Synthesia
Encyclopedia
Synthesia is a video game for Windows
and Mac OS X
(Also working in Wine
on Linux
.) which allows users to play a MIDI keyboard
or use a computer keyboard
in time to a MIDI file by following on-screen directions, much in the style of Keyboard Mania or Guitar Hero
. It was originally named Piano Hero due to the similarity of gameplay with Guitar Hero
; however, Activision
(the owners of the rights to Guitar Hero) sent a cease and desist
to the program's creator, Nicholas Piegdon.
The program was originally Windows-only, but after a donation-drive in early 2007, the game was ported to Mac OS X.
Synthesia was originally an open source
project, but seeing the potential commercial value of the program, Piegdon decided to stop releasing the source code (version 0.6.2), however leaving the most recent open-source release available for download. While the basic functionality is still currently free, a "Learning Pack" key can be purchased to unlock additional features, such as a sheet music
display mode.
The game will work with any MIDI file and display it as falling bars and aims to be able to teach beginners how to play the piano.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
(Also working in Wine
Wine (software)
Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like...
on Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
.) which allows users to play a MIDI keyboard
MIDI keyboard
A MIDI keyboard is typically a piano-style user interface keyboard device used for sending signals or commands over a USB or MIDI cable to other devices connected and operating on the same MIDI protocol interface...
or use a computer keyboard
Keyboard (computing)
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
in time to a MIDI file by following on-screen directions, much in the style of Keyboard Mania or Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
. It was originally named Piano Hero due to the similarity of gameplay with Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
; however, Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
(the owners of the rights to Guitar Hero) sent a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
to the program's creator, Nicholas Piegdon.
The program was originally Windows-only, but after a donation-drive in early 2007, the game was ported to Mac OS X.
Synthesia was originally an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
project, but seeing the potential commercial value of the program, Piegdon decided to stop releasing the source code (version 0.6.2), however leaving the most recent open-source release available for download. While the basic functionality is still currently free, a "Learning Pack" key can be purchased to unlock additional features, such as a sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
display mode.
The game will work with any MIDI file and display it as falling bars and aims to be able to teach beginners how to play the piano.