Software

ST Metronome

4/13/2023 My online metronome lets you set the tempo, choose a sound, set the reverb level and to save different settings for quick recall. Check here for more info or go directly to the metronome here.

A screen shot of the Stec Records ST Metronome panel.

New: a Kids Typing panel

3/13/2023 This is a very simple web page I set up for my grandson to help him learn to read and write: the Typing Panel" is a simple text editor with a very large font and a builtin voice synthesiser that will speak what is typed in.

StecTools Typing Panel

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Includes a "Clear" button and a "Speak" button along with a "save" icon (a floppy disk) you can click to save the current text and settings which include the text color, size and font, the background color, the your preferred voice-synthesis voice, the speed at which the voice synthesis speaks and the its pitch. On many browsers, text input fields like this can be filled from voice detection so the child can say a word and it will be typed out.

My default color-scheme of white text on a black background is, sort of, meant to represent a chalk board but also to help conserve battery life on mobile devices and to reduce eye fatigue (does NOT double as a flashlight well:).

The panel is purposely simple since kids can get fast-and-loose with the clicky-click. To that end, a show/hide button appears in the top corner will move the toolbar out of the way or bring it back.

Sound-pads

3/3/2023 My new "Sound-pads" panel provides large buttons that play drum and other percussion sounds when clicked.

The Stec Records Sound-pads panel

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The sounds are loudest near the middle of the pads and are responsive enough to be used in a musical context on touch devices. You can adjust the size of the pads and pick which of the 45+ sounds to use (all of the sounds are shown by default) and adjust the reverb level and overall volume levels. Your settings changes are saved in the storage in your browser so it always comes back the way you left it if you reload the page later.

Note that each sound is a separate audio file that gets loaded when the panel opens. Depending on the speed of your internet connection and phone/computer/tablet, it can take a few seconds to load. Each button briefly glows when the associated sound is loaded.

QuickList

2/19/2023 My new " QuickList" is a simple web panel that lets you create a list of songs with space for extra information about each song such as a musical instrument patch name or number.

StecTools QuickList

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Includes a + button to add new items and a "save" icon (a floppy disk) you can click to save the list to your browser storage. Because the information is only stored in your browser, you won't see the same list if you open the list from a different browser such as your phone or desktop. Includes the ability to changes colors and fonts, and to save multiple lists. See the About menu item for more information.

Web-Oscillator

2/5/2023 We're pleased to announce a new online tone generator (oscillator) for audio testing.

The Stec Records Web-Oscillator

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This web-based tone generator can create sine waves (tones), square waves, triangle waves and saw-tooth waves at frequencies from 20Hz to 20kHz. Sine waves are typically used for audio testing since their smooth nature makes distortion easier to pick out. This goes for your ears, looking at a wave form (on a recording app, for instance) or being measured with test equipment. You might use it to check if a speaker is blown (i.e. just the tweeter).

Note - Set the volume low before turning on your speakers. It can be loud.

Budget calculator for gigs

A simple calculator page that helps you manage the economics of musical events.

The Stec Records Gig Budget Calculator

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Anyone who has worked doing live music knows that it is next to impossible to earn a living wage from it. Though I don't have some magic solution, I did put together this simple online tool to help you find ways to improve your profitability. You might use the tool to determine how many seats you need to fill for everyone to get paid for instance.

The tool has two main sections: an Expenses section and an Income section. Expenses might include the cost to rent a hall or pay for each of the musicians and other staff. Income includes ticket sales as well as things like merchandise or sponsors. As you change the values in each of the fields the tool automatically recalculates the total income, the total expenses and the overall total (income minus expenses). By dropping different numbers into the quantity field of for tickets for instance, you can see where the breakeven point is for number of tickets verses the ticket price. You know that you will have to fill less seats if the ticket price is high enough but knowing exactly how high is useful information.

Sneak peak - Keyboard Tools

12/12/2022 This is an early look at a web-based tool I`ve been working on to help learn musical scales, modes and chords: StecTools - Keyboard Tools

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Though the tool includes a builtin piano sound, it also supports WebMidi on Chrome and Edge browsers and can interact with midi devices connected to your computer. The Piano Tool section even includes a history feature that helps visualize the movement of notes within a specified range, typically the low end, notifying other players of a key change, for instance, when improvising. It's also nice to "Play" the scale or chord back through the midi device with other sounds using a Program-Change control. I hope you like it. Bob