"Englitina" - English Concertina for the iPhone/iPod Touch

[Michael Eskin]

OK, it got through the night's testing OK, sent off to Apple this morning for review...

 

Randall, any comments after playing with the app for a few days?

 

I'll let you know when its been approved...

 

Cheers and thanks,

 

Michael

[conzertino]

I do beleive that the English system of fingering and holding is best suited an a keybord on the ipod / phone. However I was thinking of an extended version:

 

The I-cordeon: Use the English system layout, but add various sampled sounds, like Irish accordeon, musette accordeon, medlodeon, bandoneon, harmonium, organ...

 

 

And - Michael - to turn this toy into a musical instrument add dynamics!

 

If the position-sensor allows 3D positioning, let it play softer when pointed down and louder when pointed up - ideally with an adjustable dynamic rage ( in the setup ). That would even allow some kind of vibrato...

 

Surely dynamics could be introduced by turning the pod - but that wouln't be as elegant...

 

 

If you want to break out of the c.net boundaries and hit the big billing, change the setup a bit and call it I-synthi!!!

 

Using the "proven" English fingering and dynamic control, add cool sampled and/or synthesized sounds and use the tilt / turn of the pod as a pitch-bend... If you do a bit of work on the skin, you might hit the top of the charts, if the kids take to the I-synti...

 

 

I wonder, how that would affect the English-concertina prices?!?

 

[Michael Eskin]

I do beleive that the English system of fingering and holding is best suited an a keybord on the ipod / phone. However I was thinking of an extended version:

 

The I-cordeon: Use the English system layout, but add various sampled sounds, like Irish accordeon, musette accordeon, medlodeon, bandoneon, harmonium, organ...

 

 

And - Michael - to turn this toy into a musical instrument add dynamics!

 

If the position-sensor allows 3D positioning, let it play softer when pointed down and louder when pointed up - ideally with an adjustable dynamic rage ( in the setup ). That would even allow some kind of vibrato...

 

Surely dynamics could be introduced by turning the pod - but that wouln't be as elegant...

 

 

If you want to break out of the c.net boundaries and hit the big billing, change the setup a bit and call it I-synthi!!!

 

Using the "proven" English fingering and dynamic control, add cool sampled and/or synthesized sounds and use the tilt / turn of the pod as a pitch-bend... If you do a bit of work on the skin, you might hit the top of the charts, if the kids take to the I-synti...

 

 

I wonder, how that would affect the English-concertina prices?!?

 

 

 

Yes, there is considerably more I could do and have experimented with doing that I haven't actively discussed on the boards. There is a lot possible with the accelerometer, I'm already using it for the bellows operation on the Anglo based apps, but one of the first things that makes a lot of sense would be to use it for volume on the English apps. Once the first version gets released and I have some time, I'll start to prioritize the new features. The problem is making sure that the UI for the feature is completely intuitive and doesn't confuse the user. For example, I can easily imagine that for the English version, I could use the tilt to set the volume and give the user a selection of the axis and some ability to calibrate the zero position (required if you want to use anything other than the Y tilt I use for the bellows on the Anglo apps). I very much appreciate any specific suggestions people have, often times, these suggestions have made there way quickly into updates.

 

Pitch-bend, anything that actually changes the playback of the samples is problematic. The iPhone sound APIs I use are very high level, pretty much all I can do is specify a .wav file to use for a sound, start, stop, seek to a time offset, and loop or don't loop. That's it. No sample rate control, no pitch control, none of that. Other more sophisticated synth apps are using much lower sound APIs, but I don't want to go there yet as what I have is very stable and robust.

 

Cheers and many thanks,

 

Michael

Edited January 8, 2010 by eskin

[Michael Eskin]

OK, this is just too bizarre. When I wrote Englitina, I didn't know how to play English Concertina, I've been a C/G Anglo player for about 5 years playing traditional Irish style. The English concertina was a complete mystery to me. Now, after a couple of hours with the app, I'm playing all the tunes and really having a good time.

 

I'll get to try my friend's 8-sided antique Lachenal English tomorrow night at our weekly session here in San Diego. I'm fully anticipating that I'll be able to play some tunes as I already have the bellows skills from my Anglo experience.

 

This really is going to be a game changer when it finally shows up on the iTunes App Store, I hope this week.

Edited January 11, 2010 by eskin

[Simon H]

Now you see why it would be good to combine the apps into one - we all get to try out each other's systems instead of being ghettoised in our own type and tuning !!

[Azalin]

Well, it's not as if buying the different apps will lead you to bankruptcy ;-)

[Michael Eskin]

Just got word from Apple, Englitina is now on the iTunes App Store.

 

Here's the direct link for the USA iTunes App store:

Englitina on USA iTunes App Store

 

Even though this link works, last I checked it hadn't been indexed by iTunes into the App search database yet, so it won't show up if you search for it on the stores, but I would expect it to be in all the search results tomorrow (Jan 12).

