At NYC Music Services we’re excited to announce that Notation Express is now available for iPhone and iPad. Notation Express is the custom-designed profile for the Stream Deck console that makes powerful notation features in Sibelius and Dorico accessible via an easy-to-use touch interface.
Thanks to this week’s introduction of the Stream Deck Mobile app for iOS by Elgato, you can enjoy the same functions on your phone or tablet in the same way you would on the dedicated Stream Deck console.
You don’t have to own a Stream Deck to use Notation Express or use the Stream Deck Mobile app. The app runs on your iPhone or iPad and connects wirelessly to your computer. Both your computer and phone/tablet must be on the same network.
If you’re already a Notation Express user with Stream Deck for either Sibelius or Dorico, you can use both your Stream Deck console and the Stream Deck mobile app.
Here it is in action:
As before, you can still create your own profile to use in addition to Notation Express, and switch between them.
Anything you can do on a Stream Deck, you can do on your iPhone — plus a bit more!
If you listen carefully you can hear the haptic feedback when the virtual buttons are pressed on the iPhone.
One nice perk with Stream Deck Mobile on iOS is that you can switch between different computers, and indeed different operating systems and notation programs seamlessly, because of the wireless connection. Here I’ve got Sibelius on Windows running on the left, and Dorico on Mac on the right:
Another nice benefit is that, if you have multiple iDevices, you can run Notation Express on them simultaneously. And if you’ve got a Stream Deck console, you can include that in the mix, as well.
The Stream Deck Mobile app for iOS is a subscription product that costs $2.99 per month or $24.99 per year to use. It requires iOS 12.2 or later.
Notation Express for Sibelius or Dorico is available from NYC Music Services for $29 and requires either the Stream Deck console or Stream Deck Mobile app. Notation Express is not a subscription product.
If you purchase Notation Express, you are allowed to use it on both the Stream Deck console and the Stream Deck mobile app. However, be sure to purchase the correct version for your operating system (Mac or Windows).
If you’ve already purchased Notation Express for Stream Deck, head over to the Notation Express site at NYC Music Services to enter your e-mail address at Order Lookup / Get Updates to download a free update. You technically don’t even need the Notation Express update to run it on your iPhone, but you do need to download the latest Stream Deck software from Elgato (version 4.3.0 or later).
Today’s updates to the Notation Express profiles are mostly cosmetic and logistical. We’ve improved the appearance of some of the icons so that they display better on the iPhone. Notation Express also now runs its own installer for both Sibelius and Dorico, automatically placing the support files in the correct folders and greatly simplifying the setup process overall.
Of course, if you use Notation Express on your iPhone or iPad with any regularity, you’ll want a stand. There are plenty of iPhone and iPad stands out there, but one economical product that I can personally recommend is the AmazonBasics Adjustable Tablet Holder Stand ($9) I actually use it for my iPhone (you’ll see it in the photo and video above). Its light weight and compactness makes it great for travel, and at the price I’m not worried about losing it.
Bill
No mention of the Stream Deck XL?
Philip Rothman
Hi Bill! We’ll cover the XL separately.
Donald Stapleson
Will this work with Sibelius 7.5?
Philip Rothman
There are some limitations and is not officially supported. The latest Sibelius is recommended.
Donald Stapleson
Thanks Philip.
Tom F
I was all in until I read “subscription.” Nope. I’ll find other ways to launch macros.
Philip Rothman
That was Elgato’s decision, to make Stream Deck Mobile a subscription app. It is a tough thing, to figure out how to support ongoing development for software and apps, and they have opted for the subscription model.
Just to be clear that the Notation Express profiles are not subscription products.
You could always purchase the Stream Deck console, which is not a subscription product :-)
Waldbaer
Thanks for writing down my thoughts. I’d love to pay for the profiles and pay some bucks for the platform as well, but never stop paying? No way. I may pay a little for updates that are not much more than maintenance updates from time to time, but I want to decide myself if I need it or not.
It’s OK to pay by subscription if the major part of the service is creating contents. But for software this is not the case. Maintenance needs some efforts, but the main effort for developers should be creating the software from ground up. If crucial features are to be added, there’s no problem to ask for an additional fee. But that’s it.
francois grillot
“Now, that’s i’m talking about”…! From my iPhone to my score, and there it is!! i feel like i’m in wonderland!
