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Anybody use an iPad as a tracks player?


badhorsie777

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Wondering if anyone does this... Also, if there is any apps you know of that provide BIG display of track info, etc? The default iPad music app is really horrible, in my opinion, and even moreso if I wanted to use it live...

 

Thanks!

-Matt

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i have the backtrax app for my ipad and iphone. i worked with the originator and was able to help him tweak it for stage use. you can scroll thru your list like a rolodex and highlight the song you want to play. after the song ends, it moves to the next song, but wont start it untill you push the button. you can also scroll while the current song is playing.

 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/backtrax/id345007170?mt=8

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Please can I ask a related question, too?

 

My Duo are often asked if we can play background music between our live sets.

We are getting a new mixer on Monday - the Allen & Heath zed12fx - and are wondering about getting some kind of MP3 player to play background stuff through the desk.

The only MP3 player I have is a Sansa clip - which is tiny and used for the Gym.

Would an I-pod be the best way to go for us - or is it problematic as badhorsie777 has indicated?

We dont have an itunes account. If we want to download MP3 tracks we have purchased them from Amazon and put them onto a CD. So if we got an ipod would we only be able to put itunes sourced tracks on it?

 

Can anyone recommend a suitable MP3 player for this purpose. Again. like the OP - one that's easy to read the tracks etc. on.

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hijack the thread, but it is kind of relevant to the discussion.

 

Hope you don't mind.

xxx

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Since we are off topic... I use a classic iPod for my break music. It has 160 gig, and I have a playlist of stuff I don't play that I use when on break. I also have a playlist of my backing tracks in case the laptop fails. Knock on wood, 6 years it hasn't! I also have backup laptops!

 

To answer Susie, you don't need an iTunes account, you can load all your existing MP3s on any iPod. You have to use the iTunes software, but that doesn't mean you have to buy your existing MP3s through their store, it will find them on your hard drive.

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Since we are off topic... I use a classic iPod for my break music. It has 160 gig, and I have a playlist of stuff I don't play that I use when on break. I also have a playlist of my backing tracks in case the laptop fails. Knock on wood, 6 years it hasn't! I also have backup laptops!


To answer Susie, you don't need an iTunes account, you can load all your existing MP3s on any iPod. You have to use the iTunes software, but that doesn't mean you have to buy your existing MP3s through their store, it will find them on your hard drive.

 

 

Thanks guys.

 

 

Daddymack,

don't you find it awkward with that model having no screen?

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Me? No, but I am not the one setting it up ;)

Basically, since we know what is in the unit, we don't really care what comes on, we don't care what order the songs play in..as long as it comes on. That was why we got the shuffle...cheap, easy load, push play, push stop...everything we needed, nothing we didn't. :wave:

Luddite that I am, I don't even have an iPod...

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Me? No, but I am not the one setting it up
;)
Basically, since we know what is in the unit, we don't really care what comes on, we don't care what order the songs play in..as long as it comes on. That was why we got the shuffle...cheap, easy load, push play, push stop...everything we needed, nothing we didn't.
:wave:
Luddite that I am, I don't even have an iPod...

 

Well, I've always avoided Apple stuff. They are expensive. I don't like touch screen phones either.

But mainly because I hate being told what to do, what to like etc by these crazy Apple fanatics

and the people I have come across so far [i don't mean you, of course!]must all be on sales commission from Apple the way they have gone on about 'oh but you HAVE to get an i-phone' or an i- this or i-that.

But I have heard horror stories too, that you have to have EVERYTHING by Apple if you start buying one product because nothing else works with them etc etc.

 

I have a tiny Sansa clip MP3 player that I use in the Gym. And it has a little screen on it for me to scroll through stuff if I don't have it on shuffle.

 

But now we're getting that beautiful new mixer desk tomorrow, I was thinking it might be nice to get a new MP3 player to plug into it for our break music.

 

And when I read your post I had a sneak peek on amazon uk and they have some shuffles for only $54

If you guys find the shuffle works for playing stuff in your breaks, then, I will consider getting one.

The ipod things with screens are WAY more money.

