LiveFx For iPad

Tired of waiting for Korg to release a Kaoss Pad for your iDevice? Well, the wait may finally be over.

While not actually from Korg, elephantcandy's LiveFX for iPad is a pretty terrific dynamic effects processor and works much like a real Kaoss Pad. You can can control up to 4 effects at once with one finger, or use multi-touch for some pretty trippy sounds. Also you can process any sound source you can get into the iPad: tracks from iTunes, a mixing board, instruments, vocals, etc. And as it has full AudioBus support you can go to town with your other music apps (as long as they also have AudioBus support.) The thought of feeding Samplr into this thing makes me grin like a loon.

Here's the highlights:

• Hook up any source or even use an other app with Audiobus
• Control multiple effects in realtime using the intuitive LiveFX touchpad

• Create your own LiveFX combinations and use up to four effects at once
• Use multi touch to create a auto dynamic effect
• Use one of the many preset-banks or save your own
• With Audiobus access those presets from within an other app
• Make your own effect combination from the countless possibilities

• Lock button holds the effect settings, for dazzling hands-free use

• Versatile and highly playable effects control, delivering unimaginable expression
• New Looper effects – Forward, Reverse and Slice – add new audio intensity

• Mix it up with new DJ emulation Vinyl Break and Ducking Compressor effects
• Auto BPM detection and Tap Tempo keeps your LiveFX locked to the beat


Have a video demo:



Get it on the App Store for free (with an in-app purchase of $8:99 to unlock the full version.)

Nodebeat Is Currently Free!

    

If you don't have Nodebeat, now's the time to grab it. And you should. This is one of my personal favourite apps for coming up with quick unique and interesting beats/melodies, which I then AudioCopy/Paste over into Samplr and iKaossilator. Works like a charm.

It's free (as is Nodebeat HD for iPad.) Grab it.

Get it on the App Store for (currently) free.

Steinberg Cubasis For iPad

Yes. Cubase on your iPad. Think about that for a second.

Cubasis for iPad is about as full featured as you can get on iOS and the full list of features is jaw-dropping (I suggest heading over to their website for the full rundown) but here's the key features:

• Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks (depending on the device used)
• Over 70 virtual instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic
• Mixer with over 10 effect processors (insert and send effects)
• Over 300 MIDI and audio loops
• Virtual keyboard and virtual drum pads
• Sample Editor and Key Editor
• Export to Cubase, Dropbox, SoundCloud, AudioCopy & email
• Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported
• Sequence other Core MIDI apps (MIDI recording only) and run Cubasis simultaneously via background audio
• Import audio from your iTunes music library or using iTunes filesharing, use AudioPaste or set up a Wi-Fi server in Cubasis

It's very very impressive and priced accordingly. Looking at this I'm struck by the fact that the one DAW that almost seems perfectly designed for multi-touch is so far nowhere to be seen on iOS. Ableton, are you paying attention?

Get it on the App Store for AU$51.99.

Novation Launchkey For iPad

     
And out of nowhere comes the Novation Launchkey, a great looking analogue modelling synth for iPad.

Let's get this out of the way upfront: the Launchkey sounds absolutely fantastic. It also has a really nice, intuitive UI for changing parameters that's somewhat reminiscent of Propellerheads' Figure. It comes with 60 patches which you can tweak to your heart's content. This thing sounds FAT. It also has a basic arpeggiator.

But that's about it. You can't record anything, can't audio copy, no AudioBus integration. None of that. It's just a straight up, great sounding synth. If they get around to implementing at least some of that stuff, it could be pretty damn spectacular.

On the other hand, it's currently free. Can't argue with that.

Get it on the App Store for free.

Akai iMPC For iPad Is Here!

Yes, it's true, the Akai iMPC for iPad is finally here. Built in collaboration with Retronyms (makers of Tabletop for iOS) it's actually as good as you hoped it would be. Maybe even better. I mean, it's essentially an MPC on your iPad. You can't really go wrong with that, right?

Sadly, however, there's still no sign of the MPC Fly, the hardware component of this set-up, which houses your iPad and gives you 16 real MPC pads. But my guess is that it'll be out early next year (don't quote me on that though, it's strictly a guess on my part.) And honestly, the app works just fine without it. Better than fine, actually.

Head below the cut for the full skinny.

Samplr for iPad Has Been Updated!

This update adds:

• New dark look
• Audio input recording & resampling
• AudioCopy & AudioPaste

This is a terrific update and really shows the developer is listening to feedback. I hope he adds Dropbox support in a future update and then Samplr would be, for my money, just about perfect.

If you haven't already, jump over to the App Store and grab it right now.

Get it on the App Store for AU$5.49.

Audiobus Is Now Available!

Audiobus for iOS is finally here. Billed as the missing cable between your music apps, I'm delighted to report that it works exactly as advertised. Considering how complex an operation this must have been to pull off, I'm amazed they managed it, nevermind hitting a home run.

One caveat though: it doesn't work with all music apps, not yet, but the list of current apps is pretty impressive. If you're serious about music on your iDevice you probably already have at least a handful of them. Check the website for a full list (and, I would guess, check back for updates, too.)

So what is Audiobus and why are we so excited by it? Well basically it lets you chain together your music apps and play/record the result. You have inputs, outputs and effects, but what you can do with each app will be dependent on that app's features. Audiobus is pretty helpful in letting you know what does what so you don't try and put a mic input through an incompatible synth, for example.

All in all it's a resounding success. Check out the video below for more.

Get it on the App Store for AU$10.49

NanoStudio Half Price - Today Only!

If you don't have it yet, go get it. This is one of the best universal music apps on iOS.

Highest possible recommendation.

Get it on the App Store for AU$8.49 (Today, Dec 1, only.)

Synergy Studio for iPad

4Pockets' Synergy Studio, a matrix sequencer for the iPad, is now available.

To be honest, this was more full featured than I was expecting. It's not just a Tenori clone with steriod issues (although it does feel like a variation of 4Pockets' own Aurora Sound Studio.)

The details:

• Choose your pattern length from 16, 32 and 64 notes.
• 11 Drum Kits, 42 Analogue Synth instruments, 55 Sampler instruments, 21 Pad Synth instruments.
• Further instruments available from free Sound library and in-App purchases.
• Edit existing instruments to create new ones and save them to use again.
• Easily connect and interact with other MIDI controls.
• Fully integrated mixer and effects unit available.
• 3 BAND Parametric EQ on each of the 16 layers to control the tonal content of a layer.
• