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Re-visiting an iPad Live Rig


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What apps have you been using for live performances? Bread and butter sounds for pop, rock, soul, latin etc?

 

Notes:

Been balcony gigging with these apps: Korg Module, iLectric Piano, and assorted Lumbeat drum machines (Afro-Latin Drum Machine, Soft Drummer, Jazz Drummer, Rock Drummer, Brazilian Drummer, Funk Drummer). Also AUM, Forscore and iReal Pro. Still waiting to pull the trigger on Ravenscroft 275 and Hammond B3-X.

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Neo Soul Keys Studio 2, B3-X, Ravenscroft 275, Syntronik have all been used on gigs for me and I am happy in the iPad camp for the right situations live gigging.

 

 

I have the Lumbeats - they are really good. I added Reggae Drummer to your list. Also check out Drumgenius for practice loops and Patterning as a build tool with tons of amazing kits for free online. I don't really gig with iPad drums but have created some on iPad that I load into my FA-07 and assign to trigger pads.

 

I love to play around with Model D, Poison and other synths but don't gig with them. I know my go to presets but don't really do the knob tweaking equivalent on an iPad, if that makes sense. Tons of great sounds to be had for sure. I have more sounds on my iPad than time to audition everything I do have.

 

I tried and abandoned bs-16i as a soundfonts player because of performance quality issues for me - lack of polyphony and high latency at times.

 

My iPad that I use as a music module is very lean and dedicated to music purposes. I don't have it loaded with any apps for email, messaging, social media, no notifications, no calls or Facetime, no automatic updates. I have another device that covers more of the general use, movies, news, social media and online games, etc.

 

It's a 2017 standard iPad. I use the Korg Plug key for MIDI input and stereo 1/4" outputs.

 

When I started out with iPad for making music, I was often buying a lot of inexpensive apps, playing with them for a couple of hours and never using them again, or just deleting. You'll pay more for Neo Soul Keys Studio 2, B3-X, Ravenscroft, Syntronik and all the Lumbeats stuff but it's usable and so much richer than something you discard or forget about.

Yamaha U1 Upright, Roland Fantom 8, Nord Stage 4 HA73, Nord Wave 2, Korg Nautilus 73, Viscount Legend Live, Lots of Mainstage/VST Libraries

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I really, really love Moog Model D as an iOS synth. It sounds terrific, and it's inexpensive (might still be free during quarantine right now, not sure).

 

Same. I've had a Behringer Model D since last summer, but hadn't really taken the plunge to learn how to wrangle it yet. The iOS app has been a good set of training wheels in quarantine.

Numa X Piano 73 | Yamaha CP4 | Mojo 61 | Motion Sound KP-612s | Hammond M3

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Neo Soul Keys Studio 2 -- amazing app. Starts with rich, layered, characterful samples and lets you run them through a synthesizer-like process.

 

B3-X -- possibly the best B3 emulation imho. However, the Mojo 61 would still be my choice for gigging because it also sounds damn good and has the reliability of hardware.

 

I know, what's this "gigging" you speak of?

 

Ravenscroft 275 -- favorite piano for its woody, organic tone and simple panel controls.

 

Model D -- Good enough to make you fall (or re-fall) in love with the Moog sound.

 

Korg Module Pro -- covers all the bases without being exceptionally good at anything. A great backup, but pricey if that's it's only role in the rig.

 

Haven't explored other synth apps. Based on Jeff's post above, I will take a look at syntronik.

 

My biggest issue with iPad rig is that some apps refuse to play together on my Mini 5. B3-X, Neo Soul, and Ravenscroft each seem to use too much CPU to allow each other to co-exist. The root of the problem is probably my lack of sophistication with IOS systems. But I've contemplated getting a second Mini so I can isolate B3-X and Neo Soul from each other and, just as importantly, give them their own dedicated screens.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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What apps have you been using for live performances? Bread and butter sounds for pop, rock, soul, latin etc?

