Hi ... I finally have the music-display device I have wanted for decades - the iPad was good, and serve me well (with unrealBook as my PDF viewer program). But I decided to "splurge" on an iPad Pro ... and WOW! what a difference! Music appears a LOT bigger than I even thought given the screen size difference. I'm going to try to attach a few JPGs showing the old iPad vs. the new iPad Pro. They show 3 different kinds of charts, some close-up and some in context with my keyboards.

iPad Pro is not cheap - but it's about the same price as the old, original "Music Pad" device (which was $999 originally) - but of course with a MUCH better screen and super-high resolution compared to that old Music Pad Pro which I owned years ago).

Also, for those that own iPads, the iPad Pro can get a LOT brighter (if desired) - the backlight seems capable of being very bright, which will be useful at outdoor gigs.

5 photos attached (if I can get them to attach properly!)
-Jim

Here is the 5th file:
-Jim

Wow Jim,
I have mine ordered and it will be here Monday. Looks pretty good.
I have to change holders. I have been using an Ipad holder on a mic stand
which has worked out great. Maybe I'll just have to get a larger holder because
the I need the mic stand for a mic too.
Deane

Very nice display. But I just can't see myself using it like that. I want a clear view of the audience, and I want them to be able to see me.
I'm finding the screen on the S970 quite adequate for displaying text files. If I have a need for a PDF (very rarely) I use my small laptop/tablet hybrid.
I could see perhaps putting it on a slanted support of some kind, so it didn't stick up so much. Back when I hauled around crates of fake books, I did that, but the angle has to be just right.
I may experiment with displaying text output from the keyboard to an exterior monitor so the keyboard screen could be used for other things, but I also don't want more gear to deal with. Ongoing battle. . . keeps us young, right?

Don, years ago, when I first began using a laptop, I placed it upon a music stand that I re-positioned so the larger surface was flat. It had a 10-pound base which made it fairly stable and it held that laptop just fine. I sat it off to one side of the keyboard, mainly so I could glance at it to see lyric files without taking my eyes off the audience.

Worked for me,

Gary

The tablet method just never sat well for my needs, lord knows I've tried many times...
but the tactile keyboard is needed for lightning fast changes......
I'll always be a LAPTOP Man they just cant be beat for navigation on stage..

Don I agree reading charts as a OMB and no eye contact with the audience isn't very appealing for so many reasons especially when singing. Weaning yourself off charts and memorizing your songs/lyrics is a must in my book for a solid looking performance..and its not that hard to do ...just repetitive practice works every time. Close the book and try it.

I will show my ignorance here - Lord knows I've done that a good part of my life - but when using ANY of these devices - iPAD, tablet, laptop - when accessing the STS (registations) for a particular song on the keyboard, are the lyrics/lead sheets for that song automatically accessed at the same time? ... or if I call up a song on the iPAD, tablet, laptop, will the STS settings be accessed at the same time?
BTW, I am talking about doing this with a Pa900 in case it makes a difference.
Thanks

I know some keyboards support apps that do what you are talking about, and I believe they are triggered from the tablet. Roland has it for sure. It would be interesting to hear how it's being done.
I am relying primarily on the keyboard to display text files, and I have the laptop for more challenging requests.
As an example, I had an unusually large number of off-the-wall requests last night, ranging from Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Higher and Higher, You Light Up My Life, Alley Cat, Remember Me, and others. I hadn't done some of these in years, but was able to pull up lyrics and chords in seconds. Then pick a style and go! I probably average 30 requests a night, most of which I know without seeing anything, but you have to be ready for anything.
Playing requests is a different ballgame from just running a pre-planned set list!

Jim,

Thanks for the report, I use unReal Book with the iPad. Been toying with the idea of the iPad Pro, but don't really want anything larger than the smaller ipad for audience visibility. My vision is still such that the original ipad size works for me......at some point that may change.


Tony it is possible to program Korg to change your keyboard's settings when you change a tune using the ipad and vice versa. A couple of years ago Dennis from Austrailia who used to visit this site sent me some instructions on the how to, I started to set things up to do so, but found it too time consuming and just didn't want to spend the time to program both the Korg and iPad. I use a dual pedal with the iPad to page turn forward and/or backwards, with Songbook on the Korg and the pedal works fine .

I seem to remember JImaling who posted this thread has that type setup with the Tyros. Thee's also a guy on the PSR forum Fred Smith who has a you tube video on how to for the Tyros

Hi - Off topic from the iPad Pro specifically, but some there is some conversations about this: Yes, I have made my iPad with unrealBook app, send MIDI commands to call up Registrations on my Tyros5. I have a postings around somewhere on what I did. Someone else (can't remember his name) had found the "raw" MIDI codes needed to make it work; I made up a spreadsheet (Excel) where I organized all my registration files, registrations, and the MIDI codes (in Hex) needed to make it work. It works GREAT, and I really rely on it now, as a quicker way to get ready to play a song. It works esp. well for requests - I can just do a 2-second 'search' in unrealBook, tap on the song, then instantly start playing it on my Tyros.

If anyone wants help on this (for Tyros especially), and you can't find my postings, send me a note and I can try to help. I can also send my MIDI registration spreadsheet to anyone that wants to see what I did ...
It did take a LOT of work to set it all up, but it was worth it to me ...
Jim