# Alright, talk to me about Staffpad and what I need



## Rodney Money

My mind for the past 3 days has only been thinking about Staffpad, and dang it I have a brand new custom bass trumpet also! Lol. I am definitely a write out the score composer, so please speak to me like I’m an idiot because simply, I am to be honest. What do I need to get started?

I guess I need a IPad Pro 1st? Then download the app and libraries. What do I use for speakers? No audio interface? Just headphones now? I am guessing I can bounce the notation to Finale for a polished score? And what’s the general consensus concerning which sample libraries are responding best to Staffpad? 

Thank ya!


----------



## Rory

Initially, the key is to get used to using an Apple Pencil and StaffPad together without getting frustrated. Some people appear to have more trouble than others getting the hang of it. Watch StaffPad’s own videos on using the Pencil, and get familiar with the app’s interface and the manual on its web site. The manual is to the point and clearly written. There’s a learning curve, but I don’t think that it’s a difficult one. You just need a bit of patience to start.

One participant in this forum has just published a book on using StaffPad, which I believe is US$30. I think that StaffPad’s videos and manual are sufficient, but some people like to read a book. However, the only thing that will make you proficient at using an Apple Pencil with an iPad and the Staffpad app is a bit of hands-on practice.


----------



## Gingerbread

In addition to the official StaffPad videos, this video, made by a user here, was particularly helpful in learning how best to draw notes and symbols in StaffPad. Sometimes the official videos gloss over these particulars, so it was good this user was more specific.



As for which libraries work best in StaffPad, in my opinion, the Berlin series is extremely good.


----------



## jonathanparham

Oh I was wondering why I saw your question twice. You put it in the new subforum. I would say get the latest tablet you can get. I know the site says you can use older iPads and Surface Pros BUT my personal experience is with the addons my older Surface Pro couldn't handle all the OT Berlin addons. I suggested to Mr. Hearns in support email that they update the specs.
As Rory says I'd practice before I spent few hundred in addons. Some folk gravitate to it, some do not. I first bought it back in 2015 and liked it but not enough to keep with it. This year, once I heard the addons from OT, Spitfire, and others I was hooked.
I've told others this is a composers tool NOT a copyist or engravers tool.
I enjoy being able to write the expression I want and not program what I want. There's some quirks and bugs to be sure. But to go from writing to mixing without having to massage a mock-up is great. I'd say check out the FB groups and youtube presentations. Some so-so stuff but some amazing work being composed as well


----------



## Jacob Moss

You can use either a Windows device or an iPad. I use StaffPad with Windows and it's fantastic.


----------



## niven

Hi Jacob,
May I ask what laptop you’re using? I’d like to get the new Dell XPS (2020)
and need to find out what type of pen is needed to work with Staffpad.


----------



## wcreed51

You need a system with multi touch and an Active Pen


----------



## niven

Hi, thanks for replying. Does it have to be multi touch?
I think what I really want to know is if anybody is using anything _other_ than a microsoft surface for using Staffpad....i.e Lenovo..Dell..etc, and what pen they have found to be usable with it.


----------



## jonathanparham

niven said:


> Hi, thanks for replying. Does it have to be multi touch?
> I think what I really want to know is if anybody is using anything _other_ than a microsoft surface for using Staffpad....i.e Lenovo..Dell..etc, and what pen they have found to be usable with it.


you'll have to climb back through the threads and ask there. I know a Lenovo yoga was mentioned and I PM'd someone using a dell product. But I didn't pay attention to the stylus, more of a 'What will work for Staffpad' I also did a search on Youtube to see what graphic artists were using. I know Dell seems to have a different kind of stylus then the Microsoft styli, I've owned. But I've gotten third party styli that have worked.


----------



## niven

Thanks Jonathan. I’ll work backwards...and thanks for answering so quickly.


----------



## wcreed51

I use a Del Latitude 5290 2in1 and their active pen.

Though it's technically possible to use without multi touch, having to scroll with the pen rather than dragging would be a major PITA.


----------



## niven

Hi Bill (hope you don‘t mind me using your first name) thanks for replying.
I’d love to buy the new Dell 17”. I want to use it both for Staffpad and working in Cubase for VStS etc,etc. But Dell has a terrible reputation for DPC latency.
I now think that I could use it for Staffpad and I’ve just noticed that you have windows 10 and a Scarlett interface. I don’t suppose you use that with your Dell Laptop?....If so how is the latency? Sorry to be a pain.


