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[1. Use separate recordings]

#31

Tips and Tricks / BandHelper Multichannel Backin...

Last post by Christoph - September 13, 2026, 01:17:05 PM

I have been using an iPad running BandHelper to play backing tracks and click/cue tracks through a Behringer WING Rack. This setup works very reliably and can be adapted to any multi channel audio interface. The basics are covered in Arlo's Advanced Audio tutorial, but a few additional details are important:

1. Use separate recordings
The simplest setup is to use one stereo track: one mono channel contains the backing track, while the other mono channel contains the click track. This works, but it has some limitations because both signals share the same stereo pair. A more flexible approach is to use BandHelper's multichannel-audio function with separate recordings. When the relevant BandHelper options are enabled, separate recordings play back in perfect sync:

• Multi-Route Audio
• Play Recordings Together

2. Hardware setup
My setup consists of:

• iPad running BandHelper.
• Powered USB hub.
• Long active (!) USB cable between the USB hub and the WING Rack.
• Behringer WING Rack acting as a multichannel USB audio interface.

With this setup, the WING provides 48 USB input and output channels to the iPad. BandHelper can play up to eight stereo recordings simultaneously, which corresponds to up to 16 audio channels. I currently use only two stereo recordings:

• Backing track.
• Click/cue track.

The same principle could also be used for more complex arrangements. For example, separate instruments could be provided as individual backing tracks. This would allow individual backing elements to be mixed separately on the WING Rack.

3. Leave USB 1/2 available for other audio
I recommend leaving USB 1/2 unused for BandHelper recordings: The reason is that many other iPad apps do not support multichannel audio output. Apps such as Apple Music generally send their audio only to the first stereo pair of a multichannel audio interface. For example:

• USB 1/2: break music from Apple Music.
• USB 3/4: BandHelper backing track.
• USB 5/6: BandHelper click/cue track.
• USB 7/8 and higher: additional BandHelper recordings if required.

This separation makes the setup much easier to operate during a show. Break music can be faded or muted independently, without affecting the backing or click tracks.

4. Plan the recording order carefully
BandHelper assigns recordings to the selected interface channels in ascending order. For example, assume the recordings are configured to use:

• Recording 1: USB 3/4.
• Recording 2: USB 5/6.
• Recording 3: USB 7/8.

If a particular song contains only one recording, BandHelper will use the first selected stereo pair, USB 3/4, for that recording. It will not automatically reserve USB 5/6 for a click track simply because that channel pair was intended for clicks in other songs. This means the order of the recordings matters! Therefore, the most frequently used or most important track should normally be Recording 1.
For example:

• If some songs have a backing track but no click track, make the backing track Recording 1 and the click track Recording 2.
• If most songs have a click track but only some songs have a backing track, make the click track Recording 1 and the backing track Recording 2.

The important point is that BandHelper keeps the selected channel order, but it does not leave gaps for missing recordings.

I hope these tips are helpful - good luck with your setup, and please let me know how it works for you!

#32

Schedule Help / Re: Hiding Details in iCalenda...

Last post by clavelle - September 13, 2026, 12:23:51 PM

In regards to it being for personal info, makes sense, completely understand. As always, thanks for the quick reply.

#33

Schedule Help / Re: Hiding Details in iCalenda...

Last post by clavelle - September 13, 2026, 12:22:52 PM

As far as I can, tell, Facebook only allows a couple of very specific apps for direct integration. It does, however, offer a quick action button on the homepage of a business account that lets you attach a URL. I can attach my Google Calendar account, which has the BandHelper calendar loaded on it.  I tested it and it works, but currently it's showing all the details of the event in the description Feild, which I really don't want to display to the general public.

#34

Schedule Help / Re: Hiding Details in iCalenda...

Last post by arlo - September 13, 2026, 11:24:13 AM

How do you integrate an iCal feed with Facebook? I see that you can display FB events on another calendar, but I don't think you can create FB events from another calendar.

Anyway, the iCal feeds are meant for personal use, and don't include a way to hide non-public information.

#35

Schedule Help / Hiding Details in iCalendar UR...

Last post by clavelle - September 13, 2026, 09:22:04 AM

I know you can hide details in the website widget, but looking for a way to hide specific details of an event in the iCalendar URL.  Trying to share Available dates on facebook, but when I use the icalendar it includes any notes, bandhelper users attached to the event, etc.  Just want date(s), time, and Event Title to show in the iCalender feed.   If there is a native way to integrate the website widget into facebook, that works too.

