Arpeggionome for iPhone

iPhone version of ArpeggionomePro arrived to the AppStore. 

SAN FRANCISCO — May 14, 2013 — Arpeggionome for iPhone transforms your iPhone into a new and expressive musical instrument.  Design intricate patterns of musical notes, then trigger those patterns at different pitches and speeds with an x-y matrix.  Tilt the iPhone for accelerometer-controlled pitchbend and volume, and with the 'MIDI Upgrade' in-app purchase, control other iOS MIDI apps, external MIDI gear, and computer software like never before.

Until May 31st it's just 0.99$

iMini (MiniMoog for iPad) and Tabletop

Today we've got unexpected news from Arturia - their first app for iPad: iMini.

And that's also a big day for Tabletop. Few months ago they integrated with iMPC (you can use it as internal device inside Tabletop) and with iMPC they received one of the best drum samplers. And today they launched integration with Minimoog - one of the best synths of all time reincarnation for iPad.

Let's start with Minimoog (iMini) first.

iMini is recreation of legendary Minimoog synth. iMini is based on same technology as desktop version - Mini V.

iMini comes with fantastic sound and over 500 presets made by the top sound designers. One of the great features is that you can transfer presets between MiniV and iMini.

iMini doesn't support Audiobus, Virtual Midi or Audiocopy (there's no internal recoder there), there's no sequencer there but it is Tabletop-ready. Which means that you can use Tabletop sequencer, recorder and other devices with iMini. 

iMini also comes with nice effects: delay and chorus. And inside Tabletop it can be used as effect (there is audio input that can be connected with other devices) to process other sounds through fantastic moog-style filter, delay and chorus effects. 

To use touch screen advantages, iMini has two XY pads that can be assigned to control most of the parameters of the synthesizer.

Soundfonts player bs-16i on the Audiobus

If you are using DAW or MIDI sequencer with Virtual midi support (like Cubasis or Genome) you'll like this app. 

bs-16i is the Soundfonts player and Soundfonts are small sample libraries created specially for wavetable-based synthesizers. 

The app itself doesn't give you any specials - it is just SF2 (soundfonts files) player with keyboard and some controls (filter,lfo, midi routing).

But when you combine this with Audiobus, Virtual midi and huge choice of free SF2 files in the Internet - it is gold.

The app itself has low CPU consumption so it plays nicely with Audiobus and other apps running.

Read this 13 pages thread on KVR forum to find links to cool SF2 files. 

As long as SampleTank doesn't play well with background audio and with other apps like Cubasis, bs-16i is a great addition to expand your iPad sound library.

Auria with Audiobus support

So it happened finally... 

Auria - first professional DAW for iPad updated with Audiobus.

There are two versions of Auria: Auria (full version for 50$) and Auria LE (limited version for 25$). Auria LE with Audiobus support was already approved by Apple and it is available in the AppStore.

Auria full version was submitted by WaveMachine Labs. but not yet approved by Apple (it should happen very soon - maybe in just few hours).

As Auria is memory consuming app it recomended to run it with Audiobus on iPad 3 (new iPad) or 4th generation.

Also there's an issue with buffer size so you should first run Audiobus and only after that launch Auria. Read this Audiobus blog article.

Want to know more about Auria and other DAWs for iPad will support Audiobus - read this review. 

Auria LE with Audiobus support

Best midi apps for iPad

As more and more apps arriving with Audiobus and Virtual Midi support I listed here best apps that allows you to control other apps with Virtual MIDI. There are different types of such apps: MIDI controllers, arpeggiators, sequencer etc. So I choose most essential apps for each category.

With these apps you can control other iOS music apps: synths, samplers, drum machines (like Animoog, Magellan, Sunrizer, SampleTank, DM1, DrumJam and others) or PC/Mac Desktop DAWs (Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Reason).  

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The most important midi app: Midi Bridge

Midi Bridge allows to link different apps (that support midi) with each other providing great routing and filtering features (see more details and screenshots here).

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Best MIDI sequencer: Genome MIDI sequencer

With Genome you can create unlimited number of patterns on 16 midi tracks. Each track can be routed to send signals via different MIDI channels (combine this with MIDI bridge and you get unlimited routing capabilities with different external devices and internal apps). 

There are two views of the app: song view (where you can create and run new patterns, play patterns from different tracks) and pattern view where you can draw notes and automation curves (for velocity, modwheel, program change and even for custom cc's).  By the way song view supports midi learn so you can launch patterns from other apps or from external midi controllers. 

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Most beautiful MIDI controller: MIDI Studio

MIDI studio comes with really nice looking MIDI surfaces. One of the great features are drum pads with velocity controlled by accelerometer. Customizable knobs and faders (you can customize midi messages data like channel, CC, value) allows you to change existing templates. 

And wiith pro-upgrade option you can create your own surfaces from the big library of different elements. All the elements: x/y pads, knobs, buttons, faders look like real hardware controllers. 

