Thank you for getting the Hotz Translator software. The enclosed disk or electronic version, was made specifically for you. Please note - for your convenience we have sent you a version of the software that does not have copy-protection. However please respect our trust in you in this matter and do not use it in more than one machine at a time - or share it with others - unless you buy additional copies for that purpose. The License for this unit is specific to you for use on one computer at a time - as is stated in the license agreement and the about box. You are certainly welcome to show it and demonstrate it to anyone. To install the program do this for CD installs; On most systems you can simply insert the CD and run the installer when it appears. If for any reason it does not automatically start you may double-click on the "Hotz_Translator_3_installer.exe" in the root of the CD. For Electronic downloads un-zip the program and double-click on the "Hotz_Translator_3_installer.exe". When first running the program you will want to make sure that the MIDI output device is properly selected to match your system. This is quite simple - Under The Options Menu along the top of the page - select "MIDI Output Device" and choose your preferred device. We have included the manual as a "pdf" file on your disk. Also, here is a link to the on-line Hotz Translator Manual. http://www.hotzstore.com/Support/Manuals/Hotz_Translator_III_Manual.pdf It should be pretty clear but let us know if you have any questions. Really let your creativity loose and enjoy yourself! Onward, Jimmy Hotz Productions //****** Hotz Translator for Windows - Additional Notes ************** There are a few simple steps to help make sure you have the right MIDI path for the Translator to work correctly for any given setup. While you can run the Translator totally on it's own, it will also work in a multi-program environment. Most of those using the Translator in a multi-program environment use the free down-loadable "MIDI Yoke" program for internal MIDI routing. This has been used with Cubase, Ableton Live and other programs running on the same system as the Translator, with many virtual instruments at the same time, very successfully. It is available as a free download from http://www.midiox.com/ We suggest you use "MIDI Yoke" or some equivalent program for your internal MIDI patcher. Essentially you just want to make sure that any controller that you want to run through the Translator is routed only to the Translator and the output of the Translator is then routed to your VST Host with your software synths such as Cubase, Ableton, Sonar, etc.. If using "MIDI Yoke" try this basic setup. 1. In Translator - Under the "Options" button on the left hand side - Open "MIDI Input Device" and select your MIDI controller (Keyboard, etc.) by clicking on it to make it selected (highlighted).Make sure all other inputs that you do not specifically mean to route to the Translator are unselected. Hit OK to close this dialog. 2. In Translator - Under the "Options" button on the left hand side - Open "MIDI Output Device" and select "Out to MIDI Yoke 1" by clicking on it to make it selected (highlighted).Hit OK to close this dialog. 3. In your VST Host (Cubase, Ableton, Sonar, etc.) Select "MIDI Yoke 1" as the input. Make sure that the MIDI controller (Keyboard, etc.) that was routed to the input of the Translator is not also selected. That should get you flying - Just remember to treat the Translator as an in-line device that your route through. Make sure your VST instrument is set up to receive the MIDI from the Translator on the proper channels. Most of the demo songs in the Translator are set up in the General MIDI format so Channel 10 outputs GM drum notes in these demo songs. Note regarding a CPU Core showing 100% - The Translator runs certain routines during processor idle time to ensure the best possible timing. However, in reality the Translator only really needs a fraction of that percentage for it's main core functions. Even though it may show 100% (even in idle) on a particular Processor Core , you will notice you can indeed run your other programs - VST host, software Synths etc. at the same time We have quite a few systems that not only run the Translator with a VST host like Ableton and lot of VST instruments at the same time, but are also doing heavy 3D graphics in another program as well - all on the same machine. Attention Mac Users: The Translator for Windows has been tested successfully on Mac OS X using Crossover Professional with an XP Bottle.Here is a link to Crossover http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/ On Mac setups you do not need MIDI Yoke for internal MIDI patching. Instead use the Mac internal IAC bus. If it is not setup on your computer just Google "how to setup IAC on a MAC". When it is setup properly you will see IAC Bus 1, IAC Bus 2, etc. in the MIDI out options for the Hotz Translator software. You can also use the "Wine MIDI Mapper" to route directly to the Mac's built in General MIDI synth. This is the most simply and immediate way to get started, even if you have not yet set up the internal IAC routing. We look forward to helping you get the most out of your Translator Software. Jimmy Hotz Productions // ************ Troubleshooting ************ // ------- Not Able to Store Preferences or Save Certain Files ------------ In some cases Windows write protects the installed files in the folder which the Hotz Translator was installed to, so you cannot save changes to various files such as the "HOTZPLAY.PRF" (preferences file). "HOTZPLAY.PRF" contains your MIDI Input/Output setting etc. and is automatically saved on exiting the program. To correct an issue with the preferences and/or other files not being able to be saved to, just select the entire folder that the Hotz Translator installed into, which should be "Hotz_Translator_3" and change the properties from "ReadOnly". Right-click on the folder Choose Properties Then De-Select the Read Only Box. Then Press Apply Make sure that the Option for "Apply changes to the folder, subfolders and files" is Selected and then press OK. Press OK Again to exit the Dialog Box. That should change the properties of all the files in the folder and subfolders. You can verify this by selecting the HOTZPLAY.PRF, which is in the Root of the "Hotz_Translator_3" folder and looking at it's properties, which "Should NOT" have "ReadOnly" selected. Again HOTZPLAY.PRF is the preferences file that saves your MIDI Input and Output selections etc. If it is write protected, you may get an error message because when the program exits it cannot write the preferences. It should be noted that even though the files have had their properties changed, the Main folder "Hotz_Translator_3" itself, may still show "ReadOnly" even though the files within it are indeed write-able. // ------- Windows-7 64 bit System Notes ------------ We have seen instances where some 32-bit programs do not always close down properly, when you exit them, on Windows-7 64 bit systems and it seems to be caused by how Windows is closing 32-bit programs. A search on Google of "programs not closing properly in windows 7" will reveal many such instances including some Microsoft products. There is a fairly easy workaround which you may be aware of. We recommend that if/when the "Hotz Translator" does not seem to close properly by itself, that you close the program by selecting "HOTZPLAY.EXE *32" in the "Processes Tab" and pressing the "End Process" button. We also recommend leaving the "Hotz Translator Software" and any 32-bit program for that matter, in the "Program Files (x86)" folder, so that Windows can do it's best to run it properly. Here are a few interesting things we have noticed on Windows-7 64 bit systems that have this problem. Usually the first time you run it after a fresh Bootup, it will close properly by itself. This leads us to believe that Windows is storing something related to the Program that may be causing this. There is another more rare issue we have observed with Windows-7 64 bit systems, which further leads us to believe that these problems related to how Windows-7 64-bit systems close down 32-bit programs, but it also has a fairly easy workaround. If after getting the program to close using the "End Process" button, it does not seem to want to start up or seems to hang in the start up, simply toggle to some other compatibility mode such as "Windows XP Service Pack2" or "Windows XP Service Pack3" and relaunch the program. Of course make sure that "HOTZPLAY.EXE *32" in the "Processes Tab" is not running or End the Process before relaunching. This seems to refresh data within Windows related to the program. You can get to the "Compatibility" setting by right clicking on the Hotz_Translator_3 Icon, which is used for launching the program, and select the "Compatibility" tab. Then check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" box and choose "Windows XP Service Pack2" or "Windows XP Service Pack3". Hit Apply and then "OK". We have not seen any major difference between running in one of these modes or having the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" check box turned off. // --------------------------------------------------------------------------