----------



## wcreed51

No pain at all!

The Scarlett is mostly connected to my desktop, but I got a USB switch to to use it with the tablet also. Sounds Great compared to the Dell speakers.

I don't know how to judge the latency; not really an issue with StaffPad, as there's no real time note entry.


----------



## niven

Hi again! Thanks for that.....if you’re ever in London....I owe you a pint!


----------



## wcreed51

I'll look forward to taking you up on that offer!


----------



## Gene Pool

Rodney,

Look for examples by dcoscina, brandonwalk and OleJoergensen to get an overall idea of SP's potential as a scoring tool. (There may be a few others, too, but I missed them.)

And someone also posted a comparison of different SP libraries playing the same music, but I don't recall who did it.


----------



## wcreed51

Gene Pool said:


> And someone also posted a comparison of different SP libraries playing the same music, but I don't recall who did it.








Staffpad woodwinds?


Looking to get a woodwind add on. Which one is the best? :) Or...how would you describe the libraries you own, how do they compare? Pros, cons etc. Atm I'm probably leaning towards Berlin. Any reason not to? Any info appreciated thanks.




vi-control.net


----------



## Jacob Moss

I use a regular PC with a Dell Canvas 27 (Display panel with multitouch and pen). The advantage of windows is the barrel button and eraser, which makes selection and erasing much easier (though admittedly I've never tried the iPad equivalent)

If you have the surface studio or other windows wheel compatible display you can use the surface dial, which is also super snazzy


----------



## jonathanparham

Jacob Moss said:


> If you have the surface studio or other windows wheel compatible display you can use the surface dial, which is also super snazzy


Sorry edited==> not sure of the Canvas BUT with the Surface studio I 
believe David Hearns has said yes


----------



## wcreed51

Does the dial have more functionality on a Surface? I got it to use with my Dell, but it does almost nothing.


----------



## Saxer

I've got a EKSA Bluetooth 5.0 Adapter connected to a little submixer on an pair of Genelecs. It's fast enough to edit notes (transpose up/down with the pencil) and it's nice to listen without headphone. I'm on iPadPro 2019. At first I was disappointed about the handwriting recognition. The already mentioned "How to get Staffpad to recognize your notation" was a great help. Also this video (from the man himself!):


----------



## jonathanparham

wcreed51 said:


> Does the dial have more functionality on a Surface? I got it to use with my Dell, but it does almost nothing.


I believe so. I think in one of those monstrous threads someone IS using a surface studio and the dial. I also asked Mr. Hearn about the https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-hub-2s/8p62mw6bn9g4?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab (Microsoft Hub) and he said there's a promo video for music school in the UK with it but he didn't flat out say yes StaffPad will work on the bigger version of the Studio.

this has me thinking. Should there be a sub-thread to talk about hardware and libraries? I mean we've hijacked @Rodney Money's question quite thoroughly at this point lol Sorry man.


----------



## jonathanparham

wcreed51 said:


> The Scarlett is mostly connected to my desktop, but I got a USB switch to to use it with the tablet also. Sounds Great compared to the Dell speakers.


I have the Scarlett as well. May I ask which USB switch you are using?


----------



## Rodney Money

jonathanparham said:


> I believe so. I think in one of those monstrous threads someone IS using a surface studio and the dial. I also asked Mr. Hearn about the https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-hub-2s/8p62mw6bn9g4?activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab (Microsoft Hub) and he said there's a promo video for music school in the UK with it but he didn't flat out say yes StaffPad will work on the bigger version of the Studio.
> 
> this has me thinking. Should there be a sub-thread to talk about hardware and libraries? I mean we've hijacked @Rodney Money's question quite thoroughly at this point lol Sorry man.


It’s all good! Keep it going. Learning is learning. Anyone want to talk about hidden 5ths in part writing?


----------



## wcreed51

This is what I use. It's really meant for mouse and keyboard, but works fine.


