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SharpEye 2 - The most accurate sheet music scanning software available

What does it do?

SharpEye 2 Music Reader converts a scanned image of printed music into a MIDI file, a NIFF file, or (in version 2) a MusicXML file. SharpEye 2 allows direct scanning from TWAIN compatible scanners. (Most scanners are TWAIN compatible).

MusicXML files can be loaded into Finale 2003, Finale 2004 and NIFF files can be imported into Sibelius, many other Notation and Music programs can also import MusicXML, NIFF or MIDI.

Used at its simplest, you drag an image file into a window, click on a button and wait for the conversion to take place. The output is shown in conventional music notation in another window. Click on another button to save the result as a MIDI file.

Usually there will be some errors in the output: SharpEye has a built in editor for correcting them. Almost all the editing can be done with the mouse and delete key. The input image window automatically scrolls to the right place in the image as you edit. SharpEye also shows warnings for each bar which doesn't make musical sense. This acts a bit like a spellchecker and directs your attention to likely errors.

Sherp Eye sheet music scanning
£89.00
£75.74 ex VAT
Platform Win

 

Programs to use with SharpEye

General Information
SharpEye 2 exports MIDI files, NIFF files and MusicXML files. NIFF and MusicXML are formats for music notation, and where possible you should use a notation editor which imports one of these.

SharpEye also exports MIDI files which are imported by many music programs. If you use MIDI, you will lose some information about how the music is laid out. If you are mainly interested in the sound, this may not worry you, but if you intend printing the music again, it is far from ideal.

  • Finale
    A plug-in for Finale which is included in Finale 2003 and Finale 2004 allows MusicXML files to be imported.
  • Personal Composer
    The notation program Personal Composer has NIFF import from version 2. See Personal Composer.
  • Sibelius
    Sibelius has NIFF import from version 2.11. See Sibelius.
  • Other music software
    There are a very large number of programs which can import MIDI files from SharpEye including all of the Cakewalk family (SONAR, Home Studio, Music Creator etc.), Cubase and Cubasis and many more. Try searching for "MIDI sequencer" or "music notation program" or "music notation software", or go to one of the links below. MIDI sequencers are oriented towards sound output (though some also print) while music notation programs are oriented towards printed output (though most will play the music).

System Requirements

You need a computer with Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000 or XP. SharpEye does use a fair bit of memory and processor time. A Pentium II with 64MB RAM is a reasonable minimum. Memory is much more critical than processor speed. If you want to process large images such as orchestral scores or run other programs alongside SharpEye you'll probably need more than 64Mb RAM, or the system can become totally bogged down.

You will need a scanner to scan the printed music in.

Its not essential, but you will almost certainly want a music notation editor which imports one of the file formats that SharpEye exports (MIDI, NIFF, MusicXML, and its own format) or a MIDI sequencer, so that you can make use of the output from SharpEye. Windows/IE4 comes with a simple MIDI player so you can double click on the MIDI file saved from SharpEye and hear the result, but the music will all be played on a synthesised 'piano'.

 

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