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Uses for a tablet


GarethFlatlands
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I picked up a cheapish tablet from a friend in a job lot of stuff he was selling due to leaving the country. I don't think I have any use for it generally but was wondering if anyone uses a tablet for making music and had suggestions for what to do with it before I decide to just sell it on? Any good soft synths for touch screens, Kaoss Pad style uses or just anything creative?

It's an Acer Iconia W4 running Windows 10 so not top of the range but OK by all reviews I've read.

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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1507881732' post='3388467']
I use an iPad to run Korg Gadget (which is now on my phone). It's a great bit of kit.
I also use it for just storing music related things, like chords, score & lyrics.
[/quote]

AFAICS the Korg Gadget is just for Mac and iOS. And that I think will be your problem if your Tablet runs Windows. Most decent music software for tablets is for iOS. Last time I looked there were timing problems on the other Tablet OSs (especially Android) which rendered most music composition software or instruments useless. I'd have a look at the Windows equivalent of the Apple App store and see what is available.

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As above. I use iPad for synths (iM1, iProphet etc.), backing tracks (iReal pro) and recording and looping (Cubasis, Loop Tree). There are endless apps in Apple's app store and I'm sure Google Play. However as yours is running Win 10 you might not have access to any decent apps. Every time I look for specific apps in Microsoft's app store there is never anything there. Just this week I read Microsoft are giving up on apps as they couldn't persuade any companies to make apps for their system.

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[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1507892466' post='3388582']
As above. I use iPad for synths (iM1, iProphet etc.), backing tracks (iReal pro) and recording and looping (Cubasis, Loop Tree). There are endless apps in Apple's app store and I'm sure Google Play. However as yours is running Win 10 you might not have access to any decent apps. Every time I look for specific apps in Microsoft's app store there is never anything there. Just this week I read Microsoft are giving up on apps as they couldn't persuade any companies to make apps for their system.
[/quote]

Unless Google have significantly improved the timing issues in Android over the past year, I think your only real solution for a Tablet for music is an iPad. Music apps are all timing critical. As musicians we can hear a timing discrepancy as subtle as 10ms. Therefore everything needs to happen within 10ms of when it is supposed to. For most apps timing is nowhere near as critical and even for games only some actions will be timing critical while others have far more leeway, For a music application whether it be a composing tool/DAW like Garageband or a virtual instrument almost every action needs to happen exactly on time. That needs to be built in to the OS. AFAIK that means iOS.

Edited by BigRedX
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Windows 10 should be the same as windows 10 on a PC :)

Providing the tablet has the capabilities then look at programs rather than "apps", think of it as a laptop rather than a pad.

To that end you have at your disposal some quite powerful bits of kit (providing the tablet can run them, usually there's free trials), ableton lite might be worth a look for live performance :)

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[quote name='charic' timestamp='1507903960' post='3388713']
Windows 10 should be the same as windows 10 on a PC :)

Providing the tablet has the capabilities then look at programs rather than "apps", think of it as a laptop rather than a pad.

To that end you have at your disposal some quite powerful bits of kit (providing the tablet can run them, usually there's free trials), ableton lite might be worth a look for live performance :)
[/quote]

If it is a standard Windows 10 machine in a tablet form that will make a difference. However because it is designed as tablet rather than a laptop you may find it is rather under specified for music. Do you know how much RAM and storage you have? From the reviews I've seen it could be a little as 2GB of RAM which is woefully inadequate for most music apps. What ports does it have? I'd hope for at least USB 2.0 or better. The main disadvantage you find will be cost since you will be looking at "program" prices rather than "app" prices.

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[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1507910942' post='3388779']
I love my windows phone (I know I am in a minority of one)...
[/quote]

You're not alone. I have a customer who loves his. Plugs his desktop through it for broadband and gets a speed many times faster than his landline.

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[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1507910942' post='3388779']
I love my windows phone (I know I am in a minority of one) but if you like apps it's almost useless. Basic stuff is good but for anything else the iPad comes out.
[/quote]

You obviously need to get [i][b]in[/b][/i] more and read BassChat, as several of us have spoken very highly of (their) Windows phones. :)
But you're right of course. Microsoft either never believed in their own system, or made a grave mistake somewhere on the line, as almost every conceivable app comes either for IOS (music related apps!) only or for IOS and Android only.


Gareth, as said by the others: IOS for music apps; there's no way around it.

On IOS, the Korg iKaossilator loop synth app does have an XY-pad like a Kaoss, and IMHO is great.
The Moog Animoog is a great synth and IIRC it too spawns an XY-pad.
Many other great synths exist, like the Odyssei (sic!) and every other Korg app as well as the Sunrizer and others.

As to effect pedals and amp modelling, I've used AmpKit+. They had these special offers all the time so you could buy bundles of pedals and amps cheaply. Dunno if a Kaoss Pad effects app is available for IOS.

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  • 6 months later...

I was at my daughters house the other day and asked her for a newspaper. ' Blimey get with the times Dad' she said as she passed me her iPad thing.....

 

 

 

.....I'll tell you what, that bluebottle didn't know what the **** had hit it  o.O

  • Haha 4
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Old thread I know now, but that tablet probably outclasses the Windows XP machine with 1GB RAM that I easily played VST soft synths and virtual amps through a good 16 years back. Install ASIO4ALL and you can even get 10ms latency out of the built in soundcard.

If you own it already and want to mess about with audio apps on it, there's nothing stopping you!

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