PlayMusic™

Detailed Feature list

Localization: English
Platforms: Windows 2000/Me/XP/Vista
MAC coming soon

24 staves per system
8 available voices per staff
31 templates
21 Sample Song Files

Input

• Mouse Note Input (Palette or keypad value selection)
• MIDI Keyboard Input (Real-time entry)
• MIDI Keyboard Input (Step-time entry)
• Standard MIDI files Import

Output

• MIDI Playback Output
• Print Output (All printers up to 1512 Dpi)
• Standard MIDI files Export
• Windows/Macintosh proprietary file format compatibility

User Interface

• Easy and friendly visual interface
• Immediate access through palettes to hundreds of symbols
• 10 steps Zoom in and out for score control
• Transport Commands on Toolbar
• Graphic Mixer window with settings for Program Change, Voice, MIDI Channel, Solo, Volume, Record, Active Voice Monitor and Port
• 10 documents operable at the same time
• Windows/Macintosh standard shortcuts for standard program operations (open, close, save, etc.)
• Dozens of proprietary shortcuts for almost all program operations
• Numeric shortcuts for note value selection
• 1 level of Undo function available for all commands

Main Features

• Margins of pages definable for each page
• 24 staves per system
• 8 voices per staff
• 21 Sample Song Files
• 31 templates
• Single, Piano, Percussion and Guitar Tab staff
• Graphic Mixer window with settings for Program Change, Voice, MIDI Channel, Solo, Record, Volume, Active Voice Monitor and Port
• Margins of pages definable for each page
• Centering function of staves and systems, automatic or manual
• Direct editing, removing, and inserting of any symbol with the mouse on the score
• 10 Zoom steps;
• MIDI output to any external Soundcard or MIDI interface (Windows)
• MIDI output with internal QuickTime synthesizer (Macintosh)
• Printing with all Printers, including Postscript and Quick Draw support, up to 1512 Dpi
• Insertion of multiple lyrics with custom settings of fonts, sizes and styles
• Insertion of Page-Dependent or Staff-Dependent texts;
• 6 types of bar lines (single, double, repeat left and right, end of piece, dotted, absent)
• 4 types of connections between staves (simple line, brace, single bracket, brace + single bracket)
• The ability of inserting key signatures (major and minor) in any staff and with automatic note transposition settings
• The ability of dragging accidentals
• Cross-System dragging for all symbols (Crescendos and diminuendos, Octave, Pedal, Dynamic, Slurs, etc.)
• Control Points for fine positioning and dimensioning of Slurs, Bar lines, Staff, Tuplets and Ties
• The ability of inserting nested Tuplets (e.g. a triplet with a quintuplet incorporated)
• Automatic or manual spacing of notes
• Auto beaming feature, with Auto Beaming Options;
• Customizable MIDI performance of grace notes (cut into preceding or following note, percentage of the cut note etc.)
• Diatonic and chromatic transposition of notes, with all major, minor, augmented and diminished intervals
• Automatic value change
• Automatic application of articulations
• And Many more...

Play Music allows you to select some of the main functions in the program from the computer keyboard; some keys affect settings in dialog windows directly.

Arrow
You can select the arrow tool with the 'a' key on the key-board.

Pencil
You can select the pencil tool with the 'p' key on the keyboard.

Eraser
You can select the eraser tool with the 'e' key on the key-board.

OK
You can select OK in any window with the 'return' and 'enter' keys on the keyboard.

The Cancel Button
You can select ‘cancel’ in any window with the 'esc' key on the keyboard.

Tab
The ‘tab’ button allows you to jump to the next box in all dialog windows with parameter boxes.

Sharp
You can select the Sharp box (Note palette) with the 's' key on the keyboard.

Flat
You can select the Flat box (Note palette) with the 'f' key on the keyboard.

Natural
You can select the Natural box (Note palette) with the 'n' key on the keyboard.

Play/Stop
You can start or stop the MIDI performance by clicking the space key on the keyboard.

Durations
You can insert the selected duration by clicking the corresponding value on the numeric keyboard: You can select rests by clicking the ‘r’ key on the keyboard.

Zoom
You can enlarge or reduce the zoom factor by clicking the keys ctrl + and ctrl - (Win.

The Toolbar
The toolbar allows you quick access to the most used functions of the program. It is comprised of a group of popup menus and boxes for the selection of voices, zoom, tools (arrow, pencil and eraser), etc. Each box displays an icon which represents a tool. To select a tool, click its icon.

