IOS MusicAppBlog

Started by Elantric, December 06, 2013, 11:08:25 AM

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Elantric

QuoteWith no moving parts, and all other things being equal, my iPad Pro makes for a super-silent recording platform.


Confirmed - I find I can even record with my vintage single coil guitars with much lower noise floor when my whole recording rig is 100% battery powered

IOS: Connecting USB Class Compliant MIDI / Audio (Battery Power)
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=9581.0

admin

#126
For me, this has been an interesting week on the iOS music making front as I've managed to get through quite a few app reviews. OK, so none of these have perhaps been on the Gadget, Patterning or AUM level of 'must have-ness', but they have been quite an eclectic mix and it does demonstrate that the iOS music app development community is always beavering away at something interesting to offer up for us.

I'll let you take a peek at the Reviews section of the site if you need a full catch-up on the delights that are Moodscaper, RealShaker and FingerFiddle, but I'll highlight a couple here that I think are worth particular attention and well worth a look if you have time to read the full reviews.

There are lots of iOS musicians who are in it for the love of synths and, while Shapesynth is an app that's been around the App Store for some time, it received a major upgrade recently and I finally got around to doing a full review of the app. This is one of those music apps that really does defy the whole 'you get what you pay for' argument. OK, so the App Store is a place that tends to do that anyway but, even amongst the bargain pricing of the App Store, Shapesynth is unbelievably inexpensive considering what it offers.

And what does it offer? Well, it brings a slightly quirky (but very easy) interface, a decently specified synth engine and the ability to create some rather unique sounds. This is no 'me too!' iOS synth and, regardless of how jaded you might be about 'yet another synth app', I think the pocket money price of entry to Shapesynth is well worth it. Check out the full review....  it's not the most powerful or flexible iOS synth you will ever own, but it is charming, fun and bang up-to-date in terms of iOS music tech details. Shapesynth is a great example of what the indie developer can offer at a bargain price....

My second highlight is not really a music app at all; it's a productivity app. Metagrid provides a remote control utility app that sits on your iPad and, via a WiFi connection to your OSX computer, allows you to use touchscreen remote control for almost any software you have running on said OSX desktop. This happens to include some of the major desktop DAWs such as Cubase, Logic and Studio One and the app's developers have some pre-configured Metagrid control sets for use with these DAWs...  and very well they work too.

However, the real trick (OK, two tricks) that impressed me with Metagrid was that (a) you can customise/build a control set for any desktop application (I've made a start with ones for Photoshop and Word) and (b) that as you switch between applications on the desktop, Metagrid automatically switches control sets on your iPad screen. This is both brilliant and, providing you have a suitable control set configured for the desktop applications concerned, quite a considerable workflow enhancer. It might not strictly be 'iOS music making' related, but for those that like to integrate their iOS and OSX worlds, Metagrid has a lot of promise.

I don't always get the time every week to keep up with reviews of all the latest iOS music app releases - I also do some other music-related things to earn a crust :-) - but there is one app on the way in the next day or so that I will most certainly give some coverage to; Shoom by developer Yuri Turov. Yuri is the person behind the rather wonderful Xynthesizr, a generative iOS music app that is sorely underrated. If Shoom is in the same class as that, then we are in for a treat :-) Hopefully, that will get the coming week off to a god start....  and I'll get a review of that together as soon as I've had a chance to explore fully....

Anyway, until next time, have a great week, and get some music made...

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

Elantric


Just a quick line to apologize for the Music App Blog website being offline at present. This has been caused by something of a meltdown moment at my web hosting service (if you live in the UK you might have seen some press coverage about this; lots of folks have been hit by the incident).

Like most websites, the blog is occasionally offline for routine maintenance and also just because of the occasional glitch (sometimes down to my incompetence as a website technical manager and sometimes down to issues with hosting, although, on the whole, I've been more than happy with the service I receive for the later). This is, however, the longest gap in service I've experienced in over three years....  While I've got no absolute timescale for the current issue to be fully resolved, progress is being made....  so, sit tight and, hopefully, sooner rather than later, normal service will be resumed....

In the meantime, I'm working on a couple of app reviews....  oh, and getting some music made :-)

Have a good week.....

very best wishes,

John

John Walden
The Music App Blog

admin

Thanks for being a loyal email subscriber. We appreciate hearing from you. Let us know if you ever have any questions.

Well, that's been an interesting week.... If you are a regular visitor to the Music App Blog website then... well....  this week you won't have been. As I mentioned in my ad-hoc email earlier in the week, last Saturday, my web hosting service managed to delete the contents of my web server, along with those of literally thousands of other users, in a somewhat unfortunate (!) spring clean of their systems. They have spent the last week trying to do data recovery on the lost systems and, thankfully, are making some progress.

At the time of writing, I'm still not sure whether the blog is going to be recoverable as part of this process. I do have a pretty recent backup and I have that ready to go 'live' but, obviously, it would have some content missing so, for the sake of an extra day or two, I'm hanging on as I expect some further news on the recovery process in that timeframe....  I'll keep you all posted obviously.

While I'm obviously frustrated by what's happened, and I've spent some time this week engaged in stuff to get the site functioning again, on the flipside, while I have not been posting about app news, I've had fewer excuses not to make some music. As I'm working on some tracks for a production music project (nothing too artistically challenging; just some 'backgrounds' aimed at daytime TV applications), I've got considerably more done this week than usual which has been great....  but the real benefit is that it has given me a little more concentrated time working on real music within my new studio space....  My ears are slowly getting used to how it sounds and, thankfully, it is starting to sound (from an acoustic sense) like 'home'. So, if I try my best to put a positive twist of the blog's downtime, at least I've had some 'me' time in the studio :-)

And the apps?
I have managed to do some blog stuff though. I usually write my app reviews offline anyway and post them later so, during the week, I've managed to keep that process going. When the site is back up, I'll have two or three new reviews to post including Shoom and Afro Latin Drum Machine 2. If you like a bit of latin in your music, the latter is brilliant....  and it had me reaching for my guitar and doing my best Santana impersonation in an instant.

We have also seen a good crop of updates this week; Gadget, Modstep, iMPS Pro, Figue, iMaschine 2, Blocs Wave, Final Touch, midiSTEPS and a number of others. I'll try and do a brief roundup of the best of these when the site is online again just by way of catch up....

Oh, and I'm also looking forward to giving Patrick Madden's new Infinite Looper app a bit of a spin (doh!) over the next few days. Patrick is most definitely one of the good guys when it comes to iOS music app development and his Secret Base Design apps are always an interesting combination of useful meets quirky.

Anyway, until next time, have a great week, and get some music made...  and my challenge will be to work out how I do the same once the site is back online. Suggestions in an email please :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

admin

You know those speeches that are the most cringe-worthy parts of any artistic awards show and generally conclude with an '.... and I would like to thank....' statement where said artists pays an acknowledgement to all the folks that have helped them bask in the glory of winning? Well, if the Music App Blog ever won an award, I can think of lots of folks I'd 'like to thank' that have offered me both help and encouragement along the way. However, after the last couple of weeks of interrupted service with the site, one of them would not be my web hosting company 123-Reg.

Don't get me wrong....  for the last 3+ years, I've been pretty happy with the service I received but, in an instant – and because some (probably underpaid) techie made a genuine mistake – the blog (and thousands of other websites housed in the UK) vanished. Thankfully, I did have backups and, while the restoration process took some time (and I'm still working on getting some of the more recent material reinstated), things are starting to get back to normal.

