Using perform mode

Perform mode is the only screen designed to be read from three metres away, in the dark, by someone holding an instrument. Everything else is stripped out.

What it shows

The current song, large. Title and artist in the biggest type on the screen, with key, BPM and duration alongside.

The next song. Previewed underneath in smaller type, so you always know what is coming without navigating away.

Your position in the set. A counter — "Song 3 of 12" — so you know how much is left.

Three panels you can open. Vocals for lyrics, guitar for tabs and chords, and bass. Each stays shut until you open it, so the screen stays clean for players who do not need them.

Fullscreen. Hides the navigation and every other piece of interface. Worth using every gig.

A dark interface. Easier to read under stage lighting, and considerably less distracting to the front two rows than a white screen.

Keeping everyone in sync

Turn on Sync and every device with the setlist open and Sync switched on follows the same song live. If anyone moves to the next song, everyone else's screen jumps with them — useful if the singer's driving from the front and the rest of the band is following on their own phones. A counter shows how many devices are currently in sync.

Sync only follows song position — it doesn't edit the setlist itself, and it needs a connection to work. If your venue has no signal or WiFi, perform mode won't load or update live; make sure the setlist is loaded on every device before you lose signal, if that's a risk at your venue.

Moving through the set

You can advance through songs in whichever way suits your setup:

Swipe on a phone or tablet
Arrow keys on a laptop
On-screen previous and next buttons

The arrow keys are worth knowing if you have a laptop on a stand — they work without looking down.

Setting up before doors

A few minutes before the gig saves a scramble during it:

Open the setlist and go to fullscreen before the first song rather than during it.
Check the brightness. Set it for the room you are actually in. Auto-brightness on a phone under stage lights is unpredictable.
Turn off auto-lock on the device, or check the screen does not sleep between songs.
Open the panels you will actually use — if you are the singer, open vocals now.
Silence notifications. A message preview across the lyrics of the first verse is a specific kind of misery.
Charge it. A three-hour function on a phone at 40% is a bad plan.

Practical notes

Mount it, do not hold it. A cheap mic-stand tablet holder makes perform mode far more useful than resting a phone on a monitor.

One device or several? Either works. Some bands run one screen at the front for everyone; others each have their own with different panels open.

Practice with it once. Run one full practice session in perform mode before you gig with it. The navigation becomes automatic quickly, but not on the night.