Tablets v music stands

[NoRhino]

Am I correct in assuming that tablets are held in less distain than music stands by the BC collective?

I sing a lot of lead in one band and learn the words and get on with it.  My other band has asked me to consider covering more lead vocal when the current singer leaves next month.  I don't want to be staring at a screen all gig and it's just for a quick glance to know where we are in the song.  

What should I buy as far as minimum size of screen goes?

 

Ta

 

[Woodinblack]

23 minutes ago, NoRhino said:

Am I correct in assuming that tablets are held in less distain than music stands by the BC collective?

 

There seems to be less of an issue with them, it is true

 

23 minutes ago, NoRhino said:

 I don't want to be staring at a screen all gig and it's just for a quick glance to know where we are in the song.  What should I buy as far as minimum size of screen goes?

 

Really depends on your eyesight and how quiclly you refocus.

I have a 10~" iPad which I use, it has the lyrics, the start note (sometimes it completely goes out of my head) and I also do the sound on it (it runs the synths too, but I don't need to see that once it is set up).

That is certainly good enough, although you also ideally need a footswitch page change thing. I have a really cheap bluetooth thing that does it.

[uk_lefty]

1 hour ago, NoRhino said:

Am I correct in assuming that tablets are held in less distain than music stands by the BC collective?

I sing a lot of lead in one band and learn the words and get on with it.  My other band has asked me to consider covering more lead vocal when the current singer leaves next month.  I don't want to be staring at a screen all gig and it's just for a quick glance to know where we are in the song.  

What should I buy as far as minimum size of screen goes?

 

Ta

 

We all use iPads in my band. The good point is that our set list is getting so big we can quickly recall songs. The bad point is on a LOT of photos of us as a band we pretty much look like we are starting at the iPads. I even do it when I know the song. Such a bad habit. 

[ezbass]

7 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

We all use iPads in my band. The good point is that our set list is getting so big we can quickly recall songs. The bad point is on a LOT of photos of us as a band we pretty much look like we are staring at the iPads. I even do it when I know the song. Such a bad habit. 

The singer in my old band was guilty of this. She knew the words, but wanted a little reminder, cue a video of her glued to the tablet. It's like a TV in a bar or pub, you can't not look at it.

[itu]

A simple test is to try one page in a phone, a tab/pad, and an A4. If you need a bigger screen, buy one. Small phone is a mess. I use a +10" android and good eyeglasses. The tab is a bit over a metre from me. Less brightness is good for me on dark stages.

Edited November 14, 2022 by itu

[Happy Jack]

I bloody HATE it when people sing from any sort of lyric sheet. If you don't know the words, what are you doing performing (and in my case for money) in front of an audience?

 

When playing keys on stage, I use a tablet (10" Samsung Galaxy) in a Tiger tablet holder on an old mic stand. I need it for all the different keyboard settings, not for the lyrics, but the audience don't know that. 🙄

 

I make a point of having the stand at least 45 degrees to my left, 90 degrees if I can, so that the tablet is out of my sightline most of the time that I'm playing, but a quick glance to my left will remind me of what patch is coming up in two bars.

 

If I was to use the tablet to remind me of the lyrics (never, damn you, NEVER!) I would do the same. Out of the sightline, but available in a hurry in a genuine emergency.

 

[Woodinblack]

40 minutes ago, ezbass said:

The singer in my old band was guilty of this. She knew the words, but wanted a little reminder, cue a video of her glued to the tablet. It's like a TV in a bar or pub, you can't not look at it.

 

You really can not look at it - I have it as a help and tend to look at it during the break time for the bit back from the chorus. If i try to read as it goes along, I get lost. Its just there as a backup

[Rich]

On 07/11/2022 at 17:58, Woodinblack said:

 

You really can not look at it - I have it as a help and tend to look at it during the break time for the bit back from the chorus. If i try to read as it goes along, I get lost. Its just there as a backup

I've just joined the tablet brigade -- picked up an iPad 2 off evilbay for pence. OK, so there are only about 3 apps in the App Store that are compatible with it, but one of them is a pdf reader and that's all I need. It will be more of a rehearsal tool than a live one, although I am going to experiment with going entirely paperless and put the gig set list on it. I also imagine it will come in extremely useful for my semi-regular dep gig where I need to refer to notes (or at least have them to hand as an insurance policy). I've bought a stand-mount for it and am going to experiment with attaching it to my Herc guitar stand. Failing that, I'll use the bottom half of my old mic stand.

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, Rich said:

 I've bought a stand-mount for it and am going to experiment with attaching it to my Herc guitar stand. Failing that, I'll use the bottom half of my old mic stand.

 

Mine bolts to the normal stand just using some clamp I got of ebay - runs an app that has the set list, the lyrics, starting keys etc. Most of them I don't need (I mean I don't sing most of them - but just in case)

[Happy Jack]

This works well:

 

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/tiger-imca2-tablet-mount-black/950894?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37KbBhDgARIsAIzce14vbp_hdlhvK3D-TMWzTDIKfIaG9kgqVDbIoGqQaaTmALgXlr31-CcaAtbMEALw_wcB

 

Rather flimsy plastic construction, so handle gently, but it certainly does the job if you have an old mic stand lying around.

