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Mindset for an aging iPad
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I have only been using an iOS device for under two years.
I sit in awe sometimes at what is on my iPad - truly marvellous music making potential in such a small device.
I have recently started to feel my Air 2s age. I feel it creek under the weight of some of the new apps. I feel it moan and groan just a tad with each new iOS.
So I ask you long timers (especially those that cannot afford to upgrade every new iPad):
How have you found your iOS journey so far?
Does the thought of a new iPad being needed every few years or so sit well with you?
Does the upgrade cycle and future iOS worry you?
Do you not give a toss as long as your current iPad continues to work?
Do you think Apple will play harder ball to squash use out of your older device? (Bearing in mind so far they are failing, as most users are still on 32bit devices)
Do you think that iPads are just hitting that time in their lifespan where more power will only be needed by those that really push the tech?
Comments
I feel an iPad Air 2 should still be plenty powerful for productions (it's still the current non-pro iPad) so you might expect to get a year or two out of it at the very least. This xmas a lot of new Air 2s will come into the hands of iPad musicians!
It's also up to the developers to take responsibility that Apps are frugal wrt the resources they need. Obviously an app like Model 15 is going to tax systems to the max, but very often spending a day or two on optimizations and profilers can easily reduce your app's CPU load by a fifth. My original Ruismaker plugin ran without a hitch on a first generation Raspberry Pi without compromising audio quality. It's also about mindset; music app devs need to keep in mind that their app is likely not the only one running.
In that sense I feel that AUv3 is major step forward. It's more efficient in terms of resources, but also constantly reminds its devs that the plugin is a mere cog in a much bigger machine.
@brambos
Yes agree AU seems to be helping.
Can't say I agree with the 'Pro' comment, unless I've misunderstood. I see the 'Pro' moniker as used by Apple to be misdirectional (both iPad and Mac) I won't go there though, as I know it will only turn this thread into a battleground
I meant that there are currently two tiers of iPads: the Air (2) and the Pros. Regardless of their naming, if you buy either one today you should expect to get at least a decent lifetime out of it. So to refer to an Air 2 as "aging" is doing yourself a disservice. Apple and the Dev community should still treat the Air 2 as today's benchmark.
But back to topic....
Have you yourself gone through many iOS generations? Any of the questions I asked make you recall past experiences?
I've had plenty of iPads since the first gen, but not for making music. But the current rat race resembles the early Windows days 1993-2000. My 486/Pentium/II/III/IV PCs typically barely lasted me a year before I upgraded to the next generation in order to keep up with the demands of Photoshop, Macromedia Director, After FX, Delphi, etc.
Pad Air 2 slow?... that's weird, mine doesn't...I mean I still find my iPad 3 useable at this point... (even with it not being on iOS 10 and being 32 bit) The iPad Air 2 it's excellent.... between the Air 2 and my iPad Pro 12.9 the difference might be huge in terms of what you can do MORE rather than the iPad Air 2 feeling slower and decreasing performance . It's as good as it was in 2014.
Most people are not on 32 bit devices. If you mean iOS musician people that's definitely not true and if you mean the general consumers that's also not true, I read several reports around the time iOS 10 came out those said 30% - 40% of iPad models where still 32 bit (can't recall the exact number), Which is a lot but not a majority. 32 bit iPhone models are almost extinct (the last one was the 4s) with a market share in 2016 of 2%.
Lol I just upgraded to an Air 2!
I'm still trying to figure out how to use the first gen iPad that is gathering dust in the corner. I'm thinking of making it my Samplr machine since that app runs pretty smoothly on the device.
Yes kind of reminds me of my early days using computers in my home studio. Only going back 15 years, they struggled, yet now even quite cheap PCs run most software. I sense that iPads will be nearing that tipping point soonish
Not maybe to be able to do quite what PCs do, yet we will see running an average set up to be less problematic. Maybe not just with power increases, but greater and more stable resource management built in - maybe?
Air2 not slow as such, but definitely feeling the weight of software expectations that it was not feeling only 6 months ago. I sort of get a sense in my own use scenarios. Don't misunderstand though, my Air 2 still copes really well with most things I try.
