Using an iPad with Logic....

Using an iPad with Logic….

 

To most people serious about creating music, any device or software beginning its name with an "i" immediately prompts a negative or even derisive attitude towards it. It's thought of as amateur and either built exclusively for rich kids or just Mr & Mrs Joe Average family consumer. We all know that Apple designed the iPad primarily as an all-singing-dancing mobile tablet to function somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop - An item of great convenience and primarily as a mobile platform for audio visual entertainment and communication. At first most of us weren't sure how we would use one if we had one, but we have now grown into it. If nothing else the iPad is a very fashionable device, but so is everything bearing the Apple logo and the bottom line is that the gear simply works - It combines working well and stylishly, like a Porsche does.

 

Inevitably, independent software developers have recognised and begun to exploit the iPad's potential as a very useful aid in the field of making music. Its most obvious benefit is as a wireless remote DAW controller, albeit of course with limitations. But unexpectedly perhaps, it solves some of a DAW's limitations, as I will explain.

 

I love Apple's Logic and how it enables us creatively but I find some of its GUI very frustrating to use. Specifically the tiny knobs for Sends levels and also the Channel Strip Pans. Some of the settings controls in some of Logic's Plug-ins get pretty tedious too, Space Designer being a good example. One well established help in overcoming such tedium is a hardware interface such as a Mackie. I own and love Mackie gear as much as I love Apple products but a Mackie Surface Controller is relatively expensive and needs significant desk space which may be limited in some home studios. Other hardware solutions are a MIDI controller but they either have limitations or you have to learn gobblygook (to me) MIDI language. Enter the iPad….

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/HomeStudio_iPad_809v2.jpg

 

The iPad can never be a substitute for the tactile glory of top notch motorised faders and high quality encoders but it can be a useful addition to an arsenal of good tools and instruments. It cannot substitute a qwerty keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. Neither can it substitute a MIDI controller. But it can bridge between those devices and bring a few extra goodies to the party too.

 

Apart from the convenience of being a touchscreen wireless remote, what makes the iPad extra useful in a music studio are the third-party software Apps you can install on it. Namely V-Control Pro, TouchOSC, and Spectrasonics Omni TR, and I'm betting that there'll be more to come. Neyrinck, the developers of V-Control Pro, offer Pro Tools, Cubase, and Logic interfaces which are displayed in the same graphic styles we are already familiar with and so the iPad immediately feels and behaves like an extension of something we are already comfortable with using but on a mini monitor and touchscreen.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/iPad_VCP_833v2.jpg

 

^ V-Control Pro: http://www.neyrinck.com/en/products/v-control-pro - A user-friendly and very natural extension to Logic.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/iPad_TOSC_0830v2.jpg

 

^ TouchOSC: http://hexler.net/software/touchosc - A slightly alien but very untuitive interface.

 

These are the two best DAW remote controllers in my opinion. V-Control Pro has the more familiar interface but TouchOSC has a free editor to create your own pages or layouts - It's interface is more alien but just as powerful and enabling. TouchOSC also has Sends rotaries on the same page which is very useful indeed in my case considering the instrument I play. The two overlap in their features as you would expect in needing to control the same DAW. A third competitor, Saitara's AC-7 Core imitates the Mackie Controller but when that interface is transposed so literally to the iPad it then tends to cancel out the advantages of being able to use a larger scale interface, which is something which Neyrinck and Hexler have recognised. In other words, they have designed their software from the ground up rather than just port a skin to the iPad, which is what AC-7 feels like - All the button controls texts are far too small and that defeats the object.

 

AC-7 Pro:

 

Whether you choose to use the iPad to control Logic remotely from a recording booth or from a comfy couch is up to you. Unusually perhaps, I choose to primarily use it right there alongside my 27" iMac and Novation SL MkII with its Automap software which maps to its own hardware rotaries and faders to Logic. Either way it's important to understand and accept that an iPad only offers touchscreen control of a DAW's more basic functions but also having more clearly visible monitoring of a song's tracks is in practice a very valuable bonus of the iPad. Some might think that having this overlap of functionality is counter productive but I find the opposite is true. When my SL MkII is in Transport mode it doesn't allow me to select any Solo's but I can do so more easily via the iPad than the cursor in Logic itself. Furthermore I can toggle on/off multiple Solo's and Mutes in the song's tracks - Something which Logic doesn't do and other such features are planned. When V-Control Pro doesn't give me easy control of Sends I can quickly and elegantly click the iPad's Home button and the dock is revealed where I can click the TouchOSC icon and it then automatically opens at the same page as V-Control and Logic are having a two-way communication but with big Sends rotaries available at my fingertips. On the iPad I can instantly view a large display and select from which Plug-ins are inserted and henced listed in a track and then act accordingly. I can both instantly see more clearly than in Logic whether a song is Saved and do so with a single touch. Using my small Mackie mixer I can also switch on the big Mackie 450 speaker, roll back my comfy armchair into a secondary sweet spot and still control a few things with the iPad transferred to my lap. These are just a few advantages I have found in only a week.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/iPad_VCP_829v2.jpg

