IPad Questions.....anyone using it for portable recording?

Christie

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Hello, I am wondering if any of you are using an IPad as your solution for portable music recording (for generating CD quality with external mics etc) as well as for your jams where it can display your many music songbooks and music sheets? Which apps/hardware are you using? Pros/cons? Would love to get your feedback. Thanks.
 
Appwise GarageBand, Alchemy soft synt, IK Sampletank soft synth/sampler
And Peavey Ampkit for electrics. And various other apps..
For true portable recording I use a Zoom handy recorder.
Then work on the file in ableton.
My iPad is more of a sketch pad idea wise.
Although GarageBand can produce some great results. You will still need a proper workstation for final mastering.
Hardware wise Alesis has made some docking stations for the iPad. First and foremost for us ukers is the IODock, then you might want to look at the Ampdock as well from the same company.
If all you're looking for is a single instrument input Apogee Jam is the way to go.
Any peripherals using the jack to connect your instrument for recording will induce "crosstalk". We don't want that.
So I find it best to use the dock connector and use the headphone jack for monitoring.
The biggest weakness to the iPad is the severe lack of easy multitasking.
I will still use my iPad for recording. But primarily as an effects chain. The CPU on the iPad is significantly more powerful than the cheap DSP chips in various multi effects. So the quality of the effects should be quite good.
I will do a comparison when I find the time..
 
Well I'm sure I don't meet the criteria for "proper workstation", but yes, yes you can.

Blue Snowball Mic into the USB Camera Connection kit
Garageband for iPad

From there you're really done unless you really want to get fiddly with the final mastering, in which case you can share the file with Garageband on your computer. That's how I did a song that we're hoping people are going to pay for on iTunes, to raise money for charity. The response of people testing it has been positive.
 
I've grown to accustomed to Ableton over time.
It's been my go to DAW for a few years.
But I'll have to give GarageBand a little more then.

Plainsong..
What version of iOS are you running?
Because correct me if I'm wrong here.
Didn't APPLE in their infinite wisdom decide to lower the power out on the dock connection.
Thereby rendering most bus powered accessories unusable?
If the camera connection kit still works as it did previously I will have to get one..
 
Wow. That (above) is the most informative post on this subject that you could hope for. Brilliant.

@tjomball: I have many, many questions regarding mobile recording using iOS and my ukulele and now, like it or not, you're the person I'll be asking.

Cheers,
Ash
 
For portable songbook use, I have the New iPad + The Gig Easy (holder) + small mic stand + Air Turn (bluetooth foot switch) + OnSong app. With the iPad on the stand, you can use it as a tripod to shoot video from one of the cameras.

–Lori
 
I've seen the foot switch. And the mic stand holders as well.
But then it goes from something truly portable to something more luggable if you will..
Just my two cents.
But I absolutely see the use for them.
Especially the foot switch. But I looked at it and decided to pass for the time being.
There's got to be a less clunky way of doing that.
And I think the foot switch fell down the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.. Just my opinion.
But then again design and esthetics should not affect my tech purchases.
But f..k me I've gotten vain over the years..
:)
 
Ah. I was about to get a Yeti mic and use it with my iPad via a Blue Icicle that plugs right in via the camera kit, however if you already have decent mics I found a nice alternative that even provides phantom power. It's made by Alesis and is essentially a dock that provides XLR ports.

Here is the link to the iO dock that I ended up buying. It works great so far.
 
I'm on the latest iOS 5 incarnation. Their power fail affects the Blue Yeti, but not the Snowball. :) Apparently an Audio Technica at2020 usb also works, and Blue still has the for-iOS Spark Digital as coming soon.

I've got StudioTrack because I thought having a straight up track recorder would be less head-scratching than GarageBand. But the thing is, the sound is fine within the app, but when you play it through laptop speakers (I always check what it sounds like through the worst speakers after I'm done mastering, so that I know what it'll sound like for most people.), it's all distorted and clipped. Something about StudioTrack and the real world isn't working. And their EQ finger-moving thingy is infuriating. Meanwhile GarageBand seems consistently more honest, even with all its foibles, like having to hack the edited computer .band file so that it can be put back on an iPad.

I use the Blue to record amps, and my main effect weapon of choice is a mxr Analog Chorus. I leave the mic on setting 3 for amps and it seems to give the best results, especially on the Mobile Cube with its two speakers. But yeah you can even set that Blue quite near a bass amp speaker. It's not the most sensitive mic in the world, but it's solid, and when recording a bass, I'm happy it's not sensitive.

The other thing you'll want is studio monitors, either speakers or decent headphones for the purpose. And then after that you'll want to check what it sounds like through the worst speakers you have. :)

I've grown to accustomed to Ableton over time.
It's been my go to DAW for a few years.
But I'll have to give GarageBand a little more then.

Plainsong..
What version of iOS are you running?
Because correct me if I'm wrong here.
Didn't APPLE in their infinite wisdom decide to lower the power out on the dock connection.
Thereby rendering most bus powered accessories unusable?
If the camera connection kit still works as it did previously I will have to get one..
 
