Using iPad for Live Performance (Ambient/Drone Music)

This is a video addendum to a substack post I published, detailing how I use the iPad and iPhone for live performance with my band, Hotel Neon.
The full post with screenshots and more information is here, for reference:
Previous posts on how I use the iPad with Ableton Live and other equipment can be found here:
KZbin:
kzbin.info/www/bejne/inyqdYCPqa2Mhtk
kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJTFhGegrtKmlaM
Substack:
andrewtasselmyer.substack.com/p/addendum-how-i-use-the-ipad-with?r=2chjaj&
andrewtasselmyer.substack.com/p/updated-again-ipad-and-ableton-live?r=2chjaj&
You can buy my music on Bandcamp here: andrewtasselmyer.bandcamp.com
Additionally, I maintain a blog on Substack in which I detail my processes and thoughts behind the music I make: andrewtasselmyer.substack.com
Reach me anytime through my website: www.andrewtasselmyer.com/contact-me

[@aquietgarden]

Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing this Andrew.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kruser32]

I enjoy your explanations of your setup. I hope you continue to do walk through videos like these. I am learning a lot from them. Thank you so much

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thank you so much. More to come!

[@garaughty]

Such beautiful texture & atmosphere on this !

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thank you!

[@rolandpyle8914]

Thank you for this instructive and inspiring look at how you perform live.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

My pleasure! Glad it was helpful.

[@briancassidy6678]

So nice to hear an intelligent explanation of your process.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@user-ix5rz4lc2o]

Excellent routing!

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Many thanks!

[@AdamHardymaniOSMM]

Cool walkthrough, enjoyed it very much, thank you 🙏

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@ianjojo]

Gahhhh thank you for taking the time to make this video. I’ve been stuck in a box with how to use AUM properly and this video has been incredibly inspiring. That Twin 3 patch is so beautiful as well. Thank you again.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching and for the kind words.

[@ianjojo]

truly so helpful! instantly subscribed to your channel and i'm looking forward to more videos as well as checking out your substack where you cover this in even more depth. also, any chance of sharing that dreamy Twin 3 patch you were using? @@andrewtasselmyer2436

[@ChrisCorrado]

thank you for this honest insight!

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

My pleasure!

[@gregshark751]

This video couldn’t have come at a better time as I’ve been only recently discovered what iOS is capable of in a live setting and you’ve provided lots of ideas for how to get the most out of things. I especially like the potential of that interface for incorporating external synths and stuff but controlling the mixing and routing all with the iPad. Thank you for taking the time to do this! Helps that the music is awesome too!

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Cheers! Glad you found it inspiring. Thanks for the kind words.

[@DavidKemp-xn4ln]

Thanks! That was really useful for me. I’ll check out your other videos 👍

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks for watching!

[@tubelog]

Awesome demonstration - thanks for sharing your workflow here!

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks for watching!

[@tubelog]

@@andrewtasselmyer2436 There are only very few videos here on KZbin, that provide such constructive and systematic insights about how to set up and organize AUM for live performances. AUM in this regard is unique, as it allows for very individual solutions, since it is more of an open platform, rather than being ruled by paradigms that DAWS predominantly push users in. Also connecting two iOS devices (or an iOS device plus a macOS device) via a device such as the iConnect, opens up new possibilities, or can extend the workflow. There are quite a few similarities between your approach and how I work, yet, it is always good to take a closer look at how other artists operate and organize their performance and production environments, for some tips, new inspirations, and ideas. It is utterly valuable what you are doing here!

[@NorfolkTraveller]

What I’d most like to see is full versions of Alchemy and Sampler and a decent UI for instruments like Sculpture

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Agreed

[@Alex_Martz]

Great! I also have that interface and the ability to merge 2 devices is essential for my workflow, I use a Windows laptop and an iPad with my guitar, I don't know why other manufacturers don't include that feature and also I don't know why more people don't request that either

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

I totally agree! Baffling as to why it isn’t more common. I love working that way.

[@MultiMam12345]

Great setup, a lot of my favorite plugs. Samplr is one of the oldest, still the greatest. The grand finale is great but will introduce some delay. When using look-ahead compression/limiting. Which will throw you off the grid. Not a problem all the time, but when you need a snappy touch response at low buffer sizes I would use a different plug Btw you can also set up loopy as multitrack. Auv3. This way you can have individual looper per track but all running in 1 loopy instance. You can also add buttons to your iPhone loopy interface to show and hide the plugin UI screens. You can also create 1 button that will hide all plugs on the screen.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks for watching! Totally agree on Samplr; still my favorite app 10 years later. Noted on Grand Finale - haven’t noticed a delay yet but will keep that in mind. I do love loopy pro. Those shortcuts you mention are great - thanks. I use it all the time in the studio, and have played live with it a few times, but AUM is still easier on my brain and perfect for how I perform.

