Are we to believe that iPads will begin to replace musical instuments? Will professional musicians reach for their iPad instead if their Stradivarius? Highly doubtful.
Using an iPad in place of a real instrument is like using a blow-up doll in place of a real woman.
Back in April I was impressed when Lang Lang wrapped up a concert by playing Flight of the Bumblebee on the iPad. Since that time we’ve seen a number of other instances of people using an iPad in place of a real instrument.
The latest use of the iPad as a real instrument comes from the folks at iPad Orchestra (via pocket-lint.com). According to their website, the group was founded to
“demonstrate the latest achievements in digital mobile music.”
For their first performance they used the iPad app Seline HD, which allows the player to choose from 20 built-in factory voices including flutes, bowed strings, synth leads, and more, and play with two hands while keeping the iPad flat.
The end result is worth watching as it shows off the iPad’s ability to substitute out an entire orchestra.
I have to admit that it was better than I had expected, though I would have liked some of the instruments to have been turned down a bit, since they tended to overpower. I also was hoping for a song I was actually familiar with, so that I could fully appreciate the power of the Seline HD app. Then again, the video shows off an entire orchestra playing iPads instead of real instruments, so the point is definitely delivered home.
