This program is shareware. The shareware fee is US$15 or a good CD.
This program may be copied freely, provided it remains unchanged and comes along with all the files, but it may not be sold or distributed or used commercially without permission of the author.
If you brake any of these rules I'm really gonna hate you!
Please send your comments, suggestions, bug reports and your shareware payment to:
Lars Peters
Goethestrasse 39
25421 Pinneberg
Germany
Lars_Peters@MagicVillage.de
You can always find the latest version in english and german at <http://members.aol.com/LarsPeters/>.
Using This Program:
I think this program should be pretty easy to use. It contains four different tests which are:
Intervals,
Chords,
Scales,
Pitch.
(I don't know if the pitch test is really useful for obtaining perfect pitch, but you can use it as a different kind of interval test anyways:
First you should open the pitch test and then click any answer button while holding down the option-key to get a note for comparison. Now you can determine each note in relation to the last one before that. I think this is a pretty good way to get a grip on your intervals theoretically.)
Every test (except pitch) starts up with a dialog to select which intervals, etc. you want to be tested on. You can test yourself using ascending, descending or harmonic intervals or chords. For some obvious reasons the program won't test you on scales using harmonics.
When the program plays something for you just click the button which you think contains the right answer. The right-answer button will flash in any case, so you can see what you were supposed to hear. If you're not sure, just click "Play" to hear it again.
The "Statistics" window shows you how you did on each interval, etc. (black means right answer, gray means wrong answer). Changing the direction (ascending, descending, harmonics) might ﾐ depending on the preferences ﾐ reset your statistics.
You can change the volume and the speed using the appropriate faders.
Using the "Sound" menu you can change the sound that is used for the tests. You probably won't want to use the wave table sounds, but I've build them in anyway so: DON'T COMPLAIN!
If you want to install sounds using ResEdit I recommend that you ensure your sound will play a C when played by this program while no windows are open ﾐ otherwise you're gonna screw up the pitch test. You should also try to adjust the volume.
MIDI:
If you want to use MIDI, you're gonna have to get OMS 2.0 or higher (from Opcode, e.g. at http://www.opcode.com).
If you are using a PowerBook, make sure OMS doesn't use the serial interfaces before sending your computer to sleep. You can do this by
a) closing all applications that use OMS,
b) selecting a Mac sound,
c) deactivating the serial interfaces (OMS MIDI Setup) or
d) activating a program that doesn't use OMS and making sure that OMS doesn't keep control in the background (OMS MIDI Setup).
When selecting a patch you can switch to a dialog by holding down the option or command key (while clicking the bottom pop-up menu), provided your MIDI Device supports names for patches.
Tip:
You can use the Quicktime Musical Instruments via OMS if you don't have any MIDI devices but are looking for more sounds. (You're gonna need the Quicktime Music OMS Driver).
Use of MIDI is limited if you don't register! You're gonna be able to check it out, but it won't run infinitely. If you're not planning to register, you might not want to download OMS since it's really big!
Preferences:
General:
"Remember:":
When these options are checked the program will remember these settings: Test means, which interval, etc. was checked. Sound means volume, speed and which sound.
"Display Warning Before Ending a Test":
If this option is checked and you open a test while another one is still open, you will be asked if you really meant to do this.
"Repeat Wrong Answers"
determines, whether the interval, etc. is played again after you selected a wrong answer.If
"Only When □-Key is Pressed"
is selected this will only happen if you hold down the □-key while clicking.
"Use MIDI":
You can switch off MIDI, so that you don't get an error message at startup if you don't have OMS. The program also starts a lot faster since OMS doesn't have to be loaded. Changes take effect the next time you start the program.
"Wait After Selecting a New Patch"
gives your MIDI device two seconds to load the new sound. This makes sense especially when using Quicktime.
Statistics:
"Reset Statistics on Change of Direction?":
This determines, whether the statistics is going to be erased on a change of direction (ascending, descending, harmonic).
"Open statistics automatically":
When this option is turned on, the statistics window will open automatically when you open a test.
Chords:
"Play Harmonics ﾉ as Long as Arpeggios":
You can choose, whether harmonically played chords should be played 1-, 2- or 3-times as long as arpeggios (ascending, descending), without changing the speed slider.
"Play Chord Within one Octave":
If this option is checked, all chord tones are going to be played within the same octave. Otherwise the chord is going to be spread out randomly across two octaves.
"Double the Bassnote for Triads"
determines, whether the bassnote of a triad should be doubled one (or two) octaves higher, so you can't distinguish triads from seventhchords simply by counting the number of pitches.
"Ask for the Inversion if the Quality is Wrong":
This determines, whether you are going to be asked for the inversion, if you had the chord quality wrong. if this is not checked, the program will go on to the next chord.
"Mark the Inversion as "Wrong" if the Quality is Wrong":
If this is checked, the inversion will be marked "wrong", if you had the chord quality wrong, even if you had the inversion right.
"Mark the Quality as "Wrong" if the Inversion is Wrong":
If this is checked, the chord quality will be marked "wrong", if you had the inversion wrong, even if you had the chord quality right.
If you don't know the scales:
Open the interval test and select the scale you want to know about from the "Set" menu. This will show you the scale's intervals over two octaves. Please bear in mind though, that e.g. an augmented fifth will be displayed as a minor sixth.
Compatibility:
This program requires System 7. If you are using a version lower than 7.5 you'll probably have to install the "Sound Manager" extension (3.0 or higher) contained in Apple's System Update #3 for System 7.1. If you still have problems, try using wave table sounds. (Older models like Mac Plus and Mac Classic are not capable of opening four channels of sampled sound at the same time.)
Thanks toﾉ
To see the credits select "About Eartrainingﾉ" from the Apple menu while holding down the command, option, shift or control key.
One Last Thing:
This program is shareware, i.e. it may be copied freely. It does not mean, that it's use is free. If you are using it (longer than 30 days), please pay your shareware fee. You will receive the code to switch off the shareware notice. All future updates are free, i.e. the code remains the same. Please support the shareware concept. Thanks!
If you really appreciate this program, feel free to send me a CD instead of money. I really like to be surprised there. Otherwise, please pay cash or use Eurocheque.
If you have an email address, please let me know. It will make it a lot easier (and faster) to send you the code. Thanks.
Well, one more thing actually:
A word about sending checks:
If it's not a Eurocheque don't do it!
Really, I'd appreciate your will to pay, but international checks are totally useless. My bank has a minimum fee for handling those of roughly USD 15. Sending cash is perfectly safe, just don't make it obvious. I haven't heard about anybody losing money that way.
If you want to use Eurocheque you might want to use either your local currency or German currency (DEM 25). If you use USD they're gonna charge you a lot more!
If you want to send cash and you happen to have no US$, you could just as well get German money (makes it a lot easier for me, obviously). The German fee is DEM 25 (I realise, it's a little more with the current exchange rate, but hell! I'm not gonna give out daily updates ;-). Just don't let them tell you there's no DM 5 bills!
I hope there's a way that is convenient for you. Thanks a lot.
