Hi Andrew. I work with string quartets. The orchestra version of what I do would look like this:
(steps 2-9 need to be done on the same device - possibly a master device kept by the librarian)
1. For each piece, create a PDF with the conductor's score and all the parts
2. In MSP create a custom field for 'instrument' with each instrument as a field
3. Create a separate library for the conductor as well as for each instrument or group of instruments that needs its own set of parts
4. Import the PDF for any piece you're playing into the conductor's library (and set any attributes you use - composer, difficulty, length, pages, cuts, links etc) and set the 'instrument' field to 'conductor'
5. Export the piece as an msf file. Save the msf in a folder outside MSP
6. Switch to the library of one of the instruments that plays the piece
7. Import the msf file into that library. MSP will ask whether you want to use the original file or create a new one - choose the option to use the original. Edit the piece to change the page limits to the right pages for that instrument and change the 'instrument' field to the name of that instrument
8. Repeat 6 & 7 for each instrument needed for that piece
9. Repeat 4-8 for each piece you want available
10. Sync each library on that tablet to any tablet you want to use, as well as to a file online if you want the players to be able to access the libraries from their own devices
If the players use their own tablets then they can create a library for their instrument in their own version of MSP then restore the library from the file for their instrument online. If the players use the orchestra's tablets then you will have all the libraries on each tablet and when a player uses a tablet they just have to select the right library from the settings menu - any player can use any tablet as long as all your tablets have all the libraries.
When you want to play as a group you can either connect via wifi or bluetooth. Wifi is a bit more reliable but also uses more power and needs an external wifi network. The conductor's tablet is the leader and the players' tablets are followers. When you first set up the new group on the conductor's tablet make sure you have the connections settings you want (e.g. select 'match pieces using Title' and 'load pieces and setlists on follower devices' but not 'turn pages on follower devices').
When the conductor loads a piece it will load the same piece on each of the players' tablets (because they have the same title and file name) but it will load their part for that piece because you've limited the 'song' in that library to the pages of the PDF that have the part for that instrument.
Whenever the librarian wants to add a new piece they create a PDF with all the parts and then go through steps 4-10. When the orchestra wants that piece available they can restore it from the online libraries (if they have their own devices) or the librarian can restore the libraries on each device from the master device (for devices kept by the orchestra).
For the conductor's library you can either have the pages limited to the conductor's score, or if you want to have all the instrumental parts available to the conductor then you can set the page limits accordingly. If you're going to do that then it's probably best to make sure that each PDF has the conductor's score at the start.
Hope that helps. Guy
(steps 2-9 need to be done on the same device - possibly a master device kept by the librarian)
1. For each piece, create a PDF with the conductor's score and all the parts
2. In MSP create a custom field for 'instrument' with each instrument as a field
3. Create a separate library for the conductor as well as for each instrument or group of instruments that needs its own set of parts
4. Import the PDF for any piece you're playing into the conductor's library (and set any attributes you use - composer, difficulty, length, pages, cuts, links etc) and set the 'instrument' field to 'conductor'
5. Export the piece as an msf file. Save the msf in a folder outside MSP
6. Switch to the library of one of the instruments that plays the piece
7. Import the msf file into that library. MSP will ask whether you want to use the original file or create a new one - choose the option to use the original. Edit the piece to change the page limits to the right pages for that instrument and change the 'instrument' field to the name of that instrument
8. Repeat 6 & 7 for each instrument needed for that piece
9. Repeat 4-8 for each piece you want available
10. Sync each library on that tablet to any tablet you want to use, as well as to a file online if you want the players to be able to access the libraries from their own devices
If the players use their own tablets then they can create a library for their instrument in their own version of MSP then restore the library from the file for their instrument online. If the players use the orchestra's tablets then you will have all the libraries on each tablet and when a player uses a tablet they just have to select the right library from the settings menu - any player can use any tablet as long as all your tablets have all the libraries.
When you want to play as a group you can either connect via wifi or bluetooth. Wifi is a bit more reliable but also uses more power and needs an external wifi network. The conductor's tablet is the leader and the players' tablets are followers. When you first set up the new group on the conductor's tablet make sure you have the connections settings you want (e.g. select 'match pieces using Title' and 'load pieces and setlists on follower devices' but not 'turn pages on follower devices').
When the conductor loads a piece it will load the same piece on each of the players' tablets (because they have the same title and file name) but it will load their part for that piece because you've limited the 'song' in that library to the pages of the PDF that have the part for that instrument.
Whenever the librarian wants to add a new piece they create a PDF with all the parts and then go through steps 4-10. When the orchestra wants that piece available they can restore it from the online libraries (if they have their own devices) or the librarian can restore the libraries on each device from the master device (for devices kept by the orchestra).
For the conductor's library you can either have the pages limited to the conductor's score, or if you want to have all the instrumental parts available to the conductor then you can set the page limits accordingly. If you're going to do that then it's probably best to make sure that each PDF has the conductor's score at the start.
Hope that helps. Guy