Future Music magazine - Rating 92%:

“So close to the original sound that it is scary !”

This clever little program from Greece is a rather advanced sound-to-MIDI converter that not only understands pitch, but also understands volume and brightness. And it's extremely simple to use. Load up a WAV file, click Start and you're away. Chances you'll have to fiddle with scary settings as Harmonic Threshold and Time Resolution a few time before you get the result you're looking for, but once you've got it sussed the quality is superb [Note: Version 3.0 offers automatic settings].

    As long as the samples you are using are clean enough (things like delay and background effects tend to get in the way somewhat) the MIDI playback is so close to the original sound that it is scary. With cappella samples it's almost as if your computer is singing to you. Really!

   There are a few niggles though. The lack of sample previewing is a pain in the butt [Note: Version 2.0 offers sample previewing] and you can use only mono recordings, it would also be cool if you could play the sample and the MIDI rendering at the same time to compare them. Plus you've got to know the exact BPM of your sample if you want to use the MIDI file created in your own compositions.

   In general Digital Ear is very useful to have around"

by Tim Cant

Audio Buyer's Guide:

“The best audio-to-MIDI conversion software I have found !”

"[...] So far, the best audio-to-MIDI conversion software I have found is at: http://www.digital-ear.com.   This software comes closest to capturing the true expression found in singing, wind, string and other continuously variable pitch instruments.  And that, to me, is where it's at!  The product takes an original approach to conversion in that it captures the initial note of each unbroken phrase and uses MIDI pitch wheel data to capture the rest of the note, slur, and vibrato elements for that phrase.   Marvelously, it also captures the continuous volume of the performance on the MIDI sound volume control.  It also has the option of capturing the "brightness" of the performance on any control # of your choosing, defaulting to #74 (MIDI Sound Brightness?) [...]"

by Campbell Bouchet-Burnet

 

Electronic Musician magazine:

“A number of features enable accurate conversion”

"EPINOISIS SOFTWARE DIGITAL EAR: Converting digital-audio data to MIDI can be a thorny undertaking; the ability to capture a performance accurately depends on dynamics and articulation, and many audio-to-MIDI software programs fall short in that regard. Epinoisis Software's Digital Ear ($79.95; Win) boasts a number of features that enable accurate conversion of monophonic audio files to MIDI data.

The program translates the audio file's vibrato into Pitch Bend data to one-cent accuracy. The software's Pitch Quantize can resolve MIDI events to the nearest semitone, or use Soft Quantization for a less rigid but more in-tune performance. An In-Tune Wizard can automatically tune performances that are below or above standard tuning.

To further ensure that a MIDI file follows the expressiveness of the audio performance, Digital Ear can capture the amplitude envelope of the audio file, converting the information into MIDI Volume messages. Dynamic control of timbre is analyzed and can be changed into MIDI Control Change messages for managing filter cutoff. You can edit the resulting pitch, volume, and brightness contours of the MIDI performance using an onscreen keyboard, chart, and sliders.

Digital Ear supports General MIDI and XG-compatible synthesizers, but you can remap MIDI controller messages to support synths that don't comply with those standards.

by Marty Cutler

“I can't tell you how valuable Digital Ear can be to a Sound Designer.
You have to hear what this software can do...”

"I take special care in creating my own sound palette for sound effects and for music creation. It is very important to have your own distinctive style in this business and towards that end, sound designers need the best tools to get the job done.

Nothing is better, richer or more complex that the sounds that happen in the real world, such as talking, animal groans or even the Doppler effect of a passing car. Capturing these real world events and applying the result to any audio data has been up till now, very difficult. This is what has attracted me to DigitalEar because it's the best tool I have seen to accurately capture pitch, brightness and volume data and then apply those sound features to any audio file. I can't tell you how valuable this can be to a sound designer! You have to hear what this software can do.

Presently, I am using DigitalEar to capture bird songs. This bird data will be used in coming projects to create voice effects with a much richer brush stroke than I had before! The applications are limitless..."

Barry Blum, Composer / Sound Designer

About Barry Blum:

Barry Blum has been in the industry since 1989 working for various companies such as SEGA, Gametek, 3DO and as an independent composer.

Before the game industry, he was a recording artist and an award winning record producer, for labels such as RCA, Fantasy, Megatone etc. At 3DO, he  manages all audio content creation from Sound Design and Composing to Scoring for their full motion videos. He has contributed to High Heat Baseball, Heros of Might and Magic 4, Dragon Rage, Warriors of Might and Magic, Sarge's Heros, Armymen 3D, Cubix, Battletanks, Mad Trix, Portal Runner, Shifters, and World Destruction League. At SEGA, he worked on Sonic Spinball and Jurassic Park.

Music Software Monthly newsletter:

“Sing in one end and come out as a piccolo at other. Cool!”

"Sometimes I get the file conversion blues! Today, I need to convert a WAV to MIDI for a little idea I've been kicking around with. Normally, I'd be downloading a few programs and spending my afternoon checking them out. But I'm going to take a chance with my copy of Music Software Monthly disc. I'm going to play with Digital Ear. [...]

