I think that's fair, but i also thing that it's mostly just musicians that would ever think that. I don't think the average person (geek or not) would assume that. I'm a musician and I didn't think it'd write sheet music.
As a geek whos done basic music arrangement, I also know that that's an incredibly hard problem once you introduce modern instruments. even staying with just classical ones differetiating between a violin part, and i a viola? or even a cello playing a high note vs a viola? Like... wow. that would be SO hard.
We're barely getting words right. I don't think there's any way we're anywhere close to transcribing a full band or orchestra in a meaningful way. Extracting the melody? sure. Chord changes? Sure. Actually doing an accurate and even remotely complete transcription? Incredibly hard.
If there was software I could just dump an MP3 into and get a basic chart with chords and a melody...that'd be pretty amazing. I've done it, by hand, and the results were even published... it ain't easy. 30 minutes of moderately complex pop rock took a couple of months off and on.
