Thank you very much for trying out Virtual Piano!!!

Here are some tips on how to use the program more effectively.

    installation:

Before you install the program, please make sure that you have enough space on your device. There are currently two versions of the piano:

The only difference between the both programs is the length of the sound samples. If you wish to save some space, install the Lite version, however if you like to hear the piano with the most beautiful sound it may produce, please install the Concert Hall version.

If you consider to install the software onto your memory card, place the program in the following directory of your card - a:/palm/launcher.

However the piano will still require at least 3 Mb of free internal RAM for the Lite version and at least 5 Mb for the Concert Hall version.

    demo limitations:

Once the program is installed onto your device it will run as an evaluation version. It will have the following limitations:

When you start the piano for the very first time, there will be no limit for the time of playing. Please use this opportunity to get used to it before you decide to quit. With each next use of the program, the sound will decrease slightly after some time of playing.

If you like the program, please consider purchasing a license key and get a fully working version of the piano

    how to register:

You can purchase the program by registering at one of the following web sites:

Upon a successful registration, you will receive your personal license key within 24 Hours. If you have any troubles registering or any questions, please feel free to contact us at tcherkin@dir.bg

    using the piano:

The Virtual Piano features a 6-octaves keyboard, with a total amount of 72 keys. Each tone was carefully sampled by a concert hall Steinway&Sons grand piano. You will notice the quality by yourself. You will be able to make real time recordings and play them back later. You can save your favorite tunes in the piano's database. Do not worry about the size of the compositions, since the piano utilizes a smart method of recording which is close to the midi concept. In most cases the size of each composition will not exceed more than few kilobytes. Another interesting concept is changing the tempo - you can record a tune in a slower tempo and play it back as fast as you like (of course with some limits). The opposite is also possible.

     dynamic keyboard:

Virtual Piano is the first and the only program on a mobile device that features dynamic keyboard! Now you can play really expressive compositions with a real dynamics. The unique concept allows you to play louder when playing at the bottom part of the keys and softer when playing above. The keyboard has now more than 32 levels of touch sensibility, allowing you to make even crescendos and diminuendos. Your compositions are going to become extremely real!

    smart black keys:

When the dynamic keyboard  is activated, 'smart black keys' option is available. Since the black keys are smaller and sometimes difficult to press in the desired dynamics, this option will balance their volume, depending on the dynamics of the last white key pressed. The result is more balanced sound between the white and the black keys.

    step by step recording:

When you press the REC button, the program will start acquiring your performance. When you press the STOP button, you can listen to your recording by pressing the PLAY button. If you press the REC button again, the program will continue acquiring your ideas without losing the previous recording. The concept is that you can make very long compositions by recording them step by step. You may find useful the option UNDO REC, which removes your last attempt to record. Once you are satisfied with your work you can save it and begin a new one. NOTE: When you press the REC key to continue your composition it will start from the time the last note was pressed. You may need some time to get used to it.

    volume & tempo:

You will be able to adjust the volume precisely with a slider control. Sometimes a higher volume setting can distort the sound, coming from the tiny speaker of your device, so please use with care. For best results, please use headphones or connect your device to external speakers.

One of the most interesting options of the piano is its tempo control. You will be able to adjust it precisely within the range of 50-200%. It can be changed also during the step by step recording process. You can save your compositions with different tempos. HINT: If you like to record something really fast (like Flight of the Bumble Bee), set the tempo to the slowest position, record a tune slowly and then set the tempo to the fastest position and play it back in presto! It will actually play 4 times faster! Please use a metronome for more exact performances.

    booster:

On some devices the volume can be quite soft depending on the external speaker. By enabling the booster, the sound will be much louder, also depending on your PDA's speaker. Please use with care, since on some devices the sound may become distorted, especially when the volume is set to its maximum value. The booster also gives better sensibility of the dynamic keyboard with lower volume selected.

    loop:

With the loop option enabled, when the tune finishes it will be played back from the beginning for an unlimited time. This is useful if you would like to hear a tune many times with no need to press the 'play' button again. You can always turn the 'loop' option off,  in a case that you do not need such functionality.

    saving & loading:

Since the tunes are not going to occupy a lot of space you can actually keep hundreds of compositions. They will be alphabetically sorted, so it will not be difficult for you to find any of them. Sometimes a load time may last more than few seconds for more complex tunes. If you quit the program by mistake, any unsaved work will be automatically saved with the name "Unsaved Tune"

    additional info:

The Virtual Piano will be enhanced with more features in future. All registered users will receive free updates for life. For any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us at: tcherkin@dir.bg

    Thuliumware