Someone I most certainly would be adding to my 'thank you' list would be the regular readers of the blog (and the newsletter) who, collectively, were both very supportive and encouraging. However those of you got in touch over the last couple of weeks, many thanks, it most certainly helped brighten my day :-)

As you might imagine, the whole experience has been somewhat frustrating (and certainly time consuming). However, like lots of the dramas life can throw at you (and the loss of a website is a pretty minor drama on the grand scale of things), it is always possible to learn something new, or to be reminded of something that brings a more positive spin to the situation. Aside from the various messages of support mentioned above, I found a couple of 'positives' to take from the experience....

First, with downtime on the blog, I got uptime in my new studio space. That meant a good chunk of a current project got done a heck of a lot faster than it might otherwise have done and, while I enjoyed the 'make music' time for its own sake, the particular client I was working for also enjoyed getting their stuff ahead of schedule. I suspect that might mean more work will be forthcoming :-)

The second one is, however, perhaps more relevant in an iOS music production context. Data backups are (or certainly should be) a routine part of any computer-based activity. And, as much of what the modern musician makes in terms of music creation is now stored digitally, once the project is done, we should perhaps put our creative hat away, swap in our techie one, and make sure we have a suitable backup (whatever form that might take) of the creative content we have just shed our blood, sweat and tears for.

My website dramas therefore reminded me to do that (overdue) backup of my desktop-based music production system to make sure I was all up-to-date and properly archived in an 'off site' fashion. On my desktop, that's actually a pretty straightforward process. However, doing it for my desktop got me thinking about how easy (or otherwise) it might be to do the same thing for my iPad-based system.

I'm honest enough to put my hands up and say that I don't, at present, routinely backup the music elements of my iPad. In part, this is because of what I use my iPad for and how I use it....  ideas do, eventually, migrate their way to my desktop if they stand the test of time and I feel they deserve the attention, so they get archived via that route. However, if your iOS device is your main (or only) music-making platform, how secure are your musical ideas? Just how easy do the music apps we use, and the OS itself, make it to fully archive our data?

And, more importantly, even if such a backup process is a somewhat clunky one, when was the last time you actually did it, including your DAW/sequencer projects and all those carefully crafted personal presets you have created for your various synths, guitar amp sims, drum machines and audio effects....? If your iPad bricked itself right now, could you recover your music-based efforts without too much effort? And if you have this process fully cracked, then feel free to drop me a line (or three) explaining the approach that works for you...  I'd be interested to hear what approaches are working for others within the iOS musician community.

There may well be mileage in a blog post or two on this topic as it applies to iOS but, while I would rather not have experienced the difficulties with the website that have occurred over the last 10 days or so, if it provides me with a suitable reminder about the merits of data backup, then that's not such a bad refresher lesson to have received.

Anyway, until next time, have a great week, get some music made...  and do a backup :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/
​​​​​​​John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

When it comes to news highlights for iOS musicians over the last week there is really only one story that everyone seems to want to talk about; the arrival of Moog's new Model 15 modular synth app. That's perhaps not so surprising as, (a) the iOS platform does seem to enjoy a significant number of synth addicts, (b) Model 15 is a recreation of one of the most iconic analog synths of the 1970s and (c) Moog have made some pretty impressive claims for just how good this app is.

I've published a full review of Model 15 today on the blog so, if you have not yet given that a read then simply follow the link and check it out. In short, I think Model 15 is a fabulous bit of software that not only sounds great (I imagine it would make a great sound source in a live context as well as in the studio) but also pushes the boundaries of what's possible for virtual instruments under iOS. To their credit, Moog have been very open about Model 15's need for both decent hardware and the latest version of iOS....  but if you have the kit to run it, it is an impressive beast.

And while it is a modular synth, emulating a hardware modular synth, I also think that Moog have done a decent job of making that modularity fairly approachable. Indeed, the new 'tutorial patch' system built into the app, if it does catch on, could make the app as useful as an educational tool as it is as a performance tool....  Anyway, if you have even the remotest interest in iOS synths, Model 15 is worth a look...  and if you are an iOS synth addict...   well, I suspect you have already downloaded it providing, of course, your hardware is up to the task of running it :-)

And, yes, while Model 15 is absolutely as good as Moog suggest, that doesn't mean your current set of iOS synths are suddenly not as good as they were last week. There is definitely a 'need' vs 'want' discussion to have with yourself here and I'm not going to get involved in that particular debate....   :-)

Still here then....?
The other thing to report this week is actually some rather welcome 'no news is good news'. After the recent unplanned downtime, thankfully, the blog ran very happily this week with no further incidents. I'm still slowly restoring a few of the more significant 'missing' posts (mainly reviews) that were causalities of the incident but, fingers crossed, otherwise, everything seems to be getting back to normal.

Including my own backup scheduling which is now being handled is a somewhat different – and more robust fashion. Horse bolted but, hopefully, lesson learned....

Anyway, until next time, have a great week, get some music made...  and see how long you can resist the lure of Model 15....   good luck with that :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/
John Walden
The Music App Blog

admin



I'm not a particularly superstitious person so the whole Friday 13th thing  - where, in some parts of the world, there are folks who simply stay in bed all day in order to avoid experiencing the bad luck associated with the day/date combination – generally passes me by. However, if you are a regular at the Music App Blog (and, as an email subscriber, then I suspect you are) then, this time around, Friday the 13th maybe has an upside....  in terms of some app giveaways....

There are three of these currently running on the site. While it closes today, the Voice Synth giveaway has attracted a lot of attention. Equally, if you are interested in iOS-based recording, then the Music Studio giveaway – which started yesterday – might well be of interest. Indeed, I suspect the same folks would be interested in the Cubasis giveaway – which started today – might also appeal. Of course, as an email newsletter subscriber (all 2400+ of you!), you are automatically entered into all these giveaways :-)

I know that our iOS music software is, compared to software purchased for a desktop environment, insanely inexpensive. Even so, I'm constantly surprised at the generosity of some of our iOS developer community in supporting these sorts of giveaways. Yes, I'm sure they just see it as good publicity and exposure for their products and, yes, a few promo codes are unlikely to have a significant influence on their bottom line, but it is still rather nice to see. And, for a few Music App Blog readers, it can make for a nice surprise in their email inbox after each draw is made....  I like sending those emails out; it's good fun to help make someone's day even if only in a small way :-)

Drumming up a storm
In terms of new apps or uber-updates, it's been a quiet week in the iOS music app world. It was (as a regular user) good to see Cubasis move to v.1.9.9 and also to see Model 15 get a few early tweaks to deal with the a few minor wrinkles but, otherwise, it was a major news free few days.

I did, however, get around to taking a look at Vatanator. This is a rather nice new drum machine app. It's design suggests classic drum machine hardware and the streamlined feature set means that the app is fairly easy to get to grips with. It is also very keenly priced. While there might be a few things it would be good to see added, I can definitely see the appeal for potential new users.

Vatanator is, however, up against some pretty sturdy competition in this music app category and every time we see a new – and very creditable – contender, it does make you wonder just how many iOS drum machine apps (or synth apps, or guitar amp sims, etc.) the market can actually support. And, incidentally, I've been playing with another one (a drum machine app that is) that also looks very good and ought to hit next week at some stage.

The question this always poses in my mind is a bit of an old chestnut amongst iOS music app addicts....  just how many apps do I actually need to make my music? If we are honest with ourselves, I suspect the answer is 'considerably fewer than I already own'. There is a topic here that has a number of aspects worthy of discussion and, while it might be too late for some of us old hands, for the newbie iOS musicians still clutching that first, mostly empty, iPad or iPhone, maybe it's not too late to offer them some guidance before they find themselves at AA (Appaholics Anonymous) meetings? Look out for a post soon as I try to turn my own addiction into something that might help save others from the same fate....  :-)

Anyway, until next time, with many thanks to those nice folks at Qneo, Xewton and Steinberg for doing their thing....  have a great week and get some music made... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

admin

As I mentioned in last week's newsletter after reviewing Vatanator drum machine app, we are spoilt for choice when it comes for drum and groove apps under iOS. Yes, there are some such apps on the App Store that are a perhaps a bit more so-so but, equally, there are some killer ones also. And, this week, we have been delivered another one in DM2.

