Txt2Trak - converts a .txt file into midi for Ditty,Tinker

   When I first tried out a sequencer called Bars&Pipes for my
      ooooooooole Amiga 500, I was kind of upset that I had to "click" in sheet
      music if I wanted to get the sequencer to play it.

      Click the "add" tool, Click the quarter note duration,
      find out where middle C was on the display and Click it,
      and keep Click Click Clickin away with ALL those dang notes...

      I wished for a "text file sheet music format" so I could use
      my speedy typing skills to "Type Type Type" in a song.

   I came up with a text format that describes sheet music and converts to midi.

   I'll start with a song example,
      then simple snippet examples,
      then move on to the detailed syntax diagram.
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song Example:

   You'll need more than one .txt file to define a song,
      so it's best to make a directory for the song and
      put each of the files in it.  For example...
      {MidiPath}\Compose\Txt\Nushooz_CantWait\
         CantWait.song
         CantWait.txt
         drum.txt
         left.txt
         right.txt
         vocal.txt
         bass_a.txt
         bass_b.txt
         bass_c.txt

Take a look at the .song file (which is just a text file)...

      Track:
      . Drum\Drum        .DrumTrack
      . Bass\Syn1        .Left
      . SynLead\Sawtooth .Right
      . SynLead\Voice    .Vocal
      Control:
      Tmpo
      Vol
      Marker:
      1  intro
      9  verse
      25 chorus
      31 bridge1
      33 bridge2
      43 coda
      Section:
      intro
      verse
      chorus
      bridge1
      intro
      verse
      chorus
      bridge2
      coda
      coda


   We have 4 tracks that use the default midiout device and certain sounds.
      The last thing on the line is a track name/description
   The song uses 2 controls:
      tempo and volume.
   The intro starts at bar 1, verse at bar 9, etc
   Then we say how to order and repeat the section of the song.
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We also have CantWait.txt containing...

      $cd@fga@
      !Tmpo=120
      #Drum
      NextTrack
      #Left
      NextTrack
      #Right
      NextTrack
      #Vocal


   That's the top level .txt file to create our tracks.
   Mostly it just "includes" other .txt files for each individual track and
      then has a "NextTrack" to start the, umm, Next Track.

   Lines starting with - are comment lines.

   The  $cd@fga@  line sets the scale so that e and b notes always get flatted.
                                                              (unless natural'd)
   !Tmpo=120 sets the tempo control at 120

   Drum.txt is the first file to load in and "do".

   Txt2Trak looks for files in the same directory as the top .txt file
      AND in the {MidiPath}\Compose\Clip\* directories
   (You can put any common tracks in the Clip directory like drum patterns, etc)
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Drum.txt in turn has the drum track referencing the drum clips in Clip dir...

      ------- intro
      -- 8 bars of drums in ABABABAC pattern using rock 5,7,f9
      -- (8 bars of non chorus)
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumFill\Rock\09
      ------- verse
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumPat\Rock\07
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
      #DrumFill\Rock\09
      #DrumPat\Rock\05
...etc...
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Clip\DrumPat\Rock\05.txt (for example) in turn has...

      --- Rock 5
      s kick      hhcl
      s
      s kick      hhcl
      s
      s      snar!hhcl!
      s
      s kick      hhcl
      s
      s           hhcl
      s
      s kick      hhcl
      s
      s      snar!hhcl!
      s
      s kick      hhcl
      s
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After the full drum track is built, there's a
   NextTrack  command to, well, start the next track, derrr...

   We do the left hand piano track.
   It uses 3 one bar bass patterns (bass_a, bass_b and bass_c.txt)
   Then right hand piano track and finally the vocal track.

   For example, right.txt has...

      !vol=80
      ---------------------------------------- intro 1
      e 5b,   h eg
      e b
      e 6d
      e c
      e 5gb,  q e
      s 6c
      s 5g
      e
      e b
      ----------
      e  5b,  q.s df
      e  b
      e  6d
      s  c
      sq 5dfgb
      e
      e  b
      ---------- 3
...etc...


