NPNP is still in the testing phases and not yet ready for deployment. We have several hurdles that we must cross before we believe we can deploy this system including:

• The software isn't ready yet for public release.
• We would like to see more test churches in our immediate areas using the software and songs and smoothing out the wrinkles.
• We need to acquire legal rights to sell more of the songs in our library.

If you believe you can help us with this effort, or you would like to be a test site and your church is near Traverse City or Detroit, Michigan, please contact us.

If you can help us in obtaining licenses from song writers to sell their songs, please contact us. This mountain of paperwork, especially in working with large music houses, is a challenge, and we want to remain legal and ethical.

Summary

The NPNP system provides as complete a worship experience as possible without live music. We do not believe we are replacing a skilled piano player (and we suspect this is impossible), but we are providing everything that is possible for churches that do not have reliable and skilled musicians. This system can serve as either the primary source for worship music, or possibly a backup source for mid-week services and off-site services. It is intended to be used by any size church, from a large congregation to a home-missions or foreign-missions work. All that is necessary is a computer running the NPNP software, a MIDI synthesizer, and an amplification system along with NPNP songs for the service.

The No Piano No Problem Player

NPNP Songs are played through computer software connected to a MIDI synthesizer. NPNP songs are more standard MIDI files, since they must contain the timing data to start and dynamically change the order of song parts during play. These songs are carefully constructed and recorded to be disassembled into song parts for dynamic playback.

The interface to the player is still being evaluated and improved. We will include screenshots and a trial version here as we arrive at a more polished product.

The player has also been designed to work with the eWorship Projection Software so that a single person operating a computer anywhere in the sanctuary can play the songs and the player is smart enough to run the overheads for the same songs. You can use the same computer to run both the NPNP player and eWorship, or you can run these programs on seperate computers, even on a wireless network.

No Piano No Problem Songs

We have a library of several hundred songs to choose from, and we are adding more every month. We started by recording the most popular worship music being played today, and we have also made an effort to include many classics and hymnal favorites. The library has already become fairly comprehensive, and we will continue to add songs regularly.

Click here to see the current song list.

MIDI Connection Options

At a minimum, your synthesizer must have a MIDI input port on it. Other than that, you can use a variety of synthesizers to actually "play" the songs. We do recommend that you choose a high quality synthesizer, since budget keyboards will give you a budget sound. If you don't have the funds to purchase a mid-to-high-end keyboard, we recommend that you purchase one of the Roland or Yamaha sound modules. A sound module is basically a keyboard without the keys. Roland makes one (Roland Edirol SD-20) for $300.

Your local music center (Guitar Center, Sam Ash, etc...) may be your best guide in making a keyboard decision. They may not be as helpful in selecting a sound module (such as the Roland Edirol mentioned above), but they should still be your first choice. Music stores cater to musicians, and they generally don't understand the limited requirements of a dynamic music playback system. The sound modules they usually stock and sell have about 100x the features you will use in NPNP. Find the simplest sound module they have that has a keyboard sound you like. You may want to check out the drum sound as well, since we will be supporting optional drum tracks in our songs as soon as we finish incorporating them.