 

If you do download it, please let me know how its working for you via private mail, and if you get a chance, please post a review and ratings on the iTunes store!

 

Cheers and many thanks,

 

Michael

Edited January 12, 2010 by eskin

[Dieppe]

I'm downloading my 2nd pay app for my iPhone as we speak! Of course, I'm the verbal sort and will speak up if I have any thing. Woot!

 

Patrick

[Michael Eskin]

So, anyone tried it yet?

[Michael Reid]

So, anyone tried it yet?

Yes! It took me a minute or two to reboot my brain into the English OS (which I played for many years before switching to Anglo), but I was quickly playing tunes. Actually much easier than the Anglo app because you don't have to fuss with the tilt. Well done!

[Michael Eskin]

Michael and others,

 

Thanks for the reports! It's one thing to test a program yourself or with a small group of beta (in this case only two) test players, quite another to put it on the open market. Glad to hear its as fun to play as had been my experience with it.

 

I don't want to get in any trouble for posting too many commercial-style messages, so if anyone has any questions or comments please let me know. I'll only post more on the app when I have a significant feature update.

 

Cheers and thanks

 

Michael

 

P.S. - If you have the app and get a chance, please post a review and rating on the iTunes App Store to let others know your experience.

Edited January 12, 2010 by eskin

[Dieppe]

Michael and others,

 

Thanks for the reports! It's one thing to test a program yourself or with a small group of beta (in this case only two) test players, quite another to put it on the open market. Glad to hear its as fun to play as had been my experience with it.

 

I don't want to get in any trouble for posting too many commercial-style messages, so if anyone has any questions or comments please let me know. I'll only post more on the app when I have a significant feature update.

 

Cheers and thanks

 

Michael

 

P.S. - If you have the app and get a chance, please post a review and rating on the iTunes App Store to let others know your experience.

 

Okay, I have played around with it now! One comment or two.

 

1: I usually play farther down the columns on my English, and it seems to be on the higher octave. Maybe an option to shift down an octave might be nice. (I start with the middle C on my left index finger, and then to D on my right index finger. I'm sure others play with a different style.)

2: This might have been mentioned, but it'd be cool if when I shook the iPhone, I could get a little vibrato as if I shook the bellows. Just a ponder. I don't know how much of the application can detect movement of the phone? I haven't tried the Anglo applications so I don't know how they handle bellows directions? If I held down a "note" and tipped it forward it could stop and restart as if I've changed directions? Tilting forward and back could do bellows changes, but obviously have the same note..

 

Also... maybe (and I haven't tried this yet) but if I'm holding the note longer than 15? seconds or so.. have the notes die/fade. I mean I can't pull out the bellows forever after all!

 

Otherwise sounds good!

 

Patrick

 

Patrick

Edited January 14, 2010 by Dieppe

[Michael Eskin]

Thanks for the suggestions, I very much appreciate them! These are the sorts of ideas I can add to future updates.

 

You do have the Treble/Baritone switch on the control page (touch the "i") that changes the whole range, but I'm guessing you're asking for a real-time octave switch while you're playing. I'll have to give that some thought.

 

I'm definitely interested in eventually using the accelerometers for dynamic and expression control, you can expect that in a future update as I have time to work on them.

 

Here's a quick demo video I put on YouTube:

 

 

I think it's not too bad considering I've never actually played an English concertina... :-)

 

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

Edited January 14, 2010 by eskin

[Dieppe]

Thanks for the suggestions, I very much appreciate them! These are the sorts of ideas I can add to future updates.

 

You do have the Treble/Baritone switch on the control page (touch the "i") that changes the whole range, but I'm guessing you're asking for a real-time octave switch while you're playing. I'll have to give that some thought.

 

I'm definitely interested in eventually using the accelerometers for dynamic and expression control, you can expect that in a future update as I have time to work on them.

 

Here's a quick demo video I put on YouTube:

 

 

I think it's not too bad considering I've never actually played an English concertina... :-)

 

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

 

Not a real time octave switch, more of a "I like to play the buttons on the bottom columns rather than on the top columns better" sort of things.... Starting with the G below middle C (for the treble) and up an octave.

 

Actually forget what I typed earlier. If I'm holding it with the right hand on the right side (over the "button") and my left hand on the left side (over the phone ear part) I'd say just shift everything up a row or two. The low D on the right hand just needs the C on the left hand.. maybe shift it down to the low G. Not real time or anything, just would be a better starting place for me, but other players may feel differently.

 

Patrick

Edited January 14, 2010 by Dieppe

[Michael Eskin]

 

Not a real time octave switch, more of a "I like to play the buttons on the bottom columns rather than on the top columns better" sort of things.... Starting with the G below middle C (for the treble) and up an octave.

