...and although BIAB is much more expensive it still has a much worse GUI!
BTW, nobody says that the better sound in iReal should be for free!
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Seems something? All the reviews of this talk about or are the awesome sounds. I am only able to find awful 30-year-old midi tones. Also, the rhythms and cords are way off. I am missing something I am missing something?
Reviews for this app mention awesome realistic sound. I don't know if I am using it wrong but all I can find is horrible 1980s MIDI tones with inaccurate chords & rhythms.
Although I sometimes complain about iRP's shortcomings, I feel a need to support the developers of this wonderful app. iReal Pro was developed as a practice aid and has evolved into a full-scale practice and performing band for a soloist. Yes, the sounds are sometimes cheezy. However, the rhythm is excellent. As for the chords, the app and its GUI make it easy for any user to create and edit chord charts to suit him. iRP has energized my playing and, I suspect from the user base and participants in the forum, is enjoyed by thousands of musicians of every genre. I use it every day for practice and when I play solo piano gigs. At $13 for an iPad, it is a great bargain. In addition, it continues to be actively developed and improved. What else can I say?
I use iReal for bass and drums only to back up my piano on solo gigs. Very good for that, considering that when I bought iReal it was about $10.00. Wonderful app for that price. Band in a Box can be up to almost $600.00. BIAB does 1000 more things than iReal, that's why the complicated gui. A steep learning curve.
As a professional jazz musician, I use ireal extensively to practice and find it to be a really valuable tool. Thanks to the developers for their work. I do have to say that I would also much prefer better quality sounds, similar to what BIAB does. Personally, I would be willing to put down quite a bit more $$ for this than the current app price.
I've noticed that some devices/phones/tablets are much louder than others.
Easy solution for practice is an earbud(s), headphones or a bluetooth speaker.
:))BOB
For what it's worth...I use irp for my solo gigs and it's great. Amazing in fact. Thanks to the developers for creating an affordable and overall excellent app. It's helped my playing quite a bit.
Bluetooth is a good way to go. I use a Bose Soundlink III along side my piano every day for iRP; plenty of volume in a large room. For gigs, I use a Logitech Bluetooth receiver and a pair of Roland CM-30 monitors, one close to the piano (so I can hear my accompaniment) and one further away, closer to the audience.
As for BIAB: I've looked at this package from afar for years. It's not for me, despite it's many capabilities. I need a bass player and a drummer to play along with in jazz or jazz-pop-latin styles. I don't need a whole band, or synthesized solos by various instruments, or rock, country, folk, world, etc styles. I would love some of BIAB's capabilities to be incorporated into iRP (including things like ritardando, tacets and cuts, more combination styles, more control over the bass player's rhythm, more choices on percussion sounds) but would rather spend time on my piano playing than on creating sophisticated arrangements. I also don't want to pay for features I don't need. Finally, I need something that runs on my iPad (although now that there are Windows tablets, this is less important) which sits on my piano's music stand. For now, iRP does fine for me.