Apple Pencil for Mobile Music Production? | haQ attaQ

[@JakobHaq]

Let me make it clear. I still prefer using my fingers! And I only use the pencil because I feel I have to. 😅 ▼ ▼ ▼ ❤️ CONNECT WITH ME PATREON ► www.patreon.com/jakobhaq PAYPAL DONATE ► www.paypal.me/jakobhaq INSTAGRAM ► instagram.com/jakob_haq/ DISCORD ► discord.gg/JTmQHAG 🔥 MY PRESET PACK STORE (My Patreons can download these packs without extra charge over at Patreon) MAIN PAGE ► jakobhaq.gumroad.com/ TROOPER 2084 PRESET PACK ► jakobhaq.gumroad.com/l/trooper2084 TIMELESS 3 "2084" PRESET PACK ► jakobhaq.gumroad.com/l/timeless32084 🎵 MY MUSIC DISCOGRAPHY ► hyperfollow.com/jakobhaq ⏰ TIME STAMPS 0:00 What you use 0:42 I’ve always hated pencils … 2:10 Why I got a pencil 4:16 1st gen vs. 2nd gen pencils 7:06 User cases for Apple Pencil? 9:44 Should you get a pencil?

[@a_nick_t]

I have an Apple Pencil. Use it strictly for drawing. Fingers only for music apps. If I can’t use finger for a music app I won’t use that app. There is always an alternate app. Great video as usual! 😎👍🏼

[@seth.graham]

The tiny pencil keyboard is pretty weird, but the upside is the ipad is smart about detecting pencil vs finger taps so if you tap on a text area with your finger, you'll get the big keyboard. There's also an option in there somewhere to get the big keyboard when using a pencil. It's not perfect, it still means you have to put the pencil down to start typing, but it's serviceable.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

I just use my pinky finger for that ;) and I just type with my middle finger while holding the pencil, never have to put it down

[@lamardoss]

I absolutely love using the Apple Pencil for all kinds of things. In music production, it’s a lot easier to see what I’m on exactly vs my fat finger. Lol. And I don’t know why, but using the pencil makes me feel like I’m being more productive, even if I may not be, and that helps my mindset when in a long production session. Also, video editing in LumaFusion is ridiculously easier with a pencil vs finger. Like, literally in every way. Would hate to use LumaFusion without it. I’ve also been able to design logos and do some graphics that I never would have fathomed being able to do with my fat finger clumsiness. The Apple Pencil is an easy buy to me. Love it. Ps- The amount of times I’ve accidentally tried using the pencil on a device that doesn’t support it when I’m using several devices at once, is endless. Lol.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

my god, why have i never thought about using the pencil for lumafusion... :D

[@jonbirchartist]

For general scooting about on the iPad... email, internet, etc. I use fingers. For anything needing precision I use an Apple Pencil. Probably because I bought the iPad Pro for art and illustration, as that's 50% of my income. Music is the other 50% and I was already comfy with the pencil when I started seriously using apps for music creation... and it's always good to use tools you're comfortable with. As a musician I do find a hardware keyboard more joyous than the touchscreen alternative most synth apps give you (with the iPad I use a Keystep and also love my Korg NanoKontrol and NanoKeys). Having said that though, there are plenty of musical apps where the playing interface demands just fingers playing dynamically with the screen... and those apps feel great to use and perfectly suited to such a good touchscreen. Always enjoy your videos. Thank you!

[@rheslip20]

I bought a cheap pencil on Amazon for about $25. It works very well for the odd occasion I need more precision or want to use a sketching app. Uses micro B USB charging cable which makes a lot more sense than the goofy charging scheme on the Apple pencil 1.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

the goofy charging scheme is perfect for when you're out and about and don't have a charger lying around...

[@brendanrose542]

I really feel you on this, one app though that I found it handy for is in patterning or patterning 2 , it’s amazing how well you can draw in the patterns so fluidly

[@lemonberries]

Another music production app for the Apple Pencil is Virtual ANS by Alexander Zolotov, which is great for creating ambient textures. The other benefit of using the pencil for something like long Cubasis sessions helps cut down on fingerprints too. ⚠PRO TIP: always wipe down your screen before using the Apple Pencil. I had something get stuck in the tip of the pencil and it scratched my screen protector ( get a nice micro fiber or just use a clean soft, lightly damp shirt or something to clean it).

[@Taeodoestech]

Using a pencil to make modulations in Agonizer is a must

[@andrewculley1132]

Good for notation apps that allow hand writing input. I have struggled with the accurate placement of notes on a staff using a finger; very rarely do I actually place a note where I want it using a finger and then I struggle with moving it using a finger.