Thank you guys, It looks pretty grey right now in NYC, i think the sun is right behind these clouds, but has already came through for me this AM
Philip Rothman
Excellent, Francois! I’m glad you could finally make use of your purchase :-)
Robert John Sedky
Dear Philip, Greeting from Australia! I am wondering why I cant launch the app on my iPad pro. I have installed it on my iPhone and it works fine. Any advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thank you.
Philip Rothman
Hi Robert! When you load the Stream Deck Mobile app on your iPad, do you have an option to “Restore Purchase”? That should allow you to use it on your iPad the same as your iPhone. Of course, your iPad must be registered to the same account as your iPhone.
Janet
I’m having the same problem. I was able to install it on my iPhone, but there is no option for iPad under “add device.” I don’t know where to look for “restore purchase.” Also, my iPad doesn’t seem to be able to scan the QR code. (I have an iPad Pro, with current iOS.)
Philip Rothman
As far as Stream Deck is concerned, your iPad is another “iPhone” and it works on the iPad just like on the iPhone. You can enlarge the screen to 2x or keep it the same size on your iPad. Hopefully Elgato will add support for more buttons on the iPad in the future. Although I kind of like the ability to have oversize buttons on the iPad!
Anyway, in the Stream Deck desktop app, click on your existing profile and just select “Add iPhone” from the dropdown menu. The QR code screen should appear.
In the Stream Deck Mobile app on your iPad, scan the QR code just like you did on your iPhone, and all should be well.
It is definitely supported and you can see it working on iPad in these videos:
https://youtu.be/xeKkSilT_o4
https://youtu.be/WEmiB1ZWvNs
The “Restore Purchases” option should appear when you load the Stream Deck Mobile app on your iPad. If not, see this article from Apple:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204530
They also suggest contacting the app developer for support. The developer is Elgato, because this is a Stream Deck issue, not a Notation Express problem.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207959
Here is the direct link to Elgato support:
https://help.elgato.com/customer/portal/emails/new
I hope it all gets sorted out!
Philip Rothman
Elgato has provided some more information and I have quoted it here:
The Elgato Gaming Stream Deck Mobile subscription can work with multiple iOS devices, as long as they share the same Apple ID. If you are using a different Apple ID on your iPad then I would recommend logging in with the same Apple ID you purchased the Elgato Gaming Stream Deck Mobile subscription on.
If your devices do share an Apple ID then you should have an option to Restore Purchases below the subscription options.
If the option to Restore Purchases is not appearing, please follow the instructions below:
1) Tap Settings > iTunes & App Stores
2) Tap your Apple ID and password
3) Tap Sign Out
4) Enter your Apple ID (same used to purchase the subscription)
5) Open the app and tap Options > Restore Purchases
6) Confirm your password if necessary
7) Get back to clips screen and tap icons to download
Also, if you run into further pairing issues then I would encourage you to review the information and attempt the troubleshooting at the following link:
https://gaming.help.elgato.com/customer/en/portal/articles/2976064-elgato-stream-deck-mobile—pairing-and-connection-troubleshooting
Philip Rothman
A user reports the following if you can’t get the Stream Deck Mobile app to restore purchases on your iPad: “The solution ended up being uninstalling the Stream Deck Mobile app and re-installing it. Happy me.”
Steve Steele
For Finale and Notion users who want something similar, I’ve built custom MetaGrid templates that are very similar in functionality to this (you can make them yourself with the MetaGrid app). I’m just pointing out that Finale and Notion users are not completely missing out (although this looks great!). At some point I may give all of my templates to the creators of MetaGrid, or make them downloadable for free for those that want to use them. (Again I’m not competing with Stream Deck Mobile, just pointing out that there is a solution for Finale and Notion users who want to make it themselves).
Waldbaer
Hi Steve, this app sounds great, but it’s only for iPads and therefore not really mobile. Can you recommend any apps like this for iPhone, too?
Paul
Is there an Android version?
Philip Rothman
No, not at the moment. If Elgato makes an Android version of Stream Deck Mobile, we will make sure that Notation Express runs on it. Hopefully it will happen!
Seb
Would be seriously interested in any similar Android products – either if they port the Stream Deck app or if there are competitors… such a brilliant idea!