IOS MusicAppBlog

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

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Elantric

Well, my own personal D-day (that's 'departure day from the UK' by the way) has finally arrived and, as I've mentioned both here in the newsletter, and in a couple of posts on the blog (here and here), myself, my wife and our two kids (oh, and my wife's parents) are relocating to somewhere a little warmer than the northern half of the UK. By the time you read this, we will already be in a car heading south and the contents of the house will be in a big truck (hopefully also heading south).

Of course, I've still got my main iOS music tools with me - my iPad, CME Xkey and earbuds - and that will keep me occupied in the quieter moments while we travel. In total, we will be on route for about a week, visiting friends and family as we make our way towards our new home. I might get the chance to put up the occasional iOS music post on the blog (internet access depending) but, from a news front at least, things might be a bit quieter on the site than usual for the next week or so.

iPad recording studio?

However, the dust will not be gathering too quickly. I've been working up a series of articles titled 'Building an iPad recording studio' and these are scheduled to go live on the site starting tomorrow and spanning the next 10 days.

Now, if you are an iOS music-making old-hand, or have experience of using a desktop recording setup or even commercial studios, then I might be teaching granny to suck eggs here. No apologies for that though; the series is definitely aimed at the newer, less experienced iOS musician and, if you have friend or music-making partners in crime that are looking to get an iOS music app habit started, then feel free to point them at the site and share the links as the articles start to appear. There is an ever-growing user-base of musicians for whom iOS is their first taste of computer-based music technology; this series is, of course, primarily aimed at them.

In terms of building that iPad-based recording studio, the topics will span the evolution of DIY recording technology, cover the key bits of additional hardware required in addition to the iPad, consider the range of apps required (including that all important multi-track recording app), trying to work out how much this might all cost (with examples) and then, once iPad, hardware and software are all in place, give you some suggestions for what happens next (that is, starting recording your own material).

I hope some of the site's readership will find it useful - and maybe some new readers might also discover the series also. However, there are bound to be things I've glossed over (things I think are obvious and lots of others don't), things I've missed out and also things I've got wrong. So, if you do take a read, and any of the above apply, then feel free to drop me a line. I'm hoping to update the content of the series on a reasonably regular basis so the material stays relevant as iOS music technology continues to evolve.

Anyway, wish us luck on our journey and, by the time you get the next newsletter, I'll be writing in French (er...  no, perhaps not just yet!)

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making some music ....

Best wishes,

John


http://www.musicappblog.com/


Elantric

As I mentioned in the newsletter last week, we (that is myself and my family) have been busy moving house over the last week or so. Last week, the newsletter was written in NE Scotland....  This week I'm typing this on my iPad in SW France... Quite a change but, as the sun is shining and the temperature is in the mid-20s Celcius, it feels pretty good :-)

We are not quite in our final destination yet....  we get into a rental house for a few months on Saturday while waiting for our house purchase to complete.... But I'll have a workspace set up in a few days and, hopefully, the blog can then get back to full operation. Anyway, a big thank you to all the readers who sent their good wishes for the move... it is, of course, very much appreciated.

IPad recording studio
Thanks also to everyone who has provided feedback on the iPad recording studio series. There are still a few parts in the queue that will be published over the next couple of days. As I indicated at the start of the series, this is aimed very much at those new to the recording proces (iPad of otherwise) so, even if you feel to know all this stuff already, please feel free to add some comments or your own additional thoughts. Equally, please feel free to share some links to the parts of the series to any iOS musician friends you might have and who are just getting started.... :-)

Bargains and updates
There have been quite a few interesting app updates and sales this last week but, of course, as I've been in transit, I have not had much chance to keep the blog updated with the news. I'll catch up properly towards the end of next week....

However, two things did particularly catch my eye. First, at a sale price of UK£0.69, Audiobus 2 has to be purchased. I suspect most of you already own a copy but, if you don't put it right now while the sale is on.

http://www.musicappblog.com/audiobus-sale/

Second, Propellerhead's monster synth Thor has been both updated and put on sale.  At UK£2.99 this is just an insanely good deal. The update adds Audiobus 2.1 support and, therefore, also provides Thor with IAA for the first time. This is 'audio-only' IAA but that's at least a start. A few users have reported some initial difficulties with IAA but the Props are already on to it so I suspect a solution will soon arrive. The sale done't last long though....  Get a copy while you can....

http://www.musicappblog.com/thor-sale-2/

Until next time, have a good week and keep making your music....

Very best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

Well, OK, so I haven't spent the whole week involved in French kissing but, as any of you will know who have spent time in France, kissing is an essential part of the daily greeting process between people. And, as we have all had a lot of new people to meet in our first full week of life in our new adopted country, then, yes, I've done a lot of kissing J

iPad recording studio series

Thanks to everyone who has popped buy the blog this week (or sent me an email) with feedback on the iPad recording studio series. The final instalment - Part 10 - was published on Monday and it has generated a huge amount of traffic to the site and a very positive response. It has also produced some very interesting suggestions for further topics to cover on the theme...  so maybe Part 10 won't be the last instalment after all....  I'll keep you posted but if you haven't checked it out yet then please do...  and further feedback/suggestions will be very welcome....

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/ipad-recording-studio-series/

App of the week?

Only one contender in my personal list here; Ondes. I've posted a full review of the app today on the site:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/ondes-review/

I'm not sure this is an app I would use everyday (although I would have if I'd been composing music for sci-fi films in the 1950s!) but it is another fabulous example of how the touchscreen of an iPad can be a creative musical instrument. Not for everyone perhaps but if you have a more experimental streak then check out the review ...  followed by checking out the app.

Update of the week?

While there have been a few interesting updates this week, top of my own list would be v.1.0.3 of Korg's Gadget:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/gadget-update/

The two new IAPs might be a touch on the pricy side for the casual Gadget user but, if it is one of your core apps, then both will be welcome creative options. I personally like what the Abu Dhabi beat slicer does and, while it perhaps can't compete with some of the desktop tools for doing this sort of task - and nor does it have the range of options offered by the brilliant Sector - and an efficient and very creative tool for squeezing a little more life out of your favourite loops, it is just the ticket.

I've no idea if Korg will ever get around to adding audio recording to Gadget but, if they do, it would make a seriously powerful electronic music production app into a very good all-round mobile music production environment.

Anyway, I've got to dash as I have to attend a social function with the mayor of my 'new' village.... although, hopefully, he will greet me with a handshake rather than a French kiss J

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making some music ....

Best wishes,

John


http://www.musicappblog.com/


Elantric

If you occupy the alternative reality that is the Universe of Apple, then the obvious highlight breaking news this week revolved around the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch launch event. As I commented on the blog, I think the iPhone 6 looks great and, while perhaps evolutionary rather than revolutionary, it is good to see the technical specification continuing to improve. In terms of sheer grunt, the iPhone 6 is a more muscular beast than my current iPhone 5.

http://www.musicappblog.com/six-appeal/

While I do use my current iPhone 5 for music making when I'm out and about, the majority of my iOS-based music making is done on an iPad. I suspect, therefore, that I'll probably stick quite happily with my iPhone 5 and wait and see just how tempting any new iPad model might be. If the performance hike is similar to that in the new iPhone, that would be welcome.... but it would be great if the new iPad also included an option for more than the current 1GB of RAM. We shall see....

Something I 8...

Perhaps of more immediate concern to iOS musicians is the likely impact of iOS8. By this time next week it will be available to download via iTunes. The obvious question is 'should you update?'. I think the equally obvious answer is 'no'. Well, at least not immediately... let some other poor sucker (or iOS music blogger) take the initial hit, work out what does (or, more likely, does not) operate as advertised, and keep making your music rather than becoming part of the 'removing the release wrinkles' movement.

iOS8 may well, eventually, bring some genuine positives for music production on iPhones and iPads but, if the various comments I've heard from some within the development community are an accurate reflection of the current state of play, I think I'd recommend a cautious approach. Still, if you like a life on the cutting edge, feel free to hit the update button...  just make sure you share your experience with the rest of us luddites via the various iOS music forums/sites, etc. :-)

Update for 8

All that said, there are obviously lots of developers working hard to make their iOS music apps ready for the arrival of iOS8. I've posted news items about a number of these that have appeared this week including Magellan, ThumbJam, the AUFX series and Sector.

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

It is encouraging to see this level of activity. Hopefully, the developer community will do as much as they possibly can to ensure that the transition from iOS7 to iOS8 is as smooth (and hopefully short-lived) as possible. They will, of course, be at the mercy of the code Apple build into iOS8 itself so let's also hope that the Apple developers move swiftly to deal with any issues that creep out of the woodwork once users push the new OS in anger.

