Another feature that the iPad is much better for is recording and virtual amps. With an adapter like iRig you can use amp software such as Amplitube or Bias, then use Garageband or some other app to record. You can also use a slow downer app to practice with. The audio software is just so much better on the iOS. For whatever reason, audio apps on android don't always work great and are often laggy.
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Choosing a Tablet for Reading Charts
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
I haven't read the entire thread, but searched and don't think anyone mentioned this - I went with the latest (5th gen) 12.9" iPad not just for size, but because of the "ProMotion" refresh feature - I compared it in the Apple store to a standard iPad and it scrolls more smoothly - I've found this helpful in rehearsals when I want to move back and forth between section to annotate something (as others have said, the Pencil is a great tool) - it's also a bonus when tired middle-aged eyes are using the tablet for standard browsing.
I totally get that part… that’s why I keep all my charts on a cloud drive, so I can share it from anything. I was just pointing out that I don’t consider it a deal breaker if the device I’m using for charts can’t immediately share the file. The phone in my pocket does it just as quickly and most paper charts come to us by e-mail or a shared cloud folder of some sort anyways these days (with a few exceptions). Scanning is how it got on my device in the first place.
It’s called having a sense of decorum, the ability to make a point without insulting someone’s intelligence and or or discounting their experience. I’ll agree your’s was very direct and to the point but at the same time, was rather condescending not only to me, but towards the OP and his experience with his doctor, of which you and I know nothing about. That is why I responded the way I did to his post. Mine was an 100% honest reply based on what I knew of his situation.
To summarize, in your direct post you managed to insult me and you managed to insult the OP and called him a fool and a liar for posting what his doctor may or may not told him. Was that your intent? Of course not.
Being brutally honest can be brutal to the recipient of the message. It’s much harder to convey inherent truth with a pillow as opposed to sledge hammer. It takes skill and practice, and in person I personally really struggle with it, just ask my wife. Online I can manage to tone it down a bit.
In fairness to you, I need to acknowledge that “tact” and “grace” are exactly not hallmarks of this site.
Have a good one!
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WHOAH. This is full of ridiculous inferences and is dead wrong. All I said was it was "incorrect." It is easy to be incorrect about something without being either a fool or a liar. So no, I didn't call anyone either of those things. Wasn't just my intent not to do so, I didn't do it. So now you are being condescending and downright rude to me? Even if I had somehow done the things you accuse me of, it wouldn't be license to talk to me like that. Possibly you still need to work on your hypothetical decorum. Moreover, your reply was not 100% honest - you yourself admit you were trying to be "tactful" and in the process you acted like you had "learned" something when you admittedly don't necessarily trust what was said. To me that is inauthentic and dishonest.
Speaking of whoa, how about we go to an IM. We are on divergent paths, and I must have really screwed things up here. If you are interested, please shout me an IM. Thanks.
Just replying to the OP.
I use an iPad air (standard size), and run Forscore. I have a Donner bluetooth page turner too for when I need it. All have been totally sound. Forscore is a great app. Files drop in easily, creating set lists is straight forward, you can photograph charts and import them. Once they're in there you can get quite handy at forscore, and there are a lot of cool features. Annotations, and even setting a tempo on a chart which will subtly flash on the border so you can set a song up right if you need to start it and the tempo is really important.
As a mount I use a K&M iPad mount, which is still the best one I've seen. Highly recommend that (just remember to take it with you if you travel and screw it to a mic stand!)
I would never sight read a heavily arranged gig/show, if I had to work on that I might go for a bigger size, but I just hit 40 so... !
The other thing I'd say is that IME Forscore is the most commonly used app, so your experience will be shared with others in the band in terms of glitches or any issues with files and i've always found there's a strong knowledge base around if you have any problems.
I use an iPad air (standard size), and run Forscore. I have a Donner bluetooth page turner too for when I need it. All have been totally sound. Forscore is a great app. Files drop in easily, creating set lists is straight forward, you can photograph charts and import them. Once they're in there you can get quite handy at forscore, and there are a lot of cool features. Annotations, and even setting a tempo on a chart which will subtly flash on the border so you can set a song up right if you need to start it and the tempo is really important.
As a mount I use a K&M iPad mount, which is still the best one I've seen. Highly recommend that (just remember to take it with you if you travel and screw it to a mic stand!)
I would never sight read a heavily arranged gig/show, if I had to work on that I might go for a bigger size, but I just hit 40 so... !
The other thing I'd say is that IME Forscore is the most commonly used app, so your experience will be shared with others in the band in terms of glitches or any issues with files and i've always found there's a strong knowledge base around if you have any problems.
Well stated.
For most IT types, all other things being equal, you choose the software you prefer. Then you choose the hardware to run it.
At today’s prices, the iPad is an excellent buy. Mine has lasted 7+ years, and runs the latest iOS 15.0.2 easily. At $349, the least expensive iPad will probably meet your needs. And it is more likely to be Apple rather than Android that touring bands depend on for most of their needs. IMO, the various versions of Android don’t necessarily play well with each other. IOS for iPad and iPhone typically have fewer interoperability problems.