----------



## jonathanparham

wcreed51 said:


> This is what I use. It's really meant for mouse and keyboard, but works fine.



copy that thanks


----------



## brandowalk

Rodney Money said:


> I need a IPad Pro 1st? Then download the app and libraries. What do I use for speakers? No audio interface? Just headphones now? I am guessing I can bounce the notation to Finale for a polished score? And what’s the general consensus concerning which sample libraries are responding best to Staffpad?
> 
> Thank ya!



ipad pro is good. Recommend latest (or previous 2018 model if you want to save some $s). 

you can listen okay off the iPad speakers if in a quiet room, although bass frequencies are soft. I use Bose noise canceling headphones mainly, which is great for outside or when noisy family around! Lol. 

I think someone said before, use the stock sounds for your first piece to get a sense of things. Then research the walkthroughs found in the “store” from the app as well as YouTube videos and demos to get a sense of what libraries (and their room sound sounds) speak to you for the style of music you write.

I’m a fan of the Spitfire libraries for classical. The Berlin series gets a lot of love here. Cinesample has a bit more of a Hollywood film sound and brass are great for bold stuff. I have no issues mixing and matching Spitfire and CineSample sounds. 

good luck with everything!


----------



## Kanter

commenting on 2 of the questions above, dial functionality has been brought back after being left out in the first iterations of the big makeover early this year. I still think its use can and will be optimized, it does speed up quite a few chores as it is.
Also re hardware muscle, I just upgraded my Surface Pro 5 (i5, 8 GB RAM) to a current Surface Pro Platinum (i7, 16GB) to noticeable effect. I have had string parts in voice-heavy pieces de-tune (drop, like in a weird modulation wheel shove) on playback (using mostly all the Berlin stuff plus CinePerc etc), not any longer.


----------



## jonathanparham

Kanter said:


> Also re hardware muscle, I just upgraded my Surface Pro 5 (i5, 8 GB RAM) to a current Surface Pro Platinum (i7, 16GB) to noticeable effect. I have had string parts in voice-heavy pieces de-tune (drop, like in a weird modulation wheel shove) on playback (using mostly all the Berlin stuff plus CinePerc etc), not any longer.


Eye. I went from a surface pro 3 (i5, 1.9 GHz, 8 gig ram) to Surface Pro 6 (i5, 2.7? GHz 8 gig of ram). I'd have drop outs with dense runs. But not with the Pro 6


----------



## niven

Hi Kanter,
May I ask if you run a DAW (cubase,logic etc) on your new Surface Pro?
If you do, how do you find the (DPC) latency? I just can’t find info re what is the best laptop to buy, that is recognised as being ok for a Windows based DAW. I want to use it with Staffpad as well....I can’t afford both an I Pad and a laptop!
regards Niven.


----------



## Kanter

Niven, since I also have a Surface Book2 i7 16RAM I run Cubase 10.5, Samplitude ProX5, Dorico, Sibelius there no problem, and will eventually try those out on the new SP, haven't had time to port those yet. I am travelling right now, but I can run some sort of latency checker app if you need urgent feedback.


----------



## niven

Thanks Kanter. I would very much appreciate you letting me know how things pan out on you new SP Platinum. I‘m not in a huge rush, so thanks for the offer, but don’t trouble yourself. I would however hope you get in contact again and let me know what the DPC is like. I found this chap on Youtube (who does appear to know his stuff)....Molton Music Monthly - June 2020....and he has worried me a little. At about 8mins 48secs in, he starts to talk about what Microsoft‘s May 2020 update (no 2004)....and Turbo mode on the processor. It seems Microsoft have completely removed it!? You can’t actually manage the power plans....he says they’re gone...and something called Connected Standby is also used to help enormously with DPC in Windows.
This is giving me quite a headache.I definately want windows for Staffpad and a Daw!..again thanks for your reply.


----------



## Kanter

Staffpad and the new libraries, along with the mobility of the SurfacePP, have warranted the Surface upgrade alone, for me. I too have heard of limitations re DAW use, starting with connectivity (dongles and external audio interface require working with a hub), but I was almost indifferent there, as long as Staffpad functionality was reliably optimized. 
As I said, a full test of DAW installs and use may take me a while, but I promise some DPC latency numbers from benchmark tests shortly, if nobody preempts me.
In the meantime, you can ponder the question of whether to invest in top SPP technology *just for Staffpad* is an option for you. It will depend on your overall investment (figuratively and literally) into the app, I guess.


