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