 

Actually forget what I typed earlier. If I'm holding it with the right hand on the right side (over the "button") and my left hand on the left side (over the phone ear part) I'd say just shift everything up a row or two. The low D on the right hand just needs the C on the left hand.. maybe shift it down to the low G. Not real time or anything, just would be a better starting place for me, but other players may feel differently.

 

Patrick

 

Cool, the whole area of range shift is interesting. Would having a third range on the settings page that shifted the low D down to a G meet your requirements? That would be extremely simple to add in the first update and I could just have a second guide page for that range. As I come from playing traditional Irish music on the Anglo, the D4 to C#6 range is perfect and was suggested to me by a few people on the board along with the Baritone option.

 

I'll have some time to work on the first free update in a week or two, this is a very easy feature to add, would show up as an "Alto" option between Treble and Baritone. Is this something others would be interested in as well?

 

Shifting the low D on the right down one row to G results in this image as a proposed Alto layout guide (pretty sure I got the note naming right, please let me know if I made a mistake):

 

 

What do you think? I'm not going to consider doing arbitrary row offsets, that's just too much work at this time, but having an alto setting like this might be a nice middle ground and something I can very quickly (as in one night's work) add to the app.

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

Edited January 14, 2010 by eskin

[Dieppe]

 

Not a real time octave switch, more of a "I like to play the buttons on the bottom columns rather than on the top columns better" sort of things.... Starting with the G below middle C (for the treble) and up an octave.

 

Actually forget what I typed earlier. If I'm holding it with the right hand on the right side (over the "button") and my left hand on the left side (over the phone ear part) I'd say just shift everything up a row or two. The low D on the right hand just needs the C on the left hand.. maybe shift it down to the low G. Not real time or anything, just would be a better starting place for me, but other players may feel differently.

 

Patrick

 

Cool, the whole area of range shift is interesting. Would having a third range on the settings page that shifted the low D down to a G meet your requirements? That would be extremely simple to add in the first update and I could just have a second guide page for that range. As I come from playing traditional Irish music on the Anglo, the D4 to C#6 range is perfect and was suggested to me by a few people on the board along with the Baritone option.

 

I'll have some time to work on the first free update in a week or two, this is a very easy feature to add, would show up as an "Alto" option between Treble and Baritone. Is this something others would be interested in as well?

 

Shifting the low D on the right down a fifth to a G results in this image as a proposed Alto layout guide (pretty sure I got the note naming right, please let me know if I made a mistake):

 

What do you think? I'm not going to consider doing arbitrary row offsets, that's just too much work at this time, but having an alto setting like this might be a nice middle ground and something I can very quickly (as in one night's work) add to the app.

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

 

 

Perhaps as an Alto setting that might be nice. I'll admit I like playing the very low G and other notes on my Baritone, of course the iPhone doesn't do it justice. I'll play around with it more though, I'm getting better at it.. just can't play it much at work.

 

Patrick

[Michael Eskin]

As far as accelerometer use, I don't want to use the same right/left bellows tilt paradigm I use for the Anglo app, I think it would make things too confusing for the majority of casual players who are already challenged with learning the basic fingerings.

 

What I am seriously considering is using the tilt towards and away from you to provide some volume dynamics. I would add new controls on the back page where you would set the main volume, a volume swell range, and tilt sensitivity. There would also be an option to enable or disable the feature entirely (for brand new players, off by default). You would hold the phone in what you would consider your zero point position and touch a button on the back page to calibrate it as the reference point (since players hold the phone in different ways or play while lying down), then while playing could slighly tilt the phone towards you to reduce the volume, away to increase it.

 

Just something I'm thinking about at the moment...

 

Michael

Edited January 14, 2010 by eskin

[Randall Cayford]

Not a real time octave switch, more of a "I like to play the buttons on the bottom columns rather than on the top columns better" sort of things.... Starting with the G below middle C (for the treble) and up an octave.

 

I suspect I'm to blame for dropping the bottom row. In the layout I first suggested to Michael, I started on D as the music I play rarely includes anything below that and much more often includes the higher G, A and B. I was exploring just how much of a range you could fit onto an iphone screen. As Michael sent me finished app the next day, there wasn't a whole lot of range discussion!

 

Michael, you may not know this as you don't play English, but a standard treble English starts with a G on the right hand as the lowest note. So the layout you suggested above exactly matches the lower end of a treble. It would be a nice feature to shift everything down a fifth for tunes that use the bottom end of the treble range. A standard baritone would also start on G, so you're really looking at 4 layouts. Maybe a Treble/Baritone switch, for range, and a start on G/start on D switch, for subset of buttons in the range?

 

What would people call the difference between the two layouts? "Alto" doesn't seem right to me as it's really just the bottom of a treble, not a shift outside the normal treble range.

 

 

A note for anyone who hasn't tried the app yet: it works really well with headphones. A silent concertina for practicing late at night! (or at work)

Edited January 15, 2010 by Randall Cayford