Binary Interface

Welcome to the February edition of the Binary Interface newsletter, providing news and updates on what's new in our corner of the world of music technology. As always, we welcome any comments, suggestions or contributions.

Executive Summary:
PG Music has recently released Band in a Box 2007, a windows update to the popular auto-accompaniment software toolbox.

Rising Software have also announced the eagerly-anticipated update Musition 3.0 for Windows, which boasts a series of sought-after new features.

Score It! is a video soundtrack composing competition which is part of the Queensland Music Festival 2007.

Microwave Your Music Skills is a new way of teaching the basics of playing contemporary styles of music, presented on interactive Multimedia CD-ROM.

Existing users of the Edirol R09 hand-held recorder can now load a free update for higher capacity storage.

Mastering Music a locally produced curriculum-based e-learning system for music, has now moved to version 7, with some significant enhancements.

The results of our 2006 Loop2theMax composing competition are now posted on our website.

Music teachers have been unanimously impressed by a new book title, "Music Composition Toolbox" by Matthew Hindson et al. which was launched late last year.

Binary Designs will be at the AGMF in Toowoomba over Easter, showcasing some of our products to the Gospel community.

Specialised on-site software training for our clients either in groups, or one-on-one, is available now. Ask about our Free on-site visits.

Here is the timetable for our Binary Designs upcoming Courses and Workshops in our on-going Professional Development Series.

Band in a Box just keeps getting better. From its humble beginnings as a basic MIDI backing track generator with limited choice of styles, it has now become an indispensible tool for all musicians as the authors integrate more and more useful tools into the program.
Here are some of the new features in 2007:

• RealDrums
  Tracks created using Band in a Box now have the drum track played by a real drummer with the addition of the RealDrums loop library, rather than a MIDI-generated track. This brings the music to life by adding the human element.
• Chord Wizard
  One of the most requested features, the amazing new Chord Wizard can read the chords from any wav, mp3 or wma audio file and load them directly into Band in a Box.
• Reharmonist
  Start with a single line melody and the Reharmonist feature can generate a chord progression to fit that melody, or rewrite an existing chord progression. You can even use the feature interactively by displaying a menu of possible chord progressions for a portion of the melody, and audition them to choose the best one.
• Soundtrack Generator
  Need to generate some original, royalty-free music for backgrounds, home videos, slide shows, voiceovers, jingles, themes, underscoring scenes or entr'acte, dance routines, ceremonies or any occasion that calls for musical accompaniment? The Soundtrack feature allows you to generate music in the style you choose for any length of time you specify.

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Musition 3.0

Music Theory Software

Rising Software have released version 3.0 of Musition, a comprehensive theory and fundamentals training program for students of all ages and abilities. It's designed and built here in Australia and covers the theory requirements for all major syllabuses. The structured drills and instant feedback create a stimulating learning environment, enabling students to achieve their maximum potential. It has 5 key learning areas with 34 topics and sophisticated record-keeping features.

Overview:

• Ease of Use
  The main screen of Musition opens up with five large panels, each signifying a group of topics or modules. Individual topics are accessed using the text buttons underneath. Click on a topic, select the syllabus and level of practise and click the 'Start' button. It's that easy!
  
  Each topic has a system of graded levels, getting progressively more difficult. You and your students can move through the levels as required - advanced students can move ahead, and less advanced students can consolidate their learning at their own pace.
  
• Built-in Lessons
  Musition is not just a 'drill-based' quiz program!
  To help you achieve as much as you possibly can, each topic has an accompanying lessons screen. These screens explain the content of each topic, and give hints and tips. Where relevant, you may also play examples to further assist your understanding. The Drum Styles lessons screen is shown here.
  

• 9 new topics to learn and interact with, including diatonic chords, rhythmic subdivision and instrument knowledge.
• Create your own levels to suit your students' abilities
• Customise content to suit a specific syllabus
• Redesigned user interface
• Import lists of students from other software (e.g. Excel spreadsheets)
• A Scale editor which lets you enter your own scales, then use them in tests

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Binary Designs are proud to be a sponsor of Score It!, a new competition for school students to compose a music score for video. The competition forms part of the biennial Queensland Music Festival and students can register on their website at www.queenslandmusicfestival.org/09_score_it/. All entries will be in the running for some great prizes with Finalists screening at the 2007 Brisbane International Film Festival. Check our website for help pages on Score It! coming soon...
Also see our timetable at the end of this newsletter for our special Score It! training workshops.

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Ever wanted to play guitar, bass, drums or keyboards in a contemporary style but didn't have the time to learn by traditional methods? If so, then this program may be for you (or your students). In this interactive CD ROM local media author Lyndon Ellis has provided a no-frills 'essentials of music' to give you just what you need to get started in playing your favourite songs. With lots of vivid illustrations and video examples, as well as detailed instruction on how to master the techniques, this series is sure to become popular with the young and not-so-young who just want to get into playing an instrument.