Installation is a largely a breeze. It's a bit of hassle to have to re-boot after installation, but it's not exactly the end of the world, is it? [...]

And this we have the moment of truth. I have a trumpet sample that I need to convert to MIDI. Loading the WAV is intuitive, as is the process of conversion. For basic conversions such as the one I'm interested in, just hit 'Start'. The resulting MIDI sounds pretty good. And it's only taken me a couple of minutes so far. The interface is easy to decipher. That's one of the neat things about Digital Ear - simplicity.

Still, don't get the idea that this program is one-trick pony. Digital Ear can also do real-time conversion from your microphone. This means you can use your voice as a MIDI controller. Sing in one end and come out as a piccolo at other. Cool!

[...]

But that's more than I needed. I just needed a simple format conversion tool and Digital Ear was fine for the job."

by Geoff Nicholson

Hi Tech magazine:

“It has earned the global acceptance of music experts”

"Just before month ago, we had presented Melodyne from Celemony, software that gave us the ability to convert monophonic Audio into MIDI. Melodyne gives good results, but there is only a Mac version and its cost is extremely high for the majority of users. The solution of all that problems comes from a Greek company named Epinoisis Software. The company’s software is called Digital Ear which runs under Windows 95/98/Me/2000. It costs only $79.95 (just the one twelfth of Melodyne) and it has a big number of innovative capabilities. A unique feature of Digital Ear, is that the it does not "simply" translate pitch and volume, but it analyzes the timbre of the sound and tracks the evolution of the signal's waveform. As a result, it produces extremely detailed MIDI data for the change of pitch, volume and timbre of the audio, converting performance details like vibrato, tremolo pitch-bend and portamento. Digital Ear adapts in every kind of sound using various settings. Its effectiveness has earned the global acceptance of music creation experts worldwide. You can find more information at the site www.digital-ear.com, order it online, download a free demo, or listen to a series of Audio demos."

DownBeat magazine:

“Charlie Parker* sounds pretty good as piccolo player!”
 
*Famous Jazz saxophone legend.

Digital Ear Real time: MIDI Realism

Digital Ear Real-Time is a welcome improvement to an addicting program that transforms sound files to MIDI, converting not only pitch but also volume and brightness to create a realistic sounding MIDI file. This is a great program that gets better with each release, and whose potential seems limitless. Digital Ear was introduced several years ago and featured an innovative way to convert sound (.WAV) files to MIDI by capturing the initial note and then using the MIDI pitch wheel data and MIDI Sound Volume to capture the rest of the pitch, pitch slur, vibrato and continuous volume elements of a performance. The resulting file’s accuracy is uncanny.

    The program is extremely easy to use with an intuitive workspace. Load up a .WAV file, click “start” and you’re on your way. The program only accepts 16-bit mono format sampled at 44,100 Hz, and the samples should be relative free of back-ground noise. Once you have such a file, press the Start button and you’ll be prompted to enter a file name to save the MIDI. That’s all that’s necessary to generate the MIDI file.

Every feature and command is right where you’d expect to be. The interface controls are logically located, so you’re not searching through menus and sub-menus to change settings. The program is not tailor-made for any specific sound, so in order accurately recognize each file you convert, it needs to be customized by adjusting things like harmonic threshold (the internal engine can discriminate between harmonic and non-harmonic sounds.) To get you familiar with how to best adjust program prior to converting a recording, they include a “Settings Wizard” that will analyze and scan a .WAV file in order to estimate the ideal settings for the parameters you have chosen. Review the settings a few times and you’ll be tweaking them on your own in no time.

    The resulting file can be sent to any synthesizer or can be imported to sequencer or notation software for mixing with other tracks or further processing. Any vibrato, tremolo, pitch band or portamento effects of the recorded will be converted and reproduced into any voice of your synthesizer. You control how and what MIDI messages get created and sent to the MIDI out, including selecting the MIDI out device. It’s easy to select the GM instrument that you want to convert your .WAV file using the “custom settings” box. I had a lot of fun playing with the Charlie Parker breaks I recorded. He sounds pretty good as piccolo player.

    The most exciting new feature in this release is its namesake, the Real-time mode. Click the “Real-time start!” button and live audio will be converted almost immediately into MIDI events, which are sent to the MIDI output port of your choosing. The conversion delay is just about imperceptible – Sing one end and come out as steel guitar at the other. The possibilities are endless.

    In a live setting, it’s best to use headphones so the output signal does not interfere with the input. With the correct noise-reducing microphone, one could have a lot of fun on an otherwise uneventful gig.
 
 

By Vince Clark

Graphics Resource Club newsletter
(Published by Charles River Media)

“Nothing could be simpler”

"Digital Ear represents a new type of audio software that fills along desired need for MIDI translation. Using Digital Ear, you can either import WAV file or record audio directly, and translate the results into a MIDI file.