And as you say, if your shuffle is only loaded with suitable break music, then a screen isn't really necessary.

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But I have heard horror stories too, that you have to have EVERYTHING by Apple if you start buying one product because nothing else works with them etc etc.

 

Not at all. Apple products work very happily on both windows and apple computers. As a phone, the iPhone is just amazing. Same for the iPad. I'm a guy who LIKES to save a buck... But the apple app store makes my iPad and iPhone extremely versatile machines. So whoever told you they only play nice with other apple products is either uninformed or trying to justify a different purchase. This coming from a super nerd who used to program way back in the days of DOS basic and built his own windows computers for over a decade before switching to 'the dark side'. :). Just a heads up - both iPads and iPods, iPhones, etc are fantastic machines. Just curious who was using one in their setup.

 

-Matt

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I'm using an old iPad 1 in my setup, with SongBook Chordpro. I love it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great. Lets me put lyrics and chords on screen in whatever size I want, and can play a backing track while I'm reading the lyrics and chords. Also handles play lists for break music. I can't imagine doing a gig without it. I used to use iTunes to do backing tracks, and it was a little bit of a pain to deal with. But SongBook Chordpro makes it pretty darned easy.

 

For anyone who uses backing tracks AND needs lyrics in front of them for some songs, this is a great solution. You can probably pick up a used iPad 1 for about $200 to $250, and the program runs fine on it. I used to have to tape my lyrics to my keyboard stand when playing outside because of the wind. And at some gigs that were pretty dark, I had trouble seeing the words - not enough light. Both problems gone with the iPad. And you can easily get 10 hours out of the battery. Try that with a laptop.

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Damn Richard I'm jealous AND you've answered nearly all of my questions. I'd like to just follow up if I may though. So your IPad I is completely sufficient then? Right now I use a laptop and with PowerPoint. Of course in PowerPoint you can throw an audio file in there and when I hit the F5 button, the music starts. All this is just as simple with your current setup? It almost seems too good to be true because this is exactly what I'm looking for.

 

So you can view all your tunes in a library or you can probably create playlists and everything else then huh? How do you start your backing track? Is your downtime between songs brief? And last question...have you used it outdoors in a bright setting? I'd really appreciate anything else you feel like telling me about your current setup- I'm all ears.

 

Thanks!

Darrell

 

 

 

I'm using an old iPad 1 in my setup, with SongBook Chordpro. I love it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great. Lets me put lyrics and chords on screen in whatever size I want, and can play a backing track while I'm reading the lyrics and chords. Also handles play lists for break music. I can't imagine doing a gig without it. I used to use iTunes to do backing tracks, and it was a little bit of a pain to deal with. But SongBook Chordpro makes it pretty darned easy.


For anyone who uses backing tracks AND needs lyrics in front of them for some songs, this is a great solution. You can probably pick up a used iPad 1 for about $200 to $250, and the program runs fine on it. I used to have to tape my lyrics to my keyboard stand when playing outside because of the wind. And at some gigs that were pretty dark, I had trouble seeing the words - not enough light. Both problems gone with the iPad. And you can easily get 10 hours out of the battery. Try that with a laptop.

 

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I currently have an iPad 3, but am planning on getting a refurbed 2 to use on gigs, backing tracks, break music, etc. The battery life and screen are pretty amazing. I am on my third iPad, the other 2 sold fast and for good money. I jumped the gun and should have kept my 2 though as a " out" unit.

 

re: apple stuff- the reason people are so fervent about it is, it works. Well. And value is relative. I am a 20+ year IT pro, and if everyone had Apple stuff, IT jobs would be dramatically different. You get what you pay for. You are buying an Allen and Heath mixer. Behringer is just as good, is it not? ( I know the answer, just making a point). I can out produce anyone I know on most office software. Put me on a mac, and I can double that. Less problem, smoother interface, etc. Mind you, I instruct Windows 7 stuff. Windows 7 is fairly solid, but it's ui is still not as good. All I would say is, try it. Green eggs and ham and all :) Don't mistake enthusiasm or even zealotry as "wrong". The presentation might be off putting, but the products are simply better in nearly every case. There are VERY nice pc's made, but most of those are now even emulating apple, and most of the better ones are at par pricewise or above. I have used several of the Android tablets, and while they function, hey are not even in the ballpark of the iPad.

