I took my missus to the Mac store to let her play with the iPad (so she would want
one and I could play with it)
She whipped around it for 15 minutes or so, and
said OK lets go look around NEXT.
Later I asked her if she wanted an iPad and
she said no, "It's no different from my iPod touch, except bigger, and I like to carry my
iPod touch around in my purse"
That about sums the iPad up I guess!
-------------------- The only excuse we have for making music in the first place is to make it differently..vis-a-vis our own difference (Glenn Gould)
I took my missus to the Mac store to let her play with the iPad (so she would want one
and I could play with it)
She whipped around it for 15 minutes or so, and said
OK lets go look around NEXT.
Later I asked her if she wanted an iPad and she
said no, "It's no different from my iPod touch, except bigger, and I like to carry my iPod
touch around in my purse"
That about sums the iPad up I guess!
I think the solution here is to buy
one for yourself...
As much as I like my MB Pro and iPod, I too think it's just an iPod touch that can't fit
in your pocket/handbag! Admittedly, there are some cool apps around for it, but it
seems like the most over-hyped product going!
I recently purchased the 3G model with 64GB. In addition I have iPod Touch and two MB
Pros. We took all three devices on a recent trip half way across the U.S. And found
ourselves mostly using the iPad. The screen size is ideal for portable use. Much easier to
use than the iPod touch. Really great with maps. The larger screen makes videos more
enjoyable and iTunes easier to use. I think the number of iPad specific apps is still
limited but that will change in time.
Am very interested to see what audio
apps will turn up. One more thing - the sound quality is amazing for such small speakers.
Better than some laptops I have heard.
One thing about the 3G capability is
that you can subscribe a month at a time. Bottom line - I think there are good uses
for all these products. - Dave
Sent from iPad!
-------------------- He that hath an ear, let him hear.
It can using something like TouchOSC on the iPad and something like OSCulator on
the Mac.
Regards
Stephen
I was thinking the iPad could either mirror the display of the
main machine, or even better, a custom app with virtual faders and buttons could control
Logic directly via Wi-Fi. That would be so cool. I could walk around in the studio and
mix my music from any corner of the room, or even leave the room. Hearing your mix from
different angles often reveals flaws that aren't apparent when monitoring in close
proximity.
EDIT: How funny. After closing the SOS tab on my browser and
looking at the next page, the first thing I see is this:
For half the price of an ipad I got tablet touch-screen pc that runs Windows XP. With more
storage and all I could want. OK so it lacks 3G, is not multi touch and is a little
thicker, but then it is at least 5 years old...
-------------------- Nik
Godin, Axon, Tonelab, Repeater & the skin of my teeth!
Quote Shingles: For half the
price of an ipad I got tablet touch-screen pc that runs Windows XP. With more storage and
all I could want. OK so it lacks 3G, is not multi touch and is a little thicker, but then
it is at least 5 years old...
Sounds worth a lot less than half price of an iPad imo.
I got stuck at an
airport for a few hours last week and had the pleasure of using one for. Almost made me
glad my flight was delayed - amazing device! Plants vs Zombies is a great little game
too.
Definitely the next stage in computing. It does general day to day
computer stuff like browsing amazingly well.
Quote Shingles: For half the
price of an ipad I got tablet touch-screen pc that runs Windows XP. With more storage and
all I could want. OK so it lacks 3G, is not multi touch and is a little thicker, but then
it is at least 5 years old...
A slow crap, tiny Windows XP PC, for a few hundred quid. I'm finding it hard to see how
that's good value for money...
I think the solution here is to
buy one for yourself...
You
aren't married obviously. For a second I thought that's a great idea
And you not long enough, or not times many
enough.. Huge mistake taking her there, the proper way was to buy it, pack it nicely
with flower on top, chocolate etc, make her happy (first she wont show she has no
interests, contrary will try to show appreciation for lovely/useless gift, will play with
it for few days, mainly to please you and after a week never again) and you, "since you
are not using it, let me think how it could...." so, you done something for your
relationship and have your controller, toy whatever you name it. Trust me, was
married 5 times.
Trust me - married just the once, still am, for 32 years. Showed her the video on the
Apple website, she said "I'm having one of them", so I got one, too... Just as well, cos
she never puts hers down.
Went to the apple store the other day to view the ipad. Had to *stand in line* on order to
have a play - that's crazy.
To buy an ipad? My wife wants one. I guess the
reason (as a previous poster hinted...) is if all you want is web, facebook and email
(like 90% of computer users...) then it's perfect. A better choice than a cheapo PC. But
for music? Maybe more of a toy...
I have an iPhone and a MacBook and can't quite see why I'd need an iPad as well although
if I had one I'm sure I'd find a use for it.
Where I think it will excel is in
family households where computing needs are fairly basic (web, Facebook, photos, movies
etc) and in business and education where it's just plain handy to have a very smart device
hanging around with a decent sized screen.
