The simple rule
Choose the app based on what you want to get as output, not based on all the instruments present in your audio.
In other words: your goal is the output format (and the desired instrument), and you then choose the right mode (Transcription or Arrangement) based on your audio.
Quick reference table
If you want to get…
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Sheet music / MIDI / MusicXML for piano → use PianoConvert
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Sheet music / tablature for guitar → use GuitarConvert
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Sheet music / MIDI for voice (sung melody) → use SingConvert
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Sheet music / MIDI for saxophone → use SaxConvert
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An overall MIDI track of a song (multiple instruments) → use BandConvert (if available in your plan)
- A MIDI / MusicXML from a PDF or scanned score → use ScoreConvert
Depending on the app, you can then choose:
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Transcription (faithful, instrument present and clearly audible in the audio)
- Arrangement / Melody (a playable version adapted to your target instrument)
Complete app table based on what you want to get
- PianoConvert = solo piano sheet music
- GuitarConvert = solo guitar sheet music/tablature
- SingConvert = solo vocal sheet music
- BandConvert = multi-instrument sheet music (one staff = one instrument)
- DrumConvert = solo drum sheet music
- ViolinConvert = solo violin sheet music
- SaxConvert = solo saxophone sheet music
- FluteConvert = solo flute sheet music
- BassConvert = solo bass sheet music
- TrumpetConvert = solo trumpet sheet music
- OrganConvert = solo organ sheet music
- ScoreConvert = score digitization (PDF or scanned image) → MIDI + MusicXML
What this means in practice
You can import a track that contains multiple instruments, but the app you choose always depends on your final goal.
For example:
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you import a “guitar + vocals + drums” track but you want a playable piano version → PianoConvert (usually using Arrangement mode).
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you import a “piano + vocals” track and you want to extract the vocals → SingConvert (usually using Transcription mode if the voice is clearly separable).
Common misconceptions (and the right approach)
Misconception 1: “My audio contains guitar, so I must use GuitarConvert”
Not necessarily. If your goal is a piano sheet music, you should use PianoConvert, even if the audio also contains guitar.
Misconception 2: “I want a piano sheet music of a full song, so I need to use Transcription”
If your audio doesn’t contain piano (or no clearly identifiable piano), transcription will not give a good result. In that case, you should generally go to PianoConvert and choose Arrangement to get a playable piano version.
Misconception 3: “I want to get all the instruments from a track”
An instrument-focused app (PianoConvert, GuitarConvert, etc.) is mainly designed to get a result centered on one instrument (piano, guitar, etc.). If your goal is a multi-instrument track, you should rather use BandConvert (if that’s what you’re looking for), which will faithfully transcribe all audible instruments in your audio at once, or choose an appropriate mode depending on the app.
Go further
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To understand Transcription vs Arrangement: “Transcription vs Arrangement: what’s the difference?”
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To check what your audio contains: “Detected instruments: how to read and correct them (confidence level)”
