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Help Page – Macintosh – eMedia Beginner Piano Lessons v3 (current version)

( Windows® users: click here)

To upgrade to the current version, contact eMedia Customer Service.

Technical Questions

Application doesn’t remember Preferences, or the Recorder gives an error -8221.

This will happen if FileVault is turned on before the application is launched for the first time. Fortunately, there are solutions that don’t require you to disable FileVault. Do all of the following:

  1. As long as FileVault is turned on, make sure the application is in the computer’s Applications folder – not in the User’s Applications folder (or any other location in the User directory, including the desktop).
  2. To fix Preferences, download one of these files (version 3, version 2, version 1) and place it in your User > Library > Preferences folder.
  3. To fix the Recorder (version 3 only), create a folder called “eMedia Recordings” inside the User > Documents folder.

Program freezes (e.g., I get a spinning rainbow ball) when I connect my MIDI keyboard.
  1. Download this file to your desktop and double-click on it to unarchive it.
  2. Find eMedia Beginner Piano Lessons in your Applications folder. Hold CTRL as you click on the program icon to bring up a contextual menu. Select “Show Package Contents” to open the application bundle.
  3. Open “Contents”
  4. Locate the folder called “xtras.”
  5. Drag the file you just downloaded (eMediaMIDI.xtra which looks just like a folder) into the "xtras" folder. Replace the older item inside.

Close everything, connect your keyboard, and run eMedia Beginner Piano Lessons.

If this does not solve the problem, your computer is probably experiencing a driver conflict with the eMagic MIDI driver that ships with Mac OS X. Unless you are using an eMagic MIDI interface, remove the eMagic driver by deleting it from Macintosh HD > Library > Audio > MIDI Drivers. If this does not work, try removing all of the MIDI drivers from that folder to see if that solves the problem. (Back them up to a thumbdrive and delete them from the computer.)


I’m using multiple monitors, and video doesn’t work. I get a black screen that disappears quickly.

Before playing a video, make sure the eMedia software is located on your primary monitor. If your computer stretches a single desktop across multiple monitors, our software may not display properly.


Program freezes (e.g., spinning rainbow ball) without a MIDI keyboard connected.

This is usually a sign that your QuickTime™ installation has become corrupted. eMedia titles make extensive use of Apple’s QuickTime™ technology to playback audio, MIDI, and video content. The spinning rainbow means we are trying to do something, but the system is unable. The easiest method for correcting this issue, is to:

  1. With your computer connected to the internet, launch “Software Update” from the Apple menu. Your computer will search the Apple server for any updates to your operating system.
  2. Install the updates. This will ensure that your QuickTime software is up to date as much as possible.

If QuickTime™ believes it is already up to date, navigate to the Apple website, http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ and download the latest version of QuickTime™ and run its installation. This will repair the current installation on your system.


How do I connect my keyboard to my computer?

That depends on which model of keyboard and computer you have.

DIRECT USB CABLE version – If you have a USB port on your electronic piano/keyboard,, you’ll simply need to connect the keyboard directly to your computer. Insert the square end of the USB cable into the USB port on the back of your keyboard. Insert the rectangular end of the USB cable into an available USB port on your computer. On most keyboards, power for your keyboard is supplied through the USB cable; therefore, no external A/C power supply is needed. If you don’t see the power light lit up on your keyboard, call us or email us for a solution.

USB-TO-MIDI ADAPTER version – If you have a USB-to-MIDI adapter for your electronic piano/keyboard with a MIDI Out port, follow these steps to insure that your connection is correct:

  1. Make sure that the keyboard is plugged in using the power supply (the power light should be lit).
  2. Make sure the supplied MIDI cable is connected from the "MIDI Out" port on the back of the keyboard to the "MIDI In" port of the USB-to-MIDI adapter.
  3. If you have a 3rd party USB-to-MIDI adapter, make sure the drivers are installed. If you’ve just installed the adapter drivers, you may need to restart your computer before they take effect.


My keyboard is connected and the power is on, but I can’t hear the notes. The keyboard works with other programs.

All eMedia piano-based software searches for an active MIDI instrument on launch only. If you start our program and then connect your keyboard, the software won’t acknowledge the keyboard. You need to connect your keyboard, turn it on, and then launch our program, or simply close our application and relaunch it if your keyboard is now on.


There’s no sound from the Metronome.

You could have the software configured to use an external keyboard for MIDI playback. Your keyboard must be compatible with General MIDI and set to receive MIDI information on channel 10. If your keyboard does not support General MIDI, or if you are unsure, you can quickly resolve this issue by switching the setting back to the default for MIDI playback. To do this:

  1. Select the Instrument Setup item in Options menu
  2. Location the question, “Where should the piano sound come from?” and select the answer, “From my computer.”


There’s no sound input to the Recorder.

Make sure your mic is plugged in and selected in the Sound control panel. Set the proper sound level. Close other applications that use the microphone, such as Skype or iChat. Now try launching our software. (Note: If you are using a non-Apple microphone with a standard 1/8" plug, it will not work on a Mac. The audio input jack on a Mac computer expects a slightly longer plug, as found on Apple’s Plain Talk microphone.)


My videos and songs don’t work on Mac OSX 10.4. (Tiger)

Version 7.0 of QuickTime™ that shipped with Mac OS X 10.4 had some problems, which have now been fixed by Apple. If you download the latest update to QuickTime™ from the Apple website, the problem will be solved.



Technical Questions (PowerPC Macs only)

I have a USB microphone, and I get a crash when I print a lesson.

If you’re experiencing a crash while attempting to print a lesson, temporary switch your sound input to the computer's default choice (line in). You can switch it back to the USB microphone after you print the screens you need.


MIDI files do not play and there’s no sound from the Metronome.

You have a several options:

  • Turn off “Pitch Tracking” in the Options menu and relaunch the application.
  • Plug in a USB microphone and select it as your sound input source before you launch the application.
  • Download and install an update. To do this, following the instructions below:
    1. Download this update to your Mac's desktop and double-click on it to unarchive it.
    2. Find your eMedia application in the Applications folder. Right-click on it and select "Open Package Contents."
    3. Open the "Contents" folder.
    4. Drag the "eMediaPitchTracker.xtra" item from your desktop into the "xtras" folder inside the "Contents" folder window.
    5. Close the "Contents" window and launch your eMedia application.

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If you have a previous version of the software, click here for additional answers.

If you require further assistance, contact our technical support department.