recommend a tablet for live shows

[Phil Smith]

iPad Pro 12.9" is my tablet of choice.

 

[jad]

Consider the software you want to run. Some apps are only on one platform or the other. Ipad screens are a bit more square compared to android tablets, so think about that, too. Ipads tend to be brighter than androids. I have a Ipad pro that I use to run lights, but it also has mixer software on it, set list software, and it has TH-U on it so acts as a backup for my Helix. I have 10", 12", and 14" androids, plus a portable 15" screen that I could use with Samsung Dex from my phone. I think a 10.5" Samsung would serve you pretty well for about $200.

My vision is poor, so I use the 14" screen for setlists. I also use it to play tracks between sets. It has a variety of mixer programs on it. I watch movies on it and surf the web, but one of those is way out of your price range. The 10" I use as an e-reader. My point here is these things can do a lot so think about that, too. You might be able to get more use out of one of these things than you think.

 

[staurosjohn]

I am our BL and I have 6 iPads I load & carry to our gigs - for all musicians… I purchase iPad Air (v.1), from Best Buy, for about $150.00 each… they no longer accommodate software updates - but that’s actually pretty good, in that, they are ‘low maintenance’! I have been using Setlist Maker for about 10years. I import pdf files and/or take a photo of a sheet & import that… can also make annotations, easily, on the screen, etc.
I also use an iPad Mini to run stage monitoring thru my QSC TM30Pro mixer

Set List Maker for iOS, Android and Mac

 

[sheltjo6]

I've been playing in rock cover bands for 35 years and have always avoided using a mic stand for chord charts or lyrics because of the idea that it's antithetical to the spirit of rock and roll.

But, seeing as how the vast majority of working bands, from the local weekend warriors to the biggest stars, are now using tablets for reference, I've decided to get with the times.

I'm looking to buy a tablet that is as friendly as possible to my meager budget and only needs to be capable of performing the most basic functions of displaying a setlist and cues for lyrics, chord progressions, and miscellaneous information. Also, it needs to have a fairly large, bright, and clear display that can be seen, even in direct sunlight, with my bad eyesight.

I don't need it to control a mixer or other stage equipment, or play, record, or compose music, take pictures, work as a phone or a computer, play videos, browse the interwebz, or make me a sandwich. I just need it to display a bit of information about the songs I'm playing.

While I do have some limited experience with PCs and laptops, I'm rather incompetent when it comes to this type of technology and I need a device that is intuitive and very easy to use.

I'm asking this knowledgeable TB community to recommend a few options that meet my needs.

I'm not a fan of Apple products and would really prefer to avoid them, but I won't completely rule them out if there is a particular Apple tablet that's clearly my best option.

I don't have a specific dollar amount in mind. I can come up with the cash to cover the cost, but I'm budget conscious and don't want to pay any more than is strictly necessary. Essentially, I'm looking for the cheapest item that meets my requirements.

I see a number of tablets in the $100 - $200 range. I'd like to keep the price toward the lower end of that, if possible, but I can go as high as $200 if that will get me better functionality.

Thanks, in advance.

When it comes to tablets, iPAD wins.
I've own both iPads and android tablets.
Bottom line is it comes down to the apps that run on the tablet.
It's easier to develop apps for a closed system like iPAD because most of the models have similar hardware.
When it comes to open systems like Android, hardware is all over the place, and developers don't want to write code for every Android device out there.

 

[hbarcat]

Thanks so much for all the replies - this has been immensely helpful.

I hadn't known that Apple was so dominant in this game. I will definitely consider getting an iPad, especially if they have better better screen visibility and better apps, and are more reliable.

 

[DirtDog]

Back around 10 years ago, I was using my Apple iPad (v1) with Bombing Brain's SetList app. While it was useful for creating setlists (and sharing via email), I mostly used the app as a teleprompter. Also had a Bluetooth page turner pedal so I could trigger a page turn with my foot. I was playing bass and singing lead in those days.

Some look at this as a crutch, but I looked at it as safety net - in the event I ever had a memory blip (which occurs often enough for me on stage).

