Furthermore, the Air is almost 40% lighter than its Pro counterpart, so if your goal is to be truly mobile while recording or toying around with songs, this is a solid bet. It can run apps like GarageBand, Cubasis and FL Studios with serious ease and it’ll cost you less than the Pro. What this all means for music production and musicians, is that the iPad Air has a lot of memory and power for a great price. The Air also boasts Apple’s A12 Chip with Neural Engine, which is the second highest level of chips that Apple has in production at the moment (the highest being the A12X found in the iPad Pro). And compared with the Pro’s 256 GB model, an Air of the same size would save you over $300. From a storage standpoint, the Air comes in either a 64 GB or 256 GB model. While the Pro brings a lot to the table, the brand new Air is a serious contender in nearly every category for a music forward tablet. And if you add on the keyboard accessory, you can transform your Surface into a laptop on a whim.īuy: Microsoft Surface Pro 6 at $725.00 3.
But even at 13 hours, the Surface Pro is outlasting the iPad Pro and iPad Air by a considerable amount. As producing and recording takes up a fair amount of battery, you can expect it to last closer to the 13-hour mark. According to Microsoft, this tablet should last all day with regular use, and 13.5 hours of video playback. The biggest win for the Surface Pro, however, is the battery life. While we’re all for faster speeds, the i5 is no slouch, and can handle your FL Studio sessions just fine. Microsoft does offer their Surface Pro with the Intel Core i7, however that extra-fast processing will run you an additional $300 or so. However, we prefer a model with slightly more storage (256 GB to be exact) as creating and recording takes up quite a bit of space. The base model starts with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Acting as the latest in the Surface Pro line, this tablet offers a variety of options for customization. If you’re looking for a tablet that functions like a laptop, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 might be the option for you. With a tablet at the ready, you can make your bedroom or your tour bus a mini recording studio. Because sometimes inspiration strikes on your way home from class or somewhere near Bakersfield in between San Francisco and Los Angeles. From iPads to the Surface Pro, see our list of tablets that pack the most heat.
With an endless sea of aftermarket components (like iRig) and apps (like FL Studios), as well as extra space and faster processors, the tablet has truly become the modern musician’s multi-tool. Now, you can create and record music, too. And with that added power comes the ability to do more than swipe cards or read books. The devices you use to check out at food trucks and read the New York Times have steadily grown more and more powerful. The recording studio isn’t going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean amateur or traveling musicians can’t benefit from a lite studio that can go everywhere. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.