Anyone using an iPad for live use?

[jeastman]

I've not tried to import a lot of files at one time, but I did appreciate the fact that I could extract the content from pdfs with onSong.

I swear I'm not making money of this app

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Raystrack

...I tried OnSong first as it looks good - loaded a pdf of all the covers I need to crib (about 160) and it locks up.

Did the same with unrealBook and it worked first go. I spent an hour book-marking individual songs to create an index - works fine. However, I haven't worked out how to edit content i.e. if I add chords to a song (mine are only lyric sheets).

I haven't tried iGig Book yet.

Hi Ray…
Be sure to do a soft reboot after adding programs (standard procedure for all iOS devices).

Hold down the button on the opposite end from the Home button - the one you normally use to put the iPad to sleep with, but keep holding it till the red shut-down arrow appears. Slide it 'off', and after the wheel quits spinning hold the button down again till the apple appears.

When it's done booting, the chances of locking up are lessened.

Since editing files on computers is so much faster than on an iPad or other tablet device, I format and edit everything on the computer, and then convert the files to pdf. And if I need versions with just lyrics, I create two versions one with and one without and then name them so I know the difference.

[tammuz7000]

Thanks Larry..I think I will get the unrealbooks as well. You cant beat the price of these..

Can you take word documents or PDFs and load them into Unreal easily? I been using drop box for Onsong and its pretty easy to get them into it but you have to have the correct format for scolling and changing keys..

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by tammuz7000

Thanks Larry..I think I will get the unrealbooks as well. You cant beat the price of these..

Can you take word documents or PDFs and load them into Unreal easily? I been using drop box for Onsong and its pretty easy to get them into it but you have to have the correct format for scolling and changing keys..

Hi tammuz…
As far as I know it's only a reader and does only pdfs

If you need to change keys after the fact, or cannot convert to pdf, then Onsong is the app for you.

[joeybcdt]

There are way more developers and apps for ipad at the moment.

That being said, I'm not a fan of apple or the ipad....although I've bought 2, one for my wife and one for my mother.

I use a Barnes and Noble Nook Color that I've rooted and installed Android Gingerbread on. I use an app called GuitarTapp using .txt files. I use Documents to Go to sync between my laptop and Tab folder on my Nook. This setup cost me $250 plus apps I already paid for.

My only downside is that the Nook has a 7" screen. Kinda hard to read at 3' for a 46 year old. I will probably get a 10.1 pretty soon.

Either way, Apple or Android, the tablet is the way to go for gigging musicians.

[tunatuk]

I use an iPad for gigs when I'm playing with other musicians when I don't know their songs. I use the Ultimate-Guitar app, which I find to be great since I can search and find almost any song I want.

The only issue I have is page turning. Anybody use this app and know if a footpedal would work with it? I'm tempted to go ahead and just get a two switch pedal and the camera connection kit and switch apps if I need to.

[pshambroom]

Larry, what is the name of the clamp/tray you're using, I don't see it in this thread?

[saneff]

Originally Posted by joeybcdt

There are way more developers and apps for ipad at the moment.

That being said, I'm not a fan of apple or the ipad....although I've bought 2, one for my wife and one for my mother.

I use a Barnes and Noble Nook Color that I've rooted and installed Android Gingerbread on. I use an app called GuitarTapp using .txt files. I use Documents to Go to sync between my laptop and Tab folder on my Nook. This setup cost me $250 plus apps I already paid for.

My only downside is that the Nook has a 7" screen. Kinda hard to read at 3' for a 46 year old. I will probably get a 10.1 pretty soon.

Either way, Apple or Android, the tablet is the way to go for gigging musicians.

What does this mean? You sort of turned it into a Android device?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by pshambroom

Larry, what is the name of the clamp/tray you're using, I don't see it in this thread?

Hi paul…

Quick-Lok music stand that clips to a mic stand.

