Does an IPAD have similar computing power than a PC to power those synths?

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

@ el-bo: But taking a look at what's actually ported, it's often year old plugins which shouldn't take much processing power. Or it's newly developed stuff like Waldorf's Nave, which is probably highly optimized. If you want to run a reasonable amount of instances (don't know what's possible on the iPad, i remember there was limitations in the audiobus stuff too?), you got to have stuff which doesn't use up all your processing power, which is way limited with portable devices, as you want to have a good battery span. Processors which are optimized for energy saving will always be rather limited in processing power. E.g. Intel Atom processors with 1.6 GHz were on par with Intel Pentium 1 GHz CPU's.

i'm not arguing there aren't compromises to be made, but how that translates into everyday use is not as clear cut.

we're not going to see 'idiva' anytime soon, but the age/optimisation argument doesn't mean a thing if the real-world experience is as good as it is. 'thor' is no spring-chicken, but it is an excellent sounding ios synth. propellerheads are among a good few developers who have improved the performance aspects of their products to take advantage of the touch aspects of ios. as for opimisation ?? not tried nave, but i am guessing moog's animoog is as optimised as it needs to be. i have it running on a 3 year-old ipad (way underpowered compared to todays ipad), and it is as smooth as butter, sounds fantastic, and is the most expressive synth instrument i have ever played

the mistake is to compare on-paper specs (an argument that is often used in android vs ios debates), but it really has no bearing on real-world usage. i get more battery hours than i need, even with a few intensive apps running at the same time. besides, in most critical situations, you won't be far from a power outlet. you can even get mobile chargers should you find 9 hours of field recording insufficient

the other aspect of this argument that seems a little pointless is to not look to apps that play to the strengths of the touch screen; apps that have been designed from the ground up that have no equal in the world of the desktop/laptop. apps like tc-11, gestrument, samplr, thumbjam, and many more

[Wormhelmet]

"Does an IPAD have similar computing power than a PC to power those synths?"

obviously not but it already lets me create sounds, play them, sequence them, mix them and finalize complex tracks,

so it offers all the tools I need for making and producing music, wich is the goal for most of us , isn't it ?

I don't say it's perfect (like anything), just that it's a valid solution already.

if you are one of those guys who permanently tells thingslike "without this DAW or that synth I can't make this" or "X DAW sound better than Y DAW" or "I need 75 VSTi and 350 vst FX per song" , stay with your existing tools.

If not and if you consider that it's your own skills that make good music and not a bunddle of plugins you can go already with ipad.

Or buy a Core 2 Duo laptop that will cost peanuts, and will run better software, and still be able to achieve any of the above for a fraction of the cost of the iPad.

I mean, "if you consider that it's your own skills that make good music", than there's no reason to opt for an iPad, right? Unless you think it makes you "cooler"

Still on the anti-iPad spiel I see....

Do like old vinyl? Because you still sound like that broken old record that keeps repeating.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

"Does an IPAD have similar computing power than a PC to power those synths?"

obviously not but it already lets me create sounds, play them, sequence them, mix them and finalize complex tracks,

so it offers all the tools I need for making and producing music, wich is the goal for most of us , isn't it ?

I don't say it's perfect (like anything), just that it's a valid solution already.

if you are one of those guys who permanently tells thingslike "without this DAW or that synth I can't make this" or "X DAW sound better than Y DAW" or "I need 75 VSTi and 350 vst FX per song" , stay with your existing tools.

If not and if you consider that it's your own skills that make good music and not a bunddle of plugins you can go already with ipad.

Or buy a Core 2 Duo laptop that will cost peanuts, and will run better software, and still be able to achieve any of the above for a fraction of the cost of the iPad.

I mean, "if you consider that it's your own skills that make good music", than there's no reason to opt for an iPad, right? Unless you think it makes you "cooler"

Still on the anti-iPad spiel I see....