Seems to have jumped then recently. Most reports I've seen still show a higher percentage of older models in use. Hard to take any of these reports too seriously though
I wouldn't take what I said to mean the Air2 is not able. It is very able. I've just noticed some apps beginning to push it during my (admittedly maybe odd use scenarios compared to some) use. This is obviously normal and to be expected, but like my first grey hairs and thinning patches, it makes me think hmmm
One of the plus points for iPads is that they're pretty sturdy so will probably last longer than your average (Windows) laptop, which start playing up after a few years - in my experience anyway, and that most apps will still work on the next one you buy.
Monzo Jnr has my old iPad 2 now (though he's frustrated it's on iOS 7 and can't run minecraft), but it still happily runs most of my synths, though not in multiples as this Air 2 does.
I'm happy with my iOS investment, and though the Air2 does feel a bit sluggish now it's running chunkier apps such as the Moog 15, I can see myself upgrading again in a year or two.
The more they can do, the more we will ask them to do, that's just the way we are
I now only have thin grey patches round the edges....and I still think hmmm, and much like us with our iPads, the kids still want and expect me to do the same things I did 10 years ago, with the same vigour and not only at the same speed but quicker.
Yep my new found love of playing apps like Model 15 as an IAA in ToneStack all through AUM with other synths and a drum app seems to be what makes my iPad sweat
You're only as old as the iPad you feel! (So the saying goes)
Hell, I'm still producing quite well with my 1st gen iPad Air. I just finished this project on it this past summer-
I'm only now beginning to feel it buckle. The idea though, is to replace apps with hardware. I'll keep the iPad as my recorder "deck" and editor. Ideally, I'll be able to run Auria & AudioShare on my iPadAir for years to come. I suppose time will tell...
This was part of the motivation that made me get the Circuit, I could have drums and bass and chords all running without taking up precious processing power on my iPad Mini 2 (comparable to Air 1)....as a result I am no longer having to keep freezing and unfreezing audio
Exactly. I'm looking at a Circuit too; just because it gets so much talk around here. Then, I'll expand into an analog monosynth and x0x replicas.
There is PLENTY of music to do with non pro IPads. (But it's a commentary of an IPad 4th gen owner). The increasing CPU demand of new apps, limits the number of apps I can get, but it also stimulates my creativity in order to use the ones I already have. Also, I think it depends on the needs you have. Or whatever ...
Exactly. I see my ipad as a DAW on one hand. On the other, it's a means to effectively try out various synths, drum machines and effects I've always wanted to try, and see what actually fits in my workflow. As my CPU becomes less effective, I can take stock in what apps I'm using most and put the most $$ there. Then what apps I'm using less often, and put less of my budget there. As long as I can continue running Auria and AudioShare as they are now on my current ipad, I should be fine for years to come.
I have noticed my air 1 freezing up at the occasional time in the past few weeks, I'm not sure why. But I haven't really run into a ceiling in terms of apps. At gigs, I am running tonestack (at 64 frame buffer and ultra high quality), ireal, forscore, and qsc touchmix without a problem. I haven't had to be too frugal in auria, although when I do mix in there my mixes are usually relatively simple, involving live jazz recordings that are not requiring tons of plugins. I do notice that gadget and auria projects are taking longer to open now.
But the freezing makes me wonder if ios10 needs more resources than previous versions did, as well as the longer opening times. Still, I haven't had to freeze a track in gadget yet (no odyssei for me yet and maybe not at all, I understand that one takes a lot, I'm not sure I need it though anyway) so I think a new iPad is pretty far down the list. Definitely is after new roof and mortgage refinance, which are occupying my funds for the next few months. And my 2011 macbook air I bought a few months ago has been awesome and I've been enjoying using reaper again for mixing, so new iPad is not burning a hole in my wallet...
Although, for using live, I am thinking that somewhere down the road I might try to pick up a mini2 to run the amp Sims live and use the air for the stuff I have to read or mix on.
