Fixes Issues - Breaks Cell Service and Touch ID

Apple today released iOS 8.0.1 and quickly pulled the release as their was widespread issues with loss of cellular connectivity as well as Touch ID. This update fixed one critical issues in iOS 8.0.0 that effected OnSong users. Here are our findings:

• Apple HAS fixed the issue with 30-pin to HDMI adapters that would cause them to become non-functional on iOS 8.0.0.
• Apple HAS NOT fixed the issue where RTF files cannot be displayed in the built-in web viewer.
• Apple HAS NOT fixed the issue where Word DOCX files are rendered incorrectly.

iOS Update Release Notes

Apple has the following listed as bugs fixed in this release:

• Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store
• Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode
• Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library
• Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
• Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
• Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases
• Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups
• Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari

How Do I Undo?

If you've installed iOS 8.0.1 and lost cellular connectivity, or if you have lost TouchID functionality, your only recourse is to back out of iOS 8.0.1 to iOS 8.0.0. This can be done by restoring your device using iTunes. There are no reported workarounds to restore these two services such as rebooting the device or resetting network settings. The only known solution is to restore to iOS 8.0.0.

Here's an article that details how to restore iOS 8.0.0 if you are effected by the iOS 8.0.1 version.

iOS 8 is now available and we have had a number of users ask, "Is it safe to upgrade?".

While we are still urging caution with iOS 8, most users have reported it is working well. We are not currently in panic mode. We do suggest installing iOS 8 on a non-critical device first and make sure it works with your particular setup. There are some scenarios for users that may cause issues. Here are some issues that we are aware of:

• Action menus appear as a white background with white text. This has been corrected in OnSong 1.992 which was released on September 28, 2014.
• Viewing RTF files in the new iOS 8 viewer in nonfunctional and is a known issue with iOS 8. Update: This has been corrected in iOS 8.1 beta so we are confident that this will be corrected for most users as soon as iOS 8.1 is released.
• There are issues with the text in the song editor being scrolled out of range when initially opening longer songs. We have replicated this and are troubleshooting. It appears to be widespread in other apps as well but does not seriously inhibit editing aside from an extra swipe gesture. This also appears to be corrected in iOS 8.1.
• We are tracking issues with iOS 8 and external video adapters (but not AirPlay). We receive a hard, iOS-level crash when autoscrolling. We have notified Apple of this bug. Update: Still crashing in iOS 8.0.2 and iOS 8.1 beta. To prevent this crash, lower the resolution of the video output under OnSong Settings » Live Settings » External Video » Screen Resolution.
• While the 30-pin to HDMI adapter was not working in iOS 8.0.0, this functionality has returned in iOS 8.0.2.
• One user has reported a hard crash/kernel panic of iOS 8 when using AirPlay to an AppleTV.
• Two users are reporting issues with Microsoft Word files rendering incorrectly. This is controlled by iOS 8 and nothing that OnSong can fix. We have submitted a bug report to Apple. Update: Still experiencing rendering issues in iOS 8.0.2.
• One user reported performance issues that are also occurring in other apps such as periodic freezes. We are working to isolate this issue.
• One user is reporting issues with the metronome stopping backing track audio. We have replicated this issue but it appears to be caused by setting "None" as the audio for the metronome and not specific to iOS 8.
• Users are experiencing issues with Internet connectivity when using apps under iOS 8. We are working to replicate this issue.

Always remember to have a backup of your OnSong library in case something goes awry. Here's a backup and restore video tutorial to help keep your songs and sets safe during the transition.

Hope that helps with your decision making!

I want to thank everyone for their patience on this one. We've had a number of technical issues this week and we have been able to get OnSong 1.991 out to you. Please update to let us know if that corrects any issues you were experiencing. It may take a an hour or two to become available on your App Store. Here's a link to the OnSong 1.991 release notes.

At OnSong, our top-most priority is our users. We are working around the clock to address some issues that some of our users are reporting.

First, we are hearing reports and experiencing issues ourselves with the App Store. This appears to be due to changes Apple is making in preparation for iOS 8. While we've heard users having issues with the update process in the past, we are seeing an influx of installation and provisioning problems. We are trying to get in touch with Apple about these issues but have not heard back after repeated attempts.

