Surface Book 3 for Musicians | MobileSheets | How does it compare to an iPad?

[@Harry777]

If you have any questions about the Surface Book 3, please let me know! Thanks so much for watching, liking, and subscribing! 😊

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad we were able to make this video together!

[@nanofree01]

Excellent merci. C'et cool de voir des demo par des gens normaux !

[@johengen]

This was very helpful, thank you! It's nice to see this device "in action" as a music reader. I'm considering it for use at the piano, and size is key for me.

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad it was helpful! The surface pro is a lot larger than my 12.9 inch iPad Pro

[@Mpactpics]

I very much enjoyed this presentation and found the content interesting and useful. Great job with the explanation. I have not looked through your library, but I would be very interested to know About other uses for the windows platform related to a musicians needs. -Maybe a demo using the metronome. -recording/editing sound clips - writing a simple song/ piece of sheet music - How to integrate apps, like ultimate guitar, so you can write and make notes on the tabs and save. I'm a guitarist and considering buying a surface. I started playing to help repair damage from a brain hemorrhage. Playing has helped tremendously, but I've come to realize I will never able to memorize again. So it's pretty essential for my growth as a musician to have, at the very least, something to display the lyrics and music. There is so much more that can be done. I'm excited to learn the various ways you use your surface. Thanks again for such a well thought out introduction how your surface enhances your playing. I look forward to learning more from you. I liked and subscribed. 👍

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Hi Maurice, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! I'm planning on making some other Windows-focused videos for musicians soon. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for your suggestions! I'll add them to my list!

[@petermcmurray2807]

Thank you. I am a windows software developer so biased towards Surface but my teacher is a dedicated iPad man and this sort of video is very helpful. The remark about Peak stand is very relevant as my stand will not take the larger screen. But I found the Large iPad cover is fully magnetic and sticks well to my heavy weight music stand that I use for Real books etc. I dived in and bought Staffpad for my 9.5" ipad then discovered you cannot transfer it between Apple and Microsoft that I needed to do as it needs the larger screen. Luckily my teacher being dedicated apple bought the new M1 and his older ipad is great for me at the $475 he charged me including the essential Apple charger - you can charge all night and still not be full without it.

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad this was helpful! I love using magnetic stands because then I can just stick my Apple Pencil to it! In the past few months, I’ve used regular music stands with my iPad, but I prefer the Peak stand for performances to the audience can see more of me. That’s a great price for an iPad! I haven’t used staffpad- I’ll have to look into it.

[@rlin]

super helpful, thanks!

[@ElizabethKnaub]

You're welcome, so glad you found it helpful!

[@Harry777]

Thank you! So glad you liked it 😊

[@Oleg__]

Thanks for the review. However, I am surprised that nothing was said about metadata and tags. For me in forScore, this is very important element of my work with sheet music. And it is something that forScore can be proud of. For me, their metadata system is perfect, and I use it 100%, always filling in absolutely every field. And I also wonder if MobileSheets has such a great, handy and important for me as a performing musician function like automatic calculation of total time of all scores in a set list. Surely there is, if the author of the video said that MobileSheets is more functional than forScore.

[@tomwgibson]

Thanks Elizabeth and Harry. Super helpful.. I appreciate the detail. I have an old Surface Pro 3 that I think will be perfect. Duh ... It hadn't occurred to me that of course I can use the pen to annotate! :)

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad it was helpful! It's great that you can use something you already have!! :)

[@aaron.piedra]

That is soo cool! I want one

[@Harry777]

It's a great device! Thanks for watching!

[@ElizabethKnaub]

It's super cool how the screen detaches and you can reattach it in different ways! It's so versatile

[@dongguel_dolmeng]

Thank you for your explanation! It's very helpful using Mobilesheets. From Korea. 😊

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching all the way from Korea 😊

[@MonikaR2006]

This is mega useful. Thank you very much. I definitely learned a lot from your explanations! Edit: Did you do a video about Smart Buttons?

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad it was helpful!

