I will be offering two sessions at the MMEA Mid-Winter In-Service Clinic Program.
The first is on Thursday, February 11, on the use of technology in music education (in general). 4:30-5:30 in Room L100A.
The second is on Friday, February 12, on the use of SMART Boards in Secondary Music. 10:30-11:30 in Room L100A.
| My wife and I have owned iPhones since October 2008, and we owned a first generation iPod Touch for a few months before buying iPhones. In that period of time, we’ve downloaded over 360 applications (and we’ve deleted a few). Some of those apps stay on my phone, others visit a short while and then simply are stored in iTunes. Perhaps you are a new owner of an iPhone or iPod Touch, or you have one and are simply looking for recommendations. By all means, these aren’t the only apps on my iPhone, and there are others that I use. But these are the applications I use most. Here are my top applications on my iPhone at the end of 2009. |
 NetNewsWire
I read a number of blogs, most of them iPhone or Apple oriented. This application is one of the best RSS readers, even having undergone a change where the application pulls your blogs from Google Reader (NetNewsWire used to provide its own blog subscription hosting). If you are an RSS reader, or you read a number of blogs, this is a great program to have. |
 Stanza
Stanza, although owned by Amazon.com, has not disappeared into the Kindle brand, and in fact, was recently upgraded and revised. I love Stanza because the desktop version can open nearly any kind of text file and convert it to a format that can be read on your iPhone (including PDFs and Word Documents). Stanza is used every night as my free time for reading is usually right before I fall asleep for the evening. My current read? The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (including the Hobbit). |
 The Weather Channel
We live in Minnesota. Enough said. |
 TweetDeck
I have six Twitter apps installed on my iPhone, and I use nearly all of them. TweetDeck is my favorite for reading entries. I like how it allows you to swipe between accounts (including Facebook). Posting doesn’t always work so well, particularly if you try to post a picture to two different accounts. For posting, I’ll usually fall back to Twittelator Pro, or my new 2nd favorite Twitter app, HootSuite (which allows you to schedule Tweets…very useful if you use Twitter [as I do] for announcements). |
 Mint.com
Mint.com is a very powerful service, which allows you to keep track of all your finances. We’re in the process of buying a new house and changing banks, a bank which has a relationship with Mint.com. In addition, you can track credit cards, investments, and automatically keep a budget. This is a powerful app, although many users are afraid because it was recently purchased by Quicken. Mint.com only accesses your account data, it cannot transfer balances or make payments. |
 Olive Tree NIV Bible Reader
I don’t apologize for my Christian faith, and I need access to a Bible on my iPhone for church and personal devotions. I like Olive Tree’s iPhone application very much, and I also have downloaded additional translations to use. This application underwent a major revision this year and looks great. |
 TextNow
Please see my previous post for an in-depth discussion of text messaging programs, TextFree Unlimited is also on our phones. |
 Cleartune
As a choir director, I seldom have use for a tuner, but the pitch generator on this app serves me VERY well as a pitch pipe. Highly recommended. |
 Guitar Toolkit
The best guitar package, unbelievable for tuning guitars. Although it is pricey in iPhone App terms, it is money well spent. |
 Fluent News
A great, free news reader, which provides top news compiled from several sources. Much more reliable than many of the newspaper apps we’ve used in the past. |  Sportacular
A way to see how games are doing, if you love sports. A new feature this year was the addition of pushed updates (you set the frequency). This has been great for the football season. |
 DoodleJump
DoodleJump has to be my favorite iPhone game, even though I can’t seem to get past 34,000 points. |
 iQuarium
Sort of a dumb concept, yet every day I enter the app and feed my fish. Go figure. |
 Dragon Dictation
I haven’t used it much, but I should. Speak and have what you say dictated, copy it to an e-mail or text message, and be done with it. |
 Grocery IQ
You can now scan items into the list. Fantastic. This changes the very nature of the application, if you need a shopping list. |
 Dan Bricklin’s Note Taker
A new app for me, but one that seems very useful to actually write notes. If the program could offer OCR, then it would be the best of all possible worlds. |
Text messaging becomes an essential form of communication to those who use it; so much so that I’ve strongly urged my fellow high school music teachers to utilize TxtBlaster (www.txtblaster.com) to communicate messages to their entire choir (and parents, if they sign up as well). Students check their text messages; they check their e-mail far less often. This is hard for anyone older than 23 to comprehend; we are linked to e-mail, and few of us are as attached to text messaging. This generational shift can be seen with the latest iPod Nano; People over age 23 don’t understand why anyone would want a video camera on a device without a still camera. Meanwhile, the Nano has really hit its mark with the under 23 generation, which loves to post to YouTube. As a side note, TxtBlaster only works (for the moment) for traditional cell phones; students using iPhone/iPod Touch texting applications will not be able to use TxtBlaster at this time.