The toolbar contains the following items

The Zoom Menu
With the Zoom menu, you can set the zoom factor you want for the document. You have a choice between these possibilities: 100%, 400%, Fit Page and Fit Width (100% being the unchanged page dimension).

The Arrow Tool
With the arrow tool, you can edit all movable items directly on the score. When you click the box, the arrow cursor appears. With it, you can move notes, symbols, and beams, select a region in the score, etc.

The Pencil Tool
The pencil tool allows you to write on the document. When you select a symbol or a note from a palette, the pencil tool is automatically activated. The cursor, in the case of symbols, changes into a +, and in the case of notes, it changes into a note of the selected value.

The Eraser Tool
You can cancel items directly on the score with the eraser tool.

The Function Boxes
Clicking on the eight Function Boxes, you can apply the following functions:

Redo (Edit menu), Cut (Edit menu), Copy (Edit menu), Auto center Staves (Score menu),Tie Notes (Note menu),Tuplets (Note menu), Beam Selection (Note menu), Hide Control Points (Tools menu).

Save
The small yellow icon with the floppy disc symbol corresponds to the Save command.

Redraw
Clicking on the small painter icon will redraw the entire score.

The Voice Menu
With the Voice menu you can select the current voice. Once you have selected the current voice, all notes in other non-selected voices will appear in gray. The first item (All) in the Voice menu reactivates and displays, in black, all present voices.

Back to Score
The Back to Score box allows you to return to the score.

Mixer
The Mixer box opens the Mixer window and allows you to change the midi channel, program changes, and change the instrument name for individual staves.

Play
With the Play box, you can activate a playback of the score.

Counter Display
This box activates the palette with the measure numbers, the beat, and the duration in hours-min-utes- seconds during the performance of the score.

Page Menu
With this pop up menu, you can move between the various pages of the score. It is equivalent to the Go to Page function in the Tools menu.

Go to Page
This icon opens up the Go to Page window and displays the page number setting. This command is equivalent to the Go to Page function in the Tools menu.

This section briefly illustrates how to insert the most common items into the score.

Pages: found in the Add Pages dialog window.
Staves: found in the Add Staves dialog window.
Measures: found in the Add Measures dialog window.
Notes: use the Note palette.
Beams: select a region and use the Beam Selection function (or Beam on Beat).
Tuplets: select a region (group of notes) and use the Tuplet dialog window.
Ties: select a region (two or more notes of same pitch) and use the Tie Notes function.
Slurs: use the Symbols 2 palette (box 2) and click corresponding to four points of the curve (the slur will appear at the fourth click).
Various symbols attached to the notes: (e.g. Bartók pizzicato, articulations, down - or upstroke, sharp, flat, natural etc.) Use the Notes, Symbols 1, Symbols 2, Symbols 3, and Articulation palettes.
Various symbols independent of notes: (e.g. dynamics, octave symbols, crescendos, diminuendos, pedal, trills etc) use the Dynamics, Symbols 1, Symbols 2, and Symbols 3 palettes.
Clefs: use the Clefs palette.
Lyrics: use the Text palette and the Lyric box, and click on the interested note head.
Texts: use the Text palette and the Text box, and click on the score.
Frets: use the Text Palette and the Frets box, and click on the score.
Tempo: found in the Tempo dialog window.
Time signature: found in the Time Signature dialog window.
Instrument names: found in the Staff Settings dialog window; double-click on the interested staff in the staff list.
Measure Numbers: found in the Measure Numbers window.

This section briefly illustrates how to cancel the most common items in the score.

Pages: found in the Remove Pages window.
Staves: found in the Remove Staves window.
Measures: found in the Remove Measures window.
Notes: use the eraser tool, or select note + backspace key.
Beams: highlight the area and go to the Beaming Options section.
Tuplets: reinsert the tuplet on the same notes, or select one or more control points and press the backspace key.
Ties: reinsert the tie on the same notes.
Slurs: use the eraser tool at the beginning of the slur or select one or more control points and press the backspace key.
Various symbols attached to the notes (e.g. pizzicato, articulations, down and upstrokes, sharps, flats, naturals, etc.): reattach the symbol to the same note or notes or use the eraser tool.
Various symbols independent of the notes (e.g. dynamics, octave symbols, crescendos and diminuendos, pedal, trills, etc.): use the eraser tool or select the item and press the backspace key.
Clefs: With the eraser tool or highlight the area and press the delete key (or also reinserting the new clef on the existing clef)
Lyrics: Only with the eraser tool.
Texts: With the eraser tool or highlight the area and press the delete key.