What's different about MacGAMUT 6? First (and probably most confusing), the numbering system for the version name. Although MacGAMUT 6 has a lower number than you might expect, it's the official UPGRADE that follows MacGAMUT 2003. As always with a major new MacGAMUT version, MacGAMUT 6 adds new capabilities our users have asked for. All your old favorites are still there: mastery-based Aural-Training exercises in Intervals, Scales, Chords, Rhythmic Dictation, Melodic Dictation, and Harmonic Dictation will continue to train ears. But now MacGAMUT isn't just for ear-training any more! MacGAMUT's new Written and Keyboard mastery-based exercises will help students master basic theory skills too! We invite you to participate in the last stages of our beta testing for this exciting new version!
NOTE: The Beta versions you can download from this page require a MacGAMUT 2000 or MacGAMUT 2003 User CD to work, so if you are NOT a current MacGAMUT user, you'll have to wait until either the Mini Demo or the real version is available to try out this exciting new version!
Thanks to considerable assistance from the people who helped us test the first two Beta versions, Beta 3 is now ready for testing. Both of the first two Beta versions were so stable that they didn't cause anyone any real problems, but rest assured, I've fixed every little thing our beta testers did find in those first two versions. As a result, this Beta 3 version is very nearly "the real thing," but I still need your help in putting MacGAMUT 6 (Beta 3, version 0.9.7) through its paces to be absolutely sure it's as good as I think it is.
The installers below will work fine for Beta 1 and Beta 2 version testers as well as brand new Beta testers. If you have already been using an earlier Beta version, you can continue to use your startMG6 start file with the new version too, with one possible exception: If you find that you have "0" hearings in the grand-staff Chords levels of Aural Training, please send your start file to BetaTest@macgamut.com so I can fix it and return it to you.
EVEN PEOPLE WHO NEVER READ INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD READ THIS!
(This is the READ ME BETA VERSION file that will be installed along with the rest of the files you need to use the Beta Test version, but reading this now will give you a good idea of what is involved in a Beta Test!)
I’m someone who almost never reads instructions, BUT even I always read Beta Test instructions. That’s because Beta Test software is practically guaranteed to have bugs, which means you need to know how to prepare for what may happen when you run into a bug, and you also need to know how to report a bug so there’s the best possible chance it can be fixed.
Well-tested, published software rarely does things like crashing and losing the info about how hard you’ve been working all semester, but anything is possible with Beta Test software. By definition, Beta Test software has NOT been thoroughly tested yet. If you’ve agreed to be a Beta Tester, it’s your job to test the software and locate any lurking bugs, so I can squash them. Despite its perils, life as a Beta Tester can be fun. You get to try out new software before anyone else does, and if you are the first one to report a particular bug, we’ll reward you with a spiffy MacGAMUT T-shirt. If you find and report a LOT of bugs, or if you are particularly helpful in helping me pin down and squash a bug you’ve reported, you might even earn a check or a scholarship in addition to my sincere gratitude! The down side of beta-testing is that you may find it frustrating to try to complete homework assignments using software that may still be somewhat problematic. So far, though, this Beta version seems to be remarkably stable, so you may be lucky and not run into any problems at all!
Some hints to help you survive the Beta Test process:
1) Before you begin using the Beta version, make a backup copy of your start2003.mgs file. Then let MacGAMUT save a backup file of your startMG6.mgs file for you EVERY time you quit the program. That way, at worst, you’ll only lose credit for the work you did during your current work session.
2) When you start using the Beta version, don’t work too long at a time until you are sure the program is saving your stats correctly. Quit the program periodically, and then start it up again, perhaps checking Get Stats just to make sure all your stats seem to be accurate. If everything seems to be in order, gradually increase the amount of time you work before closing the program.
3) If it’s crunch time, and you really HAVE to finish an assignment in a limited amount of time, and especially if the Beta version has been causing you problems, by all means go back to whatever version you were using before you started the Beta Test. Then, once the crisis is past, you can return to your work on the Beta version.