DM2 is interesting on a number of fronts. First, through developer Pascal Douillard, it shares a heritage with DM1. However, as Pascal now runs his own development studio – Audionomy – and has left Fingerlab (the developer behind DM1), what looks like an app that has obviously grown out of the roots of DM1 is actually arriving from a different company.

Second, DM2 looks absolutely fabulous. There is a simplicity and sleekness to the design that is just very classy and graphic designer Jonas Eriksson deserves a pat on the back for this work; on my iPad Pro, DM2 is great to work with.

Third, in contrast to DM1, DM2 is built on a synth engine rather than samples. Both approaches are, of course, perfectly valid and capable of great results but it does put some clearer blue water between the two apps. However, what is very clever about DM2 is the delicate – but I think well judged – balance that Pascal has struck between the level of features offered by that synth engine and the ease of use. This is an art form in any software design and I expect we have all experienced software (iOS or otherwise) where feature-bloat actually detracts from the user experience (er...  the popular word-processor I'm typing this newsletter on, for example). In DM2, I think we have something that will have enough to appeal to the more experienced drum machine fan yet also feel accessible to the first-timer....

Anyway, if you have not yet checked out the review, then give it a read...  DM2 is well worth a look and currently being offered at a bargain price.

My space....

I had an email from a regular visitor to the Music App Blog this week asking how things were going with my new studio space (long-standing readers will know the history here) and asking if I was going to do a 'tour' (of the virtual variety) for readers who might be interested in seeing what I'd been talking about and perhaps including a bit of music created in the new space....  [Scott, I did try to reply but my email bounced for some reason].

Anyway, I've been surprised (in a very good way) as to the level of interest from visitors to the blog about the more personal side of what I've been up to over the last few months....  I might well, as time permits, put up a few photos of the construction process - a kind of before/during/after selection - as that was quite interesting....  but this is just a personal/project studio so the word 'tour' is perhaps a bit ambitious. Like lots of personal studios I'm sure, it is just a single, relatively compact (4 x 5m) room (albeit a pretty well soundproofed one) with some acoustic treatment thrown up, a computer and some monitors....  a couple of guitars/amps, a microphone or two, and a couple of different MIDI controllers aside, I do pretty much everything 'in the box' so there isn't even much by way of external hardware to see....   Just the usual scrambled mess of mic cables, odds and sods of iOS kit and a beat-up sofa covered in cat hair :-)

Anyway, I'll see what I can do...  I am intending to start dabbling with video again now the room is pretty much sorted. I've all the kit I need to do it...  just, at present, not enough hours in the day.....

....  and my current music project – which will be the first one finished in the new room - is something called 'background guitars' for a UK music production library....  The brief included phrases such as 'music that doesn't get in the way' and 'try to stick to one chord' and 'no melody top line' (all intended for daytime and reality TV so these are not necessarily unusual requests)....  It's exciting stuff (er...  not!) but it helps pay the bills and it is better than working for a living :-)  Whether I'd really want to share it with (inflict it upon) the blog's readership is, however, another matter entirely!

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and get some music made (and feel free to use more than one chord)... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

In terms of iOS music making news this week..... well, there hasn't really been a lot. For once at least, no real headline new release to get excited about or even any really high-profile updates. All of which is fine because it gave me a bit of time to put together a couple of posts I've been thinking about for a while on a 'less is more' theme; essentially, looking at the familiar idea that working within constraints (for example, in terms of the equipment or environment available to you) can actually be liberating and, ultimately, make for both a creative and productive music-making process.

OK, I'm perhaps the last person who should really be reminding you of this advice. I have an iPad Pro stuffed full of music apps and, on my desktop music production system, more software and virtual instruments than I could possibly learn how to use in three lifetimes let alone what's left of this one.....  Anyway, aside from subconsciously writing these posts as a memo to myself (!), it's obviously struck a chord with a lot of visitors to the site, so many thanks for the positive responses.

However, the various responses to these discussion posts also reminded me of something else that I think is very interesting – and, at present, perhaps unique? – about the iOS music-making community. Let me explain....

In terms of music technology, iOS is still, of course, a 'minority interest'. I suspect this may be in both numbers (although I'm sure those are growing and that there are an awful lot of musicians using iOS-based tools but, as yet, not really aware that there is this world-wide community of like-minded individuals out there) but (and this is important in a commercial/profile context) also in terms of financial clout within the music technology industry as a whole.

Like lots of minority interests in the modern world, those members of the growing iOS music-making community have found a focus around a number of online 'hubs'. Sites such as discchord, thesoundtestroom, PalmSounds, MusicAppNews, the Audiobus forums and a small number of others (yes, including the Music App Blog) provide a means by which we have become connected and provide a platform around which we can share information, discuss the technology and, on occasions, discover some excellent music.

What's perhaps interesting about this community though is that it is a technology platform – iOS – that has drawn us together rather than any other aspect of music-making. Not the style of music, the experience level, the musical aspirations or the musical applications. And, while there are other technology-driven musical communities out there (for example, built around a particular DAW or a guitar brand, etc.), I'm not so sure that the people within those communities whole activities are so firmly centred around that one specific technology.

And where is this leading me? Well, perhaps to a number of things but the most obvious one is that the iOS music-making community is a pretty eclectic collective of individuals scattered across the planet. We might share a common interest in the iOS platform but our reasons for that interest, and the way we use that platform, are many and varied.

As a member of that community, I think that's a huge positive. This diverse user-base brings a mass of ideas, different approaches, and different needs, as they explore what can (and what can't) be done with an iPhone/iPad and a few (or many) iOS music apps. I like the fact that just because I think about doing something one way, there are numerous others who think about doing it another way and, as a consequence, perhaps teach me something new. I like the fact that I'm regularly nudged from my own particular musical rut by someone who's perspective on music-making comes from a different place than mine.

And I particularly like the fact that, on the whole, that diverse community is very supportive of each other. I'm not into the whole 'us vs them' idea – iOS, OSX, Windows or an acoustic guitar and a kazoo; it's all about the music, not the platform – but, within my platform of interest, it's rather wonderful that different folks, with different strokes, can somehow connect and collaborate. Long may that continue....

Anyway, until next time, feel good about being part of the eclectic collective that is iOS music-making.... and get some music made... J

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/
John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

First up, a massive 'thank you' to all those readers who were in touch this last week or so in response to the 'less is more' posts. This is obviously a topic that has provoked a certain amount of 'self-analysis' amongst some of the blog's readership :-)

That was, of course, part of the reason for putting the posts together....  Having been addicted to the whole personal recording studio concept for more years that I care to recall, the third instalment of this series is actually one that I think really shows just what computers (including iOS devices) have done to the whole world of multi-track recording and, if you are just starting out on this journey, it is perhaps difficult to appreciate how remarkable the home recording revolution has been.

There are all sorts of aspects to this story (not least the collapse at the low/mid-range end of the commercial studio market) and iOS-based recording is simply the latest technological step in this evolution. An iPad, a few apps, a single microphone, an audio interface and a pair of decent headphones....  to get started, and to make some perfectly respectable audio recordings, that really is all the equipment that you need. And, while this still represents a significant outlay of money (mostly for the computer/iPad), compared to what an equivalent level of studio technology might have cost you 10+ years ago....? Well, it's just simply staggering.

