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iPad Musician - 6 Top Reasons to be one
Hi All
Why I am a iPad musician
Presenting 6 Top Reasons
Going through main foundation of being iPad musician. Of course these are just my thoughts and you can disagree - and I probably forgot quite a lot from here.But please share your thoughts.. I'm willing to learn more with iPads - not just buying apps - even though I'm addicted to it..
Comments
Maybe this is too obvious for this forum. Just wanting to appreciate and remember those foundations to continue as a iPad musician. Coming from PC studios (DAW's like Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reason, Sonar, Mixcraft). Now really liking the hands-on iPads
Yes. Number 6 is a big reason for me. Portability. It’s easy using an iPad on my gigs. Also, compared to a desktop centered studio, an iPad one is probably a good bit cheaper if you compare buying the same kind of software. I’ve noticed desktop prices are often more for the same app/plugin. But on the other hand, when I use to buy desktop software I had the software in my hands to save, I liked that part of it.
@Dav Thanks! Great to hear your thoughts..
There are a lot of more positive features.. like it's more instantly accessible.. and touch screen can certainly act in multiple roles etc..and the sync..
I'm going to propably share thoughts also from negative site, e.g. compared to desktop the " sound modules" really are on different level - referring to Komplete, or Arturia.. An the disk space e.g. with PC nvme disks are so much affortable and eaiser to expand.. Just getting to too nerdy territory here.. Would not like to raise PC vs Mac discussion ☺️ Lets rather focus on positive aspect of iPads in music making at least in this thread 🤔
My top 6 in no particular order:
1) Unified Apple ecosystem - using a Mac after a Windows machine sure made my iPad less of a closed system
2) IDAM lets iPad act as a dedicated touchscreen MIDI controller for Mac
3) affordable plugins and instruments - also great usage for IDAM to save space and money on Mac VSTs
4) GarageBand built in - definitely a great casual starting point and fun to use even after diving deeper into the iOS music ecosystem
5) AUM
6) Functions well as a drawing tablet, video editor, animation tool, 3D modeling engine, etc. It’s a great multimedia creation machine - especially paired with an Apple Pencil, keyboard, and pointer device (I like touchpads and trackballs over a mouse)
I say no particular order, but it seems like IDAM and multimedia creation are pretty big for me.
I wish portability were a bigger factor, but my 12.9” iPad Pro (1.5 lbs) is pretty bulky compared to my favorite iPad Minis (0.6 lbs). It would be nice to have a dedicated MacBook and a newer Mini.
@FizzyLizzy27 I'm happy that you also shared your top reasons - I think it's connecting us iPad Musicians while together checking the "foundations" why we do this.
MIni and Macbook - could be a great combo. With just usb-c cable needed and with bluetooth or usb (then hub needed). noticed that with hubs you really need to make sure that the speed is like 10GB/s rather than more general 5GB /s, at least Logic was very lagging with 5GB and even crashed because low disk speed.. Maybe I need to buy myself a mini to have 6 iPads..
The biggest con is lack of consolidated functionality. There is nothing like Bitwig or FLS on iOS. And for someone like me, who loves direct editing the piano roll, and throwing around midi and automation on the timeline, it’s an uphill battle every time for anything remotely advanced.
I love using iPad for sound design and experimenting/exploring though. Something that feels less intuitive on desktop.
Gadget and similar tools are also great for getting fast results in a structured setting, that can then be fleshed out elsewhere.
My number one reason for being an ios musician is being a Dad. I sold all my hardware to make space for the arrival of my son 10 years ago. Time and space restrictions. IOS allows me to work on musicianship in fragmented ways.
1) Sneak in some ear training here and there while at work or sitting on the can.
2) Work on Drambo patches or tools on my phone here and there, then sharing them later at night to my ipad to incorporate into my Drambo template.
3) Read some theory on my iphone
Ok so 1 and 3 don’t require an iphone, but point is, is that although fragmented, it has allowed me to do it every day and I've managed to maintain and improve as a musician/producer. The only other option for me would have been to quit.