Do like old vinyl? Because you still sound like that broken old record that keeps repeating.

i think he's just a bit crabby. it must be difficult being surrounded by people who enjoy the opportunities offered by using different instruments/devices/mediums. given that he knows it is just his skills that make the music, he does all his music via 'synth 1' and cubase vst.

cut him some slack

[BiancaNeve]

So what touch friendly ( ie no mouse or keyboard required) music software is there that runs on a windows tablet that won't cost me an arm and a leg ?

There are threads on this already :


http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 6&t=405737

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 6&t=417652

Thanks for those links.

They don't really answer the question though.

Lots of stuff about the hardware. Something about which software will run. very little about how well the touch interface works for actually making music on them.

[9headshydra]

You should check out the HP Pavilion x360 and other "bend friendly" laptops

thank you for bringing new possibilities,

I 'm just fine with ipad and all the already existing app for making music, that are all made with tactil UI in mind and a very low price also.

[fmr]

Still on the anti-iPad spiel I see....

Do like old vinyl? Because you still sound like that broken old record that keeps repeating.

1. I'm not anti-iPad (I couldn't care less), I'm anti-hype, and my answer was just to dissipate the smoke curtain that the usual hype fanboys were already lifting, and place things where they should. And in the case of iPad, it's an overpriced, underpowered piece of gear.

2. I do have a good collection of old vinyl (but I don't buy vinyl anymore). However, I bet you don't actually even heard an old broken record - and there was a time where those "old broken records" were a technique used to make music. Guess what - the same technique is still used today... mainly by the people the like hype and iPads. Now, who is in the "old broken record" field?

[chk071]

And in the case of iPad, it's an overpriced, underpowered piece of gear.

The story of Apple devices in general. They usually have damn good displays though.

[bmrzycki]

I plan on purchasing an iPad Air 2 this fall once the new A8 ARM processor is released in it. Why? Well...

I have a dedicated practice space with a digital piano (a Kawai MP11 that I love). That space is free from distractions like e-mail, web, etc. The piano has the ability to mix an audio input signal into it from line inputs on the back and do layer/splits with the keyboard. So I thought, this would be a great opportunity to get a standalone synth and practice patch-making, playing, and improvisation. I wanted to be able to use pads a lot for left hand chords, so a monosynth wouldn't do.

So what's available to me? Blofeld-$500, Virus snow-$1350, Pulse2 (not really poly, but close)->$750, Tetr4->$800. I almost pulled the trigger on the Blofeld until I saw this "Nave" thing on Waldorf's website. After learning it was $20 I was intrigued. And even a good iPad for $499 places in the same price range as its competitors.

After researching the market I've concluded standalone VA synth design is dead. At least devices that don't have keyboards. It's all done on iOS or VST/AU. The really big difference is iOS synths average about $10-$20. Is it the same as the desktop? nope. But for how I want to use it the differences are few.

I plan on using the ipad as a VA synth with a touch screen. Sure beats the tiny LCD and 3-4 knob options given on things like the Blofeld or Snow. In my practice space I will have wifi disabled and since the app is full-screen I am going to focus on playing, tweaking, and refining sounds. And if I find I don't really gel with the synth I'm using, I can try another one for about $20. Some of them even allow me to move sounds between their desktop counterpart. Try that with a blofeld or any of the other VA hardware boxes I listed.

Could I use a laptop? Sure. But the experience is different. I am hoping the immediate touch-screen will present a completely difference experience from mouse-driven VAs. Several of the synths in iOS have polyphonic aftertouch or uniquely modified keyboards (see TF7's squares, Animoog's blades, or thor's strum mode). With multi-touch I can "turn" two knobs at once. That's pretty hard to do with a mouse.

And if you look outside the world of traditional synths there's a wealth of apps that are doing really creative things with touch screen interfaces: Samplr, Lemur, Loopy HD, Ondes, Thumbjam...

I don't consider it an either-or scenario. I own thor and Alchemy on the desktop and I look forward to patch sharing between my desktop and the device.

The way I see it it's one of the best devices for standalone synths in a long time. Unless you're looking for real analog goodness you'd be remiss not to at least examine the iPad for what it can bring.

