Update to Liber Pro (iOS app for the Liber Usualis)
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    Dear friends on the forum, I am going through a bit of a rough patch between jobs at the moment. In this interim, I've been focussing on some self-employment activities while applying for jobs. I don't generally talk about my apps here on the forum because that seems self-promoting and solicitous; however, in my present circumstance, I would like to mention that there is an update to Liber Pro out that includes in-app purchases for annotations and search. If you have an iOS device, Liber Pro is a cost-effective and approachable entry into the Liber Usualis. The app even calculates the current feast day from a given date, making it easy to navigate to specific propers. As an example, you open the app, tap the calendar tab, see the current feast day, and tap to go directly to it in the Liber. Annotations allow for markup, and a text-based search helps find more obscure chants and passages.

    A bit of background on the making of Liber Pro...

    I was briefly a seminarian at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary (FSSP) in 2008, and I quickly learned that navigating the Liber Usualis is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of ribbons and bookmarks for a reason, and seminarians frequently have multiple holy cards in their Libers because sometimes there still aren't enough ribbons to handle hopping from place to place. My first interactions with Musica Sacra occurred when I discovered its online PDF of the Liber. I made contact with CMAA, and Jeffrey Tucker answered my questions about the PDF being in the public domain and that I could use it to build an app for the Liber. If you view the first page in Liber Pro, you'll see the document it is based on comes from CMAA. My goal in creating the app was to make the Liber easier to use and carry around ... and to be able to create any number of bookmarks.

    A number of folks in my own choir (including our director) use this app (and another of my iPad apps for sheet music called Forzando) to eliminate carrying around thick binders of music, and they have had success having all the music for a given Mass readily available at a few taps of the finger, including propers, ordinaries, Mass settings, and motets. (These choristers still use hymnals, as those contents are copyrighted.)

    Even if you are not interested in Liber Pro, I would appreciate your prayers.
    Thanked by 5tomjaw Randolph Nichols bhcordova CHGiffen sergeantedward
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,165
    Thanks, Drake. I just made the in app purchases! Looking forward to using the search and annotation features.
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    @bhcordova, thank you so much!
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    I've used it for years as a light weight option for practicing while traveling, or when I might need the Liber but don't have room to carry the whole book. It's great! Thanks for it, and I'll check out the update!
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • rogue63
    Posts: 410
    Dude—-don’t even worry about it! I’m heading now to buy the update. I’ll share on FB too.
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    And you're welcome to talk about the app a little here. Certainly other users talk about publications and engraving projects.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw Drake
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    any possibility of making an android version? I would have purchased, but only available for iphone people.
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    Janet, thank you so much for your interest. I do occasionally get requests for an Android version, but I don't have plans to port it to another platform at this time because it would be a much larger undertaking than it might first appear. Just about everything is different on Android vs. iOS, even the programming language. While the data, concept, and basic design remain the same, it would basically require a rewrite of the app.
    Thanked by 1janetgorbitz
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    Understood. Thanks for the reply.
    Thanked by 1Drake
  • Drake
    Posts: 221
    Thank you to those who have gotten the app or the in-app purchases. I've uploaded a YouTube trailer video for Liber Pro (can't take credit for the music) here. If anyone would like to share it, I would be grateful.
  • kapellmeister
    Posts: 2
    Users of Android can wait for this wonderful tool?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    For those that would like an Android version...

    This may have all you need,
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.github.bbloomf.jgabc

    or even this,
    https://squarenote.co

    Both of these apps will play the starting pitches!

    And those on iOS can have all 3, so you can also support @Drake
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    I have both of those already... I was hoping for the LotH portions from the Liber that isn't available on the other two (or is it and I just am missing how to access them?)
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