Does eMedia Starter Piano Lessons work in OS X?

Yes. All current versions of eMedia titles work in Mac OS X.

I downloaded the demo, but I can't open it. How do you mount ".sit" files?

The file is compressed and needs to be decompressed before you can use it. The usual compression formats .sit and .zip can be "unstuffed" by using a program called Stuffit Expander. It comes bundled with many Macs. If you don't already have it, download it here for free. Once you've installed Stuffit Expander, simply double-click on the .sit files (or drag them on to the Stuffit Expander application icon).

How do I connect my keyboard to my computer?

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

MIDI/JOYSTICK PORT version – Only very old Macs have a joystick port. If you have the older MIDI/JOYSTICK PORT version of our Learn to Play Keyboard Pack and you want to connect it to a recent model computer, you’ll need a USB-to-MIDI adapter to connect to your Macintosh. You may also need a power supply for your keyboard. Call us or email us to learn how to get the parts you need.

USB-TO-MIDI ADAPTER version – If you have the USB-to-MIDI adapter version of our Learn to Play Keyboard Pack and are having problems connecting the keyboard to your computer using the supplied USB-to-MIDI adapter, 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.

DIRECT USB CABLE version – If you have the USB port version of our Learn to Play Keyboard Pack, 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.

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 probably have Piano & Keyboard Method 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. Go to MIDI Settings in Preferences (for Piano & Keyboard Method)
2. Select the first item in the MIDI Device for Sound Output list

When I attempt to start an eMedia title on my Macintosh, I get the spinning rainbow ball, and the program does not run.

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. Go to your OS X System Preferences (under the Apple Menu).
2. Look in the section labeled, "Internet & Network".
3. Select the "Quicktime" icon.
4. On the multi-tabbed dialogue that appears, select the Update tab.
5. Click the "Update" button.

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.

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.

Application crashing in Mac OS X 10.3. (Panther)

This is caused by a third-party component used by our software. We're not authorized to post the update on our website, but you can call us or email us, and we'll email the update to you with installation instructions.

Navigation arrows do not work after Director Script Error. (most common on OSX 10.3 - Panther)

Sometimes on OSX, the first time the application runs, it will give an error that interferes with the proper functioning of the program. To work around this, simply select the "Goto" menu, and navigate to any "Lesson" in the list. After you are taken to that page, you will not have this problem.

Installation didn't work / I received an error message during installation. (Mac OS 9 or Classic)

Make sure all virus detection programs are turned off before installing our software. If not, you may need to choose "allow" or another similar command from the prompt given by your virus detection program at installation time.

The program crashes upon loading, running, or exiting. (Mac OS 9 or Classic)

Try allocating additional memory to the program. To change the memory allocation:

1. Select the Application icon
2. Select Get Info from the File menu in the Finder.
3. In the "Get Info" window, find the Memory section and increase the "Minimum Size" to 5000K and the "Preferred Size" to 8500K.

If the above steps do not resolve your problem, you may have an extension conflict. Test your system for an extension conflict:

1. Open Extension Manager (from Control Panels window)
2. Turn off all System Extensions except for QuickTime, QuickTime Musical Instruments, QuickTime Powerplug and Apple CD-ROM/DVD
3. Restart your computer, and launch the eMedia software again.

Videos stutter or have problems playing. (Mac OS 9 or Classic)

Try these three options to improve performance:

• Turn off the "Video Controller" in the "Options" menu of your eMedia application.
• If that doesn't help, set the video quality to low in the "Options" menu.
• If the video still doesn't play well, follow the steps outlined above to increase the program's memory size.

Program crashes on startup or shutdown – sometimes it gives a "Director Player Error". (Mac OS 9 or Classic)

The Macromedia runtime files are probably corrupt. To fix this, go to the "Extensions" folder inside your "System Folder" and delete the "Macromedia" folder. This should fix the problem.

Error Message on starting the application - "DIRECTOR PLAYER ERROR - XXX.DCR IS NOT A DIRECTOR FILE." (Mac OS 9 or Classic)

This is usually caused by a lack of available memory. Our titles require 16MB free RAM. Since you need some RAM reserved for your operating system, you’ll need at least 32MB total RAM in your system to run our applications. (Please note: Piano & Keyboard Method requires 32MB free RAM, so you may need a bit more). The solution is to simply buy and install more RAM.