 

Notes:

Been balcony gigging with these apps: Korg Module, iLectric Piano, and assorted Lumbeat drum machines (Afro-Latin Drum Machine, Soft Drummer, Jazz Drummer, Rock Drummer, Brazilian Drummer, Funk Drummer). Also AUM, Forscore and iReal Pro. Still waiting to pull the trigger on Ravenscroft 275 and Hammond B3-X.

 

The CCK is the one Apple accessory every musician must own, preferably one for each iPad. I use my iPads with CCKs and they work flawlessly for a wide variety of interfaces (just in my own studio: Yamaha AG06, Novation AudioHub 2x5, MOTU UltraLite AVB, Alesis ControHub, and even a Schiit Audio Fulla2), depending on application.

 

I also own what are (to my knowledge) the only dedicated iOS interfaces that also power the iPad: the Korg plugKEY and the IK Multimedia iRig Pro I/O. They work great. Believe it or not, the one IK interface that would be most useful for us, the iRig Pro Duo, does NOT charge your iPad, which I find inexcusably stupid.

 

As for bread and butter live apps, that's really not my usual wheelhouse, buuuuuut....

 

I love all the iFretless apps. iFretless Bass in particular is really kickass for live use, and so much fun to play!

 

If you want to rock out with a modeled lead guitar that's just on the edge of out of control!, GeoShred would be a great choice. Takes a lot of practice to rein in and use effectively, but has a nice variety of sounds.

 

If you can't live without a Mellotron (raises hand), Streetlytron Pro has a wonderful library and a reasonably customizable performance interface with very good MIDI mapping. If you're looking for something a little cheaper and more storage-friendly, the Streetlytron '63 app may be for you -- smaller library, all sounds looped (feh), but most of the same performance features. If you want a Tron on the supercheap and just need the basic basic basics, Super Manetron is nearly free and sounds very authentic; it was sampled from a single real Mellotron in the dev's home, and has all the quirks of the real thing, including a skunky note or three. (Pffft. who needs Middle C, anyway?)

 

Pianos? Ravenscroft is the one to beat right now, but it's a real lardass in terms of sample memory.

 

For familiar synths, +1 to Sam and Noah for the Model D. Synth apps are very iffy, and a real rabbit hole if you're not careful. If you want something based on familiar hardware, the Korg apps are nice: iMonoPoly, iPolysix, ODYSSEi. Digital Korgs are well represented too - iM1 comes with an enormous number of the original's memory cards' sounds, and iWavestation is sonically and functionally identical to the original but way the eff easier to program.

 

END OF DIRECTLY RELEVANT CONTENT - PROCEED WITH CAUTION

 

And finally, a few "handy to have around"s that are among my absolute faves...

 

Hands down the best value in iOS music apps today is the same as it was seven years ago. ThumbJam. Just BUY it, for heaven's sake. The developer is a sweetheart, the app has been constantly updated to take advantage of advances in iOS without sacrificing reliability, the sounds are quite decent (although they definitely won't satisfy purists), the sample library is reasonably comprehensive (AND ALL FREE TO DOWNLOAD), the app is light on CPU and very reliable, and it has lots of MIDI routing and performance features built in so it integrates well with live rigs. I keep hoping the next update will include an AUv3 version; as of now, you can only run one instance at a time, and I could easily run three or four and eliminate some other apps from my setup.

 

I use Synthmaster Player all the time; it's free to start with and doesn't get expensive until you buy a lot of patch banks (many of which contain supplementary samples to fill out the internal waveform memory). If you buy the desktop version of Synthmaster, you can create your own very elaborate patches and download them to Player, and share all libraries between the two versions free of charge once you register your account on both apps. (Handy hint: registration doesn't use a password, it uses your serial number, which is a very long string of alphanumerics that it doesn't let you copy and paste. Have it written down.)

 

I should put in a good word for the folks at AudioKit. They're a dev based on open-source development, and have a community-based update/upgrade path as volunteers build in new features. As a result, their apps are constantly growing and evolving, which is kind of cool, and most of them are free; one or two cost, but they support the dev framework so that's cool too. One word of warning -- they can be unstable from rev to rev, so use them in a live situation with caution, and test your newest updates thoroughly before gigging with them. Start with SynthOne and Digital D1.