What to do if the program freezes:
On each platform, the appropriate key combination brings up a window that lets you select the program you want to end. It's not a good thing to do as a general rule because you will likely lose the record of the work you have just completed, but if the program freezes, it's the easiest way to get on with your life.
For Windows users: Hold down both the Ctrl and Alt keys at the same time while you type the Delete key.
For Mac users: You can get out of the program at any time by holding down both the Option and the Command keys while typing the esc (escape) key.
Getting Started: Once you have installed the Beta Test software, you are ready to start using the program! To use the Beta version, you will need to start from the MacGAMUT 6 application instead of by double-clicking your start file. In the finished version, you’ll be able to double-click your start file to open the program, but if you do that now, you’ll just open the usual MacGAMUT 2003 program instead of MacGAMUT 6. To start the program,
If you are using MacGAMUT 6 for the first time, select your current start2003.mgs file from the file-opening dialog. MacGAMUT 6 will convert your file to the new format, and you will be asked to save your new startMG6.mgs file. The conversion process will retain all your current stats, so you can continue on without losing credit for work you have done previously.
If your Melodic, Harmonic, and Rhythmic Dictation libraries are not located in the same folder as your start file, you may need to select the appropriate libraries after the Beta Test software starts the first time. The program will prompt you to locate and select the required libraries, using the usual file selection dialogs, but you may have to switch folders, depending on where the libraries are stored on your computer.
What to do when you find a bug: E-mail your bug reports to BetaTest@macgamut.com. The more detailed info you can provide about the bug, the sooner I can fix it. Specifically, I need the following information:
1) What Beta Test version are you using? (You’ll find the complete version number on the opening screen when you start the program.)
2) Where in the program did the problem occur? (For instance, in Written Intervals, Aural-Training Chords, the stats screen, starting up the program, leaving the program)
3) If the problem shows on the screen, please take a picture of the screen, and attach that picture to your bug report. Sometimes a picture really can be worth a thousand words!
· For Windows users: To make a copy of the active window, press ALT+PRINT SCREEN. Then paste the image into a text document.
· For Mac users: Use Grab (in the Utilities Folder in your Applications Folder). Double-click Grab to open it, and then choose “Window” from the Capture menu to take a snapshot of your MacGAMUT window.
4) Describe the problem, giving as much detail as possible. For instance, were you working in Mastery mode or Practice mode? What level were you working on? If the program froze, what were you trying to do when it froze? If you think the program graded an exercise wrong, what was the correct answer and what was your response? (A picture would be particularly helpful in this last instance!)
5) What were you doing before the problem happened? For instance, how long had you been working on the program? What did you do just before the problem happened (perhaps you’d just played an exercise or had changed tempo or checked your stats). Had you just entered a notehead, or had you first selected one answer and then clicked a different answer? It’s hard to tell for sure what might be relevant to locating a bug, so please include all the detail you can recall.
6) Is the problem repeatable? That is, if you do something in a certain way or follow the same series of steps each time, does the same problem happen again? If so, providing a detailed description of what you have figured out about the cause of the problem would be extremely helpful!
Again, thanks for participating in this MacGAMUT 6 Beta Test! We’re relying on you to find any remaining bugs!
Ann K. Blombach
MacGAMUT Music Software, Inc.
Download info: If you download the file directly to a Windows computer, click "Run" on the "Download complete" dialog, or start by double-clicking the .exe file you have downloaded. Once the file has been unzipped, the installer will start automatically. Just follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Download MG_6_Beta097_Win.exe (Windows, 2.6 MB)
Download MacGAMUT 6 Beta 3 (version 0.9.7) for Mac:
Download info: If you use Safari for your web browser, once the file has been unzipped, the installer will start automatically. Just follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Download MG_6_Beta097_Mac.zip (Macintosh, 1.0 MB)