Members MikeyParent Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I am looking at the iPad as a potential add to my gear as a MIDI-controlled sound source... I was hoping to find some good info before I pull the trigger on a bunch of crap that may not work... Ultimately I would like to ditch my rack and go to just an iPad, but I am not sure how feasible that is. I think the sounds are mostly there (GarageBand, SampleTank, et. al.), but I suspect the devil may be in the details - i.e. how controllable the apps are via MIDI and which and how many apps can run and be controlled at once. Any experience or any good sites? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogger Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I've done it quite a bit. What sounds are you hoping to generate on the iPad? Bismark bs16i is very useful. It's a soundfont player, and I've got a couple of 200MB soundfonts that I've managed to have loaded up at once on it. There are a ton of virtual analog synth apps. I use nanostudio the most. For organs, garageband has been the one I liked the most. However, you can't control the drawbars via MIDI as far as I know. I've tried, inquired, never heard of anyone having any success. The other organs that I've tried were awful. You could of course use a soundfont organ if one suits you. Switching back and forth between apps is possible, but not ideal. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, in my experience. Sometimes the MIDI just quits responding. The headphone out on the iPad was completely unacceptable for live use, for me at least. I'd recommend getting either the Griffin interface or the Alesis ioDock (only works on iPad 1 or 2, not 3). Those are the only two interfaces that I know of that support audio out, charging, and MIDI in. I'd love to hear of others that support all three features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeyParent Posted June 7, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 I need the bread and butter stuff, piano, organ, synths, strings, horns, etc. I am less concerned about getting the sounds I want than being able to actually create a config that works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeyParent Posted June 7, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Can you get the apps to respond to different MIDI channels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bad andy Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 ...or the Alesis ioDock (only works on iPad 1 or 2, not 3) IoDock seems to work fine with my iPad3. Only used so far with AniMoog and Garageband a bit, but I hadn't seen any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Switching back and forth between apps is possible, but not ideal. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, in my experience. Sometimes the MIDI just quits responding. Definitely look at the MIDIBridge app, which is designed to manage multiple MIDI apps playing at once. Some apps are much more suitable than others for being part of a multi-app MIDI setup. I don't think GarageBand plays well with others, as I recall. SampleTank should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogger Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 IoDock seems to work fine with my iPad3. Only used so far with AniMoog and Garageband a bit, but I hadn't seen any problems. Last (and all) I've heard is that iPad3 doesn't fit into the ioDock. Apple moved the 30pin connector and Alesis hasn't released a fix, or a new ioDock. Are you sliding the iPad3 into the ioDock, or using a 30pin extension cable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bad andy Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Last (and all) I've heard is that iPad3 doesn't fit into the ioDock. Apple moved the 30pin connector and Alesis hasn't released a fix, or a new ioDock. Are you sliding the iPad3 into the ioDock, or using a 30pin extension cable? Seems to fit fine. It uses the included sleeve for iPad2. A bit snug is all I heard others say before I purchased, since iPad3 is *slightly* thicker than iPad2 - but it fits in nonetheless and the dock connections mate without a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogger Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 Seems to fit fine. That is very good to hear. I had completely ruled out an iPad3 thinking my ioDock wouldn't work. I wonder what all these people are complaining about? http://community.alesis.com/alesis/topics/alesis_io_dock_and_ipad3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bad andy Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 That is very good to hear. I had completely ruled out an iPad3 thinking my ioDock wouldn't work.I wonder what all these people are complaining about? http://community.alesis.com/alesis/topics/alesis_io_dock_and_ipad3 Yeah I don't know? I saw a few posters there that confirmed it works for them too. I got mine from HelloMusic a few months ago, came with the iPad2 sleeve. Maybe I'll investigate mine and shoot some pics a bit later just to see of anything is off and I'm forcing things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 With the iPad I fear polyphony or lack there of will be a problem for good piano play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogger Posted June 7, 2012 Members Share Posted June 7, 2012 With the iPad I fear polyphony or lack there of will be a problem for good piano play. Garageband polyphony seems to be around a mere seven notes. BS16i, on the other hand, gives quite a bit of polyphony. I'm not sure how many notes, but I suspect it's well over 16. I've never had any issues with it. I've used it for live gigs a few times, and played a lot of honky tonk piano. I've used a Scarbee rhodes soundfont that's around 220MB, and I play a lot of R&B stuff with that patch. I've done plenty of glissandos down the black keys with the sustain pedal down, and it has enough polyphony that I never hear it dropping notes. Garageband's EP, on the other hand, can't handle that at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeyParent Posted June 11, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 I just bough BS16 - how does one get soundfonts on there for it to use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted June 11, 2012 Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 Garageband polyphony seems to be around a mere seven notes. BS16i, on the other hand, gives quite a bit of polyphony. I'm not sure how many notes, but I suspect it's well over 16. I've never had any issues with it. I've used it for live gigs a few times, and played a lot of honky tonk piano. I've used a Scarbee rhodes soundfont that's around 220MB, and I play a lot of R&B stuff with that patch. I've done plenty of glissandos down the black keys with the sustain pedal down, and it has enough polyphony that I never hear it dropping notes. Garageband's EP, on the other hand, can't handle that at all. I just deleted GB last night. Great sounds but 4 note polyphony on an organ sound is a cruel tease, even for an iPad app. Such a good rock organ tone though, ugh...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnotherScott Posted June 11, 2012 Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 I just deleted GB last night. Great sounds but 4 note polyphony on an organ sound is a cruel tease, even for an iPad app. Such a good rock organ tone though, ugh...... Strange. I only get 8 note polyphony on GB piano, 6 on its Rhodes, but I stopped counting at 17 on the organ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ RAZZ Posted June 11, 2012 Members Share Posted June 11, 2012 I held down 4 notes at once, it would not play 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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