Do note the word 'equipment' in the sentence above though. That 'bare-bones' of a recording setup could be used to create some excellent recordings but, equipment on its own is not enough; you need to know how to use it. And that is, I think, the other aspect of the whole 'less is more' approach. When you are just starting out, learning to get the best from a limited array of equipment (hardware or software) is probably a wise route.

This is something that we iOS musicians have to exercise more self-discipline about than most desktop-based computer musicians. The App Store pricing model makes it just too easy to 'buy new kit' in the search for some music-making magic. Don't get me wrong; I see this as a massive positive and the option to experiment with new software at such modest prices is, I think, one of the big advantages of the iOS platform....   but, if you do want to see a concrete end result to your music making efforts (you know, something you can play to your friends, family and perhaps even a wider audience) then, at some point, 'experimentation' has to stop and something a little more focussed – actual music making – has to take over :-)

So, with repeated practice, that minimalist recording setup will enable you to make some very solid audio recordings. However, great recordings are one thing.... great music is another, and for the latter, there are a whole bunch of other skills that need to be developed and exercised....  :-)

Follow the pattern?
Those 'other' skills will revolve around your abilities as a musician – song writing, technical competence on your chosen instrument(s), singing, arranging, etc.  It would be kind of sad if 'equipment' could completely replace these human skills (and who would pay a musician for their work when anyone could do their job with the right bit of software?) and, thankfully, as yet, it has not. However, there are areas where the technology can give a rather wonderful creative hand....

If you want a single suggestion to illustrate this statement, then look no further than Olympia Noise Co's Patterning drum machine app. Patterning is – quite simply – brilliant. The visual design is great, the workflow is great and, in use, the app is just downright creative. As someone who doesn't have great traditional drumming skills, this is a software tool that allows me to create some brilliant rhythms that then inspire my other, more competent, musical skills to get working. And don't think 'drum machine' means Patterning is just suitable for dance/electronic music styles. I've imported both acoustic drum kit samples and orchestral percussion sounds into the app and it does a great job with those also.

Anyway, as Patterning received a rather significant update this week and, for a limited time, is also on a 50% sale pricing, if this is an app that you have not yet checked out, then feel free to banish the 'less is more' guilt and treat this as your iOS music making experiment for the week. This is an app that I have as part of my own 'less is more' recording 'core apps' folder. It doesn't quite solve my lack of drumming skills on its own but it certainly helps.

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and get some music made... no matter how many apps it might (or might not) involve....:-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric


Elantric

After a pretty quiet week in terms of iOS music app news last week, this week has been a lot busier.  We have seen a number of interesting new apps appear and a whole host of app updates (including, amongst others, DM2, Model 15, TC-11 and a really nice update to the increasingly impressive Blocs Wave)....  so, lots of reasons (in a music app addict 'geeky' sort of a way) to get distracted from actually making any music and enjoying exploring 'what's new?'.

However, I think there was one reason for getting genuinely excited as an iOS musician this week; the small, but noticeable, flurry of AU activity. I think a lot of iOS musicians were understandably optimistic when Apple first announced that the Audio Unit framework was to become part of iOS. Given that AU (and Virtual Studio Technology (VST)) plugins have become an integral standard for music software on the desktop, seeing the same AU plugin format under iOS – with the workflow efficiencies it brings – is obviously a very attractive proposition.

Except, of course, adoption of AU by developers has been.... well, slow. There are probably multiple reasons for this but the most significant one is simply that the initial AU spec for iOS wasn't one that filled developers with a lot of enthusiasm.

Thankfully, with the new 'v.3.' AU format supported within the latest version of iOS, things suddenly seem more positive and, in what I hope marks a bit of a starting gun, this week we have seen Klevgrand Produktion release updates to six of their iOS music apps in an AU format and a new app from Sven Braun – zMors EQ – released as an AU-only effect app.

However, perhaps the thing that encouraged me most was an email exchange with Johan Sundhage from Klevgrand on the back of these updates. Klevgrand also make VST/AU desktop versions of their software and they use a development platform called JUCE for that work. This platform apparently now has full support for the AUv3 framework on the desktop....  but, in Johan's own words, this apparently then makes creating the AU extensions for iOS 'pretty painless'. Johan also implied that the AUv3 format is something they now see as preferable to IAA....

All of which suggests to me that, with a good wind, the next six months ought to see the AU format finally properly deliver on its undoubted potential for iOS musicians. I'm not sure we should expect a torrent of AU releases and updates – after all, lots of iOS-only developers will not have the experience of AU development from the desktop as a starting point – but I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a considerable shift in momentum.

And that, in turn, might also see a gradual change is the way many of us link our various apps together with good AU hosts – for example, AUM, Cubasis or MultiTrackStudio for iPad – being in a strong position to become proper 'hubs' around which everything hangs in much the same way that, on the desktop, your DAW/sequencer of choice does the same job. Add in the potential for multiple instances of AU plugins within a single project, and the option for every setting of every AU plugin to be 'saved' as part of the host's project system, and the workflow efficiency that desktop music makers take for granted might finally arrive under iOS....  and maybe – providing we can avoid the distraction provided by every new app or app update – we will all be able to make our music that little bit more easily? Here's hoping....

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and get some music made... no matter how you go about linking all those apps together.... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/
John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric



This week, I'm hoping some of you might do me a bit of a favour....  :-)  as I have a question for you and would be very interested in potential answers.

Regular subscribers will be aware that my own musical interests focus on studio work rather than live performance, however, when I was visiting a friend's studio this week, I was reminded just how easy it can be to slot an iOS device into a 'live performance' rig. Said friend has a 'proper' recording studio with a separate live room big enough for a full band (actually, big enough for a chamber orchestra) as well as a rather nice control room with a big analog desk. Anyway, a few of us were just hanging out and it turned into an impromptu jam session.

Between us, however, we were one amp short, so I just whipped my iPad out, grabbed my Line 6 Sonic Port (it lives in my iPad's carry case) and hooked up directly to a small PA system within the live room that's used for band rehearsals. Mobile POD then did its thing for the next hour or so and sounded very good indeed thank you very much....  'Different' to my compact valve amp (a Blackstar HT-20) most certainly but versatile, very solid sounding, and sure as heck easier to move around.

OK, so if it it had been more than just a jam session, I'd have wanted something a little more sophisticated. Not much...  my conventional live rig is generally just my amp and a couple of pedals... but some foot-switching of patches (perhaps a BT-4 or iRig BlueBoard) and an expression pedal for a wah would be plenty (oh, and an guitar rig app such as BIAS FX that supports MIDI; Mobile POD doesn't at present). And, for me, the weakest link in the chain is not the iOS hardware or the guitar rig modelling software; it's the quality of the audio interface you use to get your guitar signal in and the modelled guitar tones out (and onwards to a full-range instrument amp or straight to a PA). The Sonic Port actually does a very good job here but I'm sure you could do better if you are prepared to spend a little more money.

I like the simplicity offered by this setup. However, as I regularly get asked by readers of the blog for advice on configuring an iOS-based setup for live use (and I generally have to plead ignorance), I appreciate that other musicians often have somewhat more sophisticated needs or complex requirements. And, whether that's just a guitar player wanting to be able to switch between two different guitars or a 'one-man-band' wanting to run a whole bunch of iOS apps on multiple iPads, all sync'ed together, driven by multiple MIDI controllers while also projecting a live video stream from one of the iPads....   well.... the solutions involved will undoubtedly be very individual. Oh, and you also have to make sure that your various bits of iOS hardware don't run out of juice....