[@huckleberryfinn1018]

Thanks! Really inspiring :)

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@coln1000]

great job!

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@werwolvez]

I like your drone

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks!

[@eprohoda]

how is it going?-yo, what a fantastic ,take it easy. Andrew~ ✋

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Hey, thanks!

[@BardSonic]

Hot damn

[@discophone_6214]

Really good and inspiring video. ❤ Do you have complete list of apps you are using here?

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thank you! There’s a post on my substack page that walks through it in detail - check the link in the description for the full rundown.

[@DJ_Personal]

Two questions: 1) If the Laptop is plugged into one of the USB-C ports on the Audio4C, and the iPad plugged into the other. What is the iPhone plugged into enabling it to be a MIDI controller for the iPad? 2) Is the app your using in the iPhone used for knobs/faders MIDI mapped to parameters of apps running on the iPad? If not, do you know of an app that could do that? And do you know if that app, or another, would allow a custom title/tag to be made by the user above the various mapped knobs/fadders?

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

1) you can use Bluetooth to send MIDI from the iPhone wirelessly. For this specific live set I was not using a laptop and just sent midi over usb, with both phone and iPad connected to the audio 4c 2) loopy pro is the app I’m using and it’ll do everything you described. You can create as many pages of custom mapped midi controls as you want.

[@spellerlittlewing]

Say what's the name of that interface Excellent video

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks for watching! That’s the iConnectivity audio 4c interface.

[@user-wg9lu6mm6c]

hi i see you using nanokey studio. do you connect it using bluetooth? i cant conect it on my ipad pro M2 or on my MB1 Mac., thanks

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Hey there, I generally use USB to minimize latency as much as possible. But I’ll use Bluetooth occasionally when traveling or when sketching ideas on my iPhone.

[@ancestralvision]

Pardon me if i missed that information, but what iPad exactly are you using? I have iPad 6th gen (2018) and I have quite big problems with latency, even with a few plugins on in AUM and on 64 buffer size.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

I’m using an iPad Pro 11” from 2021, with the M1 chip. It works great for me.

[@firandpine]

Do you have separate session in AUM for every song?

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Nope, I generally just keep it to one session for all songs. I switch between sets in Samplr for each one, though.

[@klovit2371]

Thank you for sharing. How many gigabytes on your iPad? Is it enough for live sessions? I'm android and pc user, so it's absolutely new concept for me. 🙄

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Hey there, I have a 2021 iPad Pro 11" with 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM. it's more than enough for my music work.

[@aquietgarden]

@andrewtasselmyer2436 are you connecting the Korg NanoKey Studio to the iPad (& iPhone?) via USB cable, or via bluetooth?

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

I mostly do USB connections for performances because of lower latency, but I use Bluetooth in a pinch or while sketching ideas while traveling.

[@aquietgarden]

Thanks @@andrewtasselmyer2436 , that's really helpful, and makes total sense.

[@TheEvral]

Hey, great demo/showcase. Just wondering, do you lug around a spare iPad and interface? Seems like it’s a pretty crucial part of your sound, and personally I’d be a wreck if I did not have backup! 😅

[@elgrillodelanoche]

Imagine if you combine this with a midi guitar that will be amazing

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

That would be something!

[@hiromotomusic]

Midiguitar 2 does a great job of audio signal to midi for mono/poly I think up to 4 voices. I've used it a few times and love it, Im mainly a guitar player!

[@birddrugs]

What's the name of the track? I want to check it out on BC

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thanks! It's called "Tortured Shapes." hotelneon.bandcamp.com/album/tortured-shapes

[@frankvet1]

Great work…thank you. Would have rather see what buttons you are manipulating on the MAIN screen (as opposed to the small insert screen… just showing the interface on the main screen with all the apps and not being able to see what apps/controls you are manipulating is interesting but i have no idea what you are doing!) i appreciate the effort nonetheless the less.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Thank you! Yes, in hindsight I would’ve done that. Thanks for watching.

[@GladysGrace001]

I have yet to figure the gist of using AUM.

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

It’s daunting at first but quickly makes sense when you play around with it. It’s basically a mixer with the ability to add effects on each channel.

[@syneman1]

Have you tried Drambo?

[@andrewtasselmyer2436]

Yes. Not a huge fan, but it’s interesting.