I've just used notepad or a spreadsheet to create setlists in the past, but I wanted a better database of tunes, with comments included. My drummer in particular wants to have comments about how each tune is played.

So I looked around at several apps, tried a few, and the only one that met my requirements was this one:

SetMaker

A big warning is that this application is no longer supported, and it has one big bug.

On the plus side, it is very simple and intuitive. You just have your database of tunes, open a set, and drag and drop the tunes into the set list. It lets you see many more tunes at once than the competing products:



You can print a lot of tunes onto a single page, include the notes for the tunes:

http://www.box.com/s/pd3608cp5kpp8zxdu9t1

One downside is that the filtering is limited. You can't say "Show me all the non-Christmas Trio tunes" for example. You can only choose to see all the tunes for a particular key, style, tempo and/or soloist. You can use those for categorizations for anything. For example, I use "Soloist" for Needs Work, Good, Perfect, Practice This.

You can also enter a song duration, but I find this doesn't help much because we play a varying number of choruses.

The big bug is this: Occasionally, you'll save a set list and won't be able to open it. I haven't figured out what causes that, however, I have figured out a workaround:

Open it with Calc (or another spreadsheet app), tab delimiter and no text delimiter, then save it. You will then be able to open it in SetMaker.

I'm finding that it's a great way to create setlists, which I print to PDF and email to my band members. But it's also good for just keeping track of tunes. When I find a new tune I want to play, I add it to the list with the "Needs Work" soloist.

Hope some of you find that useful!

- Al

Another warning: I'm continuing to use this app, and really like it, but I've come across another big bug. Luckily I've discovered a workaround.

Sometimes, when you create a set list, the app won't allow you to save it. You choose to save, and nothing happens.

The workaround is to shift a blank line to the very top of the set list. Once you do that, the saving will work properly again.

It's too bad this app isn't being upgraded or supported, because it does almost everything I want it to.