You too can get something for free....  from U2

Oh, and finally, you won't find me knocking U2 who, as has become Apple practice at high-profile launch events, were the musical finale to round off the presentation....  I've downloaded my free album and enjoyed the first listen. I'll leave others to comment on their current musical relevance but I'd gladly be responsible for creating music that has proved that popular and to have sustained a music career that spans 30+ years. If their business model for the album involved a deal with Apple well... good for them...  this is the music 'business' after all despite it also being a creative industry.

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making some music ....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

admin

http://www.musicappblog.com/update-to-ios8/
Update to iOS8? – advice from the Audiobus team

As I commented last week, alongside the launch of the iPhone 6, we are also soon going to see the release of iOS8. For those running iOS music apps, the key question here is wether to download the update as soon as it becomes available or to exercise a little caution and keep using iOS7 until the dust settles and those folks who simply can't resist (or who just like to totter on the cutting edge for the fun of it) can report on their experiences.
If there is one iOS music app developer who is likely to be in the strongest position to offer advice of the 'do I, don't I?' question at this stage then it would be the Audiobus team. Rather commendably, they have put out an email this morning to their subscriber list with a very useful summary of their own thoughts and some useful advice. If you haven't seen the email as yet, I've copied it below....
**********************
Hello, friends of Audiobus!
It's almost iOS 8 launch day, and there are a few things you need to know.
Firstly, as with every major software release, if you're relying on music apps we recommend using caution before updating, because there's no going back and early glitches are not uncommon. Definitely make use of our forum and other resources to find out how others are faring on iOS 8.
Right now there's a bug in iOS 8 on cellular devices (that's the iPhone and iPad WiFi + Cellular) that stops Audiobus from working when just connected to a cellular network. If this happens to you, simply turn on Airplane Mode, or make sure you're on a WiFi network. Devices without a cellular radio are not affected. Apple have been made aware of the issue, and we hope a fix will be out soon.
Secondly, before you upgrade, make sure the apps you rely on are listed in the Audiobus iOS 8 Compatible Apps Directory. If not, once you search for an app you can contact the developer to ask them to update, or register to be emailed automatically once iOS 8 support arrives for that app.
Finally, a reminder: the next couple of days are the last you'll be able to update to the latest version of iOS 7. We recommend doing so now, if you haven't already.
Cheers!
The Audiobus Team
*********************
So, there you have it...  my own reading of this would be that a cautious approach – even if just for a few days – will probably be sensible. There obviously are still some issues to be resolved (not necessarily with Audiobus itself but perhaps within iOS8?) and, while we have seen a good number of iOS music app developers release updates to their apps over recent weeks for iOS8 compatibility, there are still a good number that have not done so so iOS8 compatibility can't perhaps be assured.
If you do use a wide number of different apps (er.. and who doesn't amongst the music app addicts?), then checking out the Audiobus iOS8 compatibility list linked above and expecting a some possible wrinkles over the next few weeks is probably wise.
Oh, and if you do take the plunge, then good luck, and feel free to share your experiences below :-)
best wishes,
John
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mbenigni

I'll be the guinea pig if that's any help.  I'll probably update out of curiosity, and in the interest of keeping features/UI common between my iPad and iPhone 6 (if/when that arrives.)  I'm not running anything mission-critical on the iPad right now, so I can take my chances.  Let me know if you're concerned about any specific apps, and if I own them I'll let you know what I find.

Vade

Excerpt from AnandTech ios 8 review.

"It's great to see Apple supporting devices like the iPad 2 that launched in 2011, but I'm not without my concerns, primarily regarding Apple's A5 devices and all iPads in general. Even under iOS 7.1, the UI smoothness on devices like the iPhone 4s and the iPad 2 is far from exceptional. That performance doesn't get any better with iOS 8, and I believe that users of those devices may want to try out the iOS 8 experience on someone else's device before upgrading their own.

The iPad concerns in particular are ones I've had since iOS 7 initially launched. For about a year now I've felt that the iPad build of iOS has been neglected by Apple. The Springboard crash bug that took until iOS 7.1 to patch crippled my iPad Mini with Retina Display. If a similar bug had widely affected iPhones I believe it would have been patched much sooner. Other various bugs and performance issues that existed on the iPad but not my iPhone resulted in me eventually selling it. Many of these still remain today, and iOS 8 even introduces some issues of its own.

Given that the iPad 3 I have for testing falls into both the Apple A5(X) camp and the iPad camp, I won't be updating it to iOS 8. While the new features like SMS Relay will be nice, the missing features and issues like keyboard lag outweigh the benefits of updating."


http://www.anandtech.com/show/8321/the-ios-8-review
Drachen; Fender FTP Strat w/internal GK-3, Godin xtSA w/FTP, Boss GP-10, VoiceLive 3, Scarlett 18i8, ZBox IQ01, On-Lap 1502i, D:fine 4088, 4E Dual Axis Exp Pedal, VoiceSolo FX-150, Yamaha DXR 10, Gem. M2 Flute, Special 20 Harmonicas. Fender Deluxe Reverb Mahogany Cane.

https://soundcloud.com/vadie

Elantric

So, did you survive the momentous events of this week? No, not the arrival of iOS8...  the drama that was the independence referendum for Scotland J  Forgive me for wearing my rather parochial 'I'm from the UK' hat for a minute but, while I'm not actually from Scotland, I did (until about 3 weeks ago) live there for a very long time.

Now, I appreciate if you are from a different part of the planet then you might not have a great interest in the politics of the UK (heck, I'm not really sure that I do), but this has been a big deal. Indeed, I don't think many in the UK appreciated quite how big a deal until the last few weeks when the opinion polls actually began to suggest that the 'Yes' campaign might actually have the upper hand and that Scotland could become an independent country. I think the realisation that 'No' wasn't a done-deal made many in the UK sit up and take notice. They realised that something they valued, but had perhaps taken for granted, might get taken away from them....

Indigestion

OK, so I can hear you thinking 'get on with the iOS music stuff already'....  so I will but there is a link here (albeit a tenuous one) that I'll come back to in a minute. What I should really be discussing here is iOS8. So, did you update and, if so, how did it go? Did your iOS device eat 8 quite happily or did the update leave you feeling just a little queasy?

I've installed iOS8 on my older iPad 3 but, so far, resisted temptation on my iPad Air. My main reservation was that Steinberg had not updated Cubasis to ensure iOS8/Audiobus compatibility but, thankfully, a couple of hours before I sat down to write the newsletter, that updated appeared. I've given it a quick spin under iOS8 and iOS7 and, while there are bound to be a few niggles, it was a pretty painless experience.

http://www.musicappblog.com/cubasis-update-2/

... so I'll maybe give it a few more days, let a few more music app updates from my favourite developers appear on the App Store (as many have already over the last few days)...

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

.... and then push the button. I'll let you know how I get on.

Like lots of iOS musicians over the last few days, however, I've also done my fair share of forum trawling just to see how others iOS musicians are getting on and what problems, if any, have been appearing. As ever in the online world, you do tend to see lots of polarised opinion....  folks who are either very happy and glad to see the new version of their favourite mobile OS and, equally, those who are not.

Not unlike, in fact, the kind of opinions shared online on either side of the Scottish referendum debate....  it's just that that debate had a tad more riding on it socially, financially... heck, even historically.... and for a larger number of people, than the impact of a (free, don't forget) operating system update for the (relatively) modest iOS musician community. Don't get me wrong; I want iOS8 to work and I want it to allow me to do more with my iPad music technology than I could to with iOS7...  and I think it will (even if only incrementally)...  but maybe it's unrealistic to expect that from day 1. While Apple will, I'm sure, have a lot riding on the success of iOS8, in the grand scheme of things, a few wrinkles in my personal music making processes are something I'll attempt to deal with....  Keep calm and carry on (making music as best as you can).

So, if you haven't updated yet then my commendations for your patience. And if you like to live just that bit more dangerously and, therefore, have installed iOS8 on your main music device... well, thanks for blazing a trail; the rest of us do appreciate it...  And soon, I'm sure, as with the Scottish referendum, the fuss will die down and we can all get on with either living happily in the UK (or France now in my case) and making our iOS-based music.

Until next time....  have a good week and enjoy the iOS ride... even if there are a few bumps along the way.....

