Audiobus: Use your music apps together.

What is Audiobus?Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

Download on the App Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Drawing tablet recommendations please - SORTEDšŸ˜€

edited December 2022 in Other

My son is 12 next month and is a very keen artist. He does a lot of drawing/painting on paper and canvas but is starting to get into drawing/animation on my 2017 iPad Pro using a cheap stylus. Iā€™d like to get him his own device which is perhaps better for digital art.
I know about iPads but gather there are specific drawing tablets which may be cheaper and more art-oriented. It needs to be something that allows you to draw directly onto the screen rather than plug into a monitor.
What would those in the know recommend? Budget around Ā£200-300 so possibly very limited options.

Comments

  • edited December 2022

    @TimRussell said:
    My son is 12 next month and is a very keen artist. He does a lot of drawing/painting on paper and canvas but is starting to get into drawing/animation on my 2017 iPad Pro using a cheap stylus. Iā€™d like to get him his own device which is perhaps better for digital art.
    I know about iPads but gather there are specific drawing tablets which may be cheaper and more art-oriented. It needs to be something that allows you to draw directly onto the screen rather than plug into a monitor.
    What would those in the know recommend? Budget around Ā£200-300 so possibly very limited options.

    Any of the lower priced (usually refurbished for lower price) iPads. And the Apple Pencil, or simply use a finger.

    https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/ipad

    Or you could keep letting him use your more advanced iPad Pro so he'd have access to newer, better apps and save money at the same time.

  • @TimRussell said:
    My son is 12 next month and is a very keen artist. He does a lot of drawing/painting on paper and canvas but is starting to get into drawing/animation on my 2017 iPad Pro using a cheap stylus. Iā€™d like to get him his own device which is perhaps better for digital art.
    I know about iPads but gather there are specific drawing tablets which may be cheaper and more art-oriented. It needs to be something that allows you to draw directly onto the screen rather than plug into a monitor.
    What would those in the know recommend? Budget around Ā£200-300 so possibly very limited options.

    You can get a lot done with Procreate, Affinity Designer, and Apple Pencil on an iPad, but if he wants to use apps on the laptop, I frequent https://the-gadgeteer.com site occasionally, and they do thorough reviews of a range of different quality drawing tablets, among other geeky items. I have a big Cintiq, so a bit spoiled, but there's more to life than Wacom now, and some of them aren't too expensive. Happy hunting!

  • Five years ago I bought a 2. gen iPad Pro 13" with Apple Pencil for photo editing. It turned out not to be quite ready for (pro) editing at the time, but I showed my daughter (same age as yours) Procreate, and after a very short time I realised that the iPad belonged to her. She still draws in Procreate almost every day on that same iPad.
    I would recommend looking for as new an 13" iPad Pro (with pencil) you can get for your money. (2. gen still going strong here.)
    Size matters, that is why I say 13", and DEFINITELY get the pencil. It is a stunning tool, - soooo responsive.

  • A few years ago now I bought my son an Air3 and pencil for the same purpose.
    He gives it a thumbs up.
    Should be able to get one in that price range. Think I paid 500 new.

  • I also saw video's about paper like screen protectors, to get a more naturally drawing experience.

  • I ended up getting an Apple Pencil and Procreate and like it a lot

  • I'd go with a current iPad Air and a 2nd gen apple pencil. Should have enough power to make art with in ProCreate. :)

  • If you want a dedicated graphic tablet instead of an iPad, your best bets at this price range would be something like Huion Kamvas or XP-Pen.

    I have a couple of friends who work professionally with character design and illustrations who recently came to favour Huion over Wacom, so itā€™s most likely a safe pick that wonā€™t need to be replaced for any lack of capabilities (except maybe for a larger screen depending on which one you pick and how much he uses it).

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/HUION-Full-featured-Connection-Battery-free-1920x1080/dp/B084VLMBB8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=28PBR87EO343T&keywords=huion+kamvas+13&qid=1672292234&sprefix=huion,aps,69&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

  • The iPad is pretty much the best drawing tablet available (I say this as a professional artist who has used a lot of tablets).

    Just get him an Apple Pencil to go with the 2017 iPad Pro and he should have one of the best digital drawing experiences available.

  • I still use either my original iPad Pro and a pencil 1 or a newer air 3, both fine. Otherwise I use my old cintiq which is about the same experience, less the portability and touch, the iPad is revolutionary as a digital drawing deviceā€¦

  • edited December 2022
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Thanks all for the responses - very happy to have this forum full of people whose opinions I value.
    Sounds like a 2nd gen 12.9 iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + Procreate is the way to go for me.

  • @TimRussell said:
    Thanks all for the responses - very happy to have this forum full of people whose opinions I value.
    Sounds like a 2nd gen 12.9 iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + Procreate is the way to go for me.

    Thatā€™s my setup except I have the Apple Pencil 2. Itā€™s a very enjoyable way to draw. Also highly recommend the Lettie Blue Procreate tutorials on Skillshare. (Skillshare in general is not bad for a year of art fun.)

  • @TimRussell said:
    Thanks all for the responses - very happy to have this forum full of people whose opinions I value.
    Sounds like a 2nd gen 12.9 iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + Procreate is the way to go for me.

    This is exactly the setup I have (note with Pencil 1st Gen) and can highly recommend it.

    Also https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tayasui-sketches-pro/id671867510 is very easy to use and very flexible. I paint in watercolour or soft pastel sticks in ā€œhardwareā€ but find both these bits of software ideal for trying out ideas beforehand. Sounds like a lucky lad!

  • At his age, keep him on classic techniques in parallel with digital art as long as you can. Digital art is too limited and generic, not enough for true skill development.
    Ā 
    iPad + Apple Pencil + Procreate; I donā€™t know of a better combination than this one. IMHO!
    (Borrow your iPad to the son; invest in a Pencil.)

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