[@ItBeHayley]

nice job guys!! hi harry

[@ElizabethKnaub]

🎉🎉🎉

[@Harry777]

Hi! 😄

[@billhall8902]

Great review. I have used Mobile Sheets on my Surface Pro for years, and you showed some features that I had never noticed. LOL - The reflection in the glass to the right of the screen when you were talking about the stand and tablet holder. I think you like her. :) By the way, what was the name of the tablet holder you are using? I couldn't quite understand what you're saying. Sounded like saying "peak" something or other. Sorry for my poor hearing. Thanks

[@ElizabethKnaub]

So glad it was helpful for you! I definitely think he likes me, glad that was noticeable :) We use Peak e-device holders for our tablets. They make really great portable stands!

[@saxmanvince4319]

Wow, Thanks a lot.😊

[@Oleg__]

MobileSheets is out on iPadOS. It would be interesting to see a review of it on iPad.

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Awesome, thanks for letting me know! I’ll download it now and try it out!!

[@Oleg__]

👍Mike, developer of MobileSheets, answered 25 of my questions during the day. Developer of forScore (Justin and his assistant Isaac) need to learn such support. :) In general, the arrival of MobileSheets on iPad is a big event for musicians, especially considering the fact that lately I have been seeing more and more critical reviews about forScore on some forums.

[@LadyJoolree]

Thank you, that was a great review 👍🏾 I've been mulling over pulling the trigger on a new tablet for teaching and gigging. I can really see how it'll be a great investment now ... rather than a birthday indulgence 😂

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Glad this was helpful! It’s a big investment, but it’s so helpful!

[@cindyviolin3772]

Harry, this was great; what kind of minor glitches do you encounter them?

[@verticaldocks]

Excellent use case for the Surface Book 3! I may have missed it, but are you using the Surfacebook for recording from all 4 mics in the background? If so, what Audio interface are you using?

[@Harry777]

Thanks so much for the comment! I didn't mention in the video, but I have used audacity to record straight from the Surface Book's mics while I'm reading a piece in MobileSheets, and it works really well! For fancier recordings we also use a FocusRite Scarlet 2i2 interface with 2 SM57 mics, and on our camera we use a Ride VideoMicro mic! I hope that answered your question!

[@mbadley658]

I've used a Zoom H4N for years with my quintet. They are quite versatile in acquiring good audio - quite portable and you don't need any additional computer interfaces. Then you just manipulate the digital files in any DAW you like. They'll take external mic inputs or work right from the on-board ones.

[@OrganistaAndrzej]

What do you think is the cheapest option for displaying sheet music? Preferred screen size over 12 inches and a format similar to A4.

[@artvandelay8090]

Both the Surface Book 3 and the iPad are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for this application. There are many other tablets that are 10" or greater that run Android or Windows and have more than enough graphics, storage, and processing power for Mobile Sheets Pro, which really needs very little processing power. If all you're storing is music PDFs, that stuff doesn't take up a lot of space to store or memory to run. It's child's play from a processing standpoint. Using an iPad or a Surface Pro for this is like buying a Hummer to carry something that a Subaru station wagon can carry.

[@ElizabethKnaub]

We both use our tablets for many other uses than JUST reading and storing sheet music. From being around other musicians, the iPad Pro is the most popular tablet I've seen. I enjoy making videos about the iPad for musicians because so many of us are curious about it.

[@Oleg__]

Art Vandelay, I have a few questions: 1) Do you really think that musicians use such devices only for working with sheet music? 2) Do you really think that the price of specialized devices like the GVIDO, which costs $1600 and can do nothing else but work with sheet music, with its monochrome lagging display, is more reasonable? 3) Do you really think that for most people who buy an iPad without understanding exactly what they need it for, and which then gathers dust on the shelf, is a more justifiable purchase?

[@artvandelay8090]

@@Oleg__ Question #1: YES. Many professional musicians are not not propeller-beanie-wearing geeks who like computers or know the first thing about computers. I know a professional musician who doesn't even know how to save a file sent to him in email. This is especially true for brass players who have to spend several hours every day practicing just to keep their chops in shape. They don't have time to learn about computers and they don't care to. #2: I never mentioned GVIDO, you did. #3: That question is totally irrelevant to the points that I made. Get over yourself and get real.