 

I hope this helps!

Dr. Mike Metlay (PhD in nuclear physics, golly gosh) :D

Musician, Author, Editor, Educator, Impresario, Online Radio Guy, Cut-Rate Polymath, and Kindly Pedant

Editor-in-Chief, Bjooks ~ Author of SYNTH GEMS 1

 

clicky!:  more about me ~ my radio station (and my fam) ~ my local tribe ~ my day job ~ my bookmy music

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Unfortunately the top iPads are USB-C, and while that's a more standard connector, no iPad specific accessories which could charge it and still provide multiple connections are out yet AFAIK.

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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That Mackie USB DI box looks interesting. How is it powered?

The Mackie MDB-USB DI is powered by USB. In my setup, it's connected to the powered USB Hub - which is plugged into the iPad/CCK. The Mackie DI box outputs the audio to 2x XLR outs, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring. Radial Engineering also makes one called the USB-Pro. But the Mackie DI box is US$120 vs. US$230 for the Radial.

 

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usb-thumbnail-768x888.png

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My biggest issue with iPad rig is that some apps refuse to play together ... B3-X, Neo Soul, and Ravenscroft each seem to use too much CPU to allow each other to co-exist.

Yes, I've seen a small amount of similar comments - on the stability of running B3-X, Neo Soul and Ravenscroft. That's why I'm holding off on those 3 specific apps. I will re-visit these apps after I upgrade to one of the newest iPads.

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Unfortunately the top iPads are USB-C, and while that's a more standard connector, no iPad specific accessories which could charge it and still provide multiple connections are out yet AFAIK.

That's a very good point - it's why my iPad setup is based around a powered USB hub. It's less elegant - but it's so much more flexible when dealing with different iPad connectors or adding other USB/audio/MIDI peripherals. For my live rig I I already budgeted 2x powered USB hubs (one as backup).

 

The core of the live rig will be [iPad + CCK + Powered Hub]. Or if I get a newer iPad Pro I can ditch the CCK and connect straight to the powered USB Hub. In either case - the iPad will be charged.

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I also own what are (to my knowledge) the only dedicated iOS interfaces that also power the iPad: the Korg plugKEY and the IK Multimedia iRig Pro I/O.

 

My iConnectAUDIO 4+ also charges, but like the plugKey sends just enough juice to keep the existing battery level from dropping when in use.

 

I'm finding that since I got into Bluetooth MIDI, a wired interface is moot. Right now I'm using a Quicco Mi.1 but have a preorder in for a CME WIDI Master.

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

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You're still rocking the 1st gen iPad Air, right?

Yes I'm using one of the older iPad Airs (not sure which one). It runs the bread and butter sounds great. But it can get overloaded on some of the synths.

 

Nice!

 

I haven't taken the plunge on B-3X yet, but recently tied-up spare room in order to work from home, so can perhaps treat myself this weekend.

 

James

x

Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own.
Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player.

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Have been using Korg Module as of late for everything on gigs. Fully loaded. Extremely stable and reliable. Have had stability issues with other ios apps.
Hammond XK5, Alesis QS8, Yamaha DX7IIFD, Roland XV2020 (SRX-11 & 12), Kawai RX7, Scheidmayer Clavichord, Strymon (Flint, Big Sky, Timeline, Mobius, Ola, El Capistan), Neo Ventilator II
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Have been using Korg Module as of late for everything on gigs. Fully loaded. Extremely stable and reliable. Have had stability issues with other ios apps.

That's good to know. It sounds like Korg Module is in the solid camp. How are you outputting audio from the iPad? Are you using traditional MIDI or USB MIDI?

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Posted much more detail on Dr. Mike's forum; but 95+ percent of my use is Module Pro. I have all the libraries except the American Grand, have my User Bank setup with modified patches all together so I can scroll and press whatever sound I usually use. At church, I run it on MIDI 2 with the PC3 controlling it on MIDI 1, so I just switch to a Setup on the PC3 for no internal sounds and MIDI channel 2. Been working very well for several years. Also use it in my "itty-bitty-load-in-like-a-horn-player" rig with an IK iKeysPro37 controller, can walk in with the whole rig except amp/speaker in a shoulder bag about the size of a clarinet.

