Live gig Lyrics and MIDI Patch Control

Started by concordal, June 16, 2013, 08:35:02 PM

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Toby Krebs

@- Elantric. I am considering an Android tablet for what I need. Song lists with patch numbers . I don't need all the audio loaded into it etc... and it looks like I could put some "Real Book" charts in it too. Very cool and cheaper. I would have to guard an I-Pad at my gigs like a German Shepherd. An Android not so much. This is very helpful. Thanks!

BackDAWman

I tried the Set List Maker but I still find My Lyric Book so much simpler to use. I can throw doc, docx, pdf files at it and it never has a problem. Select a midi PC number for your song and away you go. Stack your songs into sets and your ready to rock! \m/

Great for practice too. Attach the audio to your song for playback. Set the tempo so you can get the bpm for your drummer. Attach notes...

Toby Krebs

Does lyricbook work with Android Tablets? I don't know squat about this stuff yet.

Thanks,

T.C.

BackDAWman

As far as I know it's only for iOS. I haven't found one that works on Android. I have a motorola xoom and none of the ones I've tried are compatable with any of the formats I've used ie docx, pdf or eve txt files.

Elantric

If you are on Android - there is a an app called Android Stage Assistant (but if you are pro get an ipad and run the superior IOS Set List Maker (described above) 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.stageassistant&hl=en









Description
Create set lists and share them with your band members! Use the live mode to see the current song's info on stage or at rehearsals and switch to the next song by MIDI or manually.
Demo version can be downloaded here: http://www.audio-evolution.com/ccount/click.php?id=80
On one hand, you can maintain your songs, set lists and performances and on the other hand you can 'play back' a performance: in this 'live' mode you will see the current and next song's title, artist, notes and additional settings like patch numbers or whatever you like. In addition to that, you can even let it show a blinking tempo bar with the correct tempo you have stored with the song! You can go to the next or previous song by pressing a button or...
You can even use the MIDI switching facility to go to the next and previous song! Connect a USB MIDI interface to your phone or tablet running Android 3.2 or higher, set your MIDI control change numbers in the preferences and switch songs from your floor controller!
Please use the free USB MIDI Monitor app to see if your USB MIDI interface is working before purchasing the app if you wish to use the MIDI switching facility. You can find a number of tested devices there as well.
Enter new songs in the app, import them from your friends or import CSV files that can be easily made on desktops.
This is the template files for CSV:
http://www.audio-evolution.com/downloads/SetList.csv
You can also use this Excel sheet and then export to CSV in Excel:
http://www.audio-evolution.com/downloads/SetList.xls
We appreciate any feedback!! Please report any bugs or wishes by email instead of writing negative reviews!


Toby Krebs

Apple has all the good stuff for music apps. Thanks Elantric!

pedwards2932

#31
I found an android app that works pretty good called MobileSheets .  Mainly for organizing music sheets....making setlists etc....don't think it has any midi out features.  here is a link that gives the info:  http://www.zubersoft.com/mobilesheets/about.html   I haven't used it in a live situation yet but I am loading all my cheat sheets to it now for the next gig.  I am going to put my patch settings on the cheat sheet so I can manually set the GR55.  It also works with either a usb or air pedal to change pages......I try to keep everything on one page but this may open up a way to expand my horizons.  Only need to get a mic stand holder for my tablet.  Forgot to mention it costs $8.99......not bad for what it does

Toby Krebs

Thanks pedwards2932. I am really just wanting to get rid of my 5 Real Books-7 books of charts for pop tunes and another 3 or 4 binders of lyrics. Not being able to switch patches from it is not a deal breaker.

cooltouch

If you've ever used the Real Book in one or more of its various forms or iterations, then you probably know that having a version on your iOS device (assuming you own one) would be pretty handy.

I ran across a thread on the iReal Pro app over at the Jazz Guitar Forum last night and have been reading up on it since, which caused me to run across the iGigBook app, which subsequently caused me to run across several more as I browsed through the iTunes library. After reading through the descriptions on the various apps, it appears that most of them are readers, kind of like a Kindle, but with a tempo I guess.