The only point that makes sense is portability.
That's a very cool and compact setup. I was limited to using an iPad for about a year until I could replace my failed desktop computer with a new one. It taught me that for MOST tasks (including a number of profession-related things) my iPad was good enough for me. Now, the more complex tasks are still better served by a desktop, but I'd say a lot of what we do day-to-day the iPad is good or good enough.
For you maybe. For me it's that the second I sit down at a desktop every ounce of creativity leaves me. For me the desktop is for arranging, mixing, and mastering. I can't create on it to save my life.
Probably because my job for 10-12 hours a day for decades was in trying to get the damn things to do what they're supposed to.
Conversely, I lose interest right away in trying to arrange, mix, and master on mobile. Desktop for that all the way.
Whoa, that LP setup is wild. Aaaaaaallllllllll the loops.
@Darkstring ,have you tried Logic Pro for iPad?
@AkiVilla that's an impressive setup you got there, my friend. 😱
I love being an iPad musician, but not for the portability. I rarely take my iPad outside of my flat. I like using the touchscreen to make things happen. I'm quicker with a touchscreen than a mouse. I do wish iPad had more apps that took advantage of that touchscreen like many apps from 12 years ago.
Another reason is, like @wim , I also am far more creative on iPad. When I had my OP-1 Field, I had a cheap Windows laptop for the purpose of moving files to and from the Field. I tried FL Studio on there, and had creative paralysis. 😬 I couldn't create. FL Studio is an amazing DAW on Windows and Mac, but those aren't the creative environments for me.
I personally can also arrange, mix and master on iPad. Again, I'd probably freeze up if I had to do those tasks on Desktop. 😅
I'm pretty creative in most DAW apps and creative environments on iPad. I really should dive back into Loopy Pro and Drambo to experiment and see what Ambient in those I can create. ❤️
Great thread idea @AkiVilla
1) the price - I did not have the money to get started on desktop software back in the days so I dint until the iPad came around.
Also the inexpensive price of app as lead me to try app I would never have bought on desktop. That as lead me to produce a style of electronic music I would never have before. I originally got in to this to record my metal band music.
2) portability - I sit at the computer all day for work I don’t want to sit there after hours. I love going to sit by the river with my iPad and just have fun.
Also I don’t have a lot of space for my gear and the iPad is the perfect tiny space studio.
3) the touch screen - lots of people into hardware complain about the lost of tactile when going to desktop and having to use a mouse. I do find the touch screen to be a happy compromise between the mouse and and physical device.
Hi All. Thanks for participating on this thread.. got so many ideas and thoughts from you.. And always great to hear even a bit more opposite, to widen my original ’plan’ to continue as an iPad musician 😊
Nope, my iPad isn’t supported (pro 2nd gen).
But even if it were, it is hard to imagine easily manipulating the timeline etc. on iPad like you can with mouse and keyboard shortcuts on desktop. Obviously, if you add a keyboard and mouse to the iPad, then maybe? But then one might as well use a desktop with all the extra power.
Have to say that integrations are having some surprises, like you can use iPad as a display addition, same mouse can be used in mac and all my iPads simultenouslly.. iPad can be used directly with usb-c as an digitall input. Also have been connecting macbook and e.g. Komplete kontrol to bring better sounds to iPad and record them to song page in Loopy Pro template - but then I need surely at least audio interface with stereo input..
@jwmmakerofmusic :FL Studio desktop is known to be convoluted though : Have you tried Ableton or Bitwig?
Hi all iPad Musicians.. before heading to negative site, I think with multi iPads you can really build a competitive system to "big players, like mentioned have been deeply using Ableton Suite / FL /Studio One / Cubase Pro etc..
And after that phase, still feel the iPads have given me a sense of creativeness more. If you think of combining auv3 plugin effects and instruments and use Loopy Pro capabilities along site with AUM, Koala, (not mentioning Drambo because it was too complex to me - but in the other hands it's tight part of this system) controllers etc.. so much to mention (not going to list ;-))
I'm not saying it's going to be cheaper even (I have spend more than too many euros and even more to my system and same was with PC at times, when we were building power machines with friends), but YEAH - what the heck, lets make some music and keep ourselves positive by having fun with it ;-)
Does this forum count, lol.
