Homespun catalog on the Cafe

[jim_n_virginia]

Well I downloaded it to see what's on the catalog hoping there was something I could use. I think it is a great idea.

I still like having the DVD in hand but if I can download it cheaper I'd watch it on my computer. I haven't checked yet to see it it is any cheaper to just watch a instructional DVD online than buying the DVD but it should be cheaper because Homespun saves money from not having to give you a DVD.

Anyways I think it is a cool idea but I have to admit I was a little disapointed that out of 90 or so titles on the catalog only like 4 are for the mandolin. Butch's DVD's and Sam Bush's of which I already have them all.

I hope Homespun will add more mando content soon. If they add that McCoury DVD I'd buy that one in a minute. It has Baltimore Johnny on it and I have been wanting to learn that one. :mandosmiley:

[Lorenzo LaRue]

I downloaded the software (windows XP) and it crashed. Any suggestions. I would probably go for the Mike Marshall material when it comes out. Seems like a good idea.

[Ray(T)]

I assume Homespun DVD's are region specific? If so, it would be easier to access them in the UK. From what I can see though, the download version doesn't seem any cheaper than the hard copy. All there is to be saved is the delivery charge.
Ray

[OldSausage]

I tried this out from Homespun shortly before it appeared on the Cafe. I got the Butch Baldassari DVD just to test it out. It worked well, I love it and will buy more because it saves time and money. The one I bought was 10 bucks cheaper as a download. I run it on Windows XP on a very ordinary laptop. Seems like a great idea, especially if they add more mandolin titles.

[jim_n_virginia]

Yeah my download went smooth as butter. But I am running a pretty fast computer on cable modem.

I think if Homespun makes them cheaper than sending for a DVD I think they will sell a lot of downloads.

And I wonder why they partnered with the Cafe but loaded a bunch of guitar titles. Seems like the UMGF would be a better place to start out with what they have loaded now.

And I wonder if you buy one can you download it to your computer and burn it? :mandosmiley:

[Scott Tichenor]

Guitar likely makes up 75% of their sales I'd guess. If I was running that business, that'd be what I'd pay most attention to if I wanted to eat. This is all pretty new for them, and the process of conversion isn't as easy as just flipping a switch from discussions I've had, and I'm guessing it's not cheap.

Here's a quote from the press release below. This was never meant to be launched with everything from their entire mandolin selection. It will take time. There are some instruments not yet even represented. Happy has registered and I hope he'll weigh in and answer questions. My basic interest here was that getting the mandolin community in the queue first would give us some input into the process.

And Jim, to answer your question, many mandolin players play another instrument, and plenty of them play guitar. No reason the entire line of instruments can't and shouldn't be represented.

From the press release:

- At the time of the launch, Homespun's complete catalog of mandolin instruction is not available due to time and technological constraints involved in transitioning the collection to this new format. However, some of their best selling lessons of all-time are currently available including Chris Thile's groundbreaking Essential Techniques for Mandolin, Butch Baldassari's popular You Can Play Bluegrass series and ever popular The Sam Bush Mandolin Method.

Mike Marshall's blockbuster two-DVD Mandolin Fundamentals for All Players is said to be the next available release via Instant Access and available within 7-10 days of this announcement.

[jim_n_virginia]

And Jim, to answer your question, many mandolin players play another instrument, and plenty of them play guitar. No reason the entire line of instruments can't and shouldn't be represented.


Mike Marshall's blockbuster two-DVD Mandolin Fundamentals for All Players is said to be the next available release via Instant Access and available within 7-10 days of this announcement.

Yeah Scott I know, I play guitar myself I' just I think this is a very good idea. Instant access to instructional DVD's how cool is that?

I kinda figured they would add more as time goes by I guess I am impatient! LOL!

And Mike Marshall's DVD is one I don't have so I most definitely will want to check that one out. :mandosmiley:

[Happy Traum]

Hi Friends,

We're very excited that Mandolin Cafe has become the first online site (outside of our own) to offer our Homespun Instant Access downloads. We believe that there is nothing quite like this delivery system and we're very proud of it. I'm interested in your thoughts and questions, and want to add some observances of my own.

Some of you mentioned that our catalog contains mostly guitar and not predominantly mandolin instruction, which is true. However, we have some terrific mando lessons online now, and will be adding ones by Mike Marshall, Ronnie McCoury, Norman Blake, Jesse McReynolds and Sam Bush in the coming weeks. I also know that many of you play more than one instrument and hopefully you'll be interested in our guitar, fiddle, banjo lessons as well.

Our prices for the download versions are $5 - $10 below what we charge for the hard DVDs, and of course you don't have to pay shipping/handling. We are hopeful that this will encourage you to try this method of getting your mandolin instruction.

We have been enjoying great responses and a high rate of success from those who've purchased our Instant Access lessons. We'll be continuously adding to our list of Instant Access lessons as well as upgrading our download application, so please keep checking back with us. Your input is very important and we take it very seriously.

Thanks for listening.

