About a year ago I started using a Freehand Systems Music Pad for my non-memorized concert work, such as performances of complex new music or chamber music. This is basically a notebook computer that stores your scanned or downloaded scores and displays them page by page, controlled either with a foot pedal (the most practical) or a touch screen method.
The advantages over a human page turner are obvious. No more early, late, missed or double turns, no missed repeats or frightening da capos. No one on stage bobbing up and down every few minutes, upsetting the visual equilibrium. No imposing on musician friends to turn pages for you when they would rather just relax and enjoy the performance.
So, kudos to the folks at Freehand for at least stepping up to the plate. Overall, I like the box, but it has been a bit of a bumpy relationship so far. Scanning and downloading my own scores is pretty time consuming and complex (lots of emails to tech support), with mixed results regarding clarity. I find the onscreen annotation process (fingering, dynamics, etc.) a bit unwieldy and laborious . Freehand does offer a large selection of downloadable scores for purchase, not unlike many other sites on the internet, and like them it is a hit or miss proposition as to quality. A recent download of the Brahms Piano Quintet revealed three wrong notes in the first movement alone, and several omissions of phrasing and misplaced clefs. I suppose I can overlook a missing slur here and there, but actual wrong notes? And of course, there are no indications of editorial provenance or critical notes that would accompany printed editions. Perhaps this is why usage in the classical field does not seem very widespread at this point. However, if you crave an instantly transposable version of "The Way We Were" you are in business.
For me, the pluses still outweigh the minuses, but for the cost of the unit I'd say the folks at Freehand have a ways to go if they want more serious musicians as customers. Speaking of which, I'd love to hear from you about your Freehand experience; it's a bit of a lonely world out here right now!
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3 comments:
$899.00! I had no idea how much those things cost. Still, the idea of not having to look for (coax, bribe, pay, owe one to) a page turner just might make it worth it. I'm waiting for the "light as a feather" hologram variety to come out that would be the size and weight of regular music paper. Or having one built into a music stand or a set of music stands, and wired wirelessly to an entire section or even an entire orchestra (when you start at letter B, for example, the measure could automatically be highlighted). How about one that simply "hears" when you need to turn the page?
Dear Martin,
Thanks for the interesting review on the Freehand Musicpad Pro, I find it very useful.
Our company develops software for Tablet PC, laptops and desktops to display sheet music, which has roughly the same functionality as the MPP,but a different approach for scanning and annotating the music. It also give you choice which type of hardware you use, but I recommend the use of Tablet PCs. I would appreciate it if you try the software and give your opinion. A free evaluation version is available from http://www.musicreader.net .
Best regards,
Marco Leoné
Leoné MusicReader B.V.
I believe that this product could be helpful for you by saving your hundreds of dollars in the music industry
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