Using the "articulate.ly" script AND getting nice-looking engraved output - how to

[Tom Cloyd]

I seem to have made a discovery which I don't see covered in either Lilypond's Notation Reference or the documentation for the articulate script at its homepage.

First, for those who don't know, use of this script produces "a more realistic MIDI output", in which articulations (slurs, staccato, etc) are performed better, "by replacing notes with sequential music of suitably time-scaled note plus skip. It also tries to unfold trills turns etc., and take rallentando and accelerando into account." (Notation reference section 3.5.7)

For my instrument, classic guitar, the results are audibly better. However, there is a price: "After altering your input file this way, the visual output is heavily altered" (Notation Reference), such that it now reflects what the midi is performing.

However, this can be fixed easily. With my method, I am getting the midi output to employ articulate.ly's magic, AND play the repeats in the score, while producing a PDF engraving file that is what I expect, rather than what midi is performing - all in one compiler pass. It's a very nice result. My entire Lilypond score script may be viewed at http://pastie.org/1795196

For the archives, here is a reduction:

[begin score script]

\version "2.13.51"
\include "articulate.ly"

\header {...}
\paper {...}

% * VOICE > melody = \relative c' {...}

% * VOICE THREE =======================================
alto = \relative c {
    \voiceThree
    ...}

% * VOICE TWO ========================================
bass = \relative c' {
  \voiceTwo
  ... }

structure = {
  \new Staff = "guitar" \with { \consists "Span_arpeggio_engraver" }
  <<
  \set Staff.midiInstrument="acoustic guitar (nylon)"
  \set Staff.connectArpeggios = ##t
  \context Voice = "melody" \melody
  \context Voice = "alto" \alto
  \context Voice = "bass" \bass
  >>
}

\score {
 \structure
 \layout {
   indent = 0.0\cm % remove indent on first staff
   }
}    

\score {
  \unfoldRepeats \articulate \structure
  \midi { %causes generation of midi score\
    }
}


[end score script]

It's worth noting that the \unfoldRepeats causes midi to play the repeats as written, but only if they are scripted in every voice, a requirement which appears to me not to be documented in the Notation Reference. Also, enables midi output of "performing abbreviatures (sic) such as trills".

All comments most welcome.

Oh...is this something which should be included in the Notation Reference section 3.5.7 on the articulate script? I surely would have appreciated finding it there!

Thanks to all who helped me with a related issue, which led to the inadvertent discover of this solution to the problem of using articulate.ly AND getting proper engraving output.

Tom

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"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already
knows." ~ Epictetus (c.55-c.135) 
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Tom Cloyd, MS MA
Private practice Psychotherapist
St. George, Utah, U.S.A: (435) 272-3332
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<< TomCloyd.com >> (website)
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