Happy Traum
Homespun Music Instruction

[Ray(T)]

The other advantage of a download is that the UK taxman won't want his pound of flesh!
Ray

[OldSausage]

The other advantage of a download is that the UK taxman won't want his pound of flesh!
Ray

He probably still wants it, so gather ye rosebuds while ye may :whistling:

[mandofire1980]

don't know if it was mentioned but how do you get the tab books that come with the dvds? are they somewhere on the sight for download as well?

[Erik Gran]

Tab booklets are include in the download, as pdf files, you can always open the tab from the player, or print it.

[Rob Gerety]

I think this is a terrific idea. We all just need to be a little patient while they get all their titles on line. I must say, Homespun Tapes is a terrific business. I have purchased many titles for guitar and mandolin and without exception they have been excellent quality and accurately described as far as level etc.

[jim_n_virginia]

Yep they have quite a bit of money of mine too more than any other outfit except maybe Mel Bay. Every CD or DVD I have gotten from them I have learned something from it none were duds like some others I have had.

[cjboehne]

Happy Traum,

A huge thanks from the Expats!

I'm over in Beijing, China and used to buy the DVD, pay domestic shipping and then have the DVD sent to a friend to "sherpa" it from the states. A process that usually took a few weeks.

Thanks again and I look forward to more Mandolin releases!

Cheers,
Chris

[Paul vG]

This is a terrific idea. I just downloaded the Chris Thiele lessons and I'm pretty happy with how the software works - it beats a dvd imo.

This software opens up a new possibility - I'd be interested in paying a yearly subscription to be able to download any title I wanted to and "keep" it for two weeks, or a month, just like a library - then "return" it to try a new one. There are plenty of lessons that I might have a casual interest in, but wouldn't normally buy the DVD. For those that I decide I'd like to keep, I could just pay a little extra for a permanent download.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

(Oh, and the Chris Thiele download was well worth it)

[jim_n_virginia]

This software opens up a new possibility - I'd be interested in paying a yearly subscription to be able to download any title I wanted to and "keep" it for two weeks, or a month, just like a library - then "return" it to try a new one. There are plenty of lessons that I might have a casual interest in, but wouldn't normally buy the DVD. For those that I decide I'd like to keep, I could just pay a little extra for a permanent download.
Just thought I'd throw that out there.

WOW! Great idea! Sort of like a All-U-Can-Eat Buffet for mandolin and other instrument instruction! I would most def be interested in something like this too. :mandosmiley:

[OldSausage]

It already exists, it's called "Netflix". Although, they don't seem to have that many Homespun DVDs on there, someone ought to tell them, or Homespun, or something...

[Barb Friedland]

Great idea! Eagerly awaiting more mando content. Thanks for making this resource available.

[diptanshu]

i was very excited about it and even downloaded and watched some stuff on friday. but now i am having problems.

i used my office machine to download it the first time... but when i went back home it was not working and it kept saying "we have some missing components and wait till we download it." kept showing the same message through saturday and sunday. and my internet is not that slow!

today i am back to work and now the download is missing from my office comp. infact when i attempted to download it again i am being told to purchase it again!! HELP!
i have wriitten to mails to them. and hoping that it gets fixed soon!
:crying:

[ApK]

Sounds like a great thing. More evidence that the idea buying physical media to get its content is not long for this world!

I must have missed the news...is there a link to this service somewhere handy?

And is there a sample download of some kind to ensure everything works?

ApK

[Rob Gerety]

Go to the cafe homepage - there is a process set up there I believe.

[Happy Traum]

i was very excited about it and even downloaded and watched some stuff on friday. but now i am having problems.

i used my office machine to download it the first time... but when i went back home it was not working and it kept saying "we have some missing components and wait till we download it." kept showing the same message through saturday and sunday. and my internet is not that slow!

today i am back to work and now the download is missing from my office comp. infact when i attempted to download it again i am being told to purchase it again!! HELP!
i have wriitten to mails to them. and hoping that it gets fixed soon!
:crying:

Hi,

Sorry for the inconvenience. We haven't had many problems with this software, but nothing's perfect for every computer. However, we'll do everything we can to make it right, and we guarantee that it'll work or we'll refund your money, so no worries there.

I haven't seen any emails from you but I'll check with my office (I'm currently on vacation) and the folks at Leaping Brain, the developers of the software, to see if they've gotten the message. I'm sure you'll be hearing from them soon. They're excellent at customer service, as is the Homespun staff.

I'm sure we can get this sorted out very quickly. Thanks for letting us know about this.

Best regards,

Happy

Happy Traum
Homespun Tapes
www.homespun.com

[gfioravanti]

Lorenzo, I'm sorry for the trouble you were experiencing. Did you receive an error message? Please feel free to email me at grace@leapingbrain.com.


I downloaded the software (windows XP) and it crashed. Any suggestions. I would probably go for the Mike Marshall material when it comes out. Seems like a good idea.

[gfioravanti]

Hi Diptanshu,

Again, sorry for the trouble you were experiencing! We received and responded to your email today.

