I know this is a divisive subject. I usually do OK to learn songs by heart but I like having a prompt available. Certainly for rehearsals.
I don't have a tablet currently, so will need to buy one. I don't need it for anything else so would like to keep costs down, yet need space for 50+ songs.
It might be nice to have a footswitch to scroll through the sections of a song, or to switch to the next one.
What size screen should I get? What spec - is a 9th gen iPad good enough?
Are there any cheaper options (Android) worth considering?
Comments
Others in my band are using cheap android tablets too - BandHelper was the only app we could find that worked on both iOS and android although there is an annual subscription charge (About $25)
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Having a prompt, fair enough (sometimes), but relying on it for everything ... nah .
All IMHO etc.
I use an Airturn BT200S-6. The 6 stands for the number of buttons; the 4 button version will be the one for you. Using it to let me use OnSong hands-free on 2017 lowest spec standard size iPad, I set my buttons up so: Previous song; Next song; Page down; Page up; Metronome on/off; Play audio (start/stop).
To stop it becoming an eyesore on stage I have my iPad just below waist level, as shown here (you can find it blocking almost the middle of the 4x10 bass cab):
My cheapest option is a little Acer tablet. For lyrics I use OpenSong (Android) or Songbook Pro (Android and iOS). Both are free, SBP has a paid version which is fantastic value.
Some of the people I work with are Android, others are iOS so there's a bit of juggling to be done via email/Google Drive but it's not difficult.
For chords I use iReal Pro (Android and iOS) which is amazing, made by musos for musos.
All my devices can connect to my Donner Bluetooth page turner which does everything I need for appx £53. I've provided five other people with this little unit and all work seamlessly, particularly with OpenSong.
For a gig tonight I sent three players iReal files by email and printed one off for a guy who doesn't use a tablet. All happy, music was fine.
Acer, as mentioned above, appear to make tablets which are around the £100 mark, which is more like it for me.
Any suggestions on a current model by them that will handle lyrics and is large enough for someone whose eyesight isn’t what it was?