MidiIllustrator Virtuoso Changelog

What's new in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso 3.00

Jan 21, 2015

On-Screen Guitar Fretboard:
The On-Screen Guitar Fretboard will highlight notes and chords from the current score. It can be used as an aid to reading and playing the score allowing you to quickly and easily visualize chord shapes and fingering.
The On-Screen Guitar Fretboard Colors are fully customizable and can be configured with the Fretboard Options tab in the Program Options dialog.
Speaking Metronome:
When the Speaking Metronome is enabled, the metronome will count the beats out loud using a human voice instead of the Metronome Instrument. This is especially useful when learning rhythm.
Display Solfege Note Names:
Displays Solfege names for instruments and score note names.
Copy Chord Names to Lyrics:
This much requested feature will allow you to copy any chord names to the lyrics of the first staff in the score.
In some cases it is desirable to show chord names beneath the staff in this way but moreover it is possible to export these new chord lyrics by saving the score as a MIDI file, as the MIDI format can store lyrics but not chord information. Other music software programs and some advanced digital keyboards can then display chords (in the lyrics) generated by MidiIllustrator, when importing a MIDI file.
Beat Marker Numbers:
A major improvement to the existing beat markers, Beat Marker Numbers are small numbers ‘on the beat’ above the top staff. If, for example, the time signature is 4:4, then four beat marks (or the numbers 1 to 4) will span the top of each measure. These numbers are hidden as the cursor passes them.
Performing Hands Now Displayed in Step by Step Mode:
Performing Hands can also be shown in Step by Step Mode when finger numbers have been created for the score. This can help with studying hand positions.
Step by Step Mode Shows Incorrect Input:
Step by Step mode now shows notes on the score are they are input from a device to help see mistakes and find the correct position.
Step by Step Mode New MIDI Shortcut Keys:
New MIDI Shortcut Keys for synchronizing the playback position to the current Step Position.
Step by Step Mode New Keyboard Shortcut Keys:
New Keyboard Shortcut Keys for synchronizing the playback position to the current Step Position.
Improved Metronome Intro/Lead-in Options:
The Metronome lead-in options now includes a swift two beat intro option for playback, for recording and also for Practise Sessions at start of first playback or between loops.
Step by Step Mode improved in Practise Sessions:
If you are using Step by Step Mode in a Practise Session, when you enter the last notes in the practise range, the Step by Step entry cursor will move automatically back to the start of the practise session.
Highlight Rests During Playback:
This much demanded feature will optionally highlight rests during playback as well as notes to help with counting.
Save/Restore Session:
You can now Save/Restore the entire last session of scores you were working on instead of just the last score when opening/closing MidiIllustrator.
Per Score Tempo:
The "Master tempo" is now adjustable and remembered individually for each open score, allowing you to have different tempo adjustments for each open score. This tempo is also saved with the score on closing MidiIllustrator and restored with the session.
Performance Recording New Shortcut:
Alt-R now starts/stops MIDI device recording.
Zooming Shortcuts Improved:
Added standard Ctrl+, Ctrl-, Ctrl0 zoom keyboard shortcuts for better useability and standardised with Internet browsers and other applications. Original shortcuts continue to work as they did with previous versions of MidiIllustrator.
Highlight Middle C:
Middle C is now optionally highlighted on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard for easier orientation
Improvements:
Full compatibility with Windows 8/8.1.
Graphic display quality improvements (e.g. antialiasing of fonts).
Improved handling of custom OS DPI settings (Windows custom text size).
Rewrite of metronome light timing to address latency issues.
Printing to BMP improvements.
Improved handling of invalid note pitches during MIDI import.
Better validation of MIDI data.
Clearer metronome sounds.
Improved handling of unavailable scores accessed from recent scores list.
Increased "pre-warning" score open count to 40.
Improved cursor navigation commands (View Menu).

