Ipad/tablets for musical utility

puddin tame · #1 10-07-2012, 05:56 PM

Anyone know about this? I'm considering an ipad for a number of practical musical reasons. I am wondering in what, if any, ways TB members utilise their ipads for productive music related functions.

For example, I know there is something called an "iRig" where you can plug your bass in and play / record stuff for headphone playback which is very interesting to me.

I am also working on my sight reading, so if the app market has cool stuff on offer that would be get me going.

Is there a user friendly version of something like the real book as well? I'm debating about making it an option to have an ipad up on stage to flick through notes on tunes if it's a gig where i'm playing a lot of unfamiliar stuff.

Are there composing apps? How advanced do they go? I think I heard you can get garageband on there.

So what experiences do you guys have? Basically i'm going to music school next year, and in my country you are allowed a $1000 interest free loan for "study related costs", so if I as a music student and practicing musician could see enough practical utility in it i'll get my hands on one ASAP.

pica · #2 10-07-2012, 06:05 PM

There are many music related Apps for the IPad. I don't use any at the present. If you visit the App Store on Apples website you can view all the music related Apps.

puddin tame · #3 10-07-2012, 06:16 PM

I tried having a click, but it's hard to sort out what is actually useful. I'll definitely have a better look, i'm just hoping to find out what guys on here actually use

rob2966 · #4 10-07-2012, 10:29 PM

GarageBand, music notes viewer, Talkbass app

, metronome, tuner, just to name a few. Most used is definitely the TB app.

Later
Rob

fdeck · #5 10-07-2012, 11:19 PM

I have an Archos 80, which is an inexpensive Android tablet. I've got a tuner app and iRealB. Also, I've got PDF's of some sheet music. Check out: http://imslp.org/. Plenty of sight reading practice.

If you keep practicing and studying, then someday your most important app will be your calendar.

Febs · #6 10-07-2012, 11:28 PM

Here are some of the music-related apps I use on my iPad:

1. forScore: I use this for reading charts. I have all of our big band charts in this app, and I've used it for show books and other miscellaneous music. (I also have used an app called unrealBook for this, but I prefer forScore.)

2. Virtuoso: this is a piano app. I use it occasionally for arranging when I don't have access to a guitar or a real piano.

3. iGigBook: this is a good app for managing fake books, written by TB's Phil Smith. You can put in multiple PDFs of the Real Book, the New Real Book, etc., and it has an index so you can locate any particular tune without having to flip through lots of pages.

4. iRealb: this is another great fake book app. It only contains changes -- no melody lines -- but it has like 1200 tunes and you can add your own songs easily. It can transpose on the fly. (Singer at a jam session requests Body and Soul in Db? No problem!) This program can also generate Band-in-a-Box style accompaniment with drums, piano and bass.

5. Metronome: I use an app called iBeat, but there are a ton of different apps out their for this.

6. Tuner: I use n-Track tuner and Polytune, but again, there are many options.

7. GarageBand: an 8-track recorder.

8. JamUp Lite, Amplitube, AmpKit, PocketGK: these are amp simulators/effects units. With an iRig or similar interface, you can plug in your bass and dial in various amp models and effects. Most of these apps allow you to play back songs that are on the iPad, so you can use these amps for silent practice.

9. QMix: This app is put out by PreSonus, and allows you to tap into a PreSonus board and control your own monitor mix.

10. Symphony Pro: this a music notation program. I still strongly prefer to use Finale on the computer to do any serious notation work, but I've used this occasionally to jot down things quickly.

EricssonB · #7 10-07-2012, 11:30 PM

At a minimum, a tuner and metronome.

I second the above on "n-Track tuner". Works great and has a tone generator that upsets people in a crowded room. In fact, most of my music programs are tone generators. A 16k sine wave through Bose speakers can render any foe useless.

Keithwah · #8 10-07-2012, 11:50 PM

I run my IEM mix from our Presonus console with mine. I also use "Music Reader 4" along with my Air Turn/Boss foot switch gizmo to advance through charts with the tap of a foot. And I recently started to drive a pair of 24" flat panels on either side of the stage so I could see them better and also so the rest of my band that "doesn't believe in stands on stage" can use them to figure out the parts they also forget. But I admit, it freaks them out when I switch screens to the IEM mix while they are following a part they can't seem to catalog away. I also use "Octave" to cross reference a sound system tuning. It's RTA using the cheesy iPad mic while not dead nut on, is more close enough than a pro would like to admit. I also love using it with Soundcraft's "VISI" App to control their SiC-series of digital consoles. And if you have Warner Cable, you can download their app and change the TV channel from anywhere in the house. And that's hours of friggin' fun when the mother-in-law is over!!

Hilton Marsh · #9 10-07-2012, 11:55 PM

Not a fan of the iRig amp on my ipad but it is a portable back up rehearsal tool. I use "notes" on my ipad to store our bands 'bible' - ie the format for each song. If we dont remember the format or we want to settle an argument over the format then we consult the ipad. I also store the lyric sheets for each song on the ipad. I use an ipad mic holder and bluetooth it to the sound desk so I can control the intro's to each set from my location. Awesome tool. I read last week that there is now a digi pedal that allows you to download up to 10 different pedals from your ipad / laptop / computer. Our singer is waiting for an amp that does the same for vocalists ie delay etc. Some purists may say this digital age is getting out of hand, but they said that about the invention of the moog back in the 70's.

punkjazzben · #10 10-08-2012, 12:00 AM

I have an iRig - bought for $10 from eBay - and I use an app called Loopy to mess around with loops. It's a cheap alternative to a full-blown looping pedal if you just want to see what the fuss is about. Great little tool for multi-track bass compositions.

