Problems with Symphony Pro 2.1 and now also 2.2
To start of with, I have to say that I'm very new to music to begin with and english isn't my first language, and I'm not that familiar with the english music terms, but I'll try and make myself understood as best as possible.
So far I have found the following things strange in 2.1, maybe in some cases I'm totally off, but I'm a newbie, so please help me out if so.
* If one puts an End Repeat somewhere in a score, the music should repeat from the beginning, right? But if I don't put a Begin Repeat in the beginning, the repeat is ignored. Should I have to do that? (Also had to do this in 2.0.)
* If I try to send a score in pdf-format, by email, the email part shows up in vertical mode, not horizontal mode as it should, but the keyboard part comes up correctly (in horizontal mode). I can then turn the iPad to vertical and back to horizontal in order to get the email part to show correctly. This doesn't always work. I haven't tried this that much, but my theory is that it only works one time, then you have to quit the program and then stop the program (By doubleclicking on the homebutton, holding the Symphony Pro icon down in the bar, until the red X show and stop the program, don't know what that is called so I'll call it forcequit from now on.) And then you can email again, once, before you have to forcequit the program again if you want to send another pdf by email.
* Another problem with sending pdfs of scores through email is if the scores is shorter then one page, then the score is shown in the email part as an image, but when I receive it in my mail, the image or pdf isn't included and instead just shows a placeholder for an image with an red X.
* Another smaller problem is that if you send a score that is longer then one page, you do receive the pdf, but the standard message you have in your email "If you enjoy using our app..." is repeated once more, though the extra line doesn't include the link to the App Store, just plain text.
* If I try to export a score to Photos, it processes the score but when it reaches the last page of the score the export dialog never disappears and I have to forcequit the program. When you then look in Images, depending upon how long you have let the process run, it seems to have made multiple copies of the last page of the score. (Also happened in 2.0.)
* If I have the keyboard open, and then turn the iPad to Vertical mode, and back to horizontal, the keyboard is gone, but the keyboard button is still activated, so I have to press it twice to get the keyboard back up.
* The programs quits alot on me, doing different things.
* As someone already have report, I also have problems with the stems of notes and staff lines disappearing and also other strange long lines appearing across the score.
Here is the part where I might be totally off, but once again, newbie:
* Listening to the example score of Canon in D, my newbie ears found the cello to sound very strange, the cello is using a bass clef? And when it play notes that are under the bottom staff line (an F or lower) something happens to the pitch or is the just the volume of the tone? So I started to experiment, if I try to make a piano score and I hit the F and then the G between the -2 C and the -1 C, something is wrong with the pitch or volume, right? The same happens between the -3 C and the -2 C.
* Also the last 6 keys on the right off the keyboard doesn't give of any sound. (From G to +4 C) ?
* Also when you use the keyboard, not yet in the Insert Mode (a newly loaded score), the volume is at one level, and then when you enter the Insert Mode, the volume goes to a higher level. And when you turn off Insert Mode, the volume stays at the same level as during the Insert Mode. You can reload the score to reset this. Should there be a difference in the level of the volume when you enter Insert Mode?
* If I put the lowest tone on the keyboard on the bass clef with the key furthest on the left on the keyboard, the A, and then select that note with Select Mode, I can lower it two more times with the downarrow, the first gives of a sound, the second doesn't. Should it do that?
* And then I tried doing a Nylon Guitar score, not yet in Insert Mode, it is the same as the piano, the 6 keys on the right (from G to +4 C) doesn't give of any sound. And this time, hitting the E and then the F between the -1 C and the middle C something happens, volume or pitch?!
* And then when you turn on the Insert Mode, the volume is increased a bit, and I think it has shifted the position of the middle C to the +1 C?! And now hitting the E and then the F between the middle C and the +1 C, something is wrong?! And now the keys on the right of the keyboard are working but the keys on the left side of the keyboard, from A to F sharp doesn't work. Reloading the score, resets the keyboard again.
* Seeing more of this among other instruments.
Hopefully some of this will be useful in tracking down bugs.
Tor
So far I have found the following things strange in 2.1, maybe in some cases I'm totally off, but I'm a newbie, so please help me out if so.
* If one puts an End Repeat somewhere in a score, the music should repeat from the beginning, right? But if I don't put a Begin Repeat in the beginning, the repeat is ignored. Should I have to do that? (Also had to do this in 2.0.)
* If I try to send a score in pdf-format, by email, the email part shows up in vertical mode, not horizontal mode as it should, but the keyboard part comes up correctly (in horizontal mode). I can then turn the iPad to vertical and back to horizontal in order to get the email part to show correctly. This doesn't always work. I haven't tried this that much, but my theory is that it only works one time, then you have to quit the program and then stop the program (By doubleclicking on the homebutton, holding the Symphony Pro icon down in the bar, until the red X show and stop the program, don't know what that is called so I'll call it forcequit from now on.) And then you can email again, once, before you have to forcequit the program again if you want to send another pdf by email.
* Another problem with sending pdfs of scores through email is if the scores is shorter then one page, then the score is shown in the email part as an image, but when I receive it in my mail, the image or pdf isn't included and instead just shows a placeholder for an image with an red X.
* Another smaller problem is that if you send a score that is longer then one page, you do receive the pdf, but the standard message you have in your email "If you enjoy using our app..." is repeated once more, though the extra line doesn't include the link to the App Store, just plain text.
* If I try to export a score to Photos, it processes the score but when it reaches the last page of the score the export dialog never disappears and I have to forcequit the program. When you then look in Images, depending upon how long you have let the process run, it seems to have made multiple copies of the last page of the score. (Also happened in 2.0.)
* If I have the keyboard open, and then turn the iPad to Vertical mode, and back to horizontal, the keyboard is gone, but the keyboard button is still activated, so I have to press it twice to get the keyboard back up.
