Do you think iDevices are better without peripherals?

oceansinspace

Good thought, sometimes I really do like fully standalone and just abelton sync with phone and pad and I feel spoiled at how well it works and how I am not worthy to be rocking a drum machine on phone with an arp on the pad with NO wires! Thats the best most free feeling, although I use one of those alesis docks with MIDI and Audio ins and outs and that again feels clean and nice but then those damn cables and power supply and hardware synths creep in. Ya

ZenEagle

Playing on screen keyboard is second nature to me now, so I tend to just skip the hassle of hooking up KB and interfaces and just focus on the strengths of iPad as a self-contained all-in-one instrument/sketchpad.

treating it like a traditional computer with tons of accessories can work, but at that point, I might as well just use my desktop which already has all the goodies hooked up to it. Recently switched to Mac (‘18 Mini) which allows for seamless integration of iOS instruments with desktop daws, so I’ll occasionally use iPad as a sound & midi source in Ableton or Logic.

Crawlingwind

Bedroom - self contained ipad only. Studio - Launchpad Pro & Launch Control XL.

animal

I like to have the Pad untethered at all times, for easy walking around, if needed. Touchscreen on these devices is so much ahead of mouse etc, in my view. Especially Thumbjam, TC 11, Garageband-instruments, Animoog come to mind. Lately started using the sensel morph, though, and this gives something on top of touch, for further easy tweaking on the go (it also helps that it works via bluetooth).
Everything audio then gets plugged in to the „digital overloard doing it (short: DOLDI)“, the machine consisting of Macbook, ICM 4+ and KMix for fequency-manipulations inside Logic, and audiotriggered videoeffects and loops inside VDMX.
TLDR: both is essential to me. Cheers, t

CracklePot

I never needed a peripheral for the Audiobus forum.

I was just iPad mostly, until very recently.
Finally got an MPK mini and FBV express.
I have only used the MPK mini on-the-go.
That thing is so small, but so helpful for certain things, I always bring it in my BP, just in case.

The FBV express is great if your hands are tied up, playing a guitar, or even when you are busy interacting with the screen. You can trigger loopers and such. I really wanted it for the expression pedal, which is pretty handy (footy?) to have available.

DMan

I prefer to have a keyboard of some kind connected. As for knobs and things like that I have both a Launchcontrol and an XL. I almost never use them as the onscreen iPad controls are enough for me and less to connect.

ToMess

I want to have the ipad to charge while i use it for music stuff. So a cable is needed anyways. Having audio interface, usb hub with controllers is something that takes the whole ipad to another level from just having the ipad. So ios is better WITH peripherals!

mistercharlie

I’ve stopped using multiple apps on the iPad, because it’s such a distracting pain to keep them all working — like playing a guitar that won’t stay in tune.

Now I do almost everything on an OP-1, using the iPad to create sounds to sample. I might send a random midi melody from PolyPhase, or sample a synth from Model 15. I also make beats in Patterning and record those to the OP-1’s tape. I’ll build the song there.

Then, when I get closer to a complete song, I start moving things into GarageBand. I’ll drop all four OP-1 tape tracks into GB, and go from there. I’ll add back the stereo versions of the drum tracks from patterning, and drop in any longer samples too, to replace the mono versions coming back from the OP-1. AudioBus usually features here.

I’ll also re-do some parts playing the OP-1 synth direct into GB. At this stage, I treat the OP-1 version as a rough sketch, and sometimes resample and mangle it, destructively.

I find GB way better for arranging, and OP-1 better for inspiration, recording, and composing. I even record my guitar into the OP-1 these days!

I’ll use au effects in GarageBand too, at this stage. They’re more for sound-sculpting and tweaking than for creating new part, but not always.

Since “switching” (it just happened, really) to this setup, I’ve spent way more time making more interesting music. I’ve never really needed the long effects chains possible in AUM. I still host apps in AB3 or AUM, but mostly just for ease of sync and routing.

BroCoast

@mistercharlie said:
I’ve stopped using multiple apps on the iPad, because it’s such a distracting pain to keep them all working — like playing a guitar that won’t stay in tune.

Now I do almost everything on an OP-1, using the iPad to create sounds to sample. I might send a random midi melody from PolyPhase, or sample a synth from Model 15. I also make beats in Patterning and record those to the OP-1’s tape. I’ll build the song there.

Then, when I get closer to a complete song, I start moving things into GarageBand. I’ll drop all four OP-1 tape tracks into GB, and go from there. I’ll add back the stereo versions of the drum tracks from patterning, and drop in any longer samples too, to replace the mono versions coming back from the OP-1. AudioBus usually features here.

