Finally managed to move the keys below the text field and add a backspace key. Also fixed the "wrong octave during playback" problem.

If I am not mistaken, it can only work with a version after approximately 1.4.1, since MIDI support was added only around that version number.
It works for me with Firefox or IE under Windows 2000 with the JVM 1.4.1_02 from Sun. It does not work for me with Firefox under Linux with the very latest JVM from Sun (not sure about the version number, but I downloaded it about a week ago).
There might be nothing wrong with the applet, but just with variations in the support of the newer functions in the Java API in different JVMs.

Yes, I am planning to introduce a "backspace" button (that was the first thing my wife suggested). Putting the buttons below the text field sounds like a good idea, too.

To help me figure out what is wrong, could you maybe try whether you can hear sound when using the original C-Brahms applet? That's at http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/group/cbrahms/demoengine/. If you can hear something there, I have broken something in the applet, and it should be straightforward to fix it (since I could, for every difference I introduced, see whether it causes the problem).

Of course, for my laptop, it does not work either with the original applet, otherwise I would already be analyzing the differences.

I'm using Windows2000, and IE. From http://javatester.org/version.html I learned that my Java version is Microsoft 1.1.4.

Regarding the keyboard functionality, I think it would be more user-friendly if there was a "delete" button to delete the last note, rather than requiring the user to manually backspace over the text. Placement of the "Play," "Delete," and "Search" buttons below the keyboard would also make it easier to use.

Thanks. Keep up the good work.

Hmm - you should hear the notes. I can hear them with Firefox under Windows, and with IE. However, I can't hear them with Firefox on my Linux laptop. I assumed it was an issue with my Java installation since it worked with an older Java virtual machine. After a Java upgrade, it stopped working on my laptop. What is your platform?

Came back today and guess what I found! A keyboard! Very cool. Naturally it would be nice if I could actually hear the notes as I play them, but I assume that will come in the future. Nice job!

Check this out: http://www.musipedia.org/keyboard_search.0.html

I guess you are right. It's on my todo list. In case anybody else feels the need to write such an applet: Calling the search engine from the applet can be done like this, for example:

MyApplet.applet.getAppletContext().showDocument(new URL("http://musipedia.org/contour/ DUUDUDUDURRUD "))

So, all that's left to do is to come up with the rest of the applet that lets the user determine the " DUUDUDUDURRUD " (or any other contour) by using a keyboard. But if nobody else writes such an applet, I'll do it.

Keyboard, keyboard, keyboard. I can't play Parsons code back to myself to prove to my satisfaction that I got it right. Parsons code is unsatisfyingly imprecise and absolutely joyless. Keyboard gives me immediate audio feedback and may help me work out the melody if I can't quite nail it down in my imagination.

Further, there is no need to improve on a musical input device beyond the piano keyboard. You don't need piano lessons to bang out a linear tune on the intuitive and familiar white and black keys. It's easy, intuitive, familiar and (best of all) FUN. I could sit all day tinkling out tunes to see if your program could identify them. Your visitors are presumably people who know music. They will know how a keyboard works and will not care to learn an unnecessarily complex system of clicks and drags. The keyboard IS the music machine. Don't reinvent the wheel. I've told three or four people about the http://sd.znet.com/~iwamura/kbdif/kbdif.html link, (which I think should be added to your list of 'similar sites') and they've all been intrigued and impressed. I don't think I could get them excited about Parsons code. If you can accomplish it, keyboard, keyboard, keyboard.

I agree that some nicer input method for those users who don't like to read a page about Parsons code, but just want to use the system immediately (also without fiddling with a microphone), would be helpful. I am thinking about various possibilities - not sure a keyboard on the screen would really be best. Something that would allow you to drag notes to a higher or lower pitch, or just model a contour by dragging blobs around, could be nice. Or an improved version of the melody editor for the melody forum, which could use some renovation anyways, could at the same time be used for the search interface. Any more ideas?