Workflow: have PDF; may correct some, but mainly need a page turner
My wife can sight-read and has a huge collection of PDFs as a result of scanning her songbooks.
She displays these with PiaScore on a an iPad.
However, as one gets older, a bigger screen would be advantageous.
The current requirements are:
a) find a good PDF to MusicXML (or other suitable digital format) scanner, and convert the PDFs to editable files.
b) use the digital files to display the scores with, say, a 27" screen with a Windows or Linux application, which allows for vertical or horizontal display, maybe as continuous page (reason for PDF conversion to allow for that)
c) use a/any Bluetooth (or wired) pedal to turn the pages in a sensible/practical way.
As a side note: We are not limited by operating system or hardware. Yes, the desktop PC is a Windows machine; the page tuner, viewer can run on a RaspberryPi or other small Linux machine. Would love to move away from tablets as viewer, but if Apple OS is best for viewing/page turning, I may get an old Apple computer.
Is there such a combo of apps or can MuseScore do it all?
I am certain my described workflow must be pretty common!?
Any hints appreciated.
Comments
Large screen tablets are a rarity. You need a minimum 14.4" screen at right aspect ratio to display an A4 page without reduction. More is required if you have menus etc visible.
Short of buying one of the very expensive Japanese-made large screen ebooks, I recently bought a refurbished Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" to display music PDFs.
Ideally I would have an A3 sized (foldable) e-ink screen, but everyone is hung up on smaller screens or 16:9 ratio screens that are hopeless for document reading.
While there are plenty of page-turner pedals on the market, I am happy (for now) to use flick the corner of my Surface screen to move a page forward.
Regarding PDF to editable file software, it's still not a great experience. I've tried out ScanScore but the amount of corrective editing required is such that I find it easier to transcribe the whole piece into Musescore directly.
I've spoken to a number of eBook/tablet manufacturers over the last 20 years about the huge potential of the music market (also the comic book market) and they just don't seem terribly interested.
In reply to Large screen tablets are a… by memeweaver
Thank you for your detailed reply.
Why tablets?
As I said, I do not care about OS or device, but find a PC with monitor the better option; in particular cost-wise.
It also doesn't need to be a 16:9, but rather a screen in portrait mode.
Thanks for the hint on ScanScore... I thought it would be better, given that I dabbled in OCR back in 1990... and expected score scanning to be developed by now.
I hear ya, with manufacturers not seeing the market; why I think that a stationary computer/screen combo is the way to go. But then, some of the software seems to run on mobile devices only.
Well, I keep looking... and thinking... and am open for more ideas and experiences.
In reply to Thank you for your detailed… by Max_G
I 'm not arguing for 16:9 screens but against. 16:9 is designed for watching video and is the wrong aspect ratio for documents. You want something closed to 3:2
Tablets are a must for me because I have an upright piano. A computer with a monitor might work on a grand piano or in some keyboard rig. Tablets also give you touch and pen options which are very useful for music input and page turning.
In reply to I 'm not arguing for 16:9… by memeweaver
Understood... we have a Bluetooth pedal to do the page turning... but I forgot the 'change score' aspect :) which would require a mouse in case there is no touch screen.