IntelliScore functions:
music notation
mp3 to notation
audio to notation
notate music
wav to notation

Convert audio files and CD to music notation, find chord names, transcribe music and make multi-track MIDI scores using intelliScore.

IntelliScore is the world's only multi-instrument,
multi-drum audio to notation converter

Now includes Lead Sheet Creator and Score Builder

CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW

Below are answers to some of the more frequently asked questions about intelliScore. If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to ask us using the form below. You will receive a prompt, courteous response usually within one business day.

Why are there two flavors of intelliScore?

IntelliScore comes in two editions: Ensemble Edition and Polyphonic Edition. IntelliScore Ensemble Edition is the only product in the world that can listen to a musical audio file (CD, WAV, MP3, AAC, AIFF or WMA) comprised of several different instruments and drums and convert it to a MIDI file containing the notes and drums played, broken down by instrument. The MIDI file can then be converted to music notation. The Ensemble Edition includes tools such as a Score Builder and Lead Sheet Creator. It also provides all the features of intelliScore Polyphonic. Read the full Ensemble Edition MP3 to score FAQ.

If your music contains only one type of instrument, such as a piano solo, and does not contain percussion, consider the bargain priced intelliScore Polyphonic to convert audio to notation. The music can be polyphonic (playing several notes at the same time) or monophonic (one note at a time). IntelliScore Polyphonic does not break down the MIDI file into multiple instrument tracks and does not convert percussion. If you choose the Polyphonic Edition and decide later you would like to upgrade to the Ensemble Edition, you will find that the transition will be easy, as the two editions work similarly.

What's it good for?

IntelliScore works in two modes: live and prerecorded. In prerecorded mode, intelliScore listens to audio files containing recordings of music and helps figure out the notes played, as well as their duration and dynamics, tempo changes, likely chord names and the prominent key, and writes them to a MIDI file. This can save you much of the time and trouble required to figure out and write down the notes, so you can spend more time making music and pursuing other creative endeavors. Once your audio files are converted into MIDI, you can do things that can be impossible with audio files, such as changing individual notes and swapping instruments. You can also play the MIDI file, see and edit the music notation, and study it. For more information on file formats, read our MP3 to MIDI Converter Primer.

In real time mode, intelliScore allows you to control a MIDI-enabled instrument or your computer's sound card in near real time while you play an acoustic instrument. In conjunction with LoopBe1 (which can be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use), you can record MIDI directly into your favorite sequencer, such as the included Anvil Studio. Traditionally, this capability would require an expensive, specialized MIDI pickup hardware for your acoustic instrument. IntelliScore could save you the expense of hardware MIDI pickups and additionally works with any instrument.

IntelliScore is particularly useful in helping you figure out the notes and drums present in prerecorded audio files, especially when you don't know (or don't remember) how to play it. The music could come from live performance, a CD, a tape recording, an existing audio file, or another source. When the audio is monophonic, intelliScore has the additional capability of accurately tracking expressive changes in volume, pitch and brightness while notes are being held, faithfully recreating effects such as pitch bend, vibrato, tremolo and portamento.

What does intelliScore not do?

To give you a fair representation of intelliScore's capabilities, we want to tell you a few things that it cannot do (yet). First, it is important to understand that MIDI cannot store as much information as audio. MIDI data can indicate which notes to play, but not the sound of the notes or all the possible nuances of expression. MIDI merely tells sound cards and synthesizers what notes to play, when to play them, and some basic instructions on how to play them. It is up to the sound card or synthesizer to create the sounds, which may sound different from the instruments used to create the original music. MIDI is not capable of recreating sung words, although it can represent the pitches that were sung.

IntelliScore Ensemble recognizes drums and percussion from drum solos, but only when they are not mixed with pitched instruments.

Finally, intelliScore can convert audio files to MIDI files, but not the other way around. To convert MIDI to WAV, we recommend MIDI Converter Studio.

Also see the FAQ on accuracy.

How accurate is it?

IntelliScore employs several different conversion algorithms based on our own research in psycho-acoustic physics and are very complex. For example, intelliScore uses data obtained by analyzing thousands of recordings of musical instruments to help convert polyphonic music. IntelliScore’s specialized monophonic algorithm is remarkably accurate on audio files as well as a live performance that contains only one note at a time, and even detects slight variations in pitch, volume and brightness. Nevertheless, some instruments and forms of music convert better than others. Some audio files may simply refuse to be converted.

