This reference describes ShowGen 1.0. Use the linked workflow guides for exact actions. Follow current Help; do not infer unlisted compatibility or release dates.
Product and platforms
ShowGen has four independent modules: Flow, Sheets, Pulse and Ears. ECHOSystem is the local communication/integration layer, not a fifth module. iPhone, iPad and Mac are current platforms for the same product and subscription entitlement. The documented minimums are iOS/iPadOS 17.6 and macOS 14.6. Check the homepage for verified public App Store installation availability; platform support alone does not prove a public listing is live. Android and Windows have no announced release date. Platform and installation guide.
Profile, Band and local use
The local ShowGen Profile is separate from the online ShowGen Account and the Apple Account used for App Store purchases. Home selects the Working Band and offers Create/Delete Band. Flow follows that selection; Charts and Sounds stay personal. Sign in with Apple is used for online invitations and Connection Codes, not required for local work with verified subscription access. Offline access remains within Apple’s verified entitlement period; do not infer indefinite offline paid access.
Synchronization and ownership boundaries
- Band Sync: persistent shared Band Flow data for active verified members. Normal Invite/Re-invite establishes or restores membership; Band Sync then supplies current shared data. Members are peers. Do not invent an owner/admin hierarchy or ownership transfer when someone leaves.
- iCloud/CloudKit sync: a user’s own applicable cross-device data, including supported Profile identity and Sheets/Pulse content. Current Personal/Band Flow uses backend Flow/Band synchronization, not the retired private Flow CloudKit transport. Personal Flow has its own authenticated account scope.
- ECHOSystem / Flow Mode: live local-network Host/Follower performance coordination. Flow Mode activates the shared live Show context and also works locally with Performance Role None. ECHOSystem networking does not synchronize the persistent Band library or replace a backup.
- Sheets ownership: Charts are personal/user-owned, never Band-owned. One personal Chart may link to corresponding Band-owned Song identities across multiple Bands; several Charts may link to one Song. Membership and shared Song ownership do not transfer Chart ownership.
Flow
Current navigation: Band → Shows → Songs → Rules / Generate. Use New Show, Event Details, Generate Show with No Rules or a saved preset, or Create Manually. Both open the Show Editor; Save preserves the Show. Rules use Ignore, Preferred, Strong and Required. Copy to Band makes independent Song copies. Flow guide.
Flow Mode
Select a saved Show with Sheets to Follow, then enable Flow Mode from Flow’s toolbar or by holding the Flow icon. It is one shared state. The full sequence includes Set Break stops. Flow Mode Transport is available only while Flow Mode is on and closes when it turns off. Ears has no separate mode switch. Flow Mode guide.
Sheets
Personal Charts and Setlists work independently of Flow. Import PDF/image/text/ChordPro files or folders, create a text Chart, or use Scan Chart on supported iPhone/iPad devices. A camera scan preserves PDF pages; optional Apply OCR adds a chord overlay and Remove OCR removes it. It is not universal PDF-to-editable-text conversion. Scan Chart.
Presentation sets reading defaults; Widget View selects floating tools; Chart View, Chord Display and Nashville Numbers provide per-Chart view/musical controls. Tap to Hide/Show Widgets temporarily hides visible windows without stopping playback. View options.
Independent Setlist Perform supports swipe/arrows, NEXT UP and Edit Setlist. Exit Flow Mode first. Chart Tempo can set the independent Pulse Metronome BPM without starting/stopping it; explicit saves keep Chart and Song settings separate.
Pulse
Pulse provides BPM/click, four pads, One Shots and Loops, factory percussion and imported Sounds. Factory Cowbell, Hand Claps, Tambourine, Shaker and Sleigh Bells include velocity/alternate takes where provided. Loop Trigger chooses Immediate or Next Bar; the triggering strike sets the launched Loop level, including queued starts. Loop Velocity and Accent Strength shape scheduled hits. Pulse guide.
BopPad presets and Chart contexts are portable in ShowGen Backup; physical device connections remain local. Broader MIDI device certification is future work. Tracks remains Coming Soon.
Generic MIDI Learn and device-profile mapping are already implemented. They do not establish verified compatibility with every MIDI controller. Pad Configuration and MIDI.
Ears
Ears controls personal monitor sends on supported Behringer X32/Midas M32 hardware over a local network. The mixer is authoritative for live state. Ears reconnects to current mixer values; it does not restore stale levels, mutes, pans or source-link values from a saved layout. Presentation/layout preferences may persist. Demo Mode is local practice. Mini Appearance changes presentation, not mixer values. Timed mix automation and additional mixer families remain future work. Ears guide.
ECHOSystem
None / Local keeps performance local. Host owns shared live state; Follower follows it and never silently becomes Host. Independent permissions allow setlist edits, eligible Host Loop triggers, and Flow Mode Transport requests. Accepted remote Loop audio plays on the Host. None grants Ears control or Pulse configuration access. ECHOSystem guide.
Sharing and recovery
Normal Invite/Re-invite activates membership for the intended existing PerformerID. Band Sync then populates current shared Band Flow data. No setup package, Charts or samples are needed for membership. Remove Member and Leave Band revoke access without deleting shared Band data. Explicit manual sharing and backup are separate from membership onboarding. Sharing guide.
ShowGen Backup includes portable Profiles/Bands, Flow, Sheets, Pulse audio/settings and BopPad contexts, Ears layout and workspace preferences. Restore replaces included local data after confirmation; it does not restore credentials, hardware connections or live mixer sessions. Restored content does not establish current Band membership, synchronization/checkpoint authority, StoreKit entitlement or deleted-account authority. Permanent personal Profile deletion markers remain preserved and win over older identity data. Follow the app’s restore readiness and reconciliation hold; do not recommend enabling or disabling retired Flow private iCloud transport. Backup guide.
Subscription and purchases
The download is free. One annual auto-renewable subscription unlocks the same ShowGen product across supported Apple platforms using the same App Store Apple Account. Eligible users receive a one-month introductory free trial; StoreKit determines eligibility and shows localized pricing. Do not quote a worldwide price or use local StoreKit test pricing as Production pricing.
Use General Settings → Subscription → ShowGen Annual for Restore Purchases, Manage Subscription, Redeem Offer Code and Check Subscription Again. Private Apple offer codes do not come from Band membership. Apple/StoreKit owns purchase entitlement, independently of the ShowGen Account, Profile, Band Sync or backup.
An already verified entitlement can remain usable through temporary catalog/network failures within its signed access/grace period. Unverified purchases never grant access; expiration or verified revocation/refund removes paid access. Reconnect and check/restore when verification cannot complete. Lapse blocks paid access without deleting Profiles, libraries or Band data. Do not invent a new data-retention duration. Subscription and Purchases.
Account deletion and support
Use General Settings → ShowGen Account → Delete ShowGen Account. Read the destructive confirmation; Cancel changes nothing. Deletion removes the account and personal Profile identity according to verified ownership and ends its memberships. Shared Band-owned data remains available to remaining members. Remote cleanup may fail or be retryable, and required cloud/local stages can remain pending; follow the app’s progress/error instructions rather than interpreting an interruption as completion.
Do not promise deletion of unrelated/unowned Profiles, unrelated personal libraries, every shared/exported copy, every backup or every retained operational record. Deleting a ShowGen Account does not cancel an Apple subscription. Manage/cancel it through Apple separately. Delete ShowGen Account.
Support & Feedback and contact@showgen.ca provide assistance without requiring a subscription; email is not the primary account-deletion mechanism. Read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.