When recording, any sharp or flat notes played will be notated according to the key signature. Accidentals already included in the key signature would be redundant, and are therefore left out, unless this option is changed.
Minimum velocity for recording 10
Expressed as a number between 1 and 127. Key velocity determines a note’s amplitude (volume).In recording, Nightingale will ignore any notes played more softly than this on the assumption that the soft note was a mistake on the part of the performer.
Minimum duration for recording 50
Measured in milliseconds. In recording, Nightingale will ignore any notes played very short on the assumption that the short note was a mistake on the part of the performer.
Default Tempo 100
Beat = 100 is the default tempo for playback and recording in any score that doesn’t have a tempo mark.
Legato control 95
Expressed as a percentage of the full rhythmic duration of a note. Nightingale will play back each note with shorter durations than full value, as specified by this option.
Default Note Off velocity 64
The note off velocity sent back to MIDI instruments when a note ends.
Note On velocity for feedback 64
Expressed in MIDI data values between 1 and 127. When MIDI Feedback is turned on, the MIDI velocity (volume) you will hear during note insertion or dragging is set with this option.
Default channel number 1
The default MIDI channel (ranging from 1 to 16) over which Nightingale will receive MIDI data during recording, and over which Nightingale will send out MIDI data during playback (if the option for “Play from parts’ settings” is not selected in MIDI Preferences).
Default patch number 1
The patch/sound on your MIDI instrument that will be engaged by Nightingale during playback if none other is assigned for a part, or if the option for “Play from parts’ settings” is not selected in MIDI Preferences.
If MIDI manager is available, use it? Yes
If you are not using MIDI playback or recording, you can turn off this option to unconditionally disable MIDI. This may save on memory usage and will make system errors/crashes less difficult to clear up.
Turn pages while playing? No
As playback reaches the end of a page that is currently visible on the screen, Nightingale will take a short “time out” to draw the next page, and then will resume playback.
MIDI Feedback initially on? No
This option sets the default for new files. MIDI Feedback should not be turned on unless you have correctly hooked up a MIDI system. With some MIDI interface units, you will experience long delays as you are clicking-in notes with the mouse.
Tap-in barline tolerance 10
Expressed in 100ths of a second. During playback, you can “tap in” barlines anywhere by pressing the Tab key. Normally, Nightingale will put the barline between the currently-playing sync and the next one; however, if you press the Tab key just as a sync starts or just after one starts, Nightingale will put the barline before the currently-playing sync. This tolerance controls how long the period “just after a sync starts” is.
Use MIDI for metronome? No
This and the next three options set the default for new files. With the setting of “No,” you will hear the metronome click coming over the speaker built into your Macintosh. Setting it to “Yes” sends the metronome through your MIDI instrument.
MIDI metronome channel number 1
This is the default MIDI channel over which the data for the MIDI metronome will be sent.
MIDI metronome note number 90
This is the default MIDI note number at which the MIDI metronome will play. MIDI note 90 is equal to F-sharp two octaves above middle ‘c’ (which is equal to MIDI note 60).
MIDI metronome note velocity 90
Expressed in MIDI data values between 1 and 127. This is the default MIDI note velocity (volume) at which the MIDI metronome will play.
MIDI metronome note duration 50
Expressed in milliseconds, ranging from 1 to 999.
When quantizing, bias against recognizing tuplets 0
Ranging from -100 to 100. A setting of -100 will tell Nightingale to notate recorded rhythms using as many triplets as possible. A setting of 100 tells Nightingale to translate all recorded notes into rhythms without triplets. A setting of “0” is biased neither for or against recognizing triplets. The range of useful settings is approximately from -40 to 40.
Least-squares fit to decide tuplets from real time? No
When Nightingale is deciding whether a group of recorded notes should be notated as a triplet or not, Nightingale considers how far from regular “straight” rhythm the notes’ start times are; then it considers how far from triplet rhythm the notes’ start times are. Normally, it just adds up the errors and chooses the one (straight or triplet) that’s smaller, given the bias described above. However, this option tells Nightingale to do what‘s called a least-squares fit of the errors instead, which may give better results for some users.
