When a new version?

[KC74]

Hello, I´d like to know when do you think you are going to have a new version from Piano Booster?
Thank you

[Louis B.]

Hello,

Thanks for you interest in Piano Booster, are there any particular feature you are interested in?

At the moment I have completed the naming of the notes which is useful for beginners, (and is available from now from svn). Currently I am working on being able to choose the left and right midi channels, and for these settings to be remembered for each song (that is the difficult bit).

As I am trying to cut down the time I spend on PB it probably won't be for two or three months now before I do the next release. But you can always try the latest code from svn but you have to compile the source code yourself.

Louis

[KC74]

Hi Louis, I'm interest in all features because I think this software has a great potential. I´d like a lot of your project and I think it´s a great help for all the people who wants to learn to play the piano like me. I'll be waiting for all the time you need. So, thanks again for your Piano Booster and your work.

[Louis B.]

Hi

I am guessing that you are on windows so if you want to try out the latest software from windows I have included a build for you. The main new feature is note names which I hope you will find useful. (Stick a card over the piano keys that also has the note names on it)


pianobooster-win32.0.6.3.svn.zip

Unzip this file into your existing PB directory and then click on the new exe file.

For those of you who are on Linux you can get the latest code from here

svn co https://pianobooster.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/pianobooster/trunk/PianoBooster

What keyboard and sound generator are you using?

Please let me know how you get on and whether you still think that adding a virtual piano keyboard would be useful.

Louis

[KC74]

Hi Louis,  the new feature is really good. I'm sure a lot of people are going to find this feature very useful for learning to read sheet music.
About if I still think that adding a virtual piano keyboard would be useful, I think right now with this new feature it´s not a priority, but it can be important for absolute beginners.

SO: Windows XP

Keyboard: Yamaha PSR-E413
Midi Output Device: SoundMax Wavetable Sync

Thanks you

Edit:
To use this new version, I had to install "Qt Runtime Installer for Windows" because my Windows didn't have a Qt dll file.

[DuClare]

There are loads of free, dedicated virtual keyboard applications out there (I have used vmpk, vkeybd, jack-keyboard, and of course the one integrated in zynaddsubfx -- what a shame it isn't any more modular than that; I'd really like to wire it to other applications).  It looks like Louis doesn't have too much time for the project, so it's better not to spend it on re-inventing the wheel, but rather concentrate on more important features.

What I'd like to see is the ability to choose the midi channels to use for each "Part" and for the "Right / Wrong" sounds.  The problem is, some midis don't name the parts, so you're left with silence.  As for the right / wrong souds, well, I'm using software synths (zynaddsubfx and puredata) so the GM bank stuff is ... not something I have.  Choosing Grand Piano for "right" notes seems to work fine with a softsynth, but I can't figure out how to get the wrong sounds routed to midi channel 2.

[Louis B.]

Hi thanks for the post,

There is bug in 0.6.2 which does not play the notes if there is no midi Program Change in the data midi data (i.e. no instrument has been selected for that midi channel). This is fixed in the current svn version. As for the right and wrong channels they are the assigned to the first free channel available. So if your midi music is using channels 2,3,4,5,10 (10 is drums) the PB will use channel 1 for Right and 6 for Wrong.

Are you on windows or Linux or Mac?

I am still carrying on with PB just spending a bit less time on it. I have mostly completed the following:
* Naming of the notes in the score and those your press on the keyboard.
* Integrated fluidsynth (should help with latency problems on windows)
* completed the windows installer and deinstaller
* added assignable left and right midi parts (requires saving the settings per song which was v. difficult)

I am currently working on adding a metronome part but may delay this if people would like to see a release sooner. A volunteer to manage the releases would be very helpful as I could then do release more often.

re-reading your email i am not sure why you would want to manually assign the right and wrong midi channels. PB does really assume a GM synth with all 16 channels working there are ones on all platforms. Has any body tried SynthFont for windows.

