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iPad Air 2 128 can't add more stuff (probably dumb question)
Probably a dumb question but I have an iPad Air 2 128 and I can't add any more stuff.
For example SampleTank prompts with "insufficient disk space for the library". Settings shows 121.GB of 128 used. I don't have any recorded material I can offload so that leaves deleting my least loved apps, or extending the memory somehow, or buying another used iPad Air 2 128 to split up the stored apps on each, or buying a higher capacity iPad or…?
I have two 128GB iOS USB Flash Drives, but I'm not sure if that's the way to go.
What do you guys usually do? I have heard that it’s not uncommon to run two iPad Air 2 128's and have one dedicated to guitar processing and the other to dedicated to backing tracks and such.
I play guitar and sing and like to mess with interesting ways to alter my guitar while playing along with various tracks, sometimes recording the whole mess and sometimes not. I do not have to record the whole mess from the iPad itself as I can record to my laptop if that's the way to go.
It seems likely buying a second used iPad Air 2 128 (or some other higher capacity used iPad) would be most economic, as opposed to buying a brand new higher capacity iPad, assuming that two iPads will work for what I want (they do not necessarily need to sync together although it would be nice).
Obliged, The Pup
Comments
First things first. Your problem is too much storage use, so best to start there. Working with two iPads adds some complications. So it might be a good idea to see if you can shed some weight first.
You might want to look into archiving data to your PC or to an external hard drive. There are various ways to go about this. One of the easiest is simply to get in the habit of storing everything in AudioShare, then using the built-in FTP server to transfer the files to your PC, then to whatever storage you like. There are other ways to go about this.
Sure, a second iPad is an option, but best to see if there’s any “low hanging fruit” to pull off the Apple tree first.
BTW - not a dumb question at all!
BTW2 - iPadOS (iOS 13) will have much easier ways to offload things to external storage. If you can bridge the gap until then, you may not need to invest in a new iPad.
I'm obliged for your response!
Alas, I don't have any text messages, photos, etc. I only use my iPad for music and nothing else. I do not have any data that I can archive. I do not store anything on my iPad that I could offload without losing the apps themselves or their IAP's. Yep I know that apps such as sample players and recording needs lots of storage, and yep I've got lots of exactly that sort of thing.
I wish it were that simple but being an app-aholic has its price. I'm not wanting to play musical chairs with what is or is not functional on my iPad as it relates to offloading etc. because the whole raison d'être of the iPad is integration and simplicity and convenience, right? There is no low hanging fruit I'm sad to report.
As @wim said , check
settings > General > iPad Storage
I'm an app-o-holic too and do clean-ups from time to time and it's a really nice surprise when 'new' apps get discovered only to realise that it has the nice cloud icon (meaning I've previously purchased it) next to it so I can download and re-discover it...
Currently I have 407 apps installed on my iPad Air 2 and when iPadOS releases gets near I'll do another clean-up round and keep the apps I actually enjoy using
Thanks for the tip on iOS 13's much easier ways to offload things to external storage.
As to doing clean-ups from time to time and that nice cloud icon, I've got this silly notion that I wanna be able to instantly try anything at any time as the mood strikes me. How easy is it to run two iPad Air 2 128's synced or not synced as the case may be?
That depends. For instance, do you want to be able to hear them both at the same time, such as through headphones? A lot more detail about the ways you’d want to use them is needed to give a good answer. (And I’m not the best person to answer...)
I would simply run them both at the same time, through their own Focusrite Scarlett interfaces and on to my mixer and then to my PA. The question is not how to use them from an audio perspective the question is how well they would sync together as opposed to running them both at the same time but not synced. I have all kinds of controllers including two FCB1010's, Softstep 2, USB keyboard controllers, trigger pads, guitars, and the list goes on.
They should sync up pretty good with Link then. If you need midi clock for any of your gear, then Audiobus is a good choice for bridging the gap from Link to midi clock. It’s also great for sending midi between iOS devices via Bluetooth.
Can Audiobus do not just MIDI clock, but MIDI master /slave and MIDI stop / start etc? And what would I do with apps that are not Audiobus compliant? And can I be sure that the apps I want to use even recognize the needed MIDI commands? I looked into Link and I could not figure out if it was stand-alone or required Ableton Live, or exactly what it is (or isn't). I do not want to go down the hardware / software rabbit hole of spending all my time with getting pissed at the silly limitations of iOS. I am rockstar not a computer scientist god-damn-it!
