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Forum Discussion
Page turner pedal on iPad isn't turning the pages
I have used a Cicada Page Flip pedal for many years to turn pages on song lyrics in Dropbox files on my iPad. Suddenly the pedal does not turn the pages, even though it instantly connects via Bluetoo...
I'm having the same problem, as are several members in my music classes who use Dropbox to share and read music in PDF format. I'm sure DropBox used to work with both AirTurn and Donner page turners, but not any more and I can't access any support. However, here are a couple of workarounds that I use...
In both cases, place a zipped file of your PDF documents into DropBox so others can access it (those that you want to access it that is). Compressing a file is best done on a Windows or Mac computer.
On your tablet, open DropBox select the zipped file and you'll get an error message telling you that you can't open it in DropBox. On the iPad there is a menu at the bottom right, choose Share file. You then get a list of applications present on your device that could open a compressed (zipped) file. The three that I know work are PowerMusic (free), PDF Expert (which I think is free) and Adobe PDF Reader (free). My Donner foot Switch works with all of them although you do need to select the correct buttons on the foot switch control panel - PowerMusic requires Button 3 (up / down arrows), Adobe requires Button 1 (which is labelled Up Dn) and PDF Expert requires Button 2 (left right). Hope that helps.
geoff
Obviously Dropbox needs to catch up to Apple’s iOS, or Apple needs to adhere to the Dropbox page turn functions. While I love Dropbox to death, I need an easy fix now, so I migrated 570 PDF songs to ForScore and my page turn pedal works flawlessly. I will anxiously await the day, sometime soon I hope, that Apple and Dropbox are working together again.
- I contacted AirTurn (who make Bluetooth page turners) asking them about compatibility and this is their response…
“It's not recommended that people use that program. Dropbox is a file storing, and file sharing program. That is what it was built for. Not for people to use pedals, or controllers to trigger it. So they don't always have the needed protocol that makes it work. I'm surprised you were able to use it for an extended period of time.”
Pity, as it was convenient to store files and then read them an control them with a page turner. When Dropbox worked so well, for a number of years for our various non-professional musical groups, it was an incredibly stable platform and easy to use. I’d rather not open the door to an idea, but I would pay for convenience features, even though we use so little of the “free” allotted memory.
- I know what you mean but I can’t wait indefinitely for a fix that might never happen so I’m moving all of my music group members to PowerMusic which actually has several advantages over DropBox, not least of which is synchronised page turning (on Apple devices only)
- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi again everyone, I hope you’re all doing well.
I wanted to check if any of you have opened a ticket, so that I can look into this and investigate further.
If you face any issues with this, you can let me know and I’ll open a ticket for you instead.
Thanks!
Nancy, you have seen all this chatter about a problem, why don’t YOU open a ticket. Every single contact I have tried has been kicked to FAQs.
- Nancy
I’ve just opened a ticket for you, so you can go ahead and reply back to me.
Thanks.
No make or model of Bluetooth page turner will work on Dropbox documents on an iPad that runs iOS 15.4.1. Previous versions of the software allow Bluetooth page turners to flip Dropbox document pages in Word or PDF formats. The fault is not with the page turners. Apple says it is a compatibility issue with the newest iOS, and the next release “may” fix it. I don’t know what Dropbox can do from your end to return page turner functionality.
I got the same "avoid Dropbox at all costs" answer from Airturn when my Dropbox suddenly stopped responding after the iOS update. I frankly jumped on their response telling them that it was a poor attitude to say that, when a little effort to work with Dropbox to solve incompatibilities would go a long way with many of us who have relied on the combination for a long time. Now, from reading this thread, I might have to amend my response to include Apple in that equation of problem solving.
