Product Features

Product Features

  • Bagpipe Music Writer Gold supports the earlier DOS format BMW files. BMW Gold will open a BMW file and convert it to the new BWW format, which can then be saved.

Page Layout and Printing

  • Prints any type of Great Highland Bagpipe light music and piobaireachd (including abbreviations) on a Windows compatible printer.
  • Can include any of the following text items with the music: tune title, tune type, composer/arranger, footer, in-line text, text at a fixed location, and comments.
  • Prints in portrait or landscape on any paper size supported by a Windows printer driver.
  • Allows top, bottom, left and right margin setting.
  • Allows each text item to be formatted with font, font style, font size, color, underline, strikeout, alignment (left, right centered, or absolute location).
  • Scales music horizontally and/or vertically.
  • Allows music to be printed on multiple pages or fit to one page.
  • Bars can be vertically or not vertically aligned.
  • Aspect ratio and size of music symbols and symbol spacing can be adjusted.
  • Multiple tunes in a file can be printed on one page or across multiple pages.

Screen Layout

  • Split screen with music codes in bottom window and displayed music in the top window. Bar separating the windows can be adjusted vertically.
  • Zoom level on music window can be adjusted (10-200%)
  • Supports Multiple Document Interface (i.e. can open several tunes at the same time)
  • Icons for new tune, open existing tune, save tune in current window, print music, preview music, refresh music.

Play Options

  • Can play light music (including flats, naturals, and sharps) and piobaireachd (including abbreviations) on sound card or PC’s internal speaker.
  • Sound card output includes sounds and independent volume controls for chanter, tenor drone, and bass drone. Duration of drone introduction (in milliseconds) can be set.
  • Any sound card which supports EMU SoundFonts® will allow you to produce Real Bagpipe Sounds (professional piper quality chanter and drones sound) when playing tunes (Creative Labs® AWE32, AWE64, Soundblaster® LIVE!, Soundblaster LIVE! Value cards; E-MU/Ensoniq® EMU-8710, EMU-8710PS PCMCIA cards).
  • VCR style controls (Play, Stop/Pause, Rewind, Continuous Play) for music play. Can select a portion of the music or from a point forward to play either once or multiple times.
  • Can enable or disable a Moving Music Pointer that shows the current note or embellishment being played.
  • Can set absolute tempo (in beats per minute) and gracenote duration (in milliseconds) for the tune.
  • Fine control over durations for 12 different gracenote types.
  • “Smooth Playing Factors” adjustments for reducing the abruptness of melody notes preceding and following complex embellishments.
  • Tempo and time signature changes can be inserted anywhere in the tune.
  • Can select the MIDI device and MIDI instrument for playing the music.
  • Real bagpipe chanter and drones sounds available (requires a Creative Labs AWE32, AWE64, or Sound Blaster LIVE! sound card)
  • MIDI notes can be set for each note from Low G to High A (including flats, naturals, and sharps) and for tenor and bass drones. MIDI note test mode available.
  • PC Speaker frequencies can be set for each note from Low G to High A (including flats, naturals, and sharps). Frequency test mode available.
  • Repeat symbols and multiple endings (i.e. 1st Time, 2nd Time, 2nd Time 2nd Part etc.) correctly interpreted.
  • Standard music symbols (segno, dal segno, fine and da capo al fine) available for denoting and playing piobaireachd singling and doubling variations and for returning to and playing the first line of the ground, respectively.
  • Music can be saved to a MIDI format file.
  • Three MIDI note and Frequency configurations for sound output (Low A at B flat 466Hz, Low A at A natural 440Hz, or User Defined)
  • Multiple tunes in a file can be played together as a medley.

Other Features

  • Bagpipe Music Writer GOLD is OLE compliant. Music can be placed in other OLE compliant Windows applications by linking or embedding a BWW extension file.
  • Music can be saved to images files in BMP or PCX file formats. Resolution is set by the Zoom level.
  • Long file names for tune code files, e.g. Scotland The Brave.bww.
  • Tune code files are ASCII based.

System Requirements

  • Bagpipe Music Writer Gold is compatible with all versions of Windows including the latest Windows 10 (32 and 64-bit).