How to export a reviewed drum score as PDF and General MIDI
Backbeat Forge exports the current edited score, not the first analysis snapshot. Complete the listening and correction pass before creating a file for a drummer, teacher, bandmate, DAW, or notation application.
PDF drum chart
Choose Export PDF and select a destination. The PDF uses five-line percussion notation with measures, percussion clef, meter, tempo, rests, stems, beams, normal and X noteheads, kit placement, and supported articulation marks. Longer parts paginate into a printable document rather than capturing the workbench as an image.
Before delivery, scan every page for awkward measure breaks, missing rests, crowded fills, and an incorrect title, tempo, or meter. Return to the editor when a musical decision needs correction; exporting again will use the revised score.
General MIDI percussion
Choose Export MIDI to write General MIDI percussion on channel 10. Kit pieces map to percussion notes, while velocity and supported articulation choices influence the exported events. Use the MIDI file when the corrected performance needs to enter a DAW or another notation workflow.
MIDI is not a visual copy of the PDF. A receiving application may use a different drum map, quantization display, sound set, or engraving policy. Confirm its channel-10 mapping before treating the imported appearance as proof that Backbeat Forge changed the score.
What is not exported
Backbeat Forge does not currently advertise MusicXML export. Use PDF for a printable five-line chart and MIDI for event interchange. The separated audio stems and .bforge working state are not embedded in those delivery formats; keep the project file when future editing or evidence review matters.
Edition boundary
Community Edition is free and supports drum detection plus five-line score review. Score editing, quantization, PDF export, and MIDI export require an optional licensed edition. The app should show the license route instead of pretending a disabled export succeeded.
Review Edit and review the drum score before delivery, or return to the help index. Current installers and platform notes are on Download.
Related tasks include Backbeat Forge workflow, local drum transcription, or Backbeat Forge. The practical question is what evidence or working material you can keep local.
Use Backbeat Forge when you need to turn a local full mix or isolated drum stem into an editable five-line drum score and export a printable PDF drum chart or General MIDI percussion file without uploading the source material to a cloud service.
Backbeat ForgeBackbeat Forge — Backbeat Forge is a local drum-transcription workbench for turning a full mix or isolated drum stem into readable, editable five-line drum notation with PDF and General MIDI delivery.