To fully appreciate the importance of this capability, you have to think about what this means. Let’s say you have a WAV file of a full melody, perhaps recorded on a piano, but you need to hear the music as if it were played on a flute. Other than playing the song on a MIDI keyboard, and using either a hardware sampling device or a soft synth with a flute sample, there was really no other way to achieve the translation. The problem with that method was that it took a lot of time and effort. By using Digital Ear, all you have to do is to load in the WAV file, translate it to MIDI, and save it as a MIDI file. Then you simply load it into a suitable MIDI application (Acid,Sonar,Cubase …) and assign the proper soft synth sample to it. Nothing could be simpler. [...]

Digital Ear can send detailed ADSR envelope events to your MIDI file or synth, emulating the exact envelope of the input audio (WAV or live). Pitch Bend data (plus/minus 12 semitones) can also be sent, so that you can use glissando input (cello, violin, trombone, human voice) to create extremely interesting soft synth emulations for all instruments.

An interesting use for Digital Ear is to create two separate tracks in your music application, one with the original WAV audio file, and another (perhaps offset) with the Digital Ear MIDI file. That gives you the best options for both worlds. For instance, if you own the free VST plugin Delay Lama (from Audio Nerds), you can use it to create an audio track of the Tibetan chant voices, then translate that audio track back to MIDI in Digital Ear for use as a VST soft synth. The glissandos, with some tweaking, will match, so that a glissando enriched flute can be used to accompany the hypnotic Tibetan voices. Digital Ear can do much more with some extended experimentation on your part. If you enjoy expanding your creative options, be sure to check out Digital Ear soon!"

by R. Shamms Mortier, PhD

 

Rating 100%
Ziff-Davis Network: Editor's Pick Award

“It will convert
your files in no time”

"Digital Ear is a versatile audio utility that can analyze a recorded solo performance (e.g., a singing human voice or a musical instrument) and convert it to a standard MIDI file. It reads standard PCM wave (.wav) files, which can be sent directly to any synthesizer or exported to your favorite sequencer (e.g., Cubase VST, Cakewalk, etc.) for mixing with other tracks or for further processing. A Quick Start guide will have you converting your files in no time. The user-friendly interface then allows you to hear your newly converted MIDI files using the integrated MIDI player. An impressive Voice Features Editor lets you graphically see your modifications. Output settings can be customized for Send Volume, Send Brightness, and GM Voice (unless you want to manually do this on your synthesizer)."

by ZDNet reviewer

 

Rating 95%

The Sonic Spot:

“Earns high marks for its simplicity”

"Even from first glance, Digital Ear's "face" is clean and very friendly. All of the controls on the main window are large for easily manipulation; the model of the piano keys has nuanced shadings that make it look much more realistic than its counterparts in similar apps; and every button has a immediately recognizable icon. [...] The help is extensive, friendly, and helps you begin converting Waves to MIDI files immediately with a quick start section. Help is in an HTML file, which somehow seems easier to use than the standard help system found in other apps. [...] Also, online support from the Web site is fast and friendly. [...] The ToolTip help – the yellow rectangles that pop up when you station the pointer over a control – is outstanding. [...]

    With other apps, there's a more complicated process involving selecting a tone file appropriate for the Wave, and perhaps doing some other manipulations. At best, these other programs make Wave-to-MIDI conversions a hassle, especially for those who don't know much about signal processing. Thus, Digital Ear earns high marks for this simplicity factor. [...]

    Digital Ear has a high caliber interface that is very easy to begin using. The controls are centrally located, so you're not rummaging through reams of dialog boxes to change settings. Some additional support is needed to enable faster sessions, including keyboard shortcuts and hints on specifically how to tune the settings for maximum performance. Once the parameters for a particular Wave file are set correctly, it does a decent job of converting Wave files to MIDI files. [...]"

by Darrin Koltow

 

Recommends Digital Ear^®

YAMAHA corp

Yes, Yamaha corporation itself, the leading musical instrument maker,  recommends Digital Ear as a companion to its excellent XG-series synthesizers and soft-synths.

Rating 100%

Tucows Network

The oldest and one of the most respectable software archives gives Digital Ear its highest award.

 

EQ Magazine (Vol. 13, Issue #2):

"...Epinoisis Software's Digital Ear Real-Time v.4.0 is real-time, audio-to-MIDI conversion software for Windows. The latest version offers improved time resolution, more precise intonation, area correct tool for fixing glitches, and presets for common settings. A free demo is available. For more information, visit www.digital-ear.com"

 

Popular Download

CNet: download.com

Digital Ear became quickly a POPULAR download at CNet's download.com . One of the largest software archives in the internet.

 

Top Download

Shareware Music Machine: Top Download

Digital Ear has received the Shareware Music Machine Top50 Download Award.

There are over 4,500 music software titles listed, and Digital Ear is one of the most downloaded Windows programs.

 

Indiana University

Digital Ear^® in Academic Music Research

Digital Ear was chosen as a research tool, and is mentioned in the paper: "An Audio Front End for Query-by-Humming Systems", by Goffredo Haus & Emanuele Pollastri, presented in 2nd Annual International Symposium on Music Information Retrieval 2001 by Indiana University.