We’re happy to announce the immediate availability of Beat Keeper 2.0, the first major update to our standalone metronome app for iPhone and iPod Touch. Version 2.0 adds a new fullscreen animation for improved visibility, and includes localization for Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. It has also been updated to use the latest iOS technologies, and has a dramatically smaller footprint.
Our other standalone app for the small screen, Pitch, Please!, will also be getting an update in the next few days: version 1.1 will also feature a much smaller footprint and will include louder piano samples.
Of course, the update that’s really stealing the spotlight is the newest version of forScore. Despite a few initial bugs that we’re working hard to resolve, the update has seen an incredible response and we couldn’t be more proud of it. We made a ton of changes, so if you notice any issues please let us know. We may never make a perfect app, but we’re always ready to tackle the issues that do sneak through. As always, we couldn’t do it without you—thank you!
We’re happy to announce the immediate availability of forScore 4.0, a free update for all existing users and still the same great $4.99 (USD) for everyone else. This update touches every corner of the app and improves upon a great foundation by making features smarter, faster, and simpler. We’ve worked hard to make this the best version of forScore yet, and we’re sure you’ll love it. See all fifty new features and enhancements, and be sure to check out forScore 4.0 on the app store today.
Today we’re very excited to give you a sneak peek at the next major version of forScore, version 4.0. Things have been quiet around here as we work hard to get ready for such a big update, and we think you’ll agree that it was worth the wait when we release it in the next few weeks.
We started by combing through every part of the app to make it better, faster, and more efficient than ever before. Annotations are more responsive, library routines are smarter, and page turns benefit from an all-new adaptive caching system that takes advantage of every millisecond of downtime without ever getting in your way. Just a few page flips and you’ll see why we codenamed this version Mercury—it’s the lightest, fastest version yet.
There’s more than just speed, though: version 4.0 also greatly improves your workflow. For instance, most menus now include multi-select for iOS 5 users; that means you can choose one or more scores and then perform a variety of actions on those scores, rather than having to always work backwards. It’s one of the most important changes we’ve ever made to forScore, and we think you’ll love it.
Of course, forScore is only as good as your content, and we’re making it even easier for you to find high-quality scores by introducing a full in-app purchase storefront. It’s the best place to discover, preview, and download free and paid scores that are optimized for the iPad. We’re working with artists and publishers alike, so let us know if you’d like to participate.
Version 4.0 is packed with lots of other great new features, too: setlist sharing, audio track looping, page note reminders, annotation font styles, and two new page transition options are just the beginning.
As always, this update wouldn’t exist without the incredible participation and feedback from our users, so thank you. Your passion is why we work hard every day to make forScore even better, and version 4.0 is no exception. We can’t wait to share it with you.
Version 3.5 is now live on the App Store for just $4.99 (USD) or free for existing users, and includes the following enhancements and improvements:
• Includes Retina display support
• Adds a performance mode for fool-proof page turning
• Moves the find function to the main control bar for even quicker access
• Allows simultaneous audio track, piano, pitch pipe, and metronome playback
• Adds several new options for dealing with duplicate files in Dropbox
• Includes an option to use legacy TV Output with newer iPads
• Displays the number of scores in the current setlist
• Includes other minor bug fixes
With Apple announcing an all-new iPad today, you may be wondering if forScore will work with the new hardware. It will, and with our forthcoming update, forScore version 3.5, it will also be fully optimized for the Retina display. We’ve been working hard over the past few weeks to get ready for this, and forScore looks gorgeous in 3.1 million pixels.
This update includes a lot more than just Retina display support, though, so iPad 1 and 2 users won’t be left out. Most significantly, we’ve added something that we think will make a huge difference: performance mode. With it, any touch anywhere on the screen turns the page forwards, except for a strip down the left-hand side of the screen which turns backwards just in case you flip too far ahead. It makes page turns more reliable than ever, and you’ll feel just as comfortable using forScore in performance as you do in practice. That’s just one of a number of improvements we’re making with forScore 3.5, which will be available soon for just $4.99 (USD) and still absolutely free for existing users.
