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Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-08-2008, 06:16 PM
Hello Notation Composer and Musician Users,

If you are using Notation Composer or Musician version 2.0 through 2.5, you are highly encouraged to update to version 2.5.1. You can review the version number of Composer or Musician by using the About command in the Help menu.

Visit the following web page for a description of the feature enhancements and bug fixes in the various releases 2.0 up to 2.5 and for instructions for updating to the latest version 2.5.1:

http://notation.com/ComposerWebUpdate.php

or

http://notation.com/MusicianWebUpdate.php

Cheers
-- Mark

Daniel Vallery (danielv)
08-09-2008, 11:56 PM
Hi Mark,

I just updated from 2.5 to 2.5.1. Both had a problem that are different from each other, but very similar.

In 2.5, I pushed P + click which measure I wanted playback to start, then pushed play. Playback in this situation actually starts 16 measures earlier, while mixing the playback from the selected measure.

Now, in 2.5.1, if I choose which measure I want playback to start with the P key + click method, playback starts 16 measures AFTER the selected measure. This does not happen with every file however. It does is this one though, and only at seemingly random parts of the file, at varying intervals of 8 and 16 in different parts of the song:
<center><table border=1><tr><td>http://www.notation.com/discus/icons/attachment_icon.gif
symph.not (http://www.notation.com/discus/messages/36062/symph-36450.not) (328.9 k)</td></tr></table></center>

For instance, try to start playback from measure 22 of this file. Playback will start 8 measures later. Then start playback from 164, and playback starts 16 measures later.

~Daniel

Clyde (clyde)
08-10-2008, 11:08 AM
Hi Mark,
I ventured a try of 2.5.1 upgrading from 2.2. I have been doing simple scored editing and then printing a PDF file using PDF995 print driver - which worked perfectly under V2.2

What seems to happen with V2.5.1 is that Composer writes a PDF not of the current score, but as it was for the previous print.

This can be illustrated by the following scenarios
(a) If I restart Vista and Composer, edit a score and then do a PDF print, the system asks for the file name (which is fine), but the data that is written into the file is the last file I created before the reboot.

(b) If I correct a score and re PDF it, then the score reflects the previous print.

It looks like that the PDF is one sequence behind what is currently requested to be printed.

This is not a problem in V2.2.

An unsatisfactory work around is to print everything twice, but this can easily lead to confusion.

Cheers ... Clyde

Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole)
08-10-2008, 12:29 PM
help! can't record in 2.5.1!!!

Loaded.
Selected "new"
Ran through the screen: Blank unknown instrument (yes, I'm lazy)
4/4, key C, blank name.
Adjusted tempo to 100 or so.
Checked metronome.
Pressed red button.
Message "command is unexpectedly complex" and no recording although cursor is moving and clicks are clicking.
All midi settings are as normal.

I've shifted back to 2.4.1 'cos I didn't have a backup of 2.5 which was working fine for me.

M G Jacobs (mgj32)
08-10-2008, 06:07 PM
Hi Mark,

This may be related to Clyde's problem "that Composer writes a PDF not of the current score."

I have been working on something I saved as "newpiece.not"
At some point I entered "Rally" into Composer/File/Song Title and Author/Song Title, but never named a save that.
I continued opening "newpiece.not" each time I worked on it, however, and saving it as "newpiece.not."
When I had a power outage, after restarting the computer, I used Windows Explorer to see what the latest title in auto recover was, thinking it would be newpiece Recover 1, or something like that.
But it was Rally Recover 1.
Though I was opening and saving newpiece, Composer was saving each update, apparently, as Rally.


all best,
mgj

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-10-2008, 06:42 PM
Hello Clyde,

Perhaps we can isolate this problem to some peculiar interaction between Notation Composer (2.5.1) and your PDF printer driver PDF995. Do you have access to any other PDF printer drivers? If so, please try the same scenario.

Cheers
-- Mark

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-10-2008, 06:46 PM
Hello Daniel,

I have confirmed the problem you reported. If you start playback after a section of start/end repeats, then the playback starts at the wrong location.

I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do another 2.5.2 maintenance release, so that I could return full focus to the 3.0 project; but I guess this particular new bug is sufficiently bad that I might have incur the overhead of releasing a version 2.5.2.

Cheers
-- Mark

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-10-2008, 06:54 PM
Hello MG,

Thanks for your theory that the save-recover file name might be related to Clyde's PDF printer driver report.

When Composer saves a backup of the song for later possible recovery, it names that backup/recovery file according to the name of the file, not the name of the song title, which may be different. So, your observation is consistent with Composer's intended design.

Cheers
-- Mark

Sherry Crann (sherry)
08-10-2008, 06:59 PM
Howdy Tim,

I've just confirmed the "can't record" problem, and we'll get that fixed asap!

ttfn,
Sherry

M G Jacobs (mgj32)
08-10-2008, 07:04 PM
Hi Mark,

quote:

When Composer saves a backup of the song for later possible recovery, it names that backup/recovery file according to the name of the file, not the name of the song title

Except that although I saved newpiece.not as Rally, some time ago, hoping to keep it unhcanged until I was finished with the piece, I have been opening the file newpiece.not and saving it as newpiece.not. But Rally is what began showing up in auto file recovery after I put Rally in as the title of the piece.

all best,
mgj

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-10-2008, 07:24 PM
Hello Tim,

I have confirmed the crash you encountered in 2.5.1 when attempting to record. This bug will for sure require a 2.5.2 maintenance release fix soon.