Best wishes,

John


http://www.musicappblog.com/


Elantric

So, how has your resistance to temptation been this week? iOS8 has now been with us for about 10 days and, following good advice from a number of respected sources (including the Audiobus team), like many other iOS musicians, I held back updating my iPad Air system at first (although I did push the button on my iPad 3 as an experiment).

However, as you will know if you have visited the blog during this week, I did finally take the plunge a couple of days after Steinberg released the 'iOS8 ready' update for Cubasis:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/cubasis-update-2/

and just as WaveMachine Labs released a similar update for Auria:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/auria-update-2/

As regular readers will know, I've been a Cubase user on the desktop for many years so adopting Cubasis as my main DAW/sequencer environment on the iPad is an obvious personal choice. As such, this update was the spur I needed to finally give in to my craving (sad I know!) and install the latest (and greatest?) version of iOS. So far, providing I restrict myself to apps that are known to be iOS8 compatible already, I've been pleasantly surprised with the performance. Cubasis seems very solid and I've been happily working away with a number of my other 'go to' music apps both via Audiobus and IAA. Providing your own key apps are 'iOS8 ready' - and you think your hardware is up to the job - iOS8 might now be a reasonable move....

Update of the week?

While it was obviously just a technical update rather than bringing any specific new features, the Cubasis update was the one I most welcomed this week...   but given the absolute torrent of iOS music app updates that have arrived in the last 7 days, you would be hard pressed to pick a single stand-out release. You can check out the main ones in the 'News' section of the site:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

In the main, like with Cubasis, these have been 'iOS8 ready' updates but they are no less welcome for that. While there are still a good number of the apps that I regularly use for music making that have still not been updated, it really is very encouraging to see quite such a rapid response from so many developers. Let's hope this continues for another week or two....  If so, then I think even the most cautious of iOS musicians might be in a position to consider the operating system upgrade.

App of the week?

My favourite new app of the last week or so has to be ScaleGen from Jesper Nordin:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/scalegen-review/

In some ways this is very much a niche interest app as it will most obviously appeal to those more experimental musicians who like to explore less conventional (less-western?) musical styles. At another level, however, it is a brilliant educational tool that can completely change the way you think about how music can sound.

I'm still exploring the best way to make the app work in my own music making but it is a fascinating experience if you approach it with an open mind....  and open ears.

Get well soon Niclas....

If you are a member of the iPad Musician Facebook group (and, if not, you might like to join) then you will be aware that a week or so ago, one of the regular contributors there, Niclas Tamas, suffered a stroke. He has, of course, been receiving good medical care and the prognosis is good....  but here's wishing Niclas a speedy recovery and hoping that he is making music soon as part of that process.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Ipadmusician/



Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/


Elantric

I've dabbled with a few different apps in the last few days - some old and some new - but the absolute highlight for me within the last week has been Arturia's iProphet. I posted a full review of the app yesterday on the website:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/iprophet-review/

For me at least, Arturia's take on Sequential's classic Prophet VS hardware synth just seems to been delivered based upon some very sensible decision-making. First, it's definitely an emulation of the hardware but the interface is not a slavish model of it. Instead, you get the look and that underlying feature set (well, most of it) but presented with a much more modern control set that is more efficient to use.

Second, this is a classic synth and its way of creating and modifying sound is just a pleasure to use. There are plenty of programming options but you will not face some intimidating learning curve if you want to roll your own. It's a great synth even if you are not a great synth programmer.

Third, it just sounds great. I've never used a real Prophet VS and, frankly, while I'm sure it would be an interesting experience, I really don't care; the app sounds great in its own right regardless of any comparison to the original (which, incidentally, I can't afford even if I could find a working version).

And fourth (and this got me thinking in a slightly different direction as well; always a dangerous thing), at UK£6.99, it is an incredible amount of software synth for the price of a coffee and a cake. What's not to like? Well, nothing....

App Store Economics

The different direction that the pricing of iProphet got me thinking in was all to do with the pricing structure of iOS music apps and the App Store in general. Indeed, these thoughts were also stirred by various conversations I've had with folks in the music app development community over the last two or three weeks on the subject of app pricing and the somewhat delicate financing of being a music app developer.

Anyway, I mulled these conversations over as I smiled my way through writing the iProphet app review (smiled because I couldn't quite believe how good a UK£6.99 synth could be) but I did eventually get into more of a 'rant' mode. When I've made some more sense of my jumbled thoughts on the long-term sustainability of many of the apps we all use and love, I'll share them on the blog. And, when I do, I'd be interested to hear your own thoughts and to know just how many of you would be happy to pay a bit more for your iOS music app fix than we all currently do....

... oh, and as context for that conversation, I upgraded my desktop version of Reason this week; €129 - and, if my first couple of days exploring it is anything to go by, worth every penny :-)

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

John Walden
The Music App Blog

http://www.musicappblog.com/

Elantric

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in the newsletter, I took the plunge and upgraded to iOS8 a few days after Steinberg released the v.1.8.2 'iOS8 ready' update to Cubasis. I'm a long-standing Cubase user on the desktop and, for me, with my primary interest in music recording under iOS (as opposed to, for example, live performance), Cubasis sits at the heart of what I do on my iPad. I link other apps to it - using both Audiobus and IAA - but it is my 'hub'.

So far under iOS8, I've found Cubasis itself to be very stable. Now, like any software, I expect if you dig deep enough, you would find a way to turn the app inside out (and I don't mean simply overloading it because you have your iOS hardware maxed out; I mean finding a genuine bug that may cause unexpected behaviour). However, in my own 'normal use' (whatever that might mean compared to the next person), Cubasis gives me a pretty solid user experience and iOS8 has not noticeably changed that.

That's not to say, however, that I haven't encountered some difficulties since moving up to iOS8. In the main, these have been because of apps that I regularly use that have still not been updated to provide iOS8 support. Obviously that means adopting a different workflow and living without those apps until (hopefully) they get updated (and there is still a steady stream of updates appearing as I've documented in various 'news' posts in the last couple of weeks).

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

Even with apps that have been updated, I've experienced some issues - apps being a bit unpredictable when launching into Audiobus or IAA apps left hanging or things bouncing me back to the 'home' screen - and, while I'd rather not have any of these things happen, when I've working in a 'studio' context, it's a irritation rather than a show stopper...

... but that might be exactly what it is  - a show stopper that is - if you are using your iOS setup in a live context. The live performance environment is often chaotic enough without you wondering all the way through your set just when your software is going to bring everything to a horrible stop.

So, while my own experience with iOS8 has, on the whole, been (fairly) painless, some of that might well be down to the way I use my iPad-based system and what I use it for. However, I appreciate that might not be the case for everyone....  and I'd be really interested in hearing your experiences - good or bad - either having stayed with iOS7 or moved up to iOS8....

.... answers in an email to the usual address if you feel like sharing and, if there are some themes that appear then maybe I'll share them with the rest of the readership next time.

Oh, and while we might all experience issues with our iOS setups at some point, the desktop is not immune either... bug-free software, whatever the platform, doesn't exist and the more 'niche' you get in terms of the software you use (and music software in general has a small user base compared things such as office applications or web browsers), the more likely it is that you will encounter these sorts of issues.

Bargain hunters

As I mentioned last week, I'd been mulling over the issue of the App Store and its pricing model...  and, in particular, what this means for the economics of being an app developer. I put a post up on the site on the topic just after the newsletter went out last week and, if you have not already, you can read the full piece here:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/ios-music-app-pricing/

There have been some really interesting and insightful comments made by readers on this piece (including a few developers who have chipped in). Have a read and share your own thoughts.

I do, however, think this issue and that of app stability are absolutely linked. Putting aside Apple's (not inconsiderable) role in keeping iOS stable and a nice place to play, we are at the mercy of the app developers themselves. But they, in turn, have to make the numbers add up and, whether it is an indie developer with limited manpower, or the mobile branch of a larger software organization (a Korg, Propellerhead, Novation or Steinberg) with their much higher overheads, app production has to turn a profit or it will simply cease to exist other than in an amateur, 'for the fun of it', format.

The bottom line here is that modest sales of a UK£2.99, UK£5.99 or even UK£13.99 iOS music app might not provide anyone with a budget to put food on the table for their family, let alone provide a suitable budget to allocate to extended beta testing. In terms of the functionality provided by many individual iOS music apps, we are getting apps that punch well above their weight. In terms of their bullet-proof performance....  well, maybe we are getting exactly what we pay for.

