BandHelper 4+

Organizational suite for bands

Arlo Leach

    • 4.2 • 91 Ratings
    • Free
    • Offers In-App Purchases

Description

Much more than a "songbook" app, BandHelper can organize your management tasks and power your live show.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR REHEARSAL TIME
• Forget about managing binders or finding reference recordings
• Keep track of songs that need more work
• Note or record your good ideas for future reference

STREAMLINE YOUR STAGE SETUP
• Eliminate the dead space from flipping through pages
• Lead the band seamlessly through your set
• Automate effects settings, keyboard patches and lighting scenes

PROFESSIONALIZE YOUR BAND MANAGEMENT
• Simplify your scheduling tasks
• Easily integrate subs or new band members
• Raise the bar for band organization

ENJOY A MUSICIAN-CENTERED SERVICE
• Use a variety of devices on multiple platforms
• Don't renew automatically unless you want to
• Get personal support when you need it

Join thousands of bands around the world and "get your act together" with BandHelper!

*** If you have a problem or a suggestion, please contact me before writing a bad review. I can't troubleshoot problems through the review system, but I respond promptly to all help tickets and posts in my support forum. ***

What’s New

Version 2024-04-26

* Replaced Settings > Audio & MIDI > Audio Options > Play Two Recordings Together with Play Recordings Together, which can select up to 8 recordings to play together. You can change this setting to play different combinations of recordings for different situations, like adding a drum track only when a drummer is not available. If you add the Master Volume item to your layout, you can also adjust a volume slider for each recording. Any of the recordings can be MIDI sound files (previously you could only play one MIDI sound file at a time) and can have MIDI data files attached (previously you could only play one MIDI data file at a time). Audio recordings can be mono or stereo. To start playing multiple recordings, you can use the single Recording button, the recording controls or the Start Recording app control action; the multiple recording buttons will only play individual recordings. When Play Recordings Together is set, Settings > General > Defaults > Recording will be ignored.

* Added Settings > Audio & MIDI > Recording Position Labels. These labels will appear in the Play Recordings Together picker for easy reference, and will appear in the recording buttons in your layouts instead of the recording names if you also turn on Show Labels In Recording Buttons. You can use these settings to show simplified names like "Click Track" and "Drum Track" on all your songs instead of song-specific names like "Freebird click -2" and "Proud Mary click track."

* Added Settings > Audio & MIDI > Cross Fade Recordings. If you set a number of seconds here, then play a recording while a previous recording is still playing, the two recordings will cross fade over the duration you set. This will work between recordings attached to the same song, or between recordings from different songs if you turn on Settings > Audio & MIDI > Continue Audio When Changing Songs.

• Renamed the Master Volume layout item to Volume Controls.

• Added a slider for the video volume to the Volume Controls layout item.

• Added a setting for Set List Stats to the layout details edit page, to show the set list duration and song count in the top toolbar of the set list view.

• Fixed a problem where a break couldn't be selected when the song list contains MIDI buttons, the main layout area does not and the App Controls are set to send MIDI on song selection.

• Updated Settings > Appearance > Hide Parentheses in Chord Lines to ignore parentheses in non-chord lines.

• Fixed a problem where the new recording wouldn't play if you played a recording from the single recording button or recording controls, then selected a different recording from the multiple recording buttons without pausing first.

• Updated the recording waveforms to redraw when changing layouts, and to fill an area wider than 1024 pixels.

• Updated the MIDI Learn function to match incoming data to a device regardless of its port name as long as it is the only device using the same channel.

• Updated the MIDI Learn function to add new rows as control change messages are received, so you can capture more than one control change at a time for the same device.

• Fixed a problem that disabled the Copy button initially on the transaction edit page.

• Added Settings > Live Sharing > Share Actions > Follow Account Syncing, to start a sync on the following devices whenever the lead device syncs. If all your devices are connected to the Internet, you can use this to automatically update the following devices when you edit data on the lead device.

• Restored the automatic refresh of the set list view after syncing.

Ratings and Reviews

4.2 out of 5
91 Ratings

91 Ratings

5454stevef ,

Easy to get started, exciting Midi features

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.

Halfassedreviewer ,

Great App, great support, love it...

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.

Lesterh ,

Great app for guitarists

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.

App Privacy

The developer, Arlo Leach, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

  • User Content
  • Identifiers

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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