Four years ago this month we released forScore 1.0 with the promise of much more to come and free updates for life. It’s been an incredible journey, and no one could have predicted just how far we’d come with a lot of hard work and the enthusiastic support of our amazing customers, but we’re nowhere near finished: today we’re proud to introduce forScore 7.
forScore 7’s array of improvements begins with audio. Now, you can link locally-stored audio files to your scores (any file that’s currently playable by Apple’s audio frameworks will work, including MP3, AIFF, AAC, ALAC, WAV, and M4A files). Add these files from your computer, download them via Dropbox or the in-app browser, or import them from apps that 
use iOS’ “Open in…” feature. We’ve also added a new recording feature, so you can review your practice sessions or share them with friends and colleagues. Both recordings and linked audio files can be slowed down and played back at three quarter or half speed.
Our new Replay feature lets you automate page turns with an audio track: just listen to the song once and turn pages as needed, then watch as the pages turn themselves on subsequent plays. It’s a great hands-free solution for musicians using backing tracks.
We’ve significantly overhauled Rearrange with forScore 7, adding powerful new features while refocusing on ease of use and making interaction much smoother and more direct. Pages can be dragged around without tapping and holding first, page duplication is now a single tap, 
and undo makes it trivial to recover from accidental page deletion. You can now also split files into separate sections and drag pages between them as needed, using “Save As…” to export them as sequentially-numbered files.
The new “Shapes” section in the drawing menu makes it easy to add dynamically-sized elements to your page. Draw slurs, ties, tuplets, crescendos or lines and make them as big or small as you like, or easily block out entire sections of a page with the rectangle tool. Each shape can be tinted independently, and line width can be adjusted with the standard pen resizing control when applicable. We’ve also added some new stamps so you can easily add notes to a page.
If you use text-based documents, forScore 7 makes your workflow much easier with automatic conversion of TXT, RTF, DOC, and DOCX files. Add these files from your computer, download them via Dropbox or the in-app browser, or import them from apps and they’ll be converted into PDF files for you.
With the addition of these great new features, quick access to the ones you use the most is even more important. That’s why we’ve added a second page of tools to the title display in the toolbar along the top of the page. Swipe left or tap the arrow button to see all of these tools, and use the edit button to choose which two flank the current score’s title.
All that and more is available today on the App Store as a free update for all existing users and still just $6.99 for newcomers. We’re very excited to share it with you, and thanks as always for your support—we couldn’t do it without you!
Since its introduction last fall, forScore’s remote control system, Cue, has been a big hit for all sorts of musicians. On the road or in the classroom, it’s proven to be a great way to keep everyone on the same page. Today we’re taking it a step further with a standalone version of Cue for iPhone and iPod touch.
Cue lets you remotely control nearby iPads running forScore 6.1 or later. Tap the left and right arrows to turn pages, or tap the up and down arrows to page up and down (or to toggle half-page turns, depending on the receiving device’s orientation and settings). Instantly jump to a specific page or to any score that’s available on all connected devices. You can even view the screen of any connected iPad to follow along as they play.*
We’re thrilled with this great new page turning option for our users, and we’re proud to welcome it to the forScore family. Cue is available now on the App Store, so be sure to check it out!
With this morning’s update to forScore 6.1 and the exciting addition of MIDI integration, it’s worth taking a look at IK Multimedia’s wireless MIDI controller: the iRig Blueboard. We’ve been testing one over the past few weeks and found it to be a compelling and capable controller, worth considering if you’re looking for a page turner.
The popular existing choices, the AirTurn BT-105 and PageFlip Cicada, are distinct takes on what a page turner should be and have their own advantages and disadvantages, but the iRig Blueboard is an even bigger departure: it uses Bluetooth 4.0 for incredible energy efficiency, 
features four soft backlit buttons instead of pedals, and communicates via MIDI instead of impersonating a standard computer keyboard (which works around iOS’ cumbersome virtual keyboard behavior).
The iRig Blueboard requires an intermediary app to function, so you need to install it and keep it running in the background whenever you want to use the Blueboard. This is perhaps the biggest disadvantage when compared to other page turners, although the app does give you the added ability to program the four backlit buttons to send different signals. You can use forScore to map those signals to specific functions, just like you can with the other page turner options (choose “Settings” from the tools menu, then select “Page turners & shortcuts”). All in all, it’s a great option for anyone who can benefit from MIDI compatibility in other apps, and the best deal for four controls in a power-conscious, self-contained package.
Today we’re happy to announce the immediate availability of forScore 6.1, complete with MIDI integration, big Console improvements, and more. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, our recent Sneak Peek describes some of the biggest changes.
As always, this update is absolutely free for all of our existing customers, and still just $6.99 (USD) for newcomers. Be sure to check it out on the app store, and if you’re upgrading, please take a moment to back up your data first.
We’ve been working hard for the last several months to ready our next big update to forScore, version 6.1. This update is all about MIDI, and it’s much more than a simple add-on. We’ve woven MIDI functions into the app at several different levels, making it even easier to integrate forScore into your connected setup. Use Apple’s Camera Connection Kit to attach your USB-equipped device or use an adapter like the iRig Midi.
Once you do, you’ll be able to play forScore’s virtual piano instrument, use MIDI signals to open specific scores or perform common actions, and add commands to any item in your library to be broadcast automatically any time you open it (including program changes, song select messages, and raw hex codes).
Console has seen some important enhancements, too. The metadata view now includes the ability to create and edit bookmarks, and allows you to manage setlist and library membership (just like you can with forScore’s Metadata panel). The main view now features a menu bar along the top of the screen that allows you to create new libraries and switch between them without returning to the iPad.
We’ve also made working with password-protected files more straightforward, expanded our shortcut options to include audio track controls, upgraded the metronome’s sounds, and added native support for Apple’s latest 64-bit devices.
It’s a great update, and we can’t wait to release it in a few weeks when it’s ready, so be sure to stay tuned. Thanks as always for your support!