AxisPad preview 3 years ago today

3 years ago today the AxisPad preview became available on the miniMusic site. It was a very different world for mobile music back then compared to today, and in 2006 AxisPad was really big news.

I can remember downloading in and playing with it for the first time and really enjoying using it.

I still think that the interface is really very innovative even against today's standards, and I still use it occasionally too.

Question 2 ...

There were some interesting responses to my question earlier today so I thought I'd add another question.

What application or kind of application would make you move to another platform / buy another device?

DrumsynthDS

Here's a mock up. Looks good doesn't it.

Ellatron news

Some Ellatron news after a bit of a silence on their blog. They are planning ...

"an artist special edition Tron. Like your own Rory Gallagher edition strat, but more electronic, and pocket-sized. Should be great."

Sounds, good to me. Another thing to look forward to as the days get shorter and colder.

Check it out at the app store:

TonesynthDS update to 0.23

TonesynthDS version 0.23 is ready to download. Here's what's new:

• Start playing a pattern will not skip the first accord and start immediately after the click.
• Position led flickering has been decreased.
• Pattern play pauseing is accurte when you play a test sound. (althoug maybe a little extra delay would be nice)
• Low pass filter with resonance. Cut frequency starts from 16384Hz. At the right end of the 'cut' slider the lpf is turned off, so the resonanc will not work there. At the right end of the 'res' slider the original sample is pretty distorted. It is not a bug; it comes from the math. I have left it in. May be it will be good for something.
• Every calculation have fallen back to 32768Hz. I kept it in 44100 originaly because of the ndsi, but this was just too slow (and not just because more sample should be calculated). I think I will simply create an ndsi version later.
• A nice big optimalization (not just the base frequency decreasing). Now the sample generation is faster even with the lpf.
• Selectible scales. (chromatic,ionian,dorian,phrygain,lydian,locrian) You have to regenerate the bank to hear the difference. In every scale the first note is C3. In the previous versions ionian was the default.

Touch DJ device news

Some news on Touch DJ, the Amidio app that's been in review for weeks:

"Touch DJ will work on any device, song loading times are faster on 3GS but perfomance is ok even on 1G devices"

I know a few people were wondering if this was going to be another 3GS only app, but it seems like there's nothing to worry about from Amidio.

Teenage Engineering: OP-1 News

Loads of Teenage Engineering news today and new samples, find it all here.

Question ...

If you were going to move mobile platforms, which mobile platform would you go to, and why?

I'm just interested.

Amidio's news

Amidio news:

Just got this tweet from Amidio:

Regarding the platforms... All our future apps will be both iPhone + VST/AU

Interesting stuff. I wonder what their next 'big thing' is going to be then?

Amidio at the app store:

A few things I'd like to see before the end of 2009

Ok, here's my wishlist of sorts that I'd like to see before the end of 2009:

• Mixtikl 2 on Windows Mobile and iPhone
• Touch DJ, it has been such a long wait
• Sonorasaurus, about 7 weeks at the time of writing
• Auteureist released
• The next Noise IO update
• A new (music) app from Yonac
• A little more on the next big thing to come from Amidio
• DopplerPad synth editing
• FourTrack and DopplerPad integration
• An update to MultiTrack
• Some signs of YUDO adding functionality to RecTools08
• The big update to Jasuto
• Hitchcock video export (3G and 3GS)

Of course, I'd love to see loads of other new music making software and hardware before the end of the year too, but if I could get even the majority of the above it it would be great.

FIRe update

FIRe has just got an update which sounds like it will be very useful for podcasters, together with the ability to create compressed files and a bunch of other enhancements make this a great update to an already great app.

FIRe at the app store:

tags technorati : FIRe iPhone Audio Recorder

ZoozBeat. what do you think?

There's been loads of press about ZoozBeat lately. On the one hand I am really impressed and think it is a great marketing triumph on their part, and also keep thinking I should spend a little more time with the app.

On the other hand I can't help comparing it against apps like Sunvox, Beatmaker, Bleep!Box etc and wonder how it shapes up against these?

