I’ve just tried pasting an abc into mandolintab’s usual excellent abc converter but when instead of coming up with the dots it says ‘unauthorised’. I’ve tried changing my security settings and cleared cookies on my mac but to no avail. Any hints or workarounds or easy alternatives?
Thanks.
Same thing happened to me last night.
What’s going on ?
Just tried it now and I’m getting the same.
Same here.
I would just wait a few days
In the meantime, you can use this if you want to see the sheet music from some ABC:
https://thesession.org/tunes/editor
I hope that this precious resource will not disappear. It surprised me this morning
Also share hope this resource won’t be lost. It was high up my music bookmarks. For me the key feature was the ability to transpose and view the transposed output.
There is also a discussion of the issue on their forum:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/162230-Ouch!-Mandolintab-net-is-unauthorised
An alternative while the site appears to be down is folktab.com
In my opinion the output is not quite so readable and certainly not as compact as that at mandolintab.net, but it’s a useful port in a storm…
I’ve also used:
https://www.abcjs.net/abcjs-editor.html
and
https://editor.drawthedots.com/
but really prefer the mandolincafe converter since it can generate full multi-page tunebooks from very large sets of .abc files.
Those links only produce sheet music, so they are nowhere near as useful as the converter at mandolintab.net or at folktab.com which can produce a variety of tablature formats for those who don’t read dots.
I didn’t know there was an abc converter at The Mandolin Cafe. Do you have a link so I can check it out?
The mandolincafe converter is:
http://mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php
but is broken as of this morning (5 December 2022).
I use these sites only for generating high-quality standard notation for tunes.
Assuming it does get fixed, you’ll want to select SVG as the output type, otherwise the notation preview can look pretty rough.
The beauty of the mandolincafe online converter is it can generate entire tune books nicely formatted in PDF if you paste in a bunch of ABC tunes.
Ah…
The Mandolin Cafe, MandolinCafe.com, is a separate site to MandolinTab.net.
That explains my confusion. I’m well aware of mandolintab.net and the other generator which I mentioned above but wasn’t aware that there was an alternative converter at Scott’s The Mandolin Cafe. (Which of course there isn’t…)
Aidan
Interesting, I didn’t even notice the difference in the base URL until you pointed it out. I thought the two sites are run by the same person, but now I’m not so sure. 🙂
While we’re waiting for it to come back online, hopefully, I’ve been able to install EasyABC on my M1 Mac from:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/easyabc
and use it to render and export an entire PDF book of tunes successfully.
On Mac, at least with Mac OS Monterey or later, you will have to right-click Open (or Ctrl-click on a single-button mouse) to allow it to run the first time since it’s not a signed application.
EasyABC is an option if you are only interested in producing dots from abc…
But to my knowledge it doesn’t produce tab.
I produce tune learning resources which feature dots and GDAE tab (the latter being the preferred tune learning method of the majority of people who follow me at my website or on YouTube).
So when the abc converter at www.mandolintab.net is down, I use the alternative at www.folktab.com
Pluses for the www.folktab.com converter. As well as dots, it can produce tablature in 4 guitar tunings (standard, dadgad, open g, open d), 5 5-string banjo formats (open g, c, modal, open d, open d minor), 2 ukulele formats (standard and tenor), mandolin, fiddle, viola, cello and double bass. Unlike the www.mandolintab.net converter, the user can convert to tab-only if they wish.
Minuses. The output font is a tad “bleurgh” (in my opinion). The interface is a little fiddly. Sometimes the line breaks appear in unexpected places and using the “!” at the end of lines in the abc file doesn’t always seem to force the output breaks to line up with the breaks in the abc file. **As far as I can tell** it can only handle one tune at a time.
However - with reservations - it is my go-to **online** resource for occasions when the converter at www.mandolintab.net is unavailable.
Anyone know of any other **online** alternatives which output from abc in tab format(s)?
I love mandolintab.net so I‘m unable to compare it with anything else 🙂
@MichaelEskin.. EasyABC hasn’t seen much developer support since around 2014. Very flaky on MacOS. Also very wary of SourceForge downloads - lots of spyware/malware injection - for a very long time. Was once the go-to OpenSource repository now high risk.
There are lots of ways and means out there to create the “dots” from ABC but the beauty of Mandolintab.net is its abilty to transpose from one key to the other very quickly.
“There are lots of ways and means out there to create the “dots” from ABC but the beauty of Mandolintab.net is its abilty to transpose from one key to the other very quickly.”
