I registered Rhythm Rascal, but never received a registration code. How do I get the reg code?

The registration code is sent to your email address. Check your junk/spam folder to see if it is there. If not, then use the Contact page to send me an email, and I can resend the code to you. Make sure that brown.randy at gmail dot com is added to your allowed sender list, so my email response won't get filtered.

Where can I find good drum samples to use with Rhythm Rascal?

Rhythm Rascal comes with a good set to get you started. Look under the installation folder (usually C:\Program Files\Rhythm Rascal\Rhythm Rascal), under the "sounds" folder.
ORIGINAL-MUSIC (http://www.original-music.co.uk/) has provided a free set of their high quality audio sample files for Rhythm Rascal users. Click here to download a zip file containing the files. Unzip the contents to your hard drive and drag the contained sample files into your drum kit window to use them. The wav hits featured here are from their product Live Acoustic Drums, Loops & Hits Please visit the Original Music website to find even more drum samples.
If you're still hungry for more, check out the following sites *:

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/ns_kit7freedownload.html

http://samples.kb6.de/downloads.php

http://www.looperman.com

http://www.audiopervert.com

You can also just try a Google search... try keyword phrases like "drum samples" or "download drum samples".

Rhythm Rascal should be able to handle most WAV files. If you find samples in mp3 or other format, you can use Windows Sound Recorder to save them in WAV format, then use them in Rascal. Rhythm Rascal seems to work best with samples at least about 200 milliseconds long.

What kinds of music can I write with Rhythm Rascal?

It was designed for traditionally "non-electronic" styles, such as Metal, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and just about any other type of music that usually has a drummer.

Rhythm Rascal was built to handle the demanding needs of these genres, such as tempo changes, time signature changes, and complex songs with many patterns.

Are patterns the same as musical measures or bars?

Rhythm Rascal is based on the concept of a pattern or "riff". Each pattern in Rhythm Rascal will usually corresponds to a riff on the guitar. You create a song by writing riffs (patterns), then arranging them in sequence throughout the song.

A pattern may be a measure, but not necessarily. Commonly, a pattern will equate to more than one measure. For example, you can create a pattern with 8 quarter note beats, and 3 notes per beat, which effectively gives you the equivalent of 2 measures of 4/4 time with eighth-note triplets.

What is a good multi-track recording software package to use with Rhythm Rascal?

There are many good packages out there. I suggest using N-Track Studio. Other great applications are Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit Pro), and the Cakewalk family of products. *

During playback, sometimes it seems to lag a little bit, especially at higher tempos or on slower computers. What can I do to remedy this?

The extra overhead required to update the beat number in the toolbar sometimes causes a lag. To disable this, click the arrow next to the toolbar to customize it. Then find the "Playback->Beat Playing" item and make sure it is not checked. This can help speed things up some.

You can always add it back later by checking the item.

I tried that but it still lags a little sometimes. What should I do?

For various reasons, Rhythm Rascal tends to lag noticeably on some computers during playback. (However, the WAV mixdown will be precise with no lag at all.) Most people never observe this issue, but it is a problem on some machines. This limitation is something you will have to consider before paying for Rhythm Rascal. If the trial (unregistered) version lags on your computer, registering will not correct this problem.

How can I tell if I need to install the .NET framework?

Use the Windows Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs. Look for Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. If it's not there, you'll need to download and install it.

I see the desktop icon and start menu shortcut, but where does Rhythm Rascal get installed?

By default, Rhythm Rascal gets installed under your Program Files folder, under "Rhythm Rascal". Of course you can change this when you install it.

I found a problem with Rhythm Rascal. How do I get it fixed?

Please use the Contact page to report any problems you encounter.

I have a good idea for a new feature in Rhythm Rascal. How do I submit a feature request?

Please use the Contact page to submit ideas and suggestions.

*NOTE: The web links and product suggestions on this page are strictly the opinion of the author. Rhythm Rascal is not affiliated with N-Track, Adobe, or any other linked site in any way.