[MichaelC]

I've been using Mobilesheets since Feb and with lockdown have managed to  get most of my music onto the system. I'm using a Surface 4 in portrait orientation with a usb pedal for page changes. I'd like to move to an A3 sized monitor so that I can have a classic 2 page view but at full size. I'd like to simply pop the monitor onto my organ or keyboard music stand to keep life simple, but am concious that I need to keep the weight as light as possible. I can find 15in monitors around 700grams, but am strugging to find 20/22in monitors less than about 2500grams.
Does anyone have any thoughts?
Thank you,
Michael

[Oz Cello]

Yeah, that's a big jump in weight. You may be better off with two tablets. Have you tried the book mode feature on MSP? You link two tablets with Bluetooth or wi-fi and select book mode when you make the link. The two tablets then act as if they were one big tablet. You can turn pages by touching either tablet and it turns the pages on both, and you can choose from the different page turning modes. I've tried it out with two of the Boox Max 3 tablets. They're A4-size and less than 500g each and the book mode works really well.

[MichaelC]

Yeah, that's a big jump in weight. You may be better off with two tablets. Have you tried the book mode feature on MSP? You link two tablets with Bluetooth or wi-fi and select book mode when you make the link. The two tablets then act as if they were one big tablet. You can turn pages by touching either tablet and it turns the pages on both, and you can choose from the different page turning modes. I've tried it out with two of the Boox Max 3 tablets. They're A4-size and less than 500g each and the book mode works really well.

Thank you Oz Cello, I was starting to think about two tablets, but hadn't considered Boox Max 3 because of cost. What is MSP?

[Oz Cello]

MSP is Mobile Sheets Pro. The Max 3 isn't cheap but most A4-size tablets with similar specs are as expensive or more (at least here in Australia). The 10" versions are much cheaper - I guess they sell a lot more of them. I was keen on e-Ink because they're better outdoors and easier to read for long periods and have really good battery life but any tablets that can run MSP and have bluetooth or wi-fi can do book mode.

[MichaelC]

I'll take a look at book mode, thanks for pointing it out. I like the idea of e-ink, but I'll wait till prices drop, after all I still cling to the idea that my musical instrument should cost more than a music screen!

[Petra-Kathi]

Hello MichaelC,

I have set up a dual tablet "book" consisting of two Samsung 12.2" displays. There is a thread in this forum where I describe my setup. I am quite satisfied with them using the alternate paging mode (odd pages always on the left, even pages on the right display) induced by a bluetooth foot pedal.

The resulting weight is about 2.2 kg IIRC, but the two tablets contribute to this already with about 1.5 kg.

Regarding the costs: Those larger Samsung tablets are sold quite often for small money. I spent less than 400 EUR for both together. Boox systems are definitely more expensive.

Cheers,
Petra

[MichaelC]

Hello Petra,

Thanks for the info on Samsung tablets. I'm currently thinking that the Asus 15.6 monitors could be a good solution. They're a good size, reasonably priced and not too heavy.

[Petra-Kathi]

Hi Michael,

if you take two of them in portrait mode and use them as a "book" they will certainly be very impressive and fun to read from. But taken as a single double page display in landscape orientation I'd say that they are way to small. For this you would need a 20", or even more appropriate: a 22" or 24" display.

Maybe your eyes are way better than mine but I'd beg you to do a sincere real-life testing by playing a less known to you and slightly complicated piece using a 15.6" screen in landscape mode if you really intend to go this path.

Cheers,
Petra

[MichaelC]

Hi Petra,

I should have made clear I was thinking of two Asus in portrait mode! So exactly as you're suggesting but with 15.6 in screens rather than 12.2in. It'll be slightly clunky as I'll continue to use my Surface4 to run MSP, but at least I'll have a nice big display.

Just need to decide what resolution screens I need.

MichaelC

[Petra-Kathi]

... but with 15.6 in screens rather than 12.2in.

[/quote]

You will certainly have!

As the 15.6" displays are typically 16:9 ones, IIRC, you will experience them to show too much (empty) space above or below, though. (16:10 or 4:3 formats are better suited for printed page rendering.) In any case the content will be a bit larger on a 15.6" @16:9 than on a 12.2" @16:10 display. You might consider cutting your score sheets heavily on the sides to use as much of the horizontal span as possible.

On your question about resolution: The more, the better especially for tilted lines etc., but uncritical for score displaying as soon as they have more than full-hd on a 15" display.

It'll be slightly clunky as I'll continue to use my Surface4 to run MSP, but at least I'll have a nice big display.

If you use the two systems in parallel, but with the same score sheets, be aware about the difference in sheet advancing modes: I estimate that you use vertical scrolling on a single display, whereas you will certainly use alternate paging mode with any double sided display.

IMHO, those different display handling modes need different preprocessing of the displayed sheets w/r/to jumps handling.

Cheers,
Petra

[maintech]

My choice is going to be a 24" monitor, sans speakers. (Keeps the weight down) There are a number of monitors around the 24" size that are quite light, and can easily sit on the music stand that comes with a keyboard. Switching out metal arms of a band style metal music stand for a reinforced thin plywood support works too. Most of the 21" - 27" monitors come with removable stands, And many are light enough to be supported by an 'L' shaped plywood shelf. I use model makers thin plywood (5ply), strengthen corners with thin aluminum angle, and glue it together with 5 min epoxy, using laundry line clothes pegs to hold things while the glue sets. Ace hardware in the US sells all you will need. I like to use landscape with 2 pages, & for very busy scores I switch to portrait. At home in my music room I have mounted a shelf on the wall to support my Korg keyboard, and for a while I had a 2 manual organ sitting below. In that set-up the music stand was mounted on a swivel arm, but it was overwhelmed by the heavy fake-books I used then. MSP saved the day and the wall repairs!

[maintech]

BTW,  Amazon have 24" ViewSonic for $156 ca$ 

https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-VS2210-H...=8-13&th=1

& there are loads for under $200.

[Normsthename]

I use a 24" Touch Screen Monitor on my keyboard.
All Monitors have VESA mounting points on the rear, depending on size varying from 100mm centres upto 200mm centers for huge monitors.
I have a Custom designed bracket that is basically a Plate which fits onto the monitor welded to a square tube welded to another plate.
This plate bolts onto my metal stand.
I also have another folded plate fitted between the monitor and bracket which allows me to use the stand with conventional sheet music.



Andy

[Wynton]

For those of you using some kind of monitor, how are you actually running Mobile Sheets Pro? Are you using a laptop and then connecting to the monitor wirelessly (or via a cable)?

I've been using MSP on a Microsoft Surface Pro - which is great for when I need to take my charts anywhere.  But I could use a bigger display at least for home use and am contemplating a larger screen, somehow.

[Normsthename]

For those of you using some kind of monitor, how are you actually running Mobile Sheets Pro? Are you using a laptop and then connecting to the monitor wirelessly (or via a cable)?

I use a Notebook with my setup shown above.
All I do is plug the HDMI lead and USB Cable into the Notebook and away I go.
I have configured the Notebook so that it will run with the Lid Closed so the display is not running on the Notebook and saves power when used on Battery.
The USB leads from the Genos and PC are connected to a USB Hub, so when I change the music the Genos changes registrations automatically.
I have thought about buying a Mini PC (Small All In One PC in a small box. They are approx. 100mm x 100mm with a Fanless Design) you can buy them for under £100, they are not very powerful but I would guess that one would run Mobilesheets OK

Andy