Second, there is a crash condition happening in OnSong 1.99 caused by improperly formatted chords that include spaces in square brackets. We were able to turn around an update with an Apple-approved fix in less than 24 hours, but due to these App Store issues, the update has yet to be made available. We released the update on 9/11/2014 and it was being "Processed for the App Store" for more than 24 hours. After repeated unaddressed contacts with Apple to correct this issue, the status has been changed to "Waiting for Review", essentially starting the approval process over. We are continuing to fight for this update to be released ASAP.

View OnSong 1.991 Release Notes

If you are experiencing a crash, go into the Settings app on your device and choose OnSong under Applications. Turn on "Forget Last Song" under the Debug menu and restart OnSong. You can edit your chord charts by going into the Songs menu, tapping "Edit" and then tapping on the name of the song to "Edit Song". This will open the song editor without viewing the song. The crash is occurring if a chord in square brackets contains a space like this:

[Am on G]

Correct these errors and save. This should get you back up and running.

If the Forget Last Song option does not open OnSong, it's likely that you've received a bad installation from the App Store update process and may need to reinstall. Be sure you have a backup of your OnSong library. If not, please contact support for assistance.

We are working around the clock to resolve these issues, answer your support inquiries and do what we can to keep everyone up and running despite these challenges.

OnSong Console is a big edition to OnSong and is really, an app in itself. We've basically built the OnSong rendering engine in a web browser! Since it's so new, we've put together this ten minute tutorial video to give you a leg up on how OnSong Console works and what you can do with it. Remember, this is the first version of this great product and we hope to add more features in the near future.

The console is an in-app purchase of $9.99 USD.

OnSong Console is a powerful new addition to OnSong that let's you create, import, edit and style your music to look just the way you want. it runs inside of a web browser, giving you access to your device's OnSong library, but with the full content creation capabilities of your Mac or PC. Real-time preview as you type shows you just how it will look.

OnSong Console will be available in OnSong 1.989 as an in-app purchase of $9.99.

Features:

• Browse and search your OnSong library from a computer.
• Create new OnSong or ChordPro formatted files.
• Import multiple files from your computer all at once.
• Convert files into text for further editing.
• Real-time preview of the chord chart as you type.
• Powerful palettes that help you create and style your chord chart.
• Metadata: Type in the details of the song like title or key.
• Insert: Place chord, sections and line formatting into your text.
• Text Tools: Search and replace, toggle between chord styles and fix alignment spaces.
• Style: Change the font, linespacing and chord highlighting or colors.
• Chords: Transpose, capo and chord diagrams. Choose your chord style too.

Other features include:

• Low Light Mode: Shows you how the chord chart will appear on a dark page.
• Pages: Splits the chord chart to simulate printing on paper.
• Follow: Have the Console switch songs and scroll along with the device.
• Download: Download the chord chart in supported formats like PDF or ChordPro.
• Print: Print out your chord charts from your computer.

For every musician, there's a different way to do music. No where is that more evident than in the OnSong Settings screen.

We've been working non-stop on OnSong since it's launch in early 2010 with the idea that users should have the freedom to customize their experience. To keep OnSong easy-to-use, we've tucked most of this customization power away. Many users never venture into settings and those who have can be confused by the options that are available.

Starting in OnSong 1.987, we've completely reorganized. If you are used to things being somewhere, they most likely moved. Watch the video below to see where your settings went and our reasoning behind the new location.



For those of you that want a quick overview of the new structure, here's an overview:

About
We haven't moved this and it's right up top with the version of OnSong you are using.

Display Settings
Here you'll find settings that effect how songs appear on the display. Low light mode, language, sleep screen as well as song formatting and song viewer. Song formatting is used to set global settings for how your music appears.

Import Settings
Use this to adjust how Dropbox, Internet and iTunes file sharing works, as well as how to handle text files and existing songs. We've also lumped synchronization settings in here as well.

Live Settings
These have to do with the "live" or interactive features of OnSong. Chord playback, external video, live bar settings and metronome are in here. You can also toggle sound effects on and off.

Menu Settings
This menu is divided into a different section for every button on the menubar.  Use this to change how these menus operate and their default values too. For instance, Style Preferences lets you choose default font sizes and styles for new chord charts.

Navigation Settings
This menu defines how your songs and sets are navigated. Here you'll find foot pedal settings, hot corners, navigation zones, scrolling behavior and triggers.

