The Apple iPad

[jellyworld]

What most musicians would do is just have the software on their laptop and put it right next to the keyboard. You don't need a friggin' mounting bracket for an iPad.

This is unnecessary technology.

Yeah, there is an elegant solution.

That is pretty awesome, and only $199.

[WorknMan]

An Android tablet could never do that...

Of course it could, but if there's a flood of Android tablets on the market (as has been predicted), who is ever going to build accessories like this for any/all of them?

Anyway, this isn't a 'killer app' for me, but only serves as an example of things you're not likely to see on Android tablets, unless they decide on standard dimensions for them and/or one of them happens to catch on and leave the others collecting dust. In my parents' new car, there's an iPod dock in the dash, and when you plug one in, you can control it via the stereo console. How many other players on the market can you do that with?

Of course, this is the same as the Linux argument... you're never going to convince them that one or two on the market is better than 900 dis-seperate ones, because hey.... choice is good. This is why Linux has < 5% desktop marketshare, and while Android does quite a bit better, it isn't likely to ever enjoy the same level of support that iPhone/Ipad has. Because, while you can boast all day about how superior the OS is, in the end, it's like Windows... you don't run it because you love it, but because that's where most of the action is.

What most musicians would do is just have the software on their laptop and put it right next to the keyboard.

Yay, but this thing is fully touch enabled. But hey, a tablet could NEVER replace a laptop for anything, no? What would REALLY be cool is if you could use the iPad as a touch interface for softsynths on a PC, and to be able to build custom skins around each one. That way, you don't have to do it with a mouse, or find a MIDI controller with tons of knobs on it, none of which will be labeled for whatever synth you happen to be using at the time.

[ChairoNoMe]

Worknman: you forget one thing. Your Windows analogy fails because Apple has always been perceived as the "Mercedez-Benz" of computing. Even with their massive success with the iPod, iPad and iPhone, this perception hasn't been shaken a tremendous amount.

The keyboard you show is something I might oogle at in a Sharper Image catalog, but it's nothing I'd want to blow thousands of dollars on (and that's what you are talking about when you combine the cost of the keyboard, the software, and the iPad). Even most iPad owners probably can't afford this stuff.

Can I remind you that Sharper Image declared bankruptcy and now is operating only as a brand and a website (much like what happened to Circuit City). Especially in this economy, people really cannot afford this luxury crap.

A struggling musician will make do with their normal laptop and some software that interfaces with their keyboard.

By the way, speaking of music and iPhone, a video went viral a while back:
http://thedailyblender.blogspot.com/...g-another.html

Apparently this band "got their instruments stolen" and had to perform without their instruments. Now when I heard this headline, I was expecting a pretty awesome STOMP rendition of a song. You know, what musicians do to play music when they don't have their technocrap - they bang on pipes, they beatbox, they sing, etc. It's usually fairly impressive and worth listening to.

Imagine my disgust when each of the band members whip out 4 matching iPhones and play their song using those. What a disappointment. Wow. Is this how you choose to promote yourself? Just audition for the next pretentious Apple ad? Congratulations, you sellouts.

While I have to admit that it is amazing that they can put out decent sounding music from their iPhones, it's obvious that they carefully rehearsed this dozens of times. There's NO way you could just "LOSE your instruments" and be able to put out decent sounding music from iPhones on a whim without getting used to playing music on a touchscreen. Turns out, I was right, and "getting their instruments stolen" was actually just a crass publicity stunt. And apparently it paid off. Millions of people downloaded their song on iTunes because of this. And surprise, surprise, they were approached by Apple to do promotions.

http://www.billboard.com/news/atomic...04121630.story

Oh and I'm sure that because they were able to do this, they threw away their real instruments right? Because the iPhone is so "revolutionary" that they don't need their real instruments anymore, right? No, of course they didn't. Just like you cannot perfectly simulate a paintbrush on canvas on a computer, you can't perfectly simulate the pluck of a string or a thump of a drum on a computer. I welcome the use of computers in making music, but I prefer it when it's making the music better (such as unique sound filters and layering effects) and not when it's making it worse (such as drum machines and liberal use of autotune).

