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390 Chapter 15 Score Editor
Voice Separation Method
Additional staves are always treated as additional Voices. There are two different
methods for assigning notes to voices. The appropriate parameters are found to the far
right of the Score Style window, below the Assign header:
• A fixed split point (between two lines in the Split column). This is a defined pitch,
which determines the absolute border between two Voices. Notes above it, or at the
same pitch, are assigned to the upper Voice. Notes below it are assigned to the lower
Voice. This method is very simple, but has the disadvantage that none of the Voices,
even briefly, can ever cross the border. Quite often, in “real life” situations, the border
between voices needs to be flexible. A piano piece’s right hand part may dip below
middle “C”, or the left hand may go above. It’s not possible to notate this properly
using a fixed split point.
• Voice assignment according to the notes’ MIDI channels (Chan): for each Voice, a
different MIDI channel can be set in the Chan column.
Every note is now assigned to a Voice according to its MIDI channel. (The note’s MIDI
channel can be seen and edited in the Event List, Event Float, or in the Score window’s
Event Parameter box, when the note is selected). The different MIDI channels have no
impact on MIDI playback, as the playback channel is determined by the Instrument
Parameter box setting (Arrange window).
Given the use of MIDI channels for voice assignment, notes that aren’t assigned to
channels will not be displayed at all. This can, however, be used to your advantage, as it
allows you to exclude certain notes from the display (improvised parts, trill notes, and
so on).
There are two useful functions that can speed up the process of changing the MIDI
channel settings of notes, in order to assign them to the desired Voices:
• In the Score Preferences (Options > Score Preferences), there is a parameter called Auto
Split Notes at … If this is activated, and the default Score Style in the selected
Instrument Parameter box is a polyphonic Style, all played notes are automatically
assigned MIDI channels that match the Score Style’s Voice assignments. Notes at, and
above, the split point are assigned the channel of the first Voice. Notes below are
assigned the second Voice’s channel (this feature only works for two Voices at a time).
This creates a usable rough Voice assignment, which can be edited later.
• For Regions that have already been recorded, use Functions > Note Events > Split to
Channels, or the Split to Channels key command, to assign notes to Voices in the
Score Style—according to the Auto Split pitch in the Score Preferences.
In most cases, it will still be necessary to change the Voice assignment (the MIDI
channel) for particular notes, or groups of notes. There are several methods for doing
this:
• Editing the MIDI channel in the Event Parameter box or the Event List (also works
with multiple selections).