   !vol=80
      means set volume control to 80  (of 127)
      and then we start the notes (remembering the scale we set)

   e 5b, h eg
      means play an eighth note on octave 5 note b
         (which will be flatted per our scale)
      and at the same time start a half note with e and g  (same octave)

   our leftmost duration was an eighth so
   the next line down's note starts RIGHT after that.

   The articulation for the note defaults to leggerio (3/4 the full duration).
   You can set the default articulation (effecting ALL following notes, too) to
      staccato < (1/4 dur)
      portato  = (1/2 dur)
      leggerio > (3/4 dur - the default if ommitted) or
      legato   - (full dur)

   I tend to put -- lines at the bar boudaries

   in general, lines start with a Duration then OctaveNote.

   A trailing comma means that another note group starts at the same time
   with usually a different (longer) duration

   Look through this example song and see if you can make out the syntax.
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Snippet examples:

                   assume that the scale is...
   $cd@fga@        will flatten all E and B notes:  @=flat, #=sharp

   q 5ceg          makes a minor chord on middle C (e is flattened by scale)
                   played for a quarter note duration
                   with leggerio articulation
                                    (note is released 3/4 way thru the duration)

   q ce%g          makes a major chord
                   % suffix on a note makes it natural - overrides the scale

   h.e.- 5b%       makes a middle octave B  (no flatting from the scale)
                   with a duration of a dotted half plus dotted eighth
                   with a legato articulation (-)
                               (note isn't released until full duration is over)
   h- 5e
   h  d            make a slurred middle E flat (cuzu the scale)  to middle D
                   The E@ is played at time 0
                      with a half note duration
                      with legato articulation
                   The D is played after a half note and will sound RIGHT
                                                                    after the E@
                      with a half note duration
                      with leggerio articulation


   Note that the "start time" of each notegroup is determined by
   the duration of the FIRST (leftmost) notegroup in each line

   If you have notes that have durations that cross measures you may want to go:

   h     5fa6c
   h, h. 5ce%5g
   -- next note starts while prev measure's c chord has only played for half dur
   h     6c


   fingering syntax...:)

   add a [fingering] right after note
   q 5c[1]e[3]g[5]      will put little fingering numbers by the note
   q 5c[23]             press with finger2 and hold with finger3
                        (thumb is finger 1 of either hand .. pinky is 5)
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Full Syntax:

I tried to make this notation as flexible as sheet music is
so the format is a bit complex.
(although limitations ARE there.  Esp note velocity, etc)


-
lines starting with the '-' character are comments.  They're ignored.


#
lines starting with the '#' character mean to include the named .txt file.
ex:  #drum 80     will include the drum.txt file 80 times


other lines are note event lines in this format:
    [this means optional]  {this means 0 or many}  (this means 1 or many)

notegroup[,notegroup]

notegroup    = duration {frequency}

duration     = [rolled](value[modifier])[articulation]

rolled       = ~  roll the notes (a 64th note gap in start times)

value        = W  hole note        H  alf
               Q  uarter           E  ighth
               S  ixteenth         T  hirtysecond
               6  tyfourth         1  hundred twenty eighth
               2  hundred fifty sixth...:)

               G  grace note - end note RIGHT before current time and start it
                  a legato 32nd note before that

modifier     = .  dotted
               3  triplet
                  ...else unaltered duration

articulation = <  stacatto  1/4
               =  portato   1/2
               >  leggerio  3/4             will make all E and B notes into Eb and Bb (umm, flat) and
                   the default articulation leggerio

!
lines starting with the '!' character are control change events
for example...
!Vol=100
!PBnd=64
!Tmpo=120      (in BPM)

Here are all the controls:
   Prog, Prss, PBnd,
   Vol,  Expr, Pan,  Bal,
   Mod,  Brth, Pedl,
   Hold, Hld2, Soft, Sust, Lega,
   Sld1, Sld2, Sld3, Sld4,
   Btn1, Btn2, Btn3, Btn4,
   Tmpo

Duration breakout (for those into gory detail - timing 'ticks' per duration)
    normal  dotted=.  triplet=3
 w  768     1152      512
 h  384      576      256
 q  192      288      128
 e   96      144       64
 s   48       72       32
 t   24       36       16
 6   12       18        8
 1    6        9        4
 2    3        4? :/    1