 

Even without touching its screen to action or edit something, the iPad provides an excellent monitor for comparing tracks and checking settings which Logic struggles to do without straining your eyes.

 

I have a Konig & Meyer iPad cradle on order which can be mounted on my recording mic stand for remote Transport control and which will also allow much easier remote control over what's feeding my headphones.

 

K&M iPad 2 holder:

 

Each of us has our own individual set of devices and instruments to create and edit our music, so we each have our own preferences and ways of using them. By adding an iPad with V-Control Pro, TouchOSC and Omni TR installed, I have broadened my choices and also worked around some limitations, especially of the Novation's badly angled display window and so far sometimes slightly disappointing Automap. When it works it works extremely well, but I expected it to be easier to learn than it is - The marketing vids were too good. On the other hand, the Novation SL MkII is a very enjoyable device for playing and recording software instruments and I'm confident I will grow to like it more as I become more familiar - Someone has already offered to give me some one-to-one training.

 

ADDENDUM (or should that be 'App-endum'):

 

Since first writing this post I have come across another iPad App worth considering for Logic:

 

eyoControl: http://eyosido.com/

 

I came across it purely by accident when I spotted an image of its Transport page and thought that's gotta be the very best Transport page I've seen on an iPad so far. If interested, it's worth spending time reading the links on Eyosido's web page about the various features of eyoControl.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/eyoControl_Transport_847.jpg

 

^ That page is perfect for when an iPad sits in a cradle on a mic stand or is at hand when recording. I decided that it was worth paying £6/$9 US just to have that large and easy to use Transport page. The added bonus are the other features on that page too.

 

eyoControl's other pages look useful too and I particularly like the large wheel to move Logic's line cursor - It's very smooth and accurate. The wheel also appears on the Surface page together with good Transport controls.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/eyoControl_Surface_853v2.jpg

 

^ The Surface page is very very Mackie-like in its style and transposes and interprets it so much better than AC-7 does. Using MIDI there's a lot more to eyoControl than I've explored yet. It's downside for me is no control of Logic's Plug-in settings. My Novation SL MkII either does the best at that or is a nightmare - It seems to depend on accessing the Plug-in via Automap. If I can master more easily accessing the Plug-ins on the Novation, its hardware controllers are undoubtedly my favourite but of my current iPad-Logic Apps I can easily see myself using eyoControl more often than the other touchscreen Apps.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/eyoControl_Surface_844.jpg

 

Finally, if anyone has any doubts about the iPad's place in the creative music process, just look at how DJ's are using them and what some of the established serious hardware manufacturers are producing which incorporate a dock and specialised software for the iPad. It's not an essential but it is a great help, and it's cool and fun.

 

----

 

I hope some of the info here may be helpful to anyone considering an iPad and that those who already have experience of using it with Logic will add their thoughts - Thankyou.

Edited October 13, 2011 by Red Robin

I agree on all you said. The thing I think people forget is, it's been out for about two years! And it already has caused a paradigm shift in the way we do things, and more so how we want to do them. It's a fantastic device that can do so much, that in my opinion, has raised sceptecisim among many. But, if Apple's history tells us anything, we'll all be wondering how could have done things before iPad, and kept our sanity. Just think of the concept of copy/paste 30 years ago. To sum it up, it's a young technology, and look how far it has come. I know I'm pumped.

Excellent post... Nicely written and well worth the read!

 

Not sure I could add anything worthwhile... to what you said above other than to add my own agreement as to how much the iPad has changed and improved my workflow when used alongside Logic (and certain 3rd party plugins like Omni...)

 

Once you take that step it is really hard to go back to using the more traditional interface via the computer. The visual aid along with the simplicity of just being able to touch and change parameters with your finger, is light years ahead of using the mouse or trackpad in my humble opinion.

 

Cheers... and well done!!!