[@mariopandza]

I own the first gen apple pencil and I never thought anything about it was stupid, I never charge it off iPad, but use a dedicated cable that has the adapter attached at all times.

[@phneticbeats7068]

great video man what do you think of the recent ipad pro announcement introducing desktop apps for visual creators, without including anything for music I'm disappointed, but hopefully soon

[@JakobHaq]

I think thing a lot of users around to get themselves either a mouse and or a pencil … plus a keyboard. 😅👍 Oh and maybe we’ll see Apple make a 14” iPad Pro. Just a guess I pulled out of my “eehma”, but who knows.

[@dougb70]

devs will adopt ipados shortly.

[@Lorichs]

I like using the pencil for drawing automation in cubasis/auria. Often i also end up using it in luma fusion

[@frankiemae1302]

I have Auria and those are small in it. Saturn one of my favorites!

[@MobileMusicPro]

I love, love, love having the ability to touch my controls and move things around with my fingers and I certainly do that sometimes but for the vast majority of my time on iPad with music production inside Cubasis I'm using a mouse. It's just so much faster for me and since I have to position to the iPad at least a foot or more above my desk to match my eye line so I don't get neck pain it becomes really tiring to keep my hand and arm in the air in order to reach the iPad. Again for brief moments I love making adjustments on plugins with my fingers but after that brief few seconds my hand is right back to the mouse to close the plugin and move on.

[@drbop6951]

Yeah pencil has its uses. Got a 3rd party one online. Works on all iPads just by touching screen and syncs instantly. Has all the features of the pencil including magnets and drawing ability. Has usb-c, charges in 5 minutes for 10 hours use. And cost less than £15 new with 5 spare tips and charging cable. Easily worth it. Cheers

[@raysubject]

there is third option to pencil and mouse - external touch pad .. the silver one, from apple .. i use it for years with my macbook instead of mouse when i’m connected to external monitor .. it’s MUCH more precise than touchscreen, and definitely no problem with hand pain like with mouse

[@JakobHaq]

I’ll try it when I get a chance. Haven’t been sure I wanted to as I never liked the little touch surface on the MacBook. But I did prefer using it instead of a mouse. Thanks for the tip!

[@GaryR55]

I hate touch pads. They get in my way when typing on a physical keyboard, and then things start opening and I accidentally enter commands I didn't want to enter. But, I was "cured" of using detachable Bluetooth keyboards when I read Ars Technica's article about "Bluesnarfing," i.e, the use of software by creeps trying to get into devices and steal my data - including logins for my checking account, passwords, etc. So, after that, I went back to typing on my iPad with its onscreen keyboard. It's slower and clumsy, but it's safe. By the way, I found Ars Technica's article on Bluesnarfing after I discovered a laptop and a phone that were trying to pair with my iPad!

[@SonicVibe]

You’ve been a big inspiration!

[@PooNinja]

11:22 👍🏽😂. I too have a love hate relationship with pencils, apple and otherwise

[@domdib55]

As a Fabfilter app user, useful tip!

[@dennisrudin6907]

Well, I compose a lot with Staffpad doing notation entirely with my Apple Pencil. Wish Dorico had support as well though, as it allows notation AND using Audio Unit devices. For me the pencil is a huge speed advantage. 🎼😎👍🎵🎶 But that is me, as I find it easier to read and compose harmony using musical notation.

[@seoverus7805]

Forget V1 pencil without getting an external charger = sorted. Got a Beautiful silver desktop design from AZ and it also holds the pencil upright on desk. Sweet. Also critical to get Screen glass and folder/Desk stand all in one protection for your investment IMO.

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

MiRack with a pencil looks really nice

[@midwinter78]

Yes, there aren't many apps that I use with the pencil but it really helps with miRack.

[@melonyello]

Bought a Pencil 2 only for drawing, but use it all time in music production. A month later I found it much less comfortable to work without it. Some music apps designed perfectly for touchscreen devices, and you don't need anything but your fingers. But also, a huge part of the music app interfaces is still more like a desktop-like design ported to the iPad.

[@0xytoc1n]

You should definitely checkout the garageband‘s piano roll editor integrated with apple pencil. Absolutely smartest way ever editing midi notes in touchscreen tablet🔥

[@josephsalustro3993]

Another great informative video

[@PantaFlux]

I only use my Gen 1 Pencil for drawing and even then try to avoid using it because I genuinely hate it for a) the reasons you mentioned, and b) feeling like the cheapest und most unergonomic stylus/pencil I had in my fingers ever. The pencils from Microsoft (i.e. Surface) or Wacom I had in my hand over the years were so much more comfortable to hold and use. The only thing on the Apple pencil that I really enjoy is the clicking noise and snapping into place of its magnetic cap.

