Personally I think it's a sign that the whole mobile music thing is completely mainstream now. There was a time when I could remember pretty much every app, but those days are gone. There are far too many to remember and I find myself missing them these days.
This is a good example. It appears to be a nice little synth app, it's universal and cheap too ($0.99). I also like how it looks like a calculator!
Here's the app's description:
FM Sound Synthesizer for iPhone and iPad
Three oscillators for frequency modulation and subtractive synthesis
"MIDI Drum Pads Feedback / G-Stomper Studio 4.3 Mobile App (Device: Google Nexus 9) Quick G-Stomper Session with an AKAI MPK225 hooked up over MIDI. All sounds come from G-Stomper Studio, while MIDI Events are fired back to the MPK225 to let the pads flash for each trigger."
What a great idea for an app, I'm surprised it hasn't been done sooner!
Sysex Base is a MIDI sysex file manager for iPhone and iPad. Back up your synth sounds, organize libraries, and load them back onto your synths! Designed to be quick and easy to use.
Some of the features:
Record and send sysex data via a connected MIDI interface, or wireless MIDI
Organize your sysex files into folders, rename them, delete them, etc.
Open sysex files from other apps such as Mail, Dropbox, Google Drive
Export sysex files to other apps just as easily
Quickly view the data inside of a sysex file, including the individual bytes, the Manufacturer indicated, the file size, and the number of sysex messages in the file
Also, Sysex Base allows you to record incoming sysex data and transmit sysex to your synth at the same time! So you can even do backups of older synths (such as the Casio CZ series) that require a message to be sent to them to trigger a data dump. These trigger files can be saved within Sysex Base like any other file.
I'm looking forward to trying this out and seeing what it means by 'connected', as it doesn't seem to say very much about that in the description ...
Icaro is the best way to get started with sample-based music on iPhone and iPad. Choose from the fun and simple packs, and perform live using the colored pads.
Sample packs are updated weekly, and include a mix of percussive and melodic sounds to encourage randomness and ‘happy accidents’ while you play.
Dahlia Delay is a tape style delay effect with filtered feedback and warble amount controls.
Built upon the tenet of simplicity, the flora project presents great sounding, lightweight audio effects using Inter-App Audio and Audiobus technologies to allow you to get the sound you want, without sacrificing processing power.
New 'Glissando Notes' module - This module allows you to trigger notes through changes in Up-Down Orientation. For more info visit: http://auug.info/wiki/doku.php/public/modules_motion_tab?&#glissando_notes This update also includes improvements in the app's core motion and orientation engine. In particular, if you are changing orientation quickly and move through and beyond the limits of a zone of orientation control, you will now see more consistent results. When upgrading to a new version of the Motion Synth app, if you have created Presets that you value, it is good practice to export or backup such Presets prior to upgrading. Instructions for Preset export/backup are provided here: http://auug.info/wiki/doku.php/public/presets_tab While your saved presets should carry over to the new version smoothly, it is worth exporting or backing-up user-created Presets as a precaution.
Steve Reich’s Clapping Music is a game that improves your rhythm by challenging you to play Steve Reich’s ground-breaking work – a piece of music performed entirely by clapping. Tap in time with the constantly shifting pattern, and progress through all of the variations. If you slip up or your accuracy falls too low, it’s game over.
“Maddeningly addictive” – The New York Times
“Might be the toughest rhythm action game since Rock Band.” – FACT
Features:
Improve your sense of rhythm by playing Clapping Music
Play through three levels of difficulty – can you become good enough to perform?
Hone your skills in Practice Mode
Find out more about Steve Reich and his work with interviews and performance footage
A stunning design and interface that changes colour as you progress through the piece
Completely free with no in-app purchases
Enter competitions for the chance to attend workshops and even perform the piece live
Steve Reich’s Clapping Music was conceived by the London Sinfonietta and realised in collaboration with Queen Mary University London and Touchpress – creators of acclaimed music apps Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, The Orchestra and Juilliard Open Studios. It was supported by the Nesta’s Digital R&D Fund for the Arts, the Arts & Humanities Research Council and public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
"In this video I look at some alternative ways of creating the first loop of a session using the metronome and AudioPaste. The metronome lets you generate a click track with custom rhythms up to 16 beats long. AudioPaste lets you make a reference track in another app, such as DrumJam and use it in LoopTree."
"Sequencing G-Stomper Drum Samplers with an ESX1 / G-Stomper Studio 4.3 Mobile App (Device :Google Nexus 9) This clip shows a quick Session with a Korg ESX1 and G-Stomper Studio on a Nexus 9. The sounds come from G-Stomper Studio, but the Sequence is running completely on the ESX1. G-Stomper Studio acts only as a Sound Module (MIDI Extender), note that the G-Stomper Studio Sequencer is NOT running and its sequence is empty. All Triggers and Parameter Movements are transmitted over MIDI from the ESX1 to G-Stomper Studio. The Nexus 9 runs on OpenSL with an internal Latency of 10ms + manual Latency compensation of 35ms. Required equipment:
You're probably thinking (that is if you didn't already know about this), that this is hardly news, I mean, a Kickstarter hardware project being late! Who'd believe it!