----------



## niven

Thanks Kanter. I look forward to any news you come up with.
Regards
Niven.


----------



## jonathanparham

just fyi I ran Pro Tools12 on my old Surface Pro 3. My goal was to use Surface Pro 3 and another Pc with VEP. I was able to get EWQLG in Kontakt going on it.


----------



## niven

Hi Jonathan,
My goal also includes VEP7.The laptop for Staffpad and “live” VSTs instruments, some of which are v heavy..Omnisphere, OT,etc. And I suspect that when my main desktop is linked via VEP7 to my laptop (somehow through the magic of VEP) a considerable amount of pressure will be taken off the laptop re processing. But I do need the laptop both for Staffpad and “live” Vsts to perform with. I‘m still waiting to see someone publish their findings on DPC latency in the new Dell 15” XPS, which is stunning. It’s capable of being loaded with far more power than a SP but Dell has always, always had major DPC problems. Musicians quite sensibly stay away from them.....but this is a 2020 model and I’m hoping they will have fixed it...Due to total lack of any feed back from musicians re the Dell, I’ve decided to go for a SP7.I need to get this right because once the money is spent.....there’s no more!


----------



## jonathanparham

niven said:


> Hi Jonathan,
> My goal also includes VEP7.The laptop for Staffpad and “live” VSTs instruments, some of which are v heavy..Omnisphere, OT,etc. And I suspect that when my main desktop is linked via VEP7 to my laptop (somehow through the magic of VEP) a considerable amount of pressure will be taken off the laptop re processing. But I do need the laptop both for Staffpad and “live” Vsts to perform with. I‘m still waiting to see someone publish their findings on DPC latency in the new Dell 15” XPS, which is stunning. It’s capable of being loaded with far more power than a SP but Dell has always, always had major DPC problems. Musicians quite sensibly stay away from them.....but this is a 2020 model and I’m hoping they will have fixed it...Due to total lack of any feed back from musicians re the Dell, I’ve decided to go for a SP7.I need to get this right because once the money is spent.....there’s no more!


hmph Tall order.

I abandon hope for my surface pro 3 once the power adapter became a problem. I was using an OEM adapter for two monitors and extra usb for my tablet. Somewhere one of my power cables was bad and I believe I shorted one of the pins on my Surface Pro 3. So it'll charge but I lost the ability to use it with the adapter which had my audio interface on it.


----------



## niven

What a minefield I’m in!
Next stop Surface Laptop?.....I seem to be digging myself into a very deep hole.
Thanks for the info.


----------



## jonathanparham

niven said:


> What a minefield I’m in!
> Next stop Surface Laptop?.....I seem to be digging myself into a very deep hole.
> Thanks for the info.


If I were to repeat my laptop mobile rig idea again; I would go for a multi-touch laptop with the most ram I could allow. I think on the Win side of things it may be up to 32gig but I haven't looked in a while. For now, my used Surface Pro 6 is giving me the output I need from Staffpad. Then I just bounce and mix in Pro Tools on my 64 Gig desktop


----------



## Scamper

jonathanparham said:


> Eye. I went from a surface pro 3 (i5, 1.9 GHz, 8 gig ram) to Surface Pro 6 (i5, 2.7? GHz 8 gig of ram). I'd have drop outs with dense runs. But not with the Pro 6


I'm thinking about getting a Surface Pro 6 with this configuration for StaffPad. Do you use it for full orchestral writing with the third party libraries and have you so far hit any limit, where you do get drop outs or issues?

Or would anybody recommend a better Surface Pro for full orchestra? i7? 16GB RAM? Pro 7+?


----------



## ssnowe

Scamper said:


> I'm thinking about getting a Surface Pro 6 with this configuration for StaffPad. Do you use it for full orchestral writing with the third party libraries and have you so far hit any limit, where you do get drop outs or issues?
> 
> Or would anybody recommend a better Surface Pro for full orchestra? i7? 16GB RAM? Pro 7+?


I use a Surface Pro 6 with Staffpad with 8gb of ram. Staffpad works and plays okay but I see regular hesitations and occasional musical stuttering and dropouts as its playing the score. 

When I bring up the Windows performance monitor I see that the integrated video card is working hard and getting pushed to its limits running Staffpad (it appears Staffpad really depends on the graphics card for its processing). Note that I have nothing else running on the Surface.