Don't know where to find them…



It's the size of a piece of 8½'' X 11'' paper turned sidewise.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by tunatuk

...The only issue I have is page turning. Anybody use this app and know if a footpedal would work with it? I'm tempted to go ahead and just get a two switch pedal and the camera connection kit and switch apps if I need to.

Hi tuna tuk…

Yup - the app called UnrealBook permits BlueTooth foot switches, and in fact and gang iPads together and turn all of them at the same time, or they can be one at a time.

As far as Nooks, and Android tablets, most are only 7 inches instead of 9½'' and the ones I've looked at are hard to read that small. We have a Kindle for reading books, and it has (shares with Android and Nooks) several drawbacks for stage use…

• No backlight - when the stage lights are low you cannot read them
• Small - too small to see the lyrics
• Poor conversion of pdf files
• No quick way to load new files on the fly

[edward993]

Wow is this a cool thread ...thanks for posting it (and thanks to all who are chiming in, especially you, lj!)!!.

Sorry for the slight detour, all, but may I ask a slightly different Q:
If I am interested in converting all my charts to pdfs (or docs, can I do this too?), will I be good to go with any of the myriad of Tablets out there, or is the iPad the best way to go here? Keep in mind the music/stage angle is a significant factor for even getting a tablet as I don't need a new toy; I hope this to be a real tool. Thanks all!

Edward

[paulin]

Anyone using the Acer Iconia W500? It is a tablet with 10" screen running on Windows 7. Since over the years all my charts were processed on MS .wks or .doc (and I can convert them) I'm thinking this tablet might be easiest for my use.

Paul

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by edward993

...Sorry for the slight detour, all, but may I ask a slightly different Q:
...If I am interested in converting all my charts to pdfs (or docs, can I do this too?), will I be good to go with any of the myriad of Tablets out there, or is the iPad the best way to go here?

Hi edward…
PDF is to any tablet or computer printed documents what gif, jpeg, and tiff are to photography. They make files totally cross platform and universal.

The advantage of PDF is that it embeds the fonts right into the document and keeps the format intact (chords still line up above the right words).

If you save something as a doc and the fonts don't exist on the tablet/computer, it just substitutes something else, and that usually messes up the text. That's fine if you have time to fix it, but you usually find out about 10 minutes before the gig.

There are some programs which require unformatted text to be entered so they can effect key changes to charts. These are not the norm, and most of us don't need to keep changing keys of charts.

But if you do that is going to be up to the app not the device.

The real questions for any of these devices is:

• Are charts big enough to read?
• Are they backlit for dark stages?
• Can lists be built and executed quickly?
• Can new songs be added or loaded quickly?
• Are there programs/apps available which will perform the tasks we need?
• Can you teach someone else to run it in under a minute? I teach other players to turn pages and find charts (often I know the songs, they don't)
• And can your charts be exported, emailed, transferred to other players for their devices? (5 people can't read off an iPad at the same time & others may have their own devices with them - they can make their own list if they have the files)
• If there is a projector or TV, and you want/need to display the lyrics on a screen or wall, can the device be hooked to it, and does it have apps to use this too?

Just some random late night thoughts...

[edward993]

Hey there Larry,

Wow, thanks for all the thoughts/details on this! The list of things to consider is good ...I can weigh each accordingly, especially the importance of screen size and back lighting! This is cool as I want to eventually transfer the "binder o stuff" (which is so old-school ) to a format that really makes more sense, and the tablet is just so much more stage-friendly than a laptop, or even a net-book which I was formerly considering.

So if I am hearing you right, "ipad" seems to have no real advantage for my stated use than any other Tablet, given like features? The reason I ask is lots of folks in music swear by Mac apps, but since this is less about "music" in terms of recording and more about "documents" for performance, I am thinking I can go with any tab that fits my needs? I just don't want to buy one and then find out, "man, the ipad does that better?" ...if you know what i mean. Thanks!

Ed

[tbv58]

FYI

The stand that Larry references is QuickLock MS-303. They are hard to find, but I did just order one from djdeals.com

Thanks Larry for the tips.