Is that ideal? No. Is it acceptable for us as users? Well, no... but perhaps it ought not to be such a surprise. Is it acceptable and sustainable for the developers themselves? No, I expect not.....  and, after you have read the full article and the existing comments, feel free to chip in with your own thoughts, commentary and, if possible, suggestions as to how this rather tricky set of circumstances might be unravelled to everyone's satisfaction.

Until next time....  have a good week and, if you can, keep making music despite occasional glitch.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

I'm not sure what kind of personality your might have but there are folks who like a quiet life (where everything is settled and you can get on with life within a set of known parameters) and there are others that thrive on the inspiration and excitement of the uncertain  (and who seek out and embrace change).
Given the last few weeks of music making under iOS, I suspect those in the latter group have been the happier bunch than those in the former; iOS8, while it is an evolution rather than a revolution from iOS7, has, for iOS musicians at least, meant some considerable changes. In the medium term, I think those changes will be positive but, in the short term, the disruption for some has been considerable. For those seeking a music making quiet life, perhaps iOS has not been the most comfortable place to be over the last few weeks?

If anything, this last week as just reinforced that. The Apple Event from yesterday (16th October) bought announcements about both the imminent arrival of iOS8.1 (with new features linked to OSX, hopefully a few 'behind the scenes' fixes that might benefit musicians and, equally hopefully, no new disruption introduced) and the next generation of iPad hardware. And while the iPad Air 2 is, again, evolutionary rather than revolutionary, there is enough extra processing grunt built in to make it an attractive upgrade if you like running multiple apps while making your music.

http://www.musicappblog.com/ipad-air-2-launch/

Would I like to have seen more RAM added? Yep, I would. Did I really need it to be marginally slimmer (so things like case accessories will need replacing again)? No, I didn't. Would I appreciate the new camera upgrade (well, not as a musician, but as an amateur photographer)? Yes, I would. Will I be happy to pay less for the top-of-the-range model of the Air 2 compared to the Air 1? Yes I would.

That said, I'm still very happy with my current iPad Air and – blog work aside – I'll be thinking quite hard about whether I really need to keep up this time around. Do I need more change? Well, maybe not....  but that doesn't mean to say I wont eventually part company with some more cash for an iPad Air 2.

Indeed, given the pace of change – a new generation of hardware on an annual cycle – I suspect unless you upgrade pretty much on launch, you might not have the warm glow that owning the latest model can provide for quite the maximum length of time. Psychological only, I know, but then so is 'happiness' :-)

Going soft
Of course, those that find constant change a bit unsettling have also had a barrage of iOS music app updates to deal with during the last week. In the main, these will be welcome as they have all generally be aimed at ensuring improvement compatibility with iOS8 (and hopefully iOS8.1). That said, there have been so many updates in the last week or two that it is very hard to keep track....  and there are lots I haven't managed to mention as yet on the blog.

I'll try and do a 'catch up' post when I get the chance next week.

New and shiny
And there are also new apps appearing all the time. I did get around to reviewing Fiddlewax pro in some detail this week. This app is an interesting mix of musical sketch pad and MIDI performance tool...  so check out the full review:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/fiddlewax-pro-review/

Another new app that appeared on the App Store yesterday is iFretless Brass. If you are familiar with any of the other iFretless app (and I've reviewed a couple of these on the blog in the past), then you will know what to expect here. I've already started playing with this...  it looks and sounds great...  full review to follow in a few days.

Get it free
I've had a few giveaways going over the last week or so....  and as subscribers to the email newsletter (there are about 1300 of you now which is kind of humbling) you are always automatically entered into these draws. However, I have a couple more of these lined up over the week-end including a rather generous giveaway from Igor Vasiliev...  More on this on the blog so keep your eyes peeled...

Until next time....  have a good week and, if you can, keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

In last week's newsletter I spent some time discussing the new iPad Air 2 specification and, in particular, the rather uncertain status of its RAM specification. Overall, I was impressed with the performance hike Apple suggested the new v.2 Air would bring but, as seems to be the case with all their mobile products, mention of the amount of RAM was notable by its absence. 1 GB or 2GBs? You would imagine that was a significant enough issue to warrant including in the device's spec list wouldn't you?
Thankfully, it now looks like we have an answer via the iFixit team (and thanks to Tim Webb over at discchord for posting a link to this). In the name of Apple geeks everywhere (including us iOS musicians), they dutifully sacrificed a brand new iPad Air 2 and spilled its internal organs onto a workbench (maybe they did put it back together again afterwards; I don't know...)
http://www.musicappblog.com/inside-an-ipad-air-2/
And, equally thankfully, it does look like the new iPad Air 2 contains 2GBs of RAM rather than 1...  That ought to mean, assuming apps can fully exploit it (and maybe some recoding will be required to do so?), running sample-based virtual instruments becomes a more feasible task under iOS and that having multiple apps running at the same time (and all grabbing their share of RAM) becomes a smoother experience.
With that missing bit of information now in place, I'd say I was much more likely to upgrade myself. 'Need to'? No, I don't... 'Want to?' Well, yes I do... I'll let you know how that argument goes...
App of the week?
I got around to a number of app reviews this week (still way behind the release rate though!) but my favourite of those new encounters has to be Vandelay.
http://www.musicappblog.com/vandelay-review/
If you have not checked this out yet then do take a look. You can use it as a conventional delay effect if you want but, feed it with just a simple drum or percussion pattern and then set the three different frequency bands to different delay times, and you can create some absolutely brilliant rhythmic results. At UK£1.99, this is a complete steal.
Developer love
As with any 'community' you can identify, the community of iOS app developers has some good, some bad and some downright ugly. Amongst the music app developers, however, we really do have some very nice folks indeed. In my case, I'm always struck by how generous many of the developers are in providing free copies of their apps to me so I can run giveaways on the blog. OK, maybe to them it is not such a big expense (other than a few sales lost?) and they do get some free promotion as a result... but it's still kind of nice.
http://www.musicappblog.com/?s=giveaway
And, in the last week or two, there have been giveaways from Blue Mangoo, Fiddlewax, Igor Vasiliev, apeSoft, Tonapp As and Azfar Jafri. It doesn't stop there though...  over this week-end I'll be posted three new giveaways...  and, yes, as a subscriber to the email newsletter, you are automatically entered for all these, although with over 1300 folk now on the list, I can't promise your name will get pulled out of the hat this time around J
Until next time....  have a good week, good luck in the giveaways and, if you can, keep making music.....
Best wishes,
John
http://www.musicappblog.com/

Elantric

I wrote a post for the blog a few weeks ago looking at how sustainable (or not) the App Store pricing model might be for iOS music app developers. This generated an interesting discussion from both readers and developers alike (feel free to join in if you have a view to share):-

http://www.musicappblog.com/ios-music-app-pricing/

The issue that underlies this piece is the pocket-money pricing structure that Apple have introduced via the App Store. With most app developers choosing to follow that structure and the vast majority of iOS music apps selling at UK£13.99 or under (there are a few exceptions but not that many), it is not a difficult case to make that the better iOS music apps offer incredible value for money....

... which kind of makes it even better value when those same apps go on sale. That's exactly what's happened over the last week or so as lots of developers have announced sale pricing running over the Halloween period. So, if you have been waiting for something already cheap to become even cheaper before you hit the download button, now might be your time.

I'm sure there are a number I've missed but the following from Igor Vasiliev, Jonatan Liljedahl, Jesper Nordin and Sugar Bytes ought to be enough to tempt even the most tightly closed of wallets :-)

http://www.musicappblog.com/audio-mastering-master-fx-master-record-altispace-sale/

http://www.musicappblog.com/sector-sale-2/

http://www.musicappblog.com/scalegen-and-gestrument-sale/

http://www.musicappblog.com/sugar-bytes-sale-3/

Dark music
If the Halloween apps sales are more treat than trick, but you still fancy a bit of a scare, then you might also want to check out the latest album release on the Apptronica label:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/apptronica-label-latest-release/

The Halloween-themed compilation album features tracks from a number of dedicated iOS musicians (including a number of regulars at the Music App Blog) so, if you need to be (a) scared in a sonic fashion and (b) want to hear some great examples of just how far an iPad and a few apps (oh, and some creative talent!) can take you, then check out 'My iPad Made Me Do It'.

It's available via Bandcamp at a 'pay what you like' price so, with the money you have saved in the sales, show some support for Apptronica and your fellow iOS musicians.

Until next time....  have a good week, pick up some treats and, if you can, keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

This week, amongst the continuing rounds of app updates (on that front, Take, midiSequencer and Auto-Tune Mobile caught my eye this week – check out the 'News' entries on the site for details), there have been a couple of notable new app launches.