Please feel free to email me directly at grace@leapingbrain.com.

Thanks,
Grace


i was very excited about it and even downloaded and watched some stuff on friday. but now i am having problems.

i used my office machine to download it the first time... but when i went back home it was not working and it kept saying "we have some missing components and wait till we download it." kept showing the same message through saturday and sunday. and my internet is not that slow!

today i am back to work and now the download is missing from my office comp. infact when i attempted to download it again i am being told to purchase it again!! HELP!
i have wriitten to mails to them. and hoping that it gets fixed soon!
:crying:

[jim_n_virginia]

Well thats a good sign of good customer service!

Happy Traum and Leaping Brain BOTH personally jumping on this to help out a glitch for someone! :grin:

[diptanshu]

thanks grace...
my office file is working again... will let u know if i can fix the home comp. both are apple macs with similar config... and both use broad band... ill let you know if it works now.

thanks

[Rob Gerety]

Go to the cafe homepage - there is a process set up there I believe.

Correcting myself here - I see a link is at the Classified page. Sorry about that.

[Scott Tichenor]

Correcting myself here - I see a link is at the Classified page. Sorry about that.

The permanent link for this will always be located at:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/homespun/

[gfioravanti]

Hi Diptanshu,

I replied directly to your email about this.

Thanks!
Grace


thanks grace...
my office file is working again... will let u know if i can fix the home comp. both are apple macs with similar config... and both use broad band... ill let you know if it works now.

thanks

[swampstomper]

It's great to see that Happy Traum (the publisher) and Grace (the software engineer) are not afraid to come here and answer all questions! Not that I am surprised, being a very happy Homespun customer for many years. I am also an expat and have ordered to a US adress and pick up the physical product when I visit. This will be much nicer.

I like Jim's idea of a time-limited rental that could be extended. Also interesting would be partial lessons piece-wise. So I could just buy the one song I'm interested in, or maybe just where Jesse shows the crosspicking fundamentals.

Anyway, great initiative, and as soon as I finish the Rory Block book (yes, I do play guitar) I'll see where my next Homespun project should be.

[fishdawg40]

Hey Happy,

Any new mandolin DVDs/books on tap? Or if you tell me will you have to kill me :mandosmiley:.

Thanks,
Joe

[chip]

I'm glad they are going to offering more titles for the mandolin and that it's $5-$10 less expensive than buying the hard copy, although I prefer to have the DVD's...what kills me is the lack of interest on the cafe' for the Bluegrass College website that gets no mention or very little on the cafe'. They have been offering great lessons for years but yet very little activity. The price is much less than most other teaching sites and the lessons more in depth.

[David Lloyd]

Happy,
A lesson on fretboard tricks or knowledge would be nice.(patterns etc.) Mandolin is my only instrument. And thanks for all that you are doing!
Dave

[Paul vG]

Bluegrass College website?

(pardon me while I google...)

...Well, I'll be - I did not know about this. Yet another resource.

[chip]

I subscribed to the bluegrasscollege.org website over a year ago and it's been a valuable tool for learning and being able to watch, play along with at slow and fast speed and at a great place. I'm looking forward to the collaboration with the homespun tapes but there's not much there for me at this point as I have all four of the lessons they're offering at this point...
Check out www.bluegrasscollege.org for a look..I think you'll like it!

[grassrootphilosopher]

Now, if it were possible to get guitar- and mandolinstrings via upload, what a Homespuner would I be. I used them for years and I still think they are the best.

And I surely loved the instruction material. The internet has come long ways.

[Happy Traum]

Happy,
A lesson on fretboard tricks or knowledge would be nice.(patterns etc.) Mandolin is my only instrument. And thanks for all that you are doing!
Dave

We've just added Mike Marshall's amazing two-DVD set to our Homespun Instant Access downloads. These lessons are the best nuts-and-bolts exploration of mandolin technique, musicianship and general knowledge that I know of. Mike covers scales, chords, practice tips and lots more. I think this is just what Dave (and many other learning players) are needing.

Let us all know how you like these.

Best regards,

Happy

Happy Traum
Homespun Tapes
www.homespun.com

[Lanier Mote]

I think it's a great idea , but have experienced problems with video freezing up. Grace at leaping brain has tried to help ,but she said my system was not compatiable with thier's. My laptop is new , DSL connection , a little disappointed it does not work right . Other similar programs I used work fine. They are going to mail me a DVD , just the wait is a pain now

[Omer]

I too was unable to use the download system but only because my computer is, well, a dinosaur. There are system requirements here (http://leapingbrain.com/tech-support).

I wasn't aware of those requirements and purchased a video only to find it wouldn't play correctly. However, Grace at Leapingbrain, and Homespun were prompt and kind enough to offer a DVD at no extra charge. Good folks there.