iPhone and AT&T SMS/MMS Messaging
Text messaging is a huge money maker for cell providers. From what I’ve learned, text messages are carried on a basically unused “side channel” of normal cell communication, costing a cell provider nothing, yet the cell user must pay insane costs per text message (usually $.20 to send or receive, $.30 for a MMS), or they must subscribe for a plan of service that includes unlimited texting or pay for a texting plan.
AT&T Messaging Plans for iPhone (December 2009)
In the case of AT&T, the sole iPhone provider in the United States, you have three options: $5.00 per user for 200 text messages a month; $15 per user for 1500 text messages per month, $20 per user for unlimited text messages per month, or $30 for unlimited text messages on a family account. My family’s strategy has been to pay $5.00 for 200 monthly messages ($10 total), and then to use iPhone applications to text message each other, saving those 200 AT&T messages for people that insist on sending messages that way.
If you own a iPod Touch, there are no texting plans available from AT&T, as an iPod Touch is not a cellular phone (this may seem obvious, but some people are not aware of the difference between an iPod Touch and an iPhone).
There are a few iPhone apps that allow for “free” texting for iPhones and iPod Touches, and I have personally used four of them: TextNow, TextFree Unlimited, Ping!, and WhatsApp.
TextNow
A recent App purchase in our home is TextNow, an application that allows the owner to send unlimited text messages (SMS, not MMS [pictures, video]) for three months ($.99 app purchase), with the ability to buy an in-app subscription for a year ($5.99) or lifetime ($7.99). This application works over 3G (iPhones) or wi-fi (iPod Touches or iPhones), and seems relatively fast to load and send/receive messages. During the 2009 Holiday season, the application also included all the possible background images and notification sounds that were available at the time (normally an in-app purchase). You choose an e-mail address at textnow.me where anyone can send a text message to you; or you can simply send a text message to anyone, and they can respond to you (and add you to their favorites that way). The company has been quick to respond to e-mail questions to their support e-mail address. The application also “pushes” notifications, just like AT&T’s “official” SMS/MMS service. There is a “lite” version to try if you don’t want to invest $.99 for three months. Just a reminder that an iPod Touch needs a wi-fi connection to use this application!
TextFree Unlimited
Our standby for free texting on our iPhones and iPod Touch has been TextFree Unlimited. TextFree Unlimited is $5.99, and gives you one year of texting (if you bought the app before July 2009, it was a lifetime purchase). Recently, if you purchased the app for $5.99, they are offering the ability to include advertisements in your application to avoid the $5.99 yearly fee. TextFree has overall been good for us…it has all of the same services as TextNow, including push notifications, SMS (no MMS), and in-app purchases of themes and sounds. Just like TextNow, you choose an e-mail address at textfree.us where anyone can send a text message to you; or you can simply send a text message to anyone, and they can respond to you (and add you to their favorites that way). However, the app is slow to load (even more so on my wife’s iPhone 3G), and there are times that messages don’t get sent immediately, or don’t notify the recipient that there is a new message waiting for them. There is also a free version of this application available, if you want to check out the app before buying the full version. Just a reminder that an iPod Touch needs a wi-fi connection to use this application!
Ping!
