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Advice for an Apple pre-noob, please -- do I really want an iPad 2 for music under ios 7?
Sorry, this is a bit long. Please pardon my naïveté on many things; I come from Windows and in fact have never used an Apple product.
I'd appreciate some candid advice. I was just given an iPad2, 16 GB, which my girlfriend got through Amazon. She'd gotten the idea as we watched some videos this spring about all the cool instruments and other apps available at the time (i.e. under ios 6 ) and we were both under the impression that Apple products "just work".
It arrived last week as a surprise gift, bless her heart.
The thing is, I'd read in the meantime that basically ios 7 screws up a lot of what was good in ios 6. There are loads of posts on various forums ending with "I sure hope Apple fixes this in the future" (these even after the latest ios 7 patch) or, from the True Believers, "Maybe I'll just upgrade to an Ipad Air."
As she got it through Amazon, and I have not even opened the box, I still have a couple weeks to return it. I am now wondering if maybe that's what I should do.
If I describe what I had in mind for the iPad, maybe you folks could advise me.
(By the way, please let's not let this become a tribal Windows vs ios thing; I have no particular loyalties either way, and rather am just trying to figure out if the iPad will work for me. I think of these things as a pragmatic choice of tools, not something integral to my identity, and certainly not something to fight about.)
So…
I do not expect the iPad to replace my current Windows 7 setup ( a very bulky but powerful laptop with an i7 cpu, 16 gb ram, novation impulse keyboard, focusrite audio interface, Alesis monitors, good condenser mics), which is what I intend to keep using for recording audio and midi, using Kontakt and other VSTis, and mixing / mastering final products with my array of VST fx.
But here's where I could see an Ipad being great to have, if it works. I spend a lot of time travelling. It would be great to be able to use that time
1) sketching out ideas in midi, using some instruments which are good enough to give me a basic idea of how the final song might sound (i.e., using, say, Sampletank ios or something; as well as the GarageBand Touch instruments) within some kind of reasonably spec'd DAW (i.e., GarageBand, Auria, or even Cubasis(though I'd prefer to avoid that one, as I am not a Steinberg fan)). I'd like it to be as easy as it is to load a VSTi into my present Windows DAW (Studio One, or Acid Pro) without a lot of faffing around.
I'd like to be able to do basic editing and export each track as a midi file (and maybe also as an audio file) which I could then import later on my PC, to convert the sketch into a proper tune.
Now, I understand that AudioBus is what has let you use the virtual instruments within a DAW in ios; but that unfortunately, under ios7, AudioBus has problems, and that the Apple version of it, IAA, is not compatible with most instruments at the moment. (If I've misuderstood, please correct me). In fact AudioBus and Native Instruments came out saying that ios7 just isn't ready for audio. Not at all encouraging.
In other words, I've heard that under ios 7, music making no longer "just works," but rather is buggy as hell.
2) doing some basic mixing, for example, importing 10 or so vocal tracks (takes), recorded on my PC, into an iPad DAW, for comping / rendering into a single best take, basically by using volume automation and then mixing down. This is easily the most time-consuming task in most of my projects; so it would be great to be able to do it on a light, portable device for whenever I happen to have free time for it when I'm on the road. Wouldn't need much in the way of FX; if I could route all the takes to one bus and slap an EQ and or touch of reverb / compression on that, it would be enough.
Yet I wonder … does the Ipad 2 have enough RAM / CPU to handle this?
Also, I hear that ios 7 has brought GUI problems to apps like Auria which worked fine under ios 6; specifically, for example, extremely slow updating and the like; that would drive me crazy when drawing detailed volume envelopes, which I do a lot of. If true, I wouldn't use it.
If I could use the iPad for these, without a lot of headaches, head-scratching, forum queries, etc I'd be happy enough; and if I could do anything else musical with it, such as being able to record, edit and import into a DAW performances with really groovy-looking apps like Morphwiz or SoundPrism; or hooking my midi keyboard up to it; or using it to record audio on the road with a suitable interface, I'd consider it icing on the cake, though by no means necessary.
So… What do you folks think?
Not trying to pick any fights here, but I've heard from a number of sources that ios 7 is the buggiest update ever from Apple, really denting their reputation as the world's coolest toy maker.
I personally am not in awe of the brand, a hard-core member of the cult etc. I'd grudgingly accept Apple effectively forcing me to upgrade to ios 7 (the unit as shipped has ios 6; and while in theory I don't have to upgrade, Apple will force me to download ios 7, which, even if not installed, will take up a lot of hard drive space); which I basically think is a shitty attitude - after all, do I own the device, or am I merely renting it on Apple's terms? Anyway, I'd put up with it, but ONLY if in return the device is in fact the great magic music making toy which "just works". Otherwise, I got no time for it. I get enough buzz-kill with my Windows setup as it is.
Sorry for going on so long; just trying to explain where I'm coming from and what I'd like to do, so that folks can advise accordingly.
Any guidance much appreciated.
Comments
Holy Crap! That's a LONG post! I didn't read everything, so I may go back and edit this once I have read everything. For now, I'll just post these thoughts:
I am using my tablet for everything (start to finish) with audio. It is not just a sketchpad for me. I feel I need more than my current iPad2 can offer.