Louis

[KC74]

Great news, Louis!!! I visit this forum almost every day and I was a little worried about this project, but I can see I was wrong.
My best wishes for Piano Booster. Being an open source application, I hope sooner or later we can have a proactive user community behind the program who works to improve this software like you are doing now.
I don't know nothing about C++ but if you think I can help you in something, say it!
Thanks

[Louis B.]

Thanks for the great for the encouragement, I am never quite sure how many users there are that stick with this program rather than just try it once. It still is early days, but PB does not appear to have mass appeal (yet).

I would particularly like some help with a "getting started instructions" ready for the next version. I have started drafting something up but it is only a quarter finished. I do the programming two and from work on the train so it proceeding slowly but steadily.

Louis

[KC74]

Hello Louis, I was thinking about how to make the tutorial and I thought it could be a good idea a videotutorial in youtube. After that I have made a little video playing myself the Piano with PianoBooster. I hope you like it. Remember I'm just a beginner, but I'm learning this song thanks to PianoBooster, so I'm learning thanks to you. I hope you like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58iw8nu3EOM

[Louis B.]

Wow, that is fantastic I have just given it five stars. How did you get such good quality? When I tried to do a direct video recording from the PC it did not work out as it was all jerky. I really like the annotations on the video. Just a minor suggestion could you possibly add another annotation after the "Oops, I have played a wrong note" something like "The notes turn red when I play out of time". If it is Ok with you I would like a link to the video as a news item of the PB front page.

You are playing in a difficult key signature as well so it is even more impressive. Have you tried puting a card on the piano keys with the note names?

It is interesting that a lot of people are playing piano pieces without any musical accompaniment. PB was always intended to be used with pieces that have a musical accompaniment like those I have linked to on the download page.

You could really do with adding a metronome track to that piece and then play it a bit slower. I may try to add an automatic metronome track but it may delay the next release to much. Could you post a link to that piece so I can give it a go. If you do add a metronome track can you post that as well.

Thanks

Louis

[KC74]

Thanks very much Louis for you words.
I have sent you an email with a url where you can add all the annotations you like to see on the video and of course you can use it for anything you want.

About your question: Have you tried puting a card on the piano keys with the note names?
The answer is no and a lot of times I have problems with it. Maybe I have to do it.

About adding a metronome track, I have done a couple of times with Anvil Studio, but for me it's annoying. Like you know I'm a beginner and the metronome make me feel like "you aren't playing as you should"

Thanks

[KC74]

Louis said: "It still is early days, but PB does not appear to have mass appeal (yet)"

I know we have spoken about this in the Topic "Show the piano keys and a symbol in the right keys to play", but for me this feature is the key to have mass appeal".

I wonder, why  doesn't Piano Booster have mass appeal?
Easy, because People don't know it.

How can we do all the people can know it?
Youtube,  I can imagine hundred of tutorial for learnings a song in Youtube that  people could do to with
Piano Booster and a feature like this

Youtube + Sheet music + Show Piano Keys = Where can I download this software?

What do you think about this?

[jspark]

Its true, if you have a midi keyboard, this software will get alot of use. Right now most piano tutorials on youtube are being presented using Power Tracks Pro by PG music. It is a good windos sequencer, but its appeal is that it shows you what is being played on the keyboard.

If  you include this feature in an open source software, it could easily become the standard for these tutorials, and anyone trying to learn.

[Louis B.]

Hi, I am in the process of preparing the new release. However the main reason purpose of PB is to help with learning to read music. (If you are not interested in learning to read music then PB is not the tool for you). The new release adds the notes names and when used in conjunction with a card that that you can stick on the piano with the note names like the one below:



Then provided you start with an easy enough piece to matches your playing ability, it is not be too hard to learn the notes. If I was to put a virtual keyboard in place then you would be looking at that instead of the score and so you would never learn to read the musical score.

I will reply to your other post tomorrow.

Are MIDI files available for these tutorials you refer to? if so could you please post a link to them.

Thanks.

Louis