New in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso 2.00 (Oct 10, 2013)

Finger Numbers and Automatic Fingering Analysis:
Now you can assign finger numbers to each note either manually or in a single step with MidiIllustrator's Automatic Fingering Analysis.
Fingering analysis is customizable to help you assign the right finger numbers easily and quickly for a selection of notes or the whole score.
Once you have assigned finger numbers to notes several new features become available
Finger numbers can be displayed in, alongside, above or below each note/chord in the score
Finger numbers can be displayed on each key during playback on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard
MidiIllustrator can show animated Performing Hands performing your score over the On-Screen Piano Keyboard
Enrich your score with Rich Text Content:
The following MidiIllustrator rich text items can store and display rich text and OLE objects in your score: Lyrics, Bookmarks, Chord Names, Free Text (New), Expressions (New), Staff Names and Instrument Names (Staff Namings) and Score Titles
Here are just a few of the formatting features supported by the new rich text items
Font formatting such as font style (e.g. bold, italic, underline, etc.)
Images/photos (jpeg, bitmaps etc.)
Text colors
File Attachments (even other scores!)
Hyperlinks
Paragraph Alignment (e.g. Left, Justified, etc.)
Bullets and line numbering
Easily add objects such as images and other multimedia content to your score.
Performing Hands:
Performing Hands are an animation feature of the On-Screen Piano Keyboard. Performing Hands can be used both as a learning tool and when composing to see how the hands move when fingering your keyboard compositions.
Alternatively you can simply enjoy watching your score performed on the keyboard by MidiIllustrator's talented hands which can perform even the most technically challenging pieces!
Measure Endings:
MidiIllustrator now supports endings as part of its comprehensive barline functionality.
Endings can be used with bar repeats to create very efficient scores where only the ending of a particular passage varies from one verse to the next. You need only score the common part of one or more verses once and then add any different "endings" for each verse.
Naturally, MidiIllustrator can observe ending behavior as well as nested repeat instructions in the score during playback.
Quick Print Parts/Instruments/Staves:
Print any combination of parts, instruments or staves in a single command, without having to modify the score at all. The new quick print dialog saves you time when printing.
Fully Customizable On-Screen Piano Keyboard Colors:
The colors used to display On-Screen Piano Keyboard can be configured with the Keyboard Options tab in the Program Options dialog.
With this feature you can change the colors of various parts of the keyboard as well as the Keyboard Highlighting Colors used to show which keys are being pressed during playback.
Score Starting Tempo:
As well as saving a modified master tempo with a score, you can now set the starting tempo for any score.
Completely New Program Interface:
The entire MidiIllustrator application has been overhauled with a completely new interface providing greater layout control and improved accessibility.
The new interface also supports several new color schemes (themes) and tabbed documents, as well as smart docking for toolbars and special controls such as the On-Screen Piano Keyboard and List Bar.
By default, each program in the MidiIllustrator series uses a different theme.
Context Menus:
Key commands are now available as right-click context menus, providing easier access to the commands you need most often. Extended Clipboard Actions have also been added to the context menus.
Better Printer Management MidiIllustrator's new printer manager stores information about your preferred printer and also stores print setup details with each score, such as
Paper Orientation
Paper Size
New Ways to Show Individual Note Names:
Individual note names can now be displayed along with finger numbers (new) in, alongside, above or below each note or chord in the score.
Finger Numbers Displayed on the On-Screen Piano Keyboard:
Once assigned to notes in the score, finger numbers can be displayed on the top of each key during playback.
New Dynamic Tempo and Volume Controls:
The Volume and Tempo toolbar has been integrated into the brand new MidiIllustrator Status Bar.
Tabbed Documents/Scores:
MidiIllustrator scores are now arranged as 'tabs' much like popular applications such as Firefox and Internet Explorer. Tabs provide easier access and management of your open scores with more than one score open at a time
Interface Improvements:
Many interfaces have been improved through redesign and new features for example
Apply Now buttons which update your score instantly when you make changes to dialog controls (without requiring you to close the current interface dialog) are now available on the following dialogs -
Score Options
Score Titles
Staff Manager
Staff Manager also has a new layout.
New Program Options:
The Program Options dialog includes new tabs
Keyboard Options for configuring the On-Screen Piano Keyboard
Program Colors hosting reorganized color management items from the Color tab in the Score Options dialog
Extended Insertion and Item Shift functions, with Keyboard Shortcuts:
Lyrics, bookmarks, chords, frets, free text and expressions can all be shifted backwards and forwards in the score using new menu commands and Keyboard Shortcuts.
When inserting "Next/Previous" items (such as Lyrics, Bookmarks etc.) optionally include measure beats as Next/Previous cursor insert locations
When shifting items such as Lyrics, Bookmarks etc. Forward or Back, optionally include measure beats as cursor insert locations
Free Text Items:
Free Text Items are rich text objects which can be positioned anywhere in the score providing a great alternative to Lyrics and Bookmarks.
Moreover these objects can be anchored to the measure, page or staff so that they move relative to the score as it changes.
New Metronome Light Options:
The Metronome Light now displays the beat count numerically in order to help with counting and rhythm exercises
The flashing effect of the metronome is now more configurable, allowing the display of solid colors without flashing effect
Staff Manager, Staff Copy Functions Improved:
The Copy Staff command in Staff Manager now copies Lyrics, Free text and Expressions as well as the rest of the staff notation and properties.
Hide Upper/Lower Voice Rests:
MidiIllustrator intuitively handles the display of rests in the notation. This option gives the composer greater control to optionally hide all automatically drawn upper/lower voice rests allowing for a more streamlined score.
Improved Score Layout:
Better management of staff systems based on clef size and notation content means that staves are even more compact making even better use of your screen real-estate.
New Program Icons
Minor Fixes and Improvements:
Improvements to barline graphics, and introduced new barline toolbar buttons
It is now default behavior to print score notation colors but not to print page textures, which are now separate options
Search the help file for keywords directly from the search box in the main program menu bar
New page background textures
Extra handling of invalid key signatures in MIDI files
Accidentals no longer repeat on notes which tie from the previous measure. To show an accidental on a note tied from a previous system/page, a courtesy accidental can be used
Staff instrument names can now be edited in Staff Manager and the Staff Instrument dialogs
Re-enabled default editing option "Auto-tie off-beat notes which cross beats"
Improvements to Scroll View
Added extensions to all file names in List Bar, so the extension column does not need to be visible to identify file type
Improved splash screen dismissal behavior
Improved handling of improperly structured MIDI files which could result in some MIDI notes hanging when imported
Addressed occasional Tooltip flicker when running under Windows Vista
Updated file associations to work with Windows Vista with UAC enabled

