SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS/GENERAL CAPABILITIES

* What Macintosh computer system is required for Nightingale?
Nightingale will run on any and all Macintosh models starting with the Macintosh Plus: the SE, Performa, Quadra, Centris, Classic, LC, PowerBook, PowerMacs, etc. Mac OS 7.0 or later is required.

A minimum of 5 MB RAM is required to allow for the Macintosh system as well as Nightingale. (Nightingale is set at the factory to use 2.6 MB (2600K) of RAM. You can increase the amount of RAM allotted to Nightingale by selecting its icon and choosing Get Info. See the Nightingale Users Guide).

Hard disk space needed for a full install is about 13 MB.

* What music font does Nightingale use?
Sonata is the main font used to display music symbols. The screen fonts for Sonata (for displaying notation on your computer screen) are supplied free with Nightingale. High-quality printing requires the PostScript version of the Sonata font, available for around $25 from Adobe Systems (www.adobe.com).

There is an also excellent HAND SCRIPT style music font available called BlueNotz that works beautifully with Nightingale. Blue Notz can be substituted for the traditional Sonata font to give Nightingale scores a special hand script look that prints perfectly on PostScript printers. There are three separate parts to the BlueNotz package: a music symbols font, a text font, and a special symbols font (which includes pre-built, frequently used terms such as "End Solo" or "To Harmon". For more information contact the creator of BlueNotz, Tom Williams at: Musink@earthlink.net

* What kind of monitor do I need?
Any Macintosh compatible monitor works well with Nightingale. However, we recommend you use as large a monitor as you can. A 15-inch full page display ("portrait") monitor is an excellent way to see the entire page at one time. A 17 or 21-inch monitor is even better.

* Do I need a MIDI interface?
If you are playing back or recording using an external MIDI synthesizer, yes. In this case, the MIDI information is passed through the Macintosh modem or printer port and through a separate MIDI interface unit. Otherwise, no. If you are not using MIDI at all, or are using a MIDI sound card that is inside the Macintosh, then a separate MIDI interface is not required.

* Can Nightingale play through the Macintosh's speakers?
Yes, using OMS from Opcode Systems and Apple's QuickTime, you can get through-speaker playback. OMS Lite is included with Nightingale; QuickTime is available free from Apple, and is normally included with your system software.

* What printer do I need?
Nightingale can print with any printer you can use with a Macintosh, but we recommend a PostScript printer. Any PostScript printer will work. For use of non-PostScript printers, please refer to the Non-PostScript Printer Tips and DeskWriter/StyleWriter Tips files in the NgaleInformation/Read Me folder.

* How big a score can Nightingale handle?
You can create a score of anywhere for 1 to 64 staves and a total of 100 voices, using one of the many SCORE TEMPLATES we provide or setting up the score any way you like. Scores can be as many pages as you like, although for very large scores you will need to give Nightingale more than the default 2600K of RAM.

* Does Nightingale support MIDI?
Yes. You can input music from any MIDI instrument using Real Time or Step Time Recording. Nightingale will transcribe and notate on the screen exactly what you played.

Nightingale has great PLAYBACK controls, that are accessed instantly with simple commands.

Also, Nightingale has a unique way of using MIDI whenever you enter a note using the mouse: you can hear the pitch of the note as click in the score. This is also true if you drag the note up or down to change its pitch. This is called "MIDI Feedback," and is turned on in the MIDI Preferences command.

You can playback all or part of your score through MIDI, with all dynamics, tempo changes and instrument assignments audible during playback.


Original file name: ngale requirements/capabilities - converted on Wednesday, 19 July 2000, 20:20

This page was created using TextToHTML. TextToHTML is a free software for Macintosh and is (c) 1995,1996 by Kris Coppieters