Apparently the iReal Pro will play the charts, but with no melodies. The iGigBook, I'm not sure about. In the description, it mentions at one point that the user can input notes, so this makes me think that it offers playback as well, but with a melody option as long as it's supplied by the end user. iGigBook also sells for almost twice what iReal Pro sells for. $14.99 vs $7.99.

Some of the other apps include:

Sheet Music Direct for iPad, by Hal Leonard Co. This is a free app that includes 15 free songs, but it's set up so you can buy what you need from Hal Leonard. It will also accept .pdfs from the user's personal library. Playback is straight MIDI. I wonder, does it provide playback even for the uploaded .pdf's or only from the tunes bought from HLC?

The unrealBook by Aron Nelson. This app seems mostly to be about storing and accessing your music files. However it does mention that it has a "built in music player", but it sounds as if it's used most for preview.

Calypso Score -- sheet music & fakebook organizer by iMobilTec: Again this seems to be mostly about storing, organizing, and retrieving scores, but it does mention that it can play them back.

RealTunes by Anthony Byrne: This is a sheet music reader that comes with only a few tunes, but includes indexes by title and composer for the Real BOok CD-ROM series. But no pdf's. You can input your own or d/l the pdf's from elsewhere. It states that you can view and listen to your tunes, so it must have some sort of playback capability.

BandMaster HD by RoGame Software (clever!): This one is sort of the opposite from the others. It's set up to provide excellent sounding playback and comes with templates that make song generation easy (or so the authors claim). Sounds like a good app for woodshedding. Over 1100 Realbook tunes are available as in-app purchases, which are available in three sets. But I could find no pricing information on the sets.

So, have you had the chance to use any of these? Seems like most are in the $6 to $8 range, so affordable, at least. But less so if I had to buy all seven. Which is where I'm hoping somebody here can help out by adding their experiences.

I reckon I'll spring for a couple of them, give them a try, and I'll report back on my impressions.



Best,
Michael

howiep

HI - could you help me out by telling me the midi metadata to put into onsong to get the GR55 to change patch - am struggling with that (and maybe the GR55 settings!).

many thanks,
H

Elantric

#35
QuoteHI - could you help me out by telling me the midi metadata to put into onsong to get the GR55 to change patch - am struggling with that (and maybe the GR55 settings!).

Contact members concordal or litesnsirens - as they have more experience with using  OnSong to control GR-55 via MIDI

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8852.msg63534#msg63534
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8648.msg63524#msg63524

Most here find SetistMaker more useful
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9090.msg76653#msg76653

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9954.msg71572#msg71572

carsonics

In the past I've automated all my guitar effects changes via laptop that fired everything in real time per sequence so I didn't have to mess with a computer on stage.  Guess I'm old school - I don't want to mess with technology on stage if it's noticeable besides using the standard floor guitar pedals/controllers.  You can also just put your song lists in order on your guitar MXF or the GT-55 for a less technical solution (it's the same thing as pushing a button or screen on an Ipad).  I notice some musicians are taking Ipads on stage these days - I'm not in favor of that trend.  I went to an audition for this band and everyone had Ipad stands and Iphones to control everything and I thought it was ridiculous!  Keyboard players have been doing that for a long time because they're behind immovable rigs and have to change many sounds instantly.  But guitarists are more out front and performing more in relation to the audience and I think all the gadgets on stage takes away from that.  In the past guitarist's tech changes were fired offstage by guitar techs or automation and I think there's a reason for that.  I still think simplicity is the most elegant solution. 

Toby Krebs

My regular trio just had to let a bass player go who toiled away with his I-Pad on stage trying to read the changes to the songs from our 400 plus song list.He never learned any of it. Never  retained even the key the songs were in after playing them many times. We don't use set lists we play "audibles" and /or will play anything the audience shouts out or requests. It's all done on the fly and has worked for us for over 20 years. No other band in my town does this. It's a pain but challenging and fun most of the time. I am seeing fewer I-pads these days as many pros here have tried it and found it to be even slower than just committing chord changes/lyrics etc...to memory. That's old school!

sean_b

#38
Guys, any users out there using ipads to read lyrics and music? whats your thoughts on them. i am now slipping between 1,2,3 and 5 piece band work and now have so many books with tabs and stuff. does the ipad really help with this, easy to read, do they scroll or can i control scrollling?

