What's new

StaffPad - Now Available for IPad with Major Sample Libraries Available

Eric G

Active Member
I have had the PC version for a while and now the new 2020 update is out and for those of you aspiring to do notation by hand (with realtime recognition with Apple Pencil or tablet on PC) it could be a game changer.

StaffPad for IPad has been released and for me it is grounbreaking.

And BTW, Spitfire Audio Symphonic Orchestra, OT Orchestra, Cinesamples complete orchestra have specialized versions available.
MIDI, MusicXML support and more.

Check it out. Spitfire Symphonic Strings: StaffPad Edition



Cinesamples & Orchestral Tools Orchestras

 
Last edited:
This is pretty exciting. I used StaffPad on a Surface 3 quite some time ago and liked it. And now it’s for the ipadPro, etc. The “Snow Falling” example sounds good w/ CineSamples and Berlin libraries.
 
That sounds good -- the Spitfire Strings video dynamics are as one would expect. Not an inexpensive app (as iPad apps go) and the 3rd party libraries cost adds-up. But the end result is hard to argue with. Always wondered if one could write a score and have it played-back without re-recording in a DAW...
 
Loved the Elgar. A couple of dodgy dynamic shifts but pretty darned good. It would be interesting to hear from the sample devs as to the details in stripping down their ind libraries to make them fit SP.
 
Anyone know if you have to buy the iOS version again, if you already own the Microsoft version? Don't really want to spend 99€ again...
 
Whiplash. Just learned about Staffpad last week or so, was excited, then let down on seeing certain limitations (and Apple incompatibility). Now my interest is rekindled....
 
Last edited:
Anyone know if you have to buy the iOS version again, if you already own the Microsoft version? Don't really want to spend 99€ again...

Yes. Just purchased the IPad version. In all fairness its a brand new app on IOS.
 
dang, I was really looking into possibly getting a surface JUST for staffpad, but I decided to hold off.

maybe good things come to those who wait, and after a while we'll get some reviews in for the newer staffpad.
 
Looking forward to some user reviews, especially regarding the handwriting recognition.
I just downloaded Staffpad for windows again and painted around with my mouse a bit (since my Surface broke) and the recognition is absolutely horrible. No matter how neat I paint things in, things rarely work. Dynamic markings like p and f or staccato markings don't work at all, hairpins are turning into slurs, while slurs aren't working at all either, and so on...
This unfortunately also reflects my experience with Staffpad when I still had my Surface + Pen.

I really hope it's working better than this and it's my error, because it looks fantastic and would be a dream come true.
 
The whole "Reader" thing would be massively useful during rehearsals and recording sessions... if you can arrange for everyone to have a tablet in front of them, that is.
 
Looking forward to some user reviews, especially regarding the handwriting recognition.
I just downloaded Staffpad for windows again and painted around with my mouse a bit (since my Surface broke) and the recognition is absolutely horrible. No matter how neat I paint things in, things rarely work. Dynamic markings like p and f or staccato markings don't work at all, hairpins are turning into slurs, while slurs aren't working at all either, and so on...
This unfortunately also reflects my experience with Staffpad when I still had my Surface + Pen.

I really hope it's working better than this and it's my error, because it looks fantastic and would be a dream come true.

So you didn't use a stylus? It is designed to work with the Surface Stylus and uses Windows Ink.

A mouse won't do it. I have a surface and IPad and both work great but not 100%. I am at about 87% right now because I haven't written notation in a while. With practice I should get it to 99% in no time.
 
any idea how much those packs cost?

I own all those libraries, I don't know if I want to pay a 2nd time

They are about $99 for each section. I am making my decisions now. But it looks like OT took a lot of time to customize their libraries for Staffpad. They went all in.
 
So now , extra light libraries on small tablets sound quite as good as huge libraries on killing PC/mac machines ...
??
 
So you didn't use a stylus? It is designed to work with the Surface Stylus and uses Windows Ink.

A mouse won't do it. I have a surface and IPad and both work great but not 100%. I am at about 87% right now because I haven't written notation in a while. With practice I should get it to 99% in no time.
Nope, just the mouse since my Surface died. Since notes are working pretty ok with mouse input, you'd think everything else would too, but it doesn't. Here's a quick example of things that should be easily recognizable, but aren't.
05-02-_2020_07-37-03.png

I hope this is indeed some technological error due to using a mouse and it works fine with a pen. If others have the same experience as you, I'll probably bite the bullet and buy it again for my iPad.
 
I wouldn't count on that, but it's certainly going to be good for sketching
I agree with that assessment. A very good sketching tool. And digging end there is alot of considerations for interacting with DAWs and Notation Programs with better MIDI and MUSIC XML format.

Dynamics are exported as CC11. Tempos can be uploaded from DAWs etc...

They thought this out.
 
Top Bottom