th' tune t' th' right.
Lots more I could tell ye, but it'll be simpler if I just try t' answer questions y' may come up with, rather than give a full out tutorial here...
Oh my!! Daffin, I now need to thank you from the bottom of my heart! Truncate, that is going to be a good thing to use, and I will now toy with it for many hours until I get a firm grip on how to use it properly. The changing of notes also doesn't sound too complicated, but rather that I will need to tinker with it extensively before I know what I am doing, as I really am not good with knowing notes. The thing is, sometimes, not always. Maestro can use a -12 or +12 transpose of notes to make something sound good. Sometimes, only a few notes are out of range, in which case it makes more sense to change the offending notes instead of transposing that entire track.
Again, thank you very much Daffin. What you've just told me is surely going to be a big help! If Indeed I run into any obstacles I will ask you for assistance :)
I have already used the truncate option to fix a song!! Thanks again Daffin!!
Y' CAN, in Maestro, lower th' pitch o' th' ENTIRE song a half-step at a time, usin th' Transpose settin below th' Instrument list. This , o' course, may take some notes out o' th' range in some OTHER part on th' bottom end... but it's most important that th' Melody(ies) be consistent; accompaniment parts can usually stand a note or 3 bein jumped up a Octave (what Maestro does with notes that fall outside its range)
Indeed! The lesson you gave in Anvil was all I needed for such a long time, thanks again!
Wow!! I have Anvil, but I haven't put any of my Italian arias in to make midis yet. Maybe I should some of that fun notation. Prolly take me a month to do one song like Affani del Pensier, but it might be worth it. Hmmm. I'm Dallo was able to help ya, Dude. Hope yer Havin a fun game.
Active Crickhollow toons: Laaleth, Drouchyfixer, Blackening, Sacredheart, and sometimes Amornir in a vision
Non-active toons at Crickhollow: Schothach, Sheffi, Thorhil, Eriac, Odlak, ELestiol.....these toons mostly hold houses and mats
Landroval: Laaleth, Sacredheart, Blackening, Drouchy
Lauralin: Laaleth, Sacredheart, Blackening, Greybird
it's a pity we don't have any viols or violins available in game.. Handel's pieces must be best with them and oboes.. :)
some other pieces must be nice with viols i believe....
sorry, i went off-topic... :P
Oh I agree Gamut very much so!
Aye, a sustained string o' some sort—fiddles or violas or somethin—would truly be a boon t' them as makes th' abc files, but it ain't goin t' happen. Partly b'cause it'd require entirely new animation, which I suspect th' scaled down staff don't have th' time fer, an partly b'cause over th' past 2 or 3 years, th' Music System's gone thru a bunch o' revisions, additions an tweaks, an they're just not goin t' go back an revisit it again. I make do with usin Flutes fer most violin parts, where it's a string SECTION that I'm tryin t' emulate, an Bagpipes fer most fiddle replacements in jigs or th' like. An sometimes a pibgorn, especially in a larger piece where there's lots o' different string parts an I'm tryin t' add a different color t' some line so it don't blend in with all th' other strings.
I generally stick to the same guidelines Daffin, when transcribing music. If you find time, check out the folder in the files/gallery section called Songs by Duidhrastir, containing multi5-multi9 songs I believe. It's worth a listen, I might be so bold to add hehe.