Beat levels to look for tuplets at when quantizing 21
Nightingale can attempt to identify triplets on up to three rhythmic levels as it transcribes a recorded passage. The possible levels are one level above the beat (level “1”), i.e., the triplet has a total duration of two beats; the level of the beat (“2”), i.e., total duration of one beat; and the level below the beat (“3”), i.e., total duration of half a beat. This option consists of three digits which simply tell Nightingale which levels to try, and in what order (the digit zero means don’t try anything). For example, in 4/4 time, level 1 has a total duration of a half note, level 2 a duration of a quarter note, and level 3 a duration of an eighth note. In 4/4 time, the setting “213” tells Nightingale to try first to notate any notes determined to be triplets as 8th note triplets; second, attempt to notate them as quarter-note triplets; and finally 16th note triplets. The setting “210” tells Nightingale to ignore triplets at the lowest level.
The default setting of "21" eliminates the lowest level.
PostScript Prefs:
Linewidth of stems 8
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of barlines 10
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of ledger lines 13
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of stafflines 8
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of beams 50
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of hairpins 12
Expressed as a percentage of a space. Hairpin dynamic markings are the graphic crescendo and decrescendo markings created using the “<” and “>” tools.
Linewidth of dotted barlines 12
Expressed as a percentage of a space.
Linewidth of multibar rest end lines 12
Expressed as a percentage of a space. These are the thin lines on the two ends of a multibar rest.
Linewidth of non-arpeggio signs 12
Expressed as a percentage of a space. See the non-arpeggio tool in the entry titled “Tool Palette.”
Linewidth of tremolo slashes 38
Expressed as a percentage of a space. These are the diagonal lines drawn across a note’s stem added by using the tremolo tool from the palette.
Linewidth of grace-note slashes 8
Expressed as a percentage of a space. These are the small diagonal lines drawn across the stem of grace notes.
Linewidth in middle of slurs/ties 30
Expressed as a percentage of a space. The middle of a slur or tie is thickened as in engraved music.
Text/measure no. enclosure thickness 2
Measured in quarter-points. This is the thickness of the box that is drawn around rehearsal marks, measure numbers, etc..
Offset on music font size 0
Measured in points. This setting is for users who prefer using music characters a tiny bit larger or smaller than normal for the staff size. The only recommended values are either 0 or 1.
Instruments:
Nightingale has a “master list” of instruments that are available for use in the instrument dialog.
You can add new instruments with all new settings using the New Item command in NightCustomizer’s Edit menu.
The settings in Nightingale’s default Instrument list follow the channel assignments of the “General MIDI Spec.” You can change any of the settings for instruments in this NightCustomizer list the same way you do in the Instrument dialog of the Master Page menu (see its entry in the Commands section of this manual).
You can also create a second or third Nightingale Prefs file, and maintain them with different patch/channel organization lists for times when you will be using different MIDI playback equipment (see “Creating and maintaining alternate versions of the Nightingale Prefs file,” below).
MIDI dynamics:
New velocity table
Double-click on this item to adjust the default settings for what MIDI velocity value (volume) will be used during playback when a letter dynamic marking is encountered in your score (e.g., a dynamic marking of “mf” in your score might tell Nightingale to play back using a MIDI velocity of 75).
You may create and maintain several different velocity tables, customizing each one to fit various MIDI playback instruments. To do this, select the New Item command in the Edit menu, and give the newly-created velocity table a name that you can later associate with a particular MIDI instrument.
Spacing Tables:
Nightingale’s Respace Bars command and Automatic Respacing feature rely on a spacing tables to tell them how much space to leave between symbols. Nightingale comes with several spacing tables. You can edit the existing tables, delete them, and create new ones (See the entry titled Preferences in the Commands section of this manual for a description of each spacing table choice).
Palette keymaps:
Re-map tool palette keys
Use this item if you wish to reassign the keyboard shortcuts (“hot keys”) for the tools in the palette.
Special note to users outside the U.S.A./Canada: Macintosh users who are using non-U.S. system software may find that the hot keys listed in the manual don't work as expected. Apple Computer remapped the Macintosh keyboard for U.S. System 7, so some hot keys may not be what non-U.S. users expect (based on the chart in the manual, etc.). You can look at the chart for the Palette Keymap in NightCustomizer to see exactly what key assignments are being used by the particular system software you are using. You can easily create and print out a “PICT file” by taking a “screen shot” of the Palette Keymap chart displayed by NightCustomizer, and then print it out for your reference, using System 7 Teach Text or some drawing program such as MacPaint or SuperPaint.
How to remap the Tool Palette:
First, select Palette Keymap from the Objects list, and then double-click on “re-map tool palette keys” when it appears in the Items list:
The chart of keyboard shortcut assignments is displayed.