The last two applications I will mention are not truly SMS services, but they act like an SMS service. One is called Ping! Ping sells for $.99, and allows iPhone to iPhone messaging. I’ve had issues with this application on wi-fi networks (such as the one at our school), which seems to block the port used by this messaging app (at home and on the AT&T 3G network, it works fine). The true benefit of this app is the author’s intent to write a sister application for several other popular mobile phones, like Blackberry and Android operating systems. This app was once free, which is when I downloaded it, but at $.99 with no future fees, and if you know others with iPhones and iPod Touches, it might be worth the investment. Again, iPod Touches need wi-fi access to take advantage of this application.
The final application is also not a SMS program, it is a iPhone to iPhone messaging service, called WhatsApp. This application sells for $.99, and offers some features not offered by Ping!, primarily the ability to send pictures, audio, and text messages from iPhone to iPhone. Again, if everyone in your “circle” has an iPhone, this is a good app to own. I’ve had issues with this application on our school wi-fi network as well (the port has been closed, just like Ping!), but it works well in our house and over the AT&T 3G network. I was also fortunate enough to download this app when it was free (many are when they are introduced). Again, iPod Touches need wi-fi access to take advantage of this application.
What texting app should you purchase? Any of them, compared to the ridiculous AT&T text messaging plans. My wife and I save $20 a month by only subscribing to the $5 text plan ($10 total) instead of the $30 plan. Here are some examples of how much you can save: TextFree Unlimited is $5.99 per year, per phone. That’s $12.00 annually compared to $240 per year (we bought the app before the annual fee was instated, but this is just for comparison’s sake). TextNow, our current app of choice, is $7.99 per phone for a lifetime subscription, $16.00 forever (let’s just call it 3 years, just in case) versus $720 through AT&T. If you use Ping! or WhatsApp, it’s a $.99 investment compared to any AT&T plan.
It’s pretty clear to see how any of these apps is potentially worth the investment. To save some money (and keep AT&T from having yours), choose one (or more) and download it (them) today.
This past Monday, I had the chance to present a session on our new high school at the 2009 TIES Conference held in Minneapolis. I also had the opportunity to look around the vendor area and attend a few sessions. One of the sessions I attended was about “Twitter for Professionals.” In the session, the presenter mentioned a web-based Twitter service (which now has an iPhone application) called “HootSuite.” One of my colleagues at my high school had heard about the service, but it was new to me.
Compared to other Twitter clients, HootSuite seems to have two unique properties offered by no other service. First, it allows you to schedule tweets. This is a powerful function: if you have a concert in a week, and you want to send a tweet that afternoon to remind parents & students about the concert, call times, and so on, you don’t have to wait until that afternoon to compose the tweet. You can write the tweet a week early, and schedule it to send. If items change, you cannot edit that “pending tweet,” but you can delete it before it is sent and send a corrected tweet.
Second, HootSuite allows multiple users to access one Twitter account. This might be something I’ll look into for our high school, or even for the Technology Integration Specialists. This would allow any number of authorized users to send a tweet.
HootSuite has a plethora of other functions, but they are replicated in most Twitter clients; the logo, however, is adorable.
HootSuite is available as an online service at http://www.hootsuite.com, and it is an iPhone App, too.
I’d like to take a moment to recommend two non-music apps that might be of use for the average iPhone user.
The first app is one I’ve had on my iPhone for a long time, GroceryIQ. GroceryIQ is a shopping list, which was purchased quite some time ago by coupons.com. There are some in-app ads (not obtrusive), and the program offers coupons. The newest version of the program allows you to share lists with other users (e.g. family members) and to scan a barcode of an existing item to put it in your list. I’ve been playing with this feature throughout the night, and only found one item that wasn’t in their database. I can’t seem to find a way to submit a bar code, either. Nonetheless, GroceryIQ was always my favorite shopping list, and this new scanning feature makes this program incredible. I’m sure it works like some other bar code scanners (which I’ll try in the near future), but I am still amazed at the speed and accuracy of the program. At $.99, it is worth having on your phone.
