I went form laptop to iPad for my music because of size. I know that the subject “Laptop or iPad” has been discussed before but I would like some more opinions.

Do you still feel the same way about using an iPad, If you do why?

I find that there is nothing like my laptop to get everything organized. I have most of the same stuff in my iPad but it is scatted. Unlike my laptop where I have 100 songs in Lyric, script (notes) , MPs, and wave files. All on one page, all I have to do is select.

Opinions please,
John C.

Gary, especially yours!

John, for me, it's strictly the laptop. I currently use a netbook, which is very low profile, provides all the programming attributes of a standard laptop, weighs just over a pound, 9-inch, very bright display, and most folks don't notice it on the console. Additionally, I can easily operate it while performing a song using a remote, wireless mouse that is situated just below the keyboard on a specially designed pad held in place by the keyboard's weight. No one in the audience can see it, and no one knows you are even using it.

In this photo, the mouse is situated just beneath the girl on the left's right hand. I don't believe she even noticed it sitting there on the mouse platform.



If you get the opportunity to come down to Marathon Key between January 18th and March 18th, and bring your rig, I'll be more than happy to show you some of the shortcuts I've developed over the years to make the transition between songs seamless.

Good luck,

Gary

I now have what I consider the best of both worlds for my needs. It's an ASUS Transformer that is a small laptop, but the keyboard is detachable if you choose to use it as a tablet. Touchscreen, or pad, or wireless mouse.
Love it!

For me its currently windows, because of the touchscreen support..

I have a 27" self created windows tablet... Kind of like an imac, withouth keyboard, but with touchscreen, weights about 10 kg, and runs my DAW..

After addapting, touchscreen works very well for real time actuons, as long as the screen and controll elements are big enough... Allmost all my VSTs work great in ableton live under windows..

I still have my mavbook, because of logic and mainstage... Which only run on MAC and both are great applications. If you really require these applications, you must go mac, otherwise you can just as well go windows with the added touchscreen support..


Mobile devices like IoS and android, are only usefull as musicreaders, their musicall applications are all stand alone and miss the integration that DAW software on mac or pc offers you

Gary, might you have more pictures of how the little platform that supports the computer is attached to the stand?

John C.
Thanks

If you want to use Windows, have a look at the Microsoft Surface Pro 3! I bought it some months ago. It is a tablet with absolutely full laptop performance, Windows 8 and 12 inch display. I have the version with i5 processor and 128GB. You can attach a lightweight full-quality keyboard if you want to convert it to a full laptop.

Its an awesome device, expensive, yet worth its money...

However, for using it realtime as a daw on stage, its a) to small sceen, b) not enough HD space ((VSTs these days horde memmory))

But as a desktop/laptop replacement its awesome, and also for running some smaller VSTs, or even Varranger.

I'll shoot some video of the platform and how it works.

Gary

btw I still have the 2nd tier bars here

Here ya go!



Gary

This may be of some help as well.



It's an older video of me, but I'm a bit older, too.

Gary

John,
I have used my IPad for 5 years and will never go back to a laptop just to display leadsheets. I use two different programs.
1. UnReal Book
2. Good Reader

Each has it's own benefits and cost under $5.00 each.

My iPad also serves as a DJ system when needed. I have over 6000 leadsheets on it and we'll over 500 MP3s when needed. I keep it backed up and actually have a 2nd IPad just in case.

Deane

John, I'm an Apple Fan Boy, just my preference it works for me Apple equipment is not inexpensive but the eco-system works well with our iPhones, iPads and Macs.

I like using the unReal book for lead sheets on the iPad, why?

1.It's sits nice and out of the way of my view and the audience's view of me.
2.It's a piece of cake to create playlists.
3.The search function works very well and fast, I can call up a lead sheets in a matter of seconds
4.It works with a dual pedal for turning pages, although I don't use it all the time it is a handy tool. Actually turning pages with a simple touch of the screen works well too minus the pedal
5. I have thousands of lead sheets and fake books stored in the iPad.
6. unReal book allows you to extract single sheets from fake books
7. You can create hot spots on the lead sheets to take you directly to another page or back to the beginning of the sheet.

Although I tried the following with my PA3x it proved to be more trouble progamming than it was worth for my use.

8.The ipad can be programmed so that when you pull up a song the correponding registration for the song will be pulled up. Really makes it one touch, pull up the song and the Pa3x is set for the style for the song.

Not saying my way is better than a Windows laptop and/or newest Surface pro aren't great tools, just my choice with the iPad.

