iPhone App Directory

SoundGrid update

I don't normally post on general app updates anymore, but this upgrade for SoundGrid has lots of good stuff in it too so I thought I'd make an exception.

Redesigned UI and visual effects
To keep UI simple, elegant and attractive for novice users. If you have difficulties placing notes on the grid now you can enable assistance lines to make life easier.

Song Mode
Few people use all eight available patterns because it may be hard to switch them while playing. In Song Mode filled patterns will be automatically activated one after another enabling you to create longer compositions easily. Also now you can touch pattern button twice to switch pattern for all layers at once; or to switch pattern and start from its beginning in song mode.

Switchable musical scales
There are only 16 rows (notes) on the grid and much more keys on piano keyboard. And now you can select set of tones you want to be available on the grid.

Recording
Now you can record audio files while playing. Then either easily upload tracks directly to SoundCloud or send by email as is or as ringtone

More and more Sound Banks
Additional sound banks now installable from external servers. Either my official server or your own.

Ratings for shared grids
Many new grids become shared everyday. Now you can rate them and best ones will deservedly be always on top when sorting by rating. New shared grids since last update now marked too.

Other fixes and improvements
Many bugs were fixed and many things made better. One of them is improved (means reduced) latency and UI reaction.

You've gotta admit that's a lot of stuff to go in an update.

SoundGrid at the app store:
SoundGrid

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5 comments:

formal said...

No other site mentions mobile music updates. I don't see why you stopped mentioning it in the first place. I've overlooked quite a few updates recently because I didn't see any word on your page. Spread the news, who cares what the others say!

Richard Lawler said...

Agreed. We need to pay attention to app updates.

It's true that an app update is probably not very newsworthy in the traditional journalistic sense, but to this community these updates are vital. Many of the mobile music apps are clearly works in progress. If we ignore refinement and revision in favor of novelty we risk a descent into platform dominated by jokes and ephemeral amusements.

The other major factor that's driving this phenomenon is the intrinsic nature of the iPhone App Store. The App Store is derived from iTunes -- a system designed for selling a constantly churning parade of hit music. But this community is probably just as interested in refinements to mobile music creation tools as they are in the latest hot new toy or game.

It's important to keep in mind that this little mini-revolution in mobile music creation tools that we are observing here is somewhat bucking a trend. Most of the apps on the iPhone are about consumption of media. Most of the apps discussed here are about creation and synthesis.

robman84 said...

Have to say, great update but makes me want a more powerful device. My 1G iPod Touch is feeling a little underpowered with the latest apps.

I downloaded an extra sound bank from their server but it seemed to be a massive download (1-2mb I think) but had only one sound in it that didn't seem like it should have been such a big file. A bit odd.

ashley said...

I think I will return to posting some app updates. Significant ones and not minor bug fixes

formal said...

Thank you palmsound!!