Roland V-Accordion learning app

[vitalys]

Hi Everyone!

last 9 months I have been working on a learning app for my Roland FR-3xb (as a hobby project). Hopefully the app now also works with all Roland FR instruments (except FR-18 diatonic) and all digital pianos.

Here it is:
https://octavian.app

I'm looking for people who could provide me with general feedback: what you like, what you don't, what can be better, what can be added, changed, removed.

Of course I'm not going to implement everything, but some things are not obvious if you work on one thing for almost a year.

Some prerequisites:

• you have a Roland FR instrument or a digital piano / midi keyboard
• you have a midi cable and you know how to connect your instrument to the computer

Optional:

• you have some sheet music in MuseScore, MusicXml, Sibelius, Finale format that you would like to learn how to play, that you are ready to share with the community

How the app works:

1. Select a tune from the rather small catalogue or better: upload your own file in MuseScore format (you can export Sibelius/Finale file to MusicXml and import MusicXml in MuseScore).
2. Open the tune in the Octavian player. There are 2 modes: play mode, wait mode.
3. Play the tune or parts of it, left hand, right hand, speed, volume. Select a few measures and play them in a loop.
4. In the wait mode select a few measures and learn them in a loop. (left/right hand separately, then together)
5. Finally play the tune from beginning to end. You will get a performance report created.

In the wait mode measures are highlighted with green/yellow/red.
Green: all notes were played correctly. Yellow: some notes durations were incorrect. Red: some false notes were played.

I am also sharing all MuseScore files in a repository, hope you don't mind.
https://github.com/geniot/octavian-data

 

[swingbozo]

If you aren't sure you want to continue to work on it, consider open sourcing it. I'll take a look at it but it will be some time before I can get serious and write up something review worthy.

<edit> Oh, it's a java app that runs in the browser! Cool!

 

[vitalys]

If you aren't sure you want to continue to work on it, consider open sourcing it. I'll take a look at it but it will be some time before I can get serious and write up something review worthy.

<edit> Oh, it's a java app that runs in the browser! Cool!

Yeah, I thought about it. If there are no users for a year or two I will definitely open source the project. The frontend is written in TypeScript (Angular). Backend - Java (SpringBoot), MySQL.

 

[vitalys]

There are actually 3 instruments, that are supported:

• button accordion
• piano accordion
• piano

 

[swingbozo]

I haven't even hooked up my accordion yet. I like it so far, and that's saying something about your application. Usually I can find at least a handful of problems before even firing an app up.

As an aside, I am a computer programmer by trade. My last job did typescript and rust but I'm like an old skewl C++ windows programmer.

 

[vitalys]

I haven't even hooked up my accordion yet. I like it so far, and that's saying something about your application. Usually I can find at least a handful of problems before even firing an app up.

As an aside, I am a computer programmer by trade. My last job did typescript and rust but I'm like an old skewl C++ windows programmer.

Thanks. I did my best. And I haven't written a single regression test. Still need to do that.
I have programmed in Java for like 20 years and now I have to learn Kotlin at work
TypeScript and Angular are very well suited for Java programmers.

 

[swingbozo]

Kotlin? At least you don't have to learn R, LOL! C++ deservedly has a bad rep, but it's getting better. I found Rust a great language surrounded by insufferable script kiddies telling me it was the saviour of computer programming. I found them to be insufferable. Rust is fine, but it's fanbois are the worst.