I also have an iPad Pro and Staffpad runs flawlessly on it and is smooth as silk in performance.

One of the issues I’ve had with Staffpad on Windows is it loses track of the extra libraries I’ve purchased (i.e. not available for use) forcing me to go through Windows update and Windows store reinstalls to get them back. For the cost of these libraries this is simply not acceptable.

I have seen none of these issues on the ipad. If I was buying new it would be an iPad all the way for Staffpad.


----------



## Scamper

ssnowe said:


> I use a Surface Pro 6 with Staffpad with 8gb of ram. Staffpad works and plays okay but I see regular hesitations and occasional musical stuttering and dropouts as its playing the score.


Too bad, I would have thought the Surface Pro 6 will be running well enough. I guess the stuttering happens mainly in a large score with orchestra? Are you using the i5 or i7 model?
That issue requiring reinstall of the libaries seems also annoying. Still, I'd prefer not going the iPad route including the Apple ecosystem.


----------



## ssnowe

Scamper said:


> Too bad, I would have thought the Surface Pro 6 will be running well enough. I guess the stuttering happens mainly in a large score with orchestra? Are you using the i5 or i7 model?
> That issue requiring reinstall of the libaries seems also annoying. Still, I'd prefer not going the iPad route including the Apple ecosystem.


It was the i5 model. However, if you research it you will find the i7 model is not a true i7, it's just a slightly faster i5 with the same number of cores. When looking at Windows performance monitor the cpu wasn't working hard, it was the graphics card that was having a difficult time. The scores weren't that large, no full orchestras or anything like that.


----------



## Scamper

ssnowe said:


> I installed Staffpad on a Windows gaming laptop with 80GB of memory, 8 core I7 (16 with hyperthreading), Nvidia 1070 8GB gaming card, several terabytes of fast SSD storage with a Wacom tablet. It didn't run much better than running on the Surface. I was really surprised and a bit disappointed by that, as the laptop can run high-end 3D games without breaking a sweat.


That's odd and disappointing indeed. It really should run better on a system like that.
On the other hand, others with a Surface Pro seem to run StaffPad without issues. The Surface Laptop Studio looks good, but is much more expensive than the used Surface Pro options I'm looking at.


----------



## Kanter

speaking of which, anybody running staffpad on the surface studio? that must be the (not so mobile) bees knees for this app, with desktop horsepower and pen/dial interfacing


----------



## jonathanparham

Kanter said:


> speaking of which, anybody running staffpad on the surface studio? that must be the (not so mobile) bees knees for this app, with desktop horsepower and pen/dial interfacing


Somebody was. Buried in one of the StaffPad threads a while back


----------



## jonathanparham

Scamper said:


> I'm thinking about getting a Surface Pro 6 with this configuration for StaffPad. Do you use it for full orchestral writing with the third party libraries and have you so far hit any limit, where you do get drop outs or issues?
> 
> Or would anybody recommend a better Surface Pro for full orchestra? i7? 16GB RAM? Pro 7+?


hmmmm. Yeah it would be when I had really dense staves. Way better than my Surface 3 or 5. During the pandemic, my family kinda confiscated my tablets with the exception of the one I use on my day gig which my team has access to. My next Surface pro will be 16 gigs in it


----------



## Scamper

jonathanparham said:


> hmmmm. Yeah it would be when I had really dense staves. Way better than my Surface 3 or 5. During the pandemic, my family kinda confiscated my tablets with the exception of the one I use on my day gig which my team has access to. My next Surface pro will be 16 gigs in it


Alright. I went for a used Surface Pro 6 with i7 and 16GB RAM. Hopefully this will work well with StaffPad, but I'll share my experience after I tried it out.


----------



## jonathanparham

Scamper said:


> Alright. I went for a used Surface Pro 6 with i7 and 16GB RAM. Hopefully this will work well with StaffPad, but I'll share my experience after I t


Ya know after I posted this yesterday, I just went back and pulled up some copy work i did last fall. I've been practicing and copying some of Silvestri's Back to the Future Score from Omni Publishing. I was just playing back the Delorian 3M2 that I copied last Sept 2021 and I'm not having any dropouts or anything. I got quite a few libraries going including the synth one and no hiccups.