[Numanoid]

Still on the anti-iPad spiel I see....

And I'm backing fmr 100% on that

Looking at that new iProphet vid from Arturia, it's all about trying to look cool on the subway

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I plan on purchasing an iPad Air 2 this fall once the new A8 ARM processor is released in it. Why? Well...

I have a dedicated practice space with a digital piano (a Kawai MP11 that I love). That space is free from distractions like e-mail, web, etc. The piano has the ability to mix an audio input signal into it from line inputs on the back and do layer/splits with the keyboard. So I thought, this would be a great opportunity to get a standalone synth and practice patch-making, playing, and improvisation. I wanted to be able to use pads a lot for left hand chords, so a monosynth wouldn't do.

So what's available to me? Blofeld-$500, Virus snow-$1350, Pulse2 (not really poly, but close)->$750, Tetr4->$800. I almost pulled the trigger on the Blofeld until I saw this "Nave" thing on Waldorf's website. After learning it was $20 I was intrigued. And even a good iPad for $499 places in the same price range as its competitors.

After researching the market I've concluded standalone VA synth design is dead. At least devices that don't have keyboards. It's all done on iOS or VST/AU. The really big difference is iOS synths average about $10-$20. Is it the same as the desktop? nope. But for how I want to use it the differences are few.

I plan on using the ipad as a VA synth with a touch screen. Sure beats the tiny LCD and 3-4 knob options given on things like the Blofeld or Snow. In my practice space I will have wifi disabled and since the app is full-screen I am going to focus on playing, tweaking, and refining sounds. And if I find I don't really gel with the synth I'm using, I can try another one for about $20. Some of them even allow me to move sounds between their desktop counterpart. Try that with a blofeld or any of the other VA hardware boxes I listed.

Could I use a laptop? Sure. But the experience is different. I am hoping the immediate touch-screen will present a completely difference experience from mouse-driven VAs. Several of the synths in iOS have polyphonic aftertouch or uniquely modified keyboards (see TF7's squares, Animoog's blades, or thor's strum mode). With multi-touch I can "turn" two knobs at once. That's pretty hard to do with a mouse.

And if you look outside the world of traditional synths there's a wealth of apps that are doing really creative things with touch screen interfaces: Samplr, Lemur, Loopy HD, Ondes, Thumbjam...

I don't consider it an either-or scenario. I own thor and Alchemy on the desktop and I look forward to patch sharing between my desktop and the device.

The way I see it it's one of the best devices for standalone synths in a long time. Unless you're looking for real analog goodness you'd be remiss not to at least examine the iPad for what it can bring.

when you look at the ipad for what it is, and what it can be, all arguments about what it isn't become pretty irrelevant

i predict you'll enjoy the experience very much

[fmr]

I plan on purchasing an iPad Air 2 this fall once the new A8 ARM processor is released in it. Why? Well...

I have a dedicated practice space with a digital piano (a Kawai MP11 that I love). That space is free from distractions like e-mail, web, etc. The piano has the ability to mix an audio input signal into it from line inputs on the back and do layer/splits with the keyboard. So I thought, this would be a great opportunity to get a standalone synth and practice patch-making, playing, and improvisation. I wanted to be able to use pads a lot for left hand chords, so a monosynth wouldn't do.

So what's available to me? Blofeld-$500, Virus snow-$1350, Pulse2 (not really poly, but close)->$750, Tetr4->$800. I almost pulled the trigger on the Blofeld until I saw this "Nave" thing on Waldorf's website. After learning it was $20 I was intrigued. And even a good iPad for $499 places in the same price range as its competitors.

After researching the market I've concluded standalone VA synth design is dead. At least devices that don't have keyboards. It's all done on iOS or VST/AU. The really big difference is iOS synths average about $10-$20. Is it the same as the desktop? nope. But for how I want to use it the differences are few.

