GNU Solfege for Windows and Linux
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Ear-training has gone open-source. GNU Solfege for Windows and Linux.

    I'm trying it out now on Ubuntu Linux...looks like it could be potentially useful, and the price is definitely right. Anyone care to try this software on Windows and tell us of your experience?
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    It's working just fine on Windows! It's pretty thorough and robust, although it strikes me as a bit dry. Would someone really have the patience to spend too much time to do these drills?

    Maybe I'm just getting old, been out of school too long.... :-)
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Carl D,

    Point well taken. I don't know; maybe someone who did have that patience could have a vocation to music :-) If it were presented as a game, perhaps it might catch on with young people.

    I'm thinking that 5 minutes a day on one of these drills (and maybe a separate drill each day) might be a minimum recommendation - anything more is commendable.

    (For my part, I'm finding the intonation exercises at the highest possible setting on my computer - .995 - quite challenging!)
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    If anyone gets this running on Windows, please post. My work computer seems to be missing some playback components.
  • JamJam
    Posts: 636
    I keep getting all kinds of error messages whenever I try to use this program (on Ubuntu 8.10). It wouldn't even open when I had 8.04. :/

    If I do get it workin' right, how do you use it?
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Same thing as Jam here, although I have Heron. I guess I should upgrade?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,226
    It launches here, under "intrepid". It does generate various logging messages to the terminal window, but they don't interfere with its functioning.

    However, the program did insist that I go into the preferences and change "sound setup" to "use external midi player", before it would let me start any exercises.
  • JamJam
    Posts: 636
    Be careful upgrading to Intrepid, Gavin. I am much more pleased with its performance thus far, but I did run across one annoying bug that you have to edit the kernel boot parameters to fix. Luckily, it only affects a few users. Try the live CD first, and if everything runs smooth, then perhaps an update would be in order. Before you update, though, of course, back up ALL important data to an external hard drive or DVD(s).

    Actually, now I get why I'm getting the error message. The program is supposed to automatically change the sound setup to external midi for you, but mine is missing some component that does that, so it's asking me to do it. But, how DO you select "use external midi player"? Is it under System > Prefereces > Sound? I can't find anything that says midi anywhere.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,226
    Jam,

    Once the main Solfege window appears, then under the "File" menu, you can select "Preferences" to open the Solfege preferences window. It has several tabs; the last one is for "Sound setup", and it contains the option "Use external midiplayer". At least it does in the Solfege version I'm running (3.10.3).

    When I first ran Solfege, it opened the Preferences window immediately instead of the main Solfege window, until I set that preference option as requested.
  • JamJam
    Posts: 636
    Awesome! I got it working now. Thanks!
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,226
    Hooray! Another tech-support case resolved successfully!
  • queso_2004
    Posts: 1
    Hi.. im trying to run the 3.12.1 version on win32 xp and i get a "could not initialize audio output" sing.. I cant use external midi player neither... what can i do?? thanks
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