[@Oleg__]

@@artvandelay8090 #1 In that case, it's better for such people to stay on paper sheet music if their basic skills with electronic gadgets are that bad. They're causing themselves more problems than they're getting more efficiency in their work. #2 You never mentioned it, so I specifically mentioned for you a specialized sheet music device that makes the iPad look like a much better buy. #3 My argument is absolutely relevant. If you don't understand it, that's your problem. There is nothing better than the iPad today. It's the standard. If you think it's unreasonably expensive, then don't buy it, unless of course you're aware of the existence of older and used models for a couple hundred dollars.

[@w___s]

The 15" Surface Books have a fan in the tablet portion. Does that fan ever run when using this as a music reader?

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Hi! I asked Harry about this, and he said that fan has never run while using it as a music reader. He's done long performances, rehearsals, and mock auditions with the tablet, and it's never happened, which I think is a good indicator. :)

[@w___s]

@@ElizabethKnaub Thank you!

[@paulbram2]

I mean, you keep saying it doesn't have apps... but it does right? Maybe not as many as the iPad but there are plenty in the store last I checked.

[@GabeKMusic]

Not dedicated apps for mobile experience

[@TheEc202020]

Thanks for the video. I've installed mobile sheets on my tablet and am using the PC companion to add music & make setlists. If I buy mobile sheet for my PC, will have to do it all over again or does the 'Backup library' let me import everything (music, collections & setlists) onto the PC?

[@remi1213]

So the surface book pro seem to be a better tool than iPad.. Thanks for info

[@ElizabethKnaub]

It all depends on your needs and taste. You’re welcome!

[@remi1213]

@@ElizabethKnaub I own a MacBook pro so I bought today forscore... Iam impressed of this program... Iam looking now to buy a pedal bluetooth to turn pages... What turn page pedal should I buy???

[@ElizabethKnaub]

@@remi1213 Glad you're liking Forscore! The bluetooth pedal I use and recommend is linked in the description box under "Products Mentioned". Hope that helps!

[@sillywwabbit]

What about the weight difference between the Surface Book 3 vs. the iPad Pro 12.9 (4th or 5th gen)?

[@ElizabethKnaub]

The surface book 3 with the keyboard attached is much heavier than the iPad Pro 12.9 inch. Without the keyboard, the surface book feels lighter than the iPad.

[@Oleg__]

Elizabeth, lighter? That's strange, because: 816 g (Surface Book display) vs. 677 g (iPad).

[@JamieHofman]

Hows battery life on the Surface Book? I read somewhere that it's only around 3 hours when it's in tablet mode. Does that sound right?

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Hi there! I've found that I can get it to last about 5 hours, but I'm also very careful to make sure I close all the background programs that kill the battery before I use it. I think 3 is probably a good estimate if you just used it normally in tablet mode!

[@cultserpent4501]

Hello, im totally new to this so i was wondering if i can use a bluetooth page turner with MobileSheets? Thank you in advance

[@ElizabethKnaub]

Yes you can! They work together really nicely!

[@tomwgibson]

@@ElizabethKnaub hi Elizabeth. Do you mind sharing what bluetooth page turner you are using that works with the Surface on windows.

[@ElizabethKnaub]

@@tomwgibson We've used the Donner bluetooth pedal with the Surface for years, and it works great! I also just recently tested Vangoa's bluetooth pedal, and it works great too at a lower price point.

[@tomwgibson]

Awesome that's great to know. Thanks. I saw the Donner on the recommended list for the MobileSheets apps which I have just started to use. BTW I could not get their new Face Gestures feature to work reliably yet (it would be ideal as a soft solution), but in the meantime I was able in Windows 10 on my Surface Pro 3 to get voice commands working. I can now say 'page down' and 'page up' even quietly, and even with my piano playing out of my speakers at home. It works really well. Of course, only suitable at home.