Lyrics Markers

Lyrics markers allow you to enter lyrics, comments or stage directions. You can also use the simple markers for this, since they can be named in any way. Using lyrics markers makes certain tasks easier:

  • With the standard MIDI file format, it has always been possible to store text in the MIDI file at a precise time. Correspondingly, when MIDI files with text (e.g. karaoke MIDI files *.kar) are imported, lyrics markers are created and then exported along with the MIDI file when it is exported.

    Karaoke MIDI files with the extension .kar are not displayed in the file manager, but can be loaded via drag&drop. But since such files are also just ordinary standard MIDI files, you can also simply change the file extension to .mid.

  • In the Score editor, the lyrics markers can be displayed as song lyrics on the score sheet.

  • Optionally, lyrics markers can also be displayed on the marker bar, see Program preferences > View options.

  • The Time display can be configured to display the name of the current and following lyrics markers in a field.

The Lyrics markers are the META events "Lyric" and "Text" in a standard MIDI file (SMF). When importing a MIDI file, the standard ASCII characters CR and LF present in the text are replaced by the standard Karoke text character / (see below).

There are other standard karaoke control characters that influence the text output in the time display window. The control characters are always placed at the beginning of a marker text.

Character

Meaning

Note

@

Internal karaoke info like song title and version number

Any lyrics marker that starts with @ will be skipped and treated like a comment, so will not be output in the time display.

/

New Line

The following text should start in a new line.

\

New verse

Clear screen and start at the top. However, in Samplitude this is treated the same as New Line.

+

Glue

Samplitude automatically starts a new line in the karaoke window (time display) if the pause to the last note is more than 1/3 bar duration. With the + this automatic is switched off and the marker text is taken over into the current line.