Hey friends,

I've been thinking about buying an iPad Pro 11" 2021 (since I already have Caldigit TS3+ dock, so I could perhaps hook it to external screen, network and audio interface),
but when I saw new 2022 release and iPadOS 16, I'm still not convinced it makes sense as a device to meaningfully enhance my studio - it's not about money but about not buying an expensive dust-catcher paperweight,

those of you who use an iPad (or any other tablet), what do you use it for, and how much time compared to computer in a studio or outside a studio? does it help you make better music? write down ideas? control your DAW or audio interface?
which tablet would you buy right now? would 12.9" iPad Pro make sense despite its cost?

any thoughts appreciated

 

I have tried using mine to control a DAW (Ableton and Studio One), but it doesn't fit with any workflow I have (plus it is a bit cumbersome and unintuitive). There are some apps to turn it in to a groove box or try out some beats when you are not in the studio, or just want to find some new ideas.

I use mine mainly: To read books, random web smurfing, emails plus note writing (if you have a pen, then its perfect). Just not studio material.

Some people may love it for a studio surface, just not my bag

 

I don't think it's particularly useful for professional purposes. I'm using my iPad Pro exclusively for watching porn or Netflix

 

Got a Samsung pad years ago for reading on the plane on my flights to Amsterdam
After I stopped going I thought my pad was useless until I got a Midas MR18 lunchbox mixer with no control panel.
The control software only worked with older Android OS so I pulled out my old pad and it worked.
Now I have no regrets, but I lucked out this time

 

imho, if you are a somehow disciplined person who can keep focus and already manage to arrange finished tracks. and just want to test to go mobile as a possible alternative source of inspiration, then go ahead and test it. its a more relaxed way of sketching ideas but only to a certain point. You will want to take that into your daw to be able to finish your track.

if you are a disorganized individual who struggle to finish anything and believe an ipad is going to change that, then forget about it. an Ipad is not going to help you. neither is changing daw, buying new plugins or buying new hardware.

your fight is with developing a working discipline, the rest is just escapism

 

I thought an iPad would enable me to have a mobile music making device and it can do that wonderfully, however, what I found is that it's a much better media consuming device than my computer and I use it for that purpose much more than my PC these days - not exclusively though, I still use my computer for audiosex and general surfing including youtube - the ipad is mostly used for twitter, facebook and reddit. And Real Racing 3. Also controlling my devices. I couldn't go back to just using a desktop computer now. Think of the iPad as something between a mobile phone and a desktop. I also have a Kindle device but books look far better on the iPad. Also great for remote control of a PC.

I also went for a Pro, wanting a larger screen and a lot of ram, which you pay extra for but 128Gb isn't enough, I find 256Gb perfect, never got anywhere near using it all.

My next iPad won't be a powerful one because I don't need it to be, make sure you actually need a Pro because mid range models are also powerful. Any M1 version will be great.

 

I don't know about iPads specifically, but tablet format in general has been VERY useful for me...on a live sound setting. For music production i can see it being useful but not really worth the price. So:

No.

Not really, but that just me and the overall context of things, not a lot of instances where i can just write something in peace AND i don't have access to a computer.

It works, specially for monitoring purposes, for more heavy duty studio work working with touch screens feel pretty awkward to me (specially with stuff like faders and knobs, i sweat a lot so dragging stuff on a screen is very eew), there's also a bit of latency between devices which could be bothersome to some people but i haven't tried every method/device under the sun. So In practical terms it is a good thing, but for me it's not really an improvement over what you can do with your standard smartphone+app, at least not an improvement that would justify the money.

That's personal opinion of course, i know people who absolutely love to work with these things, to me it's just "meh".

 

While chilling on the couch or sitting outside in the garden and feeling like creating something musically. Not really comparable to studio work and not comparable at all to desktop software.