The other app was released this week, and is receiving much attention (even from one of my favorite tech columnists, the New York Times David Pogue). The program is called “Dragon Dictation,” which transcribes what you speak into their program, which can be edited and copied/pasted to any other application. This is quite simply an amazing program, and it is going to save a lot of people a lot of time. I am sure that the next version of the iPhone OS will allow limited programs to run in the background (like the iPhone’s competitors), allowing this program to operate all the time and interact with other programs (e-mail, etc.). The cost of Dragon Dictation? Free. But it doesn’t work on the iPod Touch–yet.
Both of these apps are apps that will simplify my life, and they probably have the potential to simplify yours, too. If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend both of them to you.
Two companies recently contacted me, and asked me if I would consider reviewing their programs. The first was Tonal Memory Trainer (by BidBox LLC).
Tonal Memory Trainer
The idea behind Tonal Memory Trainer is to develop perfect pitch. The program features levels, each adding another note of the Western musical scale. You are asked to identify the pitches on a keyboard which actually is split between the bottom and the top of the stage. You are given a period of time in which to answer at least twenty pitches correctly before moving to the next level.
I have to admit that I’m skeptical of any person’s ability to develop perfect pitch, even though I’ve known three people in my life with perfect pitch. I think continual exposure to certain pitches causes the development of relative pitch. As such, I’m not sure the application can do what it claims to do. Furthermore, the mixture of keyboard and note names, while not truly following the conventional keyboard (split between the top and the bottom of the screen, the keys facing each other) can only lead to confusion for later migration to the keyboard. Finally, I found the pitches to be less random than would be desired. Notes repeated quite frequently, sometimes three or four times in a row (even at level 4, which uses six pitches), and if you indicate a note incorrectly, you usually are given that same “wrong” note when you start identifying pitches again.
I’m grateful for the demo code and the chance to try programs like Tonal Memory Trainer, but it won’t be remaining on my iPhone, and it is hard to recommend to others. I do appreciate the efforts of developers to bring apps to the iPhone that are intended to build musical skills. If you are intrigued by the program, it is available on the Apple AppStore for $2.99.
The second app I had the chance to work with was GrooveMaker House.
GrooveMaker House
GrooveMaker is a collection of applications (eight) that allow you to mix certain groves together, alter their speed, instrumentation, and style, and to make your own music. If you like this sort of application, GrooveMaker is a fantastic program. It is well designed and is frequently on the “top seller” list of all apps in the Apple AppStore. However, as I told the representative who sent me a demo code for the program, I am still unsure of the usefulness of this app in music education, and I know that I won’t use it in my program. However, the representative did have some suggestions, mentioning that GrooveMaker can teach:
- Music sequencing (making a song from scratch using loops, exporting a completed song)
- Mixing (using master track controls, panning, volume, to make different aspects of each track audible)
- Remixing (using preexisting materials to make your own song)
- Song Construction (learning the different parts of a song)
- Multi-Track Recording (how all parts [e.g. drums, bass, lead, vocals, etc.] are mixed into a song)
- Tempo (learning how pitch affects tempo)
All these items are true, but I have to admit that I struggle as a classically-trained musician to fit “mixing” and “techno beat” music into a classically-centered performance curriculum. If a school was teaching an electronic music course (a select few do), this would be a great app. I think many people would enjoy playing with the app (thus its popularity on the AppStore). Ultimately, any time you take existing music and remix it, you are creating something new–that’s undeniable. However, I want every music app that I use in education to point back to the elemental skills of music performance, including the ability to read and write music…something that GrooveMaker doesn’t do (you can become an awesome DJ without actually knowing much about music theory at all…it helps, but it isn’t necessary).
So, my take: GrooveMaker is an awesome mixing program that can teach skills in music mixing, and anyone can use it. It’s just a bit of a tough sell to the music education crowd to be used directly in music education. You can purchase any of the GrooveMaker titles in the Apple AppStore, most are $9.99, but there is currently one free version as well as one for $4.99.
I appreciate the opportunity to review apps, as well as demo codes…but there are times when I personally don’t see the connection of an app to music education, or I don’t see the usefulness of an app in music education. However, these are my opinions, and you may have differing opinions. If either of these apps is appealing to you, please don’t let my opinions sway your own choices. And if you’ve used these apps and found them useful in education, take a moment to add a comment!