For MY needs NOTHING can replace a LAPTOP for navigational features in live play.......
I don't need it for any charts as I don't use them,....lyrics once in a while on obscure requests songs using txt. files,.....but as an Mp3 player for different needs during a show, backing tracks, dj songs etc,it's the best for me,....tried the tablet thing a few months ago Galaxy 10.0 dumped it quick what was I thinking? Touch screen is useless vs a keyboard. enjoy what you use.

I have the same Asus Transformer as Don Mason, and love it. Along with a 32 GB micro SD card, and 3.0 USB port, it holds more than enough .pdf sheet music and other files... more than I'll ever need. The screen is just the right size, and I also like the option of using it as a laptop or tablet.

BTW I just starting using this Microsoft Bluetooth mouse from Amazon that so far works good. (I could never get the hang of a touch pad).

I suppose the moral of this post is that it is becomming more and more a paperless society, and that's a good thing

Hi Bruno:

You have made an interesting observation. I'm a non-performing songwriter (but I do sing my own demos) and don't really need a laptop or iPad to keep my songset in order for a gig.

I do own both and for me, the laptop wins... handsdown! Apps are mostly for folks with phones... and programs are for serious activities. I don't like Apple trying to control my songs or life in general. A laptop or desktop allows me to do what I darn well please with my own original songs... or to set up a spreadsheet, type a letter (or novel) and do things not related to social networking or texting.

I use my iPad for playing chess using a free app. At one time, I kept some of my songs on it but I had to go around Apple in order to do it. Finally, in disgust... I decided to take it off-line. Don't get me wrong... I'm not implying that Microsoft is one bit better than Apple. I hate them both!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to attempt to migrate over to one of the versions of Linux that will still allow me to create songs and music without interference from these two giant computer bullys.

Best of luck with your musical objectives.

Dave Rice

http://ShowCaseYourMusic.com/DaveRice/

I was against Apple for a long time until Roland more or less forced me to consider an iPad in order to control my Integra conveniently.
Meanwhile, the iPad is extremely useful to control my new SD 1000, which has no buttons. There are two fantastic apps called Set List Maker (with midi functions) and iMidiPatchbay, which works like a hardware patchbay. I'm especially happy with the latter, you can turn a simple keyboard into a split or layer keyboard addressing different sounds of the Ketron module, you can route midi signals, you can send bank/program change messages to change sounds pressing a single button, or transpose easily. No, it is not a simple non-serious gadget like some smartphone apps, it is a very serious tool.

I use ubuntu(Linux) operating system on a old dell laptop with 3 gig mem , duo processor. My music programs are audacity for live audio recording and rose garden for midi and live. Both programs work great . They are free. I also have a windows xp system that has power tracks and band in the box. In comparison the windows system is pretty simple , Linux you have to work at , but it's well worth because of stability , no big corporation to subscribe with and online threats. Both systems have their advantage. I also had a 8 track recorder that was great for quick mastering, but preferred the computer screen for my work. Good luck with your choice

This nye party I recorded "at the hop" by Danny and the juniors with harmonies on my laptop then transferred it to my small MP3 player. Use it on stage as an experiment , no problems with audio quality and it eliminated bringing a laptop. Most of the time I play live but I had alittle fun with the tech stuff. I'm retired from playing full time , just performing once a year .

Hi Wrinkles:

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with you about the learning curve with Linux... but hey, I got fairly comfortable with DOS and before that CP/M before Windows came along... and I still have an old iMac... so I'm flexible but hated to lose Windows XP Support. I still have it on my non-internet recording Computer.

Deciding which version of Ubuntu seems to be the biggest choice to make. I have an old desktop small format PC and plan to start there with Ubuntu.

Regards,

Dave Rice

Forget Ubuntu, its just stuffed with bloat ware these days, best to go with Linux Mint, as while it is based around Ubuntu it has none of the rubbish that Ubuntu itself comes with these days.

I would also suggest that you wait for Windows 10 which is due out later this year, as the technical preview is great, and with the features to be added shortly it is a genuine replacement for Windows 7. (Vista was a disaster which was solved with 7, and 8 was also poor which 10 solves)

If you don’t want to wait for 10 go for 7 as its way better than XP, and takes up no more resources. (I still have XP available in a virtual environment but I haven’t used it for years (One of these days I will finally get round to uninstalling it)

Hope this helps

Bill

I agree with you for Linux mint, if you want an everything onboard Linux install, or Centos if you want a good stable server or naked client... Ubuntu has indeed just as much bloatware as the average android phone..


