Ipad air 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S?

[IncarnateX]

OP forgot to tell he needs it for reading iBooks.

BTW: If you cannot make award winning smash hits with an iPad Air 2 you cannot make it with anything, so don't even try, loser.

[polaris20]

The iPad Air 2 is a pretty powerful platform for music making, when combined with Audiobus. For guitar, I use BIAS into Fiddlicator (for Redwirez IR's), and for synths I use Animoog and Sampletank. I run them into GarageBand, and thus can import easily into Logic X. Works great; fantastic workflow.

I LOVE the Surface Pro 3, but for audio stuff, not so much. The interfaces just aren't designed for touch yet. You might as well get a laptop.

[ImNotDedYet]

I've always been an Android guy and recently got the chance to spring for a tablet through my phone provider for basically nothing. I seriously considered an iPad due to the production additions it could provide, but decided on an Android tablet. 2 days later I exchanged it for an iPad Air 2 with absolutely no regrets...other than I'm still figuring out how to use the iPad and iOS. There are tons of great production tools on it and some very nice synths. I could never see doing full-blown production on it, but certainly adding on to my current DAW-based productions and perhaps laying down some ideas while away from my home studio.

And for those saying just use a computer - some of these synths for iOS and the price they're charging makes it very hard not to seriously consider tablet-based audio creation as an add-on to your computer. If you don't think so, you probably don't know the quality of what's out there for $9.99 or less.

[mhog]

I LOVE the Surface Pro 3, but for audio stuff, not so much. The interfaces just aren't designed for touch yet. You might as well get a laptop.

Well, my ipad has just idied. Replaced with an i3 Surface pro 3. Response: another planet. The only thing I miss is Animoog, otherwhise the two devices are not even comparable in terms of performance: the Surface is really powerful, it has usb3 connections for external keyboards, synths, audio interfaces... whatever... you can of course install any virtual instrument, sequencer, audio software you need, create different partitions, whatever. Just like a pc (well... it is a pc, ready for Windows 10). The "touch" is very comfortable (up to 10 point multi-touch), and if you don't feel comfortable using your fingers, you can always use the ultraprecise (included) pen at the same time, or a mouse. Its display is large enough for a DAW and in case of a "virtual piano" you can use all your fingers and play chords and scales. Etc.

Conclusion: I do hope the rumours are true and Apple will at last produce a 12' ipad pro (running Yosemite OS, of course).

[T-CM11]

I LOVE the Surface Pro 3, but for audio stuff, not so much. The interfaces just aren't designed for touch yet. You might as well get a laptop.

Well, my ipad has just idied. Replaced with an i3 Surface pro 3. Response: another planet. The only thing I miss is Animoog, otherwhise the two devices are not even comparable in terms of performance: the Surface is really powerful, it has usb3 connections for external keyboards, synths, audio interfaces... whatever... you can of course install any virtual instrument, sequencer, audio software you need, create different partitions, whatever. Just like a pc (well... it is a pc, ready for Windows 10). The "touch" is very comfortable (up to 10 point multi-touch), and if you don't feel comfortable using your fingers, you can always use the ultraprecise (included) pen at the same time, or a mouse. Its display is large enough for a DAW and in case of a "virtual piano" you can use all your fingers and play chords and scales. Etc.

Conclusion: I do hope the rumours are true and Apple will at last produce a 12' ipad pro (running Yosemite OS, of course).

Yes yes, it all sounds a lot like... my laptop.
How about telling us the experience of controlling virtual instruments with your fingers? (because using the tiny tip of a pen on small onscreen objects is a lot like using a mouse)

[mhog]

I LOVE the Surface Pro 3, but for audio stuff, not so much. The interfaces just aren't designed for touch yet. You might as well get a laptop.

Well, my ipad has just idied. Replaced with an i3 Surface pro 3. Response: another planet. The only thing I miss is Animoog, otherwhise the two devices are not even comparable in terms of performance: the Surface is really powerful, it has usb3 connections for external keyboards, synths, audio interfaces... whatever... you can of course install any virtual instrument, sequencer, audio software you need, create different partitions, whatever. Just like a pc (well... it is a pc, ready for Windows 10). The "touch" is very comfortable (up to 10 point multi-touch), and if you don't feel comfortable using your fingers, you can always use the ultraprecise (included) pen at the same time, or a mouse. Its display is large enough for a DAW and in case of a "virtual piano" you can use all your fingers and play chords and scales. Etc.

Conclusion: I do hope the rumours are true and Apple will at last produce a 12' ipad pro (running Yosemite OS, of course).

Yes yes, it all sounds a lot like... my laptop.
How about telling us the experience of controlling virtual instruments with your fingers? (because using the tiny tip of a pen on small onscreen objects is a lot like using a mouse)

If you need a powerful laptop, then buy a macbook pro. But if you want to play music on a tablet, having all the professional audio software available out there, buy a surface. The ipad is too expensive, too tiny, it just runs a phone OS, not Yosemite. The only things available for music are the so-called "lite" apps (very light versions of vsts: usually players. See Alchemy, St3 etc.), or very limited toyish sequencers. Of course you have a lot of fun while waiting for the bus, or so but... what else?... For instance: while on ipad you can only have Propellerhead "Figure", on the Surface you play Reason 8. Because with Surface you can do everything you usually do with a PC: you can install Cubase, Ableton Live, Reaper... everything you need: put them in different partitions with a different OS, if you want. Whatever. External devices, keyboards, audio and midi instruments... Everything you need. No limitations at all. Again: another planet (finally).

Controlling virtual instruments on the Surface is more comfortable and much esier than on iPad, due to the larger display and the various options (fingers, pen, mouse, trackpad, "enlarging virtual buttons" or "create touch midi buttons" third party software etc.).

