Leave a Review StaffPad
Detecting accidental marks
For the most part, I don’t have issues with the handwriting detection on this app, however, it seems to have a very hard time recognizing my sharps, flats, and natural signs. I figure this will get better with updates but I wish there was a way to manually input accidentals in the meantime.macgical
Not practical in the very least
So, I purchased this app and 4 sound libraries. Basically, the hand recognition is completely useless. I’ll stick with Notion even if the sounds are are great. I’ve transferred my massive Synclavier libraries so that plus others iSymphonic, etc. blend very well. Now since it *does* import MIDI and XML (although I’ve read conflicting reports on the accuracy of this) you can technically do your mockups (not really) in another program, export it too StaffPad then get Serious with your arranging, dynamics, playing styles, etc. Back to hand recognition, if you have done ANY traditional notation that you were required to learn and pass in college, don’t expect anything but frustration. Think of contemporary notation at Berklee.Show lessyakingcat
Not ready for prime time
This software is a great idea. The demos show a person briskly writing notation and turning it into pro looking notation. “Look how easy!”
Reality:
I sprang the $90 for this app but yet to get anything done in it. I spend 45 minutes at a time to enter one measure. And the program doesn’t recognize what I wrote. If there is one thing wrong in how I write something, it won’t register. The software doesn’t tell you what the specific problem is.
They include a practice section, which I have spent a long time with. Still, in practicing I get one thing wrong and it makes me correct it. That’s the one thing that will make the whole measure unrecognizable
This company insists that penmanship is not at all important. Not only is it important, but one has to draw the music in a specific way.
Until staff pad works out this major flaw, I recommend passing on this purchase. I’ve been writing music for 30 years. So, I do know how to notate .Show lessscottyCplay
Huge possibilities, but still has handwriting detection issues.
Looking at some of these reviews, I had hoped that I would not have issues with handwriting because I rarely write music on paper and would not have to relearn much. However I am too having issues with the handwriting detection. The biggest issue is sets of sixteenth notes. It doesn’t matter what I do - StaffPad cannot detect them most of the time. I even tried to follow how it was done on one of your tutorial videos and it didn’t change much. I have also had a whole note be detected as a quarter rest. The dynamic marks also do not like to work. MF turned into both MP or SFZ. I would also prefer if it could detect notes if stems are longer. Making the stems exactly one octave from the head is very hard to do.
The app simply needs more time put into the handwriting detection for people like me with “messy” handwriting. It would nice to not have to take so much time trying to make every note so perfect that it can be detected.Show lessSoundtrack28
What you’ve done is amazing!
I wrote a review shortly after I bought the app and shared my enthusiasm at the time. Well, my appreciation for this app has only grown. I have bought the Berlin sound libraries, a number of fine samples libraries, and Voxos ( about $800 worth of sound libraries in total). This app, with sound libraries of this quality, is truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream…write out musical ideas and realize them in high quality with ease. I look forward to how the app will evolve, but I hope that you continue to build on the core vision, which, for me, is the support for easily inputting notation by hand and translating it into high quality sounds. Currently, I get 80-90 percent of the way there with StaffPad. And, I am grateful for that! To get the last 10-20 percent, requires exporting midi or xml in order to fine tune performance with more fully featured sound samples (For example, VSL synchron series or EWQL libraries). Unfortunately, the last 10-20 percent requires almost starting from scratch in a DAW (Cubase or Studio One for me) as almost none of the performance subtlety output via midi or xml translates. Not sure what the best solution would be…integration with more libraries, or the addition of some sort of export settings? Maybe the ability to draw more accurate cc curves and export them to channels as desired? Not really sure. Anyway, thank you!Show lessMkiz
I’ve waited 30 years for this
Pay no attention to the negative reviews here. This is an amazing piece of software, and like all software, there is a learning curve. Just because you know how to write notes on paper doesn’t mean you know how to write them within StaffPad. You have to learn to think like it does. Once you have mastered that, StaffPad will be the most amazing tool in your arsenal. It is not a notation program. It is a composer’s tool. Its playback will rival most DAW mock-ups with minimal effort.Show lessYellowstone Aficinado
Just a gimmick
Am I the only one that thinks it’s a little ridiculous that it doesn’t come with a default guitar instrument? I can understand having a guitar pack as an upgrade but I would expect one to come with an app at with this price tag
Only recognizes what you write less than half the time. I have to go note by note and check it sometimes. It’s also ridiculous that you can’t customize what you want the double tap on the Apple Pencil to be.Show lessheyjoe28
Improved
The app has a number of issues, principally on its most important feature — recognizing handwriting. What you must understand is that you have to write a very specific way. It doesn’t recognize YOUR handwriting, but you writing StaffPad’s handwriting.
That being said, the latest update added a brilliant tutorial on how to learn this specific style of handwriting that was very helpful for me to understand how to better use the program. In the future, I would like to have a program that recognizes my handwriting, but I appreciate this important step in the development, of this technology.Show lessDoesn’t Work
Developer Response
Sorry for your experience with StaffPad. We'd love the chance to help you and earn a better review. StaffPad is designed for you to work quickly and as a result, there are several differences to what you normally would write on paper versus how StaffPad interprets what you write. For example, StaffPad wants you to write slash noteheads so you don't have to fill them in and save you time. Filling in the notehead actually makes it more difficult for the system to recognize what you've written. There is a learning curve to using StaffPad effectively for sure and we are not trying to hide from this. Half rests as just a line above the 3rd line, and to make a natural sign sign you need to write an L in one stroke and then an inverted L in one stroke. The goal is for you to work quickly and not worry about penmanship because it is all getting converted to nicely engraved notation as soon as you're done writing the measure. We'd love the opportunity to help get you better acquainted with the app if you can give us another shot. Thanks for the review as it helps us understand that we need to stress that there are differences with writing on manuscript paper and StaffPad.Pretty impressive
For a notation app on tablet, this one is one of its kind. Best for hand writing music. The sound comes from it is really unexpectedly good.
I wish there were more editing in text input. Maybe like front selection.Harveydentchen
No need for Apple Pencil control, just use keyboards
Hi! I love this app. I grew up loving instruments like contrabass clarinets, Alto flutes, timpani, trombones, baritones, trumpets, tubas, horns, contrabassoon, bassoon, clarinets, flutes, tam tams, bass drum, cymbals, gong, recorders, and bass trombones, but 1 issue. I don’t have an Apple Pencil because I don’t draw with Apple Pencil please. Another feature is to do with some woodwinds. There is no bass flutes or contrabass clarinetsShow lessCraig.Watkins.210
