Any thoughts on recording with an iPad?

M

Marmour

New member
I'm a singer/songwriter who has recorded in a studio before but have never even toyed with recording in-home. I've finally reached a point where engineers and studio owners frustrate me more than the mechanics of doing it all myself. I'd like to learn the basics and determine if I have the knack and the patience before I sink a bunch of $$$ in this endeavor.

Having stumbled across a couple of iPad apps it has ocurred to me that I could at least get started there with perhaps the addition of a proper (albeit cheap) mixing board and decent headphones. Again, the aim here is just to gain familiarity and gauge my own capabilities rather than blowing a chunk of dough only to discover I lack the talent or the desire to record properly.

Has anyone used an iPad for recording? If so, what's the best app out there (I've heard good thing about StudioTrack)? What's the most compatible gear to augment this approach? Any other tips/tricks to get the best results from such limited equipment?

Thanks!
 
You probably don't really need a mixer so much as an audio interface that translates between the analog world and the computer's digital world. Then you'd need some appropriate software. I have no idea what's available for iPad.
 
I would not recommend an iPad. It's not powerful enough for anything serious. You could use it for practice and that's about it. If you serious about recording, then i'd get a real PC or Mac.
 
Yes, you can record with an iPad but it's not advisable if you want to go serious on recording music. For the same price, you can get a used Mac or PC with the requirement to start a home recording studio. The only thing you'll need is a good audio interface. Mixer is incorporated in the software you use. You don't need a mixer (right now) unless you're planning to record most than four tracks at the same time.
 
killthepixelnow said:
Yes, you can record with an iPad but it's not advisable if you want to go serious on recording music. For the same price, you can get a used Mac or PC with the requirement to start a home recording studio. The only thing you'll need is a good audio interface. Mixer is incorporated in the software you use. You don't need a mixer (right now) unless you're planning to record most than four tracks at the same time.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Pretty much every DAW has a digital GUI mixer. You can record without ever having a console, it just makes things easier. Depending on your interface you get, you can record as many tracks as you have inputs. For example, I have a M-Audio Profire 2626, it has 8 inputs and I often record drums and just use the DAW mixer for mixing each track.
 
Marmour said:
before I sink a bunch of $$$ in this endeavor.
Click to expand...

Are you already the proud owner of an iPad and seeking a way to use it for recording?

Or are you thinking that you should buy an iPad and use it as a base for a recording set up?

I'd advise you to reconsider both options, but if you haven't already bought it, and think it will be useful, it probably won't - buy real tools as the others are saying.

If you've been in a studio before and call yourself a singer / songwriter, why are you concerned you may not be talented enough?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top