Just a heads up, that Aron has released version 1.5 which I have got to say is superb!!!

Also some more BIG news re a new version coming soon too

Dennis

Just downloaded the new version last night...Pretty Sweet. Aron is a great guy spoke to him several times.

OMG! Linked charts and MP3 files..!

Hopefully a transposing MP3 player in future (or can that already be set up?). It would be a hassle if the chart and the MP3 were in different keys.

iPad already has MIDI capabilities. Any chance of a MIDI file player with transpose, tempo offsets and Mark/Jump (at next bar), too?

Mark/Jump for MP3 would be useful, too. Tough to pull off in tempo, though.

Thanks for the link. Hadn't seen this one yet.

Dennis, thanks for the heads up on the latest update for UnRealBook. I just launched iTunes now (1st time in almost a week) and found not only the update for UnRealBook waiting, but updates for 25 other apps as well.
Looking forward to checking out all the new features of UnRealBook plus the ones in the 25 other apps as well.

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for info on the new unRealBook update. Aron is the best!
Wally

Well the new release (after 1.5) will be to do with MIDI

Now whilst the iPAd does have native MIDI support, you DO have to buy either a Line 6 Midi Mobiliser hardware device - http://line6.com/midimobilizer/ or the Apple iPad camera kit - http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A?fnode=MTc0MjU4NjE&mco=MTcyMTgxODY and then attach a USB midi interface of your choice to that.

I actually have both. My preference is to use the Camera Kit and the Edirol UM1-SX midi interface.

There is a list of iPad Camera Kit compatible midi interfaces here : http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/11/26/ipad-compatible-midi-devices/

There is a new device coming: http://www.iconnectmidi.com/node/4 but it will not be ready for some time.

When I hear more I will let you guys know, seeing as how you are interested

Dennis

As MIDI on the iPad gets more popular, I expect to see a MIDI interface that simply plugs straight in...

But, unless it can be linked to Mark/Jump and transpose, Minus One things, stuff like that, it seems that MP3's are the better option (get REAL guitar on your tracks instead of fake ones!).

Can the linked MP3 player do transpose, yet?

Well to tell the truth Diki, as the Apple interface is a proprietary one, I would not expect to see too many too soon!!!

Line 6, and iConnect have negotiated special concessions from Apple to use it.

The iPad Camera Connection kit which is really only converting the iPad dock into a USB port is the way to go. Cheap and it works with a lot of devices.

The only other one could be the iConnect which looks a seriously good bit of kit, in my view, but they are still quite a ways from market.

m8, you are nto really thinking this through....you can for example (and as you know) send via midi, a message to load any one of 144 UPS's on the G70...

Ergo, you can have 144 chord charts, song instruction charts, sheesh even just pics embedded in a PDF but you can have a stored MIDI file on the iPad, auto transmit the UPS load data to the G70 the instant that chart or whatever it is is loaded onto the iPad.

Imagine, someone asks for a request that may not be on the playlist, you just navigate to it on Unrealbook, select it, and presto, the G70 is setup ready to play it.

Whether it be a style, or a UPS with a linked SMF.

That is how I plan to use it on the PA2X, except on the PA2x I can have up to 9999 songs in the Songbook with selection numbers (these are embedded in the SMF), plus the PA can have linked either a Style, on-board SMF or an MP3.

Its like having a near 10,000 song library with EVERY song all pre-set up on the PA2 hard drive.....

When the beta goes public I will take a little video of it all working...

For a live OMB performer it really is a super system...be good for bandies as well

Dennis

If I can have USB running at the same time as MIDI, I can send the entire UPS (or at least the right UPG) data to the G70, removing the need for it to be in the G70 in the first place!

Pretty heady stuff.

You still haven't said whether there's a transposing MP3 player, though...

Oh sorry, no, it just loads up the MP3 that is stored. It is just a basic player. But then most folks using backing mp3's already have them st to the correct key. And MIDI file transpose can be done on the actual keyboard and not the iPad midi.


(Oh and another apology, I WAS talking about UPGs Diki, not UPSs, my bad!) The system allows a user to select from 1-144 Why Roland did not allow a user to be able to select ANY UPG and instead restrict it to 144 is anyones guess!

