Get the most from O-Generator

As with most software, the performance of O-Generator will vary depending on the computer it is installed on. We have outlined here some of the common problems you may face.

If the information below does not contain satisfactory solutions to your specific issue we would like to here from you. Complete the Feed Back form in the Enquiries section and we will contact you directly.

There is a problem with the installer package for Learn to Compose on Leopard. This is fairly easy for you to get around.

With the installer window open in the finder, do the following...
1. Control click on the 'Install O-Generator' Icon.
2. Select 'Show Package Contents' from the pop-up menu.
3. Open the 'Contents' folder
4. Open the 'Resources' folder
5. Open the 'Installer Items' folder
6. Drag the 'O-GENERATOR - LEARN TO COMPOSE' folder to your applications folder.

You will then be able to run O-Generator as normal.

Sometimes notes cut out. What should I do?

Each note or sound you use to compose your tune uses a sound channel on your computer. As soon as the note has finished playing it releases that sound channel, to make it available for the next note. O-Generator currently plays 8 sound channels at any one point. If you find that one of your notes is not playing, you can do a number of things to hear it.

1. The NOTE CUT button stops a note playing as soon as a new note starts to play within the same instrument. Be aware that this can cause distortions in some notes. The NOTE CUT button is the small coloured button to the right of the INSTRUMENT BUTTON. It changes to a diagonal black line when active.

2. Simplify your tune so that it does not use so many notes or sounds at the same time.
3. Slow down the tempo. This will give other notes the time to stop playing and perhaps free a sound channel for your note to use.
4. Look for sustained (long) sounds to switch off. These are normally from Guitars, Keyboards and Samples in your tune. One of these may be playing in either the current or previous bar.
5. If you have only one bar currently playing, it is a good idea to switch bars on in front to see if the sounds will play in the full tune.

My computer doesn't seem to allow O-Generator to keep time?

APPLE MAC

1. If you have O-Generator on an Apple Mac, your tunes may not play back correctly if you have network activity or other applications running. Try switching 'Appletalk' off via the 'Chooser' utility.
2. If you are using the Metronome, try switching this off. While the Metronome is on it will use up a valuable sound channel.

WINDOWS PC 95, 98, NT, 2000

1. From the Start menu, select Settings and open the Control Panel
2. Double-click the Multimedia icon, and under Playback/Audio, click the Advanced Properties button
3. Select the Performance tab and find the Hardware Acceleration slider control
4. It will probably be all the way to the right. Try sliding it to the left one notch
5. Restart the PC and run O-GENERATOR to see if there is any improvement

Try this repeatedly at different Hardware Acceleration levels.

WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL

1. From the Start menu, select Settings and open the Control Panel
   
2. Double-click the Multimedia or Sound, Speech & Audio devices icon,
   
3. Select Sound and Audio Devices, click the Advanced Audio button
   
4. Select the Advanced tab then
   
5. Select the Performance tab and find the Hardware Acceleration slider control. It will probably be all the way to the right. Try sliding it to the left one or two notches
   
6. Restart the PC and run O-GENERATOR to see if there is any improvement

Try this repeatedly at different Hardware Acceleration levels.

The text on the buttons looks very small. What can I do to make it bigger?

O-Generator has been designed to work on older and newer computer screens. These screens are set to display at different sizes. If there is a thick flat coloured border around the outside of the main O-Generator work area, it could be that your computer screen has been set to use a larger desktop area. This would be above the 800 * 600 pixels that O-Generator has been optimised for. You may wish to change the desktop area of your computer screen in this way. Make sure that you are not running any programs that may be affected by resizing your screen.

Windows PC: 95, 98, NT, 2000

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Select Settings: Control Panel.
3. Select and open Display.
4. Select the Settings tab.
5. Make a note of the current Screen area size. Change the Screen Area to 800 *600.
6. Click OK, If you are prompted either press RESTART the PC or OK if you have the option to resize the desktop without restarting.
7. Start O-Generator When you have finished with O-Generator you may want to use this process to resize the screen back to its previous settings.

Apple Mac: OS 8.6 to 9 ONLY

1. Click on the Apple menu
2. Select Control Panels : Monitors
3. Make a note of the current Screen area size. Select 800 * 600 from the Resolution display.
4. Close the Monitors window.
5. Start O-Generator
6. When you have finished with O-GENERATOR you may want to use this process to resize the screen back to its previous settings.

O-Generator allows you to store your tunes. When you save a tune O-Generator creates a copy in its own format. This is stored next to the O-Generator application in a file called SETTINGS. This file can be sent to a friend who has the same version of O-Generator. By replacing their SETTINGS file with yours, they will be able to hear your tunes. It is advisable for them to have made a copy of thier SETTINGS before putting yours in place.

How can I save my tunes so that others who have not got O-Generator can hear them?

We suggest that you link a recordable device such as a mini-disc, cassette recorder or another computer to the speaker port or audio output of your computer. Whatever normally plays out of the speakers will then be able to be recorded by your recording device.