Going digital: stands and holders?

[Kbiggs]

I’ve decided to convert to digital music as much as possible. I have a new iPad, ForScore, and the AirTurn Pro pedal. I play 95% classical and chamber music, if that makes a difference.

What kind of stand do most people use? A regular music stand? If so, how do you keep the iPad on the stand?

If you use a different stand, do you use a mic stand with an arm to hold the tablet? A dedicated straight stand like the goStand: https://store.airturn.com/collections/t ... blet-stand? Something else?

What kind of tablet holder? There are diagonal holders, large clip holders, and adjustable ones like Hercules and KMI.

[afugate]

I use a collapsible boom mic stand. Lightweight, and I can adjust the boom to keep the stand out of the way when necessary to fit into cramped quarters.

I'm not especially satisfied with my current tablet holder, so I'll defer on that.

Oh, I found an old Prince tennis racket bag that I picked up for a buck. Works great to carry my large iPad and stand/holder. Also can fit either my tenor or bass stand. Slings over my shoulder. It's very handy, and has made for some fun comments when I show up to the gig.

--Andy in OKC

[kingsk1117]

I use a collapsible mic stand without the boom (looks similar to the goStand you mentioned) and screw-on a MANOS tablet holder purchased through AirTurn. It clamps my iPad Pro securely and still swivels easily to change from portrait to landscape if you need to do that due to size of the music. The only problem I have experienced with the MANOS is that if you rotate it too many times, the nut and bolt in the center loosens up and you have to disassemble it to get access to the nut to tighten things back up. But not that much of a big deal, now that I know what to look for and control. I use a hockey duffle bag from a sporting goods store to carry my stands and gear (I travel with a bass and tenor together).

[timothy42b]

I'm considering this too. I have a work issued iPad and like it but of course can't use that for the playing I do.

Do you like the iPad based tablets, or the Android? And the prices range all over the place, I'm wondering what options I need.

[ssking2b]

I have a MANOS iPad holder, and goStand from airTurn. All works great and I can keep the case on my iPad.

[sacfxdx]

goStand from AirTurn. https://caddiebuddy.com/ipad-holder-for-mic-stand/ - holder. holds each corner. comes with adapter for mic stand AND the extension arm.

I use a BlueBoard (https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/i ... -blueboard) only because I already had it. A BlueTurn (https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/i ... g-blueturn) would be better for a dedicated page turner as it is smaller.

[Matt K]

I have a K&M iPad stand and found that to be the best of the options when I was using Apple products for music.

I'm considering this too. I have a work issued iPad and like it but of course can't use that for the playing I do.

Do you like the iPad based tablets, or the Android? And the prices range all over the place, I'm wondering what options I need.

Don't neglect Windows tablets in this. MobileSheets is pretty good on both Android and Windows; the Surface tablets are great for this use and you can get used ones for a pretty reasonable price that are a few years old and, unlike Apple stuff, will let you install the most recent version of their OS on them. (e.g. if you were to buy an iPad 2 right now, unless you bought forScore a few years ago, you wouldn't be able to install it because it "requires" iOS 10+ and the max version for the iPad 2 is 9.x.x).

[bkessler]

I actually just use a regular peak stand, as do most of the folks in my big band (mix of iPads, Microsoft surfaces, Boox, plus several on paper). I do this because I have a smaller iPad, and wasn’t sure how well in-stand stuff would work (wouldn’t be such a problem for classical), and it gives me a place to set paper music if I need it from time-to-time. That said, I mostly haven’t bought anything else because I didn’t want to spend more money.

But now I’m intrigued. People with Manos/Go-stand setups- a few questions:
Does in-stand playing work alright? Are you still able to read while playing in-stand?
How easy is it to raise and lower the setup for solos and such?
What happens if you get paper to read? Just quick scan it in?

[kingsk1117]

I normally use the regular low band fronts for playing in the big band, but the Manos/GoStand for everything else. When playing in the community band and the director passes out new paper music to read, I just rotate it sideways and then use the top spring-operated tablet holder to also grab the paper music. The problem comes when the part is 3 or more pages long.

[afugate]

I normally use the regular low band fronts for playing in the big band, but the Manos/GoStand for everything else. When playing in the community band and the director passes out new paper music to read, I just rotate it sideways and then use the top spring-operated tablet holder to also grab the paper music. The problem comes when the part is 3 or more pages long.

