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Faq

Q: What is the password for the downloads area?

A: The password to the downloads area is the last word on the back of the PianoMaestro box (all lowercase).

Q: Will the PianoMaestro work with my piano?  

A:  If your piano has 88 keys, then the PianoMaestro will align properly with your keyboard.   The PianoMaestro is designed to fit all standard-sized keyboards with an octave span of 164mm.    If your piano has 61 or 76 keys, please measure the octave span, as some keyboards have slightly smaller octave spans (usually 160mm) that will not align properly.

Please see diagram below:


For a list of 88-key pianos that will align with the PianoMaestro, please click here

Q: Which operating systems are supported?

Windows: PianoMaestro works well with Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 10.
You also need to have the .NET framework version 3.5 or higher installed on your machine to use the PianoMaestro.   You can download the .NET framework from the Microsoft website here.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=333325FD-AE52-4E35-B531-508D977D32A6&displaylang=en

Mac:  PianoMaestro works on older versions of Mac OSX before October 2019.   The PianoMaestro software currently does not work Catalina or Big Sur.  

Linux:   PianoMaestro does not work with Linux at this time.

Q:  Does it run on Mac or Linux?

A:  Unfortunately at this time Mac and Linux are not supported.   We are working on it.
A: The PianoMaestro now works with Macs! Linux is not supported.

Q: Will the PianoMaestro run on my computer?

A: The PianoMaestro should operate on any computer that can adequately run Windows XP or higher.   We have run PianoMaestro successfully on an IBM Thinkpad T21 (circa 2001) with a 644 MHz Pentium III processor, 128MB of RAM with Windows XP SP3 32-bit.
The Thinkpad T21 mentioned above can be purchased on ebay for less than US$130.

The PianoMaestro also operates on Macs with OSX prior to October 2019 (pre-Catalina).

Using the PianoMaestro

Q:  How can I learn songs that go beyond the range of the PianoMaestro’s 48 LEDs?

The PianoMaestro software enables the user to select which part of the piano keyboard to practice.   With this feature, one can practice pieces over a span of 72 keys.   For those who do not want to physically shift the PianoMaestro around the keyboard, we are working on an extended version.

Troubleshooting

Q.  I am having difficulty installing the software

A.  Please look at the detailed step-by-step installation instructions here.

Q:  The MIDI files are playing on the screen and on the PianoMaestro, but I can not hear any sound.

A:   First check that mute is off.    Check that the Audio Device Properties on your computer to make sure the MIDI music playback synthesizer slider bar is not on zero.

Q:  When I open PianoMaestro for the first time, I get the error message “No Media Output Devices Available”

A:  First check that your computer can play audio from another source (eg Youtube).   If you can not, then you might need to reinstall your audio soundcard driver.   If the soundcard driver is installed, you may need to install a MIDI driver as described below:
1. open Control Panel
2. click System
3. click on Hardware
4. click Device Manager
5. on Device Manager scroll down to Sound, Video Controller
6. on drop down you’ll see Midi Device
7. Right click on it, Update Driver
8. a- first try to Install Auto >Next (if can not continue – click Back)
… b– Install from a list… >Next
9. check Don’t Search.. >Next
10. check Show compatible hardware
11. Highlight Compatible Midi Device >Next
12. Your Device should be ready >Finish

If you can’t see Midi Device on Device Manager,
you have to Download this Codec and Driver and Install it

K-Lite Codec Pack: http://www.download.com/3001-20_4-108989…
Realtek AC’97 Driver:http://www.download.com/3001-20_4-108911…

Q:  When I try to open a MIDI file, I get the error message “invalid pulses per quarter note value.”  What should I do?

There are two types of MIDI encoding – Pulses Per Quarter Note and SMPTE (named after the Society of Motion Picture and Television engineers).   PianoMaestro can read the more common Ppqn format.   If you can not open a MIDI file, there is a good chance that it is encoded in SMPTE.  Please search for an alternative MIDI file to play.

Q:  When I open a MIDI file there are many staffs.  Why is this and what should I do?

Some MIDI files are layered with many instruments – piano, violin, percussion, etc.   This information is usually encoded as one instrument per track.   As a result, you might see multiple staffs.   You can turn off the display of individual tracks in the “Tracks” menu.  However, you can not turn off individual tracks to the speakers or the PianoMaestro device.

If it is imperative to use a specific MIDI file with the PianoMaestro, we suggest editing the file with a MIDI editor.  There are many available.   We use Noteworthy Composer 2 which is available at www.noteworthysoftware.com

Q: I found a bug. What do I do?

A: Please send us an email at  [email protected]. We are striving to make the next version of PianoMaestro better in every way.   Any feedback and suggestions will be most gratefully received.

Invented in Australia
The PianoMaestro was invented Australia. It will be featured on the new inventors TV show on ABC in 2011.

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