[@lamardoss]

For your issue with typing while using the pencil, you can change the setting for the pencil to not be used for text input. That way, when the keyboard pops up to type, it doesn’t come up differently, it pops up normally, large, the way you would use the keyboard to type if you had no pencil.

[@JakobHaq]

I didn’t know that. I’ll change that instantly. Thank you for the tip! 🙏

[@lamardoss]

@@JakobHaq no problem man. I had to double check. It’s the scribble option that needs turned off and the only draw with Apple Pencil option that needs turned on. After that, you’re good. 👍🏼

[@PoppaDocRocks]

I have a Crayon which I got for a great price, I only use it occasionally. It is good for a lot of midi note editing in a piano roll.

[@Steve.Dennis]

I reached similar conclusions. I only really use the Pencil for drawing automations in Cubasis, for example, and I use a mouse for some actions in apps like Fabfilter and Synthmaster. But most of the time I find the touchscreen more than adequate in music apps. I have done a lot of graphical design work for which an Apple Pencil is indispensable. I also have a cheap Bluetooth keyboard for typing for when iOS handles the on screen keyboard stupidly. I would also add that because in my home studio I usually have my Mac running as well, Universal Control is proving to be extremely useful - I find myself using my Mac mouse a lot on the iPad because it’s just so quick and easy to run the mouse over to control what I’m doing.

[@guido69x]

Besides music,drawing is my other passion!About the Stylus,all iPads have huge jigle lines everytime you try diagonal moves!Also,any pen that needs to be paired have bigger latency!Universal pens are the best,no Bluetooth or Wifi,just turn them On and you can even jump from device to device on the fly and almost no latency at all no matter how many layers of glass the screen has or OS you are using Another huge vantage about the stylus,is Pressure Sensitivity!!! ;)

[@pipposgarage7598]

At the beginning the Apple Pencil was quite a nightmare to use... than I started to use it more and more... now I'm often trying to use it also with the Mac! 🤣 (And, YES I also prefer to use my fingers to type on the big keyboard! The tiny one is really uncomfortable!)

[@iamALPA]

Love your videos Jakob! I've been following your channel for quite some time and it's been a joy to see it grow and evolve. The new visual format and your story telling is spot on! 👏 To me this is one of THE best channels on the planet when it comes to mobile music making. Just wanted you to know that and I am also looking forward to you review of the brand new Grand Finale 2 from KLEVGR, which I hope you will get your paws all over soon. 🤓 Keep up the great work! 🔥👌🚀🌟✨

[@JakobHaq]

Thank you so much! 🧡🧡🧡

[@Soupsounds]

Pen2bow is another good reason to get a pencil - acts like a violin now - for any synth - really ingenious. 1st gen pencil really sucks. If it runs out of charge complely it dies - can't be recharged. This happened twice to me - 1st time apple replaced it - but they won't do it a second time. My ipad pro doesn't support 2nd gen pencil so will need to get a new ipad in order to get a pencil

[@JeffyG]

I have the Gen 2 pencil and it’s good, but I refuse to connect a magic keyboard. iPad is a touch device, not a laptop replacement. 😮

[@keither_1976]

How about the trackpad on the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard? Any experience with that ? Always great content here man thanks. 🙏🏻

[@IQM24]

Me too, I own a first gen pencil but by the time I got round to using it, the battery must of broken because it has a connection fault.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

there is in fact a 3rd option: if you don't need features like pressure sensitivity, angle, "palm rejection" etc and don't use it for drawing anyway, you could also just buy a cheap pencil from another brand. with the apple pencil you're paying double the price for features that you'll never use and that the music apps don't even recognize...

[@JakobHaq]

Good point!

[@surrealchemist]

I was using mine when I first got my ipad but its so inconvenient with the magic keyboard having it hang on there all the time blocking the buttons that it loses charge by the time I remember I have it. I think the one thing I found useful was for miRack beacuse you are connecting these smaller jacks and turning knobs.

[@chebtamer]

Interesting video, guess I’ll go for the mouse, since this will be the only use I may need! However, why don’t FabFilter and other plugins makers adapt the zoom option (example XPad and iOS keyboard itself) when touching a knob, button or fader it zooms or pops out to become a little bigger for more accurate control! What do you think? Maybe feedback the devs will help better than throwing more money to Apple!

[@DMTCYMATICSDreamMusicTemple]

i need one. Precision

[@Dt3kno]

Don,t use a mouse with ipad pro use the new apple magic track pad, apple magic keyboard and for better typing you can use a gaming keyboard.

[@Dt3kno]

Btw you will love to use the pencil with korg Gadget… So you can draw all the automation, draw the note for the sequencer, draw the velocity and much more..

