Tones not Recognized

[TheNewSteveH]

I downloaded the demo program a while back, and I was not able to use it because of computer problems. I got the PC and mike working, and the program says I have 6 sessions left.

I tried to do sight-singing, but the program doesn't seem to hear any tones I produce. I know the mike is working, because the meter moves. The help stuff says to look for "Answer Identification" in the "Exercise Settings" menu, but this option does not exist.

Is there anything I can do? I don't want to buy the program if I can't get it to work.

[Quentin]

Hi,
The first thing to do to troubleshoot mic input is to go through the mic calibration tool (from the TOOLS menu).
If the VU meter is moving in the exercise window, then it means the basic setup is good, so the problem lies most likely in the finer settings needed for accurate pitch recognition. The basic idea is that if tones are not detected correctly in the Mic calibration tool of EarMaster, they won't be detected correctly either in the exercises. It is therefore very important to go through the calibration tool and select the settings that work with your setup.

[TheNewSteveH]

I've done the obvious things. What else is there? Why isn't the "Answer Identification" option present?

[Quentin]

Answer Identification is available in the activities or windows where that option can be used and/or is relevant. That option is not available in the Sight-singing activity, as the questions are already generated according to your voice range.

Please answer each of the following questions so that we may find out why mic input is not working on your set up:
1) Is the level meter moving up and down when you sing into the microphone? (level meter at the left of the microphone icon, top right of the screen)
2) If yes, do you see tones displayed on the staff when you sing into the microphone?
3) Have you select the correct voice range in your user properties (from FILE menu)
4) During the mic calibration (from the TOOLS menu), are the tones you sing displayed correctly in the blue boxes?

[TheNewSteveH]

Thanks for the response.

1. The level meter moves.
2. I do not see tones displayed on the staff.
3. I have selected the correct voice range, but I will try the others.
4. I don't have blue boxes which display tones. I have boxes that turn green when I clap, and they work.

[Quentin]

Is your voice range low-pitched (bass for ex.)?

[TheNewSteveH]

I am not receiving forum emails, so I just saw your response. My voice is in about the same range as Randy Travis.

[TheNewSteveH]

Today it's acting really crazy. If I go to the jazz settings and do melodic sight-singing, it hears and replays my responses but does not grade them. At least, it was doing that earlier. The "LED" bar quit moving up and down during the exercises. I also had a problem where I had to restart the calibration tool in order to get it to work.

I am using a USB headset.

[Quentin]

Maybe your USB mic is not the default mic input on your system anymore. In EarMaster's preferences, you see which Mic input device is being used under the Audio tab.

Also, even though you can obtain great results without, it is highly recommended to use headphones when using the activities that involve Mic input. The reason for that is that the sound of the metronome can be picked up by the Mic, which would have a negative impact on the evaluation of your answers. In some cases, a metronome tick picked up by the mic would start the evaluation of your answer even though you start singing one or two bars later.