iPad purchase considerations?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

So I’m debating replacing my 4 year old Galaxy Tab 4 with one of the 2018 iPads that are currently selling for $250 (32gb) and $350 (128gb). I’ve been out of the iOS game for a while (iPhone 4 was my last Apple device) so I have a few questions that hopefully someone here could answer.

I have a Behringer UCA222 that I successfully use with my Tab 4 and Galaxy Note 8. I’ve read about people having issues with powering soundcards or other unpowered peripherals on the iPads. Does anyone know if I can use that card with the iPad and a CCK? Same question for the iConnectivity Mio 1-1.

I assume it’s worth the extra $100 for 128gb since there’s no expandable storage, right?

Is there anything else that I may not be thinking about with the newer iOS devices?

Thanks!

iPad Music Apps?
#2

I guess they’re jumping into usbC so it depends if you want to embrace lightning cable or wait a while.

I’d guess lightning stuff will drop in price.

I’m using 1st gen iPad Pro 128gig , it’s nice but if I embraced drop box more then I wouldn’t need the space.
I’m not sure I’d buy the newest iPad Pro , I’m a bit amazed how expensive apple stuff is becoming.
And my iPad Pro is becoming unresponsive ( screen wise ) , especially bad to type on and procreate barely resonds to gestures .

Overall , it’s good for generating samples and beats but I wouldn’t want to write a track on it . And good apps are much cheaper than desktop

#3

I jumped horses from Android to iOS, because making music on Android is possible, but was no fun for me. Most apps have been like a kind of islands without connections, but on iOS we have many options to route midi and audio, in-the-box between apps, out-of-the-box to whatever dwells outside.

Most class compliant sound cards should work fine with iOS gear, but some need some extra power or drain the iPad battery quickly. But one of the USB adapters can be used to charge the iPad and power the card.

For making music I would always suggest to have enough storage. I wouldn’t recommend to buy less than 128GB. Apps, some music library, samples, recordings can easily demand space, if we work with pro-audio quality :wink:

#4

The Behringer uca 222 is fine for audio but what about midi sync?

The iConnect midi devices require you to use ASIO4ALL which is not good, but offers midi sync. (I used the iConnect midi 2 and returned it for that reason)

A good solution is Alesis MIDI hub with midi in/out and audio L+R out that you can send audio directly to OT or mixer and headphones out to a source and it has two way midi communication.
It is made for iPad and cost about 40€. For some reason not very popular here.
I’ve used it also with a midi keyboard into OT and midi out to Alesis, to record notes in OT, depends on situation.
Anyway, my 0.001c
PS the power problem is solved with a powered USB hub

#5

Do you know if you can use Google Drive to share audio easily or are you stuck with iCloud?

#6

Is this what you’re talking about? https://www.alesis.com/products/legacy/control-hub

How do yo used a powered hub when you’re out and about?

#7

Yes that’s it.

I plug it into this hub

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It powers iPad and you can plug in usb keyboards

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#8

You can connect to many “drive” resources including OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Mac, PC. Maybe for some services you need an app. I use FB (File Browser) as my data-hub.

#9

Does that hub provide its own power via battery or does it need an outlet or battery pack? I’m really interested in being able to write on the train, plane, or in an automobile.

Excellent to hear on the Google Drive thing. Wasn’t sure if Apple would let it be built in at all.

#10

The hub needs power IF you need to power iPad. If not, a non powered hub does the job too. If you need power, there are battery packs that power 2-3 sources. Like RavPower.

I am not on Apple OS, (Windows 10) and here is what happens when I want to upload a folder to my PC from iPad LOL :joy:
It is not even (iCloud) showing in options. For me personally drop box works the best. I think GoodReader works great too

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#11

But you can copy stuff to and from AudioShare via iTunes, right? I’m so used to my Androids acting as an external HD.

#12

Man. Watching so many videos and I feel like the iPad could pretty much replace my Octatrack, especially if I already have a DN and A4.

#13

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopppp!!!

It is deceiving…iPad is …underpowered…

BTW, I never succeeded in moving FOLDERS with iCloud

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#14

Hahha. I’m so on the fence about the OT. I recognize it’s power but I really do not enjoy using it most of the time. I’m more of a sound designer than a sampler, but things like Samplr and Borderlands on the iPad speak to me in ways I haven’t been spoken to in a long time.

#15

Both awesome indeed. But no OT :slight_smile:

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#16

Yeah, I mean, obviously the OT has a special place, I just don’t know if it really sits well with my workflow overall. Here’s what I’ve used the OT for mostly:

  1. Sample mangling that gets dropped into my DAW for more work.
  2. Sample launching for live performances
  3. Launching full stereo tracks for “DJ” sets
  4. Sequencing my external gear.

I feel like all of the things I do on my OT I could do with an iPad and a few select apps. I don’t really use it as a track writing tool, and the external gear limitations are enough that I could probably do better with an iPad and Modstep or something. I could also probably “DJ” better from an iPad than from the OT since my DJ skills are insanely questionable. Haha.

#17

There are FANTASTIC apps but you can’t have too many running at the same time.
I’m not knocking it down, but you have to know the limits…

It’s great to load an app or too, sample, sequence…etc…

Just read your post, Ipad and OT is great TOGETHER :wink:

#18

I’d imagine the iPad and OT are great together, but I rarely do live sampling, too. Haha. I feel like I should get an iPad and a Squarp or something. I’d LOVE one of the beefy Surface Book Pro things, but they’re so far out of my price range.

My usual work flow is OT for drum sequencing and sequencing my Virus or 0Coast (both of which can be sequenced by the DN or the A4 CV), and then melodies and such with the A4 or DN. But I can do drum synthesis on both the DN and A4, plus an iPad would be pretty baller. I mainly bought the OT cause it was the only thing out there that had some of the features I wanted, but I don’t think it’s for me anymore.

#19

fair enough. It’s not for everyone.
Ipad has some amazing apps, for sure

#20

Polyend Seq and an IPad is a good set-up…

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