Debug
This is the same as the original settings and contains features to help get you back on your feet.

OnSong started as a great experiment. We wanted to see if it was possible to create a great tool that would replace the binder for musicians around the world. Through the input of musicians like you, we've been able to do just that. We've reimagined how music works on stage.

One of our first goals was to get rid of the concept of pages. We thought that music is linear and shouldn't be chopped up. We wanted to rid the world of paper cuts and fumbled sheets. So since OnSong was first released in 2010, we've always allowed your music to scroll in one continuous column.  This also works great with every file type as well as features like autoscroll.

Love it or hate it, this is how things have been for years. But in OnSong 1.987, you now have the opportunity to scroll to pages.  In fact, you can also create page breaks in your text-based chord charts and scroll to those pages as well.  If you are viewing your music in landscape orientation, we even support half page scrolling automatically. How cool is that?

Watch the video below to see how to change your scroll behavior to pages and how to add page breaks in your existing OnSong or ChordPro formatted songs. Whether performing digitally or printing your text-based chord charts, this new feature will be sure to please.

For many of us, the iPhone and iPad have completely changed the type of devices we carry with us. No longer do you need to wear a watch, or remember your portable gaming system. Portable CD players, voice recorders, notebooks, calendars, camera, camcorder, and more are a thing of the past. Oh and of course, it's a phone too.

For musicians, the utility of these devices is even greater.  Need a tuner or a metronome? No problem. There's an app for that.  You can even use your device as an instrument or a multitrack recorder.  But one thing that working musicians depend on are simple backing tracks to accompany them on stage.

OnSong makes it simple to play backing tracks linked to your chord charts. This means you no longer have to fumble with a separate playback device on stage or rely on on the sound guy to do it.  When used with an AirTurn foot pedal, you can also start and stop your tracks using a dedicated foot pedal, or when you first tap the forward pedal to scroll your song.

Starting in OnSong 1.987, you can now crossfade between songs in your music library. There is a little setup involved and you do need to use non-DRM tracks that are stored locally on your device, but otherwise it's easy to get started!

We believe in doing more with less. That's why we've made OnSong a valuable tool for musicians by giving it all the features and functions you've asked for.  But we also like to do more with less, and we think you'll agree. That's why our app is so affordable.  No where is this value more evident than with our lyrics projection feature.

OnSong has always done lyrics projection and we love hearing the awesome stories of how you've put it to good use. Whether it's being used by chaplains to lead thousands of marines in a song, by underground churches in the Middle East, or by music therapists helping stroke patients sing again... we are honored to be right there with you.  Maybe that's why we've worked extra hard on a brand new version of lyrics projection with motion backgrounds.

First of all, we've made lyrics projection work even smoother. We've tightened up crossfading between lyrics text and switching between backgrounds.  It's smooth and works great whether you are using a video adapter and cable or connecting wirelessly to an HDTV or LCD projector with AirPlay. To see how to use lyrics projection, check our our video tutorial.

We didn't stop there. We've added the ability to use motion backgrounds! Why purchase expensive software to run on another computer in the back of house when you can do it all for less than the price of a decent HDMI cable. Plus, we've given you a full media library to help you quickly switch between colors, still and motion backgrounds and gradients.  Go ahead and add your own backgrounds from your photo library or browse popular background websites like Playback Media to import backgrounds from services you already use.

But what if we could make great looking presentations even easier and more affordable to make? We did that too. Purchase high-quality motion backgrounds right inside of your media library for just $2.99. That's less than a third of other sites and they are instantly available.

Watch our feature review below to see just how easy it is to do professional-grade lyrics projection.

Every now and then, technology takes a new direction that changes the way we do things. Take the iPad for instance. OnSong has been an important tool for musicians since its inception in early 2010 when the first iPad shipped. Since that time, our team has been committed to making your life easier with tools that work great whether in the studio or on the stage. OnSong and the iPad together have changed how musicians approach their profession.

With OnSong, paper music charts are a thing the past. But did you know that with some basic equipment, you can modernize your stage and play music indefinitely, all while keeping your team on the same page?