New in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso 1.02 (Oct 10, 2013)

New in MidiIllustrator Virtuoso 1.01 (Oct 10, 2013)

New Score Samples:
Three new complete score samples are included with each MidiIllustrator installation program
Anitra's Dance by E Grieg
Amazing Grace by J Newton
The Entertainer by S Joplin
These scores exploit some of MidiIllustrator's many scoring features and formatting options, including the use of textures, fonts, lyrics, chords and notation learning tools such as individual note naming.
Vista Compatibility:
MidiIllustrator is now compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista.
Several interface improvements mean that all MidiIllustrator programs run perfectly on the new Microsoft Windows operating system.
New Program Icons and Graphics:
New images have been incorporated into the different MidiIllustrator products for those customers who have more than one MidiIllustrator product installed at a time. It is now much easier to associate various music file types with a given MidiIllustrator application.
Trial Printing:
Printing is now fully enabled in the trial versions of MidiIllustrator Maestro and MidiIllustrator Virtuoso, allowing musicians to print complete scores whilst auditioning each program.
MIDI Device Volume automatically set:
Some programs erroneously reduce the master volume of the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth", which is the default MIDI device used for playback on many Windows systems. If the Windows 'master' volume for this device has been set to zero, then no sound will be heard during playback of any scores which use the device.
MidiIllustrator now checks to see if the Wavetable Synth is the playback device each time playback begins. If it is, and the current volume is zero, MidiIllustrator automatically increases the volume to 50%. This action simply reproduces the result you would see if you manually increased the "MIDI" or "SW Synth" volume value in the Windows Mixer dialog (also know as "the Windows volume control").
Fixes and Improvements:
Playlists: Score adding capacity increased
It is now possible to add an unlimited number of scores to a playlist in a single action. The previous limit was ~300 scores at a time
Fixed: Step by Step cursor positioning reset
Details: This release fixes an issue with Step by Step mode whereby cursor positioning was occasionally reset to the playback start position during note 'step' auditions whilst using the cursor keys