I am considering getting an IPad for use with IGigpro. I don't need an Ipad for anything complicated; I've been a Windows user for years and have a PC and a laptop that work fine. What might be the best low-cost option for me, do you think?
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Double Bass IPad recommendations for IGigPro use
- Thread starter matthewbrown
- Start date
Matthew,
Do you mean for use with iGigBook? If so, the Generation 9 Ipad(about $250 refurbished) has worked great for me and my gigging situation.
Do you mean for use with iGigBook? If so, the Generation 9 Ipad(about $250 refurbished) has worked great for me and my gigging situation.
These are currently $199.99 at Amazon. Don't wait too long.
Wow, it even says "jazz" on it! Thanks!
I know you said low cost but depending on your age, the charts can be small to read even with readers. Not necessarily low cost but I bought a 12.9” iPad to have full sheet sizes in front of my old eyes. I wish I invested earlier after all those missed natural, flats and diminished chords. My 2 cents. Backmarket.com is a great source for used Apple equipment.
Thanks for your suggestion. I'm hoping a 10.2" screen will work for me. I'm very far-sighted, and I've been reading charts from 4-5 feet away. We'll see! At least at this low price I'm not risking much by trying it out. I still haven't replaced my 2015-era HP laptop! I'm definitely due for an upgrade eventually.
iPad gen 10 with Forscore and Piascore. I've found bigger screens are better. You also need to be aware of the aspect of the screen when you are choosing.
The 12.9 inch screen is significantly more useful than the 10.2 inch screen. Unfortunately, the price difference is also significant, but there are "renewed" previous versions of the 12.9 inch iPad Pro available that are reasonable. The single page portrait display is much easier to read, but the big advantage comes when you need to see two pages at once. The 12.9 inch screen in landscape mode can show two pages at nearly the same resolution as a single page in portrait mode on a 10.2 screen. Landscape two-page display on a 10.2 inch screen is not usable for typical sheet music.
It's worth pointing out that chord charts, such as displayed by iReal Pro, are completely usable on much smaller screens. Even an iPad mini is fine for this purpose.
It's worth pointing out that chord charts, such as displayed by iReal Pro, are completely usable on much smaller screens. Even an iPad mini is fine for this purpose.
Maybe you know someone that has both 10.2 and 12.9 sizes ( or 2 people ) so you can give it a quick try before you buy?
I use my (old now?) M1 iPad pro 12.9. I love the extra screen size cause I'm blind and like to zoom in. It's a little unwieldy in the hand but on a music stand it's the bee's knees! These can be had for ~$400(especially the M1 ipad air) and will future proof your device a bit more than the basic ipad. Also the screen brightness and resolution are much higher on the pro/M1 Air
I would get the current iPad instead of buying the previous version.
iPadOS, the iPad’s operating system, has an annual release cycle and that way, you would ensure that the latest version will support your device for the longest possible number of years.
iPadOS, the iPad’s operating system, has an annual release cycle and that way, you would ensure that the latest version will support your device for the longest possible number of years.
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I echo this, and I suggest the newest iPad Air if you can afford it. I've used the 10" sized models for years, and with good eyesight it has been more than enough. That's not to say that the 12" model could be better for you as it is for many. It essentially makes the screen size equal to a sheet of paper.
1. Support for Pencil Pro. Yes you need it, yes you want it. It's very slick how it works compared to the other and previous models. if you are a note taker on your charts its built in features make it work even better. The magnetic charging by attaching it to the side is very, very cool.
2. Support for a keyboard. PC guy eh? Give it some time, because you might change your mind. It turns your iPad into nearly a full fledged laptop and the keyboard can really help. It also makes it more useful than just being for charts.
3. Buy once, cry once-ish. I went 6 years on an iPad Pro until I was ready to upgrade into something that gave me more options. It's still running fine and is now in use by my kids, but it was time. Get the newest and best you can afford.
I've been using an iPad Pro 12.9" for years with forScore, but recently learned that MobileSheets for iPad became available and switched to that. For the very short time I used an Android and Windows tablets, MobileSheets was my go to, and now on my iPad. The developer, Mike Zuber, is very responsive to support through his ZuberSoft forum. One of the main reasons I use MobileSheets is that Mike is going to update it to allow fully autonomous libraries. I belong to a couple of groups who have the same songs with different arrangements or keys that I don't want to write over the other, and also not have to rename the titles.