[Scott Tichenor]

I've just received word that some new Instant Access mandolin titles have been added to the Homespun Catalog (http://www.mandolincafe.com/homespun/). The list includes:

Bluegrass Mandolin taught by Sam Bush
The Mandolin of Norman Blake
Blues Mandolin DVD1 Taught by Steve James
Blues Mandolin DVD2 Taught by Steve James

In addition, we anticipate the following will also be available, possibly as soon as later today:

The Mandolin of Bill Monroe: DVD1 - One on One With the Master
The Mandolin of Bill Monroe: DVD2 - A Detailed Analysis by Sam Bush

Screen shot below of what these look like in the software:

[OldSausage]

Good news, I've been hoping those Monroe ones would show up soon.

[Scott Tichenor]

The Monroe sets have now been added as mentioned yesterday. These include:

The Mandolin of Bill Monroe - DVD 1 (with Monroe playing)
The Mandolin of Bill Monroe - DVD 2 (Sam Bush dissects Monroe's playing)
The Mandolin of Bill Monroe - combined set made up of the two above.

[Scott Tichenor]

Wouldn't it be nice if John Reischman had a video lesson on Homespun? Any agree? :)

[Newtdude]

Yes yes yes!! I agree!!!

[bgjunkie]

I found this statement on the Homespun Tapes website interesting "With Homespun Instant Access your purchases will be stored on our server, so you can delete it from your hard drive and re-download it later, whenever you want to view it again." That statement is not on the similar page here on the cafe.

That is a nice feature. I have an account with the MP3 download site eMusic.com and the do the same thing. If I accidentally delete an MP3 or loose a hard drive, I can go download the items I have already purchases from my account on the website. It has save me a couple of times.

[Mike Bunting]

[QUOTE=Scott Tichenor;728205]Wouldn't it be nice if John Reischman had a video lesson on Homespun? Any agree? :)[/QUOTE
T'would be nice if it was anywhere.

[un5trung]

In August Tichenor wrote:


Mike Marshall's blockbuster two-DVD Mandolin Fundamentals for All Players is said to be the next available release via Instant Access and available within 7-10 days of this announcement.

I didn't realize it was so new, but I've had the Marshall set for a few months. I have it on streaming (rather than holding the discs in my hand) and it's worked out well except that it won't run on the screen resolution of my netbook.

The lessons are good too. I didn't want to learn bluegrass or Celtic or whatever, I wanted to get some fundamentals down first, and Marshall does a good job of teaching them. When I'm comfortable with those lessons I think my next step will be the Steve James blues lessons.

[Rob Fowler]

This has nothing to do with the titles from Homespun but more the functionality of the program.

I just downloaded Mike Marshall's 2 disc set. STOKED! But I didn't notice any keys like fast forward, rewind, pause, etc. so I played around with it a little bit. If you click on the video on the right hand side it will fast forward and to the left....it rewinds. I just decided to hit "enter" on the keyboard and that paused the video for me.

Am I just a slow learner or did other users of this awesome resource find these little tricks out, also? I didn't really see any instructions on how to watch the video or these little tips and tricks? Are there other little tricks to know about with these videos? Did I miss something?

[un5trung]

Rob, some of the tips and tricks you write of may just reflect experience with the computer. If you're a lawyer or a plumber you may not spend a lot of time on a computer, but if you're in information professional chances are likely you do. I'm neither a lawyer nor a plumber, so guess what I do ;-)

I hadn't seen the "click on the right to advance to the end of the chapter." Rather, I use the Next and Last buttons in the lower right to go back and forth between chapters. I use the navigation bar on the right margin to skip forward or backward several chapters. In order to move around within a chapter I place the cursor on the round button, left-click (or just plain click on my Mac), and drag right or left.

You're right, I didn't find explicit instructions either. But I didn't look for them because that's not the kind of learner I am; I just jump in and fiddle (or mando?!) about.

[Rob Fowler]

Unstrung, thanks for the reply. It's funny I spend TOO much time on the computer but I never use the arrow keys for some reason...too much "mousing" I guess.

Yeah, it's not too hard to figure out how to get around the videos but my main point was that I didn't see any instructions to help view the videos to your best advantage...I'm just used to there being a "dummies guide" for people that might not be so computer savvy.

Thanks again:grin:

[Happy Traum]

This has nothing to do with the titles from Homespun but more the functionality of the program.

I just downloaded Mike Marshall's 2 disc set. STOKED! But I didn't notice any keys like fast forward, rewind, pause, etc. so I played around with it a little bit. If you click on the video on the right hand side it will fast forward and to the left....it rewinds. I just decided to hit "enter" on the keyboard and that paused the video for me.

Am I just a slow learner or did other users of this awesome resource find these little tricks out, also? I didn't really see any instructions on how to watch the video or these little tips and tricks? Are there other little tricks to know about with these videos? Did I miss something?

Hi Rob,

There should be a little progress bar under the video window that you can "slide" to scan back and forth to find the spot you want to watch within a chapter. We probably should post instructions on the various features of this player.

In the near future the geniuses at Leaping Brain Labs, our Homespun Instant Access technical partners, will be adding some great new features that will be very useful, most notably a "looping" function so you can choose a passage and play it over and over. When this version is released you'll be able to upgrade your player to get this and other new features.

