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Staffpad: a new class of notation app

staffpad.net

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Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#72

FWIW, Brown University was doing research in this *Pad field (stylus-based input apps for domain specific notations) in the late 90s/2000s. I was a member of this group for a brief period of time. It's really exciting to see a resurgence in high quality pen computing with affordable, entry-level consumer hardware like the Surface 3. Music Notepad (original): http://graphics.cs.brown.edu/research/music/home.html Music…

I've been working on a similar idea for the iPad pro, and you're work has been instrumental in doing the handwriting recognition ML part. Thanks!

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#74

Staffpad is incredible but it's not brand new or developed by Microsoft. Hanselminutes (Scott Hanselman) did an excellent interview with the engineer who created it a few months back, definitely worth listening to if this piqued your interest. Thoroughly covers how it was conceived and coded in C#/C++, with comments about the relationship to Microsoft: http://www.hanselminutes.com/473/developing-staffpad-a-new-c...

It's actually a project started and run by my brother! I'm tremendously proud of him and what he's achieved with StaffPad, whilst simultaneously running a business as a contract music producer as well no less.

Seeing him on stage with Nadella was a particular highlight.

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#75

Relevant capability testing joke: Aphex Twin should give it a whirl! http://i.imgur.com/OOspNNV.jpg

That sheet music isn't Apex Twin, it's a "joke" unplayable piece of written music called Faerie’s Aire and Death Waltz made by John Stump

I figured as much; I've never thought Aphex Twin's lines were particularly challenging, he's just got a very unique approach to sound design and composition.

Would you prefer a technically playable piece by way of Michael Angelo Batio?

http://www.fundamental-changes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/1...

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#76
post #13

So, the MyScript team (behind the Stylus beta handwriting tool on Android) released the MyScript calculator[1] a while back that lets you start doing (albeit relatively basic) math with the stylus on a touchpad. (I use it on my Samsung Note Pro.) It has a similar feel / intent to this thing, but somewhat less sophisticated (mind, it's evidently a proof of concept demo more than anything else). The StaffPad app was re…

Using generic ASIO4ALL drivers I'm able to get latency around 30ms using "generic" sound cards like the stuff onboard a ThinkPad. ASIO4ALL takes over the sound device so only one app can use it. Without it, latency can be rather much higher.

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#77
post #13

So, the MyScript team (behind the Stylus beta handwriting tool on Android) released the MyScript calculator[1] a while back that lets you start doing (albeit relatively basic) math with the stylus on a touchpad. (I use it on my Samsung Note Pro.) It has a similar feel / intent to this thing, but somewhat less sophisticated (mind, it's evidently a proof of concept demo more than anything else). The StaffPad app was re…

Using generic ASIO4ALL drivers I'm able to get latency around 30ms using "generic" sound cards like the stuff onboard a ThinkPad. ASIO4ALL takes over the sound device so only one app can use it. Without it, latency can be rather much higher.

Interesting - to me 30 ms is pretty bad. I've got a ThinkPad i5 with 8GB running Win10 and can get in the 10-15ms range in Ableton Live Suite 9, and I have access to a SP3 that I might be able to test out. Granted, I don't think the design of the software is for "live" type use but I have noticed there are some 'sweet spots' for certain programs in the buffer size, e.g. Kontact doesn't like lower than 128 for some reason, whereas Traktor Pro doesn't care in the least.

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#78

HN front-end devs: If you were to make a web version of this, would it be better to use canvas or svg? And why?

I don't think you'd want to try and do this with web technologies. I followed StaffPad's development pretty closely (due to it being a project of my brother). They pushed what even Windows native apps could do to the limit to make this. It's performance sensitive and benefits a lot from serious pen APIs. The web is not a reasonable platform for solving every problem and this sort of boundary-pushing productivity app would be an especially bad fit for HTML5.

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#79

FWIW, Brown University was doing research in this *Pad field (stylus-based input apps for domain specific notations) in the late 90s/2000s. I was a member of this group for a brief period of time. It's really exciting to see a resurgence in high quality pen computing with affordable, entry-level consumer hardware like the Surface 3. Music Notepad (original): http://graphics.cs.brown.edu/research/music/home.html Music…

I've been working on a similar idea for the iPad pro, and you're work has been instrumental in doing the handwriting recognition ML part. Thanks!

I agree, my idea for an iPad Pro app also needs to pay homage to these projects.

Re: Staffpad: a new class of notation app

#80
post #51

I really want to try it out of curiosity, but as someone who doesn't actually know how to read, write, or play music I can't justify actually paying for it.

All the more reason to get it! Unlike other tools requiring more intermediary technical details, this lets you get straight from note-on-staff (in the most natural way possible short of actual instruments) to proper notation to hearing it instantly.
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