[@bryantwalley]

My brain just will not let me spend that much money on a pencil. I do have one of the cheap ones off Amazon and it works great.

[@JakobHaq]

I purchased both these used On an auction site. So I paid $50 for the 1st gen and $70 for the 2nd gen. Same with my iPad Pro 11” from 2018. I got it for about $500 on that same site. I’ll sit and watch those sites like a hawk for deals like this.

[@bryantwalley]

@@JakobHaq mine was $18us new.

[@bryantwalley]

Checked on Amazon again and now it seems they have several of the "version 2" for $30us that offer wireless charging. Maybe time for that upgrade.

[@tompoynton]

For something like Mirack a pencil is indispensable

[@faulmuetze]

Has anyone experience with the Magic Touchpad?

[@MrKKmusic]

I have used the pencil for music since it became available. It’s handy with the iPad, particularly for complicated interfaces. But for the iPhone, it’s absolutely essential.

[@6400ab]

Yeah, using fingers on the touch screen will only get you so far. The Apple Pencil is a game changer for precise control of parameters and automation in music software. I'm surprised it took you this long to realize that.

[@camreese1444]

I find the topic interesting because he is pointing out the benefits and drawbacks for both, which spurs conversation around UX design principles. Certainly this topic is not for everyone, and if you’re happy making music using the tools the way they are, then more power to you!

[@JakobHaq]

Surprised it took so long? Why? 1, hate using stuff that translates my hand movements into the device, that hasn’t changed after getting the pencils. 2, I don’t like using pencils, I think I was pretty clear about that. And I still don’t like using them after getting them, since I’d rather work with just my fingers. 3. I ended up using the pencils out of necessity and I still wish that the FabFilter plugins where more touch friendly because … 4 … I like using my fingers directly in the screen. 5, I only use the pencils with three apps. Why? Because I feel like I have to. 😅 Also, In the end I recommend getting an ergonomic mouse instead of the expensive pencil option unless you’re into drawing etc. I’m sorry, but with all of this said, i think it’s far away from suggesting that I had some sort of “epihany”, “realising “ how good it would be using pencils. 😅 If FabFilter somehow reworked the GUI of their apps, I’d sell my pencil in an instant. 👊

[@6400ab]

​@@JakobHaq Fair enough. I come from a different perspective when it comes to touch screens. I generally don't like them. I understand that the iPad is a touch device but for me having a stylus option for things like setting parameters, turning knobs, X/Y pads is far more comfortable. I find doing these things with my fingers always more clunky and less precise regardless of how optimized the software is for touch.

[@mrcwalker33]

The Logitech crayon fixes all what’s wrong with the first gen and is officially licensed by Apple / a great product

[@KrumpusPlunk]

it's pretty expensive for not having pressure sensitivity...

[@zairadile]

I am afraid that I must tell you - the original Pencil's charging solution gets *even more* cursed this year. The iPad (10th Generation) was announced last week. It's a USB-C iPad - but it can't dock the Pencil 2 because it doesn't have the magnets for it. You still need to use the original Pencil ... with its Lightning connector. And a cursed adapter to connect a USB-C cable to the pencil. **C U R S E D**

[@jeffreylewis4767]

I’ll stick with touch, but my fingers sometimes fail to “connect” - that is it seems that my fingertips are not making the connection. Low capacitance?

[@JakobHaq]

Hard to know. What apps does this happen with and does it happen after cleaning/wiping the screen? I know from experience that a dirty or greasy screen can behave like that. Otherwise there might be something wrong/faulty with your iDevice also.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

as a guitar player I have that problem on the fingers of my left hand... so maybe your skin is too dry or you have callouses on your fingertips from work or playing stringed instruments?

[@jeffreylewis4767]

Yes, I do have calluses from playing guitar. I have been wiping the screen too. I need to find out more about how the Apple touch screens work, and what the ranges of detection are.

[@KrumpusPlunk]

@@jeffreylewis4767 hmm one test could be if it works better after a shower when the skin is still soaked with water...I'm lucky in that I mostly use the right hand,but my guitar fret hand is the left one

[@Michael_Lak]

Now go and draw something with your apple pencil.

[@MykytaFediaiev]

Hi there! What is that Polyvox app on the preview?

[@JakobHaq]

This apps.apple.com/se/app/polyivoks-filter/id1507649629

[@MykytaFediaiev]

@@JakobHaq OMG, thank you so much!

[@GaryR55]

Still using my fingers. 😊

[@JakobHaq]

Same here. I’d rather have FabFilter re-work the GUIs to suit touch better . 😅

[@MarsCapone]

Cyclop!!!

[@gkillmaster]

Great as always. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and possibly money. So nice to have someone whose evaluations are thorough and trustworthy!