The ShadowMusic Web Community

Hope some of you can help, I'm after some advise as to which Computer Tablet to get for :- Backing Tracks, Lyrics, TAB reading, Set Lists etc. I'm loathed to go down the Apple route simply on the price and limited App selection ? Also which Apps anyone can recommend, and nay other advise would be welcome.

Many thanks
Mike Kilner

I'm just starting out on this path. I actually dislike seeing music stands and tablets on stage so I'm hoping a tablet can be subtly positioned on the floor where it will be fairly inconspicuous. Having said that, I think the largest screen size possible is needed so you can actually read it. However the bigger devices are expensive. I've bought a RCA Maven Pro, £119 from Asda and has Android OS and an 11.6" screen, just about big enough to read charts, lyrics etc. I'm trying MobileSheetsPro as the app to display the documents (there's a free version too but it has limited features). You can also link a Bluetooth page turner pedal for hands free use. I've started loading charts as PDFs plus a few backing tracks.

I haven't got very far and the learning curve is quite steep but it's promising!

Re tablets, I think there are 2 main software contenders, Apple and Android and you choose the tablet you want. I recently bought a Samsung A10 tablet and I have downloaded an app called Songer Pro. You load your tracks into the master song list and from there you can move tracks into one or more playlists which can be named and then you will have a list of playlists to choose from and they can be deleted if no longer needed or more playlists an be added.
I run a guitar club here in Bournemouth on similar lines to the Shadows clubs and several of us guitar players use the same app which is very easy to use. I don't know if you could get the guitar tabs on there. I've found 3 youtube videos which show you the features. The app costs about £5 and it's worth the money and worth consideration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwtJPBAv_4c&t=104s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjoEgabcAJk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWYWynw3n9M

Barry

I play at Barry's guitar club events and am a user of Songer Pro for my Mp3 files. However if it is Lyrics display that you are after then LyricPad is what I use, an excellent program, and you can also set it up to play Mp3's as backing tracks as welll, though if it's just BT's then Songer pro is probably slightly better, and for Lyrics the LyricPad app is a better choice, I run them both on an Acer 10" tablet.

Great time this afternoon incidentally Barry.

For the princely sum of £50 you can buy an Amazon Kindle. Add an extra £12 for an app called Set List Maker and you everything you need for scores, setlists, chord sheets, tabs & BTs.

I dislike music stands on stage as well so the Kindle, attached to a holder on my mike stand is ideal. The 7" screen is visible on stage under most lighting and the punters don't notice it or me reading it! For home rehearsal I also use an ASDA Bluetooth speaker (£10).

Hi Mike

At Warwick Club we use an iPad with special playout software for all our BTs. It works a treat and the system was set up by Jason Hill. PM him (jase) for details of how he works it.

Good to see you in Newcastle.

Cheers - Iain

Thanks a lot Ian - I'll send him a PM and get the lowdown on things. We had a great time up at the Tyneside event - made better by being in the company of great like minder people such as yourself and also meeting and spending time with Jim Nugent, fantastic weekend. Thanks to all involved for a magical time. Looking forward to next year. Cheers again Ian, Speak to you soon.

Regards
Mike Kilner

RogerCook wrote:I actually dislike seeing music stands and tablets on stage so I'm hoping a tablet can be subtly positioned on the floor where it will be fairly inconspicuous.

Music stands on the stage bar the view of the musicians, but tablets are, I think, a good compromise, more practical than any of these giant teleprompters on the floor.

For my backingtracks I use "Traktor DJ" on my iPad. Important for me: playback stops automatically at the end of the song. And the software is for free.

I would suggest having a look at an iPad with Stage Traxx, it has pre-cueing, lyric capability and quite a few other features.

https://stagetraxx.com

There are numerous advantages in terms of fluid operation for stage use, plus it’s been around quite a while and is fairly well proven.

Selection of the right software and its use can tend to be a bit of a “Marmite” choice, whilst some are very comfortable with using feature rich apps, others seem happier going for something more basic.

Regards

Gary

Hi Mike

At Warwick Shadows we’ve been using an IPad for a fair few years now. We are currently using the app One Track which works well for playing backing tracks on club afternoons. Unfortunately this app is no longer available from the App Store. There is a free alternative called one track mind which isn’t updated very often that can cause compatibility issues after updates. I think for a single performer stagetraxx as suggested by garystrat is a better option. I have no experience with Android apps but I’m sure if you went that way you will find apps that work equally well. I would suggest whether you go Apple or Android to invest in a few apps to do the job and see what works best for you.