is the Ipad the new BIG dj tool?

[giattino]

Guys i came across an app for the ipad called TouchOSC and got to say it works Great! Thinking of taking it with me beside the vci and that after only mixed with it once!!

Check the link for the recorded set made with ipad and traktor (also video)

http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/musicthatmovesyou

[ctrld]

is the Ipad the new BIG dj tool?

no.

[Risc12]

no.

End of discussion... You got no physical feedback, thats why touchscreen sucks for anything else than FX control or melody making!

[Karlos Santos]

Fad. Nice, funky and fun but not the best solution to DJing.

The iPad is a cool device that is being forced into a roll that it isnt made for.

Its a massive compromise of functionality over style and convenience.

"Just cus you can doesnt mean you should"

[nem0nic]

I think tablets are going to see a much wider acceptance than netbooks did, and as prices come down they'll be much more widespread. Because of that, I see them being used regularly by DJs. I think all it's going to take are some APIs to take advantage of tablets, and for some solid use cases to be defined. As an example, imagine if Traktor had an API that allowed 2 way control of the song browser. You could have the tablet handle library functions while the main screen was dedicated to decks. We're already seeing this level of integration in Ableton Live, because the APIs already exist and are well documented.

I also see the iPad making it's way into DJing through hardware integration. I know of 2 companies that are already working on iPad "accessories" that leverage it's processing power and combine it with more traditional gear. That's a very attractive proposition for a hardware manufacturer, because it makes their product cheaper (just like DVS allowed developers to greatly augment DJing by utilizing hardware the user already has). Processing power isn't an issue, with dual core Atoms, 1.2 and 1.5ghz Snapdragons, and ARM11 already making their presence known. Advances in batteries and SSD will only make the case stronger.

Do I think that everyone is going to shun traditional gear and start DJing with only a tablet or two? Of course not. But it's stupid for anyone to think that's the only way tablets can make themselves a core component in a DJs setup. As it stands, tablets are a viable option for software control. I think this use case is only going to get stronger as time passes.

[filespnr]

The ipad has some drawbacks, but it has lots of potential as well.

TouchOSC works great, it sets up easily and starts up quickly. Also, it lets you get out of the booth and move around. Which could be helpful in a lot of situations.

Tonetable let's you add DVS to your set-up with little extra weight or stuff to carry. While it's not used in that capacity, the Ipad performs lots of other functions, that a turntable couldn't.

And last buy not least, there is my personal favorite Flare/BabyDecks/babyscratch
Here you have mobile scratch practice, sampler, and the ultimate personal dj boombox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trITt40xns0

I'd like to add that I'm a bit tired of the "tactile" argument. Cause the Traktor screen on my laptop ain't tactile for shit and I can still mixx with it!

[Karlos Santos]

^^but isnt all that just more compromise to make the iPad fit the purpose rather than have the purpose already fit the device.

Touch pads are obviously a good solution, just look at the Multi Touch Table, that is one hell of an elegant way to DJ. But this is the iPad, its small its too light and it breaks.

If we are talking about Touch Pad control thats one discussion but the iPad is another.

If someone brings out a touch pad that is made for DJ/music production purposes that is bigger than iPad but smaller than an actual table and has everything that the DJ needs then im in but im not prepared to give up all that you have to give up to use the iPad.

iPad is too much of a compromise regardless of how good it gets.

[nem0nic]

...but isnt all that just more compromise to make the iPad fit the purpose rather than have the purpose already fit the device

But that's what EVERY tablet is. Tablets are a mechanism for apps. EVERY app works to make a tablet fit a purpose. That's the whole point.

But this is the iPad, its small its too light and it breaks.

What iPad did you buy, and what in the world did you do to it? I've dropped mine several times and it's still going strong. There isn't a problem with build quality in the iPad, so I'm not sure what you're referring to. Maybe you mean it breaks if you beat the shit out of it, but that's true of most DJ equipment. All it takes is the right thing to go wrong. That VCI-100 might feel like a tank to you, but you're one spilled beer away from DJing with a keyboard all night long. Same goes for your laptop. And let's not talk about all the moving parts in a laptop that are critical to it's operation. It's all easily broken if you aren't careful. The iPad is no more prone to this than anything else in the DJ booth.

If someone brings out a touch pad that is made for DJ/music production purposes that is bigger than iPad but smaller than an actual table and has everything that the DJ needs then im in but im not prepared to give up all that you have to give up to use the iPad.

The chances of anyone coming out with a tablet specifically for DJing are slim to none. It would be a frankly stupid move, considering all the resources needed to create and support such a product and how niche the DJ market really is. The use of tablets (like the iPad) in DJ booths will happen just like it did with computers.

iPad is too much of a compromise regardless of how good it gets.

For you. Right now. Lots of people (including me) feel exactly the same way about the VCI-100/300. But lots of people don't. Because of the value they represent, and the expectation that their use will be widespread in the near future, I think we'll see much more tablet use by DJs. Especially as new people embrace DJing that don't have preconceived notions of how things should be (because they're new). They'll base their workflow around the options available to them, just like we're seeing in other aspects of controllerisim.

[Karlos Santos]

Lol i understand everything you said but like you said "For You" thats it, i dont think its a compromise i want to make.

I know that no-one will make a dedicated touch pad (with DVD drive and all the ins/outs needed) thats the point. No-one will so i wont settle for something else.

Thing is that most people that decry the iPad are against touch surfaces all together. I am not. I like touch surfaces. I just dont want to use the iPad cus its to small.
Its not much fun trying to EQ tracks with the little control you have over them.

DJs like us who embrace technology will embrace the iPad but i dont see mass take up by the guys that just wanna DJ, even the ones that want to go down the controller route.

But then i would say that because i dont see the attraction. Anyone that sees the attraction will naturally have more optimistic outlook.

Time will tell.

Just my 2 Yen.

[djfrogstar]

Right now... people who cannot afford the ipad because of its over inflated price just are jealous. If the device cost 50 dollars... , all the haters would not be saying anything..
In all honestly people who say controllers are the wave of the future have to accept that Ipads are in that category too... If they dont.. then they are just hypocrites.
I have an Ipad... Do I feel drawn to use it...No.. When Im in a waiting room somewhere wanting to annoy people..absolutely do I want to use it.
am I trying to incorporate it into my live set? On one level I like to fantasize that I would..

I think right now.. and im not sure if it exists... but if I could get the ipad to be my monitor for my laptop, then I would actually use it. Touchable seems to be getting closer in this direction.

but at the end of the day the ipad looks and feels like an iphone on lsd