I was working at a company recently
that had one and it took on quite a specific role that neither the laptops, iPhones or
desktops hanging around did. They are all "personal". The iPad floated around from person
to person and was very much "shared". Somebody used it for a client presentation, somebody
else surfed the web with it when they were having lunch and the secretary used it to
organise some work photos from a work party.
It is a new class of device and a
clever one at that.
-------------------- Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com
To read SOS on it. I like the Mix Rescue items, but am never near a
computer to play the files, so would be nice to do that on an iPad. The latest edition of
SOS has the microphone comparison. Interesting to read, but would love to hear it while
reading it. Have a video for the Studio SOS item. Would be pretty cool. I think SOS is the
perfect magazine for an iPad.
In the studio I think the iPad would be great as
a coffee tray.
Quote hifistud2: Showed her the
video on the Apple website, she said "I'm having one of them", so I got one, too... Just
as well, cos she never puts hers down.
what i think would be really useful for home musicians is something that will display the
arranger window and transport bar that's showing on your main desktop. so when you're
recording yourself you could just prop the thing on a music stand, start / stop playback
and recording, and see what's going on without having to get up and walk over to your
desk. particularly useful for vocalists in a booth, i would have thought.
he he, i actually have one of those. the only thing i think is missing is being able to
see the arrange window, which i find very useful as a cue for when each part starts and
stops. hence the iPad, with its ergonmically sized screen would be perfect.
gotta love the Tranzport though. the only surprise for me is that it's discontinued and
no-one else has brought out anything similar. i guess clearly it's a niche
requirement...
back on topic, i'm going to be able to play with an iPad for the
first time on Saturday. i still can't think of a good reason to actually buy one, but i
just want to touch it. and marvel at how pretty it is. and coo over how thin and light it
is. and then persuade my father in law to buy one so i can play with it some more...
so i went down to the Apple store in Bath with my father in law on Saturday and had my
first play with an iPad. i'm not convinced.
perhaps because i've used
touchscreens for a little while there was nothing novel about it. it was just a big iPhone
that can't make calls. nothing wrong with that, but hardly a "magical", "revolutionary"
device. it was very nice, but i don't really understand the hype. perhaps you have to live
with one.
one thing i thought was interesting was that the iPad table was right
next to the iPhone 4 table. and good god the iPad screen looks shite by comparison with
the new iPhone's display. maybe they need to start putting some HD videos on the demo
iPads so they don't look as dull and low resolution as the ones in Bath did next to the
bright, sharp, "Steve was right you honestly can't see any pixels" iPhone 4 display.
didn't think much of the rest of the iPhone re-design, but my god that screen was pretty.
it was the equal of my HTC Desire's beautiful AMOLED screen, a littler sharper due to the
higher resolution, but all the same colour depth. it's actually a shame it's not a little
bigger... imagine that screen on an iPad. now THAT would be something.
Quote onesecondglance: imagine
that screen on an iPad. now THAT would be something.
... something REALLY
expensive!
I guess you'll
have to wait for that, I'm sure it will come eventually. We'll all be like Captain
Picard, running around, holding super-flat tablets and chucking them carelessly on the
table when we're finished with them.
In the meantime...
I've
decided to use my MBP for remotely controlling Logic. It does the same job as the iPad
when I use the screen sharing feature. I'll set up a small mobile terminal on wheels
which I can move around easily. Perhaps not quite as elegant, but a lot cheaper than
forking out for yet another 'puter.
See now I don't mean to knock the iPad here, more people's
intended uses for it.
Considering this is connected via a cable anyway,
couldn't you just get a small touchscreen display and save yourself about 80% of the
cost?
Besides, the guy has his iPad sat on a perfectly functioning KEYBOARD!
Talk about over-use of technology
Yes I do agree. I wasn't hugely
impressed with this!
Surely the better thing to do would be to run serato on
the iPad (surely its powerful enough?)
Then use the touchscreen to directly set
the loop points on the waveform and also move the virtual decks. Ideally you'd have both
vinyl emulation and nudge modes. Finding music to play would be very quick using the
multitouch pad too.
I have an iPad and I can tell you - it has revolutionized the way engage music. Here's a
list of some of its uses:
- Remote Control surface for DAWs and my Yamaha
01V96. Awesome if you are sitting away from your computer as I often am across the room at
a vintage synth.
- Built in apps such as synths, like this exciting iMS20,
as well as a plethora of drum machines, electribe, Jordan Rudess morphwhiz synth (like a
mini Haken Continuum).... the list is endless and some of these synths sound impressive.
The nLog synth for example is arguably stronger than the Roland GIAI in tone. And I just
downloaded a great, free, Oberhiem emulation that sound magnificent. The list is
extensive. And on the iMS20 for example, there are no less than two Kaoss pads - and as
you move both the sound is awesome - all the associated knobs on the synth control surface
move in sympathy with the KAOSS control. One Kaoss pad controls the notes of a sequence
while the other controls tone parameters. Meanwhile you can use other fingers to literally
change other synth knob parameters - and even the modular patching - in realtime - it puts
modular synthesis into a totally realtime control environment using 10 fingers - including
patching! Jaw-dropping and unique to multi-touch screens (in fact it is hugely ahead of
other other iPad apps. It's serious and deep.)
