I connected my keyboard but it doesn't appear in the I/O menu

Make sure that other software accessing the midi ports are closed before you open Spectral Piano.

Does this software work on Mac or Linux?

No, at this time only Windows 10 and 11 is supported.

Can my computer run this software?

This software should run on most modern cpus with integrated graphics (intel 3rd gen and up). If you have an older processor or do not have a discrete gpu you may need to reduce the number of visual effects and disabling 'screen effects'. To be certain you can download the trial version and try it on your computer.

Can I test the software before purchasing?

Yes, a trial version is available. Visit the `download` page to get it.

How can I reduce the audio latency?

In the application settings menu, select 'audio driver' and choose the 'wasapi' option. This has been preconfigured to have the lowest possible latency.

Midi/MXL

This software supports midi and musicxml files. Mxl file loading is currently in beta mode and does not support rolling chords and jumps (coda, dc, fine, ds). There is no option to edit notes so it is recommended to edit mxl files in musescore if needed. If you encounter an issue loading an mxl file please email us.

Mode

There are two modes: Continuous, and Burst. Continuous spawns particles at a constant rate throughout the duration of the note, whereas burst spawns particles only at the start of the note

Threshold

Sets the key pressure required for activation. This allows particles to be launched based on dynamics, which can give more interesting and varied effects. Keep it at zero if you want particles to always be emitted

Rate

The rate at which the particles are created. Higher values means more particles

Life span

The duration of particle until it disappears

Velocity

Particle speed - slow or fast

Brightness

The brightness of the particles

Width

The width of the spawn area the particles are created

Color Type

Choose between three color options: default colors, custom mono color, or random colors

*Unlit Particles

Unlit particles are not self illuminating, and require a light source (sky lights, or spot light). This is useful for making more realistic smoke effects for example (unlit smoke)

Style

Surface material (solid, smokey, wavey etc..).

Rotation

Orientation of the visuals (horizontal, vertical) If its vertical it will fall at 90 degree angle to the keyboard

Color Type

Type of color scheme for the notes (hands, gradient, solid, etc.) Hand mode is only available for musicxml files

Left Hand

Color for the left hand (e.g., yellow)

Right Hand

Color for the right hand (e.g., blue)

Brightness

Adjusts the brightness level of the notes

Width

Adjusts the width of the notes

Speed

Speed of note animation

Roundness

Roundness of the note's corners

Top Fade

Fade effect intensity

Fade Distance

Distance over which the fade effect applies

Delay At Start

Delay in seconds before the first note is played (e.g., 2.93 seconds)

Hide On Impact

Hides the note upon impact of keyboard

Display Pitch

Shows the pitch or tone of the note as a text object (checkbox)

Spawn Distance

Distance at which the pitch spawns

Text Size

Size of the text (pitch) on the note

Thickness

Thickness of the text (pitch)

Border

Tickness of the text's (pitch) border

Accidental

Accidental note style of pitch (sharp, flat)

Exposure Intensity

Controls the overall brightness and exposure level of the screen

Color Filter

Applies a color overlay to the entire screen

Color

Selected color for the filter overlay

Bloom

Adds a glow effect to bright areas of the image

Intensity

Strength of the bloom effect

Scatter

Amount of scattering for the bloom, which affects its spread and softness

Vibrant

Enables more vivid colors in the bloom effect

Flare

Simulates lens flares from bright light sources

Intensity

Strength of the flare effect

Threshold

Brightness threshold to trigger flare rendering

Spread

How widely the flare spreads across the screen

Aberration

Simulates chromatic aberration—color fringing at the screen edges

Intensity

Amount of chromatic aberration applied to the screen

Export Folder

The folder where the video will be saved

File Name

The name of the exported video file

Codec

The video codec used for export (h264, h265)

Frame Rate

The frame rate of the exported video (60fps is recommended)

Audio

Audio options for the video (No audio, App Audio, Custom Audio). Note that app audio uses the current volume of the app, so adjust it accordingly before exporting (you may need to reduce it to avoid sound clipping)

Resolution

The resolution of the video (4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p, Vertical (for yt shorts))

Bit Rate

The bit rate determines the video quality and file size

Duration After Final Note Off

Set how much time to wait after the final note is played before the video ends or fades to black

Fade In/Out

Add a black fade to the start and end of the video (Fade In Duration, Fade Out Duration)

End Black Screen

Add a black screen to the end, useful for YouTube end screens (Black Screen Duration)