A (Sheet) Music Reader

RWood · 01-21-2007, 04:27 PM

FreeHand Music ofers a 12.1" backlit LCD dedicated sheet music reader called the MusicPad Pro that retails for $1,199. Weighing about 4 lbs and with a resolution of 1024 x 768, the MusicPad Pro also has a jack that connects a foot pedal for turning the pages. They also have an online store that offers almost 90,000 digital music scores. It looks a lot like a large sized Sony or iLaid reader (but without the e-ink screen.)

g.m. caryland · 01-22-2007, 05:09 AM

in a news article (06/06/2006) on the Plasic Logic website is something written about digital music score using flexible display technology. Unfortunately till now I could not find any further information about this. Does anybody know where to get some more information?

thank you ...

Bob Russell · 01-22-2007, 06:30 AM

Here's a previous article on it, but I don't think it adds much...
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6860

Hadrien · 01-22-2007, 10:03 AM

LaTeX handles music sheets quite well, so it would be possible to add support for this on the Sony and iRex. The only real problem is that, whit music, you'd better refresh the page really fast, and you can't always use your hands. Maybe that's what the iRiver double screen is for ?

UncleDuke · 01-22-2007, 11:40 AM

Maybe we can get a foot pedal or a wireless remote for the Sony.

g.m. caryland · 01-24-2007, 08:52 AM

a foot-switch for turning the pages was great. The reader's screen is large enough for one strophe at least. If the reader would process MIDI data it could be placed into an effects gear gain and pages would get turned automaticaly at the right song position.

mbmleone · 04-12-2008, 11:33 AM

There is also an alternative system available called MusicReader. This is software that runs on standard Tablet PCs, laptops and desktops. This digital music stand is currently only available for Windows.

Alisa · 04-12-2008, 09:45 PM

That makes more sense. I bet more people would be willing to buy software and maybe some sort of remote they could use with a regular tablet PC than a special tablet just for music that offers no other real benefits.

mbmleone · 05-27-2008, 05:04 AM

I agree, general devices like Tablet PCs are more likely to be the future. You already see this development in smartphones, everything is integrated into one device. A device like the MPP doesn't make sense in such a development.

astrodad · 05-27-2008, 03:23 PM

Man I built one of these about 8 years ago using Adobe PDF, a MIDI guitar board, and about 300 lines of code! I should have sold them and made some money. This is a major rip-off. A DIY-er could pull this product off in about one weekend.

astrodad · 05-27-2008, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleDuke

Maybe we can get a foot pedal or a wireless remote for the Sony.

Now that is a good idea, especially when you're all cozy under your covers and the book is sitting on your chest.

Once the new firmware (and flasher) are out, this probably won't be too bad, especially utilizing the USB port to interface with some kind of mouse driver.

mbmleone · 05-30-2008, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jplumey

Man I built one of these about 8 years ago using Adobe PDF, a MIDI guitar board, and about 300 lines of code! I should have sold them and made some money. This is a major rip-off. A DIY-er could pull this product off in about one weekend.

The very basic features are indeed possible with Adobe PDF, but MusicReader goes further then that, it has a lot of additional functions which are not possible with PDF. It's by the way the result of a large research project on a university. The user interface for example is designed for Tablet PCs and touch screens.
I don't now if you tried the software, but perhaps you should try the evaluation version.

HarryT · 05-30-2008, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbmleone

The very basic features are indeed possible with Adobe PDF, but MusicReader goes further then that, it has a lot of additional functions which are not possible with PDF. It's by the way the result of a large research project on a university. The user interface for example is designed for Tablet PCs and touch screens.
I don't now if you tried the software, but perhaps you should try the evaluation version.

The key question, though, is how much music is actually available for it. It's no use buying that kind of thing unless the music that you actually want to play is available for it!

astrodad · 05-30-2008, 02:36 PM

Here are some of the specs/features. My little device did all of this using PDF, except the touchscreen aspect:

Quote:

Some of the things the seller claims that this device will allow you to do:
• Store your entire music library
• Download nearly 50,000 digital music scores already formatted for the MusicPad Pro Plus from www.sunhawk.com
• Scan your music library into a computer and then convert
• Annotate with zoom in and zoom out feature feature while writing
• Add or erase rehearsal marks and notations
• Personal on screen color notes
• Use an extensive library of notation symbols
• Text annotation via a virtual keyboard

I'm not saying it's a cool thing, believe me, I loved mine (it got totaled in a car crash), but it's expensive as heck. I still maintain that a dedicated DIYer can do this in a week at the most.

sanders · 06-02-2008, 04:24 AM

I've tried this with my iLiad, predominantly with my own music I compose using Sibelius and then print to PDF. I used to use LaTeX (MusixTeX) but as much as a LaTeX fan as I am, I'll have to admit a WYSIWYG music editor is much nicer for me.