Well, for KDJ-One backers it's sad news, the project is 3 months behind schedule now apparently. Not great to hear, but what can the backers do? Precious little really.
I know that this isn't particularly mobile related, but it is Roger Linn and I thought it was worth posting ...
"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller."
We've had bent.fm lite for ages now, but at long last bent.fm - circuit bending for iPad has arrived and looks pretty nice too.
Here are the details:
bent.fm is a full FM model of a circuit-bent synthesizer. bent.fm allows the user to tweak classic circuit bending modifications like fine and octave-decimated clock bends, and experiment with more esoteric bends. Circuit-bent distortions and algorithmic sequences can be created by (im)proper connections on the bend matrix. Reroute digital serial information through the base chip set (a numerically controlled oscillator) and extra logic gates (NAND and XOR, binary counters), and experience architecture-level bit crushing. For anyone interested in circuit bending, glitch sounds, industrial music, and post-procedural art. Audiobus and IAA supported!
These are all songs I made through Nanoloop on my phone. All of these are unfinished and exported directly off of Nanoloop, no mastering or any other kind of editing.
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KIZANA CHANT V, DELA iiZEYE The original chant form of Dela iizeye, as it would be heard, played by the terrestrial humans, in various parts of the western regions of the planet Kizana. Noted for its unusual references to Dela iizeye as a deity of storms instead of the skies and asking for droughts to be brought upon the lands in times of war.
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Quick thing, not really gone according to the plan, but nevermind, I'll post it anyways. If you hear the horribly compressed snare (and I swear it's not my fault) then I recommend downloading the track. For some reason this only occurs here on the SC website.
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Short cinematic tune made with Korg iM1, Animoog, WaveMapper, iTablaPro, Crystalline, AUFX:Space, Auria, and Audioshare on an iPad Air1.
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Playing around with my newly acquired Korg MS-2000. Assembled in Auria with Korvpressor and Squashit FX processed in Audioshare.
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Very busy at life/work, so I have a lot of incomplete material floating on my apps. At least I managed to finish this one. Completely done with Gadget on my wheezy iPad 2. Lots of Kingston, Tokyo on drums, a couple of Bilbao for the chiptune bits and Berlin for lead. Enjoy and hear you later!
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Ambient space music track made with iVCS3, Seline redux, Photophore, Auria, Final touch and Audioshare.
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Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
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Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
Technologic + Nubass + Harsh Lead + 108bpm + A minor Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
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Sonny + Nubass + FM Lead + 110bpm + A minor Made with Figure for iOS. Don't have Figure yet? It's a fun, easy and bargain-priced music making app that anyone can use! Read about it here: http://ift.tt/1rywUnA
Get the SoundCloud app to listen on your iDevice.
These are very rare indeed. I've barely seen more than 1 a year, so it's great to see this one on eBay. Go take a look. It's a real piece of mobile music history.
Yep, I've been away and as you've probably noticed there's been no posting at Palm Sounds for most of the week. I'm getting back to normal now and catching up on news and stuff, so expect a load of news and what not coming in the next few hours.
A lot of you will remember me talking a lot about the SoundLab project I've been involved with for some time. Well on Wednesday of last week I was invited to talk about SoundLab at Abbey Road Studios in North London, but you might be asking 'Why?', and that's a good question, so I'll explain some background.
Abbey Road have been doing some interesting things this year. I first visited Abbey Road early in the year to talk about Abbey Road RED and had some really interesting discussions about music technology and mobile and where things might be headed. Not long after that I was at an event at Abbey Road all about generative and reactive or dynamic music, which was very interesting. I knew a lot of the people there, for example a lot of the old RJDJ crew were there and they know loads about reactive and dynamic music. It was a good place to catch up again.
But last week Abbey Road RED was putting on an event about assisted music and asked if I would like to talk about SoundLab. How could I pass that up?
To start with we played this video:
Which is the latest video all about Heart n Soul and tells you about the core values of the organisation. Then we talked a bit about what the project had been about and what it wanted to achieve. We ended by talking with Lilly who has been involved with the project since the beginning about what it was like to be a part of SoundLab.
It was great to be a part of Abbey Road and get a chance to show and tell about what we've been doing. So I really appreciate what they're doing to get a wide and diverse audience together to talk about some of the really interesting questions in music technology. I think it's important and I really hope that they can keep on doing it.
In fact, I wish more organisations like Abbey Road would put on events like this. I think that the whole music business would benefit from that kind of openness and also a willingness to talk freely about how our world is going to change and adapt to new technology and what that will mean for music makers of all kinds.
The video doesn't tell you much, but if it's grabbed your attention then take a look at this post at CDM which will give you loads more information. All you'll want I should think.