I plan on using the ipad as a VA synth with a touch screen. Sure beats the tiny LCD and 3-4 knob options given on things like the Blofeld or Snow. In my practice space I will have wifi disabled and since the app is full-screen I am going to focus on playing, tweaking, and refining sounds. And if I find I don't really gel with the synth I'm using, I can try another one for about $20. Some of them even allow me to move sounds between their desktop counterpart. Try that with a blofeld or any of the other VA hardware boxes I listed.

THIS I could subscribe, and would be an option I could even do myself. This is an informed, objective appreciation, has a very precise goal, did fair comparisons, and the decision is made with rational arguments.

I think the key here is taking the iPad for what it is, and not for what it isn't. It isn't and will never be a replacement for a computer.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Still on the anti-iPad spiel I see....

And I'm backing fmr 100% on that

Looking at that new iProphet vid from Arturia, it's all about trying to look cool on the subway

you literally piss yourself (as in, piss running down your leg with anticipation and excitement) everytime something mac, or ipad-related shows up in the 'latest posts' sidebar, don't you ??

let's see :

a few hundred of whatever your currency is in, in initial investment, to get hold of the hardware (it needn't be apple, though until android gets it's thumb out it's arse wrt to latency etc, then it's all about ios)

after that investment, you get access to tons of great music apps, sold at ridiculous prices (that will recover the value of the hardware all too quickly). many of these apps (even those that are ports from classic desktop/hardware stuff), offer ways of interacting (10-finger multi-touch, gyroscope etc) with the instruments that gives unique expression

add to that, the ability to make music pretty much anywhere

that you don't want it is no problem. that you don't 'get it' ?? well, that's another thing entirely

[bmrzycki]

(it needn't be apple, though until android gets it's thumb out it's arse wrt to latency etc, then it's all about ios)

You're absolutely right about Android sadly.

I forgot to mention in my post I did evaluate Android. I actually use a Nexus 4 phone and have a Nexus 7 tablet for video/books. So I decied to try out the Nexus 7 as an iPad replacement. It did not go well.

The first problem I saw with Android is the synth offerings in the google play store are pretty slim and none of the big boys are there. The quality is laughable compared to iOS offerings with a few exceptions (Caustic mostly). Even so I decided to try out what what there and downloaded a few freebie/freemium apps and tried them out.

The latency is *horrible*. It's like playing on a PC without ASIO drivers. The sound was not great either. I felt like I was using PC synths around the time of Reason 1.0.

Google has not prioritized the audio path or midi signals in Android which is a shame. I do like to see healthy competition in the marketplace. As much as I think Android is a good competitor to Apple in other areas it falls flat here.

[chk071]

Tbh, even Caustic didn't impress me. At least not the sound quality of the devices. Maybe i'm spoiled with what VSTi's do offer though. iOS is a whole different market. Many artists use Mac computers, thus will also likely own a iOS device. Therefor the need for audio applications will be there, while on Android it's pretty much a niche market.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

(it needn't be apple, though until android gets it's thumb out it's arse wrt to latency etc, then it's all about ios)

You're absolutely right about Android sadly.

I forgot to mention in my post I did evaluate Android. I actually use a Nexus 4 phone and have a Nexus 7 tablet for video/books. So I decied to try out the Nexus 7 as an iPad replacement. It did not go well.

The first problem I saw with Android is the synth offerings in the google play store are pretty slim and none of the big boys are there. The quality is laughable compared to iOS offerings with a few exceptions (Caustic mostly). Even so I decided to try out what what there and downloaded a few freebie/freemium apps and tried them out.

The latency is *horrible*. It's like playing on a PC without ASIO drivers. The sound was not great either. I felt like I was using PC synths around the time of Reason 1.0.

Google has not prioritized the audio path or midi signals in Android which is a shame. I do like to see healthy competition in the marketplace. As much as I think Android is a good competitor to Apple it falls flat here.

yes, it is a shame. i also went down the android route first. this was a couple of years back, and i have heard that things are improving. caustic was pretty much the only thing around, at that point, and it was so depressing. (the latency, not so much the app)