Yes, write down ideas and I'd say making better music too because it's much quicker to grab the tablet and do something instantly, using limited software that somehow forces you to focus on creativity.
A few apps to consider (but there are so many more, just take this as a first start):
- Koala sampler (sampling and composing)
- Flip sampler (sampling and composing)
- Drambo (a full fledged modular synth with an interface that is exceptionally fast to work with, plus a built in clip based sequencer, samplers, wavetable oscillator, physical modelling...)
- Groove Rider if you like the KORG Electribe Sampler and want something better yet
- KORG Gadget if you want more builtin instruments

The standard iPad with 256GB of storage is good enough for me. If you want a 3.5mm headphone jack (lower latency than Bluetooth but that's only really disturbing if you plan to attach a keyboard and play live) then consider getting a 9th gen model with 256GB storage, it's still fast enough and likely the best bang for the buck.

 

Nope. I use the bluetooth Trackpad more often. And that is just because it sits flat on top of a synth front panel, physically far away from my regular keyboard controller. You don't have to punch record in Logic and then rush back over to play the synth part.

They (iPad) are great overall devices, but I'd use one if I had it available already; not acquire one on purpose to use for production.

 

I got iPad 2021, for me it´s mostly reading, surfing and videos. I´m a Cubase user, so I bought Cubasis. I find Cubasis, and also other DAWs i.e Garbageband hard to use, since I have always used keyboard and mouse. ..but there are some really nice and innovative music apps for playing and fiddling around i.e SpaceCraft Granular Synth, Fugue Machine, GeoShred, Korg Gadget, just to name few.
Anyway no regrets, I still think it´s well spent 400€.
Oh, and there´s this Metagrid also, a really nice add on for your key commands and macros for DAW. Sadly my main computer died before I got to test it, so I can´t give you a personal opinion for that yet, but the concept is nice.

 

It's good for cutting lines of snow and molly.

 

I used to prefer mirror back in the day, since those are corrosive products

 

I've been hotplating my shit lately and never went back. Throw that plate in the microwave for 90 seconds and the skii slopes itself when you drop your product on top.

When I took off my sliding mirror closet door and leaned it against my wall when I had no other place to put it, I would take it and put it on my bed if I had a few peeps over to do lines. It was hilarious how oversized it was compared to the 4 Great Walls of Colombia that laid on top of it. haha

 

I have an iPad Pro. Use it along with GarageBand/Logic and FL Studio. Quite handy. Also a lot of great apps there for DJing and song creation.

 

I tried tablet as production tool ... and it didn't really worked.

Touch feel is not up to real controls : DAW control is OUT
I prefer my PadKontrol, Remote SL ...

As "sketch pad" / on the go production ?
Not for me : too slow on tablet compared to computer / mouse / keyboard. I prefer a laptop.
It takes two times the work on tablet. Like "long press" vs keyboard shortcut.
Crappy share/save files, file formats troubles.
Serious plugin format (AUv3) only started some years ago.
Before, it was crappy Audiobus and such.
... too much time LOST with those limitations (not gained).

The only thing i see MAY BE is guitar sims.
BUT you need an audio interface with good High Z (like iRig HD), a foot controller, a "camera kit" to power tablet AND plug hardware ... and a pile of cables.

Tablet "portability" is a joke when you need a stack of hardware/cables on it.
So back to laptop again.

No really, as far as "production/live performance" goes, tablet is far behind a good laptop, even an old MacBook Pro 2012 with 16 GB.

 

Last edited: Nov 1, 2022

You will appreciate your ipad a lot more once you get the metagrid app.

 

I had the same question, so i bought cheap a used one to experiment with.
It turned out it's not a necessary and handy tool as enhancement for my studio!
But for being on the road, in combination with korgs nanokey studio and nanocontrol it's awesome!
I love it!


Everything is bluetooth!

 

When you add physical controllers, a keyboard and a mouse ... try a Macbook

Said another way :
-sticking ONLY with touchscreen can justify ipad, without any hardware hooked to it
-anything else justify laptop (more software choice, more flexibility, faster workflow ...)

 

That's a point! But I got this IPad air3 for only 140€ and i like the touchscreen and apps like anymoog and so on...
and it needs less power than a macbook. The Ipad i can power long time with a powerbank, as the controllers

 

Lots of interesting audio apps exclusive for Ipads and ... cheap !

Sector if one of the best, but also Moog Animoog , Arturia iSpark ... You need a compatible audio/midi interface for full potential and integration tho.