Of course, it is probably, or rather, almost certainly an unfair comparison as Zoozbeat is not aimed at the same audience.

So, I'd like to know if you've got a view on ZoozBeat, the Music reCreation Studio?

Auteureist still waiting

Whilst Auteureist is still in Apple's very long review pipe, this post gives some interesting information on where this app might be going next after the initial release.

Halloween sounds app (via Synthtopia)

There's an app for everything and Halloween is no exception. Here's an app for playing scary sounds to your trick or treaters. Nice.

Groovemaker contest

Check out the Groovemaker contest open until 15th of December. Nice prizes too!

Thanks to Zachary for pointing me at this.

Thoughts on app upgrades

I guess I've always been of the understanding that mobile software works on the basis of 'buy once. upgrades free', and for the most part I think that developers have that in their heads too.

I'm interested to know how many music application developers would like to utilise Apple's in app purchase mechanism for next features and functionality? I'm not just talking about paying for plug ins, but also for additional capabilities for an app, say for example expanding the available tracks in a multi-track recorder.

Is this what's in store from developers, and if it is, are we users ok with that?

Views anyone?

2 New Groovemaker versions

Groovemaker D'n'B and Electro versions have been released at the app store.

I still haven't given the free version a proper try. I must catch up soon!

Groovemaker versions at the app store:

Toro mini, so good I have to talk about it some more

I keep on returning to this little synth because it is just so playable. One of my fav features, if not my absolute fav is sticky notes. I remember using matchsticks on keyboards years ago to keep notes or chords going, and Toro mini does it with a button. Fantastic.

Here's a little wishlist for Toro mini:

• Recording. I'd love to record my noodling around on these sounds.
• Overdub. Once I've recorded something on one patch I'll want to overdub using another
• Export, or course, for my great masterpiece
• Save patches when I've adapted them

There, not a huge list, and maybe not for a Toro mini, but maybe a Toro maxi? Am I being too cheeky now?

Whatever InstantBinary do next with this app I do really love it. If you haven't tried it then you don't know what you're missing.

If you want to hear the sound examples you can listen to them here.

Toro Mini at the app store:

Bleep!Box song mode is great!

And that is pretty much all I have to say about this update for this app.

Bleepbox at the app store:

This should be on my iPhone ...

Introducing Berna vintage electronic studio from Tobor Experiment on Vimeo.

Someone make this for the iPhone please!!!!

(I'm going to buy this on Monday and put on my old lab coat too!).

Ever wondered what was like making electronic music in the late 1950s? Berna: a vintage electronic studio simulation. Release date: Monday November 2nd 2009. Price 10.69€

BeatBots is now free

I posted about this ages ago, but now this app is free I thought I'd let you all know in case you wanted to download it.

Beat bots at the app store:

Everyday Looper review at Nanolo

A really good review here of Everyday looper from the Nanolo site.

Everyday Looper at the app store:

Sonorasaurus update

This post from Sonorasaurus gives a quick update on the state of the app.

I am amazed to learn that it has been with Apple for 7 weeks now. Whilst I say I am amazed, I'm not actually surprised as Touch DJ has been in for a similar length of time. I can't understand why Apple does this. Sooner or later they are going to annoy developers to the extent that they start to look at alternate platforms, and that's good for no one.

As for Sonorasaurus, I can't wait to see this app in the flesh. I think it will be brilliant.

More DopplerPad news

More DopplerPad news from the Retronyms email newsletter:

We've got more exciting features in the works for DopplerPad's next update: a patch editor and an expression editor. The patch editor will allow you to tweak the parameters of existing instruments and even create new ones, and the expression editor will let you apply effects like a delay, filter, distortion, etc. to instruments.

Sounds great alongside the audio copy and audio paste features coming with FourTrack.

I think that when all this stuff is available it will make the DopplerPad / FourTrack combo really impressive and useful. At least, that's what I'm hoping for anyway.

DopplerPad at the app store:

tags technorati : DopplerPad, Retronyms, iPhone

CDM on TonesynthDS

As ever CDM has interesting comments on homebrew DS software, and the TonesynthDS is no exception.