In this video, Brandon shows us how to connect your iPad up to multiple HDTV screens that are placed on a stage on tripod mounts. 23" HDTVs are about the same size as a standard music stand. When connected to and iPad running OnSong, the screen come alive, showing chord charts that scroll, change and flip as the leader chooses where to go. While this video demonstrates using HDMI connections, you could also use VGA cables as well.

projecting a chord chart in low light mode

If your facility has a back-of-house projector, you can also project chord charts in a way that makes them easy to see from the stage. Brandon also demonstrates how to configure stage monitor mode to be used on a confidence monitor.

Here is a list of supplies that we used in the making of this stage monitor setup.

• Coby LEDTV2326 23-Inch 1080p 60Hz LED HDTV/Monitor (Black)
• Audio2000'S AST420Y Portable Flat Panel TV/Monitor Stand with Foldable Tripod Legs
• J-Tech Digital TM 4 Ports HDMI 1x4 Powered Splitter
• Aurum Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet - 15 Feet
• VicTsing Dock to HDMI A/V Cable Adapter for 30-pin Dock Connector
• Lightning Digital A/V Adapter
• Apple iPad Charge and Sync Dock
• Macally Lightning Charge and Sync Dock for iPad

If you don't have OnSong yet Download it Now
For the latest news and information about updates, contests, and events follow us on:

• Facebook
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You can also join our OnSong Community Group on Facebook to connect with other OnSong users like you.  Share tips and music or just learn tricks and hacks that make OnSong do more for you and your band.

OnSong is great for personal use: practicing, playing live, and managing your music, but it does so much more!  In this video, Brandon shows you how to project lyrics with OnSong so that your band or audience can follow along.  You won't need expensive lyrics projection software in the back-house when OnSong can do it for you, while you stay in control.  Watch below to learn how to connect your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch to any projector or HDTV using VGA or HDMI video adapters. You can even project lyrics wirelessly through AppleTV using AirPlay.  Brandon teaches you all this and more, including tips and tricks on how to control your lyrics using hot corners or hands free wireless foot pedals.

AirTurn invited OnSong to share a booth at the NAMM show in January of 2014 so Jason talked with Hugh Sung about their latest music tech.  Check out a demonstration of the new AirTurn Tap which gives drummers a touch sensitive page-turner that is more responsive than previous pedals.  AirTurn also demoed their new universal Manos stand mount that allows you to easily and securely display your tablets and phones regardless of size or thick case/cover combinations.



See more from AirTurn by visiting their website here and don't forget you can order AirTurn pedals from our store or watch the tutorial: How to Setup AirTurn pedals with OnSong.

OnSong traveled to Anaheim, CA in January of 2014 to take part in the 2014 NAMM Show.  The National Association of Music Merchants annual conference and expo is THE place to be if you want to see all the latest in musical instruments and technology.  OnSong members Jason and Brandon teamed up with 1Christian.net (Rockin' with the Cross) members Rob and Nate to showcase OnSong at the AirTurn booth.  AirTurn pedals are a great way to integrate OnSong into your live performances so it just made sense to show off both technologies at once.  While at NAMM, Jason and Brandon also got to run around the ridiculously expansive expo and interview several of the hottest new technologies coming to music.  It was an amazing experience! Check out the highlights from the show and some of the interviews below:

While hanging out at NAMM 2014 Jason the founder of OnSong got to check out DrumPants! For anyone who ever drummed the dash of their car, a table, or the side of their leg, DrumPants are for you. These MIDI integrated sensors can be placed anywhere, but they're meant for your pants. Drumming on the sensors creates signals that can be sent to headphones, a wearable amp, or a MIDI enabled iOS App. Program the sensors to make tons of sounds and you have "An entire band in your pocket!"  The sensors could be potentially used to control anything through MIDI, which is groundbreaking wearable computing technology.

Check out more from DrumPants.com

OnSong founder Jason talks with the Tronical team about their incredible auto-tuning guitar invention. We're not talking about a T-Pain here! The TronicalTune is a revolutionary device for electric and acoustic guitars alike that seamlessly self-tunes your guitar in a matter of seconds, all while preserving the integrity and tone of your instrument. The first system musicians can retrofit to guitars, TronicalTune installs to the back of a guitar's headstock without the need of professional installation or alteration. Featuring 18 different tunings, (12 factory presets and 6 user presets) musicians are now able to switch between tunings in seconds by simply pushing a button and strumming the strings.

