Esh, here are the answers I got from Kevin Crowder (Technical Support Specialist) at Freehand:

Quote:
Originally posted by Esh:

Can you call up sheet music and the accompaniment MP3/midi file at the same time or does each require it's own directory?

Yes. Open the sheet music, and then open the audio player, and hit 'play'.

Quote:
Originally posted by Esh:

MIDI playback? So they have incorporated a GM softsynth in v4? Or is it just a basic tone for score previewing?

Yes. With release 4, a sound chip (for MP3 playback) & software based GM Midi soft synth (for midi playback).

Quote:
Originally posted by Esh:

3. Could you try putting a minijack into the audio output and seeing if it clicks once or twice?
Inserting my stereo headphone (with 1/8" stereo mini jack) it appears to click twice.

Quote:
Originally posted by Gord:
Hi Scott
-The new landscape mode sounds interesting-cause I'm often bouncing between my left lead sheet page to a 'chord pro' page display on the right. So -does the display now show two 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" sheets ? - or what is the size of the two 'sheets' shown in the display? Thanks ! Gord


Gord: Good question, especially because I often utilize leadsheet + a chord pro lyrics-chord sheet similarly to you. The screen resolution is 1024 x 768 dimension with maximum viewable MPP+ screen area : 9-3/4" x 7-1/4 . Typical printed music is printed on 8-1/2 x 11 size paper, but eliminating the margins, the actual music itself (staff, notes etc), takes up a much smaller area. Thus, the music itself is displayed (on the MPP+) the same size as viewed on as the original did on 8-1/2 x 11 paper. In two-page view mode, the MusicPad Pro+ 'reduces' the size so 2 pages are viewed at once (side by side) with the MPP+ positioned on its side (landscape mode), making the notes & lyrics appearing smaller. For reading lead sheets, chords, and lyrics, I find this size acceptable, but for serious score reading, it may be a bit difficult. I personally prefer the ability to view 2 pages in landscape mode, because this further diminishes the notice-ability of the MusicPad on stage.

In addition to the new 2 page view mode feature, other new 4.0 features I appreciate are the convenient browse & search mode, and the new added ability to easily enter/edit (right on the pad) new chords, lyrics, as well as entering/editing of notes (already supported in the orginal version). I'm not sure if I'll have any personal need or use for the new audio (MP3/Midi) playback or wireless connection features, but you never know, I eventually may will afterall.

Ok folks: I continue to atest the MusicPad Pro to be the best music investment (2nd to the keyboard) I've made. Musically, I'm pretty much paper free now, thanks to the MPP+. Thanks to Freehand for FINALLY getting release 4.0 out to us.

Scott
_________________________