User Manual
Setup
OnSong Console is a web-based application that runs in a web browser. It is powered by OnSong running on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. This section will cover running Console and what you need to know to get up and running.
Preparing the Network
To get started, make sure both your iPad or iPhone are on the same network as your computer. This can be any name. OnSong does not set up it's own WiFi network like other devices. Instead, just make sure that you are connected to the same network as your desktop or laptop computer where you plan to use console.
Enabling Console
To enable console, open OnSong on your iPad or iPhone and choose the Utilities menu in the menubar. On and iPad, this is located by tapping on the gear icon in the upper-right corner. On an iPhone or iPod touch, this can be accessed when viewing a song. The gear icon will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.
Next, tap on the Console option in the menu. This will open the Console screen with text that explains what Console is, along with the video tutorial. You will notice an "Enable Console" button in the lower center of the screen as well as a potential price in the upper right corner. Tap on the "Enable Console" button or the price to purchase Console. Console is $9.99 USD. Once purchased, the console will be enabled. If you've already purchased Console previously, simply ensure that the console is enabled by tapping "Enable Console".
After a moment, a web address will appear under the enable/disable button. You will want to enter this web address into your web browser in order to load the Console web application. Remember to type in every part of this web address so your computer "calls" the right person... so to speak. If all is successful, you will get a splash screen containing an OnSong logo.
Granting Access
You don't want just anyone peering in on your music library. OnSong maintains a list of who may connect to your device. You'll notice a message below the logo in Console that says "allow access to this browser on the host device to connect". At the same time, you will notice an alert appear within OnSong on your device. Agree to this prompt within 30 seconds to add the device to the whitelist of allowed devices for use with OnSong Connect.
OnSong Console generates a random identifier to identify itself to OnSong. It then stores that identifier as a cookie in your web browser. That means as long as you don't use a different OnSong library, clear your cookies or use a different web browser or computer, you can continue to use that device indefinitely without needing to approve the connection each time.
If you choose to not accept the connection, OnSong will inform the web browser running Console so that it stops trying to connect. This will render OnSong incapable of accepting new connections for 5 seconds. After this time, OnSong will listen for new incoming requests to connect.
Troubleshooting
While connecting to Console should be easy, you may experience difficulty. This is because Console relies on your network setup and computer configuration, which may inadvertently be blocking access to the service running on the device. The following are things to check to resolve most of these issues:
- Check your web address
- Believe it or not, one of the most common issues is that the web address that was entered into the web browser is either not correct or incomplete. Be sure to type the full web address that appears in the Console screen in OnSong. The web address must start with "http://", contain four numbers separated by periods, and end with ":5076", which is the port.
If Console was working and you've connected to another network, such as traveling from work or church to your home, then you may need to check for an updated web address. This is because as your device connects to new networks, it is assigned a different IP address. OnSong 1.99 automatically switches the IP address as the networks change, but you will need to make sure you are using the most current web address as displayed in the console screen.
If you bookmark the web address, it is likely to not work in the future. This is because your network may assign a new IP address to your device in the future. Some networks will attempt to reuse the same IP address for the same device, but may need to assign a new one if there is a conflict.
- Check your network
- Make sure that both your computer and iOS device are connected to the same local area network. OnSong does requires a common WiFi connection to communicate between the devices.
More advanced network connections or public networks may have restrictions to prevent users from abusing the service or to maintain the user's privacy. If you are at a public location and having trouble using OnSong Connect, you may want to try a different network to see if the problem persists.
If you don't have a WiFi network available, you can also set up your iPad or iPhone to be a cellular hotspot if it has cellular capability. Remember that OnSong Console does not use the Internet, so you shouldn't receive any usage for enabling Console while connected to a cellular hotspot.
- Check your firewall
- One of the most common issues in connecting to Console is a computer firewall that denies access to resources in order to protect itself from possible security issues. If you are having trouble connecting to Console for the first time, go into your computer's firewall settings and temporarily disable the firewall. You can then determine if that is the issue. If this enables Console to work, be sure to grant ports 5076 and 5077 access.
- Check your web browser
- Console works on all modern web browsers that support the HTML5 standard and Canvas tag. You may have an older browser that won't work correctly with Console. If you are unsure, we recommend downloading and installing Google Chrome. This browser is updated often and supports all the standards required to run OnSong Console.
Disabling Console
While there's no pressing need to disable the Console, there are a few reason why you should. First, you probably don't want just anyone attempting to connect to your device. It would require them to be on the same local network as you and have the ability to guess or scan for your OnSong device, but it is possible. Turning the Console off will prevent them from connecting to you.
While very small, OnSong Console does use a few extra resources while running. On stage, a little extra battery life and performance can go a long way. That's just another reason to turn it off if you're not using it.
To disable Console, open the Console screen and tap on the button again to Disable Console. After a moment, the button will change back to Enable Console and the web address will be removed.