It’s November, and my last review of Twitter apps was in August. In that time, Apple has sold billions of Apps on the Apple App Store, and there are now over 100,000 apps available in the store. It seems that the majority of the apps are games, and the balance are either niche software applications (for example, one app that runs the lights in our auditorium–which I have not purchased–for $50) or based on Twitter, RSS, or bodily noises.
There are ton of Twitter apps, and I know that I’m not going to download them all, particularly when I’m already familiar with some of the quality apps.
I currently have four Twitter apps on my iPhone, although I could be talked into reducing them to two. The four apps are:
- TweetDeck v.1.1.1
- Tweetie 2
- Twittelator Pro
- Birdhouse
TweetDeck was the most recent release, and it still is the same, although it now allows for posting of videos as well as integration with Facebook, which I used and then quickly shut off. Facebook is just too active! I still love the unique interface of TweetDeck, and you cannot beat the price. It can be difficult to toggle which Twitter accounts you wish to post to, but still, a great program.
For a while, I was using Tweetie 2 exclusively, but as of late, I’ve been getting errors with Tweetie 2. I switch to a more traditional form of a Twitter app to post…particularly with platforms that I know are more stable. So my go-to program remains Twittelator Pro, which has just about every possible option other than notifications (and the author recommends the purchase of Boxcar for such notifications).
I keep Birdhouse on my iPhone incase I ever want to draft any Tweets ahead of time, or I want to ponder a tweet some more.
If push came to shove, I would keep TweetDeck and Twittelator Pro on my phone.
I also need to give credit to TweetSync on Facebook, whcih allows me to post to Facebook when I send a tweet, if I include a special character (I’ve settled on the ^ symbol to activate a tweet to Facebook).
I stand assured that Twitter is a great way to communicate…if you put your Twitter feed on your website, you can keep your notices up-to-date all the time. And I still recommend Txtblaster for communicating with high school students.
So, although the programs have improved since August, my list remains basically the same. Any questions?
At my previous school, I convinced the principal to allow us to purchase a Zoom H4 recorder for the use of the music department. The Zoom H4 is still available, and although there may be other digital recorders that make a better overall recording, the Zoom offers a number of features unmatched by competitors: internal microphones, SD card recording, AC or DC power sources, multiple formats of line-in recording (XLR or 1/4″), multiple track recording, phantom power, mp3 or WAV recording at different quality levels, file management, and USB interface.
Zoom H4
The only problem I had with the original Zoom H4 was its tricky user interface, which isn’t intuitive (read: not an Apple designed product). Its menus were hard to navigate. I also didn’t like how it mounted to a tripod…it required a separate mounting plate. We used the H4 to replace a Marantz CD Recorder which went out on us…after ruining several recordings of concerts. I decided at that point that we would pursue a direct-to-digital option for recording. You can still buy the Zoom H4, and I’d recommend it. However, after we placed our order list for the new high school, I found out that an updated version of the H4 was available, the Zoom H4n. I was able to change our order and obtain this recorder for our new school.
Zoom H4n
I have to say that I love the H4n. We do have five iPod Touches, along with my iPhone, that do an acceptable job for recording audio; but there isn’t anything quite as useful and quality to record quality digital audio as this device. The display is larger, the interface is much more intuitive (and powerful), and the device features all of the benefits of the original H4. Additionally, you can change the angle of recording field (90 or 120 degrees), and the device now mounts on a tripod through a mount on the bottom of the device. You can purchase H4n recorders for $300, and I cannot recommend them enough. We use ours (we’d like more) to record concerts, rehearsals (to listen to immediately for feedback), auditions, and more. This afternoon I was recording some Finale generated midi-tracks through our Yamaha GP-309 digital grand piano (read: excellent piano sounds) to the Zoom H4n. The quality of the audio is outstanding.
Someone decided that each music classroom needed hanging mics running back to a CD Recorder. We were never asked about that plan; and in fact, we’re rather bearish on CD Recorders. If we want to edit music, we waste a CD ripping it from a CD, rather than importing a digital file, editing it, and then making a final CD. We requested that the district return the recorder systems (furthermore, the hanging mics were replaced with floor jacks without our notification, either) and substitute one or two more Zoom H4n recorders for our use.