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I just picked up a used Microsoft surface pro 3 for $200 on ebay. It works great, i5 processor and 8 gigs of RAM. I usually make charts in word but it's a pc so it'll read any format including all of the real books I've got as PDFs. It's a 12 inch display so I don't have any issue seeing it, I also loaded it with mp3 files so now I've got before/between set music control. I did a bunch of looking and it's cheaper than a new large screen tablet and it's as fast or faster, plus I can make my charts on it.
- Apr 20, 2009
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I've had both Samsung Galaxies and iPads and iPads are better but more expensive. No one will fault you for having an Android tablet. Larger is also better but more expensive and more to carry. Find software that allows you to EASILY create and edit a play list, digging around between songs is distracting to you and to the audience. RAM and storage shouldn't be an issue, the most basic version will work fine for gigs. For battery time, every tablet should be able to make it, but why risk it? I plug mine in every time. I already have power near by for my pedalboard.
Some more suggestions:
Buy a K&M mount, they are great and they have many different styles.
Mount it to your mike stand, less clutter on stage.
Turn off Wifi during the gig
Turn off notifications during the gig
Turn off your lock screen during the gig
Turn your brightness up to the max
A pen is great for markups but you may get more benefit from that during rehearsal than at the gig
You'll need a Bluetooth page turner, there are so many different ones I'm surprised there isn't a mega-thread on those on TB.
Tell us how it goes!
Drew
One thing I've noticed is that bandleaders have not completely thrown all of their eggs in the digital basket yet. The beauty of paper charts is that they don't "crash" or have compatibility issues in the middle of gigs. And the bandleaders rarely keep track of who has what technology.
So far I've used my tablet more for practicing than gigging. (Lack of gigs during the lockdown could be a contributing factor). Still, I prefer not having to kill trees just to review some material or practice an etude.
So far I've used my tablet more for practicing than gigging. (Lack of gigs during the lockdown could be a contributing factor). Still, I prefer not having to kill trees just to review some material or practice an etude.
Are you reading scores or just charts?
I've been iReal B on an antiquated iPad for 12 years now. iReal B is very underrated gig tool - it's not just for jazz charts. I use it to create my own charts and save set lists. I'm not reading dots or lyrics so it sits on the floor at my feet for reference when needed.
I've been iReal B on an antiquated iPad for 12 years now. iReal B is very underrated gig tool - it's not just for jazz charts. I use it to create my own charts and save set lists. I'm not reading dots or lyrics so it sits on the floor at my feet for reference when needed.
+2. Anything smaller is just too small. I also use a smaller (more hand-holdable) iPad for writing any edits or annotations (using Apple Pencil), and these will sync to the big iPad via iCloud. I'm using ForScore, it seems the simplest app.
Like many others here, I use an iPad - in my case an iPad Air 2 which is showing its age - cracked screen, shortened battery life. A regular size iPad is good for me to read a single page of sheet music, but the big pro would allow side-by-side view of two pages.
A couple of things that haven’t been mentioned in this thread:
iRealPro is handy for chord charts and you can easily transpose those charts to other keys, which is useful when playing with a variety of singers.
There’s an app called IGigBook that has built-in indexes for the major jazz fake books (all the usual varieties and volumes of Real Books and more). You have to provide your own pdf copies (legal or otherwise) of the books, and figuring out how to load them in the software is a bit complex, but it’s great for being able to quickly look up the full lead sheet for a standard.
I also use an iPad app called TempoSlowMo when doing transcriptions - you can load mp3s into it and slow them down, set repeat loops, etc. very useful.
A couple of things that haven’t been mentioned in this thread:
iRealPro is handy for chord charts and you can easily transpose those charts to other keys, which is useful when playing with a variety of singers.
There’s an app called IGigBook that has built-in indexes for the major jazz fake books (all the usual varieties and volumes of Real Books and more). You have to provide your own pdf copies (legal or otherwise) of the books, and figuring out how to load them in the software is a bit complex, but it’s great for being able to quickly look up the full lead sheet for a standard.
I also use an iPad app called TempoSlowMo when doing transcriptions - you can load mp3s into it and slow them down, set repeat loops, etc. very useful.
forScore is great. Kind of annoying to get music on to it with just an ipad. I almost always need to have a computer involved. The ipad can open a pdf in forScore, and then save it there. But sometimes it gives me that option and sometimes it doesn't. Looking at a pdf online with chrome, I can't get it to save to forScore. I have to download it to my computer and email it to myself or put it on google drive, and then get it from my ipad and save to forScore.
ipad in general is designed to only work with another computer. I don't know if it's still this way but you literally couldn't log in to it and set it up without one the last time I set one up. Weird design philosophy.
As far as page turners, depending on what kind of gigs you play, consider the sound they mechanically make when you step on them. Some are loud enough to be heard at quiet gigs.
You have to get pretty good with the page turning, since it only shows one page at a time. Especially when there are D.S. and whatever that go back 2 or 3 pages.
ipad in general is designed to only work with another computer. I don't know if it's still this way but you literally couldn't log in to it and set it up without one the last time I set one up. Weird design philosophy.
As far as page turners, depending on what kind of gigs you play, consider the sound they mechanically make when you step on them. Some are loud enough to be heard at quiet gigs.
You have to get pretty good with the page turning, since it only shows one page at a time. Especially when there are D.S. and whatever that go back 2 or 3 pages.
Paper charts are tough to read in outdoor gigs when the wind is blowing!. Brin lots of binder clips, even if you have them in a three ring binder.
