... this product was born out of the desire of Jim Mullen, President of Adventus, to provide a fun and stimulating yet highly effective method for his children to understand music and learn to play piano. At the time,there really wasn't anything available on the market to fulfill this need, so he created one - Adventus Piano suite. Wearing a few hats, Mr.Mullen is a parent, electrical engineer, teacher (college level), computer programmer and musician (piano). These key ingredients constitute the heart of Adventus Piano Suite's popularity; its unique and powerful "Learning Engine", making it the product of choice for musicians, educators, adults, children and parents. What's need to get started? Other than a computer (check requirements at the FAQs below), you'll need a MIDI cable (either USB or 15 pin) and a MIDI keyboard. If you require both, then consider buying the Premier Bundle. If all you need is a MIDI cable, : 2 high quality cables specifically selected by Adventus are available here at a highly competitive price. Which MIDI cable to buy? Select the USB cable if your computer has an integrated or onboard sound card. Or, select the 15 pin MIDI cable (this one's dual purpose, so you won't have to disconnect to play games etc.) if your computer has a dedicated separate sound card (Not sure?...look for a female, rectangular,15 pin plug on the back of your computer. That's the separate sound card). If you don't have a separate sound card consider getting one. They're affordable, easily installed, provide better sound quality and often enhance computer performance. . What age and skill level is the program intended for ? Adventus Piano Suite is designed for beginner and intermediate level students from ages 5 through adult, Adventus learning to play piano software is ideal for most anyone wanting to learn piano on a home computer. Learning to play piano and understanding music is now fun, enjoyable and effective thanks to the rich learning content of Adevntus Piano Suite. This is not just another software product, it's Adventus Piano Suite!
Piano Suite Premier was recently given "Best in Class" in the 2002
Educational Software Preview Guide, published by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education ). Appearing in the guide means that a concensus was reached by all technology testing centers that Adventus was the best in category - ISTE reviews 25,000 ed. software products each year and selects the top 700
more
reviews
Piano Suite Basic
Edition software
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Adventus Piano Suite sets a new standard in the industry. |
| Adventus Piano Suite Basic Edition software |
With
a full compliment of customizable and expandable tools Piano Suite will
guide you into the rewarding world of making your own music.
No
matter what your age, Piano Suite will help you through the learning process with the help of an interactive voice tutor and provide continuous feedback on your play until you master the piece.
With
intuitive controls, speaking menus, extensive curriculum and successful
teaching methods, Piano Suite is designed to suit beginners of all ages
and to interact positively with personal lessons.
Piano
Player:Supervised
piano practice with brilliantly effective audio/visual
feedback.
Library:100+
pieces
to play, practice and enjoy from Pop/Rock to Classical, from Folk to Jazz/Blues
including licensed songs. Each selection is beautifully illustrated and
animation, lyrics and voice recordings bring the music to life.
Theory
Thinker:Hundreds
of professionally narrated, step by step theory lessons with practice exercises
to teach notation, sight-reading and playing skills.
Games:Exciting
music related activities to reinforce lessons and increase skills.
Personal
Profile:
Individual performance records let you or your instructor review your progress.
Piano Suite can track results of every piece practiced or game played,
for any
number of users.
History
Happens:
Fascinating biographies of famous
composers
and performers who have helped shape the history of music.
Piano
Suite is a real teaching tool, developed by music educators! Even if you
already play piano you can benefit from the in-depth interactive theory
lessons, and the large musical repertoire to extend your skills, and learn
your favorite music easily.
Personal and musical biographies of over 150 composers and performers will enrich your learning experience. Challenging interactive games sharpen your piano playing skills and develop theory comprehension.
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- What if I'm not satisfied?
If within 40 days from the date of purchase, you are not fully satisfied, advise me ,then, return the product, shipping prepaid, in original condition and packaging for refund of the purchase price less shipping.
- How does it work?
Aside from the content -- interactive lessons, exercises,
history, games, and composing (Premier Edition only), the most outstanding feature is the way Piano Suite helps correct your playing by giving you visual feedback as you play. If you play an incorrect note,
you'll be led to the correct note easily. We like to call it
the frustration free method (FFM) of piano and there is
nothing like it!
- Will it teach me to sight read music?
YES! Piano Suite continues to teach the practical basics you will need to
learn pieces to a grade 5 level. Skills which are useful on any instrument!
- What types of music are included
in the program?
A vast range of musical
styles and licensed pieces are included. Traditional, Folk, Country,
Rock, Popular, JAZZ, Classical, Religious and National Anthems.