And if you are looking for Mackie-control surface you can buy via in-app store great template for Mackie.

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Most creative MIDI app: Arpeggionome pro

With Arpeggionome pro you can create arpeggios with just finger touch. XY pads provides you control of note value and note length (all customizable) and with accelerometer you can control velocity. Highly tweakable parameters allow you to design arpeggios of different kinds from simple one-two notes to the complex ones (use key, scale, number of notes, step distance, note style, octave range and style and others to construct nice sounding and sometimes unexpected arpeggios).

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Best MIDI arpeggiator: StepPolyArp

With StepPolyArp you can make arpeggios of any kind. You can customize any note and run arpeggio by playing note or chord in the real time (it can also receive midi notes via external devices). 

MidiBridge - bus for midi

After Audiobus appeared in AppStore we received the possibility to route audio between music apps. And while you're running several music apps at the same time you may want to control it with midi - it can be just the midi keyboard, midi arpeggiator, sequencer or controller or such devices like iConnect midi with tons of midi ports. So we need midi routing, and there's an app for that.

Here's MIDI Bridge. It identifies MIDI ins and outs and let you link your routes. Want to connect non-compliant with core midi Akai Synthstation to core midi app? Just link it.  

Midi Bridge also allows to make some deep settings and complex midi setups: route particular channel to the app, transpose notes, replace channels, filter events, etc. 

See few screenshots here to have better understanding on the settings available:

Which iOS DAW do you use?

Couple of days ago I posted overview on iPad DAWs (I've covered Auria, Beatmaker 2, Cubasis, FL Studio, NanoStudio and Tabletop) - http://www.ipadmusic.com/daws-for-ipad

It would be nice to hear what iOS DAW do you prefer and why.

Download Lemur template for Animoog

I've posted several videos playing with Lemur and Animoog and people asked me to share the template. So I prepared the package which includes Lemur template, Animoog midi mapping file and short video instruction on how to set this up.

Enjoy playing with Lemur and Animoog! And feel free to change the template in the way you like. I can't wait to see what you can do with this.

You can download the template here - http://lemur-animoog.ipadmusic.com/

If you don't have Animoog or Lemur it is right time to get it from the AppStore:

• Lemur
• Animoog

Audioshare with Audiobus support

We didn't review it here before, but this app is very important for complete in-the-box production on the iPad. You keep and organize your music files - audio samples and midi files. And transfer them to your favorite DAW or other music app. It supports "Open in" (so you can transfer your garageband mixdown there), General pasteboard and AudioCopy. 

And now they are on the Audiobus which make this app even more useful.

Lemur 4

Lemur has been updated to version 4 with killer in-app editing feature. Now you don't need computer to create or change Lemur templates. 

Here's the video with demo of new features. The background sound was generated on the iPad by connecting Lemur 4 to Magellan synth via virtual midi.

iMPC - turn your iPad into Akai MPC

There is new fantastic app - iMPC in the app store.

Turn your iPad into an MPC. With more than 1,200 samples, 50 editable programs, 80 editable sequences, and iconic MPC workflow, iMPC is the first app to bring all the functionality of a classic Akai Pro MPC to your iPad. iMPC includes everything you need to create a beat quickly and easily, including built-in effects, plus the ability to create new sequences and record and overdub beats. Time correction from 1/8 note to 1/32T with variable swing, and Note Repeat from 1/8 note to 1/32T with latch control are also built in. The app’s built-in sampler can record samples three different ways: using the mic on the iPad, using the line input on the iPad, or using the multi-touch turntable interface in iMPC to record samples directly from iTunes or other music libraries. 

• More than 1,200 samples, 50 editable programs, and 80 editable sequences
• Exclusive iMPC sound set and classic Akai Professional sound library
• Sample from iPad mic, line-in, or music library using multi-touch turntable interface
• Export tracks to MPC Software for use with MPC Renaissance and MPC Studio
• In-app SoundCloud community, powered by CloudSeeder
• Share on SoundCloud, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or export to your computer
• 16 Levels mode: 16 levels of attack, velocity, length, and tuning
• Note Variation slider: adjust attack, velocity, length, and tuning as you play
• Trim and categorize samples, undo takes and erase samples
• Create new sequences, record and overdub beats
• Live Sequence queuing for real-time performance and playback
• Simple drag and drop program creation
• Built-in effects: delay, bit crusher, master compressor/limiter
• Time correct: 1/8 note – 1/32T with variable swing
• Note Repeat: 1/8 note – 1/32T timing, with latch
• Supports WIST, wireless Sync Start protocol from Korg
• AudioCopy beats and sequences to compatible apps
• AudioPaste samples from compatible apps
• Tabletop Ready iMPC is free for for iMPC owners
• Route to and use with your favorite Tabletop Effects and devices
• Line-in allows you to resample Tabletop devices

• Use with Tabletop's Timeline Editor

DrumJam updated to support Audiobus

Another great app updated to support Audiobus. With DrumJam you can easily create percussion loops.

Appstore link