I’ll also re-do some parts playing the OP-1 synth direct into GB. At this stage, I treat the OP-1 version as a rough sketch, and sometimes resample and mangle it, destructively.

I find GB way better for arranging, and OP-1 better for inspiration, recording, and composing. I even record my guitar into the OP-1 these days!

I’ll use au effects in GarageBand too, at this stage. They’re more for sound-sculpting and tweaking than for creating new part, but not always.

Since “switching” (it just happened, really) to this setup, I’ve spent way more time making more interesting music. I’ve never really needed the long effects chains possible in AUM. I still host apps in AB3 or AUM, but mostly just for ease of sync and routing.

I have similar thoughts regarding multiple apps

The OP-1 is an inspiring instrument for sure.

BroCoast

@TheDubbyLabby said:

@BroCoast said:
Thanks for all the answers so far.

I agree with the sentiment that it's probably better to use Ableton for live performance with loops & clips. It's a little too risky and clunky to try and achieve the same thing with iOS. However for improv I believe iOS offers something that Ableton cannot.

It depends on the kind of performance. For just launch some audio loops GTL (or loopyHD) could do the job even better than Ableton but if you need more than that then complexity builds up.

For me risk is calculated taking revenue (money) divided by cost of gear involved, not result from performance side. I set a minimum performance level and make it a must not an option, like a constant in this hypothetic formula. That's why I simplify setups instead carry more powerful machines into gigs.

The main rule is how good music became in the end? but that's my take due I came (and go) from repertory based gigs (from Hip Hop to covers for cruises and hotels) so the crowd satisfaction is top priority.

I should draw this. Thanks @BroCoast for this healthy discussion

Cool. I'd love to see your setup!

I'm torn between using a laptop for solo performance or simplifying it and using multiple ipads. Right now I use a combination of iPad, iphone and a Boss RC202.

[Deleted User]

@BroCoast said:

@TheDubbyLabby said:

@BroCoast said:
Thanks for all the answers so far.

I agree with the sentiment that it's probably better to use Ableton for live performance with loops & clips. It's a little too risky and clunky to try and achieve the same thing with iOS. However for improv I believe iOS offers something that Ableton cannot.

It depends on the kind of performance. For just launch some audio loops GTL (or loopyHD) could do the job even better than Ableton but if you need more than that then complexity builds up.

For me risk is calculated taking revenue (money) divided by cost of gear involved, not result from performance side. I set a minimum performance level and make it a must not an option, like a constant in this hypothetic formula. That's why I simplify setups instead carry more powerful machines into gigs.

The main rule is how good music became in the end? but that's my take due I came (and go) from repertory based gigs (from Hip Hop to covers for cruises and hotels) so the crowd satisfaction is top priority.

I should draw this. Thanks @BroCoast for this healthy discussion

Cool. I'd love to see your setup!

I'm torn between using a laptop for solo performance or simplifying it and using multiple ipads. Right now I use a combination of iPad, iphone and a Boss RC202.

ATM is minimal but modular (more or less).
I have studiologic numa compact 2 plugged into tc perform vk plugged into digitech trio+ plugged into iTrack dock/iPad mini4 AUM session with eq filtering to extract drum and bass parts into dedicsted channels ( the digitech sends audio in and looper side audio to one output and drum/bass parts into the other if you plug both outputs)
I will upload a diagram maybe to my own post about the trio and tag you
I use this setup as is since trio+ can do song mode (5parts/13songs) and let me avoid carry the iPad/iTrack and GTL approach if revenue is too low for the risk involved in the gig.
Then I have the mac mini with an audiobox and few controllers (launchcontrol, nanokontrol studio and crappy footpedal I need to update) for Live/GaragebandLogic/Mainstage... which I bought for edit Garageband recordings from iPad/iTrack which I used as portable track recorder in the past. Nowadays I think on it more as post production station than true portable workstatio (for Mainstage/Traktor/Live) and I’m wondering just sell it and buy a similar macbook/air or so.
I also have a cck3usb waiting for GTL for iPhone to plug the “desktop peripherals” and maybe sell the iPad/iTrack combo. Buy a large size iPhone and some kind of audio mixer. The perform vk is also class compliant so ATM I have more audio interfaces than I need... xD
I also need to end my diy keytar (microKorg based) and build buy a footcontroller for hands free gigging for GTL but trio+ with proper songs inside it could make avoid it probably...

My problem is related to how to put these inside it without work on it due I simplified to the edge and now I can’t avoid play music by myself
Well there is some ways to even avoid it a bit more but let that for other post...