[scientit]

I read it quite often in the forums that it is planned to enhance MIDI functionality. I want to use this thread to make some further suggestions for the enhancement of the app's MIDI functionalities.

1) MIDI/Click sync
For someone who controls light shows, tap delays or synth oscillators all from one spot, this would be great.

2) Fire MIDI events after a certain amount of clicks
For me who controls a lightshow via MobileSheets, Cubase and DMXIS, I could simply skip Cubase and send MIDI signals to trigger a light event directly from MobileSheets to DMXIS.

3) Add more MobileSheets events on which MIDI notes can be fired
In addition to "load song when note is received" and "send note when song is loaded", I would love to see more events on which to fire midi notes, such as:
- "send note when song is unloaded" or even better: decide between jumped to previous or to next song
- "jump to next/previous song when note is received"
- "send note when click is started"
- "start click when note is received"
... and more with scrolling functionality etc.

What do you guys think about this?
Is anything planned on these above and will be implemented in the near future?

Cheers!

[GraemeJ]

What do you guys think about this?

Although you have been very inventive (as evidenced by your other post re controlling lights) I think you have somewhat lost sight of the real purpose of this app.

[scientit]

Well, what purpose does MIDI control in MobileSheets have if not communicating with or controlling other MIDI devices? If I am wrong here, the alternative would be to completely get rid of MIDI functionality, if this is not "the real purpose of this app".

[GraemeJ]

Quite honestly, I would never have included any midi to start with. All that addtional coding only tends to complicate design. However, Mike did so at the request of a few users.

Never the less, this is primarily a Sheet Music Reader, not a full-blown midi controller. My concern (which I have voiced in the past) is that a useful program gets so overloaded with additional 'features' - until it reaches a point where the original purpose is compromised.

[NeoCZ]

I use MIDI to control my keyboards - I load a song and proper program/setup is loaded via MIDI command. I also would like to be able to control basic MS functions (page turn, activating link points, etc.) from my keyboard via MIDI and Mike has stated he has this improvement in his roadmap for MS. So I must say MIDI is important part of MS for me. I don't know what is the difference is between this and what Scientit is asking for from Mike's point of view, is it's harder to add or not.

[Zubersoft]

The MIDI functionality is pretty isolated and doesn't impact the core functionality of viewing scores and managing the library, so I personally think it has only added value for a lot of users. I do respect what Graeme is saying which is why I try to push back when features start getting a little too crazy and could potentially impact any of the core functionality. I do have improvements for MIDI planned, such as being able to trigger actions when MIDI commands are received. This is a feature that will be useful to those that rely on MIDI without having any impact on those that don't (most users won't even know it's available).

scientit, as for what you've requested, I have been looking into the MIDI clock (it was requested here http://zubersoft.com/mobilesheets/forum/...ight=clock), but I'm not sure how well it will work, or if I even understand fully how to implement it. It seems like I have to send non-stop MIDI messages to the device to sync the timing, and this may have consequences on things like power consumption/battery life and performance/CPU usage. The other things you've requested seem to be very specific to the way you are working. Each one would require an investment of development time (new user interfaces, translations for those new UIs, implementation and testing, etc), and I'm not really sure how many people it would benefit as you are the first to request those kinds of things. Unless I get a lot more feedback that those kinds of features are needed by other users, I'm going to have to direct my attention to other enhancements that I get a lot more requests for, as it would benefit a larger pool of users. If I run out of higher priority things to work on, I absolutely can consider these things in the future.

Mike

[scientit]

Thanks, Mike, for your consideration. I can absolutely see the point of prioritizing things that are requested by more users and appreciate it.

I simply wanted to plant a little seed in your heads how to make this app even more powerful than it already is. Keeping in mind that MobileSheets has all the basic MIDI functionalities already implemented, I see great potential in the musicians market to have a single app to control everything on the "backstage" for an entire gig with just some midi commands. To the best of my knowledge, there is no app on the market yet which is able to fill this gap. MobileSheets, however, has the greatest potential to do so. And speaking for myself, I would defintely pay for it (in addition to the basic MSP functionalities).

If I could prioritize my suggestions, I would definitely consider "send midi commands after X clicks" to bring the greatest benefit. Imagine you play two synths and right within the song, you need another sound on one of those. Or if you are a guitarist using a multi-fx board who needs to switch between clean and distorted sound within one song. MobileSheets can do it for you, so you can fully concentrate on you stage performance. The second highest priority, I would assign to more MS events for MIDI send/receive.

Concerning the click to MIDI clock... I don't know if you really need to send MIDI signals continously. As you already mentione, this will most likely strain resources. From what I know about tap delays etc. is that you need a sequence of at least two 'inputs' (e.g. taps on the delay button or MIDI signals), so the processor calculates the delay speed based on the distance between these two. Hence, if you load a song in MS, I guess you can simply send two MIDI signals with a certain delay based on the song's tempo setting in between and the MIDI receiver will understand it. I'm not quite sure if this will do it, though. But using a MIDI pedal for controlling for example a guitar rack effect, tapping on a button twice also does the job of setting the correct delay time. For me, however, MIDI clock would be the least important thing to implement 

Cheers!

[domgi]

One good reason for more MIDI implementation would be to be able to use those 4 buttons pedalboards... there is at least two that I can think of:
Line 6's FBV Express (USB) and IK Multimedia's IRig Blueboard (Bluetooth) that both use an app to convert the pedals signals into MIDI for whatever we want to control... isn't that interesting?

[NeoCZ]

If I'm not mistaken, FBV express doesn't use an app to convert signals into MIDI, it sends MIDI data itself, you just use the app to configure what type of MIDI messages are sent. iRig Blueboad seems to have different behaviour and works as you described.

[domgi]

If I'm not mistaken, FBV express doesn't use an app to convert signals into MIDI, it sends MIDI data itself, you just use the app to configure what type of MIDI messages are sent.  iRig Blueboad seems to have different behaviour and works as you described.

I can confirm after buying IK Multimedia iRig BlueTurn AND BlueBoard that they don't work in Windows...
The confusion (or hope) came with the "windows" program to update firmware... so you can do that on a PC but then there is no way you can pair the device in the system!
I got a credit when returning the stuff so I think I will Buy AirTurn products from the same store.
I thought I could have a 4 pedal device that looks nice for under 200$ but that was a dream!