My 6s runs great though, no plans on changing that for a while.
i'm still getting much love and use out of my ipad 4 - it was only a week or two ago with the release of Lexington gadget that I felt it was time to upgrade to a newer ipad (since the ipad4 can't run lexington) But I won't be able to get a new ipad for a while - so I'm making due with the 4. There is still much it can do - I have so many apps, many I've barely touched. I do not feel like my ipad is too slow or can't handle what I want it to do - sure more power would be nice, but I'm still soo happy for the results I can achieve with it. But I do think from now on - i will not upgrade the ios or many other apps. It will stay as is. The question is, do i sell it and put money towards new ipad - or keep it and use it as a sound module/controller for a new ipad when i get one?
Personally, I've always felt that trying to hang on to Apple products for as long as possible was a losing strategy. At least if you use them for creating art and not consuming it. Yes there's a lot of apps that will run on older hardware just fine, but Apple as a company prides themselves on always pushing the hardware and software forward at a steady pace. Just too easy to get obsoleted in no time.
Or worse, spend WAY more time and energy than you need as an artist trying to keep things locked in the past just to stay "usable". I'm not saying you need to always stay with the latest and greatest, but at least within a couple versions or things start to get a little rough around the edges in use.
Over time I've found that by selling my older iOS devices right when the new ones come out, it usually costs me almost exactly the same as it would to just replace them flat out every 4 years. Except without the headaches along the way. YMMV
Personally, my Air 2 felt "aged" the month I got a 6s iPhone. I realized I could edit 4K video on the phone but not the iPad!
One year later, I've finally been able to relieve myself of both in favor of a Pro 12.9 and an old iPhone 5. Yay for eBay, I would have broke even if it weren't for seller and shipping fees.
For music, I think the Air 2 still has a lot of life left. But only you know how hard you are pushing your device.
For the economies of iOS resale and purchasing used, I aim for every 2 years and don't have to pay too much for the upgrades.
Since first reading this strategy, (I think @Tarekith first shared this a few iPads ago), I felt yes, that's the way forward, but I've always been poor at such timing (grow the beard and put on weight in the summer instead of winter etc). For example, I'm already too late in terms of the ideal #s to trade up from the Air2. That would've been at the advent of the Pro, and now there's the 2nd, regular sized pro...
What I think about lately is doing a full stop at iOS 10, Air2, no mas upgrade, no mas app or OS update, freeze the device as is and enjoy the smooth running of the best of what's currently out there...but this means no more AppStore, or AB forum, no more new apps. Like that's gonna happen
I upgraded to an Air 2 two months ago. I purchased the 128 gb model which Apple had discontinued selling in March 2016 ( I think to push their high gb minis), then started selling again in September. They started manufacturing them again so that gave me hope that they will be supported and useful for a while.
My people are here. I knew it.
The freeze strategy is, without a doubt, a lot easier with two iOS devices. I have a frozen iPad 3 and an Air 1 that I never seem to push to the limits. My iPads are part of a larger hardware set up though so that probably makes sense, utilization wise.
As far as mindset, I think I've probably graffitied my take on it all over the forum by now so I'll try to distill it into a single sentence: If you'd be happy and productive with a piece of hardware that got no updates (like a DX7 or JD800 or OB-12 or TR-909....) you can be happy and productive with a frozen older iPad.
Great advice
Just because it seemed to fit in the topic at hand:
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2016/11/11/report-apple-launch-three-new-ipads-march/
It depends on your workflow and how many apps you have.
If you already have a lot of apps, maybe try to avoid upgrading so you can focus on those. You can also get a dock or audio interface to offload some operations like say recording audio. You can pair with an iPhone for MIDI (arpeggionome comes to mind).
I really want an iPad Pro for Moog 15. But until I'm bored of all the other modular synth apps on my iPad 4 I just can't pull the trigger.
ETA: I do avoid the updates though. I have an iPad 1,2 and 4 with each about a generation behind their maximum. I think that helps CPU for apps.
I think I'll keep my iPad4 on iOS 9.3 as it's working just fine and I like the apps I have on it. I'll stay with current iOS on my 64bit devices until I can o longer do so. Not looking to upgrade iPads anytime soon but that big boy with max storage is my big wishlist item (that and a Novation Circuit).