[WorknMan]

The keyboard you show is something I might oogle at in a Sharper Image catalog, but it's nothing I'd want to blow thousands of dollars on (and that's what you are talking about when you combine the cost of the keyboard, the software, and the iPad). Even most iPad owners probably can't afford this stuff.

Dude, this thing ain't gonna cost thousands. They have a smaller one that was made for the iPhone, hardware = $100, software = $1.99. And folks are making real softsynths for these devices, such as the Korg IMS20:

[/QUOTE]

This is essentially a beefier version of the Korg DS10 for the Nintendo DS.

Am I saying this is going to replace a studio with keyboards and a full blown DAW? Of course not, but if you have an iPad and like to geek around with this stuff anyway, why not get a hardware controller so you can play these on a real keyboard?

I cannot say for sure if I'd get one of these if I owned an iPad, but I would damn sure buy some of the softsynths. I had a lot of fun playing with the DS10, but no midi capabilities and no way to save your work kind of limits what you can do with it.

[Chris]

Again, I can't stand the Apple vs. Android stuff. Both are cool in their own way and it is in the interest of us all for both of them to remain competitive. Let them out-do each other and have us all benefit from it.

[WorknMan]

Again, I can't stand the Apple vs. Android stuff. Both are cool in their own way and it is in the interest of us all for both of them to remain competitive. Let them out-do each other and have us all benefit from it.

Hey, I'm not trying to start a pissing contest, or claim that one is better than the other. Just trying to dispel this notion held by some Android elitists that if you choose an iOS device over Android, it's obviously because you're an idiot who's drinking the Apple kool-aid.

Anyway, speaking of iPad and music apps, I just ran cross this:

http://www.yamahasynth.com/jp/librar...ipad/soon.html

I actually have a Motif XF, so this is of interest to me. Especially being able to control several faders at once, which is a lot more convenient than doing it with a keyboard and mouse

[alexjlopez]

Hey, I'm not trying to start a pissing contest, or claim that one is better than the other. Just trying to dispel this notion held by some Android elitists that if you choose an iOS device over Android, it's obviously because you're an idiot who's drinking the Apple kool-aid.

Just my opinion, but by claiming that iPad will "always rule the roost" do you really think the "Android elitists" are going to suddenly change their minds?

I dunno, I own an iPad (and a Touch) that I use regularly and I don't feel I'm considered an idiot by the Android fans around here.

[Womp]

As an Android lover, I think the iPad can do some cool things and isn't a bad device...My problem is that (Much like Shane's view on tablets overall) I just didn't necessarily find a need for it that my Touch, Kindle or Droid didn't already provide besides the bigger screen to justify the $499 price tag. If they were $250 or maybe even $300 I would probably reconsider owning one again. I mean there are only so many gadgets I need. I gotta say though - Netflix owns ass on it.

Perhaps when iPad 2 arrives I will reanalyze it.

[WorknMan]

My problem is that (Much like Shane's view on tablets overall) I just didn't necessarily find a need for it that my Touch, Kindle or Droid didn't already provide besides the bigger screen to justify the $499 price tag.

Along those same lines, one could argue that a 40"+ widescreen TV is really no better than a 15" (with the proper inputs) other than having a bigger screen, so I guess it's all a matter of perspective

[ChairoNoMe]

Well I would be less hard on the iOS devices if I saw more of its users not turn into walking advertisements for the product. I know there are iOS moderates out there, such as the many people on this forum that manage to own an iOS device or two and not turn into a complete tool.

I don't like using any product that constantly advertises itself to others simply by its use. Every Apple product you own has a very prominent, very unavoidable Apple logo, usually etched in so you can't simply put a sticker over it to hide it. The Macbooks are the worst because you have an ILLUMINATED Apple logo on it that you can't turn off. It's annoying that just because I have an Apple laptop, people see me with it and assume that I'm an Apple fanboy. "Hey, you got a Mac? Cool! I got one too." And then I have to explain to them that I don't actually run Mac OS on here. It's not even installed.

And yet, we have logos around us all the time that doesn't spark off this type of weird conversation. If I drive a Honda Fit, people don't walk up to me and say, "Wow, that's a great car! I have one too!"

See my problem? It's almost like if I were to buy an iOS device I'd have to go out of my way to cover the Apple logo so people don't talk to me about it.