That’s pretty much where I am : these days I have a lot of commute time to go to work and I want to be productive during this time. Do you think it would be silly to buy a used Iphone just to make music ? I also was thinking about the Dirtywave M8 but for that price it seems I can have a lot more with apps. The workflow on the phone doesn’t seem to bother me, so that’s not really the question.
So, I’m curious, what do you think about this ? If you have any advice, apps you find cool, etc, be my guest.
An iPhone is great enough for making music. It is easy to pocket and break out whenever you want to jam. There are lots of apps which scale great, Drambo, Koala and Korg gadget are great examples. I have an IPad and other gear, but I make the most loops on the phone. I love iOS devices, there are millions sold and easy to get repaired or replaced.
Definitely echo the iPad, I don’t know what iPhone batteries are like nowadays, I still have a 7 but the battery life is atrocious. I have a 2015 iPad Pro and that has great battery life even after all these years, is powerful enough and has a physical headphone/line out socket.
Drambo would be painful on a phone I reckon, but it’s really great on an iPad.
Off topic, I know, but that’s a 6 year old li-ion that’s been (presumably) charged daily. It’s bordering on unsafe to still be using it. You can get it swapped for a fresh one that will last you another half-decade for US$49.
I bought it brand new in 2019, they were still selling them. It was a toss up between the then current SE but the 7 was a superior deal when I looked into it. I’m not a big phone person, it was £160, and I won’t get another phone until the day it stops working People have told me that the 6 & 7 were notoriously bad with battery life, although it does charge quickly.
Unless device size is a determining factor, I’d also echo the advice to go with an iPad over an iPhone, just because there’s more compatibility with music apps as some are iPad only.
But, as someone who used to commute around 4 hours a day, I totally get if you don’t want a device larger than a phone as depending on seating configurations even using a tablet sometimes feels cramped.
True. Using with screen at home helped with learning the mental model to use it screenless. I still need the manual every time I’m applying step components though.
Aight, to answer my own question, the best thing I tried to sketch ideas on the go is Fl studio mobile. It seems like an underrated app because it’s quite powerful actually, it fits well to the phone screen, plus I can keep my old crappy Android phone.
Can confirm, nothing beats Koala at the price.
Wired headphones for use in public are a must (bluetooth latency is annoying).
I have killed time on entire flights in koala alone. In some cases I start in the terminal before boarding, and I’m still not done after I land. I use my existing drum sample library for drums, and pretty much everything else is found sounds or sample rips.
For Long hauls though, I use my iPad with AUM, Koala, and some AUv3s.
I have tried traveling with my DT and by 1010music blackbox. they’re fine to use “when I get there”, but not the best [for me] while in transit.
People have told me that the 6 & 7 were notoriously bad with battery life, although it does charge quickly.