Thanks, guys

 

I've been exploring Omni TR on the iPad today and it's possibly the most integrated App > < Logic Plug-in you could possibly hope for. Omni's Orb feature is made-in-heaven for the iPad. It's totally tactile and virtually a real instrument in its own right.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/Omni-TR.jpg

 

I still enjoy using my TrackPad and my Novation's rotaries for many functions. Also I prefer the rubber pads of the SL MkII's Transport but will use whichever my fingers are nearest to at the time.

 

I wonder if Spectrasonics will offer an iPad App for Trilion and/or StylusRMX?

 

Have you seen this beast which Spectrasonics boss Eric Persing has had made: 2 iPads integrated into it!

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/RedRobin_05/Music/omg_EricPersing.jpg

My brain just turned to goo! I think there's a mini bar on the back

My brain just turned to goo! I think there's a mini bar on the back

 

....You're close - There's actually a Mac Mini inside!

Great post man. So which of the three do you recommend the highest: Touch OSC, V-Control, or AC-7? Why use Touch OSC and V-Control in conjunction?

Great post man. So which of the three do you recommend the highest: Touch OSC, V-Control, or AC-7? Why use Touch OSC and V-Control in conjunction?

 

....Firstly, thanks for the compliment

 

Which of the three do I recommend highest?

 

....Well, let's start off by discarding AC-7. Sorry to the folks at Saitara but the interface is what lets it down for me. I guess that if you are already fluidly familiar with a Mackie Logic Controller then the tiny control texts wouldn't matter so much. I think they're trading too much on the 'look-at-me-I've-got-a-Mackie-on-my-iPad' factor. But to be fair I've never used AC-7 and I stand to be corrected if someone would like to post why I'm wrong and what advantages it has.

 

That leaves the other two. Personally I really like the Logic-style interface of V-Control Pro (there's also a free non Pro version) and so generally prefer it. It's like a convenient extension of Logic but, of course, cut down. But TouchOSC has some extra features which I like and the layout and size of finger 'pads' is perfect for not making a mistake in touching the wrong control. V-Control isn't bad in that respect but you do need to be just that extra bit careful. TouchOSC's black background might look very stylish and doubtless works particularly well at night if using it in a live performance, but I find it a bit heavy going alongside my Mac etc.

 

Please bear in mind that it's early days for my use of these Apps and my opinion may change as I use them more.

 

Because Paul Neyrinck is so helpful and friendly I happen to know that he is developing V-Control Pro further. When Apple fix some OSC protocol metering bugs when running in 64-bit mode for example, V-Control Pro will then have metering back (running in 32-bit is the current workaround) and probably with peak indicators. Roll on Logic 9.1.6.

 

V-Control Pro costs about £35/$50 US but I think you can download a demo. TouchOSC costs only about £3/$5 US. So, if 50 dollars isn't spare at the moment and you have an iPad, then start off with TouchOSC. As a Logic Pro user I don't see the point of the less fully featured free version of V-Control.

 

Why use TouchOSC and V-Control in conjunction?

 

....Simply because one can do some things slightly better than the other and so to get the best of both worlds. If TouchOSC cost more, then the choice might be more difficult but it's cost effective to have both and extremely easy to switch Apps: Double click the iPad's Home button and then touch the presented icon in the Dock - It's a cool move, typically Apple. Because of the common protocol/communication with the host Logic, each App will open in exactly the same page as you were. So it's simply swapping interface and seeing some other controls on offer. Simples.

 

These choices always contain a strong element of personal preference but there's nothing in these two Apps which prompts me to say don't bother. In fact, if you have an iPad and use Logic I'd say it's a no-brainer.

 

I bought my iPad just to run these Apps and did at first feel I'd been foolishly extravagent (yet again!) but now I'm very happy about it, especially as Spectrasonics offer the free Omni TR.

Thank you for such an informative post. I've just joined the group. and struck gold with this. I have an iPad and was looking for a remote controller for my Logic Pro. I wondered about the iPad possibilities, and you brought them to my studio. I was searching posts for a cheap midi control surface when I came across your post. I search no more. It's everything I want in something I already have!

^^^^

Glad I could help

 

I'm not specifically into MIDI myself and so I know nothing about the Apps in these links but some may be of use to you:

 

http://theappwhisperer.com/2011/02/05/top-10-midi-controller-apps-for-ipad/

 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/midi-touch/id398930935?mt=8

 

These Apps illustrate the potential of the iPad in both recording and performing scenarios.

^^^^

I've posted an addendum to my first post because I discovered an App called eyoControl and it might just be the best one so far.

 

The great thing about many of the Apps for the iPad is that they are very inexpensive to try out and see which you like best. The iPad ain't cheap though!