Use the camera on your tablet to take pictures of the pages. I do this with ForScore and it works very well in a pinch for stuff that was just handed out. I use a dedicated scanner app but ForScore includes some built in scanning capability.

--Andy in OKC

[vetsurginc]

I normally use the regular low band fronts for playing in the big band, but the Manos/GoStand for everything else. When playing in the community band and the director passes out new paper music to read, I just rotate it sideways and then use the top spring-operated tablet holder to also grab the paper music. The problem comes when the part is 3 or more pages long.

Use the camera on your tablet to take pictures of the pages. I do this with ForScore and it works very well in a pinch for stuff that was just handed out. I use a dedicated scanner app but ForScore includes some built in scanning capability.

--Andy in OKC

Descapresto or Peak with the iPad pro. I usually have time to scan in orchestra/symphonic band pieces. But for big bands we're always getting a last minute handout or "new book" with a ton of stuff I don't have scanned, so the regular stand is needed. PageFLip Butterfly.

Some places have Manhasset stands available (in varying states of repair/movement.

[afugate]

Descapresto or Peak with the iPad pro. I usually have time to scan in orchestra/symphonic band pieces. But for big bands we're always getting a last minute handout or "new book" with a ton of stuff I don't have scanned, so the regular stand is needed. PageFLip Butterfly.

Some places have Manhasset stands available (in varying states of repair/movement.

Ahh. That makes sense.
--Andy in OKC

[Geordie]

Using low front big band stand with an iPad. I’d like to be able to adjust the height and, if possible, the angle, of the iPad on the low front stand. Propping it on my spectacle case isn’t the solution. Any gadget solutions?

[WGWTR180]

Using low front big band stand with an iPad. I’d like to be able to adjust the height and, if possible, the angle, of the iPad on the low front stand. Propping it on my spectacle case isn’t the solution. Any gadget solutions?

Now that's interesting. I can't even read music off of those things!

[BrassSection]

I’m set up with a standard music stand, iPad on one side and in-ear controller on other side. My only dilemma is visibility issues. Stand off center to the right great for trombone. Not so much trumpet or euph. Off to left good for trumpet and euph, trombone bell obscures iPad. Whole band plays standing, and I also have a mic front dead center for trumpet and trombone. Euph just needs to be played a little louder, acoustics good in the church so it is easily heard according to feedback from reliable sources. On rare occasions when French horn is out, is also can be heard. I’m not that far from a wall behind me.

As head of the church building committee 20+ years ago a high priority was put on acoustics. 20 piece brass group agreed building is a good place to play.

[pmeiden]

I use an iPad 12.9” (6th Gen I think), F/S and Lekato pedal. I usually use a Manhassat or Wenger stand provided by the venue, and if I’m blessed with a “sinker” stand I carry a large binder clip (for sheafs of documents) that I can clip around the stand shaft to hold it in position. My folding K&M stand also holds the iPad nicely when necessary.

[jthomas105]

I use this for my 12.9 iPad Pro. Plenty of slide room with the adjustable gooseneck.

https://www.amazon.com/Elitehood-Goosen ... 02&sr=8-11

[dbwhitaker]

I use this for my 12.9 iPad Pro. Plenty of slide room with the adjustable gooseneck.

https://www.amazon.com/Elitehood-Goosen ... 02&sr=8-11

I bought a similar stand: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088FWC5BB?th=1

It works fine but I just use a regular stand all of the time now. It's much quicker and easier to move an iPad on and off a regular stand than it is to connect and disconnect the iPad from the specialized holder. Also, as previously mentioned by others, sometimes you need to play paper that is handed to you. I also don't like being different when everyone else in the big band has a regular stand. I think the specialized stand has advantages in some situations, but not all.

[Geordie]

In big band I have no option but to use a low front big band stand for presentational reasons. The height and angle cannot be adjusted. I need a gadget to put on the stand shelf that might provide at least a little adjustable display height and angle flexibility.

[Posaunus]

At our big band rehearsal last night, we were passed out 8 new paper charts to sight read.
The five players using iPads were S.O.L. - they had to switch to regular music stands.
They now have a week to scan / digitize the five "keeper" charts before our next rehearsal.

I wonder if iPad anxiety is a bit like range anxiety with an electric car. You're good until ...

[bitbckt]

I just use the Notes app to scan them directly into forScore and hand them back when that happens.