I second the note about the pencil. I use it frequently in IGigBook (iirc you may have to pay a little bit to get pencil support in the app) to make notes on charts about arrangements, correct bad chords in fakebooks, etc.
Totally forgot about the pencil. Mine is a pro version with the pencil and it is invaluable for making notes on the fly at rehearsal as well as highlighting those pesky codas and the like. My pencil is the one that stays charged on the iPad magnetically and writes pretty naturally. And I’ll second Forescore over iGig pro.
I also forgot to mention the Apple Pencil. Excellent, so much better than the styluses for Android and Windows tablets.
Indeed, we have Apple and Android tablets in my household. I've got Android. It came with a stylus, but it doesn't function as well as the Apple Pencil. For instance, "palm avoidance" is built into the Apple OS, but Android requires apps to implement it, which not all apps do.
For the kids, playing classical music, they need to be able to do fairly detailed markings and annotations on charts. They also need the bigger screen because they play more notes than I do. Because of the roughly 4:3 aspect ratio, the Apple devices have larger effective screen area than a typical Android tablet.
However, for myself, the Android tablet (Lenovo Tab P11) works well enough. For reading chord symbols in iGigBook, it's just fine. For typical one-pagers used on jazz gigs, it's good enough. The pen that came with the tablet is sufficient for rehearsal markings. For the big band, we still use paper, though a couple of players have switched to iPads. The iPad has really become the standard for musicians.
The other deal for me is that I have this thing because its predecessor broke while it was in my electric bass bag. So I know they're not indestructible, and saving a few hundred dollars is my de facto "protection plan." The Lenovo was 200 bucks with stylus.
There are some things that I prefer about Android, being a long time computer user going back to MS-DOS and earlier. Apple is great if you learn the things you want to do with it, or have someone you can ask. There's no such thing as an "intuitive" computer system any more.
Make sure you get a case that surrounds the edges of the tablet with rubber. It might not be the most attractive or fashionable one. My first tablet broke. One band mate had his screen shattered when his tablet stand blew over in the wind at an outdoor gig.
For the kids, playing classical music, they need to be able to do fairly detailed markings and annotations on charts. They also need the bigger screen because they play more notes than I do.
Because of the roughly 4:3 aspect ratio, the Apple devices have larger effective screen area than a typical Android tablet.However, for myself, the Android tablet (Lenovo Tab P11) works well enough. For reading chord symbols in iGigBook, it's just fine. For typical one-pagers used on jazz gigs, it's good enough. The pen that came with the tablet is sufficient for rehearsal markings. For the big band, we still use paper, though a couple of players have switched to iPads. The iPad has really become the standard for musicians.
The other deal for me is that I have this thing because its predecessor broke while it was in my electric bass bag. So I know they're not indestructible, and saving a few hundred dollars is my de facto "protection plan." The Lenovo was 200 bucks with stylus.
There are some things that I prefer about Android, being a long time computer user going back to MS-DOS and earlier. Apple is great if you learn the things you want to do with it, or have someone you can ask. There's no such thing as an "intuitive" computer system any more.
Make sure you get a case that surrounds the edges of the tablet with rubber. It might not be the most attractive or fashionable one. My first tablet broke. One band mate had his screen shattered when his tablet stand blew over in the wind at an outdoor gig.
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I'm 51 and both near and farsighted, the regular 10" iPad size works well for me, I'm using that size for gigs and teaching students since 10 years now, works just fine with many apps like iRealPro, Notion (yes, notation also), Drumgenius, Earmaster, Polynome Metronome, and so on.
We have one person in the choirs that uses the 12.9" iPad. In one word, it's glorious. If one can swing the price, it's the way to go for the iPad platform.
As I mentioned above, I use the 10th generation iPad with a 10.9" screen that I bought on sale in the Apple store on Amazon. I wouldn't want to go smaller. Certainly not back to the 9.7" screen it replaced.
I take all the sheet music we use and redo it in Musescore. This way I can throw out all the stuff I don't need like capo chords, and set the margins thin for maximum size. Makes it easier to read.
Bought a cheap compatible pencil on Amazon. It was something like $30 and works well. I just don't have the Apple charging, but USB charging. I don't use it often. Only when I forgot to put a chord on a measure or two. Still on the original charge after about 4 months.