 

8)

I'm not specifically into MIDI myself and so I know nothing about the Apps in these links but some may be of use to you:

 

http://theappwhisperer.com/2011/02/05/top-10-midi-controller-apps-for-ipad/

I picked up TouchAble a while back. From the little I've gotten to play with it, it's pretty cool. Speaking of controllers for other apps, C74 holds a lot of promise for Max users:

http://www.nr74.org/c74.html

I'll be giving that a tryout soon.

I picked up TouchAble a while back. From the little I've gotten to play with it, it's pretty cool. Speaking of controllers for other apps, C74 holds a lot of promise for Max users:

http://www.nr74.org/c74.html

I'll be giving that a tryout soon.

 

....That TouchAble App looks awesome! Check out this demo:

 

I've never used Ableton Live so don't have a clue what it does.

 

The C74 Max thingy is totally lost on me! Doesn't appeal.

....That TouchAble App looks awesome! Check out this demo:

 

I've never used Ableton Live so don't have a clue what it does.

Well, the video should give you a clue!

 

The C74 Max thingy is totally lost on me! Doesn't appeal.

If you were a Max user...

 

Notable for Reaktor users is that Touch OSC can control Reaktor directly with Open Sound Control, skipping MIDI altogether. Nice possibilities there...

Yep, that vid I posted shows Ableton's live possibilities with an iPad very well. If it fitted in with what I do, I'm sure I'd be using it.

 

Reaktor looks interesting too, but personally I have enough to learn with Spectrasonics instruments.... and Logic.

 

You, personally, would appear to inhabit a deeper part of the ocean of sound. I'm not calling you a bottom dweller though!

Hi, thought I'd add this TouchOSC pre-made template by Retouch Reason crew..

 

http://www.retouchcontrol.com/default.aspx

 

It covers every instrument and effect but I only use the Kong/Rex setups mostly..

 

http://www.retouchcontrol.com/Admin/MySiteImages/image/RetouchReason/kong.png

 

http://www.retouchcontrol.com/Admin/MySiteImages/image/RetouchReason/Rexmix.png

 

http://www.retouchcontrol.com/Admin/MySiteImages/image/RetouchReason/updated/combi.png

Hi, thought I'd add this TouchOSC pre-made template by Retouch Reason crew..

 

It covers every instrument and effect but I only use the Kong/Rex setups mostly..

 

 

....That's brilliant and shows the power and potential of TouchOSC when you have an iPad.

 

Great post man. So which of the three do you recommend the highest: Touch OSC, V-Control, or AC-7? Why use Touch OSC and V-Control in conjunction?

 

....Firstly, thanks for the compliment

 

Which of the three do I recommend highest?

 

....Well, let's start off by discarding AC-7. Sorry to the folks at Saitara but the interface is what lets it down for me. I guess that if you are already fluidly familiar with a Mackie Logic Controller then the tiny control texts wouldn't matter so much. I think they're trading too much on the 'look-at-me-I've-got-a-Mackie-on-my-iPad' factor. But to be fair I've never used AC-7 and I stand to be corrected if someone would like to post why I'm wrong and what advantages it has.

 

That leaves the other two. Personally I really like the Logic-style interface of V-Control Pro (there's also a free non Pro version) and so generally prefer it. It's like a convenient extension of Logic but, of course, cut down. But TouchOSC has some extra features which I like and the layout and size of finger 'pads' is perfect for not making a mistake in touching the wrong control. V-Control isn't bad in that respect but you do need to be just that extra bit careful. TouchOSC's black background might look very stylish and doubtless works particularly well at night if using it in a live performance, but I find it a bit heavy going alongside my Mac etc.

 

Please bear in mind that it's early days for my use of these Apps and my opinion may change as I use them more.

 

Because Paul Neyrinck is so helpful and friendly I happen to know that he is developing V-Control Pro further. When Apple fix some OSC protocol metering bugs when running in 64-bit mode for example, V-Control Pro will then have metering back (running in 32-bit is the current workaround) and probably with peak indicators. Roll on Logic 9.1.6.

 

V-Control Pro costs about £35/$50 US but I think you can download a demo. TouchOSC costs only about £3/$5 US. So, if 50 dollars isn't spare at the moment and you have an iPad, then start off with TouchOSC. As a Logic Pro user I don't see the point of the less fully featured free version of V-Control.

 

Why use TouchOSC and V-Control in conjunction?

