Music Production





The Nvidia shield features a micro USB port and thanks to MIDI support, you can use any MIDI device right on the tablet. This means I can use my Oxygen 61 MIDI keyboard through my Shield Tablet. This process is completely portable, with no wall sockets necessary. This is thanks to the tablet being powerful enough to run the necessary software and hardware on it's own power/battery. I can also plug in my DJ controllers and mix/produce music anywhere I go. Essentially anything that is MIDI can work and from a musical perspective this comes incredibly handy as you can produce anywhere you go.





Key Software: Fl Studio Mobile, Perfect Piano, Soundcloud





Photography





Thanks to the usb port you can also plug any camera you own directly into the tablet. This means on the go all I need to bring is my DSLR and my light weight tablet. I take photos, transfer them to the tablet and then edit/share them. The stylus comes in handy when editing photos as well. There is software on the Google Play Store that also allows you to wireless connect to your camera from the tablet and control it as well, making for some interesting artistic possibilities.





Key Software: Pixlr, Snapseed, Instagram, Vscocam, Lightroom Mobile, PS Touch





Digital Arts





The Nvidia Shield Tablet features a powerful Tegra-accelerated stylus technology. It is a super sensitive, low latency digital pen that features a complex design. The pen itself is regular plastic with an angled rubber tip, however the magic is in the software and algorithms calculated by the Tegra core. The Shield Tablet can differentiate between the stylus and your finger, allowing you to rest you palm on the screen while drawing. Direct Stylus 2 can also detect pressure sensitivity, through measuring the contact point and how much the tip deforms against the screen. Nvidia also bundles the powerful Dabbler art software that is created exclusively for this stylus and technology, for free with the tablet.



Key Software: Nvidia Dabbler, Artflow, Autodesk Sketchbook, Infinite Painter Nvidia Dabbler, Artflow, Autodesk Sketchbook, Infinite Painter





At a price point of just $299 this tablet from just a creative stand point is incredible. However when you throw in it's powerful gaming capabilities I havn't even discussed and how well-rounded it is; you can't help but admit the Nvidia Shield Tablet is a steal.





//Frostixa



Image courtesy of Nvidia.

Nvidia Shield Tablet Specs





Processor NVIDIA® Tegra® K1 192 core Kepler GPU

2.2 GHz ARM Cortex A15 CPU with 2 GB RAM Display 8-inch 1920x1200 multi-touch Full-HD display Video Features 4K Ultra-HD Ready Audio Front facing stereo speakers with built-in microphone Storage* 32 GB (WiFi+4G LTE) / 16 GB (WiFi-only) Wireless 802.11n 2x2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth 4.0 LE, GPS / GLONASS, 4G LTE (Optional) Interfaces Mini-HDMI output, Micro-USB 2.0, MicroSD slot

3.5 mm stereo headphone jack with microphone support SIM Card Micro-SIM Motion Sensors 3-axis gyro, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis compass Gaming Features SHIELD controller compatible

NVIDIA GRID™ game streaming service

NVIDIA Share

NVIDIA GameStream™

Console Mode

Gamepad Mapper Cameras Front: 5MP HDR; Back: 5MP auto-focus HDR Weight and Size Weight: 13.7 oz / 390 g, Height: 8.8 in / 221 mm

Width: 5.0 in / 126 mm, Depth: 0.36 in / 9.2 mm

Stylus DirectStylus™ 2 with 3D Paint (Included) Software Updates SHIELD software upgrades directly from NVIDIA Battery 19.75 Watt Hours Operating System Android Lollipop OS Included Apps Google Play, NVIDIA SHIELD Hub,Trine 2: Complete Story

Multi language Handwriting Recognition, NVIDIA Dabbler™

JusWrite, Evernote, Adobe Reader, Camera Awesome Cellular Connectivity North America: Unlocked (compatible with AT&T, please check bands supported) LTE, HSPA+, 3G, 2G, GSM, EDGE

Outside-North America: Unlocked (please check bands supported) LTE, HSPA+, 3G, 2G, GSM, EDGE Cellular Bands North America:

LTE: Bands 2,4,5,7,17 (1900, 1700, 850, 2600, 700)

HSPA+: Bands 1,2,4,5 (2100, 1900, 1700, 850)

Outside-North America:

LTE: Bands 1*,3,7,20 (2100, 1800, 2600, 800)

HSPA+: Bands 1,2,5,8 (2100, 1900, 850, 900)

*In certain regions, band 1 and voice support are enabled

The Nvidia Shield Tablet is one of my favourite new companions, as it's an incredibly powerful and versatle piece of tech. Creatively it's useful for music production, photography and digital arts. It features a Tegra K1-optimized processor, an 8-inch 1920x1200 screen, GRID service streamed games, Nvidia Direct Stylus 2 and so much more (). In this blog post I will be going over the apps I use on the Shield and why I find it so useful from a creative perspective.