If I had to do it over again, I'd go with the iPad, but not the most expensive one!

 

[climber]

if you're going to get one, which tablet imports the stuff you use easiest. piece of cake to get JPG, TXT, PDF or RTF files into an iPad. I don't know about other tablets.

 

[Audiomicrowave]

I've used both a Kindle (low cost) and my 2-in-1 Chromebook. Both have been great.

B

 

[Barticus]

If you’re looking for a tool for music that’s easy to use with many polished apps for song/set lists, practicing, learning, etc. and will be what the majority of other musicians use, then get an iPad. It is the dominant platform with gigging musicians. From the Nashville music scene to bar bands to churches, they’re everywhere.. they’re not a crutch, they are a tool like any other you use to make music.

Edit you don’t have to buy the latest version or the largest… there are plenty version -1, -2 available for a couple hundred. I would not recommend getting a super old version that’s not capable of the latest OS updates… that would make getting app updates challenging since you’re not technical.

 

[esoxhntr]

I don't need it to make me a sandwich.

 

[G On Bass]

Unless you are in an orchestra/theater pit, buy the buggiest, least reliable and most difficult-to-operate tablet you can find. Let it inspire you to stay on the path of actually knowing the songs and being able to engage the audience. Not much worse than going to see a band where everyone is staring into a tablet IMHO. YMMV...

 

[InhumanResource]

I disagree. Having a music stand with a book is way lamer. I use an IPad hanging on my mic stand. I only refer to it before songs or if we are bringing something brand new up with minimal prep time. I sometimes need it for lyrics on newer songs as a safety net. I hate having to read charts while playing, it ruins my focus and keeps me from interacting with my fellow musicians and the audience. Knowing your material is the way to go. Next best is a tablet.

Can’t we just stop at knowing the material?

 

[fdeck]

From what I've observed, the classical musicians all use iPads with page turning pedals. If you're sight-reading dots, then you need the biggest possible screen.

I have a 10" Microsoft tablet, works just fine for reading chord symbols. If I need to stare at dots, I bring paper.

Everybody else is using "whatever," often an iPad, but also quite often an older generation of something. Displaying PDF's is close to the least computation intensive thing you can ask a tablet to do.

Something to know about screens. Many screens are sized for playing movies, so they don't have the same aspect ratio as an 8.5x11 page. You have to consider how much actual usable screen space you'll get when you display the stuff that you want to display.

There's a social aspect to using the same gear as everybody else: "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM." If you use the same stuff as your band mates, and you have a problem, they'll commiserate with you and maybe help you. If you buy some "weird" thing and have a problem, you'll be blamed for trying to be cheap. The price of nonstandard gear is that you're held to a higher standard in terms of everything working.

And anything you buy, practice with it at home. Nothing is "intuitive." That term is meaningless. It takes time to figure stuff out.

 

[Against Will]

Your best bet is a refurbished or clearance tablet. Samsung tablet should fit your needs. Obviously the iPad is archetypal tablet.

Check out slickdeals.net or woot.com for deals on tablet computers, if you’re patient you can find a good deal.

 

[Williethump]

For the record, I don't actually hate Apple, it's just that I've never used their products for anything because there have always been alternatives (PC/Windows, smartphone/Android) that were equal to or better for what I was using them for.

If it turns out that iTablets really are superior to the competition and most musicians are using them on stage, then I'll definitely consider getting one.

I'm a Samsung android guy and considered they did everything the iThing did only cheaper. But sometimes, like in aviation and maybe music, you must be absorbed by the Apple borg and merge. Like me going to Walmart just to buy the cheap tablet styluses. Shameful, but there it is.

 

[wysiwyg248]

Can’t we just stop at knowing the material?

I think we should ask Stevie Wonder for a recommendation.
IMHO, we don't need no stinking Ipad.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I am our BL and I have 6 iPads I load & carry to our gigs - for all musicians… I purchase iPad Air (v.1), from Best Buy, for about $150.00 each… they no longer accommodate software updates - but that’s actually pretty good, in that, they are ‘low maintenance’! I have been using Setlist Maker for about 10years. I import pdf files and/or take a photo of a sheet & import that… can also make annotations, easily, on the screen, etc.
I also use an iPad Mini to run stage monitoring thru my QSC TM30Pro mixer

Set List Maker for iOS, Android and Mac

View attachment 4959688

Thank Harry Connick Jr. for this...

