For the guys that use sheet music onstage, check out my iPad app! Over the years I have created my charts in Sibelius and saved them as PDF. I’ve always wanted a device that I could carry with me to replace the multiple binders that I use for all of my gigs. I would have one binder per band and sometimes they would be rather large (3″ binders).
When the iPad came out, I knew that I wanted to write an app that would help me recall my charts onstage and allow me to create set lists.
Here is unrealBook. It allows you can easily find and load your PDF files and does a few things more. Since I have been using unrealBook, I have left my binders in a pile unused. I’m using unrealBook on my gigs and it’s great!!!!!!
They’re now available to pre-order in the UK.
wifi ver: £429, £499, £599
3G ver: £529, £599, £699.
I bought a new macbook about a year ago so can’t really justify dropping that sort of cash on a gadget -cool as it is. In fact I would probably have a hard time justifying that sort of purchase even if I was flush! 😉
The iPad is not that expensive as far as a musician item. Especially if you are a keyboard player. If you read charts on stage, it’s a very cool device. Plus, the battery life is amazing
unrealBook is designed for real use onstage.
unrealBook was developed for the working musician that wants to read music on stage. Since I play Jazz and pop/r&b, that’s where my bias lies. I will design it for use onstage for people like me.
If you look at the program for what it was designed to do, then you see why it works the way it does. Flashy animations do not help onstage and zoom does help if you want to fit a score on the page. In addition, it helps if you can search for the titles in the files you have added yourself.
Sequential stepping of set lists and a dedicated set list popup make it easy to go to the chart you want.
In addition, the way the bookmarks are implemented, large fake books and the like are easier to manage.
This is why I use my program and not another.
Aron
unrealBook 1.2 has been released. Tons of new features.
AWESOME! I just got hip to iPods about a week before they announced the iPad; this was the first utility I thought of when I heard of the iPad. I use a notebook computer for Sibelius-generated PDFs, but I have dropped it off my music stand a couple times. As a consequence, the USB ports are mangled and the case is cracked all over the place. This looks like the tool I have wanted for eons. Good job!
I just submitted version 1.2.5 with even more features. I have been using unrealBook for all of my gigs now. All of my sheet music is on there and no more binders.
I bought an iPad exclusively for this app. I’m a jazz musician that plays both alto and tenor saxes on my gigs, that has meant hauling at least 6 real books plus group specific binders to every gig. Until now. Obviously designed by a gigging musician, to be used by gigging musicians. Perfection.
I saw a sheet music display that held 10000s of pages for $999 at an online store. Yeah its kinda pricey, and I am going to assume that these people criticizing this and the investment probably don’t sight read std notation, and I know they have never played a concert when the wind was blowing and sheet music was fluttering all over the place from every member of the ensemble. I would assume they have never chased down a part for trumpet and picked it up only to see what you grabbed was in alto clef, and some poor schmuck has your part. With our stage band arrangements loaded with 1/16th notes, and 1/32nd notes a song starts to use lots of paper when written in 4to8 parts for just one instrument. This is the Satchmo part of me talking here, but guitar Eddie could usually care less about sheet music,LOL, JK but I never took part in winning a trophy against 50 other stage bands playing 6 string either.
Oh yeah Stage band was a Jazz ensemble comprised of the best of the best from every school in our district. Playing woodwinds can get you into even more trouble as most players I know/knew played 2 or more kinds of sax, clarinet, etc. The I Pad, and anything else that has a back lit screen is welcome to my aging eyes. I do not play trumpet as much anymore, but I keep my Schilke handy just in case. Unfortunately band was cut from my old school, and every couple months my surplus haunt gets more school instruments from schools canceling band and orchestra. Such is life~! Our school won 1st place several years running. I am really glad I did this stuff, as playing other instruments makes us better all around musicians.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Where were you 35 years ago man? LOL This beats a brief case, binders, and cloth’s pins all to heck. I use std notation over TAB for guitar even now, as many times I find the Tab is kinda wrong, but both are a plus, I suppose. This is just a killer app! KUDOS for this one!