Oh man, I remember back in the 00s when I was lightning quick with FL Studio Desktop. I could create anything, but won't lie. Most of the forums for FL Studio (Image-Line forums) were very "dog eat dog" (at least 12 years ago when I finally exited from there, not sure how they are now), which kinda killed my music creativity.
Then, once I got ahold of Nanostudio 1, Xewton Music Studio, and FL Studio Mobile 2.xx (when it was based on Xewton Music Studio) back in 2011/2012ish, and I put finger to screen, it was a huge "game changier". 😂 (Won't lie, I do miss those old music creation apps that were just plain fun to use.) So another nail in the coffin for Desktop creativity.
Then the final nail in the Desktop coffin was Korg Gadget 1 on iPad Air 2. The lightning fast way I could (and still can) create musical ideas in it, and how it's evolved and grown as an app the past 11 years (damn, I'm old!), is nothing short of a miracle!
I indeed tried Ableton back in the 00s a short while after this one singer on American Idol singer said he created vocal loops using Live. It boggled the hell out of my mind. 😂 Not the timeline view nor MIDI input, which seem standard for a DAW, but the Live loops portion and the effects rack. Guess I never got the hang of it (at least back then). (I was into basic-af DJing at the time and used a more traditional two-tracks-at-a-time setup. My music used to be slop, but I still had fun playing it out at local parties.)
FL Desktop made more sense for my brain personally, especially automation clips. I don't think any other DAW made use of automation clips at the time other than FL Studio Desktop. (I forgot if Live has them, or recently got automation clips, or if Live still has regular automation.) And, Live was more expensive than FL Desktop, and I was a huge fanboy of FL Desktop.
ALL THAT SAID, if I ever do return to Desktop (and that's a huge "if"), I'll probably try out Live again. Seems perfect for live Ambient as well as EDM, HipHop production, etc. S1gns of L1fe on Youtube (he produces Ambient) swears by Live.
Then again, I'm very comfortable sticking with the iPad for music production. The touchscreen lends itself better to live manipulation of sliders and knobs and switches and such. And I think this is why I'm most comfortable being an iPad Musician.
Again, I think I want to dive back into Loopy Pro to produce Ambient soon.
Right now however, I'm working on Ambient in FL Studio Mobile.
I just realized, I remember you from those early days on the ImageLine forums. 🙃
I even remember when Dedmau5 was there too. He was a nice guy back then before he got famous.
Damn. We been at this waaayyy too long. 😂
@jwmmakerofmusic : Wow, that was all the answer one could hope for . Interesting and informative , thanks !I have the feeling you might really get on with Bitwig for some reason though..
I think so too to be honest. I like its more modular approach to audio routing.
My main concern about using iPads for music production (besides Apple app walled garden, no downgrade options for the OS, planned obsolescence by software, etc, etc…) is related to USB-C and Lightning ports: waaaay too fragile, only one port, need dongles for more than one connected devices.
With current industry wide adoption of USB-C for device connection this problem is not restricted to iPads, but I miss the old USB Type A port - at least it was a bit more robust…
Being able to tune out the world or voices in your head and being able to force frequencies you control while on the move is enough of a sale for me. The app development was my 2nd hook, finally the community of developers most of which are enthusiasts- some of the coolest autists I have ever met and kindest. I feel like 70% of devs are like minded and have found it to be the most rewarding online community I have ever been engaged in. It's beautiful, frustrating, often absurd but there's always a sense of familiarity, appreciation and respect. I'm a professional hater in all things online, with the exception of audio software enthusiasts/developers. Not sure why- I think I might just be easily impressed, but I sincerely appreciate the contribution of anyone who can make this world sound better and allows us to create. Which I personally feel is our responsibility in life.. to create. Create what? Whatever- where in lies the beauty.
Nice post!