Short description for Square Dance Player
- Installation
You point your browser to https://androplay.nanninga.me and the program will open immediately on your device. That device may be anything like Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android or Apple IOS.
You could start to use it that way – however I recommend to install it locally on your device – then you don‘t need Internet access to use it in future. And I don‘t know what response time my server can offer.
The challenge is to find the „Install Button“. In Chrome it normally is a „Installation“ button in the right of the address line. In Edge it is at the same place – but a little icon. On mobile devices you need to use the … (3 dot menu) and use „add to desktop“ or similar. With IOS you may have the same option in the bottom (I don‘t have MacOS). In any case you will be asked whether you want to install it. Accept the prompt and it will install locally. You then should have an icon on your desktop to start the app locally. To uninstall use the button in the app.
- Get started
The first step is to point the player to your music. It can be any folder on your local device. You then will be asked to allow upload. Don‘t bother – this is the wording of the browser. Nothing will be uploaded – anything stays local on your device. You only allow the program to scan the folder and collect information to put into your LOCAL database.
You have to repeat this for a folder with patter music.
Music organization: You can add as many folder as you like. This allows each caller to organize the .mp3 in the order he/she likes (or is used to). The main folders are “Singing” and “Patter” and can not be deleted. If the foldername has “Patter” somewhere in the name it offers the looping feature – other folder do not, but offer the Cuesheet.
Very important: The program never touches the files on your disk. All “delete” function are only made in the internal database.
To get more out of the singing player – you should have .html files (possibly from Vic Ceder or from SQview or maybe your own) in the same directory as the .mp3 files. If they have the exact name as the .mp3 file the program will pick them up for display.
- Usage
You can browse through your files or search for them.
Klicking on an entry will open the player. The player has the controls for start/stop, Tempo (Speed while preserving pitch), Pitch and volume.
a. Patter player
The patter player has an option for loop setting. You set A (start) and B (stop) while playing. The program will remember the setting – so next time you play the file the loop will be used.
b. Singing player
The singing player does not have the looping feature. Instead it has 2 options to display the lyrics for the song.
First it will try to find Karaoke text within the .mp3 file. How this is done and how it is stored is a different issue. I have tools available within my CallerToolBox. When this is available the program will display each line in sync with the music.
The second option is to display the .html file (as offered by Vic Ceder or SQView). You „marry“ them by having the exact same name except the ending.
If both methods are available you can switch between both. If none is available it is the player only with no support for lyrics.
- Request for feedback
I created the program while playing with the Google AIstudio. I want to understand more about AI and what it can do.
The most intriguing part is that it runs on any device. I also have created a larger program that is also managing choreo. It has many more features than just a player. It includes a lyricsmaker, a tipmaker and a section to tag and verify new music. I‘m in the phase of documenting this. So if anybody is interested to test for me – you‘re welcome.
The program is and will be free for anybody, but I REALLY would be interested in any comment you have. Not fishing for compliments – just want to hear your opinion.