OK, that favour I mentioned above.... I know a lot of experienced iOS musicians do use their iPads and iPhones for live performance on a regular basis. And, if you are one of them, and you would be interested in sharing some brief details of your 'live rig' and how you have it configured, I'd be really interested to hear from you. Just drop me a quick line to express a willingness to be quizzed at this stage.... but, if I can get enough volunteers, then I'll try to put a post together based on the responses...  and, hopefully, feature a picture or three of some of those custom-built iOS live rigs.

I'm sure something like this would be both useful – and perhaps offer a bit of inspiration – to others starting to tread the same path. So, if you are willing to swap a couple of emails with me on the topic, then let me know....

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and, if you are playing live, take some photos of your rig.... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/
John Walden
The Music App Blog




Elantric

Thanks for being a loyal email subscriber. We appreciate hearing from you. Let us know if you ever have any questions.

OK, so it helps if you can chant the title of this week's email to the well known theme tune/catch phrase of 'Bob the Builder' (UK-based parents of a particular age will be well positioned here) but, first up, a massive thank you to everyone who got in touch over the last few days in response to my question in last week's newsletter live performance with an iPad or iPhone. I have to admit I was hugely surprised by (and grateful for) the number of replies.

Anyway, by way of follow-up, three brief comments. First, I will do my best to get back to everyone individually...  but it might well take some time! Second, a number of you took the time to share some quite detailed descriptions of the live setups and the thing that quickly became obvious is just how diverse these are; taking an iPad/iPhone out for a gig is most certainly not an approach with a 'one size fits all' solution. Third, there are some pretty creative minds amongst the readership considering the ways that iOS hardware is being used as part of a live performance rig....

Anyway, I'm sure there is some mileage in some blog posts on this topic at some stage (which was kind of the point in asking the question) so, once I've digested the replies, and perhaps nagged a few individuals out there for some further details of what they are doing and why, then I'll start sharing the various insights I've gleaned.

Up, down, up, down....
It's been a fairly quite week in terms of iOS music app news this week. Aside from a number of fairly routine updates (always welcome), there hasn't been quite so much to report.

However, I might have been a bit quieter than usual as (a) I'm busy decorating about half of the house after some building refurbishment (I'm spent more time wielding a paintbrush this week than a guitar or iPad) and (b) my internet service (through which I access the blog's site/check email, etc.) has been on the blink. Hopefully that will get resolved in the next few days (Orange's techie gremlins are, apparently, on the case) and things will be a little more 'lively' next week :-)

In, out, in, out
And in news nothing to do with iOS music making, as a UK citizen who now lives in mainland Europe, this week has also seen the fun and games over the UK's 'Brexit' referendum. I live where I live because I prefer my lifestyle here from that where I lived before so I suspect you can guess which way I voted.

I've no problem with the will of democracy though (however flawed our various democratic processes are, they are the best we currently have) and I'm sure there is much more that this vote is telling us about the UK than whether it wants to remain in the EU or not....  Here's hoping that (a) the UKs politicians can work out exactly what messages the vote contains and (not sure I'm absolutely confident about that one) and (b) that we can all survive the obvious short/medium-term uncertainty that the vote outcome is going to create (I'm a bit more confident about that)....  and that it doesn't spill too far into the wider world.

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and, if you are playing live, feel free to share your rig details....  I'm happy to hear more.... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

If you happen to run a desktop music-based system as well as your iOS one, I suspect you can easily think of a desktop favourite that you would love to see 'ported' in some form or another over to iOS. An iOS Reason, Ableton Live, Logic or Kontakt are some of the more common suggestions/wishlist items that readers mention to me but I'm sure you can think of your own examples.

However, one thing that struck me very early on in my own fascination with iOS music technology, was the software that I discovered I wanted to go in the opposite direction; iOS apps that I'd love to see on the desktop. Again, there are plenty of suggestions you might make here and two personal ones would be Sector and Patterning. Both are simply brilliant in their own way and (in my experience anyway) there is nothing quite like them (and certainly nothing in the same price bracket) available as a plugin for my desktop system.

After a quiet iOS music technology week last week, two new releases this week – VoxSyn and Moebius Lab – reminded me just much I'd like to see this 'reverse flow'. If you have not already, then read the full reviews, but I think, in their own ways, both these apps are brilliant. OK, so VoxSyn is, at its heart, a vocoder app and there is nothing so new about that concept...  but the way VirSyn have delivered it, and some novel elements to the design, make it one of the more creative vocoder packages I've ever used and also one of the easiest to use.

In contrast, Moebius Lab is about as wild a ride as a multi-effects processer currently gets (it's in the same ballpark as Turnado) and, while it might not appeal to every type of iOS music maker, for the more experimentally minded, the attraction is obvious. Again, I'm not sure there is anything quite like it on the desktop....

While a number of desktop developers also do iOS versions of their software, amongst those starting out as 'iOS-only', there have been far fewer going in the opposite direction (Positive Grid are one high-profile example but there are not many others). While I can fully understand why (the economics must be very challenging), personally, I think this is a huge shame. Having been involved with desktop-based music technology for more years than I like to recall, I'm pretty comfortable in saying that I think I've seen just as much (maybe more?) innovative music software coming from iOS developers over the last few years than anywhere else. OK, these music apps are often very niche products, but in terms of sheer inventiveness, iOS feels like a pretty sharp cutting edge to me....

Who knows what the future might bring for iOS music technology or how the economics of the music app marketplace might evolve but I, for one, think it is absolutely the place to look if you want to see clever, creative, cutting-edge music creation tools on a regular basis. This week's examples – VoxSyn and Moebius Lab – are just the most recent additions. Here's hoping that the porting of music software doesn't remain quite such one-way traffic; more 'reverse flow' would be great to see.

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and, if you have an iOS music app favourite you would love to see ported to the desktop, I'm happy to hear about your own choices.... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

#140
GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome – is something that almost every musician and/or recording junkie will have suffered from at some stage in their musical journey. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking 'if I just had piece of equipment X, I could great music that was as good as Y'....   where X might be a particular guitar, synth, DAW, hardware processor, sample library, set of studio monitors or, yes, even an iOS music app, and Y might be a favourite artist and/or song that you aspire towards or admire.

Much as I fully subscribe to the 'less in more' mentality,
http://musicappblog.com/?s=less+is+more

I'm just as susceptible to GAS as anyone else and, while I don't think you should allow a limited collection of equipment to feel like a barrier to music creation, I'm also more than happy to admit that my own project studio contains more gear than I really (REALLY) need. And, sonically, I'm pretty happy with the results I can obtain, be that via my iPad-based studio or my desktop-based studio.

Does that mean I'm happy with all the music I create though? Well, no it doesn't, because gear is only part of the music creation equation and, in the main, it addresses the audiophile part of that music creation equation; that is, it means the audio quality can reach an acceptable level. What it is less likely to do is help you write a great song.

And, to a large extent, there lies the reason why 'more gear' (that is, a dose of GAS) does not always mean 'better music'. New stuff' can most certainly help you improve the audio quality of what you do (providing, of course, you have a reasonable grasp of how to use it) and a new piece of kit might also inspire some musical ideas because of the possibilities it provides, but perhaps the most important element of the whole process is not something gear will necessarily provide; the underlying musical idea.

Yep, if you are going to create good music – be that live or in a recorded format – it sure as heck helps if you can come up with some half-decent musical ideas in the first place. As the folks in the know in Nashville often say, 'it's the song that sells'. If you don't have a great song (or instrumental composition), the chances of turning it into a great performance or great recording – whatever gear you have at your disposal – are going to be that much slimmer. OK, a great producer can do their best to 'polish a t**d', but they would rather polish a rough diamond.

So all this iOS music technology doesn't get us anywhere then if we haven't got a decent musical idea in out heads to start with? Well, yes and no. An iPad stuffed with iOS music apps is not going to write great songs for you....  but, with the right apps, it can provide you with some song writing assistance, especially if you are still finding your feet as a song writer.  And if you want an example of exactly that sort of iOS music app, then look no further than Klimper – an absolute steal at UK£1.49/US$1.99 – and that I reviewed on the blog today.

This is a simple – yet very clever – little app and presented in a neat, minimalist, interface. I'll let you read the full review for the details but, if you pick a key/scale combination, Klimper than suggests a suite of chords that fit in a harmonic sense within that key/scale and provides you with just enough tools to then experiment with chord/melody combinations to nudge you towards your next song idea. It doesn't offer to write the song for you – this is not a replacement for genuine creative (musical) input - but, as a sort of 'music theory assistant', it most certainly gives you a harmonically correct framework within which your creativity can be exercised.

Klimper is not the only iOS music app that can be thought of as a sort of 'song writing assistant' but it is one of the ones I like the most. The concept is simple and the execution elegant...  and at UK£1.49/US$1.99, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a 'music theory 101' course to get you writing harmonically correct chord and melody ideas with a minimum of fuss. No, it won't write the song for you, craft some deep and meaningful lyrics, or flesh out and record the instrumental arrangement (yep, you still have to do all of those things too), but it is a nice way to nudge your musical muse towards the start of a decent song idea....  and once you have that, then get all that gear out and make a killer recording of it....

Anyway, until next time, have a great week and, if songs are your thing, here's hoping you can write a good one.... :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric


Elantric

With one notable exception (which I'll come to in a minute), this has been a pretty slow news week for iOS music makers. Yes, we have had a few very welcome app updates but, as is also the case in the wider music technology world, as we get into Northern Hemisphere summer, app developers and music tech manufacturers are obviously thinking about a well deserved break while their potential clients are also sitting on a beach and sipping a cold drink. While I'm always happy to have a new and exciting app release pop up at any time, 'summer holidays' is perhaps the time of year when we might least expect it to happen.

And that one exception mentioned above? Well, our favourite app developers also know that this is a pretty slow time for business and so, out of the goodness of their collective hearts (and in the hope that it will keep some sales ticking over in a notoriously slow period), we are getting a rather nice set of 'summer sales' being offered to us at present. If you are still building up your iOS app collection – or just need something new to download via 3G while chilling by the pool – then now might be just the time to take advantage of some excellent bargains.

For example, Steinberg's Cubasis is currently on a 50% sale. Or, if you are a fan of Korg's iOS music apps, then Gadget, iM1, Module, iDS-10 and a few others, are also on a limited time 50% sale. Oh, and a good number of VirSyn's excellent iOS music apps – including Poseidon, Tera Synth and the excellent new VoxSyn are also available at prices reduced by up to 50%. And don't forget that Yonac – developer of the excellent ToneStack – is also in summer sale mode; again, up to 50% off. Or, of course, Positive Grid's excellent collection of apps, including BIAS FX and Final Touch, that are still available with some massive savings.....

Happy holidays
All of which is a good cue to mention that I'll also be having a few days off next week. I'm not sure I'll be lazing by the pool (I am, after all, going to visit friends in Scotland) but, if you are a Music App Blog regular, don't fret too much about a daily fix...  I've a few things lined up to appear on the website while I'm away J And if you are heading away for your own bit of rest and relaxation, then here's hoping you get a well deserved break....

Spare a thought....
I try to avoid getting to far off topic here in the newsletter but, having also spent yesterday evening at my own local Bastille Day celebrations here in SW France, seeing the news headlines from Nice on our return home most certainly struck a chord. If you get a moment, then spare a thought for all those directly effected by the incident.... whatever your own personal circumstances and difficulties, horrific events like this offer a challenging, but sharply focused, perspective on them.

Anyway, until next time, here's hoping your music will help you deal with whatever else life might bring your way....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, by the time you are reading this one, I'll be enjoying (I hope) a few days holiday with my family by catching up with a few friends in the UK. OK, so I don't expect it will involve much of the typical holiday stuff – sitting by a pool, catching some rays, enjoying a cold drink or three – mainly because we will be spending about half our time on the east coast of Scotland where such things are a very rare occurrence even in the height of summer....  but it will be nice to catch up with old friends from the area and family elsewhere in the UK.

However, as you may have noticed if you have popped by the Music App Blog website in the last few days, I've tried not to leave you without something iOS music related to keep your interest. And, in this case, it takes the form of some very tasty iOS music app giveaways with a different one (and sometimes two) going online every day. As email subscribers you are, of course, automatically entered for these giveaways so, fingers crossed and, when I return, I'll dip my hand into the hat and see whose names get pulled out.

I am, as ever, indebted to the community of iOS music app developers who regularly support these giveaways. While some within the user community have had occasional cause to be less than 100% impressed by some music app developers, with a very small number of exceptions, in the dealings I have had with them over the last few years of running the website, I've always found them to be approachable, enthusiastic about the format and, while trying to do their best to keep food on their family table, generally going above and beyond the call of duty in terms of providing us users with value for money.

Anyway, this is just by way of a big 'thank you' shout out to those developers who have chipped in a few codes for the current crop of giveaways.... and, if you have not had a look to see what's currently out there to be won, then head on over to the 'News' section of the site....   and keep looking as there are more to come in the next few days :-)

Anyway, until next time, here's hoping you get your own period of R'n'R at some stage over the (northern hemisphere) summer and that the downtime allows you to get some music made...  :-)

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

While I was away from Music App Blog HQ last week (and only keeping half an eye on all things iOS music making), I hope everyone was kept at least a little entertained by the series of iOS music app giveaways that were running on the site. Once again, a big 'thank you' to all the developers involved. These kinds of things are always fun to run and prove popular with the site's audience.

However, what's always the best bit for me is sending out the emails to the folks who happen to be lucky enough to get their name drawn out of the hat. OK, so winning an iOS music app is never going to be in quite the same league as seeing your lottery numbers come up but it is still nice to help make someone's day...  and the email 'thank you' messages I get back are always welcome. So, if you did happen to win something this time around, enjoy your new app :-)

And if you didn't.... well, better luck next time...  and do keep reading those app reviews on the site. The Reviews section of the Music App Blog contains full reviews of well over 200 iOS music apps so, if you have an app or three that you have been considering for some time, but not yet taken the plunge, then do check that out....  or use the site's Search box to find information – both reviews and updates – on a particular app. Over the last few years this has become an extensive collection....  and while apps do get new features as they are updated, the original reviews will always provide a good introduction.

Anyway, having enjoyed my few days away, and spent the last couple of days catching up on email and pulling names out of various hats for the giveaways, come Monday morning it will be business as usual for the blog work....  so keep your eyes peeled for some of the up-to-date iOS music making news and new reviews.

Until then, have a great week-end...  and get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

As someone who spends most of their musical time locked in a dimly (but atmospherically!) lit project studio room, it's been a long time since I did any busking. However, earlier this week, my wife and I did a bit 'local' tourist stuff (we had a day in Périgueux which is about an hour from where we live) and, as we wandered around the central 'old town' streets, we passed a couple of buskers plying their trade.

The first of these was a traditional songsmith, strumming along to a collection of well-known covers and happy to collect coins in a cap on the floor. The second, however, was a bit more unusual in that it was a young guy playing a type of Hang drum (I think it was actually an Earth Handpan made by Terré; about the same price as a low/mid-end Gibson Les Paul) - a kind of musical flying saucer :-)

While I'd seen the instrument before in a video (for example, check out this YouTube example) and do, I think, have a sample-based example tucked away in a dusty corner of my Kontakt library, this was the first time I had actually ever seen one being played up close. Part drum, part tuned instrument, it was an impressive sight and the sound was beautiful....  Needless to say, lots of folks lingered and tossed a coin or two into his strategically placed hat on the floor....

And, while I'm sure there are already lots of iOS musicians who have done the occasional bit of busking using their iPhone or iPad, seeing something slightly less conventional did get me thinking about some of the equally unconventional (that is, not simply using your iPad as a guitar rig sim) ways iOS might be used in a busking context....

All of which then slotted into iOS place when, yesterday, I did a review of Air Craft's AC Sabre app. This is a very interesting app and designed very much as a MIDI performance tool for the iOS musician. It is, in essence, a sophisticated MIDI controller, capable of sending MIDI note and CC data out from your iPhone via Bluetooth (or WiFi) to another iOS device or some other 'happy to do wireless MIDI' device. In my own testing, I simply paired it with my iPad and, at a technical level, it worked very smoothly. And the technical specification and level of user configuration is impressive.

While the couple of days I've spent with AC Sabre is nowhere near enough for me to feel like I've reached 'ninja' status, I have done enough to see that it has huge potential. For the more experimental iOS musician (the app's note generation system is perhaps best suited to improvised pieces at present?) looking to not only exploit the sounds of their favourite iOS music apps but also to use iOS hardware as the instrument (MIDI controller) itself, this is undoubtedly a very tempting app.

Live performance is both an aural and visual medium and AC Sabre – where you generate MIDI data through a range of touchscreen control and gestures (motion) – will, in the right hands, tick that 'visual' box very well. It doesn't take much imagination to picture a high-tech busking setup built around an iPad and some small powered speakers (as your sound source) and an iPhone (as your MIDI controller via AC Sabre). With the right combination of synth sounds linked to the motion controls in the app, I suspect the novelty value alone would draw in a decent crowd; AC Sabre could make for some great 'street theatre'. I guess you would still need a hat to collect all the coins in though....  I'm not sure swipe-based payments for buskers are a viable option as yet :-)

Anyway, whether it's live, on the street, or in the studio, have a great week...  and get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

admin


No prizes for guessing the highlight new music app release of this week; Wolfgang Palm's Phenom. While we have a number of excellent vocal-orientated iOS music apps available from the App Store, Phenom perhaps deserves a category of its own. It's not an effects app like (for example) VocaLive, nor is it a vocoder like (for example (VoxSyn). Phenom is perhaps best thought of as a vocal synthesizer, capable of generating synthetic vocals derived from a number of different sources but vocalised via a database of phonetic sounds built into the synth engine.

If that sounds ambitious in scope, then it most certainly is. Phonem does, of course, exist in a desktop format – the iOS version is a port of that software – but, even on the desktop, synths that do singing are a pretty rare (and obviously niche) occurrence. If you have been exposed to any of the Vocaloid products (search on YouTube for some examples), then perhaps those are, in broad intention at least, drawn from the same barrel....  although, to the user, Vocaloid and Phenom are very different experiences.

The other thing to say about Phenom is that it is a pretty deep app. This is not something that you are going to master in a few minutes. I will, of course, do a full review of the app at some stage (perhaps after I've had a lie down in a darkened room for a while) but I'm not going to claim any level of expertise just yet. It is, however, a fascinating, bewildering, creative and fun world to inhabit.....

.... and it does feel a little like you are being drawn into the world of Wolfgang Palm when you use the app. Now, I don't know Wolfgang at all at a personal level. I'm familiar with his music technology products and I've exchanged a couple of polite emails with him but, as a creative mind, he perhaps makes me think more of 'Doc' Brown than Bill Gates....  If the Doc had invented a voice synthesizer rather than a Delorian-based time-machine, then it might have been along the lines of Phenom (and the Back To The Future franchise would have been a very different film series).

Anyway, synthetic vocals are not everyone's cup of tea....  but if you have a taste for such things, then you will undoubtedly want to explore Phenom. Just make sure you tell a responsible adult where you have gone and when you will be back.....  It's quite a ride....  :-)

Insert the plugs
Like many iOS musicians, I've been keeping my fingers crossed that Audio Units is a format that's going to really take off under iOS. Things started very slowly but, finally, on the back of the AUv3 format Apple introduced a few months or so ago, I do thing we are beginning to see AUs pace beginning to quicken.

For me, this week has seen another significant step along that path. I reviewed two AU-only audio processors by DDMF; 6144 EQ and Envelope Reverb. Both a very good at what they do (they are ports from desktop versions of the same plugins) and, at UK£7.99/US$9.99, both represent excellent value for money. However, in two ways, I think these apps are a promising sign of things to come....
First, of course, both are AU-only, and while that might disappoint some whose workflow is build around Audiobus, if you are using a suitable AU host, then the advantages that being able to use multiple instances of these apps within the same project, and the fact that they simply save/load with that project, are clear and obvious.

The second thing is perhaps a little more abstract. We already have a number of very good AU plugin 'apps' available and the numbers are steadily increasing. However, 6144 EQ and Envelope Reverb intrigued me because they feel less like an iOS app and more like a 'boutique' plugin that you might buy from the Waves website for your desktop system. OK, so DDMF perhaps don't have the profile that Waves do (and it would be great to see Waves taking notice of the iOS market place at some stage) but, as a designer of niche, high-quality, audio plugins, they are working in the same sector of the market. If these two apps are indicators of the kinds of things AU might bring to iOS, then we really do have something to look forward to.....   Keep your fingers crossed.

Anyway, whether its with AU plugins or vocal synthesizers, have a great week...  and get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

Elantric


There was a healthy smattering of iOS music app updates this week that I reported in the News section of the blog and, of course, I finally got around to doing a proper review of Wolfgang Palm's interesting, deep, amazing – and often beguiling – voice synthesizer app Phenom. However, as an iOS music tech blogger, the news on the changing status of TheSoundTestRoom website was perhaps the item that really caught my own attention.

While it's good to hear that those most actively involved – Doug Woods and Jakob Haq – are going to continue bringing iOS music tech content via their respective YouTube channels, it is still a shame that the website itself is not going to continue. Websites do, of course, come and go all the time but, as I commented in the news item I posted on the announcement, it's difficult not to see this happen and wonder about how robust (or otherwise) the economics is of the whole iOS music technology world.

This is undoubtedly a complex issue and one that's difficult to reach any genuine conclusion about in the absence of some actual data – app sales, profit margins, hard-core vs casual user-base, etc. – but, if iOS has become an integral part of your music workflow, then it is obviously something that would be a concern.

Of course, the survival of a niche interest website (for financial or other reasons) is not the same as the survival of the niche interest upon which it is based and, while they appeal to a common audience, the ability of one to thrive is not necessarily going to be linked to the ability of the other to thrive. There may well be some sort of symbiotic relationship between the 'iOS music tech media' and the 'iOS music tech developers' but the latter are clearly the more important partner in that relationship. Their collective economic health is essential.

That doesn't mean the media – including niche interest websites and YouTube channels – don't have an important role to play though. In part, that might simply be as a collective 'news' forum, keeping those interested in the niche up-to-date and passing opinions on new products.... and I think a number of the popular iOS music tech websites do that pretty well.

However, I do wonder whether that kind of 'news & reviews' function, while I'm sure appealing to those already committed to the platform, is quite the right thing to help support those just beginning to discover iOS as a music making environment and who need the basics. Just where do you go to find a 'How to get started with iOS music making 101' course that is both introductory, well structured, accessible and well presented?

