PLEASE NOTE: WE NO LONGER MAKE OR SELL THE ILLUMINATING PIANO


  Hardware

  Software


  Hardware

  Where can I buy the Illuminating Piano?
  • We no longer make or sell the Illuminating Piano. We've licensed it out to one of the major piano manufacturers to begin production in 2019 at which time more information will become available.
  How do I turn on/off my Illuminating Piano?
  • Mmake sure your piano is plugged into a power source, then press the small square power button on the left back side of the device to turn it on or off.
  Do I need speakers to play the Illuminating Piano?
  • The Illuminating Piano does not have built-in speakers. The sound will come through your computer or tablet speakers. If desired, you can use external speakers or plug headphones into your device for high quality sound.
How do I connect my device via Bluetooth?  
If you’re using Windows
  • Windows Bluetooth connectivity is not currently supported
 
If you’re using an iPad
  1. First, make sure your device’s Bluetooth capability is turned on. This is found in Settings>Bluetooth on iOS devices. Make sure your Illuminating Piano’s Bluetooth is also turned on by pressing the rectangle button on the back left side (it should glow when turned on).
  2. Then, click on the small button icon on the upper right hand corner of your iOS device. Click on the information symbol next to “Illuminating Piano” from the drop down menu. Then simply switch “Connect” to the on position and select “Pair” when requested.
  3. Note: IPad 2 does not support Bluetooth 4.0 and requires a direct connection
 
If you’re using Mac
  1. Open System Preferences
  2. Click on Bluetooth
  3. Select “Turn Bluetooth On"
  4. Make sure your McCarthy Illuminating Piano is turned on.
  5. Launch McCarthy Piano application for Mac
  6. Select the red MIDI light in the top right corner. This will open Audio Midi Setup.
  7. If you do not see the MIDI Studio window, you will need to select the “Window” dropdown and select “MIDI Studio”.
  8. Select Bluetooth. This will open Bluetooth Configuration.
  9. Find the entry for Illuminating Piano and select Connect. Your piano should be connected now and the MIDI light in the top right corner should be blue.
  10. If your piano is not connected, restart your McCarthy Piano application.
  How do I use the touch screen control panel?
  • The icons on the Illuminating Piano control panel match the application’s symbols on your personal device. You can use the control panel to pause or play your selection, control the volume, and to move forward and backward in your selection. The top four buttons allow you to change between modes, and the left and right hand icons control Left and Right Hand Assist.
  How do I install the tablet stand on my Illuminating Piano?
  • The Illuminating Piano has 2 threaded sockets at the rear center of the keyboard. The stand comes with attached screws. Just line up the holes and hand tighten.
  Software

  How do I connect my keyboard to the McCarthy Music Software?
  • If you’re using an iPad
    If you’re using an Illuminating Piano, you can connect to your iPad via Bluetooth.

    For direct connect, you will need an Apple Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter and a standard USB cable. Using the Apple Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter and a standard USB cable, connect your iPad to your digital piano as shown below:



    If you’re using a Mac
    If you’re using an Illuminating Piano, you can connect to your Mac via Bluetooth.



    If you’re using a Windows PC or Tablet or Mac
    All you need to connect your device is a standard USB cable to connect your device with your digital piano.

Software Installation  
Installing software on your PC or Windows tablet
  • The following Windows operating systems are supported: Windows - Vista, 7, 8 and 10
  • Download the software by going to our download page and installing from there.
  • Note: Windows RT is not supported
 
Installing software onto your iOS device (iPad 3+)
  1. Click on the App Store, represented by the circled "A" inside the blue icon
  2. In the search bar in the upper right, type in "McCarthy Music." Once the app comes up, select it and install
 
Installing software onto your iPad 2

Our software does work with iPad 2 but it can be a bit finicky to set up.
Since iPad 2 doesn't support Bluetooth (Bluetooth 4.0), a “Camera Adapter Kit” from Apple is required to directly connect your keyboard to the iPad.
Once you get the “Camera Adapter Kit” from Apple, you should be able to follow these steps to get it working on your iPad 2:
  1. Unplug power from piano, unplug USB from iPad, and close McCarthy Music app fully
  2. Power on piano. Playing keys on the piano should show lights
  3. Plug USB into iPad. Playing keys on the piano should NOT show lights
  4. Launch app. The rainbow swipe should show on the piano and the connection light in the top right hand corner of the app should be blue.
  5. Make sure your “Ringer” switch is flipped to “On”. You will get no sound otherwise. This is a physical switch on the iPad next to the volume buttons.
 
Installing software on your Mac computer
  1. Open Safari or your preferred web browser
  2. Navigate to http://www.mccarthypiano.com
  3. Select Download from the top navigation bar
  4. Click on the “Download for Mac OS X” button
  5. The file will be downloaded onto your machine and placed in your Downloads folder
      
  6. Open your downloads folder and double-click on the mccarthymusic dmg file
  7. Read the EULA and click "Agree"
  8. Follow the steps in the installer to install the app
  9. You are now free to launch the app via your applications

  Installing the McCarthy Music software on a second device
  • The McCarthy Music software is capable of being downloaded on multiple devices – all you need to do is login with your personal credentials, and your account will be on two different devices. Be advised that it takes a couple of hours for all credits and previous sheet music purchases to download onto the new device.
  Why do I get an error message when launching the McCarthy Piano app?
  • Most first time users will get a message upon launching the program that says their device is not connected to the Illuminating Piano. Dismiss the message, and follow the instructions to connect your device.
  I can’t get my device to connect via Bluetooth!
  • If you’re still running into trouble after following the Bluetooth instructions, we recommend exiting and re-launching the app, and turning on and off the Bluetooth on your Illuminating Piano. The good news is that once you get the connection to stick the first time, it should reconnect seamlessly for future use.
  What do "Key Saver" and "Saver Time" mean?
  • Key Saver is a feature of the piano that causes the piano to self illuminate cycling through different key saver modes. Key saver is triggered by a period of inactivity that can be set via the "Saver Time" option.
  Why isn’t my profile saving correctly?
  • Please make sure that you have filled in all the fields in the profile settings page. To connect to the cloud and ensure you can download music from the Music Store, make sure you’ve selected “Store Profile in Cloud” and fill out the email and password fields.
  What is "Free Play?"
  • Free Play allows you to play the Illuminating Piano completely free of distraction! Without any guidance, enjoy playing or composing songs on your own.
  How do I change the key colors or turn the illumination off?
  • Click on “Display” on the upper right side of your device. Here you will find various settings to create your ideal playing environment. To turn off the key lights, slide the bezel of the off position. You can change the key colors for each hand by clicking on Left or Right Color and selecting your preferred color for each hand.
  What are "Hints?"
  • Hints help you learn a piece by allowing you to search for the correct note yourself first. Set the number of seconds to the length of time you want the Illuminating Piano to wait before showing you the right key.
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