Obliged,
The Pup.
Don’t bother then. Honestly. If you aren’t up for some technical challenges and learning then walk away. If you’re exaggerating and don’t mind hanging in there through the learning curve then I don’t mind taking the time to answer a few of these questions. They’ll be partial answers though because there are no answers that work in 100% of the cases.
Yes. Whether the other apps and / or hardware you want to control respond or not is another question.
Midi clock is mid clock. Has nothing to do with Audiobus. If they can receive or send clock they will work.
Trial and error, or reading the manual, or asking here (preferably after trying the first two).
It’s just basically a metronome that broadcasts between apps and over wifi. It doesn’t care what other apps are out there. Fire up a Link enabled app on an iPhone and all the other Link compatible apps that running on the phone will sync to it. Fire up an app on your iPad at the same time, and if you’re on the same wifi it will sync. Same for Ableton running on your PC. It just exists and works in the background without any further configuration other than turning it on.
Link more recently implemented Start / Stop. It didn’t have that before, and not all apps support it. If they do then they will start and stop together if enabled.
To put some perspective on things, I'm 64 and was around before MIDI via Roland DIN sync and FSK etc. It's not that I'm unfamiliar with all this stuff, it's just that I tire of spending more time configuring than I do playing (or it seems that way sometimes).
To put some more perspective on things, here's a partial list of some of my toys Apple iPad Air 2 128 (loaded with pretty much all the best music apps - a musical world in itself no doubt), TC Helicon VoiceLive 3, Roland VG-99, Roland GR-55, Fishman TriplePlay, Boss GT-100, Kemper Profiling Amp, Line 6 Helix, Korg Kronos X, Boss RC505, Boss DD-500, Boss RV-500, Boss GP10, Boss SY-300, Electro Harmonix SuperEgo+, Electro-Harmonix MEL9, Electro-Harmonix B9, Digitech Whammy 5, Digitech TRIO Plus, DigiTech SDRUM, Digitech Time Bender, Digitech Freqout, Fernandez Sustainiac guitars, Heet EBow, etc. Plus all the other usual suspects: guitars, basses, mandolin, saxophone, clarinet, harmonica, single-function guitar pedals by various manufacturers, various laptops loaded with software such as Band-in-a-Box with RealBand, Cakewalk by BandLab, REAPER, complete recording studio, PA systems, stage lighting, etc.
To put a bit more perspective on things: my formal musical training includes Royal Conservatory Piano and a University Music Diploma Program and private guitar and voice lessons.
To put a tiny bit more perspective on things: I was a full time working musician for many years as a guitarist / singer first and synth guy second, performing as a solo act or in a male / female duo focusing mostly on pop / country / lighter rock styles.
I said "I do not want to go down the hardware / software rabbit hole of spending all my time with getting pissed at the silly limitations of iOS. I am rockstar not a computer scientist god-damn-it!" not because of a lack of ability or understanding, or desire for results, but because iOS is persnickety and Apple is noncommittal to iOS music apps, as I'm sure you know.
Question: if Link is integral to iOS yet it needs WiFi then is Link is only good at home and not live? Is there no hardwired Link equivalent? Is there some easy way to know in advance what apps have Link enabled? Is Link part of iOS or part of Audiobus? You mention Ableton running on my PC (I don't have Ableton) can that function in a hardwired mode to provide Link? Is Link an Apple protocol or some third party agreement?
I think if you reset your ipad then redownload all your stuff from backup in the iCloud or wherever it is then this gets rid of ‘other’- which often takes up a lot of space- have a look at your storage as mentioned above and you will see how much you have..... and check somewhere else to make sure this is accurate info 🙂
OK, is there a way I can do all of that with only a few actions, or do I have to reload each app one by one? Also, won't I get stuck with the evil iOS version 12.4 thus causing problems with Audiobus? On the memory bar graph "Other" takes up 12 GB by my estimation. Will all of this "Other" disappear or is this "Other" simply uncategorizable but not disappear-able?
Well, it doesn’t need wifi if all the apps are on the same device. If they aren’t, it’s possible to set up a private, standalone wifi network for live use. I don’t think I’d trust wifi of any kind for live use, but that’s just me.