Contemporary music contains selections from the Beatles, Boyz
II Men, James Brown, Whitney Houston, Rita McNeil, R.E.M.,
and many more!!!
- Can I keep track of my progress?
Yes, for unlimited users on a single PC you can save detailed results
that can be saved to a report or to your printer.
- What is in the History section of
the program?
Interesting and informative
biographical information on over 350 composers and performers, with a
musical timeline, pronunciations, and a list of some of the best known
movie music.
- Will I be able to compose music of
my own?
No, not with Adventus Basic Edition software. But yes you can with Adventus Piano Suite Premier Edition software and Adventus Piano Suite Bundle.
- Will I be able to record music?
Yes, a four track recorder allows you to lay down music and play it back. Can only be saved as a MIDI file.
- What Equipment do I need to run the
program?
You need a PC computer running
Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, a minimum of 32MB of RAM, a CDROM (minimum 4X speed) and
a sound card with a MIDI/Joystick port. We recommend Creative
Live 256, 512, 1024 or other Sound Blaster compatable cards with good
hardware wavetable sound. We recommend the hardware wavetable systhesis
over software wavetable synthesis because of the delays that occur with
feedback from MIDI devices when the software synthesis is used.
- Is there a MAC version?
No, but we hear you, and this is on our short list for future release (2003).
- Can I learn just part of a piece
at one time?
Yes! Piano Suite allows the user to select a part
of a musical piece, from 1 bar to the whole composition. A valuable feature
geared to assist the student learn specific areas faster.
- Are there games?
Yes! Several multimedia music games are included in Piano Suite.
Designed by music educators these games improve musical skill
and keep you "on your toes" satisfying the gamer in all of us.
- Is the software hard to install?
No. The Piano Suite CDROM installs simply and easily.
If for any reason you experience some difficulty, the Adventus customer
support team is ready to help.
- Is there a manufacturer's warranty?
Yes! Six months against defects in either software or hardware.
- What is a MIDI cable?
MIDI means Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Practically all electronic keyboards over $200 have a MIDI interface to communicate with computers, other keyboards or recording devices. You can check for MIDI interface capability by looking at the side or back of your keyboard. The MIDI interface is small and round with 5 small holes on one side of the circle. Most electronic keyboards have both a MIDI IN and a MIDI OUT interface connection.
A MIDI cable connects your keyboard to another MIDI capable device. There most common places to connect a keyboard to a computer are to the computer's joystick port ( a 15 pin connector normally on the sound card ), a USB port ( small rectangular connector ), or the parallel port ( printer port ). Some new computers, even brand names, are omitting the joystick port.
If you have a MIDI keyboard, and a computer that has a sound card with a joystick port, you should use a 'MIDI to joystick' cable. This is the 12' cable Adventus provides in its keyboard bundle. You should look for a cable longer than 8' if possible to give the keyboard some mobility.
If you have a MIDI keyboard and you need to connect to a PC that doesn't have a joystick port, try to find an available USB port or printer port on your computer. Then you can use either a MIDI to USB adapter, or a MIDI to Parallel Port Adapter. These adapters are more expensive than a new decent quality sound card, so you should consider replacing your sound card with a better one first. We recommend installing a good quality wavetable sound card for Piano Suite because you can get better instrument sounds when you upgrade your sound card. These cards can be found for under $40, while adapters are usually over $80.
If you are just connecting between two MIDI ports, you will need a MIDI to MIDI cable, which is typically $5 or less.
- Can I upgrade Basic to newer or Premier versions ?
Yes, if you have registered your Basic Edition of the software, you can call the Adventus toll-free line and ask for sales to upgrade to the Premier version. The cost is currently $40 plus shipping.
- Can Basic be used to teach a class of students?
Piano Suite Basic is an economical version of Piano Suite Premier, with the complete theory course. While it can be used to conduct group classes,Basic has some limitations compared to the Premier version.Basic users cannot save their user files and send them to a teacher via e-mail, and a teacher with basic cannot load other users information files. Piano Suite Basic, with 100 interest pieces, falls well short of the pre-arranged content available in the Premier edition ( 700 arrangements ). Overall,the Premier product offers some significant advantages to the teacher. teachers click here
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By all accounts Adventus Piano Suite Basic is the top rated product of its kind available. Although not a musician, I've spoken at length with the principals of Adventus and have followed their journey over the last five years from the days of inception to what it is today - the very best! That's a big statement, yet supported by testimonials from consumers, critics , educators and skilled musicians.Indeed, a major US Educational Foundation, KTA, with a mandate to re-introduce and enhance music education in public schools, has selected Adventus software as the product of choice .click here
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