Thanks for using Instant Access. I'm glad you're enjoying the lessons. There'll be more coming, so stay tuned.

Best regards,

Happy

Happy Traum
Homespun Tapes
www.homespun.com

[Rob Fowler]

Thanks for the reply, Happy!!! For some reason I can't see the progress bar but only see black where it should be. Possibly related to this...I can't ever see a quicktime player on my screen either so it might have something to do with my computer (yes, I've tried to download quicktime many times). I did click on the dark area where the progress bar is and was able to toggle it around with trying to guess where the progress bar was at the moment.

Thanks again Happy, for providing such a great service and I can't wait to try out the other mandolin titles in the future!

Rob

[Scott Tichenor]

The folks at Leaping Brain put together a very nice video tutorial on how to download and access these lessons. Here's a link to the video (http://www.mandolincafe.net/homespun.mov). There's a version on their server but we have an exceptional pipe and I was getting much better performance through our server so put it here.

You may want to just download the movie on your PC or Mac (do a File > Save Page as...) to your hard drive and wait for the download to finish before watching for best performance. Viewing over the web, unless you have really good bandwidth, you might run into some delays. The file is around 64MB. Enjoy.

[gfioravanti]

Thanks for the reply, Happy!!! For some reason I can't see the progress bar but only see black where it should be. Possibly related to this...I can't ever see a quicktime player on my screen either so it might have something to do with my computer (yes, I've tried to download quicktime many times). I did click on the dark area where the progress bar is and was able to toggle it around with trying to guess where the progress bar was at the moment.


Hi Rob,

Are you on a Windows 64-bit machine? There is a known incompatibility with Quicktime player. But here's a little workaround:

1. Find the Homespun Instant Access shortcut icon on your Desktop
2. Right-click the shortcut icon and select "Properties"
3. Click the "Compatibility" tab
4. Check the "Run this program in compatibility mode for" option
5. In the menu, select "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)".

Then, relaunch the Homespun Instant Access and play your course again.

Thanks,
Grace

[Happy Traum]

Hi Mandolinists,
As of tonight we've got two more DVDs available for download on Homespun Instant Access: "The Bluegrass Mandolin of Ronnie McCoury" and "Classic Bluegrass Mandolin" by the legendary Jesse McReynolds. Mandolin Cafe has a link right on the home page that will take you to our download catalog. We'll keep working to bring you great instructional stuff on this wonderful instrument.

All best,
Happy Traum
Homespun

[Rob Fowler]

Grace,
Thanks for tip! I can see the progress bar now! :grin:

[fishtownmike]

The reason i prefer to buy the hard copy is that i can watch it on the big screen in comfort. Sitting at the computer with mando in hand is not really pleasant to me. I own many homespun dvd's and will probably stick to buying hard copies...Mike

[Wendolin]

I bought the Mike Marshall set, and they are great. I prefer the download to the DVD because you can take it anywhere and because it is more convenient to use.

This is a great idea.

[auburnboy]

Well I posted somewhere else asking which video I should start with. I have been playing guitar for some years and want to change things up a bit, I have the Mando, but need some instructional stuff to get going. I have been playing guitar for about 9 years, so I am not really a beginner on stringed instruments, but am brand new at the Mando. Really don;t know which instructional videos to start with through Homespun. Thanks so much for assistance. I played Violin about 20 years ago, in first grade, so I can play twinkle twinkle little star :)

Please just help me with where to begin.

[tnt2002]

I love this app, it's nice to have my lessons in one place with no disks to locate.

My one issue, has anyone else experienced this?

The video and sound do not match. I can't recall if this only happens when I click a chapter on the left, or if ith just starts happening when it advances to the next chapter in the lesson.

The work-around is to pause the video, then hit play, and it synchs up.

More of an annoyance,:mad: but for the > $90 I've invested so far, I hope a permanent solution is in the works.


Tom

[Erik Gran]

I can't seem to access an updated catalog, everything works as normal, but the titles that should be added lately according to emails form Homespun and their website doesn't show up in my catalog. Is this just a problem in my end, or have anyone else here experienced the same?

[Richard Morrison]

Are these an actual file you save on your hardrive? From reading the posts it almost sounds like you can just stream it anytime you log on using a player that homespun provides. I'm hoping its an actual mpeg or similar so i can convert it to put on an ipod touch.

[gfioravanti]

I love this app, it's nice to have my lessons in one place with no disks to locate.

My one issue, has anyone else experienced this?

The video and sound do not match. I can't recall if this only happens when I click a chapter on the left, or if ith just starts happening when it advances to the next chapter in the lesson.

The work-around is to pause the video, then hit play, and it synchs up.

More of an annoyance,:mad: but for the > $90 I've invested so far, I hope a permanent solution is in the works.


Tom

Sorry for the trouble you're experiencing (and the delay in getting to your message)!

What operating system are you running?

Also, we are working on an update to the system that will likely resolve this issue for you.

