ABC Live Transcriber

Getting Started

ABC Live Transcriber listens as you play and adds recognized pitches to the ABC area. Click Start Listening, allow microphone access, and play one sustained note at a time. The tool is optimized for notes from G below middle C (G3) through D7.

Input and Transcription Settings

Set Input gain as needed. The level meter at the upper right shows the incoming signal level.

Select the tune Key. The K: field is updated automatically, and detected pitches are written relative to that key signature. For example, in K:D, a detected F-sharp is entered as F, because F-sharp is already part of the D-major key signature. Accidentals outside the key signature use ABC accidentals, with sharp spelling where applicable.

Select the Meter: 2/4, 4/4, 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8. The M:, L:, and Q: header fields update automatically without changing any entered notes. L: is always 1/8. For 2/4 and 4/4, Q: is 1/2=90; for 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8, Q: is 3/8=120.

For tin whistle, enable Transpose detected notes down one octave. Pitch recognition still shows the note actually played, while the ABC output is written one octave lower.

Transcribing Notes

For best results, use a clean monophonic instrument tone, avoid chords, and leave a small separation between repeated notes of the same pitch.

When a note is stable, its ABC note name is inserted at the current insertion point in the ABC editor and will replace any selected text.

Duration is not measured; every detected note is entered as a single ABC note.

Editing the ABC

The buttons below the ABC area insert spaces, barlines, repeats, line breaks, duration modifiers, triplets, and grace-note braces at the current insertion point. If text is selected, the inserted item replaces the selection and the insertion point moves immediately after it.

Notation Preview and Playback

The Notation Preview above the ABC area automatically updates whenever the ABC changes. Click a note in the rendered notation to highlight it and select the corresponding note text in the ABC editor, making it easy to replace that note. For longer tunes, scroll within the preview area to see additional notation.

Use the playback controls directly below the notation preview to listen to the current ABC. During playback, a cursor tracks the notes being played and the notation preview automatically scrolls as needed to keep the cursor visible. If microphone listening is active, pitch detection is temporarily paused during playback so the playback audio is not transcribed. The Stop Listening button changes to Listening Paused and is temporarily disabled. Listening resumes when playback is paused or finishes.

Resizing the Workspace

On wider screens, drag the vertical split bar between the left controls and the right notation/ABC area to give either side more room. Drag the horizontal split bar between the notation/playback panel and the ABC editor to resize those areas. Both split positions are saved as percentages and restored the next time the tool is opened. Double-click either split bar to reset that split to 50/50.

Clearing, Saving, and Exporting

Clear ABC restores the standard ABC header using the currently selected key and meter.

You can also edit the ABC manually, copy it, save it as an .abc (.txt on iOS) file, or open it directly in the ABC Transcription Tools.

Saved Settings

Your Input gain, Key, Meter, tin-whistle octave-transposition setting, and left/right and preview/editor split positions are saved automatically in this browser and restored the next time the tool is opened.

About

This ABC Live Transcriber tool was created by Michael Eskin.

If you find it useful, please consider making a contribution via my online tip jars:

Michael Eskin's Tip Jars