In the mean time, though, you can work around the problem in either of the following two ways:

1. In the Perform menu, choose the Record / Pickup Beat Options and set to 0 the "count of full measures before starting recording."

-- or --

2. If you want to hear pickup beats (and you probably do), add two empty measures to the beginning of the song. There should be at least as many extra measures at the beginning of the song as there are pickup measures specified in the Perform menu's Record / Pickup Beat Options dialog box (as in #1 above). Before you start recording, select a region in the track that starts after the empty pickup measures.

If you run into additional problems, please let me know.

Thanks for this report!

Cheers
-- Mark

M G Jacobs (mgj32)
08-10-2008, 07:36 PM
Hi Mark,

Made a new file to test that Composer Recover begins, once the song is given a title, to save the FILE you are working on according to the TITLE.

Enclosing a short .not file which has the steps detailed in free text.

all best,
mgj

<center><table border=1><tr><td>http://www.notation.com/discus/icons/attachment_icon.gifnewtest
newtest.not (http://www.notation.com/discus/messages/36062/newtest-36453.not) (9.0 k)</td></tr></table></center>

Clyde (clyde)
08-11-2008, 12:41 AM
Hi Mark,
re the PDF printing problem, I have gone back to V2.2 (yet again). Just doing an install and re-install didn't work, but I had to do a system restore. Fortunately, because of the problems I have with Composer updates, I now do a system checkpoint before trying out new releases.

As far as I'm concerned PDF printing with PDF955 works under V2.2, and therefore should also work with V2.5.2.

I don't plan to install any more Composer 'updates', as I find it just too frustrating,and stressful, and the bug fixes don't usually apply to my areas of concern (which you indicated are very low priority, even though they annoy me every day). I'll leave it to others to 'debug' your software.

Clyde

M G Jacobs (mgj32)
08-11-2008, 05:00 AM
Hi Clyde, Mark

RE: PDF

I printed a file, started in the previous release and worked on in the current one, with the last three pages unfinished, using Primo PDF (a freebie). Later, I finished those three pages and printed it again, using the same file name. It asked me if I wanted to replace a file already with that name. I clicked OK. It printed fine, including the three added pages. I have replaced Adobe with a free, small and fast reader; but I don't know if that makes a difference, or not. Anyhow, I had no problem.

all best,
mgj

M G Jacobs (mgj32)
08-11-2008, 05:08 AM
Hi Mark,

Further testing showed that although Recover now saves a piece according to the title entered in the File/Author and Title, it updates the FILE. Therefore, the copy of Rally I saved after naming the piece did not change, as I wished to be the case; rather it was the working file, newpiece.not that had the changes. So Recover will show the TITLE of a piece, but recovers the FILE being worked on.

Actually, I rather like the change. It is easier to find a named piece than a working title in a recovery directory that needs pruning badly.

So far all is working well.

all best,
mgj

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-11-2008, 06:22 PM
Hello Tim,

The Composer recording bug that you reported above is now fixed for the upcoming 2.5.2 maintenance release, tentatively scheduled soon for Weds, Aug 13, because this is such a serious bug, in addition to start-playback-after-repeats bug that Daniel reported above.

Sherry also discovered another bug in Composer's recording, where it fails to record after the end of the old song as new measures would otherwise be automatically added. This bug is also now fixed for the upcoming 2.5.2 maintenance release.

Thanks for hanging in there with this embarrassing bug in 2.5.1!

Cheers
-- Mark

Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole)
08-11-2008, 11:21 PM
Thanks Mark. I knew I wouldn't have long to wait for the fix ;)

Clyde (clyde)
08-13-2008, 03:16 PM
Hi Mark,
I reloaded 2.5.1 and also a different free PDF file creator (PDFCreator) to see if the print problem was confined to the particular free PDF program I was using.

I'm pleased to be able to report that on my Vista computer this worked perfectly with Composer 2.5.1, unlike the PDF995 program which seemed to be one print behind.

That is a real relief form me, and so I will continue use 2.5.1, although I see that 2.5.2 maybe out soon. My apologies for expressing some frustration over this problem, and thanks for your patience and suggested test/solution.

Cheers ... Clyde

Herbert WENDE (herbert)
08-14-2008, 10:26 AM
Hi Sherry,

I like to change the controller value cc#23 to a value of 8000, for four measures only, while initially all cc#23 values were set to 0.

1. select cc#23 in GraphOverNotes.
2. Select the dialog box “Set Controller in #23 Region”
3, Enter Controller Value, Staff, From Location and To Location.,

The result is that all measures starting at the From Location to the end of the song change to the new value of 8000, rather then four measures only.

Best wishes,

Herbert

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-14-2008, 07:17 PM
Hello Herbert,

I have confirmed the above problem with changing the controller to a fixed value in a region. I'll fix this in the upcoming 2.5.2 (task #1859) Thanks for the bug report!

Cheers
-- Mark

Mark Walsen (markwa)
08-14-2008, 07:33 PM
Hello Herbert,

I see now that this controller 23 bug has been around at least as of version 2.4.2. Since it hasn't been much of a nuisance so far (the bug has never been reported before, to my knowledge), I'm going to postpone the fix until after 2.5.2, probably in v3.0.

In the mean time, you can work-around this bug by resetting the controller 23 value at the end of the 4 measures. Hope that's ok with you.

Cheers
-- Mark