Why Musicians need an iPad … and the best music apps to get!
When the iPad first came out, I didn’t buy one. I didn’t think I needed it. After all I already had my iPhone and a laptop. What would I possibly use an iPad for? Well I did eventually get a used one and I’m really glad I did. Now I don’t know how I managed without it! As a musician, there are so many great ways to use iPads. They’re convenient and fun, and they can even help you become a better musician.
A Plethora of Applications
There are literally millions of music applications for iPads. The applications I’ll be discussing here are either free or cost less than ten dollars. You could pay upwards of three hundred dollars for a decent recorder or drum machine as a stand-alone device, so it’s pretty amazing to be able to get the most advanced apps for less than ten bucks.
The iPad gives you a large interactive interface for music-related apps. Sure, you have to pony up some bucks for the iPad itself, but once you have the hardware, the app world is your oyster.
Metronomes
The most essential tool for any musician is a metronome. If you aren’t friendly with a metronome, you have some work to do. The first step is to get a good one – one that adjusts the time easily and has a sound you can hear well. The app I use the most is called Pro Metronome. The clave tone is perfect when I’m practicing drums. It’s an easy app to use, with lots of additional features such as accents or different time signatures.
AnyTune
Anytune allows you to load any song and adjust the tempo without affecting the pitch. It’s awesome for drummers and guitarists alike. If you’re trying to learn a drum groove slow down the tempo until you have it sorted and then raise the tempo until you can play it at speed. Same thing for guitar riff and the pitch stays the same! It may sound a little weird at extreme tempo adjustments, but it does the trick.
Drum Machine
I use an app called DM1. It makes it easy to create loops. Just add the hi-hat, kick and snare and you have something to jam with. I use the drum machine when I’m practicing guitar. I program a straightforward beat into it (think Phil Rudd from AC/DC) and it gives me a bit more groove than a metronome, but it is still perfectly in time.
I often write parts for myself that are difficult to play, so I will slow the drum machine down until I have it down solid and then I’ll raise it up. Sometimes when I do this I realize the song actually sounds better at a slower tempo. I have an iPad Pro and the speakers are decent, but I still like to put it through a PA system. Sometimes if I’m at home and strumming my acoustic, I will just use the iPad speakers, but to be honest, they are a little weak and the bass response isn’t the best for a pro audio situation.
Tabs/Lyrics
You can use your iPad to learn cover songs. There is a great app for tabs: it’s called Tabs! It has a huge database of guitar tabs: most are submitted by users so some aren’t great, but they all get rated, so it’s easy to find the good ones. Almost any song is at your fingertips. There are lots of other apps and websites that offer this too, as well as lyrics. I usually just search on Google for lyrics though. I use an iPad stand to hook it up to my microphone stand. Any decent music sheet stand works well but I recommend a strong one as you don’t want your expensive iPad crashing to the ground!
Tuner
Although I have a tuner on my phone and on my pedal board, I can use my iPad for this too. There are tons of free tuning apps that work really well. Look for one that will find the closest note (chromatic). Some of the free ones only allow you to tune in standard tuning. Don’t be afraid to spend a couple of bucks for a good tuner. It’s worth it.
Recorder
I use the Handy Recorder (that’s the actual name). It’s made by Zoom products. I have a stereo microphone that plugs into the iPad and acts like a Zoom recorder. Handy Recorder allows you to email the files or upload them to Soundcloud. The microphone adapter costs around $100, but gives you a fully functional Zoom recorder for high quality stereo recordings. I use the microphone on my iPod or my iPhone too. I often use two devices at the same time, for example, if I’m writing songs, I will use my iPad for the drum machine and my iPod for my recorder. Sometimes I wish I had more than one iPad – if I did I could use one to read lyrics at the same time I’m using another for recording or the drum machine! Because I use my laptop for all of my writing, I write my lyrics in the notes program and it automatically syncs to my iPad (and vice versa).
Mixer
You can use an iPad as a mixer in your rehearsal space. I have a new Mackie mixer that works with an iPad or iPhone. It has all the features of a small six-channel mixer in one simple app. The actual mixer is about the size of a cigar box. The iPad rests in a channel on top. After you get the mixer set, you don’t even need your iPad anymore unless you’re taking your PA system into another venue. If the feedback is dialed out and the effects you like are dialed in, you can control everything from the mixer itself and use your iPad for other things.
So, in a nutshell, if you’re a modern musician, get yourself an iPad. I know they’re expensive, but the affordability of the apps will turn your iPad into an invaluable tool.