Learn more at Tronical.com

While walking the floor at the 2014 NAMM show, OnSong founder Jason interviews MISELU representatives about their amazing kickstarter-funded C.24 piano keyboard that doubles as a case for the iPad. This two octave wireless music keyboard uses magnets instead of springs to provide a realistic action and wireless Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with your iPad. Gregory, one of the MISELU reps said, "It's great for musicians on the go." Not only is it a fully functioning MIDI keyboard, but it also has a slot for extra hardware expansion modules like drum-pads, pitch benders, and programmable buttons. Third party manufacturers are already developing their own modules for the C.24 and the possibilities are endless.  The Kickstarter campaign was fully funded and those units will ship in the next few months.  If you are interested in buying a C.24 you can expect them to be on shelves in Spring 2014 or Preorder yours today at the MISELU website.

 

Regularly backing up your songs, music files, sets, and OnSong library is a great way to make sure you don't lose all your data in case of a crash or need to reset.  It also lets you port your library in the event that your device gets lost, stolen, broken, or any time you get a new one.  In this tutorial, Brandon teaches you how to backup your OnSong library using Dropbox and how to restore your backup.

Using the Metronome in OnSong is easy and once you understand how to set it up, it sits at the ready in the Live Bar.  Let's not sugar-coat it, some musicians need a metronome and some don't.  If you are learning a new song, don't have a drummer, have no rhythm, or just really like metronomes, we don't judge, OnSong gives you a fully functioning metronome to keep track of the beat.  Customize your metronome by adjusting the beats-per-minute (BPM), time signature, sound effects, and more.  In this Metronome Tutorial, Brandon takes you through all the features and how to set them up in OnSong.

The National Association of Music Manufacturers annual conference is going on now (January 23 - 26, 2014) in Anaheim, California and OnSong partnered up with AirTurn to exhibit at the massive Expo.  While Jason gives demos of OnSong and networks with other manufacturers who will want to integrate their products with OnSong, Brandon will be filming the entire experience and interviewing show participants.  We'll post the video when they get back, but for now, check out a couple of the photos and video from the first few days.

When Low Light Mode is enabled in OnSong the background is black and the words are white.  This feature is great for live performances where the stage lights are dimmed and the regular bright white background might be distracting.  It's one of those really useful and cool features of OnSong that you might not know about unless you go exploring deep into the settings menu.  For OnSong 2.0 and the Android version, features like this will be just under the surface and easier to access.  For now, this great tutorial by Brandon explains how to turn the Low Light Mode On and Off, plus reversing the menu scheme for better low light viewing as well.

The Android version of OnSong is one major step closer to completion with the addition of OnSong Connect.  The older versions of OnSong had OnCue only, which used an old Apple technology to link OnSong user devices together with Bluetooth, however this was completely incompatible with Android.  OnCue was also unstable and dropped out in a crowded room, which is basically anywhere bands play. Now with the releases of OnSong 1.98 (fixes and new features) and 1.981(fixes the fixes) we've developed an API that allows devices running OnSong to connect to each other using WiFi instead.  One device works as a server (master) and the other devices running OnSong Connect can be controlled by the original.  The newer technology not only creates faster, more stable connections between you and your band, but allows access from multiple platforms.  That means that OnSong Connect enables iOS devices to talk to Android, Windows, Mac, and more.  This is a major step in the continued development of the Android version of OnSong in the near future.
     OnSong for Android has been a priority for us for a long time, but the truth is, we are a small startup, and with that come challenges.  When our lead Android contractor fell through recently we were forced to take Android development in-house.  Next, the release of iOS 7 created major instability in older devices and our programmers were forced to deal with bugs instead of developing the Android version of OnSong.  These aren't meant to be excuses, but just keeping you all updated on the challenges we face as we press on to deliver you the best software possible.  The good news is that OnSong v1.981 seems stable, OnSong Connect is running, and we can concentrate all our energy on getting the Android version up and running as soon as possible.  We also want to let you know that the OnSong 2.0 and Android versions will have a very similar look and feel, with a faster, more intuitive user interface.  While our developers are crunching on Android the rest of us will continue to provide awesome (and FREE!) support, new video tutorials, and new updated OnSong website with upgraded store.