Set List Maker vs BandHelper

T

tskidmore

Inspired
Hey guys, I'm playing solo at the moment, but I like the subscription model, and the ability to use a browser on a PC/Mac to edit songs etc of BandHelper, so thinking about switching from SLM (which I really like except for having to do all the work on an iPad) to BandHelper Basic.

Has anybody used both? Is there any downside to BandHelper compared to SLM? Yeah, I know there is a free trial, but I am inherently lazy, so if somebody has thoughts I'd appreciate them.
 
Commenting to follow. Currently use onsong for all my needs and am interested in other programs as well.
 
I love Bandhelper. I can edit songs from my computer, instead of typing and formatting things only on the iPad. I do the bulk editing on comp, then adjust the spacing on the iPad for the most part. Also if you are sharing songs with the band or other people, having the server and sync capabilities is completely worth $2.50 a month. Everyone has the same data, if that's what you want, and you can choose to keep certain things individual, like notes or even lyrics if you want.

I just wish that your layouts were saved. If you delete the app or install new, you just get defaults. But it's easy to set things up again.
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
I love Bandhelper. I can edit songs from my computer, instead of typing and formatting things only on the iPad. I do the bulk editing on comp, then adjust the spacing on the iPad for the most part. Also if you are sharing songs with the band or other people, having the server and sync capabilities is completely worth $2.50 a month. Everyone has the same data, if that's what you want, and you can choose to keep certain things individual, like notes or even lyrics if you want.

I just wish that your layouts were saved. If you delete the app or install new, you just get defaults. But it's easy to set things up again.
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Thanks Chris, exactly what I was hoping to hear ;)
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
I just wish that your layouts were saved. If you delete the app or install new, you just get defaults.
Click to expand...

In BandHelper 3.0, which will be available in about a month, your layouts will be synced, so you can share them across devices or share them with your bandmates. This version also adds a layout export/import function that you can use to share layouts with people who aren't in your account.

To answer the original question, here are the only downsides I can think of compared to Set List Maker:

- BandHelper is only available as a subscription.
- BandHelper requires an online registration (a 1-page form) before you can start using it.
- BandHelper requires that you upload recordings into it, rather than linking to recordings in iTunes (this is an upside for people who don't like using iTunes).

The main advantage of BandHelper is that it was designed from the start as a collaboration tool, so the syncing system is much more robust.
 
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I apologize, if I go slightly off topic, but does anybody know, if I will be able to run band helper or setlist maker from my Windows 10 tablet for performances?
 
Smittefar said:
I apologize, if I go slightly off topic, but does anybody know, if I will be able to run band helper or setlist maker from my Windows 10 tablet for performances?
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no, i don't think so. it's an app for android or apple tablet or phone. i could be wrong, but i think that's the case.
 
arlomedia said:
In BandHelper 3.0, which will be available in about a month, your layouts will be synced, so you can share them across devices or share them with your bandmates. This version also adds a layout export/import function that you can use to share layouts with people who aren't in your account.

To answer the original question, here are the only downsides I can think of compared to Set List Maker:

- BandHelper is only available as a subscription.
- BandHelper requires an online registration (a 1-page form) before you can start using it.
- BandHelper requires that you upload recordings into it, rather than linking to recordings in iTunes (this is an upside for people who don't like using iTunes).

The main advantage of BandHelper is that it was designed from the start as a collaboration tool, so the syncing system is much more robust.
Click to expand...
wow the man himself! arlo has helped me out a few times when i had questions about the app or didn't know what i was doing :) Bandhelper is GENIUS and well worth the subscription!

arlo, many people who use the gear from this forum change all their sounds and presets using your App - hit the song, it selects the right preset and they just play! thanks for your work on this. i can't imagine playing without it :)
 
Bummer that SetListMaker cannot run from a Win10 tablet

I already use my iPad for controlling our mixer, and going back and forth between the two apps is tedious (the mixere needs 10-15 seconds to re-synchronize every time I go to that app). I would have liked to be able to use my two tablets (iPad and Win10)

As Chris mentions, I use SetList Maker to control my Ax8 rig. It works like a charm, and I am impressed with the speed of the app. Setting up new songs and setlists takes only a few seconds per song (depending on the amount of info, you want to include)
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
wow the man himself! arlo has helped me out a few times when i had questions about the app or didn't know what i was doing :) Bandhelper is GENIUS and well worth the subscription!

arlo, many people who use the gear from this forum change all their sounds and presets using your App - hit the song, it selects the right preset and they just play! thanks for your work on this. i can't imagine playing without it :)
Click to expand...

