Song Preparation

Set Sidekick: Song Preparation Studio Manual

Welcome to the Song Preparation Studio guide. The Prep Studio is your main workshop in Set Sidekick for building, formatting, and organizing your song library before showtime. Whether you are importing batch ChordPro libraries, converting raw web tabs, dialing in precise auto-scroll timing, attaching audio backing tracks, or assembling custom setlists, this manual details every prep tool engineered to get your repertoire 100% stage-ready 

Frequently Asked Questions & Prep Pro-Tips

Q: What is the fastest way to format a raw chord sheet pasted from the web?

A: Open the Lyrics & Chords Editor, paste your text, and tap Convert to ChordPro or Lift Chords. These tools automatically detect chord lines above lyrics and wrap them into clean, bracketed ChordPro notation ([G]), making your chart instantly transposable and readable in Live Performance.

Q: How do I prevent lyrics from scrolling too early during a long instrumental intro?

A: In the song editor under Timing & Playback, set an Intro Scroll Delay (e.g., 0:15 or 0:30). This keeps the lyric chart frozen on screen during your instrumental intro while counting down, only starting the auto-scroll engine when the lyrics actually begin.

Q: What should I do when importing a batch file with songs I already own?

A: When importing a ChordPro library, Set Sidekick generates a ChordPro Import Preview listing all detected tracks. For each song, you can choose Keep New (for new entries), Skip (to avoid cluttering your database with duplicates), or Replace (to update your existing chart with the new version) before committing the batch.

Q: Why is there a separate Teleprompter Scroll Speed slider?

A: Larger text in Teleprompter Mode takes up more vertical screen space and moves at a different visual pace. The Teleprompter Scroll Speed for iPad Pro slider lets you fine-tune scroll pacing for large teleprompter displays without changing the normal baseline scroll speed on your main host iPad.

Q: How can I share setlists or charts with bandmates who don't use Set Sidekick?

A: In Manage Setlists, tap Export Setlist and select ChordPro Export. This creates a universal ChordPro ZIP archive containing clean, plain-text .pro files that can be opened in almost any musical chart app or text reader.