FAQ

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List of Content :

What is Symphonium ?

Symphonium is a software that, hopefully, helps learning to play the piano ! It display MIDI files and compare it to a MIDI stream coming from a connected MIDI device.

What is a MIDI file ?

A MIDI file is a file containing MIDI data. It is a way to store musical pieces. Lots of MIDI files can be found online, for exemple here with music specific for piano or here with more popular musics.

How to set up my MIDI device ?

Usually you should just connect it on USB to your computer and it will be detected. Then on Symphonium, select Options->Select MIDI device in the Menu.

What can I do if I don’t have a MIDI device ?

Windows has a standard output MIDI so, on it, you can still watch and listen to MIDI files. With an output but no input, you can also learn to play the song as you would do on you tube, with the possibility to play it at your own speed and to play only part of the song… but the won’t wait for you to play the correct notes.

Please Recap all the options ?

In the menu :

  • file allow to add a single file or a full folder of midi files to the library
  • view allow to go full screen or to show/hide the library (which size can also be defined putting the mouse between it and the note diplay, clicking and sliding)
  • Options allow to select your MIDI device and will later be used to set some settings if needed
  • Help link to this page and to a small info panel.

In the tool bar :

  • first item let you select your mode; between listen which will just play the file, practive wchich will wait for you to play the notes, and play which will display the notes withour playing the notes you attempt to play.
  • second item will let you select either all tracks either the track you want to work on
  • play/pause and stop for navigation in the file
  • Speed will let you fasten or slow the song your are listening (from 10% to 500%)
  • Display Duration will change the duration that's displayed on screen. A low number will make longer notes and "travel faster" while a high number will show lots of small notes on screen.
  • The next checkbox will let you decide whether you want to play the full MIDI file or just a time interval of it. From and to are the times, in second of the beginning and end of the interval
  • Time before restarting is a looping time when reaching the end of the MIDI file or the end of the interval.
  • The volume multiply the MIDI volume by it's value
  • The last Checkbox allow you to listen to what your are playing on your output MIDI device.

Finally, it’s possible to change the position of the cursor which is just above the notes and the library to navigate in the song.

Where are my settings stored ?

Settings are stored in the settings.ini file that you can found next to your executable. You can delete files or folder from your library from here.

Available shortcuts ?

  • Space to play/pause
  • S to stop
  • Right Arrow to advance by 1/10th of the song
  • Left Arrow to go back by 1/10th of the song
  • L to add a file to the library