Has anyone bought an iTab? (Guitar Electronic Songbook)

reddy_873

Hi guys - I'm looking for some reviews / opinions on this:

http://i-tab.com/wp/

Has anyone used one? Any feedback or alternatives?

I'm looking to get one as a present for an intermediate guitar player - would it be of much use?

Cheers.

darrenw5094

Seems a bit fancy. Probably cost a small fortune.

reddy_873

Yeah they cost €149 I think. Reluctant to go with it without reading a customer review - all I can find online is the usual marketing blurb.

Dublin Guitar

Hi, as far as I know they have them out in X Music. They've done a demo for them here for us and they look pretty handy, not everyone's preference, but certainly does what it's supposed to do. I can certainly see the application for it.

My 2 cents

D

reddy_873

Cheers Dublin Guitar, yeah they do stock them in Xmusic - might go out and have a look myself.

padraig_f

I believe they're an Irish company so would be good to see them do well, but not sure it's going to take off.

Their main problem is they're selling the hardware as well as the software, which increases the cost. They're competing with a very similar iPhone/iPad product called TabToolkit that you can get from the app store for €8 (includes both iPhone/iPad version). Of course you need an iPhone or iPad to use it.

TabToolkit is very polished, I own it and it works particularly well on the iPad. From what I've seen of the i-tab the software doesn't look quite as well designed (haven't tried it myself, only going from demo videos). Another concern with i-tab, it looks like you can only add paid songs through their store, so you'd be tied into that. They have a way of entering your own songs but it's their own format, so you'd have to compose the file yourself. I had a quick look at how you do it, and it looks like a fair bit of trouble.

With TabToolkit you can import tabs from several freely available formats - the text-style tabs you get on ultimate-guitar.com, guitar pro files, power tab files - so you have access to loads of free internet tabs on it. TabToolkit has also received a lot of good reviews.

The basic idea of the software is a good one, but if he has an iPhone/iPad or is planning to get one at some stage, I'd find it hard to justify the price of the i-tab when you have products like TabToolkit around.

reddy_873

Cheers Padraig,

Sounds like a good summary of it alright. I think its a great idea but if the business doesn't take off you may be left with a total dud.

Hmmm. Torn over it!

Cork guitarist

I've just sent mine back to the Irish suppliers for repair. Keep an eye on here to find out how I get on.

Yakult

Used one before. Handy little thing but considering price n'all that I wouldnt buy one.

Should have a look at Guitar Pro 6 tablature software too. (Available on Ipad etc.)

Cork guitarist

I haven't got my itab back yet. They've sent emails promising it's imminent return. They've made excuses about new software. I asked them to phone me, you guessed it, I'm still waiting for their call. Watch this space.

Fergality

A lad I went to school with works for these guys promoting it etc. Said he's been all over the shop playing music with a load of class musicians since he got the gig, but I don't remember him saying much about the actual product. My ex-housemate got one for Christmas just gone by and has never mentioned it since. Take from that what you will

Cork guitarist

I phoned them on Friday and they mumbled something about new software. They said they'd return my unit on Wednesday (2mro). That must be the day when they go to the post office.

Cork guitarist

An upgraded itab arrived, with a faulty USB lead, about 10 days after they said it would arrive, and after I phoned them. Not wanting to rush into judging it, I've been trying it out at home since then. Unfortunately, I have now decided that I could not depend on it for a gig, to play backing tracks, and will use any cheap mp3 player instead.

The touch screen is the problem. Even though it can now be calibrated at home, it is still not reliable, and at times will play a song other than what I pick, or play nothing. That's ok at home, but imagine if you introduce a song at a gig, and then it plays something else, or you have to poke it a few times to get it to play.

Pity really, real buttons would be a lot better.

SteamboatMusic

We had an enquiry from a customer asking for one of these before they were available. I talked to iTab about availability etc.
After trying multiple times to get any sort of info out of them I decided I would never have anything to do with this company.

Granted they are Irish and it would have been great if this took off, but they have probably the worst customer and sales service I've come across. Trying to get anyone on the phone or a return of an email was impossible.

I would whole heartidly warn people against dealing with them.
From what I've read on this board, customers are being treated no better nowadays.