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| MakeMusic Forum > Public Forums > SmartMusic - FORUM HAS MOVED! > SmartMusic iPhone App? | Forum Quick Jump
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lhall
Registered Member
      
Date Joined May 2009
Total Posts : 3
| Posted 9/30/2009 1:56 AM (GMT -6) |   | Is there anything in the works for a SmartMusic iPhone app? Is anyone else interested?
Leif | | Back to Top | |
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lhall
Registered Member
Date Joined May 2009
Total Posts : 3
| Posted 9/30/2009 11:01 AM (GMT -6) | | Here are the primary features I think would be beneficial for a SmartMusic iPhone App (listed in order of preference):
1. Playback of SmartMusic Accompaniment Files (Solos, Exercises, Method Books, Jazz Improvisation, Band/Orchestra Titles)
2. Easy Access to SmartMusic Gradebook (to make assignments, listen to completed assignments, and to enter grades)
3. Metronome & Tuner Functions
4. If possible... recording capabilities and assessment capabilities would be a great asset. A few of my students already own an iPhone or iPod Touch. Using the built-in microphone in combination with headphones would be a powerful feature considering how portable and affordable iPods are as compared to desktop/laptop computers. Access to SmartMusic would increase, and more of my students may consider purchasing SmartMusic for use at home if it was more convenient to use. As it is right now, very few of my students purchase SmartMusic for home use because either they don't have a computer with internet access, or the computer is not in a good place in their home for them to use as a practice tool.
What does everyone else think? | | Back to Top | |
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cgrifa00
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2009
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 10/5/2009 9:20 AM (GMT -6) | | I would personally love to see a Smartmusic Application for the iphone/ipod touch. I think a first step would be to make a "Gradebook" application where you can do everything that you can currently do logged into Gradebook, on the go. As suggested below, make assignments, access your personal library, enter grades, grade recordings, create classes, anything. Personally I would like to see a template that fits the iphone, not just a remake of the gradebook that is currently online.
I think that a version of "Smartmusic" on the iphone or touch, is an interesting concept. I could see that being a tool that could help bridge the gap of how to use Smartmusic on the Marching Band Field. Of course I am thinking more about this on the educator side than that of a student.
Either way, I think there is a need for this to be considered.
Chris Grifa
Tri-North Middle School Bands
Smartmusic Advocate | | Back to Top | |
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Choirguy
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2008
Total Posts : 65
| Posted 11/21/2009 12:01 PM (GMT -6) | | I'd like to see SmartMusic for iPhone as well as Finale Notepad for iPhone. We're well into the third generation on iPhone development, and it is just shocking to me that there haven't been any developments on this front. These devices have a lot of potential...and lots of room for storing applications (unlike their competitors, such as the Android, even though that is an excellent device, too).
As far as I know, SmartMusic is the only program out there that does what it does. Considering that iPhones are capable of very intricate gaming features, it seems logical that they should be able to handle the playback of SmartMusic accompaniments...if not even following the performer. It would certainly open up a huge market to the company (the iPod touch is the #1 requested teenage Christmas gift this year...and the 2nd generationTouch can record audio with an accessory, such as the iPhone headset or even an external mic (although playback would be an issue). With the potential market, SmartMusic could even develop a microphone that allowed for the attachment of external speakers. But for most kids, practicing and hearing themselves (headphones with a mic) would be good enough.
Additionally, there still isn't a good music composition program out there for the iPhone/iPod Touch. It seems to me that Finale 2010 is just too comprehensive to be useful on the touch; however, I'm very certain that Finale Notepad could be modified and used on the touch. You would have to enter all note values with the Simple Entry Palette, but that Palette is ideal for a touch-based music entry system. Playback of all Finale compositions, just like the normal Finale Notepad, would also be very cool...and there would have to be a way to import/epxport the music you're working o.
In other words, MakeMusic, it's time. Time to take advantage of the huge market available to you, time to bring your programs into the homes of these teenagers who study music, and time to show the power of these devices.
Do it.
I offer myself as available (also being very close to MakeMusic's headquarters) to trial run anything you come up with (confidentiality agreement expected) and to give you feedback to make it happen. Contact me if that is of interest to you. | | Back to Top | |
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Jeremy Zander
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2010
Total Posts : 7
| Posted 4/9/2010 1:23 PM (GMT -6) | | Primary, I'd like to see access to the gradebook features. I know that I'd use the time I spend in lines at Starbucks, or waiting for an appointment, etc. that I normally spend playing solitaire or mindlessly browsing the web grading a few assignments here and there. It'd be a HUGE timesaver.
