iPhone App Directory

25 Apps of 2011: NanoStudio

As we approach the end of 2011 I thought I'd do a little looking back. I came up with my list of 25 apps that have been really useful for me this year. They're not in any priority order just as I think of them

The first on my list is NanoStudio, which is still without a doubt one of the best all round music making apps there is for iOS. It is one of the closest things to Bhajis Loops on the iPhone (and I still use Bhajis Loops), but it's different to Bhajis and in many ways I shouldn't try to compare the two.

For me using NanoStudio is like starting out with a blank piece of paper and making something amazing (at least I think so anyway).

For me NanoStudio is a great place to start and a great place to combine sounds from elsewhere. Most of all I love it on the iPad and I'm completely looking forward to seeing it as a universal app.

So thanks to Blip Interactive for this most excellent app. Here's to bigger and better things for NanoStudio in 2012 and beyond.

NanoStudio - Blip Interactive Ltd

Clip to Evernote

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said

Tom TM said...

Indeed. :)

Matthew Tyas said...

I can only agree, it's my most used app from far, but I must give a very big Thumbs Up to ThumbJam, which is an amazing piece of software too.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but I don't agree with all of you.
I don't understand all this hype around nanostudio. I tried ALL the Music App available and Nanostudio is definitely not one of my favourite, not even in the top 5! First thing is: iPhone App... just for this very simple reason I won't use it even if it could make coffee.
A wannabe DAW MUST be at least Universal!!!
I prefer 100 times Beatmaker2. I don't use these cheap synth sounds anyway...
I can't see something in Nanostudio that others App can't do better...

Anonymous said...

For me, Nanostudio is all about workflow. The app just makes it so easy to create. It's a tough thing to explain, but instead of spending your time fiddling with settings or fighting the software you just create. It's awesome. Have been using it in 2x on my iPad as the primary part of my workflow, bringing in sounds from Sunrizer and Animoog. love it like that, but the beta for the universal version coming out in Dec looks even more awesome. Can't wait!

Tom TM said...

"A wannabe DAW MUST be at least Universal!!!"

Universal? What on earth are you barking on about? You mean because Nanostudio looks a bit fuzzy on an iPad, it's no good? Is that what you mean?!

Is that it? :?

I agree with Anon2. It's about NS's workflow. Beatmaker is a good application, but it doesn't have the same quick workflow- and the iPad version is quite confusing.

With NanoStudio I was up and making music within a few hours. But that's not your point is it?

Your point is that because and if the interface of NanoStudio is fuzzy and pixelated, and isn't as pretty as Beatmaker then you can't use it? I know the answer to that...

Time to choose a different career or hobby! You could take up flower arranging- or even knitting! Yes knitting! :D Knitting is quite hands on. There's a great publication called "Stitch and Bitch". You could set there with all the other girls bitchin' about this and that and who's sleeping with who etc etc. You probably wouldn't even need glasses (even if they did steam up from time to time)! Good luck! ;)

Anonymous said...

>> I don't use these cheap synth sounds anyway<<

o rly hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

well, seriously, hype = about garageband and reactable (which is ten million times weaker than jasuto)

and NanoStudio i rly the app that made revolution. yes, maybe sb don't like sound of it synths (but it can even use samples instead of waveforms), ipad version still in development, live drumming is not as cool as on thumbjam and there is no velocity in sequencer =0

but it's has perfect interface and good support.
and all u need to make nice music.

==========================
by the way, i like synth engine in akai s^2 :)

Anonymous said...

Okay, so I'm the Anonymous writing that Nanostudio isn't the perfect tool everybody means.

I was just giving my opinion. I'm so stupid... I still believe we live in a tolerant world.
So first of all: Tom fuck you. I know it's rude, but you deserved it.

Of course I don't care about the fuzzy interface. And this only point doesn't make an app universal but...whatever you said...

Like the second anonymous said this app made revolution...
...years ago!
But nowadays you can find a lot of app doing this or that better than Nanostudio.
The workflow point is a good one, but you first have to get use to the app to find it. The same with every app. The BM2 workflow is not worse IMHO.
I PERSONALY prefer to work with 2 or 3 different apps than just with Nanostudio doing all this things... half so good...

Anonymous said...

oh Hello there again.
Well, yes sorry about the fact that we often say: hey u're wrong!!

it can't be wrong coz it's UR OPINION, so it's just urs.

BM2 is good, but it's sampler station. U need samples for it.

So it's up to everyone - "I PERSONALY prefer to work with 2 or 3 different" or ALL-IN-ONE

by the way, could u list apps that u use and find rly useful for u?

Anonymous said...

Thumb Jam: best ios MIDI controler ever...

Sound Prism Pro: Really was the best MIDI controler before the Thumb Jam Update.

Music Studio: the MIDI editor ist just perfect.

Sunrizer and Arctic Keys: IMHO bests synths around

Meteor: I use a lot of audio loops and this one is definitely the best audio sequencer, thought there is not so much choice. With a few minor improvments could be the best ios DAW for ios, especially since the MIDI update.

Molten: this drum machine has everything one can need, load your own samples, Virtual MIDI etc...

Beat Twirl: I love Recycle on my Mac and this App is almost a Recycle for iDevice so it is my favourite one for Audio Editing.

Genome MIDI Sequencer: well, this one is particular... i love the idea of a pure MIDI sequencer but i can't understand why they didn't built a gut MIDI Editor in Genome, so this a very gut app which MUST be improved.

Has you noticed, I didn't even mentioned BeatMaker2, I used it a lot when there wasn't so much choice in the AppStore but nowadays you can find such gut Apps, maybe sometimes very specialised (meaning you'll have to switch a lot between them) but so great that you will never find yourself using NanoStudio or Beatmaker2 alone anymore. I almost never use them anymore. I think this kind of App still have to evolve a lot to become real portable DAWs which mean they have to be totally opened so we can use other specialised Apps as "Plug-Ins", Audio AND Midi.

I don't believe in all in one...

Anonymous said...

molten is ipad only..etc

oh

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but if you're serious about ios music production, you're on ipad...