Variations of this topic have come up before, most recently as an ipad app, but I haven't found the solution I was looking for and I thought the updated collective wisdom might be able to help out.

At home I exclusively use my computer to display my sheet music. I have scanned all my books and also own the CD Sheet Music collection (out of copyright stuff). I display it on a great big 28 inch monitor that sits on my DP so I can read two pages at a time and the notes are nice and large.

I'm currently using acrobat reader in dual-page fullscreen mode. I previously used foxit, which worked well except some of my scans look terrible in it for some reason (no smoothing being applied?).

The only thing I miss about paper is the ability to circle notes I miss or draw in fingerings or reminders. That kind of thing.

I've been considering buying the version of acrobat that lets you comment, but then I started looking into software made for music pdfs. Since there are a ton, I was hoping I could get some reviews and ideas.

Things I care about:

1. Has to be for windows computers. No tablet apps.
2. Fullscreen, dual page mode please.
3. Decent way to annotate, nondestructive preferred.
4. Works with image-style pdfs.
5. Free is always a good thing, but I can shell out money if necessary.

Actually I'm not sure if the acrobat comment system is sufficient. Anyone use it?

What are you using and how well does it work for you? Are there any ok free options or should I pony up the cash?

PDF X-change Viewer.

Without doubt the best freeware PDF viewer available.
It allows non-destructive PDF commenting/annotation, features excellent rendering quality, and can be used as a portable application (run from USB etc.)

Cheers,
James
x

I've been using Foxit (a big improvement over Acrobat) for several years.
But PDF X-change Viewer seems much better. Thanks for the recommendation, KJ.

No problem, happy to spread the word.

Yep, pdf xchange is probably the best. You can have custom "stamps" for your notes. At a cost, there's the option of BlueBeam PDF Revu, which has probably the most advanced and customizable comment system, but is kind of clunky and slow (and not free ).

Another happy user of PDF X-Change.

I did buy the pro version, all the extra tools in it were worth it.

Can you flip pages with midi inputs?

James, thanks for that suggestion. I tried it out and it works really well. I like the commenting system a lot and my documents all look great. The only bone I have is that true "fullscreen" mode is for one page only (where acrobat will do two facing pages if you want). But I just turn off all the buttons and it's pretty much the same. Great suggestion!

There are devices (pedals and stuff) that initiate the pageup or pagedown events. I've never heard of MIDI working for that purpose. It would be cool to trigger a page turn on your piano somewhere, though.

gvfarns, I believe it's possible to configure the appearance of fullscreen mode in the program settings.

Regarding your suggestion, I seem to recall a fellow PW user writing a Windows tool which could be configured to map Win32 calls to MIDI CC numbers.

Cheers,
James
x

You can use Bomes Midi Translator. It's free.

It examines any MIDI input and "handles" those inputs that it recognizes. If you configure it to recognize a MIDI event, and have it generate any Windows keystroke such as Page Up or Page Down.

I programmed it to do Page Down whenever I step on the sostenuto pedal, and Page Up for the una corda pedal. With a score opened in a PDF reader, this gives you hands-free page turning. It worked just fine.

Just for fun, I also programmed it to do Home when I play the A0 note, and End for the C7 note. That takes me to the beginning or end of a PDF file. Not very useful, but it demonstrates the effect.

If you really want to go crazy, you could assign every note to a specific character of the PC keyboard, and use your piano as a computer keyboard. I think you can even assign mouse clicks to piano keys. Imagine the surprise of an onlooker watching you send email and surf the web ... from your piano.

Well I use Bomes MIDI Translator to trigger pageup and down with my dp's buttons, but it's one more program my system have to manage

That is way too cool. Good reason to have three pedals I guess! Can you use it while using a software piano or does it suck up all the MIDI and not let the software piano use it as well?

I'm still reeling just a bit with disappointment that you can't record using red dot forever and play your VST at the same time. What good is that?

Great stuff. I was just starting to research this.
I was origianlly looking at the ipad but the screen size may be too small.

Interested in the midi controller functions - could assign the high C as a page turner. Dont think i have ever played that in a piece - get as far as the B in one piece i can think of. I need the left pedal. Maybe the foot switch pedal?

Could you assign a certain midi velocity to that note function or would you lose that note altogether?

Though it has to be more convenient than just your (computer) keyboard sitting there. In acrobat, space bar takes you to the next page. Pretty dang convenient. The pedals are nice because they don't require your hands. Some day I'll probably get one of those actual bluetooth foot pedals (pageflip?).

One thing about using a computer to display your music is that it potentially creates an acoustical problem. I love my big fat 28 inch monitor, but when you put speakers behind the piano, it cuts off the part of the sound that would go toward your head. I was trying to fix this by putting speakers farther out to the side and with greater toe in, but I think that is acoustically inferior (it sounds like crap with every speaker I've tried so far). Maybe I need to go back to paper...

I have also thought somewhat seriously about placing my speakers behind me, in an equilateral triangle, pointing at my head. Ya think?

An iPad display is too small. Anyone have a recommendation on an ultra-light, ultra-thin 15" or so LCD monitor (with its normal stand removed) that can be set in place of sheet music on the piano.

I have an 20" Acer monitor. It was just $100.
Its stand is removable. It weighs 12 pounds.

I don't know if they make something similar in a 15" size, though.

I've been using Foxit Phantom 2, which allows annotation. It uses a tabbed metaphor, allowing many (at least 10) scores to be opened at once. Jumping from one score to the next is as simple as a mouse click on a tab. Three functions are useful during playing: page forward (right arrow), page back (left arrow), and full-screen toggle (F11). All three are invoked by dedicated foot pedals.
For this, I use two keyboard inputs to the computer- a USB for the regular keyboard, and the PS2 input on the motherboard for the pedals. (This might also work with two USB keyboards, but I haven't tried it.) The pedals have been wired to the appropriate pins on a chip stripped out of an old keyboard, using only the needed functions (->,<-, and F11).
I keep duplicates of all the scores I'm currently working on in a directory named "current scores". Opening all the scores in that directory is as simple as opening the directory, typing "ctrl-a", "F10", "F", and "O".
It is rarely necessary to do that, though, since the computer is set up to use S3 sleep, which saves the current state of the computer while shutting everything down, including drives. It is awakened by pressing any key on the computer keyboard, and the current score comes right back on the screen.
--
Jack