iPad Air performance review with Music Apps

Started by Elantric, November 10, 2013, 10:08:03 AM

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Elantric

#25
QuoteAny one here ever try the 8track recorder that comes with Amplitude 3 ?

ITs OK - but I'm not a fan of Amplitube tones  - so its seldom used!

Instead I use the 8 track recorder in JamUpProXT all the time, and now Auria.


In other news - I grabbed one of these when it was a "Lightning Deal" for $60. i found the keyboard in my New Trent iPad Air Case / Keyboard to be too sloppy with bad keys.
Kensington KeyFolio Pro Plus with Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard and Google Drive Offer for iPad Air (iPad 5) (K97110US)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EMHVVLO/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Much superior steel based keyboard with backlit keys and full access to all iPad Air I/O Ports.

The thin appearing Kensington KeyFolio Pro Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard is very nice, and magnetically held in place. During transport it helps maintain structural rigidity which helps lower the odds of screen cracking should the ipad get warped in an overfilled bag or backpack.

i learned hard way with a cheap plastic Android Tablet  - the screen cracked in the first 6 months due to too much "tablet chassis flexing" - much lower chance of that happening with aluminum bodied iPad Air - but I like the Kensington's steel keyboard as this adds much support to reduce any flexing during transport that could easily damage the iPad screen.   

myksara

Can someone help answer these questions before I actually buy the iPad Air?
1) Does it come with a lightning to 30pin adapter?
2) Will I be able to use the Behringer IS202 with it? I believe I will need the lightening to 30Pin adapter here. With that, will the ipad Air still fit/slide inside the behringer IS202?

Any other information that you thing is important considering I want to be able to use my Behringer IS202 and apogee jam with this just like I do with my iPad2.
I also intend to use my Zoom G3X (class compliant) with the iPad air. Any tips around this if its any different from using ipad2?

Guitars: Ibanez Prestige S5470, Ibanez Jem 7v, Ibanez JS2410, PRS SE Custom24, Cort  Ltd G16, Ibanez RG370Ahmz,
MultiFX: Roland GR55, Zoom 1on, BOSS GT00
Loopers: Digitech trio+, Line 6 JM4
MIDI:, MAudio Axiom24 keyboard, Alesis IO Dock with iPad air 2

Elantric

#27
After you obtain a Lighting to 30 pin adapter, the IS-202 works 100% with all new lightning port equipped iPads - including iPad Air

Adapters sold separately - and be sure to get the official Apple version

Either of these work

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD824ZM/A/lightning-to-30-pin-adapter-02-m?fnode=3a





http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD823ZM/A/lightning-to-30-pin-adapter?fnode=3a


mbenigni

QuoteAfter you obtain a Lighting to 30 pin adapter, the IS-202 works 100% with all new lightning port equipped iPads - including iPad Air

But how about form factor?  I imagine the IS-202 will slide around in the dock.  It would be nice to have another plastic spacer to hold the adaptor and the iPad Air in place, similar to the spacer they provide for iPad 2/3/4 vs. iPad1.  I guess if you're resourceful you could probably fabricate something...

I'd love to see a 24-bit IS202L fitted for the iPad Air, but with these frequent changes in form factor, Behringer has to be losing money on R&D.  Of course you can't blame Apple for miniaturizing; that's what the market demands.  I guess a dock just doesn't make sense, ultimately.

Elantric

#29
When using iPad Air with IS-202, Yes - its necessary to improvise a rear spacer to insure good alignment with the existing 30 pin port.
I just used 4 stacks of post it notes (one for each corner under the iPad) , I peeled off so each "Post it Note Pile "spacer" is approx 2.5mm tall.


Once you have a spacers, then this Apple 30 pin to Lightning adapter works fine  for using the iPad Air with IS-202, or Alesis IO Dock.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD823ZM/A/lightning-to-30-pin-adapter?fnode=3a 

Elantric

#30
QuoteI'd love to see a 24-bit IS202L fitted for the iPad Air, but with these frequent changes in form factor, Behringer has to be losing money on R&D.

Getting Apple MFI hardware validation is what takes time / $$ for the Audio Interface manufacturers's  - There is reluctance to go thru the whole process again when a $30 Apple adapter allows your existing product to work 100% with the latest ipads.
The project I worked on in 2011 took Apple 4 months to approve the hardware for the "MFi Approved" label, and there is an Apple MFi Tax too. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MFi_Program

http://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/08/made-for-iphone-manufacturers-may-have-to-comply-with-apples-su/
http://www.studiosixdigital.com/iaudiointerface2/


Apples legal department can be very effective enforcing Apple MFI compliance before you may sell any product that attaches directly to the iPad/iphone Dock port  - regardless of generation or 30 pin vs Lightning.

Several companies just tell the customer to use the Apple Lightning to 30 pin adapter.

Remember today several Telcoms still sell iPhone 4 and iPad 2 (both with 30 pin dock ports ) as entry level offerings       

mbenigni

QuoteI just used 4 stacks of post it notes (one for each corner under the iPad) , I peeled off so each "Post it Note Pile "spacer" is approx 2.5mm tall.

Brilliant, simple source for adjustable spacing.  :)  Thanks!

BackDAWman

I was doing some testing with the iPad Air yesterday evening by using a class compliant midi lead into the CCK (Authentic Apple) connected to my GR-55's midi out. I wanted to see how usable the soft synths were. I tested iDX, iPolysix, Alchemy and Sampletank.

Alchemy seemed solid and was a lot of fun. The other three gave me grief...

Sampletank had a note stick. I shut the app down and restarted and it was good again.

iDX did the same.

iPolysix stopped responding. I used Midi Monitor to check the interface and sure enough the iPad had "forgotten" there was an interface connected. I had to cycle the power on the iPad to get the interface to work again.