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Ok that means a camera connection kit is on the order list.
I guess I will have to pour over technical specifications for a while to figure out what will work on both my platforms.
I know Apple nerfed the power output from 100 mA, to 20 mA.
That has a significant effect on bus powered peripherals.
But Core Audio and Core MIDI is still supported.
From what I've gathered.
If it draws 20 mA.Or less and supports Core MIDI it should work.

But even 100 mA is a low figure for a USB port.
It's supposed to be 500 mA.
Or more correctly 5V 500 mA pr. USB 2.0 specifications.

So therefore I question Apples motives for nerfing the power output on the camera connection kit. Apple has a history of being restrictive regarding compatibility. This to me smells of protecting their income more than anything else. Which is well within their rights. But I have a little problem with being being told what features I can and cannot use on my computer. Hence my impatience regarding the hopefully soon upcoming jailbreak for the latest iOS.
 
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Yup, even from the earliest days, it was a core difference between Steve and Woz. The Spark Digital has its own dock port, but it's been coming soon for a good long while now. The low sensitivity of the Snowball is the same between a computer and an ipad, so at least it's not being limited by Apple's "update". :)

Ok that means a camera connection kit is on the order list.
I guess I will have to pour over technical specifications for a while to figure out what will work on both my platforms.
I know Apple nerfed the power output from 100 mA, to 20 mA.
That has a significant effect on bus powered peripherals.
But Core Audio and Core MIDI is still supported.
From what I've gathered.
If it draws 20 mA.Or less and supports Core MIDI it should work.

But even 100 mA is a low figure for a USB port.
It's supposed to be 500 mA.
Or more correctly 5V 500 mA pr. USB 2.0 specifications.

So therefore I question Apples motives for nerfing the power output on the camera connection kit. Apple has a history of being restrictive regarding compatibility. This to me smells of protecting their income more than anything else. Which is well within their rights. But I have a little problem with being being told what features I can and cannot use on my computer. Hence my impatience regarding the hopefully soon upcoming jailbreak for the latest iOS.
 
I like using the meteor recording software from 4pockets on the iPad with an alesis iodock. I like it, though, because I would already hav he iPad with me anyway. For the $ there are smaller, better recorders out there.
 
For portable songbook use, I have the New iPad + The Gig Easy (holder) + small mic stand + Air Turn (bluetooth foot switch) + OnSong app. With the iPad on the stand, you can use it as a tripod to shoot video from one of the cameras.

–Lori
Bandmate has all her sheet music on hers. Works nice but we both agreed it would work better if the screen was 8 and a half by 11. As the eyes get older, size is important.
 
Bandmate has all her sheet music on hers. Works nice but we both agreed it would work better if the screen was 8 and a half by 11. As the eyes get older, size is important.
I have mine turned to landscape mode, and have the tabs scroll by in OnSong. It ends up being as big as the paper version, but easier to see because of the backlighting. I am so glad to replace all those heavy reams of paper with the one device. I have had to scan and customize some of my books though. I like the built in metronome and audio play-along features too.
–Lori
 
I meet with Lori at the WUE rehearsals and her setup is very nicely done. I'm also hearing rumors that Apple might come out with a 12.9" diagonal iPad later this year, the current is 9.7" diagonal. An 8.5x11 paper is 13.75" diagonal.

Lori's setup has prompted me to get a foot pedal. I added a footrest to make it more efficient, still getting used to it. I'm slowly moving all my sheets to my iPad, remaking each in my graphics design program to eliminate repeats, since an iPad can scroll continuously, so number of pages doesn't matter. I have a nice cover for my iPad with a rotating hand strap on the back that has an easel pop out for table top, and it fits over my music stand as well.

I also have a setup for field recording stereo to an iPad or iPhone with a Blue Mikey device and two Azden wireless mics, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I'll post photos of my setups sometime tomorrow, getting too late now, but I wanted to throw in my 2¢.
 
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I have a decent setup finally at my house.

It's mainly apple and apogee stuff.

I have Misi pickups on my 3 favorite ukes.

For video I use an ipad 2 with a stand so I can see what I'm taping.

I use apogee jam for a direct interface to the ipad apps for best sound or the apogee mic for acoustic and voice. They are both excellent products strictly ios and relatively inexpensive I think I paid 300 for both.

Let's see for apps on the ipad I use loopy hd, and jamup pro both excellent products and quire affordable.

I also use garageband and iMovie on both the ipad and my MacBook Pro,

Even if you are not a Mac user you can use the ipad for all of it including uploading directly to youtube.

Aside from the ipad, I have investd no more than 500 in total for a very nice digital quality home setup. This includes an ipad stand, cables, apps Etc...

I have not used the jam yet for youtube videos but the rest of my videos are all done with this setup, including the apogee mic

Being an IT and gadget guy, I did my research. And the apogee stuff and those apps are out of this world for the price. Also there is an app called chord detector that can give you all the chords for any song in your ipad.

This stuff is self contained in the ipad, it's relatively affordable, it's rock solid, chuck full of features, and relatively easy to use.

Oh some of these apps work together, and I also have a set of 4 airturn pedals.... So I can have an unlimited looper for all digital... Vs. the ditto pedal that sells for 129
 
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