We’re happy to announce the immediate availability of our latest update to forScore, version 3.4. This update includes tons of refinements and fixes, and adds a few important features that we think will make a big splash. We’ve added the ability to share and print bookmarks, improved tap and swipe detection, included Spanish localization, and we’ve made it easier to flip between scores by using optional two- and three-finger taps instead of returning to the menu each time.
We’ve also been told by Apple that our app must now be rated 17+ since it includes a web browser (which means our app has to be rated based on the content of the entire Internet.) Unfortunately, this may cause problems for any educational institutions that use our app and also rely on parental controls—if you’re one of them, then we encourage you to contact us through our support page so we can discuss some alternatives.
The world of app development changes every day, and while we can’t ever predict what Apple will say or how our app will fit into their many guidelines, we can and do promise to continue to make forScore even better with each revision. We know that this version of forScore is the best yet, and we’re excited to keep working hard every day to make it even better. Version 3.4 is available immediately on the App Store.
Today we’re proud to introduce the latest update to forScore, version 3.3. This update improves upon some of our most popular features like half-page turns and the recently added piano keyboard, and continues our efforts to bring forScore to customers around the world by adding support for German and refining our existing translations (thanks to the tireless efforts of our amazing volunteers!)
forScore 3.3 is available immediately on the App Store for just $4.99 (USD) or totally free for existing users, and you can find the full list of changes below:
• Allows half-page turns between files
• Dramatically improves piano keyboard responsiveness
• Highlights the current score in its source list or setlist
• Adds support for German and improves other translations
• Fixes an issue with rotation after using Darkroom
• Includes other minor bug fixes
We’re very excited to announce the immediate availability of forScore 3.2, an update that’s packed so full of improvements that we can only cover a few of the biggest highlights here:
We’ve begun localizing our app, starting with Dutch, French, and Chinese. We’ll be adding support for other languages as quickly as we can, so check out this page if you’d like to help. We’ve widened the menus and changed the way the sort/search bars work to make room for these translations, and we’ve made a lot of other minor adjustments to overall legibility and accessibility.
We’ve also added a piano keyboard so you can work through tricky measures on the go, we’ve simplified our settings panel, and we’ve added a sepia tone option for the main score view. There’s a lot more, too, so be sure to check out the full list on the App Store where forScore 3.2 is available right now for just $4.99, or absolutely free for existing users.
If you’ve been thinking of getting an AirTurn page turner, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. For Black Friday, AirTurn is offering $10 off any purchase of $100 or more, and free USPS shipping with the “BLACKFRIDAY” coupon code. For international shoppers, get $15 off any purchase of $100 or more using the “BLACKFRIDAY2” coupon code.
These coupon codes are valid from now until Monday, November 28th, and they can be used with our own ongoing promotion, giving you a free copy of forScore with a qualifying purchase of the BT-105. Find out more on our promo page, and happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks to AirTurn for letting us know about a recent performance by violinist Giora Schmidt using the BT-105 and forScore! There’s a video interview with him on AirTurn’s website, and there’s an article on Ariama for those who are interested.
What he describes as “the most difficult work in the violin repertoire that I’ve ever played,” Schmidt premiered Franz Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor (transcribed for solo violin) for the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth. It’s a piece that was written for ten fingers, and played by four, so there were technical challenges that called for an unconventional approach to reading music. For Giora, that approach was to use an iPad, forScore, and the BT-105. Here’s a particularly salient quote from the Ariama.com interview:
“What was brought on by necessity – either walk onstage with a page turner or use ten music stands to tape the 35 pages of sheet music across – has now completely changed how I read, annotate and perform with music.”
It’s really an incredible performance, as you can see below, and we’re honored to have helped make it possible. He’s a fantastic musician, a real advocate for this kind of technology, and we hope to be seeing a lot more from him very soon!
Today we’re very excited to give you a sneak peek at the next major version of forScore, version 4.0. Things have been quiet around here as we work hard to get ready for such a big update, and we think you’ll agree that it was worth the wait when we release it in the next few weeks.
We’re very excited to announce the immediate availability of forScore 3.2, an update that’s packed so full of improvements that we can only cover a few of the biggest highlights here: