Use The Essential iKlip 2 Any Time You’re On Stage With An iPad [Review]

By

Stand 6

Time to come clean: I play guitar and sing in a disco band. I know, I know, the backlash against that kind of music has been going on since 1977. Trust me, I know.

But the way people respond to this still-valid, we-use-real-instruments form of music is so much better than the way they used to when I played guitar in modern or classic rock bands. In those days, the most reaction I’d see in an audience was a foot tap, or maybe–if I was lucky–a head bob or two. Happy, gorgeous people dancing their butts off? So much more fun.

iKlip 2 by IK Multimedia
Category: iPad Cases & Accessories
Works With: iPad 2, 3, 4
Price: $39.99

Now, playing in a cover band requires knowing a lot of music, like the chords for the 50 plus songs that we play. As I also take on half the lead singing duties, so I’m required to know the lyrics as well. I don’t do this for a living; I do it for fun and some beer and gear money. I don’t have tons of time to memorize all those songs, let alone the new ones we learn every few months. So I use lyric sheets. I used to use them on paper, but boy is that annoyingly old school and easily lost.

Now I use my iPad (and an amazing app called GigBook) to organize and keep track of my lyric sheets. And I also use the incomparable iKlip 2 iPad holder to attach that iPad to the microphone stand right in front of me.

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Tightens easily and stays there.
Tightens easily and stays there.
The iKlip 2 is a refinement of everything great about its predecessor, the iKlip. That one was made to hold the original iPad, and I used it for quite some time. This new iPad holder, though, has some improvements, like the ball and socket connector that allows a wide range of positions for the iPad when in use on stage or in rehearsal.

Most of the time, I connect the part that attaches to the mic stand just above the place where the stand can extend upward, and then slide my iPad 3 into the loving arms of the iKlip 2, which then holds my iPad safely in portrait orientation. One thing the older iKlip couldn’t do was to rotate from that orientation to a landscape one: the iKlip 2 does this super easily with a simple loosening of the ball and joint screw lock. That alone is worth the cost of the iKlip 2, but there’s more.

There’s really nothing bad to say about the iKlip 2; I’ve been using it for a good few months.

With that ball and joint connector, I can connect the iPad stand to the top of the mic boom stand, and have it just above the whole stand, leaving it easily in front of my eyes. This works great for rehearsal, but tends to obscure my beautiful face from the audience while on stage. I can totally see this configuration working well for musicians who need their music up top and center, but who don’t need to be seen by the audience.

Full range of motion.
Full range of motion.
If I had a second iPad and used some of the great iKlip apps for my guitar, I would immediately grab another iKlip 2, since I could connect the second iPad lower down on the mic stand and connect a foot pedal and my favorite guitar effects app to the iPad that would then nestle carefully in the second iKlip 2. The possibilities are endless.

There’s really nothing bad to say about the iKlip 2; I’ve been using it for a good few months and it still tightens well, hasn’t let my iPad fall to the ground (not once!), and continues to serve me and the band well. For $40, this is a no-brainer if an iPad is needed on stage or attached to a mic stand in any way.



03_2_iKlip2_iPad3rd_musicName: : iKlip 2
The Good: Solidly constructed, improves on its predecessor in every way; easy to position and re-position, yet stays tightly connected.
The Bad: Not much to report, here.
The Verdict Bottom line, the iKlip 2 iPad stand for microphone stands is the best way to connect an iPad to a mic stand for stage or rehearsal.
Buy from: IK Multimedia
Buy from: Amazon

[rating=excellent]

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