Hmm… it’s undoubtedly *one* of its beauties. But it’s not unique in that regard. The abc converter at www.folktab.com has a transposing facility which is almost as intuitive and simple.
PS in none of the above am I flying the flag and beating the drum for the folktab converter. Simply drawing people’s attentions to alternatives that are available if the mandolintab.net converter goes MIA forever.
Thanks Aiden, I’ll check that one out.
Oops, “Aidan”. Sorry.
’EasyABC is an option if you are only interested in producing dots from abc…
But to my knowledge it doesn’t produce tab’
Aidan
I’ve been using EasyABC (v 1.3.8.6) to produce score and mandolin/tenor banjo tab for a couple of years now. It requires inclusion of a template in the FMT folder (Windows 10 PC) which allows you to generate individual PDF files or sizeable tunebooks. I understand your preference is for an online converter but if you want a copy of the template I’m happy to send you this.
"Aidan
I’ve been using EasyABC (v 1.3.8.6) to produce score and mandolin/tenor banjo tab for a couple of years now. It requires inclusion of a template in the FMT folder (Windows 10 PC) which allows you to generate individual PDF files or sizeable tunebooks. I understand your preference is for an online converter but if you want a copy of the template I’m happy to send you this."
Thanks, Mike. That would be useful. (Although I’m slightly wary of downloading EasyABC from sourceforge, given gbyrne’s comments above.). I run a Mac, so not sure whether your solution translates from one operating system to another?
Aidan
I can’t comment on Sourceforge other than to say I didn’t experience any issues with the EasyABC download. I don’t use a Mac but I presume that the application templates work in the same way. I’ll send you a copy of the mandolin template and you can see if it’s of any use to you.
GRMA, Mike…
Thanks Aidan, https://folktab.com/edit/abc
is quite useful and has a pretty PDF output for mandolin tab.
And there’s more, the ukulele tab is icing on the cake.
Horses for courses… I find the pdf output at folktab a little too fussy for my liking, preferring the simplicity of Arial as per mandolintab. But that’s a purely personal thing. Glad you have a safe harbour in the current squall …
I loved EasyABC until it stopped working on my mac over a year ago.
Since then I’ve always used mandolintab. I’ve had a look at folktab but I don’t want the tab output- only the dots. Drawthedots looks like it will do for now so I’ve got my fingers crossed for the return of mandolintab.net!
Still down as of December 8th, 2022.
And still down 10/12/2022
Still down, December 12th, 2022.
I’ve tried contacting the sysop Simon Becker through his website contact page as well as his email directly at simon@mandolintab.net and have received no response.
Anyone else have a way to contact him?
I tried as well- no response.
I’ve managed a workaround using MuseScore 3.6.2 which doesn’t allow abc imports in the downloaded version. But if you use the plugin creator and use the file ‘abc_import-jt.qml’ it will import abc no problem and then you can tweak, transpose and export to pdf or wherever. Longwinded but it works!
“EasyABC hasn’t seen much developer support since around 2014. Very flaky on MacOS.” The current developer has posted on the General Discussion forum several times this year, last time was last month, and seems to fix most bugs as they appear.
Given that it runs on multiple platforms that keep being updated glitches are to be expected.
There was an issue 5 years ago, they did get in contact with Simon at the time:
https://thesession.org/discussions/40837
Still nothing from Simon. Anyone have perhaps a different email address for him or know any of his colleagues that perhaps could get word to him. I’ve been using EasyABC on Mac since the site went down, but really prefer to use the online converter.
I used to use EasyABC but it stopped working on my Mac (Catalina) over a year ago for some reason. What version do you use?
“Anyone have perhaps a different email address for him or know any of his colleagues that perhaps could get word to him.”
You’re right, Michael. That’s what I did a few days ago, sending a mail to Andy Kuntz (Traditional Tune Archive) but he doesn’t know Simon nor any of his contacts.
There must be someone who knows him, if not here, at the Mandolincafe ?
I also prefer (by far) the online converter, just to transpose a tune in another key.
? https://www.youtube.com/@MandolinSunrise
Either way, nice playing of the tune ‘Jump Like A Rabbit’
ceoltas, I’m using the version 1.3.8 being provided at:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/easyabc/
I have it running on Mac Monterey. I had to override the default security settings since it’s an unsigned app.