Thanks,
Grace

[gfioravanti]

I can't seem to access an updated catalog, everything works as normal, but the titles that should be added lately according to emails form Homespun and their website doesn't show up in my catalog. Is this just a problem in my end, or have anyone else here experienced the same?

Hi Erik,

Are you still experiencing this problem?

Thanks,
Grace

[gfioravanti]

Are these an actual file you save on your hardrive? From reading the posts it almost sounds like you can just stream it anytime you log on using a player that homespun provides. I'm hoping its an actual mpeg or similar so i can convert it to put on an ipod touch.

Hi Richard,

All the course files are saved on your hard drive. And if you ever need to re-download the files, you can do so easily from the Instant Access catalog, at no additional charge.

But you currently will not be able to convert the course files for use on your iPod.

Thanks,
Grace

[EddieA]

Can anyone tell me on average, how much hard drive storage is required for each lesson?

[wsugai]

Most people know Happy from his successful Homespun Tapes venture, but I saw the guy play on a small stage in a crowded room in Seattle back in 1977 when he still went out on the road. Just him and his guitar and a pair of heavy workboots for percussion. I never heard so much sound come out of a single musician ever. Thirty-three years later, and I'm still shaking my head. A great, great performer.

[gfioravanti]

The courses are about 800 - 1000 MB in size. We are working on adding a feature that will allow you to designate an external or secondary drive.

[Scott Tichenor]

Not sure when this happened because I don't often check the software, but all of AcuTab's products have been added to the Cafe's Homespun software download (http://www.mandolincafe.com/homespun/). That gives us immediate access to Adam Steffey, Herschel Sizemore, Sierra Hull, Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson. Hard to complain abut that line-up.

[bobsault]

I have downloaded the homespun catalog and bought Adam Steffey and Butch Baldassari and all was going well and I was very much enjoying learning from them and a couple of days ago the program would not open up for me it would just stay on the launching stage . I removed it from my computer and re-installed and still the same problem. I contacted Leapinbrain and got a reply back from Grace but no solution for my windows xp install. There is a 20 percent off downloads sale on but now this problem. Any suggestions ? Thanks
Bob

[robert.najlis]

I was having this problem too, but on my mac. Sometimes the program would hand when I was trying to start it up. I restarted a few times, and then just waited a while, and it finally started up.

Also, the discount is only available via the version of the program downloaded directly from the site (not the Mandolin Cafe version or any other version).

[bobsault]

[QUOTE=robert.najlis;875577]I was having this problem too, but on my mac. Sometimes the program would hand when I was trying to start it up. I restarted a few times, and then just waited a while, and it finally started up.

Also, the discount is only available via the version of the program downloaded directly from the site (not the Mandolin Cafe version or any other version).[/Quote
Thanks for the info Robert, I have tried this also and so far no-go. I will do so again. I received an e-mail from homespun about the discount and as far as I know there are not multiple versions they are all downloaded from the same source at homespun, only the name changes a bit as in Homespun at Mandolin Cafe.
Bob

[robert.najlis]

as far as I know there are not multiple versions they are all downloaded from the same source at homespun, only the name changes a bit as in Homespun at Mandolin Cafe.
Bob


This is from Grace at LeapingBrain:

Are you using the Homespun Instant Access program? Or are you using one of the affiliate catalogs? Like Mandolin Cafe?
this coupon is only available through the Homespun version.

[Mandobar]

I've been having a problem downloading too. With windows 7 64 bit it is plain impossible. It just hangs and hangs. On my Mac it does download eventually. It almost seems like the server they are using is overloaded.

[bobsault]

This is very interesting why would mandolin cafe version users not get this discount ? Is this a lesser version and we are not getting discounted already that I know of. We are ordering from the same program are we not ? I downloaded this program from Mandolin Cafe.
Bob

[Scott Tichenor]

Some changes for those using this system for accessing lessons. We've undergone a name change. Since other companies are joining in the on demand or instant access arena (Homespun, Mel Bay, AcuTab) affiliates such as the Cafe are getting their own branded versions of the catalog download software. Really, all this means is that there's a fresh coat of paint on the software, different look, but all else remains same. Only real change is they're asking us to provide our own name but not allowing the use of "Instant Access" which some of us had become used to. So I selected "Mandolin Cafe On Demand." Next time you launch the software all of the same titles will still be there but it'll look like the screen shot below.

72044

In other news, Homespun continues to add to their catalog and Happy tells me they're getting ready to release two new titles from Butch Baldassari: Appalachian Mandolin (with David Schnauffer) and Mandolin Hymns. In addition he told me: "There will be more coming in the next few weeks/months, which I'll let you know about when they happen. We have a great Sam Bush 6-CD set, which we originally recorded with him in the late '70s, as well as sets by David Grisman and Andy Statman!"

[Pete Counter]

Heres what I would like, Dont know if you can do this or not, I started doing this when it first came out and the homespun stuff and the acutab stuff was on thier own software, it would be nice if We could import the acutab stuff into the cafe software along with the homespun so I could have it all in one place instead of two different programs, specially since now you can get them both on the cafe software. Probly to much to ask but it would be great!