If the capabilities of the newer iPhones/iPods or even the iPad would support it, I would definitely support and use the assessment features on the application. The devices all have built-in microphones and speakers with rather impressive capabilities. The iPad, in particular, has impressive processing power and a huge amount of screen real estate for a mobile device. I have already used mine to access PDFs of public domain sheet music. Having access to SmartMusic's library from the iPad would be phenomenal.
For what it's worth, I had a student last year who installed SmartMusic onto his Windows OS-based tablet PC and used it for assignment submission, practicing, etc. It was quite impressive! However, this was an expensive machine being used by a particularly tech-savvy student with too much time on his hands. Like previous posters have indicated, a significant portion of our student population already owns the necessary devices. Now it's time to get the software in their hands.
The App Store also has support for subscription based services within the applications.
At the VERY LEAST, I'd like to be able to access the Impact/Gradebook website from my phone or iPad, but the current implementation (Flash) is not supported by Apple's mobile OS. I can log onto the gradebook and see the gradebook, see screenshots of students submission, and even enter comments. It is cumbersome but possible. What I cannot currently do is playback the recordings (it seems the playback interface is what calls upon Flash). | | Back to Top | |
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cberry42
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 5
| Posted 4/18/2010 3:29 PM (GMT -6) | | ipad is the next wave of computing in my opinion. I use SmartMusic every day. Having it on ipad would allow me to leave my laptop at home and do everything in class with my ipad. It is also a more affordable solution for families, and allows for a better practicing environment for students than sitting at a computer on a desk.
Although I don't use Finale every day, I can see how having that available on ipad would have unlimited possibilities.
Please find a way! | | Back to Top | |
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Jeremy Zander
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2010
Total Posts : 7
| Posted 4/21/2010 10:39 AM (GMT -6) | | | Not being a developer, I don't know how much effort is involved. Can someone enlighten me on what kind of development hours one would be looking at to convert the current Flash controls in the gradebook to HTML 5.0? | | Back to Top | |
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Jeremy Zander
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2010
Total Posts : 7
| Posted 4/27/2010 7:33 PM (GMT -6) | | | While you make a fair point, I think it's evident that Apple with not allow Flash on their mobile products. It's less evident, but I'm inclined to believe that Apple will also have considerable influence on the future of Flash on mobile devices, depending on whether the iPhone OS continues to be exceedingly popular. | | Back to Top | |
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Tyler
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2001
Total Posts : 3586
| Posted 4/27/2010 9:49 PM (GMT -6) | |
Jeremy Zander said...
While you make a fair point, I think it's evident that Apple with not allow Flash on their mobile products. It's less evident, but I'm inclined to believe that Apple will also have considerable influence on the future of Flash on mobile devices, depending on whether the iPhone OS continues to be exceedingly popular. Adobe has all of the other major mobile OS makers signed on for Flash 10.1 support. Apple is playing the part of the outsider here, in that if you want to develop for them, you'll have to remake your applications specifically for them. While it can be seen as hurting Adobe, we also have to realize it's a barrier for the other comparable technologies, and thus Flash isn't at more of a disadvantage than anyone else. I really think we're coming to a time when cross platform development solutions will be very popular for businesses, and right now Adobe is looking as strong as anyone. You can write a single desktop or web application that targets Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Windows Phone 7, Android, BlackBerry, etc.
I think it also makes a lot more sense to ask Apple to allow Flash support than it does to ask 10,000 companies to all rewrite their Flash applications as something else. | | Back to Top | |
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Alan Naylor
Registered Member
Date Joined May 2010
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 5/16/2010 4:51 PM (GMT -6) | | | I have been a Smart Music user for quite a while. I totally agree that an app for the iPad would be great. So much more convenient than a notebook and a huge market awaits. MakeMiusic has always been on the cutting edge. Stay that way. Get into the iPad market as fast as you can. | | Back to Top | |
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Jason B
Registered Member
Date Joined May 2010
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 5/20/2010 3:11 PM (GMT -6) | | I would just love to be able to use the iPhone app for playback of the accompaniments. I'm not so concerned with it doing much else. It would really come in handy for weddings or when I'm busking on the subway platforms. I guess to be able to use a microphone, you'd have to invent a new device? I don't know how they do a microphone with an ipod touch or iphone.
My thought if you can't use the microphone and it's an audio only app, is that you could edit the files in SmartMusic for your desired tempos and then somehow sync them into the phone to work with the app.
