Bluetooth Pedal Review: PageFlip Firefly vs Airturn Duo 500

twocats

A little review, now that I've used both of the top Bluetooth pedal brands. I've been using a PageFlip Firefly V4 for a couple of years, with a 2015 12.9" iPad Pro (Gen 1) and then a 2018 12.9" iPad Pro (Gen 3). I bought the PageFlip lightly used and am a basic user and have never tried any of its fancy functions. Switching to digital scores and being able to turn my own pages with a foot pedal has been a game changer for me!

Recently the PageFlip's Bluetooth connection started to get flaky and it didn't seem to connect as strongly and would take much longer than I remembered. I tried new batteries and it didn't help, so I assumed that the Bluetooth hardware was dying and I ordered an Airturn Duo 500. I removed the piece of cardstock with my name and contact info that I had taped to the bottom of the PageFlip (I added this after I kept leaving it in practice rooms at the chamber music workshop), and strangely enough it started to work perfectly again! Was that card somehow impeding the Bluetooth signal?! Super weird. But I had an Airturn on the way already and it took a while to get here and the PageFlip was definitely working well again.

Anyway, the Airturn Duo 500 arrived and I like it better! Here are the things I like more about the Airturn:

does not go to sleep if you step away (I just read in the manual that it's a 2 hour timeout and then it'll turn off; PageFlip goes to sleep after 30 minutes to preserve the battery and you have to press it to wake it up and then it takes a second, which is annoying if you're in the middle of playing)
rechargeable (claims 250 hours) and charges via USB-C, so no more dealing with AA batteries
silent pedal with a very satisfying tactile response (both pedals are quiet, but if I'm in an unfamiliar environment I tend to stomp firmly on the pedal and the PageFlip's hard plastic seems louder)

Cons of the Airturn:

it looks more DIY, like it was assembled from a bunch of parts, and it has cables plugged in at the top (though apparently if one part breaks it is replaceable, which is actually a good thing). The PageFlip is a single piece unit that looks more polished.
the Airturn is more expensive
it doesn't always manually reconnect to the iPad after you turn it back on, I think I'm going to have to hold it close to the iPad and check it every time I start a practice session. This was disappointing to me but I can just build that step into my routine.

I decided to keep the Airturn because it's quieter and has a better tactile feel, and it's rechargeable and doesn't go to sleep after 30 minutes once it's on. But I would also recommend the PageFlip Butterfly as a cheaper option! Hopefully this review helps anyone who is thinking of getting a Bluetooth pedal 🙂

Guess I'll see if someone in the piano playing group wants to buy my PageFlip! If anyone here (in the U.S.) is interested, send me a message.

MRC

I have also changed to AirTurn after several years of using PageFlip.

Another plus for the AirTurn is that you can change the setting for the power off time. For this you need the AirTurn Manager app (download it from the App Store). The default is 2 hours, but you can set it to any one of these values: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours or Never.

twocats Cons of the Airturn:
[...]
it doesn't always manually reconnect to the iPad after you turn it back on

Have you tried turning on AirTurn Support in the forScore settings?

twocats

MRC Have you tried turning on AirTurn Support in the forScore settings?

I think I did, but I'll have to look again. Also I was reading the manual and will have to make sure I'm on a "closed" vs "open" connection so that other people don't try to connect to my pedal!

twocats

MRC For this you need the AirTurn Manager app (download it from the App Store)

Thanks for the tip! I downloaded this and was easily able to set the time-out and change the pairing to "closed" and also set it to prioritize performance over battery life.

MRC Have you tried turning on AirTurn Support in the forScore settings?

This was turned on, but I think maybe the device hadn't initially been added in AirDirect mode. I removed it from both my Bluetooth device list and forScore and then re-added it directly from forScore. Seems to be connecting right away when I power on now... fingers crossed!

pianocat

I recently bought an AirTurn Ped 500, which is a smaller and more refined piece of hardware than the Duo 500 (which looks like it has some 3D-printed parts). Also has USB-C charging which is nice.

I'm not in love with the Ped 500 though because of the clicking mechanism. It works fine if I'm wearing slippers, but sock-footed it's hard to get the pressure at the right point to initiate a page turn. Debating on whether to return it.

twocats

pianocat I recently bought an AirTurn Ped 500

I just looked it up and the pedal mechanism looks very different! I think you might like the DUO more.

rogerch

I have the AirTurn Duo and it works well for me. I use it for page turns during my daily sight-reading practice. I haven’t performed or recorded with it.

It took a long time (months!) for me to get comfortable with the AirTurn. At this point on a good day I automatically press the pedal when the last few notes of the page I’m on is in my brain. Sometimes I’m still conscious of my foot and the pedal which distracts from the music.

For me it’s way better than turning physical pages ever was, but I was never great at physical page turns.

twocats

rogerch At this point on a good day I automatically press the pedal when the last few notes of the page I’m on is in my brain.

Sometimes I'm so automatic that I'm tapping the ground or touching the page on a paper score 😂

rogerch

twocats Yes! I have done this!

ShiroKuro

twocats Sometimes I'm so automatic that I'm tapping the ground or touching the page on a paper score

I do that all the time whenever I am playing from a paper score!! I've been using a bluetooth page turner for at least 7 years, so it's become very much second nature.

I had an earlier version of the AirTurn Ped, and foud it to be very unresponsive, like you had to stomp on it to get the page to turn. I switched the PageFlip and used the Butterfly for about 6 years, until I replaced it last year with the Pageflip Firefly.

I'm pretty happy with it. I read about the AirTurn Duo and I don't remember why at this point, but decided that the PageFlip would be the better choice for me, so I never compared them. But @pianocat it sounds like the problems with the AirTurn Ped have not been resolved in this more recent version. I recommend you return it and get either a PageFlip or the AirTurn Duo.

Sgisela

I have a PageFlip firefly and like it a lot. In my piano group, one of the other members was having issues with her AirTurn device (I think it was too sensitive and would jump a couple pages). Not sure if it was the model, her specific device, or the settings, but I said I really liked mine. She tried mine out and liked it much better than hers. She went ahead and bought a PageFlip firefly and seems to be happy with it.

Anyways, just another perspective…. Mine is close to 5 years old now. It had been having a few issues recently (seemed to be less sensitive), and then it died! I put in new batteries and it’s working like new.

I’m honestly very happy with it, and when it does die a permanent death, I think I will just replace it with the same model.

twocats

Sgisela I've read of cases where people have had issues with both brands, which is not surprising. I think that both are good options. I would have happily kept using my PageFlip if I hadn't thought the Bluetooth was dying, but it turns out that I like the Airturn a little more for the reasons specific to my use preferences 🙂

twocats

ShiroKuro I switched the PageFlip and used the Butterfly for about 6 years, until I replaced it last year with the Pageflip Firefly.

Curious, why did you get a Firefly and not another Butterfly?

ShiroKuro

twocats Curious, why did you get a Firefly and not another Butterfly?

I am embarrassed to say, at this point, I have no recollection!! 😅

I'm pretty sure I read about the differences, maybe read some reviews.... and for whatever reason, decided on the Firefly (although my previous model was a butterfly)

pseudonym58

https://www.pageflip.com/pages/comparison