[Scott Tichenor]

Heres what I would like, Dont know if you can do this or not, I started doing this when it first came out and the homespun stuff and the acutab stuff was on thier own software, it would be nice if We could import the acutab stuff into the cafe software along with the homespun so I could have it all in one place instead of two different programs, specially since now you can get them both on the cafe software. Probly to much to ask but it would be great!

If you purchase it with the Mandolin Cafe's software it should all be accessible from the same. Are you saying you downloaded different software from different locations and used it to make purchases--like you used AcuTab's Instant Bluegrass software for one purchase, Homespun's from their site for another and ours for a third (by example)?

[Pete Counter]

sort of..when I started downloading, the cafe didnt offer the software and if it did it didnt offer from both companies.........I dont think. I ordered some from homespun and some from acutab. When I downloaded the cafe software it picked up the homespun files and grabbed the homespun lessons because it still used the leaping brain folder but not the acutab stuff

[Scott Tichenor]

sort of..when I started downloading, the cafe didnt offer the software and if it did it didnt offer from both companies.........I dont think. I ordered some from homespun and some from acutab. When I downloaded the cafe software it picked up the homespun files and grabbed the homespun lessons because it still used the leaping brain folder but not the acutab stuff

I'd recommend checking with Leaping Brain's technical support on that question. I'd think it might be possible to combine the contents of where those are stored and get it to work, but I'm not sure enough to recommend it. On their support page (http://leapingbrain.com/tech-support/) right under the title "Tech Support FAQ" is a link to send them an email inquiry. If you find out, it'd be great if you'd post their answer for all to see.

[Pete Counter]

Leaping brain support said if the mandolin cafe software carries both homespun and acutab, it should pick them up. When I got home I upgraded to the new version (on demand) and... viola, it picked up the acutab stuff as well as the homespun. Happy now, thanks Scott!

[carojester]

anyone else having trouble using the On Demand application with their Mac OS 10.7.1 version? I can't launch the software, and I'm not sure if my request for help got through to the leapingbrain tech support folks.
Thanks.
Caroline
:mandosmiley:

[almeriastrings]

Caroline,

Yes. Noticed this just after installing Lion. The "contact tech support" box popped up after failing to load the lesson files. What I did:

1) Went to the 'OPTIONS' box on the main screen of the catalog section and made sure I was using the quicktime player.
2) Went to STEP ONE - View all available courses. Catalog refreshed.
3) Shut down then restarted and relaunched program.
4) Everything then worked, but several courses also downloaded updates... same thing exactly noted with the Accutab system, by the way (it uses the same Leaping Brain engine).

No problems since.

[Scott Tichenor]

anyone else having trouble using the On Demand application with their Mac OS 10.7.1 version? I can't launch the software, and I'm not sure if my request for help got through to the leapingbrain tech support folks.
Thanks.
Caroline
:mandosmiley:

I sent them a pointer to this discussion. Can't help you myself but rebooting Macs and PCs works wonders for most problems.

[carojester]

Thanks for the suggestions. Still not working for me. This is what happens when I try to launch the application:
"Oops! We're not able to connect to our server network to download some needed components. Please check your internet connection and try again."
So I can't even get into the application to try your suggestions, and restarting my computer makes no difference.
HELP!:crying:
Thanks!
Caroline

[gfioravanti]

Hi Caroline,

Sorry for the trouble you're experiencing!

Can you please email our tech support department at techsupport@leapingbrain.com? It will be much easier to resolve your issue through an email thread.

Thanks!
Grace


Thanks for the suggestions. Still not working for me. This is what happens when I try to launch the application:
"Oops! We're not able to connect to our server network to download some needed components. Please check your internet connection and try again."
So I can't even get into the application to try your suggestions, and restarting my computer makes no difference.
HELP!:crying:
Thanks!
Caroline

[carojester]

Will do. Thanks.~o)

[carojester]

Problem solved! A very simple fix too:

For Mac, using OS X Lion:

Please go to your main hard drive folder, and you should have a
Library/Application Support folder. Within this folder, please create
a folder called "LeapingBrain" (with capital "L" and "B" and no
spaces).

Then, try relaunching the program.

[kirksdad]

I like the content of Homespun. I own five DVDs and three or four of the download series.

I'm going to hold off on buying anymore from them until they make products available for the iPad. I when I say make available, I don't mean having to pay to download an application so I can watch lessons I already bought.

To me, this is like paying to download the iTunes program after you have already purchased music, movies and books from them.

I have noticed that Leaping Brain has had a lot of technical issues. Reason number two why I won't pay for an application from them that they admit is still in "beta mode"

Again, no gripe with the quality or content of the lessons. Just won't buy anymore until Homespun does right by iPad users

Philip Hobaugh

[carojester]

My spouse works as graphic designer for a mobile app company that is having a great deal of trouble getting their app to work on Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad. It's really unfortunate because we are Mac lovers at home and it would be cool to use their app, among many others. From what I hear developing for Mac is something that developers don't enjoy doing but they do it because of Mac's large portion in the mobile device market. Mac is by no means dominant but it has a significant percentage of the business.