Better DVS operation with time stretching for continuous playback and better bpm display.
Traktor Control MK2 (CD/Vinyl) compatibility. Set DVS frequency to 3000 Hz.
Fixed "missing highs for the first few seconds".
MIDI mappable TT switch between TT1 and TT2 (does not go "off" like the DVS TT Selector).
Key lock will automatically turn off when you first enable DVS control. DVS scratching with key lock and/or pitch shifting is still possible.
Also
MIDI mappable "track end" indicator (LED).
Improved looping start.
Fixed gate bug.
Removed Reloop Beatpad midi mapping. Reloop did not extend our free loan period, so we are not able to provide official support anymore. The last mapping is available on the djtechtools.com website.
I love what Artiphon are doing and what they stand for too, so this was great to read about how they got to where they are and some of the decisions they had to make along the way.
I saw this at Musical Android, and had to post it on as it could make gestural interfaces very interesting indeed. I especially love the use around smart watches, which could do so much more with this technology.
You may well have heard of this campaign on Kickstarter already, especially if you read CDM or other blogs. It's a truly innovative instrument and if that's the kind of instrument you're used to playing then it's going to be well worth taking a look at as it'll connect to your iPad too.
Here's an overview:
"The OVAL is an electronic musical instrument that connects to an App for smartphone or tablet and it can also be used as a controller connected to a computer. Inspired by the HandPans family of acoustic instruments, the Oval provides total freedom to create sounds and it’s a tool geared towards music learning and performing. It allows you to both change and create sounds and it is also a tool for sharing your compositions with an on-line community of users."
LoopTree is an exciting new breed of looper that brings more fun than ever to creating live music! Record and group practically unlimited vocal and instrumental loops using a powerful, layered interface that gives you unrivalled control over the music you create.
Get your creative juices flowing and evolve your loops using the built-in filter and multi-touch beat repeat.
LoopTree solves the problem of destructive merging by instead combining your loops into layers. You retain individual control over your original loops and you can also control them as one using the new layer.
Note: of course nothing’s truly unlimited, but we haven’t programmed any specific limit to the number of loops or layers you can have. If you keep adding loops, eventually you will start to hear audio glitches.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Unlimited number of loops (practically!)
Non-destructive layering
Beat repeat - sample, repeat and reverse loops
Filter - add variety with an LPF, BPF and HPF
RECORDING
Normal recording - fixed or multiple length loops
Chained recording - select multiple tracks to record loops back-to-back
Layered recording - equivalent of non-destructive overdubbing
LOOP LENGTH
Within a session, all loops are a 2^n multiple of the shortest loop (2x, 4x, 8x, etc). This makes it really easy to set the loop length whilst recording.
EASY TO USE
One-finger volume/pan control on individual or simultaneous loops
Group control - group tracks into layers; parent tracks control all layers of child tracks.
MIDI Control
Quantize options
Metronome - create custom accented rhythms
SHARING AND IMPORT
Support for IAA, AudioBus and AudioCopy/Paste
Share sessions and recordings via email, iTunes and SoundCloud
AUDIO INTERFACES
LoopTree works well with headphones, but for truly outstanding quality, we recommend using a USB audio interface. We have tested the following interfaces:
Behringer UCA222 and 202
Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 (includes MIDI)
GET IN TOUCH
Bugs, suggestions and feedback - we’d love to hear from you. Raise a new support ticket or post in the forum and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.
What's the app that's been most useful or the most inspiring this week? Or maybe just the app that's been your work horse for the last few days. Tell me which one it is and why.
So, which app is keeping you busy right now and what would you really like to see it get updated with? What's the feature you really want to see? Comment it in and here.
I'm pretty sure that I didn't know about Helio Workstation before this. It looks very interesting, and it's free too! Here's the app store description:
Helio is the cross-platform lightweight music creation playground.
Developed by musician with the dream of a perfect speed-painting toolbox, it features linear-based sequencer with clean UI, integrated version control to sync the projects between devices, export to midi and more.
Available for tablets and desktops.
Freeware, no ads, no in-app purchases.
What's New
added MIDI files export (accessed via iTunes file sharing),
added settings page with UI themes selection,
implemented interactive dragging of the chord menu,
"How do you make an instrument from scratch? Today we’ll be playing with a song you already love. What's a tune you played over and over as a teenager? Do a Google search for the track online. Choose particular sound in the song--we’re going to make an instrument for it. Instrument must reflect a unique sound from a song of your youth. It must play more than 3 notes. Take a video of you playing the instrument that lasts more than 30 seconds."
As ever the chaps at Intermorphic are innovating again. They're the first to launch a generative music app on the Apple Watch.
Wotja (both free and full versions) comes to the App Store today. If you don't know the app it's well worth taking a look at. Wotja gives you the ability to turn any text into a generative music composition. A post it via Twitter, Facebook or email.
It's a lovely app from a company that have defined generative music more than any other.