I'm glad to see people are working on ideas. Having a small portable accompaniment would really be great for teaching, playing small events, and many more things. | | Back to Top | |
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FluteGirl
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2010
Total Posts : 7
| Posted 6/6/2010 10:48 PM (GMT -6) | | | I agree with everyone's comments above. SmartMusic needs to keep up with today's technology. Everyone wants the iphone or itouch because of the cool apps. I think a SmartMusic app will attract MANY more students (most important!), and the teachers! If you don't keep up with the times, you will be a thing of the past! | | Back to Top | |
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cweaver
Registered Member
Date Joined Aug 2010
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 8/17/2010 8:43 AM (GMT -6) | | We are just starting with smart music, I really don't know what the limitations might be but an ipad app would be greatly appreciated.
If you have to trim some features, that is ok. But so much easier to transport, set up and view in any location needed!
Don't forget the exposure to millions of potiential subscribers to your service by placing an app in the itunes market! | | Back to Top | |
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Choirguy
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2008
Total Posts : 65
| Posted 8/24/2010 10:52 PM (GMT -6) | | Nine months later, I find the need to chime in again...since my previous post (11/2009), Apple has released the iPad and a new generation of iPod Touches are on the horizon.
It's true that Apple is steering away from Flash, and it's true that Flash doesn't work so well with Mac computers, either. In fact, with SMART Notebook, trainers (I am a trainer) are told to tell users not to utilize more than 3 Flash activities in any SMART Notebook presentation.
It is true that the Android system is including Flash, pending that your phone will be updated to the latest version (I think it is called Froyo...v. 2.2). At the same time, initial reviews of Flash for mobile devices is pretty negative; some reviewers are stating that it is better to have no Flash than a crippled Flash. It sounds like Windows Mobile 7 isn't going to have anything to do with Flash, either.
Nonetheless, a HTML5 based version of SMART Music, perhaps even a Web App, could be universal to all devices (iPhone, WM7, Android, even Blackberry 6). That's an idea.
But I keep coming to the concept of SmartMusic for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A smaller percentage of students have iPhones and iPads...but their teachers have it; and a large percentage of students have iPod Touches...or will be buying them when the new version comes out in a few weeks (September). A rumored Apple TV may also be iOS based, and able to play iPhone Apps.
All this is to say that students have this technology in their pockets...and many would be happy to shell out the $30 for a student license of SMART Music knowing that they could use the program literally anywhere (once core files are downloaded). It's a HUGE market that would hit students where they are at. If I were the CEO of MakeMusic, I would hire several iOS developers and make this program happen...and I'd watch the profits roll in...profits from the subscriptions, not the app itself. | | Back to Top | |
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Tyler
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2001
Total Posts : 3586
| Posted 8/25/2010 12:00 AM (GMT -6) | |
Choirguy said...
Nine months later, I find the need to chime in again...since my previous post (11/2009), Apple has released the iPad and a new generation of iPod Touches are on the horizon.
It's true that Apple is steering away from Flash, and it's true that Flash doesn't work so well with Mac computers, either. In fact, with SMART Notebook, trainers (I am a trainer) are told to tell users not to utilize more than 3 Flash activities in any SMART Notebook presentation.
It is true that the Android system is including Flash, pending that your phone will be updated to the latest version (I think it is called Froyo...v. 2.2). At the same time, initial reviews of Flash for mobile devices is pretty negative; some reviewers are stating that it is better to have no Flash than a crippled Flash. It sounds like Windows Mobile 7 isn't going to have anything to do with Flash, either.
Nonetheless, a HTML5 based version of SMART Music, perhaps even a Web App, could be universal to all devices (iPhone, WM7, Android, even Blackberry 6). That's an idea.
But I keep coming to the concept of SmartMusic for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A smaller percentage of students have iPhones and iPads...but their teachers have it; and a large percentage of students have iPod Touches...or will be buying them when the new version comes out in a few weeks (September). A rumored Apple TV may also be iOS based, and able to play iPhone Apps.
All this is to say that students have this technology in their pockets...and many would be happy to shell out the $30 for a student license of SMART Music knowing that they could use the program literally anywhere (once core files are downloaded). It's a HUGE market that would hit students where they are at. If I were the CEO of MakeMusic, I would hire several iOS developers and make this program happen...and I'd watch the profits roll in...profits from the subscriptions, not the app itself.
Flash reviews on Android 2.2 are mixed. Applications that have been designed for mobiles, as well as well-written flash applications for desktop work great on Android. Poorly written applications which tax even desktop machines don't work so well on mobiles. Also, going to pages with tons of different Flash controls running at the same time will cause performance problems. Android lets users set Flash applications to be disabled until they click on them, which seems like a great solution - pick the Flash content you want when you want it.