I’ve tried downloading and changing the security settings etc but it still won’t open on Catalina. However I’ve found this site of the Montreal Session Tunebook which works well and much easier than Musescore. You can paste an abc tune, change, transpose and paste to pdf which is all I need. There’s also a large tunebook which is handy.
https://www.montrealsession.ca/editor.php
Does anyone have any more news about this (great) site. It seems that a lot of people are getting an ‘unauthorised’ response while trying to convert .abc files to TAB.
Does ‘unauthorised’ mean something?
Thanks.
No, nobody knows, Atsunrise. We all wait for some good news.
Have a look at https://thesession.org/discussions/47688
That website is so good, let’s hope it is back again shortly.
The online ABC to notation converter at:
http://mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php
is still down as of 19 Dec 2022.
Any conversions result in an “unauthorized” status message. Since this is a server-based PHP app, something is broken on the server side, can’t tell from the browser what the issue may be.
So far, as far as I know, nobody has been able to get in touch with Simon Becker, the site owner. He has not responded to several emails or contact attempts I have made through the website’s feedback mechanism.
Gutted. I use this all the time and it’s still not working.
I use ‘Easy ABC’ as well which is great for writing abc tunes. But it has a PDF conversion tool which I’ve never got to work (keeps saying I don’t have “Ghostscript”) so I usually just copy to the mandolincafé converter.
I installed the latest EasyABC for the Mac from the Sourceforge archive and it installed whatever was required to do PDF rendering, which is working fine for me, both single tune and tunebooks. Perhaps try a clean re-install?
I’m really missing this for creating banjo/mandolin tab. I am using Folktab, but can’t make sense of the transcribe to another key feature…doesn’t seem to work for me on an iPad at all. Am really hoping this gets sorted out and made available again.
Me too. I’m suspecting that as the mandolintab website has static content, the creator/moderator doesn’t check in very often. Perhaps what has happened is one of those involuntary IT upgrades have been applied and something - permissions, whatever - have changed so that the functionality needs a tweak.
I’m hoping that the problem will eventually get spotted and fixed. None of the alternatives are quite the same
But if it doesn’t, what chance of getting the functionality added as a page to The Session website? We must must be half way there already……over to you Jeremy?
Still no resolution guys and girls.
I know what I want for Christmas.
Is Santa out there?
Edgar Bolton wrote:
“what chance of getting the functionality added as a page to The Session website?”
Like I wrote earlier:
"In the meantime, you can use this if you want to see the sheet music from some ABC:
https://thesession.org/tunes/editor"
Is it the downloading of the sheetmusic image file specifically that you’re looking for?
Hi Jeremy…
Rendering dots from abc files was only a fraction of the abc converter’s functionality. Other key features which were much used and are much-missed were the ability to render tunes in a variety of tablature formats and the ability to transpose a tune by “n” semitones upwards or downwards.
All of the above is available from folktab.com (albeit the fonts used for output are - in my opinion - dreadful but, hey, that’s just a matter of taste) with a different range of tablatures available PLUS the ability to accept LilyPond input as well as ABC input.
I think mandolintab.net’s big advantage over folktab.com was that it could accept multiple tune files (e.g. a tune book - so I gather; I never made use of that functionality myself) and render them in one go whereas folktab.com accepts just one tune at a time. And likewise the tune converter here at thesession.org which just accepts one tune at a time and requires the completion of headers such as title and tune type before pasting abc.
Thanks Jeremy. Looking all over the place and there it is! I’ve never looked at the editor before but trying it now it does half the job. I can transcribe, alter the dots etc but then I need to use the montrealsession editor to export to a pdf so I can include it on my forscore app. Unless there is a way of doing this on the session?
Still down with an “unauthorized” error on conversions as of 29 December 2022.
Does anyone have another way to contact Simon Becker? He’s not responded to any of the emails I’ve sent at his public email address.
Hi, I’ve also used the mandolintab converter for mandolin- and whistletabs for several years and was very surprised when it stopped working. I teach a beginner’s class Irish folk, so I frequently need tin whistle tabs as well as mandolin tabs.
After doing a little research I’ve come up with a javascript solution for my site http://www.franziskaludwig.de/abctransposer/ .
