# Using a Piano app alongside StaffPad (iPad Pro or Surface Pro)



## cmillar (Jan 3, 2021)

Hi all, I've a question that may or may not seem obvious you that use iPad Pros or Surface Pros.

I'm asking because I have an old iPad Air, and am not familiar with the capabilities of newer iPads and don't know anything about the Surface Pros.

Can I have the StaffPad App open, but also have a Piano App open at the same time? 

Ideally, I would want to use a little MIDI keyboard to trigger notes and chords in the Piano App, and then compose by pen into StaffPad when I know what it is that I want to write. This would be great for when not able to be in my regular studio space or around a real piano.

(Is that possible? I'm a few years behind in knowing what iPad's can do these days and have never used a Surface Pro and really don't know anything about the Microsoft world.)


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## Montisquirrel (Jan 4, 2021)

On a Surface Pro 7 it is no problem, but I have not tried it with a midi keyboard.
I have a simple piano app with multi touch, so I can easily switch between StaffPad and this piano app and check some chords or melodies. The name of the app is Piano10, but it is no VST or Kontakt library.


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## cmillar (Jan 4, 2021)

Montisquirrel said:


> On a Surface Pro 7 it is no problem, but I have not tried it with a midi keyboard.
> I have a simple piano app with multi touch, so I can easily switch between StaffPad and this piano app and check some chords or melodies. The name of the app is Piano10, but it is no VST or Kontakt library.


Thanks for the info. Simple is all that's needed.


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## Michael Antrum (Jan 4, 2021)

That's what I do on my iPad Pro 2020 12.9".

You can use the free version of iGrand and set it to keep it running in the background. I then have a Bluetooth Akai LPK20 mini keyboard connected via bluetooth. Gives me a piano sound out of the iPad to help with the compositions process.

However, the more I use staffed, the less I'm needing to do this.


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