[T-CM11]

If you need a powerful laptop, then buy a macbook pro.

Ah, I didn't know that there was only one kind of powerful laptop, from 1 manufacturer.

But if you want to play music on a tablet, having all the professional audio software available out there, buy a surface. The ipad is too expensive, too tiny, it just runs a phone OS, not Yosemite.

Why would I buy a surface, I already have a laptop. The iPad is not that expensive, compared to other tablets.

The only things available for music are the so-called "lite" apps (very light versions of vsts: usually players. See Alchemy, St3 etc.), or very limited toyish sequencers.

Not true at all.

8. Because with Surface you can do everything you usually do with a PC: you can install Cubase, Ableton Live, Reaper... everything you need: put them in different partitions with a different OS, if you want. Whatever. External devices, keyboards, audio and midi instruments... Everything you need. No limitations at all. Again: another planet (finally).

Sure, I can do that on any other PC, so why get a Surface then?

Controlling virtual instruments on the Surface is more comfortable and much esier than on iPad, due to the larger display and the various options (fingers, pen, mouse, trackpad, "enlarging virtual buttons" or "create touch midi buttons" third party software etc.).

So you need "accessibility tools" like zoom, and touch midi buttons to comfortably control it with fingers.
Glad you agree, it's an ok laptop but not much of a tablet - for music.

[chk071]

So you need "accessibility tools" like zoom, and touch midi buttons to comfortably control it with fingers.
Glad you agree, it's an ok laptop but not much of a tablet - for music.

Which is rather a software than a hardware problem. Blame the DAW and synth programmers for not implementing proper touch control support. It'll surely come though on a big scale, just a matter of time. Most DAW's already have it. And the functions mentioned are rather a matter of making things more comfortable, the basic touch functionality is there.

I'd pick the Surface over an iPad every day btw. Why use half an OS instead of a full one with support with almost every full DAW on the market instead of slimmed down synth apps, DAW's, whacky midi support, or that audiobus crutch. Mobile OS's will be dead soon anyway, as with the ever increasing performance of mobile devices, there won't be a need for slimmed down OS's anyway, and desktop OS's more and more support touch control too.

[T-CM11]

So you need "accessibility tools" like zoom, and touch midi buttons to comfortably control it with fingers.
Glad you agree, it's an ok laptop but not much of a tablet - for music.

Which is rather a software than a hardware problem. Blame the DAW and synth programmers for not implementing proper touch control support. It'll surely come though on a big scale, just a matter of time. Most DAW's already have it. And the functions mentioned are rather a matter of making things more comfortable, the basic touch functionality is there.

Does it matter who or what's fault it is? I never said the Surface is to blame for 3rd party software. Maybe I should buy an old Windows Mobile tablet, it can't help not having any music software at all either.

[T-CM11]

I'd pick the Surface over an iPad every day btw. Why use half an OS instead of a full one with support with almost every full DAW on the market instead of slimmed down synth apps, DAW's, whacky midi support, or that audiobus crutch. Mobile OS's will be dead soon anyway, as with the ever increasing performance of mobile devices, there won't be a need for slimmed down OS's anyway, and desktop OS's more and more support touch control too.

A Korg Kronos (for example) has an even more slimmed down OS. It must be a really bad synth.
I have my iPad as a musical instrument, not as a computer that can do everything. When I play e.g. Animoog, or TC-11 I'm not really caring of the technical specs of the OS behind it.

[penguinfromdeep]

Ipad all the way

[IncarnateX]

This video says it all:



So you want to make music using a tiny pen on a small screen where you can hardly read the labels of the functions? Go ahead then, just don't tell us this has anything to do with using touch like on an iPad.

My university department needed to spend some money, so they offered iPads and iPhones to all. Got myself an iPad air 2 and it rocks. Powerwise there is more than enough to make fairly complex compositions using e.g. Cubasis and the wide range of IAA synths and effects. It is always SO entertaining to see the iPad nay sayers display their endless levels of both ignorance and musical incompetence when arguing against it. You should really stick to arguing FOR the Pro 3 and not against the iPad. That will make you look a little less stupid.

[trimph1]

iPad....all the way.

[chk071]

This video says it all:



So you want to make music using a tiny pen on a small screen where you can hardly read the labels of the functions? Go ahead then, just don't tell us this has anything to do with using touch like on an iPad.

My university department needed to spend some money, so they offered iPads and iPhones to all. Got myself an iPad air 2 and it rocks. Powerwise there is more than enough to make fairly complex compositions using e.g. Cubasis and the wide range of IAA synths and effects. It is always SO entertaining to see the iPad nay sayers display their endless levels of both ignorance and musical incompetence when arguing against it. You should really stick to arguing FOR the Pro 3 and not against the iPad. That will make you look a little less stupid.

Well, as i wrote... it's the software which hasn't been optimized for small touchscreen devices yet, and is rather aiming at desktop machines. It'll come. You see that with Sonar, you see that with FL Studio. And if it's there, you will have a lot more functionality than you have on an iPad. Although i highly suspect that Apple won't be sitting there twirling their thumbs, but also seek the merge of desktop and mobile OS.

[mhog]

Let's say if you just want to have some fun playing music, the ipad is very nice. However, it is not even comparable to the Surface. Ipad is just a big smartphone, not a PC. The Surface on the contrary is a tablet pc, that is to say the "right way" for computer musicians (finally). I guess and hope Apple will bring out an "anti-surface" or smth in the near future, e.g. an "ipad pro" based on Yosemite and powerful enough for Logic and AU instruments. Needless to say if you are a creative one, you can make a work of music art out of everything, ipad and android phones included.