Howard Grand|Hamm SK1-73|Kurz PC2|PC2X|PC3|PC3X|PC361; QSC K10's

HP DAW|Epi Les Paul & LP 5-str bass|iPad mini2

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Jim

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I own Korg Module on an iPad. I won't use it because of the latency.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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The Hammond emulation in Korg Module Pro is not good enough for my purposes. But it's better than most romplers and good enough to pass muster for most non-organ centric gigging situations.

 

My other issue of Korg Module Pro is that, compared to my other apps, it shows just a slight amount of latency. Barely noticeable and not an impediment to good playing, but if I switch from a different app to Module, I notice it.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Does the Moog Model D app have this Chick Corea sound?

Is the patch called "Trumpetville" close? I heard that the July 2008 issue of Keyboard Mag had some breakdowns of Corea's MiniMoog setting.

Is it a single Oscillator Saw or Pulse wave?

 

[video:youtube]

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I own Korg Module on an iPad. I won't use it because of the latency.

 

I was posting at the same time you wrote this. My feeling is the latency doesn't put it in the "unusuable" category. I notice it but I can adjust to it. There are a lot of situations where it's good enough. But if I want to throw down my best chops, I'd rather be on a different app.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Does the Moog Model D app have this Chick Corea sound?

Is the patch called "Trumpetville" close? I heard that the July 2008 issue of Keyboard Mag had some breakdowns of Corea's MiniMoog setting.

Is it a single Oscillator Saw or Pulse wave?

 

Hi Jazz+:

 

I have the column you were mentioning. Edit: I figured out how to get it small enough and still readable. Here it is:

 

 

Jerry

918.thumb.jpg.a3580f5290267ee07ffdd91fb0e63327.jpg

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I use the Korg PlugKey. Midi out from the keyboard to midi in on the PlugKey. Then 1/4 inch cables from PlugKey to a mixer. For me, its been simple and reliable. Not sure if those with latency issues mentioned elsewhere here are using older iPads. Mine is probably three years old, no latency issues.
Hammond XK5, Alesis QS8, Yamaha DX7IIFD, Roland XV2020 (SRX-11 & 12), Kawai RX7, Scheidmayer Clavichord, Strymon (Flint, Big Sky, Timeline, Mobius, Ola, El Capistan), Neo Ventilator II
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Jerry,

Thanks, that's wonderful to have.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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I own Korg Module on an iPad. I won't use it because of the latency.

... if I want to throw down my best chops, I'd rather be on a different app.

What do you prefer to use? A different app that you recommend? Or did you go to hardware?

 

I listed my apps in my first post in this thread. Korg Module is the only one with latency issues. And, again, it's not that bad.

 

I like apps, but I don't know much about them, how they are supposed to be set up, how they can and can't work together. So I acknowledge there may be solutions to my issues, I just don't know what they are.

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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I own Korg Module on an iPad. I won't use it because of the latency.

... if I want to throw down my best chops, I'd rather be on a different app.

What do you prefer to use? A different app that you recommend? Or did you go to hardware?

 

I don"t find Korg Module"s latency too much of an issue, and if you"re looking for one app that is a home base for all your bread n butter sounds, that"s the one.

 

For better quality and lower latency I like Ravenscroft, NeoSoul Keys Studio 2, Pure Synth Platinum, iSymphonic, and Moog D, using AUM as a host/mixer/and save all my MIDIcc"s there as well which saves resetting CC"s to each individual app if they need to be reloaded. There"s a nice GraphicEQ app and some AUMfx plugins for processing.

 

For synth I"ve also used the free and marvellous AudioKit Synth One. IFrettless Bass is great, as is Lumbeat"s Soft Drummer.

 

I intended to grab B-3X in the near future but still on the fence regarding a peripheral controller with drawbars to run it, which begs the question maybe I should be looking at the new Mojo desktop and stick with hardware (paired up with my GrandStage, which has pretty much all my needs covered now).

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

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