I second this. Set list Maker is worth 5 times the price. Arlo has personally helped me on many occasions as well. It is the best program out there.
 
My band adopted SetListMaker quite early on and can't recommend Arlo's support of his products highly enough.
 
I've used OnSong. It was buggy, no, let me rephrase that: it was extremely buggy.

And this is personal: I got pretty tired of the links to the religious background / target audience of the app.

Set List Maker is much better. I'm in the process of migrating to BandHelper.

The only reason our singer sticks with a different app, is that "page turning" (using a foot switch) can be improved, when dealing with lyrics only.
 
Been using OnSong for quite a while.. .contrary to Yek's feedback, I have not encountered any bugs in the product.
I do not use it for set lists, but our lead singer does after he gets the printed set list.
That printed list comes from Set List Maker that one of the other band members uses...
I have not used Set List Maker.. but use OnSong extensively.. including some of the add-ons, such as "console".

I am not affiliated with OnSong in any way.. just a user.
 
Can't say I've had any bugs either. Nor the ads. Yek are you using iOS or Android?

Currently I use the midi add on as well. Definitely going to checkout Setlist Maker and compare soon though.
 
We've been using OnSong for 6 years. Early on it was buggy for us. In the last year or two, occasionally it crashes, but not very often. I haven't seen ads.
Our biggest complaint is its 9 steps, which require technical skills, to share a set with the band - and you must use DropBox to do it. So, we each have to create a setlist for a show individually, instead of 1 person making it and sharing it with the band.
It can "email" a setlist - which is useless because its just a bunch of attachments. It doesn't create an actual setlist for the other members.
And, when you go through the 9 steps, you are sending your version of the songs. It will overwrite the other person's version. A singer will make different sticky-notes than a bass player or guitar player, and those individual notes get overlaid.

Reading some comments above, it appears Band Helper solves this issue?
 
Thanks for the kind words about BandHelper and Set List Maker. Yes, both of these apps allow you to have separate versions of notes and other data for each band member, and synchronize all your data automatically. BandHelper's syncing offers more control and is more foolproof than Set List Maker's.

In comparing to OnSong or other apps, I would say that each app has its core strength and other functionality is built upon that. The core function of OnSong is displaying lead sheets, the core function of Set List Maker is building set lists and the core function of BandHelper is sharing information among bandmates. All these apps have a lot of overlapping functionality, but I think each one is best at its core function. I hope that's helpful ... a lot of comparisons and reviews focus on whether an app did or didn't crash for the reviewer, but that's often not useful since many crashes are specific to one user's setup.
 
We use SelListMaker but have always had issues with the auto scrolling and trying to sync devices during the show to follow each other.

I use a blue tooth footswitch setup to page up / page down vs. auto scroll. Everyone in the band has an independently controlled iPad mounted to mic stands.

I find the entering of music on SLM to also be painful. We use lyrics + chord names above.
 
A couple of bugs I remember when using OnSong (and I knew what I was doing):

I wanted to sync preset switching: making OnSong and AX8 switch presets simultaneously.
But OnSong somehow got the Program Change numbers or MIDI channels wrong.

Formatting text wasn't reliable. Chords inbetween words kept getting mixed up chords above words.

Syncing using Dropbox was a drag.

And there was much more.

The reliability of SLM is a breeze. So is BandHelper (I'm migrating now).
 
The ability to do the typing and bulk of the input on a computer is HUGE for Bandhelper. I love tablets, but just copy paste from websites can be a pain.

Then sync it to your entire band... Awesome.
 
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