Version 2.0 reviewed by Darrin Koltow - 04/21/00

Autoscore makes it easy to begin turning audio into MIDI data. It includes a tutorial to get you started that provides some crucial advice about how to best use the included microphone. You won't find such tips in other similar programs. While the included microphone isn't going to replace a professional one, it works quite well for the job and will help beginners get off to a smooth start.

Autoscore works from within third-party music software, integrating its audio-to-MIDI functionality with the features already found in the "host" music software. Autoscore comes with an older version of Cakewalk Home Studio, which is an excellent choice for it's friendly interface and useful help. Cakewalk Home Studio also provides a powerful feature set for manipulation of Autoscore's MIDI output. If you'd rather stick with the software package you're already familiar with, the Professional and Studio versions of Autoscore are capable of working from within other compatible music software.

Autoscore Menu

Autoscore integrates into the "host" music software by introducing an additional menu with options specific to Autoscore.

The first menu items provide simple on/off functions including: Step Entry, Volume Tracking, and the Constrain, Pitch Bend, and Tru-Track Modes. These last three items directly affect how Autoscore converts audio data to MIDI data.

Below these basic items are options to change the key and patch. And the Play Major/Play Minor tones functions do just that, which you use prior to singing, to help you sing on pitch. In the Instrument option, choose the instrument that you'll record audio input with. Among these instruments are male and female voice, guitar, violin and cello, as well as apparent wind instrument selections (low, medium, and high), and a rhythm instrument. Having just one parameter to select to properly recognize audio input greatly simplifies setup. With competing programs, the user must practically do backflips over a host of parameters to produce even mediocre output. That said, Autoscore does give you the option of, for example, fine tuning the parameters associated with the male human voice, from the Edit menu item.

In the Interface Option, Autoscore lets you specify a sequencer program to modify its MIDI output, volume and type of reference tone played, keyboard shortcuts and the MIDI output device. You can't elect to have Autoscore unload once you've run it, but at worst this is just a peeve. Given that the program is relatively crash-free, it doesn't seem that the app disturbs other apps, whether they're music/audio related or not.

The Recognition Options let you specify how Autoscore is to interpret the audio data it analyzes. For example, you can tell Autoscore to keep notes to a certain scale, be it a particular major or minor key, or the chromatic scale. Missing are options for blues and pentatonic scales; it's doubtful these will be missed by users. Use Chromatic if you want to convert blues notes. A notable set of options in this dialog box is that for Pitch-Bend tracking. Here you can choose how accurately Autoscore "follows" notes that change in pitch. The Tru-Track option alleges that it can follow one pitch accurately as it varies an octave in pitch. However, a test of this, where a single note was sung starting at one pitch and descending rapidly to another, produced MIDI data that failed to mirror this change.

You can customize and add new instruments based on ones previously setup, letting you easily customize your sessions with Autoscore. You can give the new instrument whatever name you choose by selecting the underlying instrument on which to base the new instrument and changing the parameters that apply only to the new instrument.

Crucial to the quality of Autoscore's output is the set of parameters you set through the Test Microphone menu option. Though crucial, this set of controls is brief and easy to set up – though testing is recommended prior to each recording session. Within the Test Microphone dialog box are graphics that display both the volume and pitch of the mic input. The graphics and accompanying text dialog tell you how much is too much volume, and what pitch you're singing at, versus the nearest MIDI equivalent to that pitch.

Working With The Results

Third-party party music software is used to view and edit the resulting output from Autoscore. Since Cakewalk Home Studio is included with Autoscore, as mentioned earlier, we'll take a brief look at the main sequencing menu items offered by this sequencing package. Autoscore Studio also works with other compatible software if you'd rather stick with the one you've already got.

The File menu provides options to open and save MIDI files (.mid and .mff), Cakewalk work files (.wrk), and template files. The template files don't have Note On MIDI data in them, but they prepare Cakewalk for you to lay down your own tracks, based on the type of tune you're creating (ie JazzTrio, Jazz Quartet, or Woodwind quintet).

The Edit menu includes Cut, Copy and Paste, welcome extensive Undo functionality, and other MIDI editing functions such as Quantize, Length, Slide, and Transpose. If some of these functions sound strange to you, fear not, the help does an excellent job of explaining them all.

The View menu provides access to the Staff View for displaying and editing notes and a nifty Piano Roll View, in case reading clefs isn't your forte, but you know the keyboard pretty well. In addition you can view controllers, an event list, faders, and SysEx data; in other words, you can fine tune all the MIDI messages created by Autoscore. Also under View is access to the lyrics window.

The rest of the menus provide control over playback, track parameters (mute, solo, etc.) and program settings. Plenty of good ol' keyboard shortcuts provide quick access to the important menu functions.

A couple of points on the user interface taken as a whole. First, when you look at Autoscore's Cakewalk Home Studio, you're looking at a full-blown sequencing editor. The Autoscore audio-to-MIDI engine itself is merely one possible MIDI input for this sequencing application. Note two concerns the taskbar, wherein Autoscore blithely deposits – and leaves – its icon, even after you close the sequencer. Despite offering the option to remove Autoscore's presence from sequencer programs, you can't remove Autoscore from the taskbar; once you turn Autoscore on, you can't turn it off (except via Windows' Close Program dialog).

Conclusion

If you follow the tutorial, read the brief manual, use the special microphone, and test the microphone, Autoscore's MIDI output is exceptional, with the exception noted above. The MIDI tones produced are clear and easily audible, with no tweaking required to make them so. The user interface, including the help and especially the tutorial and Quick Start, is logically and clearly presented. Most, if not all, dialogs have a help button available.

Pros

• Abundant help
• Easy to learn quickly
• MIDI output is exceptional
• MIDI-specific manipulation is outstanding

Cons

• No option to unload app after session
• Tru-track pitch tracking may not track properly