This kind of content exists for music production/recording in general – there are lots of 'how to get started in home recording' resources out there and many of them are excellent. What's more, much of the content is absolutely relevant to those who happen to be working under iOS. However, in terms of iOS specific content – where iOS is the focus and, for a beginner, it is therefore easier to see exactly what they might achieve with their iPhone or iPad – well, it's actually pretty thin on the ground.

There is some chicken and egg going on here. Having worked in education for many years before jumping into music tech/music production full-time, I can appreciate just how time consuming putting together such a '101' resource might be if you really wanted to do it properly. And time generally requires money.....  You would have to be pretty brave to invest the amount of time required to develop (and then maintain/update) such a resource if you were not exactly sure quite how (or if) you might see a financial return for your effort. So the teaching resource can help grow the audience, but the audience isn't currently there to justify building the course.....  a bit of a conundrum....

Even so, it is at least a concept I'd like to ponder even if, eventually, I can't see a way to find the time/resources to do it myself. So, my question to you this week....  if such a course was to be created, what do you think ought to be in it? No, don't feel obliged to cough up a full syllabus...  but if you have a minute, and want to drop me a sentence or two with some suggestions, then feel free.

Anyway, whether beginner or dedicated iOS die-hard, have a great week...  and get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

This week saw the release of Bram Bos' Ruismaker FM as a follow-up to his successful Ruismaker original that was, itself, only introduced a few months ago. Both apps offer a take on the iOS drum synth, albeit with somewhat different synthesis engines and, therefore, different ranges of sounds. Both are also streamlined in specification and easy on the pocket.

Both are also a pretty rare thing; Audio Units instruments (AUi). Indeed, the AU plugin format of both apps is one reason why the streamlined specification is possible as neither app includes any pattern or sequencing capabilities; you use your favourite MIDI sequencer to do all that while both Rusimaker and Ruismaker FM are sitting inside a suitable AU host (and, of course, that host might also be your MIDI sequencer).

I've discussed what many of us in the iOS music app user community see as the relatively slow adoption of the AU format by developers here in the newsletter before. However, the arrival of Ruismaker FM and a couple of notable updates to other popular iOS music apps prompted a few interesting comments from readers of the blog and a number of personal emails to me at Music App Blog HQ on the topic.

All of which has simply confirmed to me that there are a lot of iOS musicians who are very keen to see AU deliver on its obvious promise. Why is this taking so long? Well, it is, I suspect, a combination of reasons. Let's suggest a few....

First, I think Apple's initial AU spec for iOS left developers in a very uncertain position and many didn't feel confident of investing time in it without some further refinements from Apple themselves. Those refinements arrived just a few months ago with the AUv.3 specification and I'd guess iOS10 may bring some further improvements also. Second – and this brings us back to the topic of last week's newsletter – App Store economics are challenging for developers. Adding AU support is extra work but users want updates for free, so how do the developers justify doing the work without an easy route to realise income from that work?

There is, I think, a third reason that is sort of related to the first. At present, initially at least, the AU window within your AU host app was defined by that host app and (if I understand things correctly – and I may not) not by the plugin app. This makes it difficult for developers to know just how to recreate their app's UI within a window size they have little control over. Equally, that window is generally smaller than the size of the iPad screen.... so if your current version of the app has a complex user interface with lots of controls, how do you squeeze those same controls into a smaller space and still retain the workflow/feature set? This is again going to involve a lot of work from developers with little by way of obvious returns....

So, for all its potential, is AU simply going to continue to stutter and never quite deliver upon its obvious promise? I don't think that will be the case....  and I'm pretty confident that it will succeed. It may still take a little time, but we will get there....

However, I think it may well succeed on the back of some changes.....  While some existing apps may be hard to re-develop (both practically and financially), I suspect the much improved iOS AU spec will bring a bunch of new iOS music apps that are designed from the ground up as AU-only (Ruismaker is an example of this). And I also expect that some of these apps will come from new developers, including some developers of AU plugins on the desktop. For existing apps with more complex interfaces, the route chosen by Wolfgang Palm with the AU version of Phenom (where the interface is structured very differently in the AU format) may well have to be the route to go down in order to translate the functionality from full-screen to 'AU window'.

Anyway, let's keep our collective fingers crossed that my optimistic crystal ball gazing isn't too far from the mark....   and, in the meantime, I've an AU question for you. Of all the iOS music apps that you currently use on a regular basis, which is the one you are most wanting to see delivered in an AU format? Answers welcome in a single sentence via email J  Maybe we can apply a little bit of collective pressure and/or support to the developer involved?

Until next time, have a great week...  and, whether it's via AU or not, get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

Elantric


This week has seen some cool updates to apps such as SilQ EQ, zMors Modular, Elastic Drums, apeFilter and Animoog (check out the details via the Blog's News section). However, for me at least, the best of these was the update to Funk Drummer that arrived on the App Store today and added both Ableton Link support and the 'Live Pads' feature that was introduced in Luis Martinez's Soft Drummer release recently.

I'm a huge fan of Luis' various drum apps. While there are undoubtedly some very worthy competitors (and, in particular, DrumPerfect Pro) when it comes to building a realistic acoustic drum track under iOS, I think Luis has hit a particular sweet spot that just 'works' on the iOS platform. The results can be very good indeed but the workflow just seems to 'fit' the streamlined nature of music production with iOS.

And don't let the titles of the various apps in the series – Funk Drummer, Soft Drummer, Rock Drum Machine, etc. – get you thinking that these apps can't do other styles. They might be tuned for the named style but the drum samples and vibe of the kits are generally more than capable of covering a broader musical context; just create the right patterns and away you go. Anyway, seeing Ableton Link being added to this series of apps is most welcome so, if you have not yet taken a look at Funk Drummer (or any of the other apps in the series), then do check it out.

Sale time?

The other news worth noting is that this week-end sees the Labor Day period in the USA. This is often a trigger to some sales and, while things are not generally on the sale scale as Black Friday/Cyber Monday, it's still worth keeping your eyes peeled...

... because you might be interested, for example, in picking up a copy of WaveMachine Lab's fully featured Auria Pro DAW/sequencer for 50% off it's usual price. With a spec sheet that gets close to a desktop DAW/sequencer, Auria Pro is both impressive and ambitious. Yes, you need a decent iPad to have a chance of getting the absolute best from it but it is a heck of a lot of DAW/sequencer for the money even at full price. At 50% off – just UK£18.99/US$24.99 – it is undoubtedly a bargain. You will need to hurry though...  the sale is only on over the week-end.

We want AU!

Perhaps the most obvious feature missing from Auria Pro's extensive spec is AU hosting. I'm sure it will come though....  and, having discussed the relatively slow adoption of AU by developers in last week's newsletter, given the replies I received (thank you!), it's pretty clear that many iOS musicians are very keen (er...  desperate?) to see comprehensive AU support arrive asap.

Thanks for your suggestions of apps you would like to see with AU added....  It was a long list in total....  and it provides a clear message to developers is that us users are ready. Here's hoping that the economic and technical environment within which our favourite developers do such excellent work is conducive enough for them to now set about the task without too many reservations or risks?

New iPhone?
I'd be surprised if the soon-to-arrive iOS10 didn't help in that regard though, even if only to tighten up the existing support for AU within the OS code itself. I'm not sure if we will hear any OS-related news this week at Apple's launch event (on the 7th) and at which everyone is expecting to see the next generation of iPhone officially announced. Fingers crossed, and if there is anything noteworthy to report, I'll give it a mention via the blog.....

Until next time, have a great week...  and get some music made.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog