Discuss Akai's iOS apps iMPC & iMPC Pro
By epidemic Mon May 27, 2013 8:42 am
looking into a tablet. not for gaming or video. Just iMPC, iMaschine, music, and school.

I know the ipad 4 is faster overall. but how is the performance of the Ipad 2 running iMPC? Is there any issues or noticeable difference with iMPC in the 2 vs 4? if the iPad 2 struggles with iMPC or iMaschine then I'd get the 4, but I rather spend the extra 100-200 somewhere else.

thanks
Last edited by epidemic on Mon May 27, 2013 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By epidemic Mon May 27, 2013 8:42 pm
thanks for the reply. I seen the specs. the iPad 4 is faster overall.
but I just want to know how the iPad 2 runs iMPC. is it at a noticeable disadvantage? if the iPad 2 or 3 is handicapped by the slower processor running iMPC, then I'll get the 4. but if it runs fine with no noticeable setbacks I really don't want to give apple my money. I rather have an android, but androids don't run iMPC or iMaschine.
User avatar
By Metatron72 Mon May 27, 2013 8:51 pm
epidemic wrote:thanks for the reply. I seen the specs. the iPad 4 is faster overall.
but I just want to know how the iPad 2 runs iMPC. is it at a noticeable disadvantage? if the iPad 2 or 3 is handicapped by the slower processor running iMPC, then I'll get the 4. but if it runs fine with no noticeable setbacks I really don't want to give apple my money. I rather have an android, but androids don't run iMPC or iMaschine.


While iMPC is decent it would have trouble cracking my top 50 list of iOS music apps. Yeah the landscape is that good. The iPad 4 is several measures more powerful than the iPad 2or 3 (listed as iPad HD officially). It's not a very CPU taxing app, an iPad 3 can run 8 of them hosted in Tabletop easily.

Android just in the last month or two is finally getting OS wide support for low latency audio, so even if you prefer droid OS for phone stuff, web browsing and so forth, with an iPad you're buying into a platform with an obscene amount of quality music software available now, most selling for $.99 - $19.99. And the $19.99+ stuff is usually as good as $100-$300 desktop plugins.

Given the increase in power get the iPad 4 if possible. The 2 or 3 will still perform well but the jump in processing power from iPad 3 to 4 was much greater than the jump from iPad 2 to 3.
By epidemic Mon May 27, 2013 9:38 pm
thanks. yea I can get the ipad 4, but it's just for rough ideas and taking notes at school. so if I can save $ there I get to dig for some used gear to play with in the studio. just don't want to end up with an iPad that stutters when I try to make quick sequences on the road.

haven't checked out the other iOS apps yet. I have the Renaissance so I was think iMPC just to make it easy to drop on the desktop. but if they make it easy to export midi, i'll look into some others too.
User avatar
By Metatron72 Mon May 27, 2013 9:58 pm
epidemic wrote:thanks. yea I can get the ipad 4, but it's just for rough ideas and taking notes at school. so if I can save $ there I get to dig for some used gear to play with in the studio. just don't want to end up with an iPad that stutters when I try to make quick sequences on the road.

haven't checked out the other iOS apps yet. I have the Renaissance so I was think iMPC just to make it easy to drop on the desktop. but if they make it easy to export midi, i'll look into some others too.


You can save/export MIDI sequences in most sequencing iOS apps, but it's the audio copy/paste that's really helped most apps become more useful. It's so easy to get your sounds from app to app (or out the iPad although that may require iTunes or a cloud server element).

Almost every app worth using is Core MIDI compliant, you can use the Camera Connection Kit and a class compliant MIDI/USB interface and trigger/sequence apps from external MIDI controllers and/or sequencers. So even outside a portable scenario the iPad + some good apps makes for a nice sound module to complement other gear/software.

I bought my iPad(s) for music primarily, but it's been a great e-reader/comic reader, second computer monitor or remote screen for receiving video from my computer and also send it to a TV over HDMI (each app was only $2.99), amongst other handy things.

Whichever one you get you'll get your money's worth with the versatility.
By epidemic Tue May 28, 2013 7:42 am
thanks for the input everyone. I didn't know Newegg sold ipads, I get all my PC stuff from newegg. They have a no payments/no interest for 12 months promo going for Preferred accounts. So I jumped to the ipad 4. I should be able to make up the difference in a year :-D

will be checking out the music apps in a few days.
User avatar
By Metatron72 Tue May 28, 2013 8:28 am
Yeah man Newegg is the spot. Dope that you pulled off a iPad 4.

We have an epic iOS music thread going (well Tablet music thread...but... :lol: ).

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=162043&start=60&hilit=Tablet

A lot of the top apps are in that thread. There's screenshots, recommendations, video links galore in that thread. (I recently posted iPad home screen caps of all the apps I use, way easier than typing them all. :lol: )

Also Palm Sounds is the best daily blog for handheld music. Mostly iOS but he covers handheld synths, Android and other portable music stuff.

http://www.palmsounds.net/

Get Beatmaker 2 along with iMPC and you're going to really happy with your iPad. (BM2 does every single thing iMPC is missing. It's like spending $20 to make your iPad into a MPC 4000 inside a plate of glass.)