BandHelper 4+

The main reason I was interested in this app was to take advantage of its Midi capabilities. I use a guitar synth that has a very clunky interface, (looking at you, Roland) and was looking for a way to streamline selecting patches, mostly between songs. It works perfectly for this application, connecting to my synth using a bluetooth midi adapter, and after spending some time setting up program changes in the app, my entire song list now automatically activates the correct patch for each song. One non-obvious thing also, you can add as many Midi Presets to a song as you want, and use that song as a menu to select presets when a song is not on the set list… Brilliant! If that was all it did, it would be worth the monthly fee to me, but it has much more capability than I’ll ever need.

I have found it easy to navigate, and getting started was a breeze. I can see that its mainstream value is in set lists, with lyrics and chords in your device in many different configurations, but the midi stuff is the thing that seals the deal for me.

Also I would like to compliment the developer on the outstanding tutorials and support docs; very complete and easy to understand.

After carrying around binders of music for years in our 5 piece band, I decided last year to try a digital approach. My band mates were afraid at first and two of them continued to use binders. After a few months of seeing how easy and convenient my setup was (and realize how nice it is to have back lit music in a dark bar) they made the switch and we have not looked back. I am continually learning how to do new things with this app that push me further into automation (which, as a control freak guitarist scares me, but also allows me to focus on performing and less on nonsense). I should have made the switch years ago and I very much so appreciate this app. There is a yearly subscription fee to use the app, but once you realize you can bring a guitar and all the music you have ever learned in one guitar bag, you won’t mind. Plus, the developer is making constant improvements so I think of it more as an investment than a fee. Don’t listen to the negative comments. There is a little learning curve, as with anything, but invest the time off stage so that you can focus on the music on stage.

I love this app because of three important benefits:
1) Split screen option which allows you to see the set list on one side along with the chord sheet on the other.
2) Custom fields. Because I use up to four different presets on a song, I needed an app that can store the bank and preset number for each preset used for each song. BandHelper allows you to create a seemingly unlimited number of custom fields for each song - no more need to rely on an excel spreadsheet that shows the presets needed for each song.
3) Very flexible display options: pick what fields you want shown on the main display for a song chart as well as on the set list. When you create a custom field, it automatically creates two additional versions of the field corresponding to the next song in the set list and the one after that. So on the display for a particular song, it can show the bank and preset for the next song coming up, the title of the the next song, the key, etc. — very cool!
I used it on a gig for the first time last week, with a Donner tablet page turner footpedal, and the combination worked flawlessly.