Sounds like this is true to a large extent in terms of performance, and I think you are basically right if you are buying it for music use. The large screen of the 12.9” Pro is a big advantage in my book, although probably more in daily use than music specifically (helps prevent AUM getting crowded a bit though if you like that workflow), and if you are likely to use it for things like note taking, the 2nd gen pencil is so much better in terms of convenience than the first. Also the design of the pro is lovely and FaceID works well, but you pay a pretty large premium for that stuff if you don’t care about it!
I use multiple mini’s. Spread apps over them. Air is usually enough screen realestate.
Another thing that is also a PITA with the pro, is no button. Everything is multitouch gestures, so five finger swipe on AUM sometimes moves levels when trying to switch apps for example. Double clicking a button removes this.
I also use a hardware controller with the ipads to minimize screen interaction which pretty much removes accidental or undesired input from gesturing.
Not too much of an issue when you home and creating, but its can be awful in live use with sweaty fingers 
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Thanks!!
Haha, fair points. Just recently got a 12.9” pro (upgrade from a 10.5”) and I’m in the honeymoon period heh, not really done much music on it yet (I need it for work and also use it for note taking, photography etc. so I’m happy with the pro regardless but I think as you say the OP may be better off with a more basic model!)
I never thought of this 
I just read on another thread that you were using a MacBook air at some point, how was it?
In ableton i’m generally manipulating samples and adding effects to them, I use the odd vst, but also use a lot of lfo’d modulation, would an air hold up? I’ve never really been mindful enough to freeze tracks but wil;l definitely start incorporating that.
an air would be the limit size wise I think, where I work (for three weeks at a time) we have a small bag with a weight limit for our stuff (that’s why I was originally thinking about an ipad.
thanks for this matey, I generally do jam to get my desired result, but unfortunately after ten years of doing this with no fruition im starting to look more into arranging things now 
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Ahaha fair enough. I know how that goes 
. Personally I don’t think iPad is ideal for that. I’m yet to see an app with a full Ableton style timeline which I enjoy using and I’ve got a few of them. Cubasis etc just feel limited and fiddly to me, probably fine for recording guitar music or whatever but not really for electronic composition. Gadget is great but arrangement is limited by the pattern system. TBH sounds like you’re better off with a laptop, if you can stretch to a basic iPad too I’m sure you’d enjoy it but sounds less essential!
Still am. It’s the 13” 2017 model with 8GB RAM. Works like a charm and not once have I had to resort to using my much more powerful iMac because I ran into limitations. Admittedly I’m not running 8 instances of Omnisphere or anything like that. All my Live projects feature about 8-12 tracks, with an average of 6-7 plugins on each one, with the same on the Master and 3 send channels running a plugin or two a piece. I don’t go crazy with plugin instruments - maybe 3-4 per project. Never had to freeze tracks to get more CPU cycles back in the game either, but there’s always that option in a tight spot. Honestly, it’s one of my best purchases 
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Check out zenbeats. It has a clip arranger and a timeline view
Great video showing the workflow mate! I’m about to get a new iPad, and this is very helpful. I’m also aiming to be able to sync to hardware boxes and get a class compliant interface/mixer so I can record in external audio. Technically still avoiding a computer in my workflow - hah! I might look at using Garageband too, and then if I want this can be opened in Logic Pro if I make anything I ever want to polish.
I love to just get a jam on for an hour or two and then reset everything!
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This sounds like it might be the winning ticket. I planned on getting an iMac at some point in the future so, depending on how well I potentially get on with an air, I may sell my MacBook to partly fund it, cheers for that!
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I bought an iPad Air in May, in fact I used the money from the Space that you bought off me to part fund it 
from my experience I tend to use it like a groovebox using AUM as the centrepiece, then just get a few synths, drum machines and effects and jam. Get a controller for live tweaking, a korg nanokontrol is great, cheap audio interface ( I got the steinberg ur22). You will also need a powered hub and camera connection kit then you are good to go. For sound design, drambo, mirack, zmors modular are great. Synth wise I use DRC and Spectrum (mutable instruments) drums you got GR16 , bram bos stuff ruismaker noir, effects Kosmonaut for delays, Eventide reverbs etc. Sequencers I use bram bos Rozeta suite. Nearly all this stuff is AUV3 so you can load multiple instances and everything saves with the project, some like GR16 and zmors are not auv3 so you can only load one instance and you need to save what you have done in that app separately.
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my current makeshift ableton on iOS is loading a bunch of instances of sEGments into modstep. clips in modstep modify how the sample in sEGments is played per track.
closest ive come to ableton. just need to edit the samples externally before opening them up in sEGments.
Wish the devs of modstep would revisit it for an update.
It really does, but mostly it’s just at the level of irritation. Like when I discovered recently that hey, my Circuit does work as a midi controller for iOS plugged in directly by usb, and then days later I grab circuit, iPad, and headphones and go to sit on the couch… Oh wait… f**fftt
I haven’t looked too hard but a little cable dongle with both a 3.5mm and a usb A port would be nice, I know you can get bigger hubs, but haven’t looked too hard for a small one.
Ive tried a million different adapter with usbA and 3.5mm for the lightning port ipads.
They were all terrible. Nothing has been quite as reliable as the apple digital adapter with a powered hub.
The usbc docks for the pro i’ve had more luck with, but its super annoying to always have a friggin dongle.
Also, those dragonfly DACs work with ipads if you need something super small just for headphones in a usb port.
I just use the usbc to 3.5 dongle for ear buds, though a nicer dac would be nice. It just would be nice to be able to plug in one usb controller and headphones at the same time without something bulky or resorting to Bluetooth. I suppose I could also have achieved what I wanted with my old iPad, korg plug key and a midi cable, but I think I was too tired at the time to even consider that I had that as an option.
I use a 2008 MacBook with Ableton and it’s fine, although I have to set the buffer quite high. iMac 2010 works perfectly though. Just make sure you have an SSD, not a hard drive. That’s essential
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I’ve the usbc dongle which works fine and ive the Kensington hub with lets me connect my lanchpad pro mk3, audient evo 4 and power the ipad.
I miss the headphone port sometimes but the dongle is no different that a jack comvertor and being able to power usb devices direct with no cck or having to power the ipad is great
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Agreed, usbc is a waaaay better experience than lightning… and the only peripheral I’ve not yet had working on iPad pro is a usb floppy disk drive (so I can copy sweet midi tracks from a qy700 of course). But yeah, on the hunt for the tiniest headphone plus usb input dongle hub thing i can find.
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