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I'm using an old iPad 1 in my setup, with SongBook Chordpro. I love it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great. Lets me put lyrics and chords on screen in whatever size I want, and can play a backing track while I'm reading the lyrics and chords. Also handles play lists for break music. I can't imagine doing a gig without it. I used to use iTunes to do backing tracks, and it was a little bit of a pain to deal with. But SongBook Chordpro makes it pretty darned easy.


For anyone who uses backing tracks AND needs lyrics in front of them for some songs, this is a great solution. You can probably pick up a used iPad 1 for about $200 to $250, and the program runs fine on it. I used to have to tape my lyrics to my keyboard stand when playing outside because of the wind. And at some gigs that were pretty dark, I had trouble seeing the words - not enough light. Both problems gone with the iPad. And you can easily get 10 hours out of the battery. Try that with a laptop.

 

 

this is really interesting!! just a quick question.. is the iPad screen big enough to show all of the lyrics for the tune you are playing?? or do you have to somehow press page down for a long song to see the second half of the lyrics??? if i can get around that then i think i will convert. I am so SOOOOO tired of leafing thru pages etc.

 

also you can buy attachments for mic stands which can hold iPads... sounds like the way to go?

 

one last thing. why do you say the setup "is not perfect".. could you please elaborate on the downside?

thanks!

 

oh one other thing... does that program run on any tablet??? samsung or sony ones too??

 

d

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Damn Richard I'm jealous AND you've answered nearly all of my questions. I'd like to just follow up if I may though. So your IPad I is completely sufficient then? Right now I use a laptop and with PowerPoint. Of course in PowerPoint you can throw an audio file in there and when I hit the F5 button, the music starts. All this is just as simple with your current setup? It almost seems too good to be true because this is exactly what I'm looking for.


So you can view all your tunes in a library or you can probably create playlists and everything else then huh? How do you start your backing track? Is your downtime between songs brief? And last question...have you used it outdoors in a bright setting? I'd really appreciate anything else you feel like telling me about your current setup- I'm all ears.


Thanks!

Darrell

 

 

Darrell,

Yup, you pretty much got the idea. You can view all of your songs alphabetically, of course, but you can also make lists, which is what I do. So what happens is I have my list up and I touch the title of a song, and the lyrics come up. At the bottom of the screen, there's a button with two eighth notes. I touch that and the music player buttons come up. Touch it again and the music starts. At first that seemed strange, but really it's a good idea - if you accidentally bump the music button while looking at the lyrics, it won't launch the backing track on you.

 

You can also have the lyrics scroll if you want, but I never do that.

 

Once the song is over, you touch the Playlists button and you go back to your playlist. I put info that's critical to me into the title of a song. So, for example, I do "Almost Like Being In Love" by Nat King Cole on keyboard, but I use the transpose key. So in the program, it looks like this:

 

Almost Like Being In Love = C, -4

 

So I know to play it in C, but use the transpose key to lower the song to A flat.

 

Downtime between songs is nothing compared to when I used paper for lyrics. I use a set list, but I'll bounce all around it depending on what seems to be working and what doesn't. It takes me about 5-6 seconds to go to the next song if I go back to the playlist and select one. If I went in order it would take about 3 seconds, because you can "turn the page" and swipe to the left and the next song will come up. Complete with attached backing track. But I like to choose the songs from the list, again, based on what's going on.

 

In terms of how it looks outside in the bright sunlight, I'd say that's an area of weakness for the iPad. With the brightness turned all the way up, you can still see it, as long as the sun is above or beyond it. But if the sun is in full force, at the right angle, it can be difficult to read. I think it would be a good idea to take a piece of black construction paper or poster board, and cut a little "top hood" for the iPad - Just enough to block a little sun. I haven't had to do it, but if I did outdoor gigs all the time I bet I'd need to.