cheers
sean b

Elantric

#39
Unreal book is here - but i had a confusion on how to load my own tabs / charts - my copy of unReal book has tons of charts for old jazz standards
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unrealbook/id370135173?mt=8



Many here use an app called Setlistmaker

I'vetried most and Setlistmaker is the best.

http://www.arlomedia.com/apps/setlistmaker/main/home.html



https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9090.0

bbob

#40
Quote from:  sean_b on May 07, 2014, 07:00:40 AM
does the ipad really help with this

Yes

Quote from:  sean_b on May 07, 2014, 07:00:40 AM
easy to read,

Yes, on my iPad 2 larger screen than the iPad mini

Quote from:  sean_b on May 07, 2014, 07:00:40 AM
do they scroll or can i control scrollling?

Yes, you can use the Air Turn pedal to accomplish this.

I have used OnSong for several years.  Don't have experience with any of the other apps out there.  And I am not using the app to change GR-55 patches or anything like that.  OnSong has a lot of features I don't use and they are constantly improving it.  It sure does beat having a manila folder stuffed with sheets of music falling off the music stand or a ring binder.

Bob

mbenigni

#41
I'm still looking for the "killer app" for this sort of thing, and I haven't found anything that quite fits my needs.  I have Setlistmaker and I guess I'm in the minority, but I don't really like the workflow or UI very much.  It's a little finicky in terms of what can be attached/accessed from where, and I personally don't find it all that intuitive.  It can also get surprisingly costly with all the IAPs.

What I need is an app with a really straightforward UI that will let me attach/create/photograph a pile of documents (photos, PDFs, Word, text, etc.) and convert them as needed so that I can subsequently organize them, search through them, and (key point) annotate them with both onscreen keyboard and touch/stylus.  Being able to associate MP3's with documents for reference would be nice, but it's not crucial, and I know I'm not likely to get this from a general-purpose app, so insisting on the feature would narrow the field significantly.

So far the closest thing I've found to a win is an app called Penultimate.  Unfortunately, the Penultimate business model is all about selling their stylus.  (The app is free and it's plain that a lot of development went into it.)  As such, there's no on-screen keyboard, and I can't realistically notate everything on the fly with a stylus; the iPad just isn't that great for that kind of input IMO.  Besides, after 30 years behind keyboards, my handwriting is atrocious.  :)

Still, it's pretty cool to call up staff paper stationary and drop notes with your fingertip, etc.  If they'd round out the package with typing, it would be perfect for taking notes on the fly during rehearsals.

photonutalan1

#42
I, too, use OnSong for this purpose, and find it extremely flexible as to types of documents it can import, as well as simply typing into the app. Transposition is easy, and pages can be turned by either using a pedal, or by setting internal scroll speed. I have SetListMaker, and it is a good program also, but for my purposes, OnSong fills the bill.

Tonemasterus

#43
Elantric,

I moved over to unreal book because I was having problems with setlistmaker and midi(it would bounce me out of tuning on my kemper). So far with unreal book things are flowing well.  Have you had any experience with the unreal book app?

Dave

Elantric

#44
I'm happy with Setlistmaker - but thats me

Unreal book is here - but i had a confusion on how to load my own tabs / charts - my copy of unReal book has tons of charts for old jazz standards
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unrealbook/id370135173?mt=8

mbenigni

#45
Unreal Book looks promising.  Dave, maybe you can answer these questions for me before I shell out the $7:

- Can you add a new page just by taking a photo of a physical document?
- Can you annotate documents with text by typing on an on-screen keyboard?  (I see there's annotation by touch, which is good for some things, not so good for others.)
- Can you create a new document (e.g. lyric and chord chart) from scratch by typing, as you would with a text editor?  Or can you import a similar file that you've created in the iOS notepad app?

Tonemasterus

#46
You can import new files by "open in" via file hub or email, or thru itunes.  I haven't tried to create one from scratch inside the app but will attempt to do so after dinner!  I have been able to add text and highlighting.  Ii will be back later with more info!

Dave

Tonemasterus

#47
Good news yes you can add new by just entering text, and photo to pdf.