Essentially the system will allow a user to store "Control Change- or Keyboard Setup" data midis.

I am about to run the beta through it's paces so I will keep you advised.

Dennis

With unlimited UPG's in the memory, not sure how they COULD do that Dennis.

50MB SSHD and 2GB hanging off the card slot, that's a LOT of immediately available UPG's! It's a somewhat different system to Korg and Yamaha. Better in some ways, perhaps not so much in this one area...

If the program can send a USB file (I think the iConnect interface looked like it had MIDI and USB ports) I think that can become the current UPG... That's how the Session Manager software does it, I think.

Be nice if it could do some Garage Band stuff too... synced audio grooves while the MIDI or MP3 plays, under player touch control.

I think we are only beginning to scratch the surface of what this little devil can do!

Yeah m8, totally agree...The more I delve into this stuff the better it gets.

I am even going to map out some controllers for the iPad AND the new Groove XR Rack Lionstracs is previewing at Musik Messe...

Maybe even load up the Korg IMS20 app

I think I will be heading the iConnect way too..As I said it looks like a super bit of kit, and yes you are correct it DOES have MIDI and USB ports...

But short-term, the Apple Camera Connect and Edirol I/F will suffice.

Dennis

Been running the beta for a couple of days now. I want to say I could not be happier with the result.

This app, in particular for gigging players who use charts either full time or for prompting only, is perfect.

Of course it does not have ALL the bells and whistles of some rather more expensive programs, for live play it is perfect.

It is quick, reliable, works with the Blue-Tooth page turning pedal, has song lists, can link backing mp3's to charts, can sort charts, you can annotate charts, highlight passages....plus more features that I don't actually use myself.

The latest feature (and one I have been sweating on) is the ability to now link a control smf to a chart.

To explain, this is NOT a smf that is actually a song, it is merely a sequence of controller messages that tell my keyboard what particular songbook entry to load when the chart is loaded on the iPad.

As I have said before for the Korg, this can be up to 9999 songs.

On Rolands, which can also have UPS files selected via MIDI, this is 144 songs, although a user can manually load further UPG's (which contain 144 setups).

I am not sure if Yamahas can have a registration/Music Finder entry selected via midi??

And all of this for.....$5.99

Super!!!

Dennis

PS: I WAS going to do a small vid of it working, but I think from the above you get a good idea of what it does.

So now if I get a request that is not on my playlist for that set, I simply tap SONGS on the app, select the song chart, and the PA2 is immediately (and I mean immediately!!) loaded ready to play it....

This is good stuff, guys. I'm just now investigating this stuff, but haven't tried anything. Keep up the iPad info.

+1

+2
Dennis should be working for Apple

Larry , no not really. I just use whatever is the best for me at the time.

For example I am already looking at the new Motorola XOOM, being released soon. A 10" tablet running on Android...

At this stage I don't really consider it a serious contender, but it never hurts to keep options (and eyes!!) open

It looks pretty good so far, really depends on the Android apps available.

Dennis

Miden did that Cyclone effect you in any way ...it looks bad on the news?

Donny, firstly Dennis is the name

And no it was way up in north Queensland....about 3000ks away.

Yes it was about the same strength as your Hurricane Katrina. It was bad for a couple of small towns, but luckily (and I use that term loosely!!) around those towns is mostly National Parks and State Forests. Had it crossed the coast a bit further north (Cairns) or a bit further south (Townsville) the devastation would have been the same as for New Orleans, albeit with a smaller population.

Dennis

If you have an iPad you may want to check out Gig Book by Deep Dish, Mikey Maestro told me about it and although unReal book is my go to App for the iPad the GigBook is an alternative. Mikey thanks for the tip!

Deep Dish Gig Book

No matter which app you use, I'm finding this stand for ipad a good solution.
iKlip

Yep got that one too

No linking of MP3 files, no MIDI support. And I did ask the developers and they said those things would not be coming anytime soon.

Still a great app, but this one (Gigbook) is more a pure chart reader only.

Also folks, check out another little app I found...
OnSong for iOS

Looks pretty neat too as it allows the direct importing of all those thousands of charts in Chordpro format...You know with the lyrics typed onto a sheet with the chord inserted above the line where it is played...as well as reading .doc, TXT and PDF's

Looks alright I reckon