Yes, there are other digital recorders, but none (or few) with the options (and relatively low price) of the H4n. If you are planning on buying a CD Recorder, don’t. Direct to digital is the way to go. And if you need to import audio from a sound board instead of directly from the device, you can do that, too. It’s a great device for school music programs.
This evening, my free time increased exponentially with the conclusion of the fall musical (Seussical) at the high school where I am employed. Over the past months, I have continued to find a number of applications that I find useful in the classroom, and I wanted to share those with you. All of these apps are either free, or are apps I purchased myself (no free review codes given for these reviews).
#1 Guitar Toolkit
I bought Guitar Toolkit to help me teach a new level one class guitar course at our school. I found the tuner in this program to be highly useful (both on my iPhone and on our iPod Touches with Thumb Tack microphones), and my advanced players benefited from the chord charts and alternate tuning options. It is an expensive program, but at $9.99, it’s a bargain. The tuner worked better with our guitars than the various small tuners we bought for the school.
#2 iReal Book
I’ll be honest, I haven’t used iReal Book very much yet…but I plan to, as I purchase my own 12-string guitar in the coming weeks. iReal Book is a fake book, based on the original Real Book…at a fraction of the price. There are no melodies presented, but charts for hundreds of songs are provided…as well as the ability to change keys with the press of a key…and the added ability to add your own songs. It’s a real winner of an application for guitarists and performers with need for a fake book. At $7.99, it is also a steal. It is currently listed in the featured apps of Apple…but I found it a few weeks ago as I needed some charts for my guitar course.
#3 Oxford Dictionary of Music and Musicians
I’ll admit it, I didn’t know this was out for the iPhone/iPod Touch. I noticed the program in an article printed by the MENC (I’ve asked for permission to reprint the article in this blog, but if I do not receive that permission, I do want to make mention of where I saw the app). The program is expensive at $14.99, but the physical version sells for $16.20 (used) at Amazon or $37.60 new (not including shipping), and you can’t carry it in your pocket. There is only one negative about the app, which is that it follows the original text of the actual dictionary, word for word, abbreviation for abbreviation (when abbreviations are not really necessary in a digital format). That is a pretty minor complaint. This is an application that should be in every musician’s iPhone/iPod touch app list, period. I believe I’ve mentioned “Musictionary” before, which is another music dictionary. Musictionary sells for $0.99, and is also a good app…but cannot match the depth of the Oxford Dictionary of Music.
#4 Relative Pitch (Lite or Full)
A few months ago, a reader (thanks, Joel) suggested a few iPhone apps that I should examine, including iRead Music, Cup a’ Joe Music Edition, Interval Tutor, Music Reading, and Relative Pitch…highly suggesting iRead Music and Relative Pitch. I haven’t had a chance to examine iRead music yet, but I did download the free version of Relative Pitch. Simply put, it is an ear training program, one that seems based on European descriptions (e.g. “semitones”) rather than United States terminology, but it seems to be a useful application for people wishing to develop their ear in regards to intervals. I previously mentioned that Karajan didn’t really seem very useful to me (lite or full versions) and often had exercises in elements of music that most people never use. Relative Pitch is much more basic, and as a result, more useful. I’d suggest starting with the lite (free) version and buying the full version if you find the program useful.
#5 Rock Band
I’ll end the five apps with a game that may or may not be very educationally relevant. Rock Band was released by EA a few weeks ago at $9.99, and went on sale the other day for $6.99, and I purchased it. Quite frankly, there are other Rock Band type games out there, some free and most cheaper, such as Tap-Tap Revenge and Guitar Rock Tour. Those other games are good, and if you like these sorts of games, look at them. However, EA seemed to get the user interface right with Rock Band, and it simply looks better. It feels like the Rock Band game that you can buy for your Wii, Xbox 360, or PS3. Granted, you can’t sing with it (I think the iPhone could handle it, so maybe a future upgrade will allow for that), but otherwise, it works great and is a lot of fun…and helps build rhythmic skill…I’m sure of it. Plus, you can gain a lot of “street cred” if you have Rock Band on your Phone…just be careful…your students will want to use your personal device!