The only thing with unrealbook is that it uses the hexidecimal midi so I had to make a chart for me for program change and if someone needs it just ask.

Dave

Elantric

#48
gustavo_5 wrote>



https://unrealbook.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/294959-how-to-create-midi-strings-to-switch-banks-program

Regards..

How to create MIDI strings to switch banks/programs

unrealBook uses HEX for the MIDI strings. You are probably familiar with decimal (0-9,10 etc). Hex is just another way to describe a number. Luckily you can easily convert to hex using google (just type in 64 as hex) or a decimal to hex converter.
http://www.binaryhexconverter.com/decimal-to-hex-converter


Hex is just another way to describe a number. Decimal and hex cannot be mixed in unrealBook.
Read about decimal and hex here.
http://www.mathsisfun.com/binary-decimal-hexadecimal.html

Decimal 127 = HEX 7F

Reference this article for how to switch banks using bank select/program change.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~jgglatt/tutr/bank.htm

The basic idea is write your MIDI codes as hex.

A full MIDI Bank select looks like this in hex:

B0 00 51   MSB (Coarse) Bank select
B0 20 01   LSB (Fine) Bank select
C0 42


In unrealBook, you can simply type in:

B0 00 51
B0 20 01
C0 42


But what parts matter? Take a look at this:

B0 00 xx
B0 20 yy
C0 zz

In this case xx is the "coarse" bank select number (MSB)
yy is the "fine" bank select number (LSB)
zz is the program change number.

These are the only numbers you need to be concerned with.
So let's say in HEX xx should 65, yy should be 51 and zz should be 5

B0 00 65
B0 20 51
C0 5

What if xx is 77 decimal, yy is 34 decimal and zz is 127 decimal?
Use a decimal to hex converter to get the 3 values.

77 decimal is 4D hex
34 decimal is 22 hex
127 decimal is 7F hex

So the string now looks like:

B0 00 4D
B0 20 22
C0 7F

The Motif ES uses either 0, 127 or 63 for the MSB (first string).
http://www.motifator.com/index.php/support/view/bank_select_and_program_change_motif_es
decimal 0 is hex 0
decimal 127 is hex 7F
decimal 63 is hex 3F

According to the Motif ES MIDI chart,

a GM voice is MSB 0, LSB 0 and and program change (0..127)

B0 00 00
B0 20 00
C0 01 <- would dial up the 2nd program since it is zero based (0 is the first program)

GM drums are MSB 127, LSB 0

B0 00 00
B0 20 7F
C0 00 <- would dial up the 1st drum since it is zero based (0 is the first program)

Preset bank 6 is MSB 63 and LSB 5

B0 00 3F <- 3F hex is decimal 63
B0 20 5 <- 5 hex is decimal 5
C0 00 <- would dial up the 1st drum since it is zero based (0 is the first program)

What if you just needed to send a program change?

C0 zz

where zz is the program change number.

To recap, if your values are already in hex, just use the hex number. If they are in decimal, then just use a decimal to hex converter and then use that hex value for your MIDI strings.

https://unrealbook.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/294959-how-to-create-midi-strings-to-switch-banks-program

Elantric

http://www.diystompboxes.com/wpress/

unrealBook 1.94 is available.
Posted by aron on 18 Dec 2013 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
unrealBook 1.94 is available with iRig Blueboard support. This cool 4 button wireless pedal will allow you to turn pages, start/stop your music, bring up searching functions wirelessly. There are 2 modes – program mode and control mode. In program mode – the buttons are preset in function for unrealBook. In control mode, the buttons can be completely programmed for function! Just set each button to one of the following controller numbers:

Controller number – function

0 – Find popup
1 – Pause/Continue music player
2 – Prev Page
3 – Next Page
4 – Set List song popup
5 – Goto menu
6 – Do menu
7 – Quick Panel



See the companion app "NextSong"

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nextsong/id417356305?mt=8

NextSong is a Bluetooth controlled Music Player. Use this with a foot controller like the Airturn BT-105 or any compatible Bluetooth foot switch. NextSong is simple and easy to use on stage. Use it to play backing tracks that are in your iPod, iPhone or even iPad. Now a tap of the foot can control playback and song selection!

http://www.diystompboxes.com/nextsong/