Conversion is generally best with audio files that are not too complex and contain only a few instruments and minimal drums and percussion. Although intelliScore Ensemble can convert music with pitched instruments and percussion mixed together, best results are obtained when they are separate. To find out if intelliScore will work for you, we recommend you download our free demo. You can also evaluate some of the unedited results from our own MP3 to MID sample audio files.

Don't expect intelliScore to convert a CD to finished music notation, but intelliScore can get you well on your way. Although after using intelliScore you may need to clean up the music notation, users say this saves them an average of 35% over having to figure out and enter the notes into a sequencer without intelliScore's help. You can use the time you save to pursue more creative endeavors than picking out notes.

Don't I need a supercomputer to run it?

Although intelliScore performs millions of calculations to generate a single MIDI file, all you need is a modern computer to handle the job. The faster the CPU, the faster the conversion speed. In fact, most computers today are fast enough to convert in real-time, so that each second of audio takes less than a second to process. See the system requirements for a full list of what your computer needs to run intelliScore.

Do I need to be a rocket scientist to use it?

IntelliScore is designed for use by musicians with average computer skills, not physicists. All program settings use familiar musical and MIDI terminology. You don't need to know how to read music to use intelliScore, although it would be helpful. Most musicians become comfortable using intelliScore to convert MP3 to notation in less than an hour, followed by learning the more advanced settings at a comfortable pace later on. In fact, intelliScore is so intuitive, many users start using intelliScore without ever using the help system or reading the manual.

IntelliScore includes a wizard to guide you through the process of preparing intelliScore to convert your audio files, CD music or live performance. IntelliScore also includes context-sensitive detailed descriptions of all settings, troubleshooting tips, examples of several conversion projects with settings, handy answers to common questions and several tutorials. You can also view our video audio to MIDI tutorials.

How does it work?

It has been said that automated music conversion is the musical equivalent of speech recognition. For this analogy to be true, then polyphonic music conversion is like listening to several conversations going on at once and figuring out all the words spoken by everyone. Perhaps it is due to this extra complexity that the technology of automated music conversion has lagged behind speech recognition.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Fourier transformation and wavelet theory would be the best approaches to polyphonic music conversion and wavelength determination for monophonic conversion. If these methods really worked, however, there would be many more programs out there that claim to automatically convert recorded music to music notation.

Due to the inherent limitations of the above methods, intelliScore uses a combination of new, revolutionary approaches based upon our continuing research in psycho-acoustic physics. The core technology is patented. IntelliScore is now in its seventh generation and combines additional proprietary capabilities.

What else do I need to use intelliScore?

It depends how you intend to use intelliScore. If you are recording from a microphone, connect the microphone to the "mic in" jack on your sound card. If you are recording from a CD, place the CD in your CD-ROM drive. After converting your recording to a MIDI file, you can use a sequencer/MIDI editing program to edit and/or convert the MIDI file to music notation or guitar tab and print it out. The full versions of intelliScore include the award-winning Anvil Studio program, but you can use any program that imports standard MIDI files. (Printing from the included Anvil Studio requires purchase of the optional Print Sheet accessory.)

If you want to use your analog instrument as a real time MIDI controller, be sure you have a MIDI interface to connect your computer to your synthesizer or sound generation module. If you want to use your analog instrument to record directly into your sequencer, you will need to use intelliScore in conjuction with LoopBe1 (which can be downloaded without charge for non-commercial use).

How do I see the chord names detected by intelliScore?

Not only does intelliScore detect the notes present in CD files and prerecorded audio; it also attempts to identify the names of 144 different chords and the prominent key. Even if your audio file contains only a melody, intelliScore will suggest complementing chord names. When you are using intelliScore real time mode, it displays chord names while you play your instrument. If you are converting prerecorded music, these chord names are written to the MIDI file as marker events. The included Anvil Studio displays the chord names directly above the music notation. Some other sequencers will show the chord names with the notes in music notation or piano roll views. If your sequencer can't do this, it should still be able to display the list of detected chords in an event list. Check your sequencer's documentation for instructions.

Does intelliScore run on a Macintosh computer?

We do not currently offer a native Mac version of intelliScore. However, intelliScore runs properly on a Mac that is running Windows in conjunction with Boot Camp, VirtualBox, Parallels Desktop, or Fusion.