Ipad vs Ipad Pro

The Lounge General Discussion
#21

I had an iPad pro 2017 12.9, which was beautiful. Unfortunately, it died on me the other day. I think I left it in the sun too long.
What is good is having decent stereo speakers. So only the Pro has those, though the current Pro appears to have dropped in audio quality compared to the 2020 version.
But what is essential for being on the go, is having a headphone connector that allows you to charge your iPad too; those will be gone when the current “normal” ipad gets updated to USB-C.

I cannot fathom how nobody bothered to make a wireless headphone with low latency. Somehow bluetooth midi is good enough, but audio is just impossible. With any USB-C ipad you will need dongles to connect headphones, charging etc.
And another weird thing: there is (afaik) only one audio interface that lets you charge the iPad while using it: iconnectivity iconnect audio4+. Pretty cool interface, but not portable and not battery power-able.

So if you want truly mobile music, you need to get the current “normal” ipad because it has a headphone jack. The last of its kind.

If you want an M1, get the iPad Air.

If you want stereo speakers, wait for the next pro or get the 2020 one.

If you want a big display: wait, because there are rumors of a 14" low end iPad. That’s what I’m hoping for in about a month or two. That and my Osmose.

#22

All Elektrons with overbridge have class compliant audio now (iPad compatible)

BUT only stereo i/o sadly. I would pay to have all the channels available in overbridge in class complaint mode (or even better overbridge for iOS!)

#23

Well not really, because that’s why the iPad has a battery, so you don’t need to have it plugged in all the time and you can use the lighting/usb port for headphones.

I do agree it can be bloody annoying though. Reality is both ports have their irritations, they’re just slightly different.

The worst with lightning is having to use external power of some sort when you want to plug in just about any device. At least you can use the same accessories if you also use an iPhone.

The worst with usb c (other than losing headphones) is why are all the damn portable hubs so short in the cable department? The upshot is so many more usb devices work more easily with less faff.

My ideal for my next iPad (hopefully quite a few years in the future) would be that the magic keyboard gets an upgrade with a usb c port, headphone jack and an SD card reader, but probably shouldn’t hope for more connections than a macbook.

#24

I have the newest iPad Air non M1. I have the M1 iPad Pro (bigger screen), I have the newest iPad mini (usb-c, it’s my travel, email, browsing iPad), and I have an older regular iPad with the headphone jack.

All are great and all have their strengths and weaknesses. I don’t do any serious ‘mobile music making’ because if I’m travelling or on the go, I have more important things to do.

When I’m home with my gear my two main music iPads (pro and air) are mounted on VESA arms and permanent hooked into a Digitakt, or Digitone Keys, or into the Akai Force, or Ableton.

I do notice using AUM that the M1 pro can run more channels than the non-M1 Air with an equal CPU load. The larger screen with ‘promotion’ is also nice for music making.

The pro also doubles as a 2nd screen for my Mac mini for me. The iPad mini is much favoured for travel, but is very capable for the few minutes I have here and there to fire up a music app.

USB-c is superior in my view for the various accessories. For home use, desktop use, getting something like this is recommended from me -

image
image1143×1405 175 KB

Stable, has nice inputs, can add a keyboard, trackpad/mouse, good viewing angle, easy to disconnect and go, etc.

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#25

AVB is already in iOS. I’ve searched far and wide to find anything that uses it, but I have found nothing. Even jonatan (AUM) and Michael (loopy) both said “so what is AVB and why would you ever use it?”. They were both like “neat!” And that was the end of it.

#26

I had the 10,7” iPad Pro for a long time and loved it. Back then it was the only way to gain access to Apple Pencil and I wanted/needed it for my work as an illustrator. I loved everything about it.

Then I bought the bookshop and got myself an iZettle cash register which required me to insert an iPad into a slot to use as the screen. For a while I took the iPad with me home every night but after recruiting an employee I needed to leave the iPad Pro in the slot for him to be able to use the cash register when I was having a free day etc.

I ended up buying an 8th gen consumer model iPad for home/personal use and after having used the pro and loving it, the normal iPad felt very cheap in every way. Even the feeling of typing on the screen felt somewhat hollow and weird and had this loud sound to it. I’m typing this in bed with my girlfriend sleeping next to me. With the consumer iPad she wouldn’t be sleeping as the sound of me typing would wake her up. I couldn’t stand any part of it.

So after a while I got myself the iPad Pro 12,9” and couldn’t be happier with this one. It feels, sounds and smells pro. It’s solid as a rock and even if I tried I couldn’t fill this one up with apps, the 512 gb is more than sufficient. I’ll never buy a consumer grade iPad again.