I was recently contacted about another available iPhone application, “Metronome for Professional.” The title doesn’t ring quite right, it is because the developer is Japanese, and English is not his primary language. As a result, “Professional Metronome” might be a better iPhone application title in English. The app currently (11/12/09) sells for $1.99 in the App Store. Is it a professional metronome?
Splash screen for "Metronome for Professional"
As the app loads, a splash screen shows the word “Imagine…” with the developer’s title. I’m not sure that the splash screen lends itself to the application, as this is a metronome. There isn’t a whole lot of imagination involved with a metronome.
Main screen of "Metronome for Professional"
The main screen of the app provides a traditional image of a metronome, much like the metronome many of us used in our youth. Just like those metronomes, you start the meter by touching it with your finger, and the position of the slider sets the rate of tempo. The good news is that there is no winding required (as with the old physical units), and if you move the iPhone around, the tempo will not change (that could be influenced on the old physical units).
There is also an index bar on the bottom of the metronome, allowing you to choose the metronome, to open stored bookmarks of specific tempos, to tap a tempo into the metronome, and a way to get more information about the app.
I have yet to decide if the lack of color (gray scale at best) is a positive thing, or if I really want some color (I remember those old metronomes being red) in the main image. It certainly isn’t an unprofessional base image, but I want something else.
Tap Screen for "Metronome for Professional"
The “tap” feature offers some interesting options. As you tap the tempo, the program determines the number of beats per minute, as well as offers the italian tempo marking , as well as the ability to increase or decrease the tempo.
More information about "Metronome for Professional"
The information tab offers more information about the developer’s website and e-mail address, as well as some copyrighted images in the app. The phrase, “I wish your play will rock your audience” could be translated better in English: “I hope this app helps you rock your performance.” Then again, perhaps that isn’t the best approach for a “professional” metronome (how many rockers really use metronome?). Perhaps it should read “I wish you the best in your performance,” or even, “Break a leg.”
Double-tap options for "Metronome for Professional"
The last feature I wanted to show for the program was what a double tap on the metronome brings up. You can group beats together, and then subdivide, as well as increasing or decreasing the tempo with a wheel. This option makes this metronome quite an improvement over the old physical metronomes we used in our past. It also appears that you can set multiple tempos at once (looking at the bookmarked tempos)
I do have several suggestions for the application, some of which I have already mentioned.
- The title should probably be “Professional Metronome.”
- The information page should probably feature another message (as previously mentioned).
- The metronome should be a different color, or let the user determine the color.
- I wish the Italian tempo markings were available somehow on the main metronome, or selectable in the bookmarks or on a separate screen (wheel selection, perhaps, along with subdivision settings?). The app does allow this on the tap screen, but if a person wants to determine the proper tempo (or approximate tempo) based on an Italian term (e.g. Grave, Presto), it would be nice to be able to do this without guessing (tapping)
- Finally, I think the app should be able to rotate, particularly up and down, so that if you put your iPhone on a music stand, you can do so with the phone’s speakers exposed (phone upside down). And then, of course, for people that don’t like rotation, a way to disable rotation in the options.
- Finally, I’d change the symbol of the quarter note and the beat to something else, particularly as the beat will not always be a quarter note (in reality, this is the least “professional” aspect of the application). I’d suggest that the application read “bpm” or “b.p.m.” in place of the quarter note (e.g. 72 b.p.m.)
In conclusion, is “Metronome for Professional” professional? I think it is. It isn’t a replacement for a Dr. Beat metronome, but it isn’t a slouch as a metronome, either. It’s the first version of the program and a fantastic start. I like the traditional interface, and it works well. I like that you start the metronome with your finger, like a traditional metronome. Dare I say it? It is fun and retro! As a teacher, I’m all for anything that will get students to potentially practice more. For $1.99 (at the time of writing), it is a good app and a good iPhone application for a musician.