First off the blocks was Voice Jam Studio – a sort of four-track audio looper app aimed at vocalists from TC-Helicon - and with an impressive collection of vocal effects including pitch correction, gender bending, doubling and harmony generation.

http://www.musicappblog.com/voice-jam-studio-launched/

Having spent a little time with the app, I can easily think of things it doesn't let you do (you can't edit the effects, for example) but there is still a lot of good things in what it can do to make it a very promising start. I'll post a full review at some stage in the next few days...

The other new app is zMors Modular from developer Sven Braun. Sven is the person behind zMors Synth so will be familiar to many iOS musicians. As the name suggests, zMors Modular is a modular synth; a kind of 'build your own synth' app:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/zmors-modular-launches/

The obvious comparison here is with an app like Audulus or the modular synth available within Caustic (both of which I've reviewed on the site in the past). None of these are perhaps for synth programming newbies but, if you like to do experiments with synths and want an inexpensive 'playground' in which to do it, zMors Modular looks like a lot of fun...  Again, once I've dug a little deeper, then I'll post a more detailed look.

Happy birthday to us!

The other significant event this week – well, significant to me at least – is that the Music App Blog newsletter has reached its first birthday. While the site itself has been going for longer than that (it was launched waaay back in March 2012), issue no. 1 of the newsletter went out in the first week of November 2013. When I launched the newsletter, I had no idea how it might pan out or whether folks would find it useful or interesting so, in getting to week 53, a couple of things are worth reflecting upon.

First, I want to say a big 'thank you' to all of you who have signed up, whether that was in the first week or simply during last week. Your support – and willingness to let me ramble on (!) via email to you once a week - is very much appreciated. There are now nearly 1400 people, scattered across all parts of the globe, who receive the newsletter every week and I find that both amazing and humbling.

Second, it has been interesting for me to look back at the first issue of the newsletter that I sent out. Yes, I rambled on even then (!) but one of the key stories in the first newsletter was the announcement of Positive Grid's BIAS for iPad.

There have been lots of iOS music app success stories over the last 12 months (and many that promised lots but perhaps have not lived up to expectations) and BIAS for iOS has certainly been one of them. BIAS for iPad has therefore been with us for just under a year. The fact that this week I've published a review of the recently released desktop version of BIAS – one of the first major pieces of music software that started life under iOS and is attempting to make a transfer to Windows and OSX - is timely.

http://www.musicappblog.com/bias-desktop-review/

However, it is also an indication that iOS music app developers are capable of creating genuinely innovative products that can transition into the music technology mainstream. How successful BIAS might be against some of the very good (and well established) desktop competition is still a question to be answered.

Personally, I think it would be great for iOS music making in general if BIAS – and other top iOS music apps – can make the transition and survive. Exposing the current generation of desktop music technology users to a few killer iOS music apps has got to be a good thing for iOS as a platform...
I can think of a few apps I'd love to see on the desktop. Gadget, Sector and Stereo Designer would certainly be on my own short list...  but if you have any suggestions yourself then drop me a line. If I get enough requests for a particular app then maybe a developer to two might consider giving it a shot?

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

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

Elantric



There have been a number of interesting app updates and other 'coming sometime soon' news stories for iOS music makers this week but – Michael Tyson's very interesting introduction to the development of Loopy Masterpiece aside...

http://www.musicappblog.com/loopy-masterpiece/

... the thing that most caught my eye was the announcement from Korg about the imminent arrival of Korg Module for iPad. This is scheduled to launch before the end of November and, if the audio demos and specification are anything to go by, Korg Module looks like it is pitched right of the top of the class in terms of sample-based virtual instruments for iOS:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/korg-module-for-ipad-announced/

The initial release will offer 5 modules covering various keyboard instruments featuring acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, clav and 'multi' (apparently offering a range of sounds including strings, bass and synths). From the details provided, it would seem that these will all be highly sampled and therefore offer a very realistic performance/sound combination.

There are two other features that appeal in the outline spec. First off, the app, although working as a stand-alone app or within Audiobus and IAA, once purchased, will also appear as 5 additional 'gadgets' within Gadget. Second, there are two IAPs (In Application Purchases) that will be available as extra expansion packs within Gadget; Ivory Mobile Grand from Synthology and Korg's own Wurley Electric Piano. The first of these is very interesting as it is a 2GB (!) sample library in its own right. On the desktop, Ivory Grand sounds pretty awesome... it will be hugely impressive if that translates to IOS pretty much intact.

Built for 2GB?

Korg are at pains to point out that users will get a better experience with Korg Module if they are using newer iPad hardware. Given the volume of sample data, you are also going to need to have plenty of storage space available. I'm sure that really means 'buy a 128GB iPad Air 2 if you can'...

While the app will undoubtedly have been in development for some time, this is exactly the kind of sample-based virtual instrument that could (if the code allows it to) exploit the 2GB of RAM found in the new iPad Air 2. It will be very interesting to see how well the app functions on the different generations of iOS hardware...  and to see whether Korg Module might be the shape of things to come for iOS sample-based instruments. If you want to close the gap between what's possible under iOS compared to the desktop, emulations of 'real' (as opposed to synthesised) instruments is one obvious target area...

From my own perspective, I'd still love to see something along the lines of Korg Module aimed at (a) acoustic drums and (b) orchestral sounds. I know there is a demand for these kinds of sounds (lots of you keep telling me)... maybe Korg Module might act as a 'proof of concept' for other developers to take on those particular challenges? Oh, and if there are types of sample-based virtual instrument you would like to see tackled at this sort of level, what would be top of your own list? Drop me a line and let me know....

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog


Elantric

There have been a number of newsworthy items in the world of iOS music making this week. For example, there has been an excellent update to the iSymphonic Orchestra app which takes it a significant step forwards and means it represents much better values for the potential purchaser:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/isymphonic-orchestra-update/

Equally, if you are a relatively new to the whole iOS music making thing and still building a collection of music apps, the news that Positive Grid have now created a couple of new bundles (one for iPad and one for iPhone) might be of interest as what was already very competitively priced has now become a real bargain if bought as a collection:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/positive-grid-bundles/

(I really should do a post on some of the better app bundles that include iOS music apps).
Or, if you are interested in loop-based music – and 'looping in particular – then you really should check out Michael Tyson's latest instalment in his video diary on the 'in development' Loopy Masterpiece app:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/loopy-masterpiece-2/

However, for me, the highlight of the week landed yesterday in the arrival of Sugar Bytes Egoist in an iPad format. With a special launch price of UK£13.99 (which will hold for just a few days I think), if you are in to electronic music styles, this is going to be a very tempting proposition:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/egoist-review/

I've been lucky enough to own the desktop version of Egoist since its initial release and – in a very Sugar Bytes fashion – it is a brilliant piece of software. As a combination of loop slicer, bass synth, beat machine and effects unit, it allows you to create new grooves with ease and, in its desktop incarnation, it offers some hugely creative options.

Despite costing considerably less than the US$99 price of the desktop version, the iPad version has (as far as I can see so far at least) all the features of the desktop version. It is therefore both fun to use and capable of creating some seriously good grooves. At also seems to play nicely with other apps and supports MIDI Cock sync.

Typical of Sugar Bytes software however, the interface is also quite 'busy'. It might be easy to let this put you off... don't let it though... you would be missing out on a really cool app. And what I like most about Sugar Bytes as a company is that their software is always just a bit (OK, sometimes a lot) left of centre; there is nothing 'me too!' about the designs even if the underlying concepts (in this case a groove instrument) are things we are familiar with.

We are, of course, getting towards the end of 2014... and it has been another stellar year in terms of iOS music app releases. No, the year as a whole has not been without its downs as well as its ups (I don't think anyone would describe the introduction of iOS8 as a perfect experience for iOS musicians) but we have seen some brilliant apps. At some point towards the end of December, just for fun, I'll compile my own top 10 list of music app releases from the current year... Egoist will, I think, be on it :-)

Right, I'm off to spend the week-end making some grooves...

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,
John
http://www.musicappblog.com/

Elantric


Wow – what a week! If you are as much of a music appaholoic as I am then the whole Black Friday/Cyber Monday thing is quite a big deal. Indeed, if you do have an app habit, and there are still apps on your 'most wanted' list – oh, and you actually have some disposable income to dispose of – then I'm not sure there is much to be 'black' about here. Anyway, there are almost too many bargains to list but if you want to catch up with the ones that have particularly caught my eye over the last few days then check out the 'News' posts on the website... and keep scrolling because there are a lot of them!

