What is the best Tablet for Korg Kronos?

Pedja · Post by **Pedja** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 7:59 am

Please Help me about, what is a best tablet for Korg Kronos?
Win 8 tablet or Apple IPad or android tablet. Win 8 tablets are rare and expensive, but you can install Kronos editor or any DAW.
For Apple IPad exist many application but small number of it are free.
Help me with your experience about tablet and application you use. What is for your opinion best combination?
Thanks for your attention!

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:03 am

Not Android.
iPad if you'd like easy audio integration and basic one program or synth at a time functionality. A high end Windows one if you want to install complete DAW packages on it.

What are you planning to do?

Pedja · Post by **Pedja** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:32 am

Thanks SanderXpander for your fast and kind reply.
My primary motive is to use softsynths, sound modulators and effects with Kronos sounds. I will like to use some of application (witch Jordan Rudess use MorphWiz or samthing else).
I know that MorphWiz is Win x86 x64 and iOS app. but it's not my main and only goal to use this.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:24 am

In that case, if you have the chance, first try using the K with a regular Windows PC and see if you can get good performance using the free ASIO4ALL driver.

If so, you might consider going with a high end Windows tablet, because you would then be able to run any VST synth you like and perhaps already own. You could even use a host like Cantabile or Forte to host multiple softsynths at the same time.

The main benefit of iPad is that the Kronos works really well with CoreAudio, meaning you will get stable low latency performance on OSX and iOS without any hassle with drivers. There is a decent bunch of iPad based softsynths available and the number is still growing. You will however usually be able to play only one softsynth at a time and many big names you may know from the computer world are not available.

iPad has a bunch of sheet music and midi program change utilities available too for very little money. Those are harder to find on Windows, although Sharp has created a very good one.

Speaking generally, I would count another 100 bucks to the purchase at least for some apps.

Post by **Sharp** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:54 am

My 2 cents...

Android.
Fantastic OS for everything except music. While Androids store is massive, and unlike Apple you can buy Android Apps from countless different stores and even direct from any website, there's actually not much music software available for it that's worth even looking at.

iOS / iPad
iOS has a far better selection of music apps available for it when compared to Android, so much so that it's almost embarrassing to mention Android in the same sentence. They simply don't compare. So with iOS it's simply boils down to what do you want to use the tablet for, does it have the apps you need, and can you live with Apples way of doing things. Apple devices are heavily locked down and limited in flexibility compared to any other tablet.

Windows.
I'll have to break this into two parts as there’s now two kinds of apps that run on windows.

Looking at the Windows App Store first, these have the exact same kind of interface you will find on Android and iOS apps in that they are totally optimised for Touch screens. However, the selection is rather poor at the moment. Between Android and iOS, the Windows App Store is by far has the least interesting selection of Music Apps. Great for non- music related content, excellent in fact, but music apps in their store are pretty thin on the ground. That being said, the Morph Wiz program our after is on the App Store.

And for the second kind of Window App.
This is where a Windows Tablet becomes pretty much a portable DAW / Laptop with a touch screen.

Desktop applications all have infinitely more depth and ability to them than anything running on Android or iOS. From the desktop, a Windows Tablet becomes a system that you can complete a project on from start right though to finish. The range of VST's available for Windows is pretty much every VST on the planet. So from a choice of software point of view, nothing can touch a windows Tablet in this regard.

The only down side is that desktop Applications tent to be not optimised for touch screens, but Windows 8 itself is, so you will be able to operate them. It can just be a little fiddly at times if your trying to select tiny objects. Ideally, a Windows Tablet with a BlueTooth Touch Pad for occasional use is the best combination.

So to summarise.

Android for Music, not a good idea at all at this moment in time. The selection of music apps is poor at best.

iPad, great selection of music apps, so it's just a matter of making sure it has the ones you like. Only down side, the devise itself is restricted and limited. The Applications are limited in function.

Windows.
Poor selection of native Win8 music apps. But the world is your oyster when using it to run desktop apps as it will run pretty much everything on the planet. The trade-off for this is desktop apps were designed to run with a mouse, so they can be fiddly to operate with a touch screen, so a mouse or touch pad is recommended at times.

Personally, I purchased a Windows Tablet because I can do all my music related takes and follow them through to completion, and then sit down, load up Office and start doing my work, programming, 3D modelling, Photoshop and so on.... So the way I see it, I get more value out of the Tablet as I can throw anything I do at it.

Regards
Sharp.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:59 am

+1 to everything in that post too!

Sharp, how are your experiences with using the Kronos as an audio interface on Windows?

QuiRobinez · Post by **QuiRobinez** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:13 pm

great post Sharp!

I agree to everything you say in that post. For me the amount of apps was the reason i choose the iPad for the studio. I use two ipads in the studio and they are a great (but also expensive) addon to any studio environment when you buy the apps you need. But you can do a lot with the iPad apps, ranging from midi controllers (like Lemur) to Score sheets, to recording devices, to Effect processors, synths, Arpeggiators and much more. It's also perfectly integrated with the kronos which is a big help when using the IPad effects, DAW recording, Arps or synths.

Post by **Sharp** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:39 pm

SanderXpander wrote: Sharp, how are your experiences with using the Kronos as an audio interface on Windows?

Can't really say to be honest because I've never actually done any serious work with the KRONOS as an Audio Interface. I treated myself an AKAI EIE Pro and I have to say I just loved the darn thing so much that it's kind of my baby to reach for in most situations now.

It's ASIO / Latency is super low and it's connectivity is great. For controlling my KRONOS I would have my Leap Motion and AKAI MPD 32 connected to it, plus as a audio I/O it's great. For what I paid for it, its my new best friend.

http://www.akaipro.com/product/eiepro

Regards
Sharp.

Pedja · Post by **Pedja** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:22 pm

Thanks for all your comments.

SoundsOfPlanet · Post by **SoundsOfPlanet** » Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:32 pm

I chose iPad – first of all, as you write, because of many musical application available for relatively small amount of money – that was the major factor why I have bought it.

From the other hand, the whole other hardware equipment that I have – laptops and stationary computers – they are all based on Windows so I have chosen ipad also due to curiosity and “against all odds”. And ... ipad is really great machine .

Greetings
SoP

Pedja · Post by **Pedja** » Tue Apr 15, 2014 7:24 am

Thanks SoP, and all of you, for your kind suggestions.

cobi · Post by **cobi** » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:39 am

Sharp wrote: Can't really say to be honest because I've never actually done any serious work with the KRONOS as an Audio Interface. I treated myself an AKAI EIE Pro and I have to say I just loved the darn thing so much that it's kind of my baby to reach for in most situations now.

It's ASIO / Latency is super low and it's connectivity is great. For controlling my KRONOS I would have my Leap Motion and AKAI MPD 32 connected to it, plus as a audio I/O it's great. For what I paid for it, its my new best friend.
Sharp.

... when I first saw this "baby" I thought that it would cost about 1000 $ or so.
But then I found it in a German store for 185 Euros only. I think I will give it a try.
Thanks for the link

cobi

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:50 am

Sharp: Thanks for the useful info... maybe in the future I should check when I buy once a tablet to add PCG Tools to it.

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Wed Apr 16, 2014 11:27 am

I went with the iPad simply because of all the music apps available.

I never even thought about a windows tablet.
No particular reason. It just never occurred to me.