Yeh, it’s called midi clock.
From the specs, it’s possible it works over ethernet. I’ve never read about anyone I sing it that way, and haven’t been willing to fork over the dough to buy iOS adapters to find out.
App Store description.
Neither. It is developed by Ableton, and made available for developers to include in their apps. AudioBus and most other “modern” apps include it.
No, Ableton Live is just a Link enabled DAW just like any other Link enabled app. It’ll sync to any other apps running on the same network. The fact that it’s a DAW developed by the same company as the Link protocol and Software Development Kit (SDK) doesn’t mean that Ableton Live is any different. I only mentioned it as an example of something on a PC that could sync with Link.
Cheers. I hop that clears a few things up.
Yes it clears up a great deal and I am truly appreciative! It sounds like I should buy a second used iPad Air 2 128, and put all the guitar processing apps on that one (which don't really need Link or automation) and then put all the sample playback, synths and recording apps on the other (which could benefit from Link or automation).
The other alternative is to get an iPad good for 256 GB, or simply don't buy any more apps because the memory gods are trying to tell me something I do not want to hear.
At this point I definitely wouldn’t buy an Air 2. I love mine, but it’s already past its prime. Somewhere around here is a great thread about the most economical newer generation iPads with good music performance. I’m not gonna search for it though since it will only tempt me to spend money I don’t have.
Happily the Air 2 made the cut for iPadOS, but I doubt very strongly Apple will continue to support it for a lot longer.
OK, thanks again for the insights! I've deleted a few of the larger unused files (Garage Band, 12.4 update, etc). I also might reset my iPad then re-download to reduce "Other" which appears to take up about 8 GB. And I'll refrain from more app purchases until I have a look-see at the thread about economical newer gen iPads good for music. You gotta admit it's a bit like the myth of Sisyphus when it comes to trying to stay current with iOS hardware.
With all the gear you have?? Ha! iOS hardware is the least of your problems.
I guess you have a valid point! The thing with hardware-based dedicated processors though, is they don't become unusable via updates the way iOS hardware does. For example, I have a Boss GX700 that sounds and works just as well as they day I bought it 1996, and I could go gig with it no problems, if I was so inclined. Try that with constantly updating operating systems and constantly updating music software, on a computer platform circa 1996.
So very true.
But not what I need to hear when I’m going to be dropping by guitar center tomorrow. 😬
Then you'll not want to hear this (but you kind'a will) I also have a rack-mount, midi-addressable, programmable, Rockman XPR from 1990 that still works as well as the day I bought it. Realize that's approaching 30 years old, and that I could gig it next week, if I was so inclined. Try that with your capricious / precious iOS!
Kinda hard to fit in your backpack to jam out on while waiting (forever) for your wife to finish shopping though.
Yep right you are and all the best!
@puppychumful If you have the budget you should consider upgrading to something like a 512Gb 2017 iPad Pro 10.5. That way you get a lot more power than your current Air 2, and 4 times the storage. All the hassles will simply disappear.
There is definitely advantages to having two Air2’s as opposed to one bigger one- You can have different instruments open at the same time and be jamming with them together (like two iKaossilators as an example). You can have them going through separate outboard effects- like two Korg Kaoss Pads. You can be setting up one clip launcher whilst playing the other at the same time- also your clip launcher is now twice the size. Also- they will both have headphone out sockets.
I think I've got an interim solution (isn't everything interim?).
I bought my lovely wife a used iPad Air 2 128 about a year ago, and although she likes using it, she really does not use it for it strengths (portability mostly) and could just about as easily, and perhaps preferably, use a PC laptop.
As luck would have it, I have a few laptops (in need of modest repairs but no biggie as I was going to fix them anyway) that I can give her in exchange for the iPad. That would then give me two identical iPads, and allow me to split up the apps on each!
Now I can carry on into the indefinite future of iOS, until both of them become obsolete (shouldn't take long at the rate of Apple's needless eWaste throwaway business model).
Thanks again for all the kindness and support, and funnily enough it was wim's chatting about waiting for his slow-shopping-wife, that prompted me to consider that I too have a wonderful woman to call my own (and has an iPad).
Here Bud.. upgrades to iPados BETA..(on a new 6gen iPad) a few days ago.. Not going back.. it’s sick .. only thing I don’t see is, ‘Open In’..