Hi – I am not a forum contributor, but noticed many of you are searching for the solution I found some time ago.
This is a WORKAROUND using basic ANDROID software UNALTERED
Although it is basic it is a solution that is:-
Very Effective – you can play a single track at a time in a pre-set order
Very Reliable – if you follow the warnings below
Costs you nothing – unless you have dedicated software, see notes below
Requires NO jail-breaking, programming or scripts. This simply puts FILE MANAGER to an alternative use.
WORKAROUND – How to use the basic FILE MANAGER a basic ANDROID device as a backing track player.
First off DO NOT USE THE STANDARD MUSIC APP. As you have noticed this most are frustratingly limited to continuously playing through playlists.
Open FILE MANAGER – this may appear with different labels, but you are looking for the simple FILE BROWSER tool used to explore your device and find your folders, documents and files.
Then locate the MUSIC folder
TAP your chosen FILE, presumably MP3 but this works perfectly from WAV also.
The browser by default will play this as audio.
However since it is the simple file manager and not a music APP, it can’t do ANYTHING else.
You should see a pause button and a progress bar that you could advance/reverse, but that is it. Experiment for a while to become used to what this can do and also what this is not capable of.
DEFAULT PLAYER TAKES OVER
Android has a very basic MP3 launcher built-in to allow you to "audition" files in the manor described above, however a small number of devices have pre-loaded apps that will conflict with this.
If any other APPS start up and use their default controls or features, go to SETTINGS
Find which APP has started up
Look towards the foot of the options available and untick DEFAULT so that you stop that APP from being the default player used for your AUDIO files. Now try the above previous steps again
NOT QUITE FINISHED YET….some basic housekeeping
First you will note that if you touch the screen outside the PLAY bar, the track will stop playing. Become familiar with this, then this becomes your own quick STOP if you choose to use it that way.
TURN OFF the AUTO-LOCK and automatic SCREEN DIM functions or by the time track one has finished you’ll be fumbling about in the dark to unlock the thing again.
Struggling to see in the dark - Use the standard ACCESSIBILITY functions to change the font size, background and contrast to suit your needs - on most but not all devices this is found under SETTINGS/SYSTEM/ACCESSIBILITY
VOLUME - If you know how to NORMALISE, then do this to all your material and then PRE-SET your volume. You will find out why, when you try changing this on the fly - which is not usually simple.
PARACHUTE - Place Icons for FILE MANAGER/BROWSER on the home screen so you can find this in a hurry, if you tap the wrong thing. Most devices also have a QUICK ACCESS menu to present three or four APPS on all screens. Place an ICON here so you will never be lost for long.
HOW TO MAKE A VIRTUAL “PLAYLIST”
File manager doesn’t recognise musci playlists obviously because it is just a simple file browser and not an AUDIO player.
However you can make it follow your playlist if you can accept the results being a little basic using the following steps:-
FILE MANAGER will present files in any folder using a logical order including:-
Numerical
Alphabetical
By type
SOLUTION – Label the tracks using a logical format that FILE MANAGER recognises and can SORT.
Example - if you want your first track to appear at the top of the list in the music folder you simply RENAME the track adding 01 before the existing file name.
FILE MANAGER will show this first.
You can achieve the same using an alphabetical listing.
Once you get the idea of how this is all achieved you can customise these very basic controls and steps to achieve a highly effective result although one with very limited functions.
You will probably find it is best to save actual copies of the tracks you will use into groups held in specific folders that reflect the show you intend to play.
ADVICE – Turn off everything else
Please bear in mind, that if you are going to try this, you are using a FILE MANAGER not an AUDIO tool. It therefore has no pre-configured settings that are designed to work the way that you intend.
Most recent ANDROID devices have a huge number of systems and processes that are active, before we even start talking about your APPS and personal settings.
Best way is to get an old phone and strip out all of the APPS.
FORCE STOP then DISABLE anything and EVERYTHING that you do not require.
Ensure you are in AIRPLANE mode.
If you do not heed this advice, everything will work perfectly, for days, weeks even months, until one day without warning an active APP will activate something that interrupts your performance.
I hope this is of use to some of you and if not you’ll be glad to note I won’t be interrupting your otherwise excellent forum any more.
Good Luck.
Hi DevRange,
Using a music player at a live gig is what a lot of solo, duo and trio performers do.
We (guitarists, keyboard players etc) use a MP to play backing tracks (like drums, bass, other instruments etc) as we don't have the full band as backing.
I will break it down to some basics as an example live gig that I do.
BTW I have been using a 10" netbook for that past few years and now have an Acer Iconia Tablet........
I play guitar and sing & have 300 or so MP3 backing tracks.
When playing live I need:
A layout that is uncluttered and easy to read....
scalable large fonts, no album art, no file extension etc. (See image in previous post)
Easy to navigate....
folder selection on LHS of screen and contents of folder on RHS (See image in previous post)
Auto Pause at the end of each song....
I have other things to do whan a song finishes like talk to the crowd, quickly tune my guitar or even sometimes I might not even be next to my Tablet at the end of the song.
No Auto Start....
No song starts automatically at any time. Even when a new folder is selected. Song always starts when the play button is tapped. Note that while the current song is playing, I need the ability to tap another song title (called queing up the next song). Then when the current song finishes, I just have to hit the play button when it's time and the next song starts.
No Album Art, No play by artist....
This is a working tool not a visual / listening app.
Playlists or folders....
(The Windows program I use is structured for folders).
Either one is ok. I usually make my folders up as sets on my PC then copy them as folders to my Tablet.
Shuffle option os ok...
Alphabet down RHS of screen to find a song quickly...
I hope this is enough at this stage to give you a concept of the player.
There are may many thousands of muso's out there who may have their own special requirements but this is basically what it's all about.
BTW the windows program I use on my net book is called 1BY1
It has all the functions I have mentioned and a lot of options in the settings (a lot of which aren't needed).
The App I am using at the moment is 'MusicFolderPlayer' by ZorillaSoft.
It was the closest thing I could find in the market place that even came close to what I could use live. The author (Steffen) very kindly made a couple of enhancements to it like add 'Musician Mode' which is auuto pause at the end of each song and fonts that are able to go above 40.
Steffen may or may not delv into creating something like this but at this stage he has other things on his agenda i believe.
I'm sure that if there's apps out there for working musicians they will cross over to Tablets and start jumping on an app like this. I'm sure who ever creates this app will be in a situaltion to sell it in the market place and make a few bucks!
I have about 5 or 6 fellow muso's who would love this App and would help in beta testing it so it gets more than just my opinion of how useful it is.
Enough rambling for tonite.
Cheers...Wayne