- iPad DAWs - there are
numerous variants and many of them are very capable. Best of all is the ability to use an
iPad step sequencer and use it for sketching, coming up with small sequences and so on.
- New iPad music apps that have no analogue to previous instruments. In
other words - true iPad apps that provide new ways of music creation.
-
Brilliant DJ music making tools. Though I've never been into DJ'ing, some of the iPad DJ
tools are amazing and so cheap so I've bought a few and am learning a whole bunch of stuff
about DJ'ing, realtime control and manipulation of sound that I otherwise wouldn't have
paid out the hundreds of dollars/euro for.
- Music notation. There are
packages for entering music notation. They are fairly basic but are getting better by the
month and they can be exported as MIDI or XML files into other DAWs and scoring packages.
- Music utilities. For example - an app called Backline Calc that does all
types of conversions - frames rates to beats/bars to time, tempo... and so on and so on...
invaluable for film/tv composing. Of course there are a huge number of these - even the
free metronomes and tuners are incredible. And then there Audio Kit – an SPL meter,
Spectrum analyser, signal generator and oscilloscope
(http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audio-kit/id376965050?mt=8)
- Music study.
Now here is where the iPad had really makes a massive difference to me. At the moment I'm
thick in study of orchestral music and so with classical CDs loaded onto the iPod and
dozens of orchestral scores loaded as PFD documents (free from IMSLP copyright free score
web site), I can study the score by listening and viewing the score all in one succinct
package - it's revolutionary. In fact there is even an app called ‘forscore’ that does
the page turning (on selected scores) for you.
- As a store of all pdf
documents for all my synths and software documentation. For example, sitting on my iPad is
the 6000+ pages of all of Apple's music applications software, all the PDFs for my OASYS
and so on.... Overall, I have in excess of 20,000 pages of synthesizer and music software
documentation all sitting on my iPad. This alone is worth it – I actually refer to the
documents and am learning more and more about my purchased resources.
- Music
information such as apps that provide chord progressions and so on...
- Musc
theory books as pdfs and ebooks - again an amazing on-hand resource
The list
is endless. I was a true sceptic of the iPad. But April 2010 Vodafone gave me a free
upgrade to an iPhone 3GS because I literally hadn't upgraded my phone in years. Even after
getting it I didn't use it for much, but my 11 and 13 year old nephews soon set me right!
The number of iPhone apps is staggering, and of course when I realised the potential and
got an iPad, it revolutionised my music life.
I have some concerns -
1. Such an all encompassing device can make for generic 'vanilla' music making;
so I hope the iPad does not kill off the concept of physical instruments
2.
The cost of iPhone and iPad apps is so low - ridiculously low IMO - that I fear that the
traditional great music instrument and software makers will suffer and go out of business.
But hopefully they can transition to this clearly totally different business model.
3. Many of the iPhone and iPad apps are too singular – as in they do not adhere
to an external standards across the various apps so they cannot interact. But that's only
a matter of time hopefully and already many standard MIDI and other connecticity options
are arising.
4. Worse of all, most apps to not integrate into a computer /
DAW environment. While they sound great on the iPad, there's no way of harnessing them in
a broader context. Again, this is slowly improving.
5. May iPad music apps
are very much in their infancy and while they look great and often sound great, you end up
not using them in serious music projects. I'd happily pay $10 more for a full
functionality set that integrates the iPad app with others in a multi app environment anc
well connected to a DAW environment. Again, surely all this will come.
But
overall, the device has revolutionized my approach to my music world. It provides
significant supplementary benefits, new possibilities and so on - it does not replace
anything - but it is fantastic. Each to their own, but I'm absolutely overjoyed with the
device and there is no going back.
I just found it amazing the short-sightedness of people before the iPad was released who
were saying that you couldn't do anything useful on a tablet, or that they were pointless
because a computer could do all that stuff already.
They are projected to sell
*45 million* of them this year.
Clearly the general public has found some kind
of use for them, given that they are relatively high-priced "luxury" items in many
respects.
If you build it, they will come, indeed...
Thanks for the
post Kevin on how you are finding it now you've figured out where it fit in in your life.
One area I'd be interested in is not so much running synth apps on the iPad, but using it
to control synths running on my Mac. Yes, there's the "sitting away from computer"
scenario, but I'm also interested ways of improving workflow when sitting AT the
computer.
I still haven't really got used to twisting softsynth knobs with a
mouse. And assigning controls to a physical knob controller is a slight faff, so I
usually just do so for the select few parameters I want to "perform" with. But when
editing a patch, I usually just use the mouse...
So I'm wondering if there's
potential for a softsynth where the iPad effectively provides the GUI. If there's a way
of turning knobs (dragging?) from the iPad touchscreen, that might be nice.
Infact, I wonder if one can use existing softsynths with a regular touchscreen monitor.
Hmmmm...
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