It’s far from being perfect but for now it allows you to create tin whistle tabs in the key of “D” as well as mandolin tabs. I’m aware that some issues still need to be tackled - longer tunes are “cut off” on the first page… but it does work for simple little tunes. If you’re interested in how it’s done - there’s a free javascript library written by Gregory Dyke and Paul Rosen called abcjs - https://www.abcjs.net/ that is doing the magic. As it does not natively support whistle tabs I’ve come up with a solution using this truetype font - https://github.com/OMerkel/tin_whistle/tree/master/res/font . When “whistle” is selected it will actually generate mandolin tabs on only the D-string, which generates numbers for the frets from 0 to 20 or so. These numbers are then replaced by letters corresponding to keyhole-openings in the tin-whistle-font. Then the bar lines are hidden…
Have fun… Jens
Thank you, Jens.
Your transposer/converter is a wonderful piece of work. I really enjoy the instant response on the sheet music screen to any change I make in the ABC window. This saves a great deal of time in editing. The PDFs print out clean, sharp, and large enough for my ancient eyes to read easily. You are a wonder.
sláinte,
G5
Noticed the recent update to Jen’s abctransposer, to include sheet music & tabs.
Thank you Jen!
Thanks Jens….you’re a marvel !
Thanks a lot Jens !
When you change the ABC the score and tabs are automaticaly updated !!!!
Great !
Hi
Is anyone else having trouble with the abc converter.?
When I paste into the converter it comes up blank, with the message “unauthorised”
Assuming you are talking about the mandolintab.net converter, yes the mandolintab converter has been down since mid December.
This has been discussed at length here in a previous thread:
https://thesession.org/discussions/47688
Nobody has been able to get in touch with Simon Becker (the webmaster for the mandolintab site) as far as I know. His email inbox is full and other email attempts to contact the site support folks have bounced.
Jeremy has a converter available here at:
https://thesession.org/tunes/editor
You can also try Jens Wollschläger’s converter at:
http://www.franziskaludwig.de/abctransposer/
On my Mac, I find it works best on Chrome, at least as far as producing PDF output.
While we’re waiting for the mandolintab converter to hopefully come back online, I’ve been able to install EasyABC on my M1 Mac from:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/easyabc
and use it to render and export an entire PDF book of tunes successfully.
On Mac, at least with Mac OS Monterey or later, you will have to right-click Open (or Ctrl-click on a single-button mouse) to allow it to run the first time since it’s not a signed application.
Thank you very much.
I know there have been a few issues with http://www.franziskaludwig.de/abctransposer/ but I’ve resolved them now. You can save PDFs with several pages now assumingly no matter which browser you are using (I’ve tested it just with Chrome and Firefox, though). Moreover you can decide on the PDF-quality - low, normal and high…
All the best, Jens
Hi all,
I’m looking for an ABC converter to take tunes from the session and transcribe them into a different key. I usually use https://www.mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php but it keeps telling me ‘unauthorised’ so I’m not sure if it is now broken. Thanks
EasyABC does it if you are OK with downloading a program to your PC. It’s a free download. Initially more complex than using an online convertor but once you’ve got it it’s simple and quick.
Yes, the mandolintab converter has been down for several weeks. Unclear if it will ever come back.
Rather than start another thread and have everyone repeat all the same suggestions, I refer you to this previous thread:
https://thesession.org/discussions/47688
You might want to try this:
https://abc.rectanglered.com/
I picked up the link recently but haven’t used it in anger.
I hope it comes back. The browser based suggestions above seem to do much of the job. Some people who find EasyABC working as an editor but refusing to produce a PDF might find it worth doing on the command line.
In EasyABC go to Settings > EasyABC setting > File settings and make a note of the contents of the ‘abcm2ps executable’ and ‘ghostscript executable’ fields (or maybe copy and paste them somewhere.)
On the command line, with your ABC in myfile.abc as an example, substitute those locations for the < > brackets and content here
“<abcm2ps executable>” abcm2ps myfile.abc -O myfile.ps
“ghostscript executable>” -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=myfile.pdf -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE myfile.ps
The quotes are needed because on Windows there will be a space in the file location. I can’t remember where I got the command line arguments above, possibly from finding out what EasyABC was using. Some of it is in ‘Messages’. I think abcm2ps may do tab as well, but I would rather eat nails than try to work out how.
The latest EasyABC is not producing PDF on my Linux system and I have been doing this for a while (in a script) but I wanted to check that exactly the same worked in Windows before posting it. I don’t know about Macs but maybe something similar would work.
A post on another forum indicated that under an earlier custodian, so maybe still until recently, the mandolintab converter used abcm2ps. So using that should give the same style of output.