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

As I've mentioned many times before in the newsletter and on the blog, the App Store pricing model is great for us app consumers. Quite how it makes much sense for the app developers I'm less sure about. However, if you are a bargain hunter, then this is the time to hunt...

It that it?

Amongst the frenzy of app sales, you could be forgiven for thinking that that was the only news in town this week; it's not. Indeed, it would be a shame is something as potentially interesting as the new Korg Module app got lost in the 'on sale' news items. I mentioned Korg's pre-release announcement a couple of weeks ago but, as of today, the app is available for download on the App Store.

http://www.musicappblog.com/korg-module-launched/

I've not had much of a chance to experiment yet but it certainly does sound good and the two IAPs also add something very useful to the overall package. Korg are already talking about future additions to the module and, if these sound as good as the instruments within the initial release, then this promises to be a bit of a step up for iOS in terms of sampled-based instruments. You might, however, need to think about the storage capacity of your iPad; more realistic sounds means more sample depth means bigger app sizes!

However, in launching the new app, Korg obviously didn't want to miss out on the Black Friday vibes; Korg Module is launched at UK£20.99, 25% off what will be the usual price and the Ivory Grand Mobile IAP is 33% off (currently UK£13.99) while the Wurly Electric Piano IAP is free... but all for a limited time so get in there quickly if the app appeals.

A full review will follow next week....

So is that now it?

Well, no, not quite....  You might also like to check out the latest release from Klevgränd Produktion called Svep. Svep provides a dedicated modulation effect doing flanger, chorus and phaser style effects. The interface is also very cool and easy to use. This might not be quite so high profile as the Korg Module launch but, given the pedigree that Klevgränd Produktion's SquashIt and VanDelay bring, Svep is an app well worth a look:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/svep-launched/

Again, at UK£1.99, this is not going to break the bank but it really is a very neat little app and well worth adding to your iOS effect app toolkit. A full review of Svep will also follow when I've had a chance to spend a little more time with it.

Right, I'm off to check out a few more bargains and but Korg Module through a chorus effect....

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

GovernorSilver

Got Egoist during the introductory sale and love it!  Awesome blog.

Elantric

As I mentioned last week, the hotly awaited Korg Module app arrived on the App Store a week ago. I reviewed the app earlier this week and I have to say that I'm hugely impressed by what Korg have done with this app. It sounds great, works very slickly within Gadget and, by all accounts, seems to use some quite clever sample storage system so that there is no duplication of samples between the 'stand-alone' and 'Gadget' versions of the sounds.

http://www.musicappblog.com/korg-module-review/

I know many of us are still working on iPads that are not of the latest generation (still on an Air 1 here) but Module is a very interesting sign of just how far iOS music making has come and, given the to-be-expected gradual improvement in iPad/iPhone computing power, where it might be possible to go over the next year or two. If Apple continues to up the ante in terms of CPU grunt, RAM and storage for these mobile devices, it will give developers the scope to deliver some even better music software.

However, prompted by a couple of emails I got from readers this week – and who, for one reason or another, were discussing things they still find limiting in the mobile environment that are taken for granted on the desktop - Module also got me thinking about what are the most significant weaknesses in the iOS platform for music making.

Let's start with a few of the positives. Making music via iOS is (relatively speaking) inexpensive (not so much the hardware but most certainly in terms of software). As such it is a great platform for newbie music techies or those on a more limited budget (although if someone can afford an iPad then I assume they are also not short of food and shelter which is a decent start compared to lots of folk I guess). It's also compact and mobile; great for taking your music production system (or parts of it at least) with you even if it is just to kill idle time during a commute.

In terms of sounds, we have stellar synths, some great guitar amp sims, some wonderfully create effects apps, some cool electronic drum machines and, with the likes of Korg Module, a glimpse of just how good sample-based sounds are going to get. In terms of electronic music production we also have some great tools – from groove boxes (e.g. FunkBox), to groove machines (e.g. Egoist), to loop manglers (e.g. Sector) to complete production environments (e.g. Gadget, Caustic, Oscilab, all in different ways).

We have some very capable recording apps – Cubasis and Auria being the highlights – that, while they are perhaps not right up there in terms of the comprehensive spec of a top-flight desktop DAW (as an aside, I upgraded to Cubase 8 on the desktop this week; all the top-end DAWs are great in their own way but, as an example of just how powerful and feature-packed these applications now are, Cubase 8 is suitably jaw-dropping), are perfectly capable of making very good multi-track recordings. All good....

... but what about the less positive? What doesn't work quite so well under iOS at this point? Well, at a personal level, I think we are still missing something killer in a number of areas of software (and I think these are gaps a keen developer could fill). I've mentioned all these before but top of my own wish list would be 'scaled for iPad' versions of BFD (a virtual acoustic drummer; DrumPerfect is very close – Marinus – please, please, please add a collection of preset patterns to suit different musical styles :-) ), Melodyne/AutoTune (I like AutoTune mobile but would love more detailed control options) and Wavelab/Sound Forge (something to do detailed audio editing within).

However, I'm not sure these missing software links would be my only concern. I think I'd also identify workflow. All these disparate iOS music apps are wonderful in their own right but often the real challenge is getting them to all work together to give you an efficient music production process. In this regard, Audiobus and IAA technology have moved iOS music making forward enormously over the last couple of years; things are most certainly better than they were.

And maybe time is a significant part of the answer to this particular issue. iOS is still a relatively young platform and I'm sure is being used in ways that even the mega-minds at Apple would not have predicted 4 or 5 years ago. As such, software developers are still coming to terms with the 'best way' to implement certain types of application on the small format, touch screen, computer (oh, and Apple keep moving the target by a fairly significant amount on an annual basis). For example, wonderful though the touch screen is for all sorts of things (real-time control of X-Y pad effects for example), you me at least, nobody has quite cracked MIDI piano roll editing on a touch screen yet; it is a bit of a pain even in the slickest of our current app crop.

I'm sure every iOS musician can probably think of some example of their own on this front; things that, for all the wonders that iOS does offer us as musicians, you think are 'not quite there' yet. Anyway, if you do have one or two suggestions/observations on this front, then please drop me a quick reply. If I get enough responses, then I might put together a post for the blog discussing some of the more common observations...  Go on, get your key iOS music making irritations off your chest :-)

Until next time....  have a good week and keep making music.....  despite those limitations...

Best wishes,

John

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

Elantric

If you have been hanging around the Music App Blog for any length of time then you will have seen my occasional 'road trip' posts over the last nine months. To keep a fairly long story short (which makes a change for me), myself, my wife and our two kids have, over the last year of so, been in the process of relocating from the UK (lovely, but, where we were living on the east coast of Scotland, prone to long winters, cold temperatures and strong winds) to SW France (prone to long summers, warmer temperatures and mostly much lower wind speeds).

As I posted back in August, we made the leap between the UK and France at the end of the summer (that's the UK summer; here in France, this year at least, summer lasted until the end of October). So, the bulk of our final 'one way' road trip took place in August and we have, over the last three months, started to get settled in to our new life here in France.

I say 'started' because, as any of you who have experienced a major relocation (especially with kids) will appreciate, you don't just rock up and get on with it in a new place; it takes time for things to slot into place and for new routines and friendships to evolve. We are definitely still in that phase....

The last leg...

We also have one final leg of the 'road trip' to complete.... It's a short one; just 5km from where we now are, but also quite a big final leg, as we are moving from our temporary rented accommodation (which has been very nice) into the house we viewed, and agreed to buy, back in June (and which is even better).

And my reason for sharing all this personal history with you? Well, simply that, by the time you read this, I'll be up to my ears in boxes (again) as we pack up our belongings (well, those we had bothered to unpack), stick them in a big van, and move them the short distance to what will become our permanent home. For a few days at least, things may be a little on the quiet side here on the blog. I'll hopefully drop in occasionally to say 'hi' and post a few news items, etc. providing I can get the internet (Orange have promised) up and running promptly in the new house...

Mobile and not-so-mobile studios

I am (we all are) looking forward to getting into our 'own' house. In the short-term things will, of course, be complete chaos ('yes, let's move 10 days prior to Christmas... why not?') but there is another – maybe medium-term – reason why this move is a big thing for me; studio space.

