Graphical MIDI Tools 2.1 for Sibelius updated to add transport, more editing features

Graphical MIDI Tools (GMT), the ingenious plug-in for Sibelius by Santiago Barx that allows the user to manipulate MIDI information in the score in a graphical manner, has received a significant update to version 2.1. This update, which is free for existing GMT 2 customers, adds a transport bar directly to the GMT interface. It also adds several new editing and navigation features, to make it easier to interact with GMT directly in the Sibelius environment.

What’s new in GMT 2.1

Transport

GMT now includes a transport bar, featuring a Play button and two displays to see the current playback position:

• The first display shows the current bar/beat/MIDI tick.
• The second shows the current time in hours/minutes/seconds.

This is very handy when scoring to picture. You can optionally show the Sibelius transport window at the same time:

Toolbar for piano roll

The note editing tools are now conveniently grouped on a toolbar above the piano roll. Now you will find the pointer tool (to edit a note’s sound duration or position) and the “phantom” notes tool, directly underneath the CC controller tabs. Don’t be scared!

Snap-to grid

Now you can edit the sound duration of written notes or insert phantom notes using a snapping grid.

You can select the grid resolution from the pull-down above the piano roll, or turn it off.

Edit node properties panel

One of GMT’s most impressive features is the ability to draw automation curves.

In GMT 2.1, from within the MIDI CC automation curve lane, you can now edit a node’s value manually or specify whether is a jump or ramp. Click on the node’s value-label to open the Edit Node panel. When you are done, press Enter and the node will be saved with the new properties.

Select and edit notes over multiple tracks

It is now possible to select and edit or erase notes among different tracks, for more similarity to a DAW-like workflow.

New mouse wheel functionality

A long-requested feature, there are new shortcuts to control the piano roll zoom and scroll:

• Mouse wheel: Scroll vertically.
• Mouse wheel + Shift: Scroll horizontally.
• Mouse wheel + Control: Zoom horizontally.

How GMT works

For a full review of how to install and use GMT 2, along with a more detailed description of its features, please see this post.

Availability

Graphical MIDI Tools is $59.99 ($24.99 for upgraders from GMT 1) and available at our Notation Central marketplace. (A free 15-day trial is available, which stops working after one hour, requiring a Sibelius restart.) It’s also available directly from the Graphical MIDI Tools web site. Full documentation, installation guide, and corresponding videos are included.

If you already own a license for GMT 2, you can update to 2.1 for free. Simply download the latest installation package from the Graphical MIDI Tools download page and run the installer to update.