I don't have an iPad yet but that is something I would love to get down the road, perhaps when they release iPad3. Having mandolin lessons on iPad would be so fantastic. I don't enjoy playing in front of my computer. I'd rather sit in the garden or something. I could just perch my iPad on my music stand, or whatever is handy.

I agree that the app shouldn't cost anything if we are already buying their products. I hope Leaping Brain will sort out the technical difficulties getting in the way of making Homespun lessons more accessible in a mobile format.

Caroline:mandosmiley:

[HddnKat]

Is anybody else having trouble loading the Mandolin Cafe catalog? I just updated the Homespun MOD software, and it launches the website OK, but when I try to download the catalog, the page loads with an error and I never get to the catalog. I have emailed their Tech Support, so hopefully I will hear something back, but wondered if anybody else is encountering this problem- not using Mac, I have Windows Vista and IE8

[robinson.sam8]

Can you download the videos and watch later off the Internet? Also can you download them to an iPad?

[Scott Tichenor]

Is anybody else having trouble loading the Mandolin Cafe catalog? I just updated the Homespun MOD software, and it launches the website OK, but when I try to download the catalog, the page loads with an error and I never get to the catalog. I have emailed their Tech Support, so hopefully I will hear something back, but wondered if anybody else is encountering this problem- not using Mac, I have Windows Vista and IE8

I missed this post. Did you get your issue resolved by the support folks?

[Scott Tichenor]

Can you download the videos and watch later off the Internet? Also can you download them to an iPad?

Those lessons are downloaded to your PC so you can watch w/o being connected to the web.
As far as iPad, what I've read is that there's a way to download those to your iPad from your PC. Rather lengthy support discussion about that found here (http://www.homespuntapes.com/ForumRetrieve.aspx?ForumID=734&TopicID=2302). Still, I'd recommend you contact the support folks at Leaping Brain to be sure. They post in this thread once in awhile and are very responsive. I'll send them a link to this in case I've misspoken.

EDIT: here's another discussion (http://www.homespuntapes.com/ForumRetrieve.aspx?TopicID=10829&A=SearchResult&SearchID=1681447&ObjectID=10829&ObjectType=43) that indicates there's a $1.99 app that allows you to transfer those lessons from your PC to iPad.

[geoffreymbrown]

I've found the requirement to use a proprietary app to be disappointing. The app is clunky and the lessons -- even strictly audio ones -- are forever tied to an app that is unlikely to survive for the longterm. I can't play the audio on my stereo or use an application like Transcribe! Far better to have mp3's which play easily on any platform. I won't be purchasing any more materials in this form.

Geoffrey

[geoffreymbrown]

As I follow up. I wrote to Homespun to complain about this way of distributing their catalog. Other than a canned email saying they would get back to me shortly, I never heard from them. I followed up several months later with the same non-response.

Geoffrey

[Happy Traum]

As I follow up. I wrote to Homespun to complain about this way of distributing their catalog. Other than a canned email saying they would get back to me shortly, I never heard from them. I followed up several months later with the same non-response.

Geoffrey

Hi Geoffrey,
Sorry if your email didn't get answered properly. I try to respond to everyone but it is inevitable that some slip through the cracks, for which I apologize.

We have found that the vast majority of those who download our lessons are very satisfied with the quality and ease-of-use of the MOD software. Like anything in the digital realm, there are occasional problems, but these get addressed by the team at Leaping Brain Labs, the folks who developed the program. They have been regularly updating and improving the experience and have plans to develop it further. The interface is so successful that now most of the instructional companies (our friendly competitors) such as AcuTab, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, Murphy Henry, Hal Leonard, Rock House and many others are now distributing their lessons through this system, so I feel strongly that it will be around for a long time. Of course, if you have specific issues they are very good at tech support and I welcome you to get in touch with them (or with Homespun).

FYI - The downloaded lessons can be viewed on your computer and there is also an app version - MOD MOBILE - that passes it through to iOS devices (iPhones, iPods and iPads). The material can also be streamed directly to ANY mobile device via wi-fi, so you can take your lessons on the road and play them anywhere there is a connection. I have tested them myself and they work pretty flawlessly for me.

We are working closely with the Leaping Brain staff and expect the user experience to continue to develop and improve. Meanwhile, we welcome your comments and hope you will continue to use our products. Our primary goal has always been to teach, and I think we do it pretty well.

Thanks very much for your input.

Best regards,
Happy Traum
Homespun Tapes

[RalphM]

Has anyone gotten the player to work with Windows 8? I had it working on Windows 7, but have a new PC and cant get it to work. I've tried various compatibility modes with no luck. My only option is the MOD Cloud Player. I'm very disappointed as I've put a lot of $$ into these lessons. Wishing I had paid the extra for the good ol' paper/DVD versions.

[Scott Tichenor]

Let me see if I can get someone from Platform Purple (these host those videos) to answer this.