What's New in Set List Maker (Nov. 2021)

[arlo]

I'm almost done testing the next Set List Maker feature release, version 6.3 for iOS/macOS and 3.3 for Android. This release focuses on making song layout options easier to discover and use, and also includes graphic design updates and a bunch of user requests. I've just posted a video walking through the biggest changes so you can see what's coming:

https://youtu.be/dkbNUnIzLK0

One change that might take some adjustment involves support for full-screen documents and lyrics. This is being phased out in layouts that initially show the document or lyrics at a smaller size. To help understand what this means and what options are still available, here's another video focused on that topic:

https://youtu.be/gUj0F00NAFQ

These videos show BandHelper, but many of the changes are shared between the products.

The new version should be ready within a week. As always, if you rely on Set List Maker for upcoming gigs, I recommend switching your device to manual updates to avoid any surprises.

[Brian311]

I am very disappointed that the show document functionality is being discontinued- I use this at gigs all the time - I have it set up to go to the full document on a 3 finger tap and I love this
 Any hope of a reprieve
Cheers
Brian

[arlo]

Full-screen documents aren't being discontinued, nor is hiding/showing them from a three-fingered tap. However, if you want to show full-screen documents, you will need to use a layout that doesn't initially show a smaller document. The second video above demonstrates the available options.

[whippinpost91850]

I’m with this guy , I like the old split view with smaller lyrics, that switch to full screen when a song is selected
Please fix this.  Thanks Paul

[Brian311]

I agree - I use a view with a maller document with extra buttons AND tap to full size and back as my main use of the app. It seems strange that this cannot be allowed in an “enhancement”

[arlo]

How useful is it to start with a small document if you're going to show a larger document over it anyway? That capability is traded for the following benefits:

- Less chance of bugs (resizing a document after it is loaded creates lots of problems)
- Full-screen opens and closes more smoothly (no need to resize or reload, just show or hide)
- Full-screen can be closed and reopened without interrupting auto-scrolling
- More flexible use of screen space (possible to switch a portion of the layout between a document and other info)

If you try the new default layouts demonstrated in the first few minutes of this video, I think you'll find one that you like:

https://youtu.be/gUj0F00NAFQ

[Brian311]

I love my current set up (see photo) where I have the document and all the midi controls that I need for triggering midi or backing tracks
When the song is complex or when playing live where I cannot stand as close to my iPad To see the chords etc I simply use a three fingered tap to move between this view and a full size document

If I am forced to have no pdf viewable but all the controls / song list only I have no Context of the song eg what are the chords, tab parts I have noted in my pdf etc in order to play the song or rehearse other that switching to the full size remembering the document and switch back to access controls etc, this is particularly so if it is a new song I am working on.

My pdfs can be several pages long if they include tabs - I need to view the doc and use the different midi patches and recording options (eg slow down or loop sections) to learn solos and riffs and to fine tune tone.

I have set up over 600 songs to work in this way after a couple of years of experimenting

As I am doing some live gigs soon can you let me know if this will be changed automatically or do I have the option to upgrade later ?

Hope this helps explain how I use it and why I am posting this
Overall this is Great software thanks Arlo
Cheers Brian

[arlo]

You can continue showing your document within the layout as shown here, or you can remove it from the layout and show it in full-screen over the top of the layout instead. You can also duplicate your layout and update the new copy to use the full-screen approach, and then you can choose one layout or the other depending on the situation (e.g., practicing vs. performing).

[danmusician]

How useful is it to start with a small document if you're going to show a larger document over it anyway?

For me, this is very useful. I play a couple times a week at a hospice facility. I play continually for 30 to 40 minutes, modulating from song to song. I have a show with 98 songs, mostly scans from a hymnal. I use the practice view most of the time so that I can see song titles. I never play the songs in order and sometimes patients and their families request a song. I can scroll quickly to the song title I want with my left hand and keep playing. Sometimes I need to switch to full screen to be able to read the music. Double tap is the easiest way to do this while continuing to play. Yes, I can reach up and hit the little layout button, but then I need to choose the different layout. Not as easy to do while I’m continuing to play.

Likely, I will just avoid the upgrade.

[Tasten-Bert]

It’s really a pity since I used to like the work and efforts of Arlo very much, but I must say another sad, desperate user here. I‘ve been working with two layouts only:

- Split View in about 80 %, used for all gigs and band rehearsals. I love having the sheet in small from the beginning on, good to already have an idea about what‘s there in front of me (it tickles the cells in my brain as some kind of preparation). I love having the buttons for Notes or manual scrolling-start right there.

- More Controls (wasn‘t that the Practising Layout earlier?) when I practice new tunes or solo parts at home. I love having all there, a small image of the doc, the audio and tempo buttons, notes just there without any button.

I am not the type of guy that modifies and adjusts layouts. If there is one that does all I need, that‘s great and will be my one-and-only.

So my hope is to convince Arlo to leave the full screen zooming as it is.

Cheers from Germany

[arlo]

You can still use the old versions of the Split View and More Controls layouts, but if you want to use full-screen documents, you will need to remove the document viewer from those layouts and only see the document in full-screen. You can then put other info in the layout where the document used to be.

In the new versions of the layouts, you could use Big Fields instead of Split View (that places a half dozen song fields with large text in the place where the small document used to be). More Controls already has different info in this area (multiple document, recording and MIDI buttons) but just shows the document over the top of the main area; you could change that to show the document in full-screen.

[arlo]

I'm looking at this issue again and reviewing the comments from the few users who have asked about it. In every case where someone wants to sometimes expand the lyrics size, they are using a layout with a song list alongside the lyrics. So another solution is to change the layout so the lyrics take the full screen width, and the song list is shown or hidden as needed. That's how the default Big Lyrics, More Buttons and Overlapping Buttons layouts work.

To make this change to a custom split view style layout, you can edit the document viewer and resize it to the full screen width, then edit the layout details, set Show/Hide Song List to Two-Fingered Tap and set Hide Song List to Song Selection.

Then you will see bigger lyrics all the time and can easily show the song list when you need it, as opposed to seeing the song list all the time and showing the bigger lyrics when you need it.

[Brian311]

Can you hide other controls / lists such as recording controls and midi presets  in the same way as the song list ?
Thanks

[arlo]

No, but those take less space than the song list, and can be laid out horizontally so the lyrics can take over the full screen width.

[Brian311]

Midi presets take up as much space as song titles given they need a descriptive word or words to identify eg “High distortion lead with delay”  and need to be easily read - if they were just a number or a letter I would agree with you
Regards Brian