The goal here is to have a “cleaned” MIDI file that you can import into your notation program.
Importing an unclean MIDI file into notation software will typically result in a garbled mess.
<aside> 💡 Some people may prefer to do all the cleaning inside of their notation program… and that is certainly fine.
You are encouraged to learn how to do it both ways. The techniques for MIDI cleanup in a DAW discussed here will also be applicable and useful outside of score preparation.
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The key to MIDI cleanup is to use batch editing tools, otherwise the process is very long and laborious as you would be editing every single note.
Some useful tools include:
Additionally, think about how you want to handle different articulations. It can help keep things organized to condense all articulations into one track in your DAW, but separating them in the the DAW allows you to apply articulations efficiently in the notation program.
The following steps may be helpful, but there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Remember to listen back to the mockup as you work to make sure you are changing the right things.
Score creation may involve drastic changes to our session, so we want to preserve the original composition for reference.