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#27

The screens on the 399 basic iPad are just awful to the touch.
It’s by far the most un-apple component in any product.
They are great “burner” iPads tho….,.

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#28

I suppose so, but I personally find it stressing to see the battery run down while I use a lot of cpu power. And I am also acutely aware that the battery only lasts so many recharge cycles before completely dying and while repair shops exist, a battery is neither cheap to replace, neither do the shops reliably do a good job. And I detest having to use expensive dongles because apple is so “brave” to remove the headphone Jack (and other things) for no other reason than profit and even more vendor lock-in.
So I suppose it’s my preference. If one doesn’t mind any of this, then the ipad air seems the current best choice: cheapest to M1.

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#29

I use a Thunderbolt dock with my Mac, and it has everything plugged into it. Monitor, audio interface, Overhub for all the midi stuff.

With a Thunderbolt iPad (which I don’t have), I could just connect one cable and use the whole setup, including the monitor.

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#30

Ok, let me think. Would it be possible to connect an Ipad to the Syntakt via USB and Connect the Syntakt via Line out to the Octatrack and then Stream Audio from the Ipad to the Octatrack trough the Syntakt while Seqencing the Ipad via the Syntakt and connecting octa and Syntakt via Midi?

Could be a little dream, because Ipad is a massive Sound Source and you could sample little things through the Mic. Also I´d like to have the Syntakt in the Mix because of the Drums.

#31

Yes, that is possible… and would make a really powerful setup. Even just the Syntakt+iPad is enough for anyone to work with.

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#32

I think you just made my day. I think this is what I try tomorrow. sounds powerful and and like a small footprint. I hope I got all the cables. But I will bring the octa and trry to sample in it. damn sounds so powerful. you could also sample into the ipad as well from the syntakt.

#33

You could put audio from the iPad through the Syntakt FX, then through the OT effects, then out of OT into the Syntakt IN’s re-sampling into the iPad… then through the Syntakt FX, into the OT, back into the Syntakt, into the iPad… then through the Syntakt, then into the OT, then….

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#34

Damn forgot about the analog ins on the syntakt. it´s getting better and better. a full loop. great. I am really pleased.

Is noone here already using it that way? just one box and Ipad?

#35

I use iPads with my digitakt and Digitone keys all the time.

Then into various things like my Akai Force, BlackBox, or DAW.

AUM, Drambo, PureAcid, a gazillion synths, FX, etc.

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#36

How do you connect with iPad to the force and which apps do you use/how do you fit it into your workflow.

I have the Akai force as the ‘brain’ in my rig and considering purchasing a iPad with a few apps to compliment it and provide a travelling music option.

Thanks

#37

I had GAS for a Roland mc 707 or an Octatrack. I loaded up Drambo, added 8 different synths to the standard channels, added a few more channels with Koala sampler. Added some fx plugins to some channels. All GAS was gone, this was done on my old IPad 7th gen (2019).

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#38

I use an audio interface with 2ins/2outs and midi in/out. Or I use my Digitakt/Digitone. I use both midi and Link for timing.

I use any app standalone, but most often use AUM to handle midi routing and to host audio and effects. I’ll use the iPad as a sound module, playing iPad synths from the Forces pads. I’ll use midi sequencers on the iPad to play the Force synths or keygroups. I multiSample iPad synths (and physical synths) to make my own key groups.

I will make melodies and leads etc on the iPad, sample it and chop it up on the Force. I’ll make drum loops on the iPad and do the same thing.

I can run audio out of the Force, sample it into the iPad, manipulate it, use effects, then resample or transfer it back to the Force via SD card. The possibilities are endless.

I have the iPad on a VESA arm/adapter so it hovers securely right above the Forces touchscreen (Force is on a home made stand/riser and sits at a ~30 degree angle) so it’s all right there and easy to use.

Apps I use a lot are AUM, Drambo, Loopy Pro, Koala, Sitala, Pure Acid, Beat Surfing2, Scaler 2, Gadget, BeatMaker3, Korg Electribe Wave, Samplr, so many synths - virtual analog like the Moog’s, FM synths, etc., various drum machines, lots of FX.

I’ll us a 1/4-mono to USB interface cable into the iPad for guitar/bass/mono synths and make fx chains in AUM, then record into Force. Because I’m using 5 pin midi from iPad audio interface into the Force, I can still use the usb for midi for other physical synths and keep it all timed together and use the midi tracks to control physical synths and iPad synths.

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#39

Almost the same here, but its the ipad Air m1

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#40

looked at new iPads prices.
very happy that i managed to buy two 9th gen iPads.

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