my killer iPad app for musicians

[solarbird]

Here's what'd make me want an iPad tomorrow: software to make it work as a sheet music storage/organisation/display device, that - and this is the key bit! - supports a remote prompter to turn pages. Say, a device you could operate with your foot, like a guitar effects pedal. It should let you scan pages (so you could use whatever format and not have to re-encode everything), support arbitrary ordering (obviously) for setlist selection purposes.

But the key bit is the page flipping. I'd seriously pay for that.

Comments

[jarandhel]

Just did a bit of digging... first off, until someone develops the foot pedal as an accessory, you're not going to see any apps out that use it. But there are apps that seem to have come up with their own solutions to the problem of hands-free switching. Song Book for the ipod touch/iphone (and now iPad) solves the problem by "playing" through the sheet music as if playing the song. I find that idea rather elegant myself since it would completely eliminate manual input to change pages, but I admit to not being a musician myself and don't know if there would be downsides to that. It does not, however, support scanning. You'd have to encode everything. I'm not clear on whether or not it supports arbitrary set creation from the appstore description. I currently don't own an iPod touch or iPhone for testing purposes.

[solarbird]

Well, the app would bundle the foot pedal. It'd be very easy whip up some little bluetooth thing.

I wouldn't use autoflipping. Not live. Your performance tempo just varies so much depending upon excitement level and mood and all sorts of other things.

I've been pointed at this device which is actually exactly what - but a lot more expensive.

[jarandhel]

So far, I'm not aware of any iPod Touch/iPhone apps that bundle hardware with software. Or any iPod Touch/iPhone hardware that comes with free software. I'm not saying this couldn't be done, but such bundling seems to be outside of the current model of the AppStore.

Maybe someone will come up with something, though. Either along the lines of the bluetooth device you envision, or something even better. My own thoughts would be that, since the iPad has a built-in microphone, perhaps there would be some way to allow it to recognize when certain portions of the music have been played by the musician and use the live music as a cue to advance the display? I'm not aware of any application that uses this solution yet, however.

[solarbird]

Well, when you run the app the first time, it could ask for the mailing address, which it could then hand off to the maker who would send you the pedal.

perhaps there would be some way to allow it to recognize when certain portions of the music have been played by the musician and use the live music as a cue to advance the display?
...there are some problems with this (because of repeated sections) but I like this idea as a concept. And there is software which recognises music. I even have some for my iPhone - it listens to a bit of song, it identifies the song for you.

[jarandhel]

Just realized I'd missed seeing and replying to this comment.

Well, when you run the app the first time, it could ask for the mailing address, which it could then hand off to the maker who would send you the pedal.

Hmm, that's an interesting idea. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work, though I admit I haven't poured over the AppStore's terms of use and don't know if Apple would approve of pricing that included physical objects as well as the application itself. Worst-case scenario, though, you could probably make it available as an in-app purchase, I'd think.

...there are some problems with this (because of repeated sections) but I like this idea as a concept. And there is software which recognises music. I even have some for my iPhone - it listens to a bit of song, it identifies the song for you.

Well, if the "page-turn" comes at the end of a repeated section, having an internal count increment to a certain point before turning shouldn't be too much of a problem. Or better yet, it could actually keep track of where in the music you are, so that it would anticipate repeated sections, maybe even highlight the section of the music you should be playing at any given time with a different background color? And yeah, I've seen the music-recognition apps for iPhone, they're what gave me the idea.

It's coming...

[bettyw]

I had exactly the same thought about the iPad.

I was just Googling so I could point out that there is software for digital sheet music reading. They also have several page-turning pedals like this one: AT-104 Wireless Page Turning Device. It still won't work with an iPad as it needs a USB port.

BUT - there's more!

They are aware of the pent-up iPad music demand, and are soliciting input here and your address for notification *when* they release the iPad version :)

Re: It's coming...

[solarbird]

Excellent!

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

!! I don't play music anymore and still the page flipping appeals. It seems like this wouldn't be that hard to rig though (right?) 20 years ago I was hitting a foot pedal to record right or left eye movement in the babies I was holding, surely things are at least that far along?

[tfabris.livejournal.com]

There's already electronic devices (http://corporate.freehandmusic.com/products-musicpadpro.php), larger than the ipad (i.e., proper full page size) which already do this with a footswitch for page flipping.

There's an iPhone app called Song Book which does this and which will run on the iPad but it sorely needs more features.

I also thought of using the iPad for this shortly after it was announced, but decided its screen was too small. I'd rather have one of those music pads.

[solarbird]

Yikes $900. That's a big price point hike.

I mean, totally I see your point, but for almost twice as much I can cut my music pages in half. ^_^ (I lay things out so that I'm always going forward, for simplicity's sake.)

Unless money's no object, of course, then fuck yeah.