I'll be set up with my music system in a spare room for a few months (sound familiar to anyone?) but the new house will – finances permitting – eventually allow me to build a 'proper' dedicated studio space. Yes, it will be home to my iPad recording studio but also to my desktop-based system... I can't wait... but I've no idea yet quite how quickly I'll be able to get started on the work involved in turning what is currently an outbuilding into a workable project studio space. I'll keep you posted.... :-)

Anyway, wish me (us) luck with the final short hop.... I'll have my iPad and Xkey handy for when I need a bit of a musical break during our final move and, hopefully, as soon as we are installed and online, I'll let you know how the last leg of the road trip went...

Best wishes,

John

PS just so this is not totally devoid of iOS music app news, if you don't own Thor, do yourself a favour and check out the current sale pricing:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/thor-sale-2/

If the sale is still in place by the time you read this then grab a copy. This is just about the best deal on a top-notch iOS synth that you could imagine.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thor-polysonic-synthesizer/id660195946?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
J



John Walden
The Music App Blog

supernicd

Thor really is an amazing iOS synth and I'll add one more reason to grab it up.

Propellerhead has a really well done (IMO) tutorial for it that you can step through and learn a lot about sound design and synthesizer programming.
https://www.propellerheads.se/products/thor/index.php?fuseaction=learn-thor

Thor is more feature rich than VG/GR/GP synths, but you could port at least some of the concepts that you learn over to designing synth sounds on your Roland device.
Strat w/ GK-3, Godin LGXT
VG-99, GR-55, GP-10
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Elantric

First, can I start with a big 'thank you' to everyone who took the time to wish us well with the house move I mentioned in last week's newsletter? Things have (amazingly) gone pretty much to plan and, hopefully, by the time you read this, we will actually be fully installed in our new home...  if not quite unpacked J Anyway, your kind words were much appreciated. A number of folks also asked about my plans for building my own studio space at our new home. That's a project that is still some months away from getting started but I'll keep you posted as and when I get underway. Again, thanks for the interest....

Second, while I've not had time to do any app reviews this week (too many boxes to move), I have kept my eye on the updates and new releases. There have been some interesting things here so do check out the 'News' posts from the last few days over at the blog.

http://www.musicappblog.com/category/news/

FM4 has been updated (the MIDI support is now fully operational) and a few new apps have been launched that look interesting including Oriental Strings, Phase84 and SoundPrism Electro. I'm looking forward to exploring these over the holiday period and I'll post reviews of each as and when I get out of boxes and back into work.

Third, with Christmas approaching, I'd like to wish you all the best for the upcoming holiday period. I hope you and yours find time to enjoy each other's company. However, I'm not the only one who seems to be in the mood to spread a little festive cheer as some of your favourite iOS music app developers also seem to have got into the Christmas spirit. Over the coming week-end, I'll have a very special giveaway going on via the Music App Blog. As a newsletter subscriber, you will automatically be included in any giveaway draws, but keep your eyes peeled anyway as there will be a nice sack-full of stuff for me to dispose of :-)

Finally, I want your input.... As 2014 draws to a close, the usual 'review of the year' and 'what's on the agenda for next year?' topics come to the surface. I'll chip in my own contribution on those fronts over the holiday period and, as it is now becoming something of a Music App Blog tradition, one of the things I'd like to do cough up my own personal 'top 10 apps of the year' list.

However, I'd also love to get your perspective of this so, if you can spare 30 seconds, hit 'reply' and send me a quick one-liner naming your favourite app released in 2014... I'll add some 'readers choices' to my own selections when I put the post together...

Until next time....  have a good week and, amongst the usual holiday eating, drinking and partying, keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

http://www.musicappblog.com/

John Walden
The Music App Blog

Elantric

'Tis the season to be jolly... and also brief (which makes a change for me I guess) as I'm sure you all fully occupied over the holiday period. Here's hoping that Santa/your family/your friends were super-kind to you and you found a few nice things tucked under the Christmas tree yesterday :-)

However, if one of those things happened to be some App Store credit, then you might want to check out the current list of top-notch iOS music apps that are currently on sale. I've collected a few highlights here:-

http://www.musicappblog.com/ios-music-app-sales/

There are some great apps from the likes of Korg, Sugar Bytes, Arturia, IK Multimedia, VirSyn, Positive Grid and many others that are currently on sale so feel free to put those iTunes credits to good use :-)

Oh, and if you have already blown all you available iOS music money for this month, then keep you fingers crossed that your name might get drawn out of the hat for the mega iOS music app Christmas giveaway that's been running on the site for the last few days.

http://www.musicappblog.com/christmas-app-giveaway/

The response has been huge and it is amazing that so many of our favourite music app developers have been generous enough to donate copies of their apps for the giveaway. Entries close on Sunday (but you are entered anyway as a member of the email list). It might take me a couple of days to sort through all the apps and pick some winners...  but I'll post a full list as soon as I can after the 28th.

Finally, the New Year is nearly upon up.... Can't wait for iOS9? Er... perhaps you can. I can live without too many new bells and whistles in the coming 12 months but here's hoping that 2015 brings some much needed stability and/or fine-tuning of the iOS music making process.

Until next time....  have a good week and, amongst the usual holiday eating, drinking and partying, keep making music.....

Best wishes,

John

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

Elantric

#49
http://www.musicappblog.com/ios-music-in-2015/
iOS music in 2015 – the Music App Blog wishlist
January 1, 2015 by John 16 Comments
crystal ball guitarThis time of the year is always a bit thought provoking. One year ends and another one starts and, while it is just one day following another, it encourages you to look back at the year just finishing and look forward to what the year ahead might bring.
As some of you might have already seen, I've already done a bit of 'looking back' with a personal take (and feel free to disagree with me) on my top 10 iOS music apps released during 2014. Whether you like my own list or not, it is difficult to deny that the last 12 months has seen some absolutely brilliant new music apps released. I'd be interested in any of your own suggestions if you think you have a personal favourite that I didn't include....
2014 also bought some... er... well, perhaps 'challenges' is a good word... for the iOS musician. The transition to iOS8 was not a particularly smooth ride and there are still a number of very popular iOS music apps that have not yet made the transition. Fingers crossed though; even this last week or so has seen a few notable apps jump through that particular hoop....
But what about the looking forward and what 2015 might bring for the iOS musician? What might help make the lot of the iOS musician even better during 2015? Well, l made a few personal suggestions for 2014 this time last year so, just for fun, I'll start by taking a look back at those and see if any of my wishes came true. And, after that, I'll gaze into my crystal ball app and see what I might like for 2015 from an iOS music app perspective...
That was the year that was

When I posted my 'look forward' piece for 2014, there were a few headline items on it that I was hoping to see; Audiobus 2 (we knew that was coming by time I wrote the post), better MIDI Clock support, more audio/MIDI hardware designed with iOS users fully in mind (including power supply issues), a virtual drummer app and an audio editor app. So how did 2014 do on these fronts?

Audiobus 2 has opened up all sorts of useful workflow options for iOS musicians.
Well, despite the transition to iOS8, I think we can safely say that Audiobus 2 delivered. The new features it offers in terms of multiple audio signal paths and State Saving make a big difference to your iOS music-making workflow. It's just a shame that some of the shine was taken off that contribution because of the challenges posed by the introduction of iOS8.
I'm less convinced about the progress made in terms of MIDI Clock – or, indeed, MIDI in general – and you can read the very interesting contribution Nic Grant from Audeonic (the developer behind MidiBus) made about the state of MIDI play back in October to get a more detailed take on this. I think this year has seen some progress – apps with better individual MIDI implementation or better MIDI features – but there is still a road to be travelled here.
In terms of audio or MIDI hardware designed specifically with the iOS in mind, I think we have also seen some progress. This has been more in the form of dedicated hardware so products such as the Focusrite iTrack Dock and Alesis iTrack Dock II have moved things forwards here. Equally, innovative products such as the Line 6 Sonic Port VX have taken familiar concepts and packaged them in a compact format for the mobile musician. I've also taken the plunge (twice in fact) on a compact MIDI keyboard for use with my iPad – a CME Xkey and an Alesis QX25 – so that I have something I can easily use when on the move.

Focusrite's iTrack Dock – one of several new audio+MIDI interface options for the iOS musician launched in 2014.
All that said, do I think we still have the 'perfect' audio/MIDI interface or MIDI keyboard/controller for the iOS musician? Nope... still waiting I think. And, in case any developers/manufacturers are out there listening, I'm not necessarily talking about either (a) lowest price possible or (b) only for iOS use. I'd be happy to pay a higher price if the hardware included a more comprehensive set of connectivity and power support suitable for iOS use or if said hardware could also be used with a desktop system.
In terms of the 'app gaps' on my own personal list for 2014... well, I think we have one hit and one miss. I still haven't really found a killer fully-blown audio editing environment that really draws me in (a miss for me). However, in DrumPerfect, I think we have a pretty impressive 'hit' in the virtual drummer category. It was great on first launch if, in places, a little clunky to use. However, developer Marinus Molengraft has, over a series of updates, tweaked, fine-tuned and added to the feature set and workflow. No, it is not in the same league as BFD3 on the desktop, but it is a very clever, iPad-friendly, take on the genre.