 

....Simply because one can do some things slightly better than the other and so to get the best of both worlds. If TouchOSC cost more, then the choice might be more difficult but it's cost effective to have both and extremely easy to switch Apps: Double click the iPad's Home button and then touch the presented icon in the Dock - It's a cool move, typically Apple. Because of the common protocol/communication with the host Logic, each App will open in exactly the same page as you were. So it's simply swapping interface and seeing some other controls on offer. Simples.

 

These choices always contain a strong element of personal preference but there's nothing in these two Apps which prompts me to say don't bother. In fact, if you have an iPad and use Logic I'd say it's a no-brainer.

 

I bought my iPad just to run these Apps and did at first feel I'd been foolishly extravagent (yet again!) but now I'm very happy about it, especially as Spectrasonics offer the free Omni TR.

 

Thanks for the input. I've tried OSC and Omni TR and let me tell you...I'm HOOKED! It's only up from here, excited to get Control V . IMO eyocontrol looks kinda meh to me if you already have a keyboard, but the x/y control looks cool. Question for ya: I only have a list of a handful of sounds on my iPad in Omni TR when using it in live mode for instance and choosing sounds, but I have no problem seeing and accessing the other 90% of my library when I click from my Mac. Am I doing something wrong here? Thanks again man!

I only have a list of a handful of sounds on my iPad in Omni TR when using it in live mode for instance and choosing sounds, but I have no problem seeing and accessing the other 90% of my library when I click from my Mac. Am I doing something wrong here?

 

Yes, you are missing something in regards to only some of the patches and combos being available via Omni TR

 

Go here.....

 

http://www.spectrasonics.net/products/omni_tr-refguide.php

 

..and then click on the Browsing Patches and Multis section... from the left hand side menu.

 

As you will see from the above link, you can only access the first 75 Multis and the first 75 Patches via OmniTR.

 

However, what you see are the first 75 'what evers..' as currently displayed in the main Omni AU Plugin's screen so you can filter or select sets and then you will get a different group of 75 'what evers' on your Omni TR. Take a good read of the page I provided in the link above.. and you will see how you can access 600 patches via Omni TR if you wish...

I only have a list of a handful of sounds on my iPad in Omni TR when using it in live mode for instance and choosing sounds, but I have no problem seeing and accessing the other 90% of my library when I click from my Mac. Am I doing something wrong here?

 

Yes, you are missing something in regards to only some of the patches and combos being available via Omni TR

 

Go here.....

 

http://www.spectrasonics.net/products/omni_tr-refguide.php

 

..and then click on the Browsing Patches and Multis section... from the left hand side menu.

 

As you will see from the above link, you can only access the first 75 Multis and the first 75 Patches via OmniTR.

 

However, what you see are the first 75 'what evers..' as currently displayed in the main Omni AU Plugin's screen so you can filter or select sets and then you will get a different group of 75 'what evers' on your Omni TR. Take a good read of the page I provided in the link above.. and you will see how you can access 600 patches via Omni TR if you wish...

 

awesome ill check it out, thx man!

TouchOSC's black background might look very stylish and doubtless works particularly well at night if using it in a live performance, but I find it a bit heavy going alongside my Mac etc.

 

....That's exactly how I find it too. Perhaps we should both give Rob at Hexler a feedback message and ask if he could develop some lighter skin options. Great layouts though as a result of not being constrained by adhering to a known interface style as the Mackie-look or Logic-look as some other Apps. It's swings versus roundabouts. Easy to have other App choices on board the iPad as well as TouchOSC and even easier to switch to and fro.

 

[Hmm, your post words, tinnas, are alarmingly close to my own ]

I just thought I would update this thread with a link to another discussion on this site which is about the Saitara AC-7 App:

 

http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=56411

 

And also say that of the DAW Apps I have, eyoControl is getting used the most. For anyone buying it, I would strongly recommend using its eyoServer routing method rather than via CoreMIDI - Far less room for conflict and also enables the Pad and Keyboard pages.

 

Here's a good vid showing it in use and I like the music too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXGMLT35xw&feature=youtu.be

 

It looks like the addition of an iRig MIDI connector opens up even more possibilities.

 

8)

There is a possibility of an iPad in my near future.

 

Has anyone tried this, yet?

 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lptouch-for-logic-pro/id506116016?mt=8

 

Cheers,

 

Glenn

Nice photos in the OP. I'm biding my time until the budget will allow me to pick up an iPad. I use them at work, mostly for web access and literature searches. I also use one with a Yamaha console and love it for tweaking mic placements while having access to the console while on-stage to tweak the mic pre, EQ, compression, delay, etc. When you save so much time, it makes it easier to focus on the important aspects of FoH, like watching the performance more closely, reacting more quickly, etc.