Thanks!

[1. Wedding agendas]

#36

Repertoire Help / Pause names as free text field...

Last post by ChrisMikolaj - September 13, 2026, 05:13:28 AM

Hi Arlo,

would it be possible to add an option for custom / one-off pauses within a set, where both the pause name and description can be entered as free text? The idea would be that these pauses are only stored within that particular set and do not get added permanently to the general list of pauses.

I have two main use cases for this:

1. Wedding agendas
When we play at weddings, I'd like to use BandHelper to represent the complete agenda of the ceremony within the set. For example, we might play:

• during the bride's entrance
• after the exchange of rings
• during the bride and groom's exit

Between those songs, however, there are usually other parts of the ceremony, such as prayers, readings, speeches, congregational songs, etc. It would be very useful to add these as individual pauses, for example:

Prayer
Prayer by the bride's sister

or

Reading
Reading by the groom's father

I know I could create regular pauses for all of these with the current system. However, these items are usually unique to each wedding. Over time, this would create a very large list of pauses that I'd never need again, even if I deactivate them afterwards.


2. Announcements between songs
The other use case is announcements during regular gigs. We could add something like "Announcement" as a regular pause, but the actual announcement is different for every gig – and sometimes also depends on which singer is doing it. It would therefore be useful to have something like:

Announcement – Next Event
Mention our next show on August 29 and thank the organizer.

The description could then serve as a short note or reminder for the person making the announcement.

Again, I could create a separate pause for every announcement, but this would quickly clutter the general pauses list with items that are only relevant to one specific set.



So what I had in mind is basically a "Custom Pause" or "One-Off Pause" that can be inserted into a set, with:

• a freely editable name
• a freely editable description
• no permanent entry in the general pauses list
• the pause existing only within that particular set

This would make pauses useful not only for reusable breaks or transitions, but also for unique agenda items, announcements and other set-specific notes.

I hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you'd like me to clarify anything or provide another example.

Thanks a lot!
Chris

#37

Announcements / Re: iOS 27

Last post by arlo - September 12, 2026, 09:13:33 AM

BandHelper version 2026-09-11 with iOS 27 fixes is scheduled for tomorrow.

I plan to implement some general design updates in the coming weeks before switching over to iOS 27 builds and the end of iOS 15-16 support.

BTW, it looks like we can no longer turn off Apple Intelligence in iOS 27. On my iPad Air 5, iOS 27 takes 14.5 GB of space, Apple Intelligence takes 8.5 GB and System Data takes 13.9 GB.

#38

Repertoire Help / Re: Feature Request: multiple ...

Last post by Christoph - September 11, 2026, 05:09:14 PM

Unfortunately, I don't have a XR18 to test it, we have moved on to a Wing Rack which works just fine via OSC. Last try: For ,,/ch/06/insert/fxslot 7", have you set the argument type to Integer? ,,/ch/06/insert/fxslot" should be the address and ,,7" the value. You could also try address ,,/ch/06/insert" with a string type argument value of ,,ON Fx4A", although this does not seem to be documented.

#39

Repertoire Help / Re: Feature Request: multiple ...

Last post by WilburrUK - September 10, 2026, 02:28:27 AM

Hi, Christoph,
Those are the 2 messsages I referred to that don't work, either in BandHelper or Multiplay.
Specifically:

/ch/06/insert/fxslot 7 //appears to do nothing (same if I use Fx4A in place of 7)
/ch/06/insert/on 1   //works as expected.

The multi-argument command
/ch/06/insert ON Fx4A
which is how it appears in the Scene file if I set the fx as desired and then save it, does fully work when I try it from multiplay.

#40

Announcements / iOS 27

Last post by arlo - September 09, 2026, 09:19:51 PM

iOS 27 will be released on Sept. 14. The only issues I've seen with BandHelper when building for iOS 26 are incorrect colors on buttons and fields that make some text unreadable. I'm planning to release an app version that fixes those in time for the iOS 27 release.

To support the new iPhone Duo, I'll need to build for iOS 27. That creates more serious bugs that I'll need to fix first.

Building for iOS 27 also requires raising the minimum system requirements to iOS 17. That means the following devices, which top out at iOS 15 or 16, will no longer get app updates or bug fixes:

   iPhone: 6, 7, 8, X, SE 1st gen
   iPad: 5th gen, Air 2, Mini 4, Pro 12.9" 1st gen

I don't like dropping support for old devices. On the other hand, these devices are at least 8 years old, so their time was coming!