However in music buiseness, i would go with windows 7 or 8 if you want touchscreen, 64 bit as a client... Because all great software and VSTs run under windows, unless you want logic or other specific apple products, then apple is the only way to go... Windows 8 interface is actually quite logical but requires addapting and rethinking... The biggest letdown is that most older 3rd party applications are not really fit to running with a touchscreen, while the OS itselves works perfect with either a multitouchscreen or a multitouchpad but not with a mouse, the older applications dont take well to touch as they where not really designed for it...

If you want to build a serious DAW and still have all options available, Linux would not be my first choice (comming from a certified linux admin)


Both ios and android are severely underpowered when it comes to do professionall stuff with music, android lacks most of the software, while ios lacks the abbility to running more then a single program in real time... They are still in a position where they make great music readers and fun toys...


Unless you own an Integra7, you dont want a mobile device that does not run a fullfledged version of windows... Integra 7 is one of the exceptions, because you run the actuall interface on your ipad.

Thanks, Bill and Abacus:

I've heard that Mint is a good platform for music creation and editing. I suspect the learning curve is two-fold. First, Linux must be mastered and then the Linux based Music Software must also be learned. I'm guessing that this might take some pretty intense and time consuming effort on the part of a semi-intelligent novice. I'm hoping an installation disk can be acquired with some documentation about getting it onto a Windows based operating system and then a method to eliminate Win or put it onto a different partition on the hard drive.

The other choice I hear might be available is a self-contained memory stick (or similar device) that would allow independent operation from Windows without having to change any of the existing hard drive software or Windows Operating System. Naturally, the Memory Stick would require several gigs of space.

Possibly I am just whistling in the dark but the learning curves without a guru of qualified tech instructor can be a real time consuming nightmare.

Any thoughts?

Regards,

Dave Rice

Hi Dave

There are many options for installing Linux, including all the ones you mention.

USB Stick/HDD: to get the best out of this it would need to be USB 3 as while it would work with USB 2 it would be very slow. (If your computer does not have USB 3 you can purchase a plug-in PCIe card to add it for minimal cost)

The Linux file can be downloaded in the ISO format which can be burned direct to a DVD, thus giving you a fully bootable disc.

If you have a later version of Windows you can use Disk Management to create a new partition on your HDD, (You will need to reduce the size of an existing partition first) or you can use one of the many free Disk utility programs available. (I use http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html )

When you boot from the Linux Disk it will give you the option to either replace Windows or run Linux on the separate partition, thus giving you a dual boot system.

In ALL circumstances back everything up before doing any modifications.

I would not recommend you get rid of Windows as there are a lot of Music programs (Including many big names) that will not run on any form of Linux even using Wine. (Those that use a separate dongle such as East West & Steinberg are probably the most notable)

Hope this helps

Bill

Wow Dave, CP/M is a really historical computer OS. I doubt there were any MIDI or synth apps running under that. But it is cool you remember it. I remember it, I had a Commodore 128 that ran CP/M.

Thanks, Bill:

Great advice. I'll probably use a spare laptop and do a repartition (about half windows and half linux) so I won't be risking any of my existing files or programs.

Regards,

Dave Rice

Hi Nigel:

It is amazing how much progress (depending on one's view of progress... LOL!) but I really miss my old Commodore Amiga. For it's time, there was nothing to compare. It came with a program called, "Deluxe Paint" and I have never found anything to replace it... particularly for it's ease of use and versatility. That program was written by a company that decided to change directions into computer games and they abandoned the best art program ever written.

Thanks for the trip down "memory lane."

All my best,

Dave Rice

If you want to try other OS before changing, and only have one system, use VMWARE as a virtuall engine... Takes a little research, but works as a breeze when you want to test Linux distros.. No reformatting, or risk for dataloss..

I ended up using bars and pipes on my amiga 2000 as a midi sequencer, it was a really great product back then..

Hi again, Bill:

The Amiga was so far ahead of its time. Such a shame that Commodore was not capable of taking it down the road into the next generation for us. I kept mine until a few years ago when we had to relocate and downsize. It nearly killed me to let it go.

Thanks again for all your help.

Dave Rice

Good topic! I might need to get an iPad for other reasons, but I have a couple of questions:

1) Can an iPad send MIDI note messages to a keyboard (in other words, is a sequencing app available which can "play" a stored MIDI file using the keyboard as a tone generator.)

2) Deane, do your lead sheet solutions scroll through the music in a "follow-the-bouncing-ball" style, or do you have to manually turn the pages? If the latter, can the page-turn function be controlled by a foot pedal?

Thanks!

1) yes with the right apps and the right hardware piece it can...