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this is really interesting!! just a quick question.. is the iPad screen big enough to show all of the lyrics for the tune you are playing?? or do you have to somehow press page down for a long song to see the second half of the lyrics??? if i can get around that then i think i will convert. I am so SOOOOO tired of leafing thru pages etc.


also you can buy attachments for mic stands which can hold iPads... sounds like the way to go?


one last thing. why do you say the setup "is not perfect".. could you please elaborate on the downside?

thanks!


oh one other thing... does that program run on any tablet??? samsung or sony ones too??


d

 

 

There are three ways that you can handle songs with lengthy lyrics. You can make the font size smaller, you can have the program display the lyrics in two columns, and you can have the lyrics scroll. I display the lyrics in two columns, because my eyesight at 46 is not as good as it was at 26. The lyric scrolling works well, but you have to sort of "record" the scroll movements yourself, and the program memorizes them. But I don't like the words moving on the page, so I just use two columns.

 

Actually, there's a fourth way - you can touch the screen and gently swipe up, and the lyrics will scroll down further on the page. But I don't like taking my hands away from whatever instrument I'm playing, so I position my iPad sideways on my keyboard music stand, and I use two columns. Covers 98% of my songs.

 

You can buy iPad stands that clamp onto regular mic stands. You just want to make sure you use a good quality mic stand, not a Radio Shack Special from 1982, because if that stand falls over, you might be looking at a cracked screen.

 

I said it wasn't perfect because I think the buttons in the program could be a little bigger. Also, I think it would have been nice if the program had come with a better Help system built in. But all in all, it's a fantastic program.

 

As to the last question, yes, the company (LinkeSOFT) does make an Android version. But honestly, the non-Apple tablets still have a ways to go. One could argue that Android phones have gotten to the point where, in the hands of a power user, they can give the iPhone a run for its money. But in the tablet market, that's not true yet. The non-Apple tablets tend to suck, when compared to the iPad. They'll get there eventually. But you can still crash them. It is extremely difficult to crash an iPad. I'm not going to say impossible, but you just never have to worry about it. Apple made the software AND the hardware, and they're written to compliment each other. You're not going to crash it. You do get what you pay for. The best deal in iPad land is probably a used or refurbished iPad 2. I agree with deanmass. The iPad 2 is the thinnest, can run pretty much any iPad software, and has a camera. But the iPad 1 is going to be the cheapest, used, and runs SongBook Chordpro just fine.

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One more thing. I'd look on Craigslist. There are always people unloading last year's iPad to help pay for this year's iPad. You're going to pay more than you think you should, because iPads have a high resale value, but you can get them cheaper than new.

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Damn! I forgot a few details. Chordpro is a file format used by tons of different programs (including SongBook.) It uses its own markup language to allow you to put the chords over the lyrics. And SongBook also allows you to search online for chordpro formatted lyrics and then add them to your collection. And one more detail - you can run the program on an iPod Touch or iPhone for backup - though you'd probably have to use scrolling if you did that, I think. Here's a link to the product - they use iPhone screenshots, but it's way better on the big iPad screen.

 

I learned about this app in this forum, by the way.

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I hane an iKlip, ipad slides in, klip goes around the stand post. The thing I don't like is the tip over risk, and the fact that an Otter box case does not work with the Klip.

 

As much as I like my iPad, I wonder sometimes if a Macbook Air is not a better over solution. I really think the next round of macbooks are going to have touchscreens.

 

Another sidenote, I have a Casio XW-P1, and it has a spot on the side for an iPad, built right into the chassis. Pretty neat.

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Hi thanks richard mac.

 

so it uses chordpro files. ok...

 

but you can still get teh lyrics to a tune on the net and copy them into Songbook Pro,

so that you can call that song up yes?? even without chords i would want to ,load a whole bunch of song lyrics into it for recall at gigs.

 

i mean i dont have to go searching for a chordpro format file with the song lyrics in it.

i can just go to sing365.com or whatever and download the lyrcis and load them into songbook then direct yes??

 

after that i think im done ! thanks for the info... must getting looking for an iPad1 then..! d

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