Buyer’s advice
Choosing a tablet device for music making gives you all the advantages of making music anywhere, alongside the latest touch-operating experiences. However, before you buy, do consider that some tablet options – particularly highly spec’ed up options from Apple and Microsoft – can cost the same as a laptop or even desktop machine.
So weigh up whether that touch experience and a few grams saved in weight are really what you want for music production. You may find, for example, that the initial thrill of being able to ‘touch your music’ is outweighed by clunky touch interfaces and your musicmaking fingers being too big, so do try out the experience before you buy.
If you have decided that the tablet experience is the one you want, the main things to consider are how much you want to spend, and what operating system you want – with Apple’s iPadOS, Android and Windows being the main options. Then choose according to what matters to you – the screen size, weight, or power for example.
For music production, the screen size is perhaps the most crucial consideration and of course you should choose this according to what you are happy working with – and can afford. Obviously most of us would choose the bigger options, but remember to balance out portability here, as the whole point of choosing a tablet over a desktop machine is the ease of music production away from home. Bigger screens usually mean more weight – all things to ruminate over when you are making music away from home.
Android versus iOS versus Windows
This is the big choice you will have to make when it comes to buying a tablet for music making. While we can’t make this one for you, it may be that your existing music production setup – if you already have one – or indeed the phone you use, have already made the decision for you.
If you have a Mac for music making then the iOS route is obvious; use a PC then Windows might be your choice. And Android phone users might consider Android tablets, for familiarity if nothing else.
Taking each of the three on its merits, Windows tablets give you the full desktop PC experience in a mobile, laptop-like environment – in fact the 2-in-1 tablet options are essentially laptops with touchscreens. These are considered more ‘pro’ than Android devices but usually cost considerably more, not to mention weighing as much as a laptop. Windows tablets certainly run a gamut of music production software titles – all of the big ones – but the applications aren’t always optimised for the touch experience.
Android, like iOS, is all about touch and mobility. These are optimised for use on the move, and there are many great music making applications – from fun to full-on and professional – that will give you all the tools you need for mobile music production. While we’re talking Android, Amazon’s slates use a version of this iOS and are great for entertainment, but not so good for more powerful work or creativity which is why we’ve not included any in this roundup.
Apple’s iPads give you the best of the Apple desktop experience in a mobile, touch environment, and have probably the greatest lineup of more professional music-making applications out there. That said, you are paying more for them – the iPad range is the most expensive – and it doesn’t yet run the daddy of DAW packages, Logic. Yet. We say ‘yet’ because with many iPads in the range utilising M1 chips, there are rumours that Logic on an iPad could be around the corner which, in many producers’ eyes, would make the iPad the number one choice for music making, end of.
What tablet can replace a laptop?
If you’re hoping to get serious work done on a tablet then an iPad Pro, such as the iPad Pro 12.9 (2021), would be a good option. This has a big screen, lots of power, and supports a keyboard add-on. For an Android alternative, consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, which has similar selling points. And for PC users, the Microsoft Surface Pro is essentially a laptop PC so a great ‘pro’ choice.
Obviously most of us would choose the bigger options, but remember to balance out portability here