* The programs quits alot on me, doing different things.
* As someone already have report, I also have problems with the stems of notes and staff lines disappearing and also other strange long lines appearing across the score.
Here is the part where I might be totally off, but once again, newbie:
* Listening to the example score of Canon in D, my newbie ears found the cello to sound very strange, the cello is using a bass clef? And when it play notes that are under the bottom staff line (an F or lower) something happens to the pitch or is the just the volume of the tone? So I started to experiment, if I try to make a piano score and I hit the F and then the G between the -2 C and the -1 C, something is wrong with the pitch or volume, right? The same happens between the -3 C and the -2 C.
* Also the last 6 keys on the right off the keyboard doesn't give of any sound. (From G to +4 C) ?
* Also when you use the keyboard, not yet in the Insert Mode (a newly loaded score), the volume is at one level, and then when you enter the Insert Mode, the volume goes to a higher level. And when you turn off Insert Mode, the volume stays at the same level as during the Insert Mode. You can reload the score to reset this. Should there be a difference in the level of the volume when you enter Insert Mode?
* If I put the lowest tone on the keyboard on the bass clef with the key furthest on the left on the keyboard, the A, and then select that note with Select Mode, I can lower it two more times with the downarrow, the first gives of a sound, the second doesn't. Should it do that?
* And then I tried doing a Nylon Guitar score, not yet in Insert Mode, it is the same as the piano, the 6 keys on the right (from G to +4 C) doesn't give of any sound. And this time, hitting the E and then the F between the -1 C and the middle C something happens, volume or pitch?!
* And then when you turn on the Insert Mode, the volume is increased a bit, and I think it has shifted the position of the middle C to the +1 C?! And now hitting the E and then the F between the middle C and the +1 C, something is wrong?! And now the keys on the right of the keyboard are working but the keys on the left side of the keyboard, from A to F sharp doesn't work. Reloading the score, resets the keyboard again.
* Seeing more of this among other instruments.
Hopefully some of this will be useful in tracking down bugs.
Tor
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Comments
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Hi Tor,
Thanks for the feedback. Here are some responses to some of your's:
- Repeats: Yes, you always have to pair begin and end repeats. However, it does make sense that if there isn't a begin repeat anywhere, the song should simply repeat from the beginning - so in the next update, this this will be interpreted.
- We're working on fixing the drawing issues (i.e ledger lines and stems). For any crashes, send crash reports to our support email (support@symphonypro.net). Here are directions on how to retrieve the crash logs.
- For instruments, keep in mind that there will be some distortion if you play a note outside the normal range of the instrument (for example -3 C for the cello). That said, I did notice that there are abrupt changes in volume between the F and G - this will be fixed. In addition, in the next update, you will be able to play a note for every key - regardless of the instrument.
- When you insert a note, the note is played back at the volume of the track you're writing on (Open the track editor to set the volume).
We'll respond to more soon!
Thanks again,
Phil0 -
Okay, so it is the volume.
And I guess I should have written, about the piano, that the change is between F sharp and G (not F and G).
About the cello, the change (volume I guess) is between the F sharp and G, between the -2 C and the -1 C.
I also tried the Clean Electric Guitar, I'm guessing there is a volume change, between the F sharp and G, between -2 C and -1 C, right?
But what is happening between A sharp and B, between -1 C and C? All those notes from A sharp and to the left, sounds... different?! (Atleast I think they all differ, atleast to my crappy ears.)
So far it's just the Nylon Guitar (of the few I have tested) that has its change between other keys, between E and F, between middle C and +1 C (or -1 C and middle C, if you aren't in Insert Mode and just using the keyboard).
Don't know if all the instruments are affected in some way?!
Tor0 -
Most of the things I have mentioned in my two posts above, haven't been fixed in 2.2.
Two things are fixed though, and they are the following:
* The problem with disappering stems and staffs, which was fixed in 2.1.1 already.
* While sending pdf's by email, the email now shows up correctly in horizontal mode.
I have also found some new problems with 2.2:
* Trying to send a short, one page score as an pdf by email, doesn't work half of the time. What happens is after the export process, the email part doesnt show up at all, and the app locks it self and all you see is the score sheet in vertical mode with the play button at the top, but you can't do anything. So you have to close the program and restart it, and the first time you restart it, the program crashes and you have to restart it once more, and then the app works again.
* App seems to crash alot while opening files, either while pressing the Open menu, or after having picked a file to open and then clicking OK to open the new file.
* A more specific example I found of the problem above is if you export a score as an pdf by email, and right after having either sent the email or deleted the draft, you try to open another file, the dialog where you get to choose cancel or OK appears for a short while before the app crashes.
* As I have stated earlier, I'm a total newbie to music, but to my ears, if you export the example score Blue Skies Boogie as a mp3, the mp3 doesn't sound right, is it that it ignores the ties? If so I guess it does this in other scores as well. (Didn't find that in the m4a-file.)
* If you start playback inside a score, it ignores earlier dynamics, such as pp, mp and so on. Don't know if crescendos and diminuendos are ignored?! So the volume isn't correct if you start the playback from inside a score.
Even though the export to photos doesn't work correctly right now, an option to also be able to export as black & white images would be nice.
I really love your app, but the volume problems with all the instruments is the problem that is bugging me the most.
Any update on any fixes for all the things I listed here in this discussion?
Thanks
Tor
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Hi Tor,Thanks for giving us your detailed findings. They are extremely useful and much appreciated.I went ahead and added every single issue you listed to our internal bug tracker. We'll sift through them like all the other bugs in there. Each of these will eventually get fixed. You can see which ones are fixed are by viewing our Previews. We periodically update them as development progresses.We'll make more comments about these bugs soon.0