One of the curses of Flash is that Adobe made it easy enough for people with little experience to develop applications quickly. As a result, there are a lot of applications out there that aren't well optimized. I would also suggest that people who write advertisement banners aren't always terribly concerned with conserving CPU cycles. In any case, HTML5 performance is actually quite a bit worse than Flash on the whole for doing the same animation tasks (look up any performance comparisons). If people are hoping for a performance boost with advertisement banners running in HTML5 instead of Flash, they're going to be disappointed.
Microsoft has stated that they will be bringing Flash to Win Phone 7.
I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible to build an application like SmartMusic in HTML and javascript. The audio API just isn't available for it. Flash and Silverlight both allow access to microphone input data, but even those don't have all of the pieces you'd need to cover what SmartMusic does. I'm not sure about the native APIs for Android and iOS - those might offer enough, but given that performance is an obstacle for SmartMusic on slower notebooks (netbooks) which are faster than today's mobile devices, I could see where it might not work out well.
The Gradebook is however a good candidate for being optimized to work well on mobiles. | | Back to Top | |
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hogwild96bob
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2011
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 3/2/2011 11:21 AM (GMT -6) | | I want to see the SmartMusic app developed for the next school year.
Our school uses the SmartMusic program for both solo contest prep and concert contest. We also have our beginners using the method books (namely Essential Elements) and our veteran players use Foundations for Superior Performance.
We have a multi-room subscription so that our students can use the program at school. However, many of our students have access to either an iphone or ipod touch. We have recently purchased ipads for use in our music program. With this portability, most of our students could have Smartmusic in their pocket at all times. Given the cost of a PC, interent connection, and subscription, it would be more feasable for my students to download an app.
Streamlining the features would reduce cost. Student version apps (for iphone or ipod touch) should include: For assessment, playback with note recognition, but no on-screen music during playback; it just isn't realistic to read that small of a screen while performing. Assessment screen shots could "pop-up" after the performance along with a submit button. When no assessment is needed, this makes the process much easier as all that is needed is playback. The built-in tuner and metronome are easy to include with this. The "take" feature, I think, is unnecessary to include in the ipad/ipod/iphone app. Options would be one take and submit, erase and do it again, or don't record at all.
Administrator versions (say, for ipad) could include a more robust version including on-screen note chasing and gradebook access. The on-screen visibility of the ipad makes this a no-brainer to utilize the display. The ipads generally have more memory, so keeping "takes" would work here.
I understand the shear enormity of features in Smartmusic, and the power of the program as it stands on our PC's is fantastic; tempo adjustments to mp3 files, using MIDI (and a vast library of sounds) for replicating musical instruments, and the reason Smartmusic was created: following the performer through note recognition.
The current version (2011) has already streamlined the interface, and I like it very much. If a standalone app is not workable, then an app that is an extension of an existing subscription could be developed. Sync it with your PC or Mac (current librarys and playlists, much like itunes) let the desktop do the heavy lifting and put today's assignments on the portable device.
C'mon makemusic, let's get this done!! | | Back to Top | |
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Stephen_c22
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2011
Total Posts : 1
| Posted 3/4/2011 12:08 PM (GMT -6) | | I would love to be able to have the intelligent accompianaments. Would save me having to carry my laptop everywhere! please please please make this happen! I know my students would all rush out and buy it if it was available on iphone/ipad.  | | Back to Top | |
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Jim Jolley
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2003
Total Posts : 610
| Posted 3/6/2011 12:26 AM (GMT -6) | | I dont think you are missing anything Zoots. In my opinion, the Iphone is just a fancy toy and over my years of experience, portable phones break, get dropped, get wet, etc. For some folks it may be wonderful and more power to them. Our IT dept in our district has had issues with Ipads and are finding they aren't as great as they are cracked up to be. And our IT staff is pretty good about these things.
So I will wait patiently until my IT guys give me some guidance on where to go on portablity. I don't really feel the need to have that ability to take it with me everywhere I go. I think the need for a student to sit down and practice in a set location is a good thing (and that is only my opinion). I think there is a pretty good reason that the Makemusic folks haven't jumped into this yet and it could be for some sound programming reasons, don't know. After all, it is a pretty big download.
The abililty to use gradebook might useful on an Iphone or Ipad.
(For all you people who use apple products, I am not trying to slam your use of it. If it works great for you, that's awesome and I hope it continues to work for you.)
Jim Jolley - Band Director - Center Hill Middle School
Finale 2006c, 2008a, 2009b, 2010a, 2011 - Smartmusic 2011 - Garritan CoMB - Vista | | Back to Top | |
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