I'd be willing to try using an iPhone app onstage. 

Really. SampleTank on an iOS device might be just like having any other keyboard-less synth in a rack, just more portable. I'd at least be open to the concept.
But I probably won't be trying this. Two reasons: 1) it would require buying an iPad-sized unit and a stand to mount it on, at a cost of around $700, and 2) I doubt the reliability of such devices.

Got to buy an iPad or similar-sized Android device because running it on an iPhone, or my slightly-larger Galaxy S3, would be impractical. Imagine trying to select a patch in iSampleTank with your left hand while continuing to play with your right. I do this all the time with my hardware synths, but they're push-buttons. Even as a keyboard player I lack sufficient left-hand dexterity to operate a touchscreen interface left-handed while multi-tasking. Heck, I have a hard enough time on my Samsung phone using my right hand and no distractions!

I'd also have one more wall-wart to contend with, to find a wide-enough space on a power strip to plug it into, and one more cheap power supply to potentially fail in the middle of a gig. We've all had that experience with stompboxes. But I wouldn't dare run the thing on batteries. We've also all had the experience of having batteries run down in the middle of a set. For $700 I could get a real synthesizer that mounts in a rack and plugs into the same power source as everything else for proper grounding and minimal cable runs.

And speaking of cables, all of those devices have proprietary cables that are nowhere near as rugged as the signal cables we rely on for live performance. Those little cables have itty-bitty connectors and microscopic conductors. When they fail, you can only hope it's the cable itself (of course, you'll carry a spare!) and not the itty-bitty connector in the device itself. A speck of dirt is all it takes to make the device useless.

The most likely part of an iOS device to fail is the display. Repairing it costs as much as new unit. Without a working touchscreen, the device is a doorstop. The glass on my Samsung shattered the second day I had the phone. It cost $200 to replace, but only because I'd bought "insurance", else it would have been $600. 

These devices are just not very rugged. My hardware devices that I use onstage are all built like Soviet tanks. They've been dropped, frozen, overheated, had drinks spilled on them and been banged on continuously for years -- and they still work. I've never had a cellphone go for more than a year or two before failing. I don't think they're made to last longer than that, on the presumption that you're going to replace them in a year's time. 

And I'm just thinking of iStuff in terms of sound sources such as a sample library. Forget using an iPad as a recording rig. You can only view a half-dozen tracks, there is no phantom power, MIDI I/O, zero-latency monitoring, multiple inputs or outputs. Two 22" screens are barely adequate for my current setup - I wouldn't want to go back to a single 19" display, much less downgrade to an 8" screen. 


iOS and Android devices are consumer products. Obsolescence is built in, and they are not intended for longterm use. Their features are chosen for the widest consumer appeal, such as kids who play games and grownups who watch porn football. A TV show or Skype conversation does not require high-quality AD/DA conversion, so it's software-based. A little aliasing won't be noticed when you're listening to pop music on your Apple earbuds, so we don't sweat it. Frequency response? Of course it's 20-20KHz, says so right in the booklet that comes with it! Mmm, no.

OK, I'm ranting now. I've got issues with the whole thing. But don't tell me I'm a technophobe who's unwilling to try new things. And jeez, don't tell me my concerns are irrelevant because I'm old!

@Bitflipper, I think you are really underestimating the power and ruggedness of iOS devices. They have long battery life, power supplies are basically a usb cable and a power adapter which are usually very small compared to other pro audio gear and the touch screen aspect on an iPad is VERY different from an S3. Even the Galaxy Note has a way bigger screen that is easier to select things on compared to an S3. (I've owned both and now mainly use the Note 2) Granted, they aren't like a stomp box rugged, but treating it like a laptop would still prove years of use. Plus with a good case you'll be fine for giggine. You can also connect pro audio interfaces for 1/4" connectors for pro audio live use instead of the headphone out. Our apps do support digital out for use with different audio interfaces. Looking back on IK development cycles we have only sped up the process with more releases, not only for our iOS and mobile line but for our Mac/PC line as well.

 Lol, kudos for hanging in there Obi, you almost have me talked into it. I'm just going to wait until I can pick one up used on e-bay for $100 when the next great tech breakthrough comes along.....any day now  :)

I've just returned from a 3-week holiday, during which I used several cameras of varying quality and vintage. 

My phone touts a much higher resolution than my 10-year-old Nikon, but none of the photos I took with the phone were even in the same quality ballpark as the Nikon D-50. And no mystery as to why - just compare the lenses!

Like Glyn says, these devices do damn near everything but none of them well.

We are now at 2 FREE IK VI's in the Magnum VI Group Buy.

178 more for 3 free IK VIs.

64 bit SampleTank 3 will be coming very soon. Otherwise this midi controller (iRig Keys) will work with Mac, PC and iOS devices. I use it far more with my Macbook than the iPad. Plus we are still VERY focused on Pro Audio and our studio line. We JUST released 3 new T-RackS Custom Shop gear models and a new GUI to the British Channel.

Finally hit 3 free virtual instruments in the Group Buy! http://www.ikmultimedia.com/news/?item_id=2465

yorolpal



I remember seeing a video of one of my favorite new artists...Jamie Liddell..doing a complete...but elementally primitive...project on his iPhone Maschine App.  It was impressive...but in a totally kitschy way.  Like an audio inside joke that nevertheless portended things to come.

Guess we...and IKMultimedia...are proceeding apace and steadily forthwith UP JackAss Hill.

Yes, but no doubt Jamie would still sound killer if they made a vid of him assembling a flat-pack kitchen unit.
 
Doesn't necessarily mean I'd buy a self-assembly kitchen unit to make music with...