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

[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.