[sacfxdx]

Take a regular stand for practice in case there’s new music. iPad will fit on it. Use the iPad stand for gigs. iPad is much easier to deal with than a large stack of paper.

[BarryDaniels]

I just put my iPad on a music stand. I was worried at first about it getting knocked off the stand but it hasn’t been an issue yet. To turn the pages in ForeScore I use a Flic button and a Flic Grip which is a 3D printed plastic holder sold on Etsy. The maker designs them for many different trombones and will even custom make one if he doesn’t have your specific horn.

[Aznguyy]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6S ... =UTF8&th=1

I use this if I'm even stuck with the low big band stands. I can raise up my ipad or put it at a different angle depending on the situation.

There are also a lot of scanner apps you can use for passed out paper music. I use "Scanner Pro" and it just takes me a few minutes to take a picture of it and convert it to PDF for forscore. I can also upload from Scanner Pro to my google drive for backup.

[Geordie]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6S ... =UTF8&th=1

I use this if I'm even stuck with the low big band stands. I can raise up my ipad or put it at a different angle depending on the situation.

Thank you. This looks like a good answer to my question. Will check it out.

[timothy42b]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6S ... =UTF8&th=1

I use this if I'm even stuck with the low big band stands. I can raise up my ipad or put it at a different angle depending on the situation.

Thank you. This looks like a good answer to my question. Will check it out.

That is a great solution and reasonably priced. My handbell ringers use something similar (photo below). Our folders are self supporting but we are all of an age where we need the music closer. Had I seen these I might not have gone to the trouble of building ones like this (although not as fancy)

[Geordie]

Thanks for the suggestions. This is far cheaper than what I’ve seen and might work
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/havrehoj-h ... -40534576/?
Getting the Kabcon to England was was going to be expensive.

[AtomicClock]

Getting the Kabcon to England was was going to be expensive.

I have one of these ALASHIs (for non-music purposes). It holds my 10-inch tablet fine, even in portrait and when I push on the top to simulate a taller tablet's balance.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09ZY8T5PD

[rabiddolphin]

I just put my iPad on a music stand. I was worried at first about it getting knocked off the stand but it hasn’t been an issue yet. To turn the pages in ForeScore I use a Flic button and a Flic Grip which is a 3D printed plastic holder sold on Etsy. The maker designs them for many different trombones and will even custom make one if he doesn’t have your specific horn.

How do you go back a page with the Flic button?

[BarryDaniels]

I have it setup to go back by clicking twice.

[rdalton]

I use a refurb Microsoft Surface. Was much cheaper than an iPad. Often I use a Manhasset music stand that I bought cheap at Goodwill and leave in my car trunk. I use a Bluetooth foot pedal for page turns.

[timothy42b]

I just put my iPad on a music stand. I was worried at first about it getting knocked off the stand but it hasn’t been an issue yet. To turn the pages in ForeScore I use a Flic button and a Flic Grip which is a 3D printed plastic holder sold on Etsy. The maker designs them for many different trombones and will even custom make one if he doesn’t have your specific horn.

How do you go back a page with the Flic button?

I use Mobilesheets but I would think Forscore has the same function.

To go back with only the forward button, just set the page order to be 1,2,1,2. We had one piece with a repeat halfway back on the first page then over to a coda at fast tempo, this was the easiest way to do it without worrying about which button to hit.

[Slydeguy]

I use a refurb Microsoft Surface. Was much cheaper than an iPad. Often I use a Manhasset music stand that I bought cheap at Goodwill and leave in my car trunk. I use a Bluetooth foot pedal for page turns.

What music reading software are you using on the Surface? ForScore is great on the iPad. I’m considering a Surface for outdoor gigs vs. my iPad Pro to limit the obvious risks of mishaps.

[chouston3]

I use a mic stand with a heavy base and a K&M tablet holder when I need to be extra secure with that setup.

Most of the time, if music stands are provided, I use one of those to hold my tablet. It's much easier to deal with than the mic stand and tablet holder. Even my folding music stand is fine to hold my tablet as long as I am not outside.

[Aznguyy]

I use a refurb Microsoft Surface. Was much cheaper than an iPad. Often I use a Manhasset music stand that I bought cheap at Goodwill and leave in my car trunk. I use a Bluetooth foot pedal for page turns.

What music reading software are you using on the Surface? ForScore is great on the iPad. I’m considering a Surface for outdoor gigs vs. my iPad Pro to limit the obvious risks of mishaps.

