Why Early Access?

“Though extensively used and tested by students and artists, Manhattan is something new, not only in the context of music production, but also music programming. The project aims to support the full continuum of creative practices, artists, and aesthetics from conventional music making to experimental art - within which there are infinite possibilities, each with their own challenges. Feedback from users, artists, audiences, and professional practitioners is the key to designing a genuinely useful tool for every musician, not just students and bearded, middle-aged white guys in academia!”

Approximately how long will this software be in Early Access?

“The project aims to formally launch in H2 2023. Manhattan is already a powerful music and coding tool, ready for use in your projects and productions, but some aspects of the design are still to be finalised, and different directions could be developed. The goal is to engage users early and find out what's most important to them, as priorities for v1.0, v1.1, v2.0, etc.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The current Early Access version represents a stable, extensively-tested build that has been used by hundreds of university students, featuring all the core functionality of what will form the free "base program", including extensive documentation, tutorials, instruments, and musical examples.
   The base program is designed to work 'out-of-the-box' and provide everything required to produce complete and complex musical works, but is specifically designed to foster engagement with music programming (over conventional editing practices) by intentionally limiting the amount of music you can sequence manually (to one pattern) and disabling sample/instrument editing, to focus attention on the code and music respectively. Cunning users may never need more than this, as code makes it possible to exploit the patterns and processes of music to capture entire pieces in a single pattern, from dance hits to orchestral scores (see the program for examples!).
   However, further editing functionality is planned through a series of affordable upgrades that unlock or add capabilities, such as multiple patterns, song arrangement, and sample/instrument editing. The initial focus will look to integrate the extensive editing feature set from the award-winning reViSiT sequencer, upon which Manhattan's codebase develops. As such, basic support for many features already lies within the code. However, each addition must be carefully considered and reworked to ensure it best integrates with Manhattan's user experience, so these upgrades may not be available for the initial release.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version is fully-functional, including all the features described below (under ABOUT THIS SOFTWARE), with an extensively-tested codebase that has been used in teaching, production environments, and live performances / artworks.
   The development effort is now focused on finalising the in-app support system and documentation: tutorials, help tools, examples and a few specialist features.”

Will this software be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Everything in these Early Access versions will remain free for non-commercial use. The Manhattan Project is a not-for-profit initiative designed to benefit musicians rather than pockets, but at the same time, needs income to sustain itself and develop. To this end, a "freemium" model is planned, based on paid-for upgrades (e.g. DLC, in-app purchases).
   Manhattan is designed for professional use and to professional standards, but aims to be accessible and affordable for all users. Upgrades will be priced accordingly, designed for different practitioners and musical applications, so that individual users can tailor the program to their individual needs, and add to it as their experience, skill, and appetite grow. Discounted upgrade bundles are also planned.
   In addition to feature upgrades, professional users will also be able to buy a licence for commercial use, supporting applications such as commercial music production, public events, and education. The price model will be developed in consultation with prospective users and clients.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“User feedback is central to Manhattan's development - whether bug reports, usability suggestions, or whacky ideas for new features - but I especially want to hear how Manhattan is being used - your music, your projects.
   The work already completed by students has blown my mind, defying every expectation I had, and tells me I'm only scratching the surface of what's possible. Please tell me your stories and experiences of coding music, and help shape where we take the project.

Want a challenge that'll test you and the program? Complete a "Manhattan Étude".
Following the tutorials, pick a piece of music from any genre, any era, and recompose it as music+code. This exercise will stretch (and develop) not only your coding skills, but music theory, listening, analysis skills, and tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of Manhattan. For tips and examples, see the Help menu in program - impress us, and we'll showcase your work in the program! Run into problems? Drop us a line.

Please send your feedback, stories, comments to [email protected] - feel free to attach your mad experiments and masterworks (Manhattan project files are only a few KBs!).”