You are going to be using it as a sketchpad, and will likely require a great deal less than I do.
I have almost every app that matters with regards to iOS music apps, and with the updates from Apple and from the developers, I don't think there is a problem with iOS7 anymore. Yes, there are a few small bugs, but most developers have worked around them and everything that I have and use works correctly. I imagine you'll have the same experience.
Your girlfriend forked out some major money for an iPad2 16Gb. The better deal would be the 16Gb iPad Mini 2, but it WAS a gift....I'm not going to advise you to keep OR return it. :-) It's just not a safe place to be........ ;-)
Edit #1: I just went back and started reading more carefully, and see that you are wanting to do track comping and mixing. You'll most likely want to be doing that in Auria. That requires more power than most DAWs and you'll probably want something a little more powerful than the iPad 2 for that......
Edit #2: An added thought...16Gb gets used up pretty quickly. IF you decide to get a more powerful device, make sure you also get as much storage space as you can afford.
Final thoughts:
For Midi, I would recommend Cubasis, and others would recommend Beatmaker 2.
Again, iOS7 isn't as bad as you've heard. It's actually quite good.
Hope this helps,
--Sean
I'd be more concerned with the 16Gb rather than the iOS upgrade. It fills up really quickly.
Agreed @PaulB!
With regard to iOS DAWs and comping, read this thread
http://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/27588#Comment_27588
.
iOS 7 is OK for the most part, apart from a couple of apps that still need updating and the odd older apps that have been abandoned,
I've used Auria on an iPad 2 and it is passable, but obviously the experience is much better on an iPad 4. Working in the timeline on the iPad 2 can be quite slow, but it is definitely possible. But like everyone else is saying 16GB is pretty borderline, you will soon run out of space.
Nonetheless I would say it's probably worth just opening that box and giving the iPad your girlfriend bought you a spin for a year or so, then you can decide if it's worth upgrading it at a later date. The reason I say that is because you seem quite apprehensive about the whole thing, so rather than spend extra money now it might make more sense just to try what you have.
Personally I find working on the iPad a lot of fun, it's very different to working on the desktop. Obviously there are many things that the touch interface isn't suitable for (I'm a 3D Artist by trade, so for me the desktop is still essential for most things), but apps that are suited to and designed for touch are a lot of fun to use. Animoog, GeoSynth, Magellan etc have interfaces that would not be possible on the desktop, and that's where the iPad really shines.
The other thing that iOS music has is a very low price of entry, most of the apps cost a fraction of desktop equivalents, and they are also generally easy to learn and use. You can be surprisingly productive with an iPad these days.
Send it back to Amazon and order a refurb iPad 4 from Apple. Unless she got an extremely good deal on a 2nd gen it will be less than a $100 upgrade that will make all your other iOS app investments much more useful.
I'd back-up what people are saying about an iPAD 4, however it could be that this is what you have already have as iPAD 4 was never the official name from Apple. I think that what most people on here would refer to as an iPAD4 is officially called an iPAD2 by Apple - so worth checking this out before you return it.
@trackwerker said, " I think that what most people on here would refer to as an iPAD4 is officially called an iPAD2 by Apple". I don't think this is right. The iPad 2 is the iPad 2. Apple didn't follow the same number naming convention for the later iPads, sure, but they certainly didn't renumber the models after they released new ones. Maybe I read your post wrong, so forgive me if that's the case, but I think Apple is selling the iPad 2 on their website and that's the same iPad as what the OP has right now.
And fwiw on that front. I have an iPad 2 32gb and love it. I'm getting the Air asap though (birthday is Saturday..hint hint AB forum). My production needs have outgrown the iPad 2 for sure. I don't do nearly all of the advanced things you mentioned in that huge post, so I'm guessing the same will be true for you.
You've got a pretty awesome girlfriend. Whatever you decide to do, I'd hang onto her. ;-)
oh, and...iOS music making is going to change your life btw.
@boone51 so are you saying that if you bought an iPAD2 from apple today, it wouldn't have retina display like an iPAD 4th Generation has? My understanding was that the iPAD2 came out before retina came along.
I don't know if I'm right or wrong to be honest, I think its pretty confusing though.
Thats true..no retina display and still the 30 pin connector and the older chip...the 4 has the ret dis and a quad core chip and the lightning connector...the connector is probably the easiest way to tell on sight..the 3 still had the 30 pin..
@trackwerker yes, that's correct. I believe that if you bought an iPad 2 from the Apple store today you would receive the non-retina iPad 2 that was released March 11, 2011. The past few iterations of names for the iPads have been a little maddening. They gave up on that "new ipad" name they tried to push, but only confused matters worse with the iPad Air. Of course if they do release a pro version that Air moniker will suddenly make a lot more sense.
Sorry, edited my post to reflect the actual ipad 2 release date of the iPad 2.
Thanks for clearing that up. I'd assumed the latest iPAD2 was really the iPAD 4th generation. In which case, going back to the original poster I would agree swap the ipad2 for an iPad 4th Gen or Air.
The Air has the new A7 quad core chip....
Thanks everyone for the responses. They've helped me decide to send back the iPad 2 to Amazon while I still can, as it seems to be in its twilight years relative to the rest of the iPad stable. I'll do further research to decide if a newer model will be worthwhile for me. Thanks again!