iPad as a "digital music stand"

[MLimtiaco]

Last night I test drove the idea of using the iPad as a digital music stand. I arrange music for and play in the Emerald City Jazz Orchestra in Seattle WA. So I created PDFs of the music, copied them to the iPad, and used GoodReader to view them on our monthly gig last night.

Since the iPad is a little smaller than a standard sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper, I expected to have some trouble reading the parts. We also use old-style "sax fronts" for music stands, which put the reading area further from your eyes. However, the bright, crisp display made that job easier.

When the gig started, I hadn't thought to turn off the automatic sleep function, so I had to remind myself to tap the screen every once in awhile to reset the timer. Page turns were a minor problem - when you have both hands on a baritone saxophone, you don't have a free finger to tap the screen! There are page layout workarounds for that which I didn't try for this test.

Generally, GoodReader was easy enough to use for this purpose, although I never seemed to get the number of taps right when trying to bring the controls back onscreen (I believe it's three-fingers, double-tap).

I think the iPad can work as a digital music stand if you can get it closer to your eyes. Next time I'll use a standard-height music stand and see if that makes a difference. I've also seen that RAM Mounts is coming out with an iPad holder. If there's a clamp that can mount to a standard mike stand, then you'd have a great setup. Might take some more research!

 

[Adcox]

Go to (criskenna.com) it seems to be a nice one.

 

[MattIM]

Thank You for Suggesting Good Reader To View

Music scores. I use MusicReader. This iPad app is one half of the program. The other half is in your PC where you can convert your hardcopy music into a PDF format that you download to your MusicReader iPad app. I am a chorus singer and the iPad is slightly smaller than octavo sized music. I have done away with folders of music.

My choir director thought I was surfing the web during rehearsal until I showed him. Now he is getting an iPad to manage not only what the choir sings but all of the other music he uses during performances.

But I can see how easy GoodReader would be in quickly viewing files. This app was just updated today. The update gives the ability to mark and note PDF files and save the changes for viewing later.

 

[Hasty]

Have a mad image of you playing your sax with a pointer taped to your nose and an occasional nod at the pad.......

 

[Bluesjam]

Good work, I really like it when someone does something good.

 

[MLimtiaco]

I haven't used the iPad as a digital music stand since that time, but everyone I've mentioned it to on gigs thinks it's a very interesting idea.

The biggest technical hurdle to overcome is page layout - you have to set up the music so that extended rests occur right before you have to turn a page.

Another idea is to lay the page out in landscape mode, like most marching band music. That doesn't necessarily fix the page layout issue, but it could give you larger staves and notes, which makes for easier reading.

I might try it again if I have time to edit the music this way. Someone did recommend building a Rube Goldberg machine that, on tapping a footswitch, would poke a mannequin finger onto the iPad screen for me...

 

[Adcox]

I might try it again if I have time to edit the music this way. Someone did recommend building a Rube Goldberg machine that, on tapping a footswitch, would poke a mannequin finger onto the iPad screen for me...

Here's a bluetooth solution for you. mannequin not included..

AirTurn BT-105 – the foot-pedal Bluetooth page turner for your iPad or e-reader

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siWJuJPGeeI&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - A First Look at the AirTurn Bluetooth iPad Page Turner Prototype[/ame]

 

[MLimtiaco]

That Bluetooth page turner is pretty slick. I'd still want the iPad mounted on its own stand so I could position it exactly where I want it, and the "standard" size of sheet music still displays too small for easy reading IMO.

 

[tmc665]

iPad Music Stand

Check out the Xclip at (criskenna.com)
It's the best I've seen and a great price! I love mine!

 

[iPadCharlie]

They don't use iPads, but the Borromeo String Quartet uses MBP's for their music stands!

 

[GuitarHero]

I don't know if anybody is still interested in this thread, it's been stale for a while.
I have tested a bunch of iPad readers and the one that really sticks out in my mind is iRollMusic (can't post links yet).
For me as a classical guitarist it works really well because my hands can rarely leave the instrument and the app's got a pretty nifty page turning mechanism built in.

 

[comet4848]

Old thread but thought you would appreciate the new mic stand I found. It is a case and a mount. Gig Mount from mygoflight.com

 

[approtech]

One way to get round the screen size issue (albeit with more kit and less elegance!) would be Airplay to an Apple TV and a cheap 15 - 19 inch TV set with HDMI input. Then you could probably downgrade the iPad to an iPod Touch...!