- 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, 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?
Yes you can! Compose a piece, record
it, and save it as a General MIDI file or to the Piano Suite Piece
Library so other people can learn it --- a great feature for
piano teachers!
- Will I be able to edit my compositions?
Yes, Piano Suite contains a full featured editor. Include song lyrics and
illustrations for your own multimedia collection. Multi track MIDI files
can be downloaded, cleaned up and saved in the learning library, saving
you the time of creating accompanying parts.
- What Equipment do I need to run the
program?
You need a PC computer running
Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP ;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 compatible cards with good
hardware wavetable sound. We recommend the hardware wavetable synthesis
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?
Not quite, but we hear you. It's under development and expected for future release sometime next year (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.
- 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.
- What is velocity sensitive?
Velocity means speed. A velocity sensitive keyboard, like the one sold in the Adventus keyboard bundle, is a keyboard that senses what speed you are playing. Velocity sensing is a feature of better quality keyboards, and allows you to play some notes quietly, and others gradually softer or louder, depending on how quickly you hit the keys..
There are different qualities of velocity sensing. The FATAR keyboard controller, found in the Adventus Pinao Suite Bundle bundle, has 128 levels of velocity sensing, while 'touch sensitive' on brand name keyboards usually provides 4 or less levels, which is not very satisfying to the player.
- Can I upgrade Premier to newer versions ?
Newer versions are available at no charge to registered owners of the Piano Suite Premier software, up to six months from the date of purchase. If you fall outside that date you can still upgrade for the cost of shipping and handling.
Upgrades from version 2.6 or later can be retrieved from the Adventus website for free, along with new on-line manuals and course materials for parents or instructors.
- Can Premier be used to teach a class of students?
Piano Suite Premier contains a comprehensive set of features and content that can be used to facilitate a productive group music lesson. Teachers will witness high levels of interest and good progress by students grade three and up, accommodating several skill levels in a single class. Now with Piano Suite Premier it is fun to teach an entire class how to play the keyboard instrument! New classroom features provide the monitoring of students on a network, allow connection over the Internet, allow real-time review of pieces, allow control of student PC's, and allow for pre-arranged materials to be instantly selected by students. Piano Suite Premier also comes with a Composer Editor that allows a student to create their own piece, clean up the music notation, and print. This Composer Editor in the Premier Edition allows instructors to expand the selection of 'learn to play' pieces within the program. teachers click here
|
By all accounts Adventus Piano Suite Premier 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 
MORE Adventus Products
Evolution
500
pieces to play, practice and enjoy from Pop/Rock to Classical, from Folk to Jazz/Blues
including 65 licensed songs. Each selection is beautifully illustrated
with animation, lyrics and voice recordings to bring the music to life.