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[Rip Van Dan]

For the record, I don't actually hate Apple, it's just that I've never used their products for anything because there have always been alternatives (PC/Windows, smartphone/Android) that were equal to or better for what I was using them for.

If it turns out that iTablets really are superior to the competition and most musicians are using them on stage, then I'll definitely consider getting one.

One of the big advantages of the iPad is that there are a lot of music programs for it. I used a small 7" kindle because that's what I had. I ended up just making pdf copies of the charts and arranging them in folders on my Kindle (basically copying what I did on my computer).

Then I bought a 10" kindle for my wife because her old smaller one died and about 3-weeks before Christmas she bought herself an iPad of about the same size. So I ended up keeping her "rose colored" 10" Kindle. Worked fine for a year or two and then while playing a gig, Kindle deleted my document files saying they were bringing out a different program to use for files. Checked the program that was already on the Kindle and those charts were not there. During the break between sets they all disappeared. Luckily my keys player had the hard copies I'd printed out for her and she no longer needed. So we finished the gig. Went back and transferred all the charts off my computer onto the various "Files" folders on my Kindle, but I've put the binders of printed out charts back in my gig-bag just in case...get the iPad.

 

[hbarcat]

Looking back on the recommendations so far, I see the two most common are the iPad Pro (with 10 endorsements) and the Samsung Galaxy A7 (with 3 endorsements). There were a handful of recommendations for [other] that each got 1 endorsement.

That tells me a lot. Basically, I have a choice to make between buying the Galaxy, which is adequate, but cheap, or the ipad, which is superior in every way, but expensive.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I've been playing in rock cover bands for 35 years and have always avoided using a mic stand for chord charts or lyrics because of the idea that it's antithetical to the spirit of rock and roll.

But, seeing as how the vast majority of working bands, from the local weekend warriors to the biggest stars, are now using tablets for reference, I've decided to get with the times.

I'm looking to buy a tablet that is as friendly as possible to my meager budget and only needs to be capable of performing the most basic functions of displaying a setlist and cues for lyrics, chord progressions, and miscellaneous information. Also, it needs to have a fairly large, bright, and clear display that can be seen, even in direct sunlight, with my bad eyesight.

I don't need it to control a mixer or other stage equipment, or play, record, or compose music, take pictures, work as a phone or a computer, play videos, browse the interwebz, or make me a sandwich. I just need it to display a bit of information about the songs I'm playing.

While I do have some limited experience with PCs and laptops, I'm rather incompetent when it comes to this type of technology and I need a device that is intuitive and very easy to use.

I'm asking this knowledgeable TB community to recommend a few options that meet my needs.

I'm not a fan of Apple products and would really prefer to avoid them, but I won't completely rule them out if there is a particular Apple tablet that's clearly my best option.

I don't have a specific dollar amount in mind. I can come up with the cash to cover the cost, but I'm budget conscious and don't want to pay any more than is strictly necessary. Essentially, I'm looking for the cheapest item that meets my requirements.

I see a number of tablets in the $100 - $200 range. I'd like to keep the price toward the lower end of that, if possible, but I can go as high as $200 if that will get me better functionality.

Thanks, in advance.

I use an iPad Pro 12.9”, running the Forescore app. Probably overkill for what you are looking for, and it would be significantly more than you would like to pay.

I would suggest that buying a tablet is one thing, but there are other considerations, like are you going to turn pages while playing, organizing you notes/ tabs/ sheet music/ for instant recall, or where are you going to have your tablet on stage, or how it’s going to be in a location where you can get to it? You may want to look at something like this at the bottom (tablet not included) which is about half your budget.

As for which tablet I would recommend the biggest one you can afford. I don’t thing you want to 16” away from it trying to read.
Finally, by used. Best Buy has used, refurbished, and new old stock for sale online. Best wishes.