 

And which of us can truly say he doesn't? 🤨

[tauzero]

On 07/11/2022 at 17:17, ezbass said:

The singer in my old band was guilty of this. She knew the words, but wanted a little reminder, cue a video of her glued to the tablet. It's like a TV in a bar or pub, you can't not look at it.

 

Mrs Zero has been a bit like this - in her duo with our old guitarist, she does BVs on some songs. She was looking at the tablet for the BVs for "Oh pretty woman", where the lyrics are "ooh, ooh". I think even I could manage to remember those lyrics (but not sing them in tune, that's a different skill set).

[JapanAxe]

I've never sung from a lyric sheet, I learn the words off by heart so that I can look out into the audience. OK I sometimes forget them, in which case I fill in with another verse, sometimes random words, or make a joke of it.

 

If I have a sight-reading gig I prefer to have the dots on my iPad. On one gig I do I also use Qu-You to adjust the monitor mix for my IEMs.

[Cuzzie]

In an ideal world no - but a while back was given about a weeks notice for a gig with 2 new guys after we had jammed together just once before.

Had to put together an 8-10 song set, they designated me vocalist/singist, most of which I hadn’t played before.

 

i used an iPad with a holder that clipped to the mic stand and a Bluetooth page turner which I left on the floor.

i set up the pages so it was a verse and chorus each page (pretty much) so that it was a decent size. At the end of each verse I tapped and it shifted.

 

Tried me best to learn the words, but it was there as a just in case. I agree with not being glued to the screen, but I had to do devils work and glance every now and then to stay correct. The drummer wrote his words for BV’s on the skins of his drums on the night.

 

Sometimes a necessary evil when you also have a day job!

[Ralf1e]

My wife has a stand for tablets to use with her drums. Steel base plastic top but it does the job

[Happy Jack]

Drummers are surrounded by so many stands and so much hardware that she could probably get away with a 34" flat-screen TV without the audience noticing.

[police squad]

I use an ipad in my 80s duo and band. It has the backing tracks on it that we use and the words.

I gave up learning words years ago because I don't need the hassle. I work in a demanding job full time.

I mostly know the words but do need some help sometimes. Over 100 songs in my duo set alone means it can be weeks before I sing a certain song.

 

The other night (happens occasionally) a drunk person fixated on the ipad, shouting that he's reading the words and pointing at it. This went on for about three songs.

So i said, it's like having someone watching me whilst I'm having sex (and i laughed)

Then i confessed to the car accident that I had 15 years ago, on the M25, when I was crashed into by an HGV, twice. (not a word of a lie, it really hurt. I was stationary and it piled into the back of me at about 30 mph, I head butted the windsecreen twice and didn't know what day it was for about half an hour) and I explained the crash has affected my memory a bit.They left me alone after that

 

But when I saw Seal, supporting Duran Duran a few years ago, he had his words on an auto cue on the floor, that looked like a monitor.

Lulu had some words on a music stand when I saw her.

 

there's a lot of it about. If you can remember them all, you are really lucky. I'm 54 now and have been gigging since 1986. I do remember a lot of words but not all of them

 

It's not a crime😃

[gjones]

My brother in law started using one. He sings and plays guitar in various bands. 

 

I think it was an age related thing. But I've noticed he's stopped now, probably because in photos and videos of the bands he plays in, it wasn't a good look.

[fretmeister]

If you sit down to play then stands or ipads are fine.

 

If you stand up and perform, then they are not and they look awful. Learn the parts.

[Bassman68]

Nine times out of ten, I have two tablets mounted on my mic stand (I also have a drink holder & plectrum holder too!)

The tablets are for set list & IEM monitor mix.

The monitor mix, I usually tilt flat, once set, as it’s far less visible from the audience.

When not singing bv’s, I’m often away from my mic stand anyway, so not really too bothered that my stand looks like a work station?
All the band have tablets, We just regard them as another piece of equipment.

[Ralf1e]

15 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

If you sit down to play then stands or ipads are fine.

 

If you stand up and perform, then they are not and they look awful. Learn the parts.

Can't sit down and play. Have to stand up and move with the groove👍

[Dad3353]

Just now, Ralf1e said:

Can't sit down and play. Have to stand up and move with the groove👍

 

Yes, I'm like that, too. It causes issues, though; I'm a drummer. 

 

...

 

 

[TorturedSaints]

34 minutes ago, Ralf1e said:

Can't sit down and play. Have to stand up and move with the groove👍

It didn’t go down well when I tried that in the Concert Band 🤣

[Ralf1e]

2 minutes ago, TorturedSaints said:

It didn’t go down well when I tried that in the Concert Band 🤣

I play in a Gospel church. No point in me playing the groove for them to bop and worship to if I'm sat down and I don't like sitting anyway so for me it works out great.

[vsmith1]

Thing to note is for performing, better to have white text on a black background - means that the tablet screen is not illuminating your face, probably washing out any nice coloured lighting. Our lead singer has a small iPad with a magnetic mount so very inconspicuous.

 

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, police squad said:

But when I saw Seal, supporting Duran Duran a few years ago, he had his words on an auto cue on the floor, that looked like a monitor.

Lulu had some words on a music stand when I saw her.

 

Dolly Parton did at Glastonbury. I think the general rule is that if Dolly can do it, everyone can.