The Catloaf Software Blog

Cyber Monday Sale: Save Big on all Trainer HD apps

25 Nov 2012
If you missed out on our Black Friday sale this past Friday, here's another chance to save big on all of the Trainer HD apps!

Every instrument edition will be on sale for just US$0.99 (down from $2.99 - a 66% saving!) on Monday November 26, 2012 only starting at Midnight PST.

So get the app for your instrument of choice at a deeply discounted price !



 


48-Hour Thanksgiving Sale: All Trainer HD apps FREE!

21 Nov 2012
We are excited to announce we will be having a major app sale for Thanksgiving and Black Friday!

This coming Thursday and Friday (November 22 and 23), prices will drop significantly on the entire suite of Trainer HD apps, including the newly released Banjo Edition :

  • Each of the instrument editions will become FREE to download (down 100% from their regular price of $2.99).
  • The price of all individual instruments will drop to just US$0.99 in the free version of Trainer HD (down from $2.99). The bundle to purchase all instruments will also drop to only $2.99 (down from $6.99).
This special pricing will come into effect at midnight PST on November 22 and will end at midnight on Friday evening. So make sure to grab your instrument of choice, free for a limited time!

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat! version 3.0 for iOS

08 Nov 2012
The first iPhone app put out on the App Store years ago by our team, way before Catloaf Software was formed, has just seen a major update.


First off, version 3.0 of the Keyboard Cat app is now completely free! It was previously being sold for US$0.99, but we realize that even that small price might have been too much to pay for an app that is starting to show its age.

To offset this, the app now includes a few banner ads on the video pages. Feel free to tap on them if you'd like to show your support.

Besides the change in the pricing model, the app has been updated to support the latest software, meaning it takes advantage of iOS 6 features such as integration with Facebook and Twitter to share your favorite videos.

Of course, this new version also takes advantage of the larger 4" screen on the new iPhone 5 and 5th-generation iPod touch! As a result of these changes, the minimum iOS version required to get the app is 4.3, so make sure you have updated your device accordingly.

As a side note: the integration with Facebook has also been simplified compared to previous versions of the app. We no longer have a corresponding Web app on Facebook, so the syncing function between the iPhone and Web version is no longer available and your list of favorites is now solely stored on your device.

The content included in the app continues to be updated regularly, and if you enable push notifications you will get notices whenever new Keyboard Cat videos have been selected for your viewing pleasure!


If you haven't tried it yet, just head to the App Store and get your copy now! Did we mention it's now completely free?


Introducing Trainer HD: Bass Edition

30 Oct 2012
Today, we are proud to announce the release of the Bass Edition of our Trainer HD line of educational apps for iOS.



This new application is functionally identical to the Guitar Edition, the main difference being that it comes bundled with the bass guitar instrument, making it a cost-effective alternative for bass players.

Like the Guitar Edition, the app itself is regularly priced at US$2.99 with additional instruments available for in-app purchase at US$0.99 (a bundle for all 10 instruments is also available for just another US$2.99).

This new app is the first in a new series of apps focused on rebranding the Guitar Trainer HD app and making it more accessible to musicians who are not primarily guitarists.

Guitar Trainer HD is now "Trainer HD: Guitar Edition", and the free app formerly known as Guitar Trainer HDx is now just "Trainer HD".

Following this new Bass Edition, we will release separate editions for Ukulele, Banjo and Mandolin in the coming weeks. These apps will be priced similarly and kept up to date with all the other editions.

All of the Trainer HD apps are now optimized for the new taller iPhone 5 and iOS 6. As a result, we are now requiring iOS version 4.3 or later to be installed on your device.

To celebrate the release of the new app, we will be giving away free copies very soon on our Facebook page. Don't forget to like us on Facebook for your chance to get a free copy!



Labor Day Sale on iOS apps!

31 Aug 2012
This weekend is Labor Day weekend in the United States, which is traditionally associated with the end of summer.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are having a promotional sale on several of our iPhone and iPad apps for the next few days, ending at the end of Monday, September 3.


  • Guitar Trainer HD is on sale at just $0.99 (down from its regular price of $2.99).
  • The bundle for all instruments can also be purchased from within the app for just $1.99 (giving you all 10 instruments!)
  • The guitars in the free Guitar Trainer HDx have also had their prices slashed to $0.99 (down from $2.99), and the full instrument bundle has also been steeply discounted.
  • Our first iPhone app, the Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat! app, is available for FREE! What are you waiting for?
This promotion applies worldwide so these price reductions will apply in your local currency if you are outside of the USA.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! We'll be back soon with more exciting updates for Guitar Trainer HD, stay tuned!

Guitar Trainer HD 4 now on the App Store

23 Jul 2012
We are proud to announce the release of the latest major version of our flagship educational game, Guitar Trainer HD 4 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.



This new version introduces some major features, making the app more beautiful and easy to use, and also more useful :


  • Now learn to map the notes between the fretboard and the musical stuff with the new Learn Staff training mode!
  • The Musical Staff widget can also be enabled for other uses of the app, including Free Play, regular Training and of course Game!
  • Now includes high-resolution Retina graphics for the new iPad.
  • Much improved Facebook integration to register achievements and top scores on your Timeline as you play.
  • The data files for the instruments are now fetched on demand, drastically reducing the size of the original application download and making it possible to install it over cell networks.
  • Several new training options allowing you to tailor your practice to your needs even more than before!
  • Still supports many instruments: electric guitar (6-string and 7-string), acoustic guitar (6-string and 12-string), bass guitar (4, 5 and 6 string variants), banjo, mandolin and ukulele.

Learn Staff in action in GTHD 4


We are very proud of this new version of the app, which is now the best fretboard training app on iOS, period! And we're just getting started...



The app is still available in two distinct versions with the same functionality, but with slightly different pricing models.

  • Guitar Trainer HD includes the full 6-string electric guitar for $2.99, and additional instruments can be unlocked for just $0.99 each.
  • Guitar Trainer HDx is a completely free download and each of the instruments can be tried in limited demo mode. Unlock just the instruments you need for $2.99 each!

Special Discounts for Memorial Day Weekend

26 May 2012
Over the long weekend here in the United States (May 26-28), we are making Guitar Trainer HD available at a deep discount to celebrate the arrival of summer!

Get your copy now while it is still much cheaper (only $0.99 from its regular price of $2.99 - similar discounts are in effect worldwide). As always, the full electric guitar instrument is included!

The old price will go back into effect on Tuesday, so don't wait!



Help us beta test Guitar Trainer HD 4.0

17 Feb 2012
The next major version of our Guitar Trainer HD app will include some exciting new features, and we'll be ready to go in a limited beta release in the coming weeks.

The biggest addition will be the inclusion of a music staff in the app, which will allow you to learn musical notation at the same time as the fretboard. We will need volunteers to test this new feature on all the available instruments to make sure it works properly before we release it to the public.

We will be using the free TestFlight service to conduct this beta test. If you own an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), you can register for free by following this link :

Register for the Guitar Trainer HD 4 beta!

Don't forget to register your actual devices so we can add you to the actual beta. A limited number of slots are available, so hurry if you want to be included!

What we're looking for in beta testers :

  • Have at least one iOS device that can run the current version of Guitar Trainer HD or HDx.
  • Willing to test the new features and submit feedback and bug reports.
  • Apprentice musician with an interest in improving their knowledge of one of our included instruments: guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.
  • Please be able to communicate in English though the app itself will be available in many languages.
Pre-register now and you'll be notified when the first beta is available for you to download. The process is very simple, anybody can do it!

Beta-testers will be rewarded with perks at the end of the beta. So please sign up now to get started!