The big problem is the page turning speed; when playing the piano you'll usually have a very small "window of opportunity" to turn pages, but perhaps the foot pedal trick would alleviate this somewhat. I know there are USB foot pedals (rather expensive) but maybe it's an interesting DIY project to hack one out of a mouse or something.

01-21-2007, 04:27 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	A (Sheet) Music Reader FreeHand Music ofers a 12.1" backlit LCD dedicated sheet music reader called the MusicPad Pro that retails for $1,199. Weighing about 4 lbs and with a resolution of 1024 x 768, the MusicPad Pro also has a jack that connects a foot pedal for turning the pages. They also have an online store that offers almost 90,000 digital music scores. It looks a lot like a large sized Sony or iLaid reader (but without the e-ink screen.)

01-22-2007, 05:09 AM	#2
g.m. caryland Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Germany Device: iRex iLiad	Digital Music Score (DMS) in a news article (06/06/2006) on the Plasic Logic website is something written about digital music score using flexible display technology. Unfortunately till now I could not find any further information about this. Does anybody know where to get some more information? thank you ...

04-12-2008, 11:33 AM	#7
mbmleone Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Lenovo x61 Tablet PC	Alternative There is also an alternative system available called MusicReader. This is software that runs on standard Tablet PCs, laptops and desktops. This digital music stand is currently only available for Windows.

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01-22-2007, 06:30 AM	#3
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Here's a previous article on it, but I don't think it adds much... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6860

01-22-2007, 10:03 AM	#4
Hadrien Feedbooks.com Co-Founder Posts: 2,263 Karma: 145123 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Paris, France Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad	LaTeX handles music sheets quite well, so it would be possible to add support for this on the Sony and iRex. The only real problem is that, whit music, you'd better refresh the page really fast, and you can't always use your hands. Maybe that's what the iRiver double screen is for ?

01-22-2007, 11:40 AM	#5
UncleDuke books & doughnuts Posts: 882 Karma: 37857 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: usa Device: sony reader, kindle2	Maybe we can get a foot pedal or a wireless remote for the Sony.

01-24-2007, 08:52 AM	#6
g.m. caryland Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Germany Device: iRex iLiad	a foot-switch for turning the pages was great. The reader's screen is large enough for one strophe at least. If the reader would process MIDI data it could be placed into an effects gear gain and pages would get turned automaticaly at the right song position.

04-12-2008, 09:45 PM	#8
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	That makes more sense. I bet more people would be willing to buy software and maybe some sort of remote they could use with a regular tablet PC than a special tablet just for music that offers no other real benefits.

05-27-2008, 05:04 AM	#9
mbmleone Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Lenovo x61 Tablet PC	I agree, general devices like Tablet PCs are more likely to be the future. You already see this development in smartphones, everything is integrated into one device. A device like the MPP doesn't make sense in such a development.

05-27-2008, 03:23 PM	#10
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	Man I built one of these about 8 years ago using Adobe PDF, a MIDI guitar board, and about 300 lines of code! I should have sold them and made some money. This is a major rip-off. A DIY-er could pull this product off in about one weekend.

06-02-2008, 04:24 AM	#15
sanders Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 918 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: iRex Iliad	I've tried this with my iLiad, predominantly with my own music I compose using Sibelius and then print to PDF. I used to use LaTeX (MusixTeX) but as much as a LaTeX fan as I am, I'll have to admit a WYSIWYG music editor is much nicer for me. The big problem is the page turning speed; when playing the piano you'll usually have a very small "window of opportunity" to turn pages, but perhaps the foot pedal trick would alleviate this somewhat. I know there are USB foot pedals (rather expensive) but maybe it's an interesting DIY project to hack one out of a mouse or something.

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