The iRig also works well with Garage Band, which has been a great composing tool and you can put together some pretty pro-sounding tracks if you know what you're doing.

I have PDFs of various chart books (the Real Book in bass clef, for instance), that I use instead of carting around hefty books. I've just heard of iGigBook, which sounds like a good organising solution.

I have an amazing app called iReal B which features customisable backing tracks for thousands and thousands of jazz, blues, country, and pop/rock standards. You can change keys, tempos, instrumentation, and do all sorts of useful things. Great for learning to walk, and playing melodies and improvising over charts. I plug it into the aux-in of my amp and use it almost every practice session. I have it on my iPhone as well, which is great.

Sometimes I'll have my iPhone plugged into some speakers with a backing track playing while I read the melody off a PDF in my iPad.

There are all sorts of amp simulation apps coming out that I've yet to check out, but they seem pretty amazing.

All in all, my iPad is one of the most useful music tools I have.

BassChuck · #11 10-08-2012, 04:34 AM

I play about 10-15 musicals a year. I have an iPad and scan the music for use in ForScore. I also us an bluetooth pedal to turn pages. As for a holder, I used iKlip for a while, but then I went to the Talent holder as a backup and it really is alot better than iKlip, and cheaper too.

For metronome I use "Tempo" by Frozen Ape, there are many good metronomes and tuners.

puddin tame · #12 10-08-2012, 04:35 AM

Thanks for responding, everyone! Just what I was looking for. I think I've got iPad gas now, so you know what that means... I'm going shopping on my next day off! I checked out the apps mentioned here and also a couple others that I found via searching. I find it is hard sometimes to sort out the gold from the crap when it comes to apps (I have an android phone and the only app I use is angry birds...)

There are nice leather iPad cases on sale here that come with a Bluetooth keyboard, so I'm thinking it will be the perfect thing for music school as well as general music utility. I've got to get the bus every day with my bass during my course so slipping the old pad in the sheet music pocket will be perfect rather than lugging books or a laptop.

The irealb app looks very cool, as well as the igigbook. I hope to start teaching after finishing my studies and I can see the irealb thing being an awesome teaching tool. From what I gather the igigbook doesn't come with the tunes, but I can transfer real book PDFs I already have from my pc.

I've only played bass in one musical but I would have killed for a wireless foot switch page turner (and a digital display I could actually see in the dimly lit musicians hole)

Technology is friggen sweet!

Febs · #13 10-08-2012, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puddin tame

Thanks for responding, everyone! Just what I was looking for. I think I've got iPad gas now, so you know what that means... I'm going shopping on my next day off! I checked out the apps mentioned here and also a couple others that I found via searching. I find it is hard sometimes to sort out the gold from the crap when it comes to apps (I have an android phone and the only app I use is angry birds...)

There are nice leather iPad cases on sale here that come with a Bluetooth keyboard, so I'm thinking it will be the perfect thing for music school as well as general music utility. I've got to get the bus every day with my bass during my course so slipping the old pad in the sheet music pocket will be perfect rather than lugging books or a laptop.

The irealb app looks very cool, as well as the igigbook. I hope to start teaching after finishing my studies and I can see the irealb thing being an awesome teaching tool. From what I gather the igigbook doesn't come with the tunes, but I can transfer real book PDFs I already have from my pc.

I've only played bass in one musical but I would have killed for a wireless foot switch page turner (and a digital display I could actually see in the dimly lit musicians hole)

Technology is friggen sweet!

Just FYI, irealb has an Android version as well as an iPad version. I have it on my Galaxy Nexus as well as my iPad. I had to buy it twice, but I use it often so it was well worth it.

puddin tame · #14 10-08-2012, 04:48 AM

Ahh I just have the galaxy s1, tiny tiny charts are no use to me!

Phil Smith · #15 10-08-2012, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs

3. iGigBook: this is a good app for managing fake books, written by TB's Phil Smith. You can put in multiple PDFs of the Real Book, the New Real Book, etc., and it has an index so you can locate any particular tune without having to flip through lots of pages.

FYI: iGigBook also transposes chord charts to any key, the charts , over 1200 of them, are the same ones available at www.jazzstudies.us.

Tituscrow · #16 10-08-2012, 10:13 AM

No mention of Animoog yet? I got it for a promotional 99p on Maki's recommendation last year. It's about 20 quid now, but its brilliant.

**Ukiah Bass** · #17 10-08-2012, 10:14 AM

My iPad is useless at an outside gig, especially when wearing Polaroid sunglasses. Can't see anything on its display surface. Has anyone figured a solution for that problem?

Tituscrow · #18 10-08-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukiah Bass

My iPad is useless at an outside gig, especially when wearing Polaroid sunglasses. Can't see anything on its display surface. Has anyone figured a solution for that problem?

Er...place it in the shade? Build a little open-ended tent/hut? An iPad bivouac?

Sadly, you cannot break the laws of optics when it comes to polarised light. Physics ALWAYS wins

**Ukiah Bass** · #19 10-08-2012, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Er...place it in the shade? Build a little open-ended tent/hut? An iPad bivouac?

Sadly, you cannot break the laws of optics when it comes to polarised light. Physics ALWAYS wins

I understand. It also deep sixes any possibility of relying on this platform for sheet music. I even bought the wireless foot pedal to turn pages before realizing I'd be hosed outside. For now I'll stay with paper.

Tituscrow · #20 10-08-2012, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ukiah Bass

I understand. It also deep sixes any possibility of relying on this platform for sheet music. I even bought the wireless foot pedal to turn pages before realizing I'd be hosed outside. For now I'll stay with paper.

You could insist that any festival organisers build the stage facing toward the sun so that your iPad always faces away from it. As for the Polaroids...well, you're snookered really.

Seriously though, this is a great point.