PCAno

[shane91c]

(Admins if you're not happy with me posting this just remove it. If it is OK then please edit this post and remove this message)

I am the creator of PCAno, which is a program that allows you to make music using your PC keyboard.

If you are interested, please check it out at:

http://pcano.arcticfoxservices.com/

And maybe join the forums - I think anyone who uses NSM will also enjoy using PCAno, I certainly enjoy using both

[jake3343]

I installed it, but every time i open it, if I press a key, it stops working.

[KefkaticFanatic]

This is half advertisement, but also relevant since this is a piano sheet site.  It belongs in the music section though.

[shane91c]

I installed it, but every time i open it, if I press a key, it stops working.

Could you please explain what you mean by "stops working"?

EDIT: If you go to the website now, you will find that a Download has been added for a Library Files installer. If you install that, it should hopefully fix the problem.

This is half advertisement, but also relevant since this is a piano sheet site.  It belongs in the music section though.

Yes that's the idea lol, it's software that will be useful to members of this site. If a mod/admin wants to move this to the music section that's fine by me

[jake3343]

I installed it, but every time i open it, if I press a key, it stops working.

Could you please explain what you mean by "stops working"?

When I get to this:




And click or press a key, it goes to this:

[KefkaticFanatic]

He probably didn't bother to make it compatible with Vista/Windows 7.

[shane91c]

Vista compatibility is something I have not paid much attention to, however I have seen this program working successfully on Windows Vista Home Basic. So there is no reason why it should not work on other variations of Vista.

I'd say the fix is to get an OS that doesn't suck, but that's not really going to work because so many people have Vista now...

[KefkaticFanatic]

I would comment on your PM, but then you had to go and make the whole blind "lol vista sux" comment.  Stop that.  I've used it as a main OS for a few years and have never had any major issues that caused me to hate it.  I prefer it to XP in fact.  It's definitely better than any shit Mac OS you could throw at me, considering it can actually run useful programs and not have the annoying super simplified UI.

However, I now use Windows 7 because it's awesome.  That is all.

[shane91c]

Since I had a bad virus and needed to re-install Windows, I decided to dig out my Vista CD and install that.

I too had that error, but I've fixed it. I'm not sure what the exact problem was but I do know that you must disable UAC (User Account Control a.k.a. Useless Account Compromisation).

Re-download PCAno from the site - I've updated it with an installer that copies the necessary files.

EDIT: Also, in Windows Vista, Microsoft decided to be awkward and change the name of the default MIDI Device, so you need to manually select it by clicking "MIDI Devices" and selecting "Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth".

[Tranzlater]

Huh... odd...

When I install... it says

Module C:\Program files\Arctic Fox Services\PCAno\olepro32.dll failed to register...
HRESULT  -2147024769

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?
Oh and isn't ano arse or summing in spanish?

[shane91c]

If you get that error you can just click Ignore - If it fails to register it's because you already have it so it wont be a problem

Also, the name is a combination of PC and Pi-ano. Nothing to do with arses.

[Jamaha]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ano

Ano is a lot of stuff. Pretty much everything has some weird meaning in some language. No way to possible avoid all kinds of connotations.

[GreekGeek]

They forgot the Greek one 
ano means "upstairs" in Greek

But Ontopic, Shane could ya explain to me why it is useful? I know it sounds really harsh and kudos for makin' such a thing, but what's exactly the advantage of using PCAno above something like Finale or so? It's very hard to play piano with your computer keyboard.
P.S. and ano means "with your arse" in Latin

[Tranzlater]

If you get that error you can just click Ignore - If it fails to register it's because you already have it so it wont be a problem

Also, the name is a combination of PC and Pi-ano. Nothing to do with arses.

Yeah I did that... and it came up with the thing again... but I tried on mah old crappy XP... I'm on Vista at the mo so I'll give it a try

[shane91c]

They forgot the Greek one 
ano means "upstairs" in Greek

But Ontopic, Shane could ya explain to me why it is useful? I know it sounds really harsh and kudos for makin' such a thing, but what's exactly the advantage of using PCAno above something like Finale or so? It's very hard to play piano with your computer keyboard.
P.S. and ano means "with your arse" in Latin

Good question. PCAno is designed for many types of people.

It allows people who have never touched a piano in their life to start learning without having to go out and buy an expensive keyboard/piano.

It enables you to use those "MIDI Keyboards" that don't have any sound banks, such as Creative's ProdiKeys.

When the Music Maker is complete, it will allow people to create music using a "tracker" which is very easy, and can create Standard MIDI Files.

It will also allow users to record "on-the-fly" and save the recording to a Standard MIDI File.

Users can use a screen recorder to show off or create tutorials.

Another W.I.P feature is that it will be able to connect to other PCAno's on a LAN, so multiple users can play together - The result of which can also be recorded to a Standard MIDI File.

It will also work with touch-screens (e.g. Tablet PCs, Interactive Whiteboards).

And one feature that, if they're anything like me, most NSM users will love - It will be able to play back MIDI files, with speed control, so you can SEE the notes and learn them. Works perfectly with the MIDI's on this site


Notice I say "will be able to" a lot. That's because I'm still working on it - The version that is available is a Beta version so people can test it. Which is why it's upsetting me that nobody is posting in my forums, because how do I know that it's working for everyone. I need feedback and I need to know what the community wants from PCAno.