To change a key assignment, double-click in the lower portion of a tool’s rectangle (in the area below the dotted line where a letter and perhaps an arrow or Option key symbol appear). Type the key or combination of keys you wish assigned to that tool. Use the scroll bar along the right edge of the chart to display any tools not visible on the screen.
When you have made your selection for a new key assignment, click anywhere else in the chart to release/unselect the lower rectangle.
Creating and maintaining alternate versions of the Nightingale Prefs file:
The default settings you create in NightCustomizer are saved in a file called “Nightingale Prefs,” that is maintained in the Preferences Folder, which resides inside the System Folder.
You can create special “personalized” versions of the Prefs file for use on special projects or for use by other individuals who will be using Nightingale.
Use the following steps to create two copies of the Nightingale Prefs file. The first copy should be named “Original Nightingale Prefs” or some name identifying it for later use as the original. The second copy can given whatever name you like (i.e., “Dave’s Custom Nightingale Prefs”) identifying it for use on special projects. For safety, it is suggested that you make duplicate copies of the Nightingale Prefs file before making alterations to the original:
1) Quit Nightingale.
2) Double-click on NightCustomizer to start it (the current “Nightingale Prefs” file will automatically opened–if not, go to the File menu and select “Open Current Prefs”).
3) Go to the File menu and select the Save As command. A dialog is displayed, showing the contents of the most recently opened folder on your hard drive, asking you to name the Prefs file you are “saving as”.
4) Type in the name “Original Nightingale Prefs” or some name identifying the original for later use, and then click on the [Save] button.
The copy you have just made is automatically stored in the Nightingale Folder. The “Current Prefs” file (in the Preferences folder) is closed.
5) Go again to the File menu, and select Save As a second time.
6) Type in the special name you wish (i.e., “Dave’s Custom Nightingale Prefs”) identifying the custom version of the Nightingale Prefs file, and then click on the [Save] button.
The second copy just made is also automatically stored in the Nightingale Folder. The “Original Nightingale Prefs” file is closed.
7) Make the desired changes to “Dave’s Custom Prefs File.”
8) Go to the File menu and select Save.
Further customizing to a Prefs file:
Whenever you start NightCustomizer, whichever file in the Preferences folder is named “Nightingale Prefs” will be automatically opened. If NightCustomizer opens a Prefs file other than the one you wish to customize, you can close the currents prefs file (using the Close command in the File menu) and then open a different prefs file (using the Open command).
Installing a specific Nightingale Prefs file back into the Preferences folder:
Nightingale will only use the Prefs file that is in the Preferences folder, and that has the exact name “Nightingale Prefs.” If you wish to install the newly-customized “Dave’s Custom Nightingale Prefs file (or whatever custom file you have created), you must simply use “Save As” to copy it into the Preferences folder as “Nightingale Prefs.” This step will cause NightCustomizer to overwrite the current “Nightingale Prefs” file already in the Preferences folder, but since you have made a copy of it named “Original Nightingale Prefs,” you do not need to be concerned about losing the “Current Prefs” file.
Use these steps to install your custom Prefs file:
1) Follow steps 1-3 above
2) Type in the new name “Nightingale Prefs”
3) Designate the Preferences folder as the destination for the file being saved.
This is done by pressing (and holding) the mouse button on the popup menu in the top-left of the area of the dialog, so that the layers of folders on your hard drive can be viewed. You must first “back up” one layer from the Nightingale Folder (where NightCustomizer resides) to see the contents of your hard drive displayed in the list below it. You can then double-click on the icon of the System Folder, and then as its contents are displayed, double-click on the icon of the Preferences Folder.
4) Click on the [Save] button
The a new copy of the custom Prefs file has now been saved as “Nightingale Prefs,” inside the Preferences folder. The “Dave’s Custom Nightingale Prefs” closed and intact in the Nightingale folder.
Re-installing the “Original Nightingale Prefs” file:
Since you have copies of both the “Original Nightingale Prefs” file and “Dave’s Custom Nightingale Prefs,” you can simply repeat the procedure described under “Installing a specific Nightingale Prefs file” substituting the original for the custom Prefs file. As long as you maintain your “master” copies of any Prefs files along side NightCustomizer (in the Nightingale folder), you can always install and re-install them a will.
Trouble Shooting--Rebuilding the default Prefs File:
If for some reason you have lost or destroyed the original Nightingale Prefs file, you can quickly rebuild it by dragging all files named “Nightingale Prefs” out of the Preferences folder, and then restarting Nightingale. A fresh copy of Nightingale Prefs will be created with the original default settings.
