miniMusic NotePad 1.0 for Palm Platform Released
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| Notepad screen shots |
November 12, 1999
Today miniMusic(TM) is releasing version 1.0 of its popular miniMusic Notepad
software, a powerful music notation and editing tool for the growing family of
handheld devices within the Palm Computing (R) platform. This upgraded version
of miniMusic adds sophisticated features like four-voice writing and enhanced
MIDI output, giving composers, musicians, and hobbyists a powerful and very portable
tool.
Portability makes the miniMusic software unique. However, it also provides
flexibility, letting you work not only where you want, but also how you want:
place notes on musical staff, play an on-screen piano, or draw notes on a grid.
You can even write notes in by letter name (i.e. write the letter 'b' in the device's
Graffiti(R) software writing area, and a note of that pitch appears on the score).
This new version of the software lets you enter notes in four simultaneous voices
(allowing you to write chords and counterpoint); compose a string quartet or do
voice leading homework for music class.
David Pogue, author of such books as 'PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide' and 'Classical
Music for Dummies' says that miniMusic is "the most impressive music program
yet written for the Palm Computing platform, bar none." Bill Dyszel, author
of 'PalmPilot for Dummies' adds that "it's a wonderful practice tool for
singers and lots of fun to use!" The miniMusic application is already being
used by a wide audience. "miniMusic helps a user in Germany learn difficult
parts for his choir; another just likes playing with the on-screen piano,"
says Chad Mealey, the software's designer, "I wrote miniMusic for composing,
but it's finding its way into the pockets of performers, students, educators,
and hobbyists. Music is universal; I hope that making it portable opens some new
doors."
The new features in version 1.0 turn miniMusic into a powerful tool that can
now handle more complex music. Not only can you write simultaneous notes, you
can also write music in different meters and use triplets. When you're ready to
listen to a song, the program scrolls through the music on screen as you listen
to it from the speaker. Since the capabilities of the handheld computer's built-in
speaker are limited, miniMusic can send a song to an external music instrument
or desktop computer using the industry standard MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
Interface) protocol.
Pricing, Availability, Distribution, and Support
The miniMusic Notepad 1.0 application becomes available for $29.95 U.S. on
November 12th, 1999. At this time the software will only be available on the Internet,
but will soon be available through other channels, including retail. Free demos
are currently available for download from the miniMusic web-site and from other
Internet software distributors such as PalmGear H.Q. and PalmCentral.
About miniMusic
miniMusic is a division of The 5th Wall(TM), a publishing company co-founded
in 1991 by Chad Mealey, the designer of the miniMusic software. Now operating
from San Francisco, miniMusic's goal is to provide portable music tools for composition,
education, performance, and entertainment so that musical ideas can be explored
anywhere and anytime, giving individuals the freedom of musical expression on
their own terms.
For more information and to download the demo, visit the miniMusic web site
at www.5thwall.com/minimusic.
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