iPad Mini or Nexus 7? (For laying down song ideas)

Discussion in 'The Living Room' started by RapidGunner, Oct 23, 2012.

  1. #1
    RapidGunner

    RapidGunner The Catalyst

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    Hey guys.. I'm a songwriter who often gets some amazing ideas in the weirdest of places (middle of a lecture, on the bus, walking on the street - You get the idea).. Well, in such cases, its impossible to put it down somewhere. Yes, I can record it as a voice memo in my smartphone, but it would be embarrassing to do in a public place. ;) Also, I would only be able to record ideas for for a single instrument or vocal with that idea. I want to program some instrumental backing along with the melodies too.

    Now, the only solution I'm getting is - buy an affordable tablet and use one of the hundreds of music-making apps to program and put down the ideas. So, I've decided to buy one (I'd also love to do some gaming and some note-taking). I can't really afford the good 10-inch tablets so I'm looking for a 7-inch one.

    Long story short, I narrowed it down to the Nexus 7 [$199] and the (upcoming) iPad Mini [$329], which has just been announced today (23rd). Which one should I go for?

    Overall, going for the Nexus 7 should be better, as I can't use many of Apple's services (Maps, for example) here (in India) whereas Google has personalized services for us. Also, Android 4.1 is a million times better than iOS 6. So, what's the problem? Well, the audio latency of Android still sucks, which is why it has very few music making apps (which aren't good at all).

    Apple, on the other hand, has this, the songwriter's dream app -

    [video=youtube;E_KYUF6pxR8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_KYUF6pxR8[/video]

    Also, the iPad is like the standard for portable music making now-a-days. It has hundreds of high-quality synths and DAWs.

    So, what should I go for? :)
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2012
  2. #2
    Serenity

    Serenity Suffocating in the mess

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    You pretty much hit the nail on the head. The Nexus 7 has a better operating system (in my opinion) but the audio latency isn't anything to brag about. iPad has been around longer and has many proven music apps. Though you say they don't have as many services tailored to India, which would be a problem.
    I say go for the iPad. You're going to want the better quality apps for your music-making, so I would say it's worth it, even at that price. :thumbsup:
     
  3. #3
    RapidGunner

    RapidGunner The Catalyst

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    True.. And $329 isn't that costly, considering the quality I'll get from it.. :)
     
  4. #4
    snailharvest

    snailharvest nice

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    For music making, iPad Mini. As an overall tablet, Nexus 7.
     
  5. #5
    Squish Mitten

    Squish Mitten I'm a five-star general; infantry controller.

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    I'd get a Nexus 7. Have you tried considering the Galaxy Note? It'll be easier to carry around and seems perfect for your needs. I guess it's kind of expensive though...
     
  6. #6
    snailharvest

    snailharvest nice

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    Dude, a Galaxy Note is a phone. Don't you mean Galaxy Tab?
     
  7. #7
    Squish Mitten

    Squish Mitten I'm a five-star general; infantry controller.

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    The Note's also a semi-tablet (It's called a phablet: phone+tablet)

    Anyway, It was just a suggestion because it seemed to fit the description of what he wanted (Not really big, easy to carry around and use at anytime. A note would actually be more beneficial for all of that) Ofcourse, it's also a phone and it is expensive. But you know, I was just sharing an idea :)
     
  8. #8
    RapidGunner

    RapidGunner The Catalyst

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    I would have loved the Galaxy Note ( or Note II ). "Phablets" are awesome. But these devices are sadly out of my budget.


    I'm guessing I'll just wait it out till Christmas. Thats because -

    1. I've heard from various sources that Google is working very hard to solve the audio latency issue. We may see some improvements in Android 4.2 (which will be launched in a few days). So, I'm now more attracted to the Nexus tablet(s). :)

    2. Many Windows RT tablets will be launching in a few days too. There is a chance that music making apps may turn out to be quite good on that one.. But its not going to be cheap, so we'll see..
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2012
  9. #9
    snailharvest

    snailharvest nice

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    Oh sorry dude and I get it. Yeah they're too expensive, but I'm getting a S3 for Christmas, which I'm very happy about. The Note is just pushing it on some network prices, more than the iPhone 5.

    But back on topic: If you need a phone aswell of course the Note, but I think the Mini will be better for what you're after. But if you're looking for a good overall tablet for home usage, I'd say the Nexus, Android is a lot more customizable and high-tech.
     
  10. #10
    RapidGunner

    RapidGunner The Catalyst

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    [video=youtube;6kPX5xTPRKU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kPX5xTPRKU[/video]

    From this development update video of FL Studio Android (which according to them, would work perfectly on high-end 10-inch tabs as well as the dirt-cheap "disposable" 'droid phones), looks like Android is soon going to have a lot of music-making apps which don't suck. ;) The audio latency issue is almost completely solved, and looks like Android 5.0 would finally be the perfect mobile OS, in all aspects....

    And oh boy, the 8GB model has been discontinued, but the 16GB Nexus 7 now costs $199! And a 32GB model is finally available too, for $249! I think I've found an answer to my original question... :D
     
  11. #11
    snailharvest

    snailharvest nice

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    Go for the Nexus 7. That just sold it to me. Now I want one! :p
     
  12. #12
    Yurieff

    Yurieff Meow. :3

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    Well, I have been using Android for 2.5+ years and I have to say that it is perfect for almost everything. And I must say that I hate Apple and (almost) their all products. But I checked out the iPad Mini and it seems great (except for its price). If you have the money to buy it and the extra money to buy the applications..probably you should go for it. If you have listened Gorillaz' The Fall album you probably know that it is almost entirely made on iPad. You can see the apps used for this album in this article.
     

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