This has done little for my confidence to use the iPad for synths live. Anyone else had similar experiences?

Elantric

I dont have those type issues
But Im using FTP with ipad.
What type USB MIDI cable are you using?
(So I can avoid using that type)

jassy

About the topic of the thread, I think I have read that there is people using already that, so what is the final word about the expected performance with Ipad Air and JamUp+BIAS+Sampletank (or other similar synth) simultaneously.
Can it be used live safe and without problems or its not powerful enough to be reliable?
Thanks

Elantric

#35
Quoteso what is the final word about the expected performance with Ipad Air and JamUp+BIAS+Sampletank (or other similar synth) simultaneously.

Myself - with my iPad Air I can run  JamUp+BIAS very well

However JamUp+BIAS+Sampletank  -  No (they can all three run, but not without glitches ) because Bias and Sampletank use a lot a resources.

My live iPad rig philosophy is expressed here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9903.msg72223#msg72223 

mbenigni

Huzzah!  A few generous people made birthday donations toward the purchase, and my wife pushed me out the door to pickup a new iPad Air last night.  :)  Grabbed the 30-pin adaptor while I was at it.  Finally - access to all the apps the cool kids have been playing with.

Looks like I'm doing a 180 and heading back to the desktop + iPad w/ cloud sharing thing, like pretty much everyone else.  I really wanted to embrace a "one device" solution with the Surface Pro, but I feel like I'm tilting at windmills there.  There just isn't enough happening with Modern UI apps, or x86 touchscreen usability, at this time.  (And I don't have the time to reinvent the wheel just to suit myself.)  Time for this old dog to learn some new tricks (especially concerning cloud storage, which I have a really hard time trusting.)

Elantric

Congratulations!
Enjoy your new freedom from time spent "re-inventing the wheel" with the MS Surface pro

mbenigni

Thanks, Steve!

The one last thing I want to do with the Surface Pro, before selling it, is shoot a couple of videos documenting the work that I did on a browser-based MIDI control surface for Windows.  It was a compromise, and I never really did anything with it, but it was clever enough that it's hard to let go without at least documenting.  Maybe someone else can get some use out of the effort.

But, much as with getting TouchOSC GR-55 stuff onto YouTube, documenting the work is more of headache than doing the work in the first place.

whippinpost91850

Congratulations, Sometimes we all just have to face reality LOL. Enjoy you're new found freedom

whippinpost91850

Mark, It also helps, that we have these young kids to help us out ;D

mbenigni

Thanks, whippinpost.  This has turned into a memorable week - new iPad last night, and at lunch today I was invited to join a new band!   :)

Elantric

Congratulations with your both your iPad Air and new Band!

whippinpost91850

Congrats on the new band as well as the new Air ,It does sound like a wonderful week

mbenigni


jassy

#45
Quote from: Elantric on December 13, 2013, 08:08:56 AM
Myself - with my iPad Air I can run  JamUp+BIAS very well

However JamUp+BIAS+Sampletank  -  No (they can all three run, but not without glitches ) because Bias and Sampletank use a lot a resources.

My live iPad rig philosophy is expressed here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9903.msg72223#msg72223

Ouch only two apps, that sounds very deceiving.
Anyway in live mode its not needed to run BIAS, right?  So Jamup+sampletank is doable?

mbenigni

#46
For what it's worth (and these are early days for me, so take it with a grain of salt) I'm having much better results than just two apps.  Last night I had Jam Up Pro, Bias, MIDI Guitar, Sampletank, and Drum Beats+ all running at the same time, with all the lowest latency settings selected.  No problem. So far I'm amazed at the power of the iPad Air, and I'm having tons of fun with it. So I don't know... Your mileage may vary, it seems, but I'm hard pressed to say why.

Steve, when you say you can only run two apps at a time, do you mean in addition to your preferred DAW?  Or is audiobus running in the background, maybe?

Elantric

#47
Im saying that if i run Bias (for good amp modeling), + Jamup Pro XT (for Live MIDI controllable FX)  - Things run well, no anomalies, no distortion.

But if I add Sampletank  - several things occur.

1) The 8 Track Recorder function in JamUp Pro no longer works.

2) If I have a CCK+ Powered USB Hub to allow me to use iRig Pro for Audio and FTP reciever for MIDI, I get  various anomalies like a continuous "fail to load song" pop up message that coincides with every plucked note on my guitar - I assume this is a result of the FTP sending some type of undocumented sysex NRPN type message that the Jamup Pro 8 track recorder is responding too.

3) various added pops noise and rice crispies sounds as I navigate through various  Bias+ Jamup ProXT + Sampletank  functions, results in my opinion the combo of Bias+ Jamup ProXT + Sampletank is a poor choice and not suitable for live gigging, unless one wants to be viewed as a fool with junk error prone gear.

This is with Airplane Mode enabled.

Elantric

QuoteOuch only two apps, that sounds very deceiving.
Anyway in live mode its not needed to run BIAS, right?  So Jamup+sampletank is doable?

Bias is used for Best Amp Modeling tones

Jamup ProXT is used as the "Bias Host" that adds MIDI controllable stereo FX, a "Jammer" function which lets you slow down and learn songs in your iTunes music library, 8 track recorder lets you make a decent demo of your song ideas, "Live Mode" merely presents you with a simple display screen with 8 large target squares to select between 4 patches in current bank, and enable disable 4 separate Stomp FX. Bias Amp modeling works in ALL above modes and features.

whippinpost91850

I'm just getting started with ios recording. I have iRig pro - Bias - Jamup pro XT w/ the 8 track recorder. Any sugestions for a decent, fairly easy drum app or any other sugestions. Thanks Paul