Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is this program freeware?
    This program is freeware for personal use. You can make music using this program and sell it. But you must not sell this program, or part of it, or any exclusive idea used in it for money. You must always distribute this program FREE!
  2. In which language it was written?
    This program is entirely written in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0. Because this program do uses few exclusive features of VB6, you may not able to compile it without few changes in VB5 or earlier versions.
  3. Can I have source code please? 
    I do wish to provide the source code of this program free. But such source code distribution usually gets it's ways in to commercial products without knowledge of original authors. So if you want to get source code, write to me at shital_s@usa.net. It's FREE as usual.
  4. To whom do I contact if I get error or doesn't know how to use it?  You can contact me at shital_s@usa.net . But there's no guarantee for support. However if things are interesting, I may take up the task!
  5. Who wrote this program? 
    It's me, Shital! Visit my home page at http://i.am/shital.
  6. How much hours have been spent in writing this program? 
    I first started working on it somewhere in mid/end May, 1999. It was then 2 months before 1st version came out (25th July, 1999) and yes, I've really spend lots of time on it! Calculating atleast 2hr/day and 10hr in weekends, it comes to around 80 man hours of continuous programming!! Then there was around 3 days spent for version 1.1 (released today on 3 Nov 1999)!
  7. What's new in version 1.1?? 
    The installation for ver 1.0 was created using a program called InstallShield. Unfortunately it contained bug and lots of users sent mails that Visual Music isn't working on their PC. The ver 1.1 was basically aimed at overcoming this bug. But on the way I implemented lots of other features, most notable being proper visual feedback while playback and multi key recording capability. These are very exciting features. See release1p1.txt for more info on these.
  8. Why you are spending so much time in writing such programs (and that too freeware!)? 
    Well, Programming is an addiction™. There is something needed to maintain your "inertia" and keep your concepts alive in this world of mechanical non-innovative software jobs.
  9. Can I take part in development?  
    I've always visualized this program as an open source development. Though I would be giving out source code away free some time later, you are welcome to join me and roll out some cool stuff together!! Write to me at shital_s@usa.net and have yourself confirmed!
  10. Why a new language MScript is invented? 
    Read the article What Is MScript and you would know (;-).
  11. Where are the automation objects for Visual Music?
    It's all compiled in to same EXE for the time being. Visual Basic cries a lot when you recompile your ActiveX servers with changes in interfaces and makes lots of junk in registry. And as these changes will be going to be there in final version, I haven't compiled this objects and ActiveX controls in separate DLLs and OCX but it's there in same project. However, of course, the code is written in a way that you can detach classes any time in to separate DLL and go away with it.
  12. When the new version is expected?
    I'd decided to put very long break before I start work on new version because after remaining busy for so many days, I'd got enormous amount of pending tasks and my home was looking like big garbage box with lots of plastic bags around, dirty floor without several weeks of vacuum cleaning, dirty kitchen with real mess of all kind of stuff. But there was tremendous response I'd received from across the glob in last 3 months. There were some vital problem with installation too. So the new version came out earlier, just after 3 months of 1st release! However next version is not promised now because features I want in next version will really take tons of time (and that would again mean lots plastic bags all around, dirty kitchen with all junk food, floor without several weeks of vacuum cleaning,...). So if you really want to see some advance join in the development and do-it-yourself!