DrumPerfect's UI has been tweaked to allow easy access to all the features.
Aside from a significant number of brilliant new iOS music apps that have appeared over the last 12 months, another personal highlight for me (and I'll put my hands up here as a confirmed fan of Steinberg; in terms of my own music production work, Cubase and Cubasis are my core tools) was the v.1.8 update to Cubasis. To see automation introduced in the app was a big step forward. More to come this year? Let's see :-)
Bring in the new...

So what about things for a 2015 wishlist? Well, any suggestions are bound to be influenced by my own personal needs and music making process but, if I had to identify a top 5 then it would probably go something like this...
Workflow stability and refinements for iOS music making.
The 'perfect' (whatever that might mean) audio/MIDI interface for use with an iPad.
Dedicated 'joined up' hardware to support live use of an iPad.
To see the profile of iOS-based music technology raised in some fashion.
Some key apps getting new features.
Workflow

I think lots of iOS musicians would welcome a year when the hiatus of the iOS7/iOS8 transition can be well and truly put to bed. Wherever the issues might lie, us users just want things to 'work as advertised' and, while I have a 'techie' background and quite enjoy getting my head around making disparate bits of kit talk to one another, I'm also a musician and I don't always want the technology to dominate my thinking, especially when I'm trying to be creative.

IAA provides something close to VST for the iOS musician... but it is still something of a work in progress.
As mentioned above, I'm impressed by the things that Audiobus 2 has bought in 2014. However, I'm also a big fan of IAA and, while that technology is about as close as iOS gets to desktop VST technology, it is not without its quirks. I'd include within this apps that either don't open correctly when loaded via IAA or, somewhat more irritatingly, don't close fully when the IAA host itself is closed. It would be great to see IAA moved forward this year, whether by Apple or individual developers in terms of their own specific implementation of it.
Perfection in a box?

There are some excellent audio/MIDI interfaces available that can be used with iOS hardware and, of course, everyone's idea of the 'perfect' combination of features in such an interface will vary depending upon their specific needs. For me, I want a compact, 2-in/2-out, with respectable audio quality and phantom power. I want a headphone out and USB connectivity to either desktop or iOS.
So far, so normal, but the devil is in the details and its here I can't quite find what I want yet. First, while I'm happy enough for the unit to require mains power (I'll go with my iRig Pro when I want to be totally mobile) but I do want it to pass both audio/MIDI data and power to my iPad via whatever connectivity is required. Second, I'd like it to support both standard 5-pin DIN and USB MIDI 'in' and, for the latter, I want it to power a suitable MIDI controller keyboard (one less power supply to carry around).

The iRig PRO is a very compact audio+MIDI interface for iOS.
The end result is flexibility in terms of connectivity and a single power supply to support the whole system... and if the audio quality is good enough to double as compact desktop interface, then so much the better.
Take it out

I hear from lots of readers of the blog who take their iOS technology out and use it live. Equally, I hear from lots of would-be live users with questions about the practicalities of doing this. There are two types of questions here; (i) how do I make sure my iOS hardware will not take a beating in the somewhat chaotic live environment and (ii) what additional hardware do I need to get audio and/or MIDI and/or both at the same time into and out of my iPad in a live setting.
There are all sorts of partial answers to both these questions and I'm sure lots of musicians have managed to use a bit of creative DIY thinking to piece together various ad-hoc solutions to suit their own requirements. Amongst the partial answers are items such as the IK Multimedia iKlip or BlueBoard. These are very goods at what they do but, of their own, they are not a 'complete' solution.

The BlueBoard is a great unit... but how about a 'complete' hardware product aimed at the live iPad users?
I don't think any manufacturer has yet really thought about this from a 'do it all' perspective. I can understand why; the iPad is a moving target as Apple tweak the hardware on a regular basis and developing what might end up being quite an expensive end product for what might, at present, be a relatively niche market, would be a high-risk strategy. It would, however, be great to see someone give it a shot...  something that is not unlike the custom pedal board cases you can get for a guitar rig...  designed to be robust and contain all the elements needed to use an iPad live.
Talk about it

I don't think there is any doubt that the user-base for iOS music technology is growing but, equally, I suspect there is a massive, as yet, untapped potential amongst musicians who happen to be Apple owners but not yet 'iOS musicians' and iOS users who are still at the wannabe' stage in terms of discovering music technology. Raising the profile of the iOS platform for music making with these potential users has got to be a good thing.
How that might happen during the next 12 months is anyone's guess. Websites such as those listed on the blog's 'Links' page can do their bit (and music technology media outlets in general have an significant role to play in this regard) but I think the step-change that it would be great to see requires something on a different scale. Whether that's a brilliant, out-of-the-blue no.1 single where the side story happens to be that it was all recorded on an iPad or whether it's something more conventional such as a collection of iOS developers joining together to create an industry body to promote the platform... well, we will just have to wait and see.

High profile iOS music exposure like this example featuring Robert Plant and Jimmy Fallon on US TV has got to be a good thing....
The benefits of such a step-change would, however, be obvious; more exposure means more users mean more sales... and the business side of iOS music technology needs sales to survive and provide a basis for the next bit of R&D.
Update me

I'm sure we could all pick our favourite app (or apps) and suggest a few new features we would like to see. This could easily become a very long conversation (of the 'give me more of everything' sort) but, given my primary interest in the recording aspects of iOS, there are three very specific updates I'd love to see this year that I think would be very interesting; MIDI for Auria, audio for Gadget and folder tracks/group channels for Cubasis.

MIDI for Auria anytime soon? It would be great to see...
In terms of absolute features, Auria is the most powerful and fully-specified audio multi-track recorder available for iOS. WaveMachine Labs have discussed the idea of bringing MIDI recording to the app for some time and, if they could do it with feature set that matches the audio elements of the app, then it would be a pretty formidable beast.
Korg have also indicated that audio recording is on the agenda for Gadget. My 'app of the year 2014' is already a very slick environment for creating electronic music productions. Again, if Korg could 'do' audio multi-track recording in a fashion that worked within the current scene-based MIDI sequencing of the app, it would be a very attractive prospect.

Any chance of audio for Gadget also?
Cubasis, while certainly not approaching Cubase in terms of detailed features, already has all the core features required for tracking and mixing perfectly decent audio+MIDI projects. The interface is also pretty slick. And, as iPads get more powerful, iOS musicians can take on ever more complex projects via their chosen DAW/sequencing apps.
However, brilliant though the iPad's touchscreen is, it is not quite the same as working on a multi-screen desktop system; screen real-estate is at a premium. With complex projects that can make managing larger track counts an issue. Seeing Steinberg port both Folder Track and Group Channel technology across from the desktop into Cubasis would bring a whole number of workflow benefits. I've no idea whether this is on Steinberg's current agenda for the app... but here's hoping.

The ability to organise tracks into folders – and to exploit group tracks – would be great to see in Cubasis.
The combination of all three of these personal update wishes would, I think, create three high-profile iOS DAW/sequencers. Quite how they then competed with each other would be interesting to watch :-)
From wishlist to reality

There are lots of specific things that could be added to this list but if even a couple of these actually move from my wishlist into reality over the next 12 months then I'll be quite happy. And, of course, I suspect there will be another amazing crop of new apps to get our heads around over the next year.
We might not have too long to wait to at least get a taste of what 2015 is going to bring though. Don't forget that the annual Winter NAMM show kicks off as usual in the last week of January. While this is aimed at all music and music technology manufacturers, iOS will most certainly get a look in and I except there will be the usual crop of product launches and announcements to look forward to. As ever, I'll try and keep you up to speed with the highlights relevant to iOS music making here on the Music App Blog.
And, until then, and much as this wishful thinking is fun to indulge in, don't let the 'I wish I could...' items stop you... just keep making music anyway... Technology is great and fun to explore but being creative and making music is what it is all for. Working within whatever your personal constraints might be – and accepting those rather than allowing them to hinder you – is all part of the process.
http://www.musicappblog.com/getting-music-done/
Very best wishes for 2015...
John