----------



## Scamper

jonathanparham said:


> Ya know after I posted this yesterday, I just went back and pulled up some copy work i did last fall. I've been practicing and copying some of Silvestri's Back to the Future Score from Omni Publishing. I was just playing back the Delorian 3M2 that I copied last Sept 2021 and I'm not having any dropouts or anything. I got quite a few libraries going including the synth one and no hiccups.


Fantastic, I'm getting more and more excited for StaffPad and the Surface Pro.
I'm curious - do you mind sharing how the Delorian cue sounds with StaffPad?


----------



## jonathanparham

Scamper said:


> Fantastic, I'm getting more and more excited for StaffPad and the Surface Pro.
> I'm curious - do you mind sharing how the Delorian cue sounds with StaffPad?


When I get time. Demanding client at the moment and my other excuse is with WIN11, unlike the Ipad you can't do a quickie Screen capture. I have to use OBS studio.


----------



## Scamper

jonathanparham said:


> When I get time. Demanding client at the moment and my other excuse is with WIN11, unlike the Ipad you can't do a quickie Screen capture. I have to use OBS studio.


No hurry. The mp3 export with the names of the libraries you're using would be very helpful already.


----------



## wcreed51

jonathanparham said:


> unlike the Ipad you can't do a quickie Screen capture


Yes you can; use the XBox gamebar


----------



## jonathanparham

wcreed51 said:


> Yes you can; use the XBox gamebar


Haven't had success with that. I'll try it again another time


----------



## jonathanparham

Scamper said:


> No hurry. The mp3 export with the names of the libraries you're using would be very helpful already.


 ok unmixed mp3 right out of Staffpad. Berlin Woodwinds, Cine Winds, Berlin Brass, Cine Brass, CinePerc, CineHarp, Berlin Piano, Vintage Keys, Scoring Synths, Berlin Stings, Cine Strings


----------



## jonathanparham

wcreed51 said:


> Yes you can; use the XBox gamebar


Yup. tried it again. maybe it's just the power of the Surface Pro I'm using. I get stutters and drop outs. OBS studio works well, I just have to take time and figure out the screen size and resolution


----------



## ZenBYD

jonathanparham said:


> ok unmixed mp3 right out of Staffpad. Berlin Woodwinds, Cine Winds, Berlin Brass, Cine Brass, CinePerc, CineHarp, Berlin Piano, Vintage Keys, Scoring Synths, Berlin Stings, Cine Strings




There's a screen cap of this cue already here


----------



## jonathanparham

ZenBYD said:


> There's a screen cap of this cue already here



hmmm I think I was doing 3m2. Haven't looked at the cue yet. Slowly studying the score


----------



## Scamper

jonathanparham said:


> ok unmixed mp3 right out of Staffpad. Berlin Woodwinds, Cine Winds, Berlin Brass, Cine Brass, CinePerc, CineHarp, Berlin Piano, Vintage Keys, Scoring Synths, Berlin Stings, Cine Strings


Unmixed as it is, the percussion sticks a bit out. I wonder if this would be different with a library lineup from a single developer.
So far, I think I'm gonna go for the whole Berlin series to start with, but it's a bit of a bummer, that Berlin Strings doesn't have con sord/sul tasto/sul pont like Spitfire does.


----------



## jonathanparham

Scamper said:


> Unmixed as it is, the percussion sticks a bit out. I wonder if this would be different with a library lineup from a single developer.
> So far, I think I'm gonna go for the whole Berlin series to start with, but it's a bit of a bummer, that Berlin Strings doesn't have con sord/sul tasto/sul pont like Spitfire does.


 yup. I believe I went by the score so those dynamic markings are what you're hearing. I may have even lowered them some. Also, I went for cineperc because it has a lot of stuff in it.


----------



## A.N.D.I

I'm a PC guy and I'm thinking of buying a tablet to use it with Staffpad. My question is: Are there any problems when using an Ipad? Are the exported files like audio, midi, xml compatible to my Windows PC?


----------



## Jett Hitt

A.N.D.I said:


> I'm a PC guy and I'm thinking of buying a tablet to use it with Staffpad. My question is: Are there any problems when using an Ipad? Are the exported files like audio, midi, xml compatible to my Windows PC?


