TECH PROFILE
[ A NEW WORLD | Jason Kichline ]
Guitar enthusiasts love new gear . It ’ s all about the sound and the thrill of building out the perfect pedalboard that lets you freely express your music . But making music isn ’ t free . Many of us are painfully aware of this reality as we try to balance life with the tools / toys we want for creative expression . Of course , this has never stopped true musicians from achieving their dreams .
I ’ m going to introduce you to a single piece of gear that provides unlimited creative expression . You ’ ll be able to experiment with different guitar pedals , signal processors , synthesizers , and effects systems without ever stepping foot in a music store . You ’ ll never forget the lyrics of a song again . You ’ ll perform solo gigs with visuals usually reserved for tour bands . You ’ ll get the gig , rescue the princess , and save the kingdom — all this for a price that would make even your mama proud of your spending habits .
Are you ready to find out ?
It ’ s an iPad . ( Cue the angry vinyl record player screeching )
I know some of you may have just thrown up a little in your mouth . You may be a purist and believe in analog-only sound . How could we let this geek infiltrate the ranks of the guitarist elite ? Just give me a little bit of your time to explain how you can use an iPad to broaden your creative playground while saving some money in the long run .
If you ’ re reading this magazine , there ’ s a good chance you ’ ve already spent thousands of dollars on the latest and greatest gear . If you ’ re like me , you don ’ t realize this until you ’ re going through the boxes of old stuff you ’ ve stuffed in a closet . We don ’ t think much about it because it ’ s
happened over time . After all , what ’ s a hundred dollars here and five hundred there ? But if you put together every instrument , cable , and those trips to the music store , you can easily hit the few thousand dollar mark . Sure , there ’ s that pedal that you live and die by , but how many other pedals did it take to find it ?
Apple ’ s base model of iPad starts at $ 329 – about the price of a quality guitar pedal . What I ’ d like you to do is not think about an iPad as a computer . Don ’ t think of it as an e-reader or a Netflix slab . Think of it as a powerful , multichannel audio workhorse with a beautiful interface that prompts your chords and lyrics , processes guitar effects , adds ambient synth pads , runs drum loop MIDI sequences to an external module , composes DMX lighting scenes , and plays videos on a projector for audience participation – all without breaking a sweat .
The iPad puts you in contact with thousands of app developers that are only limited by their own abilities and imaginations . They get to release their ideas on an App Store at prices that are unheard of in the music industry . The best part is that you can try dozens of these apps to see what works before you commit to a single hardware piece of gear . Let ’ s take a look at some of the things you ’ ll need to work an iPad into your new , lightweight rig .
One of the first uses for an iPad can be to replace your music stand and your binder . I ’ ve seen a lot of professional musicians use an iPad on stage , and it ’ s hardly noticeable . You ’ ll need something that lets you attach your iPad to a mic stand . I have an AirTurn Manos because it works with any size iPad , in or out of a case . Many hardware manufacturers like K & M have great options too . Once your iPad is where you can see and interact with it , you can use it to keep reminders visible through a performance , even on a dimly lit stage .
Touching an iPad while you ’ re playing guitar is not an option for most musicians . You ’ ll want a foot pedal that lets you interact with your apps . AirTurn makes wireless foot pedals with up to six buttons for controlling your apps hands-free .
If you ’ re planning to record or process audio , you ’ ll want to look into some audio interfaces . If you ’ re integrating with other equipment , you ’ ll need some MIDI adapters too . There are a lot of options , but don ’ t worry . We ’ ll guide you through all of this soon .
We ’ ve got lots to cover , so stay tuned for the next issue of [ GTR ] as I introduce you to a new world of possibilities .
Jason Kichline : Musician , Entrepreneur , Developer , Founder of OnSong LLC Mechanicsburg , PA
OnSongApp . com
32 Sep � Oct 2017 GearTechRec . com