5. Supplies
TraqFreq can precisely track your supply usage (string, bows etc), based on your actual playing time. Here’s how to retire that spreadsheet.
How Supplies are Tracked
TraqFreq is the first device that tracks musical instrument supplies based on actual usage. This feature is relevant to beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Not much is gained by manually logging only when you start and stop using supplies like strings without paying attention to what happens in between. TraqFreq now offers what was previously impossible to do efficiently, enabling a host of vital features in the process:
- Help is now on hand for new musicians and others who cannot recall when their strings were last replaced, or discern when they should do so. This system accommodates players who do not replace strings often and cannot remember when they did, and those who struggle to recognize when to do so.
- Get additional confirmation as to when to change strings and to anticipate the fact
- Keep account of the number of string sets you use and the costs involved
- Plan ahead for supplies and expenditure
- Compensate for aspects that affect the longevity of strings, like age, playing time, idle time, weather conditions, and type of material and coating
- Recognize how strings last in varying climatic conditions
- Confirm, document and/or recall when a particular supply is suitable for recording, performing, or just practicing
- Track the break-in time before strings are ready for recording
- Gain insight into and maximize string life in applications that require replacing a set that is far from being depleted, such as recording sessions between performances
- Log string sets and cycle more confidently between them before their durations end
- Determine and compare the amount of playing time that is possible with various brands and categories of strings
Tracking the lifespan of virtually any musical supply is easy with TraqFreq. Once a supply has been created in the Supply dashboard, TraqFreq will track its lifespan according to subsequent playing activity and the climatic conditions that influence it. You only need to specify the hours for each zone - New, Record, Perform and Practice.
Supply Tracking
TraqFreq can precisely track your supply usage based on your actual playing time. Supplies can be strings, bows or whatever you want to track.
At the top of the Supplies dashboard you can see information related to the current supply being tracked. For instance, for strings: The progress bar indicates how much usable time remains on the current set of strings. The bar chart displays a history of the amount of time obtained from previously used strings. And the list below is a history of all previously used strings.
Each supply can use zones: The recording zone is when the strings are at their optimal for recording. After some use, the string is less optimal for recording but usable for performances. After even more playing time, the string is mainly usable only for practicing. You can also specify the number of hours you expect from each zone, or decide not to display zones and just show one continuous progress bar.
Let’s take a look at a few supply tracking scenarios.
1. Add a new set of strings of the same type that’s currently in use
Suppose you have just changed the strings on your instrument and you want to track the amount of time you play on the new set of strings. Open the app, tap on the supply area, then tap the Add button to create a new supply. The new supply will be a copy of the previous supply, so you only need to change the relevant fields. If the new strings are the same type as the current strings being tracked, then all the fields remain unchanged. Tap Save and that’s it.
2. Add a new but different type of strings
If your new strings are a different type from your current strings but the same type as a previously used set, find the old set in the list and tap the entry. Then go to the menu and select copy. Tap Save, and you’re done. This will copy over any settings and fields from the previously used strings, like the brand name, model name, expected lifespan and play zone parameters.
3. Create a new Category
Now suppose you want to track a new supply category, like Bows. From the Supplies dashboard, tap the Add button. Enter the new category name, Bows. Enter the brand name, model name, change the expected lifespan, and modify the supply zone parameters. Tap Save.
On the Supplies dashboard, you can see a list of supply categories by tapping the supply category dropdown at the top. Here you can see a list of all the supply categories and the state of the active supply in each category. Now the Bows category will be shown in the list of tracked categories. You can then select each category and see the current and previous supplies in each category.
The main dashboard will show the supply of the category that is most used.
4. Reuse an old set of strings
If you decide to replace your current strings and reuse an old set of strings laying around that you used before, find the old set in the list, tap the entry, then go to the menu and choose 'Reuse'. Now, the supply being tracked is the old set of strings.
5. Apply to All
If you just changed the expected lifespan and want that change to be reflected in all similar supplies in a category, open the menu and choose, 'Apply to All'. Now the expected lifespan will be applied to all strings of the same brand and model in that category.