These are pretty much universal formats. There should be no trouble. The biggest hassle is likely to be getting the files from one place to another. Not being a PC guy, I don't know what options are available to you. Since picking up an M1 Mac, I can run StaffPad on my Mac and already have everything on my machine. Before however, I was using Airdrop, and that was less than a wonderful experience because the iPad Pro Airdrop was incompatible with the older 5,1 that I was using. I am sure some guys using both platforms will have some advice about the best way to go about this.


----------



## Montisquirrel

A.N.D.I said:


> I'm a PC guy and I'm thinking of buying a tablet to use it with Staffpad. My question is: Are there any problems when using an Ipad? Are the exported files like audio, midi, xml compatible to my Windows PC?


If you are a PC guy, why don't you buy a Win tablet, like a Surface Pro? I have a Surface Pro 7 and Staffpad runs beautiful.


----------



## A.N.D.I

Montisquirrel said:


> If you are a PC guy, why don't you buy a Win tablet, like a Surface Pro? I have a Surface Pro 7 and Staffpad runs beautiful.


I'm considering this. Which processor has your Surface Pro 7, i5 or i7? And how much RAM?

On the pro side for an Ipad: The IPad weighs less than the Surface. I don't know how important the difference is.


----------



## A.N.D.I

Jett Hitt said:


> These are pretty much universal formats. There should be no trouble. The biggest hassle is likely to be getting the files from one place to another. Not being a PC guy, I don't know what options are available to you. Since picking up an M1 Mac, I can run StaffPad on my Mac and already have everything on my machine. Before however, I was using Airdrop, and that was less than a wonderful experience because the iPad Pro Airdrop was incompatible with the older 5,1 that I was using. I am sure some guys using both platforms will have some advice about the best way to go about this.


Thanks for your message.


----------



## Montisquirrel

A.N.D.I said:


> I'm considering this. Which processor has your Surface Pro 7, i5 or i7? And how much RAM?
> 
> On the pro side for an Ipad: The IPad weighs less than the Surface. I don't know how important the difference is.


i7 with 16 GB RAM.

I can't imagine the weight to be a significant difference between iPad and Surface. I mean, it cant be more than a few gramms. Or just go to a shop and try.


----------



## ssnowe

I have both a Surface Pro 6 and an ipad running Staffpad.

For me *personally* the ipad is the preferred option:
ipad has better battery life
ipad has no fan
ipad is lighter
ipad is instant on, Surface not so much without eating battery when sleeping
ipad pencil feels better than Surface pen
You can run Staffpad well on the base model ipad which is way cheaper than a Surface
Windows updates have repeatedly messed up Staffpad on my Surface
I have a m1 macbook and Staffpad works on it with my Wacom tablet
Staffpad on the Surface is laggy, has a delay on startup, have not seen that on the ipad
I dislike the intrusive nature of Windows

And battery, on the Surface you have to pay around $650 to swap out your Surface for a refurb when the battery quits, on the ipad they simply swap your battery at the local Apple store for $100 - $150.

These and more are my personal reasons. To be fair alot of people appear to really enjoy using Staffpad on the Suface


----------



## sundrowned

ssnowe said:


> I have a m1 macbook and Staffpad works on it with my Wacom tablet


Out of interest does staffpad now work fully on an m1 mac with a wacom tablet? With scroll, pan, zoom etc?


----------



## ssnowe

sundrowned said:


> Out of interest does staffpad now work fully on an m1 mac with a wacom tablet? With scroll, pan, zoom etc


Everything works well with the tablet.

Taking it a step further, you can do everything with the mac trackpad except write notes (zooming, scrolling, panning, etc.). For writing notes the tablet is needed.

In addition there are a bunch of Staffpad keyboard shortcuts that work really well on the Mac.


----------



## sundrowned

ssnowe said:


> Everything works well with the tablet.
> 
> Taking it a step further, you can do everything with the mac trackpad except write notes (zooming, scrolling, panning, etc.). For writing notes the tablet is needed.
> 
> In addition there are a bunch of Staffpad keyboard shortcuts that work really well on the Mac.


Interesting. I use that setup on a pc. 

I just need the mac and pc versions of staffpad to be interchangeable now. In the past they've said it was an apple issue but I think there was an EU court case which went against them on that.


----------