Join us for the FREE product launch of Microwave Your Music, and meet the author:

• Where: 4MBS Classic FM Performance Room, 384 Old Cleveland Rd Coorparoo
• When: Wednesday 4th April 4pm-5pm
• Phone: 07 3822 4884 to reserve your place (afternoon tea provided)

Microwave Your Music Skills CD1 sells for only $89.95 retail, or $79.95 education price. As a special introductory offer, we are offering a FREE 'Resource Support Pack' valued at $24.95 with each purchase. Click here to learn more.

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Edirol have announced a free firmware upgrade for existing owners of the R09 handheld recorder, to enable the use of larger (up to 4Gb) SD memory cards for storage of recorded audio.
The free download is available from the Roland Corporation website - follow the links for the System Update 1.1 here. All new R09's have this pre-installed. For more information on this tiny high quality audio recorder, follow this link.

Loop 2 the Max

Our 'Loop 2 the Max 2006' Composing competition results are now available on our website. This competition is growing every year and the standard of entries in 2006 was very high. Watch out for the announcement of the 2007 competition in the second half of the year. Click here for last year's results.

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Music Composition Toolbox

Finally here is a book for young creative minds that shows writing music is open to everyone, not just composers from history books. For students at home or in the classroom, Music Composition Toolbox is an invaluable guide for creating and notating original compositions.
Music Composition Toolbox brings together years of experience from three of Australia's most prominent composer/educators: Matthew Hindson, Damian Barbeler and Diana Blom. Their straightforward, insightful approach demystifies the techniques of creative composition so that students can quickly gain confidence and begin to explore the rich possibilities of their own musical imagination.

Music Composition Toolbox $59.95

*As a special offer - the first 1500 copies sold will have a free software package 'Finale Songbook' inside, valued at $99.

You can find out more about Music Composition Toolbox and order it on-line here.

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AGMF

Binary Designs will be traveling to Queen's Park in Toowoomba at Easter to take part in the annual Australian Gospel Music Festival - no we won't be singing, but we will have a trade stand in the main pavilion where we'll be showing off some of the latest music technology. For more information, log on to the festival website at www.agmf.com.au

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Mastering Music

Mastering Music is an e-learning system comprising a series of music lessons covering all major areas of music. Now in version 7, the program allows teachers to choose the lessons best suited to their curriculum, thanks to extensive curriculum mapping done by the authors. With the 'web-connect' feature, students can login to their school web server from home, studying and completing the lessons and assignments on-line, while teachers can monitor the progress of each student with detailed reporting of student results. The lessons cover the topics of composition, music theory, digital audio, aural training, film scoring, and notation, however teachers who want to incorporate their own material into the lessons are able to use the 'Komposa' feature to easily create their own lessons. This is the only music software which still offers an unlimited site licence for schools, making this very affordable for whole-school deployment across primary and secondary.

You can download a free demo version of Mastering Music from the Datasonics website at: www.datasonics.com.au and click on 'downloads'
or you can call us to send you a free demo CD.

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On-Site Training and Consulting

Did you know that Binary Designs are able to provide on-site custom training on virtually any music software and hardware you have at your school or studio?

Many of our clients appreciate the convenience of being able to have us come to their workplace and present training in a more relaxed one-on-one or small group situation, at a time that suits them in their busy schedule. Why not call us to discuss your needs, we'd be most happy to oblige.

If you are a school in the Brisbane/Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast region, call us now for your Free on-site 'Technology 2007 Update' visit.

Phone us on (07) 3822 4884 or email info@binarydesigns.com.au

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Professional Development Courses
Upcoming courses February/March 2007:

We have designed a series of workshops particularly suited to students wanting to use their favourite software to compose a soundtrack for the Score It! competition

These form part of our Binary Designs Basics series for
Vocational Education Training:

Vital
  Effective
    Today

Date	Course	Comment/Cost	Time
Sat 17th February	Sibelius 4 - The Basics	Getting Started with Sibelius 4 Hands-on $45	2:00pm-3:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 17th February	Sibelius 4 - Beyond Basics	Get to the next level with Sibelius 4 Hands-on $45	4:00pm-5:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 3rd March	Video Soundtracks with Sibelius	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants Hands-on $45	2:00pm-3:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 3rd March	Video Soundtracks with Acid	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants Hands-on $45	4:00pm-5:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 10th March	Video soundtracks with Vegas	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants with little musical experience Hands-on $45	2:00pm-3:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 10th March	Video soundtracks with Cinescore	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants with little musical experience Hands-on $45	4:00pm-5:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 17th March	Video soundtracks with Finale	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants Hands-on $45	2:00pm-3:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD
Sat 17th March	Video soundtracks with Sonar	Ideal for Score It! competition entrants Hands-on $45	4:00pm-5:30pm Includes a/tea, workbook, & your CD

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