For android and windows, Mobilesheets would be the way to go.

[tim]

I use Newzik, with a Cube Turner by Playwell on a refurbished Ipad mounted on a repurposed mic stand and short boom. I can't remember which holder but it also swivels to use portrait or landscape. I bought Newzik a couple years ago then upgraded to their cloud storage option. I create a playlist when the leader sends it out ( fortunately he has gone digital too), we also have a sharing option for the playlist. This is all working very well and I haven't got a ton of money in it.

[ENBjorn]

I use a K&M iPad stand for my Samsung tablet (costing less than half of a similar sized iPad) and I love it! Occationally I do use a regular music stand, but then I use only my own. I am sceptical to other stands as they may prove treacherous and suddenly collapse.

As a whole, I have no regrets after going digital. When I get handed paper sheet music, I usually just scan them and within half a minute I am ready to play. Tips: always keep a fast charger in your instrumet/sheet music bag. Saved you some anxiety...

[flyingcow]

I use a refurb Microsoft Surface. Was much cheaper than an iPad. Often I use a Manhasset music stand that I bought cheap at Goodwill and leave in my car trunk. I use a Bluetooth foot pedal for page turns.

What pedal do you use?

[AtomicClock]

I took a horn and tablet to a local park today to do some outside practice. After 30 minutes, the tablet overheated and started closing apps, including the PDF viewer. Back to paper, I guess.

[rdalton]

I use a refurb Microsoft Surface. Was much cheaper than an iPad. Often I use a Manhasset music stand that I bought cheap at Goodwill and leave in my car trunk. I use a Bluetooth foot pedal for page turns.

What pedal do you use?

I'm sorry, I haven't been on this forum in awhile. I use the Pageflip Dragonfly. hey also have cheaper models. I previously used this with an Android tablet.
https://www.amazon.com/PageFlip-Dragonf ... 355&sr=8-5

[AtomicClock]

I took a horn and tablet to a local park today to do some outside practice.

Also, it's important to note that with my inexpensive tablet in landscape, polarized sunglasses block everything. Some devices (like my phone) take measures to allow light to pass in any orientation. But some clearly (ha!) don't. So if you do lots of concerts-in-the-park, consider your sunglasses choice.

[Posaunus]

Also, it's important to note that with my inexpensive tablet in landscape, polarized sunglasses block everything.

Same with my (Google) mobile phone. My ophthalmologist insists that I wear polarized sunglasses when I'm outside. My phone disagrees!

[timothy42b]

Resurrecting this because I struggled at a gig yesterday.

We were in bright sunlight. It wasn't directly on my screen, but it didn't matter. The tablet became a mirror and mostly I saw my face and the crowd behind me, the notes were extremely difficult.

Suggestions?

[dbwhitaker]

We were in bright sunlight. It wasn't directly on my screen, but it didn't matter. The tablet became a mirror and mostly I saw my face and the crowd behind me, the notes were extremely difficult.

Suggestions?

Clip on sun shade such as this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09TG ... UTF8&psc=1

[timothy42b]

Ah. Yes, even a little shade would have helped.

I don't think the one in the link would stand up to the wind we had, even the heaviest stands were blowing down, but the concept is good.

[ghmerrill]

I don't think the one in the link would stand up to the wind we had, even the heaviest stands were blowing down, but the concept is good.

In my tuba-playing days, I played rather consistently for one band that had at least a couple of annual concerts that were often in "problematic" circumstances. One was for a VFW around July 4 -- where both wind and sun could be an issue. The other was on the front lawn of an historic (now village-owned) house on a hill -- and on the front lawn, which at a certain point was sloped in two different planes. The percussion and low brass sections always ended up on the slopes. For concerts like that I used to employ various anti-wind devices -- ultimately settling on non-glare plastic sleeves for the printed music, in a 3-ring binder, clamped to the stand; a set of plywood "shims" of various thicknesses to level my chair and eliminate the dreaded and dangerous "tuba tilt"; and at times some weights for the stand legs (small concrete blocks or some heavy shooting bags). The plywood shims were also useful in order to address the common condition of the ground being soft from recent rain, and both the chair and stand sinking into it. I also, of course, brought my own folding chair since virtually all of the chairs provided were disasters in one or more ways.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I like the looks of that laptop sun shade, and may get one "just in case".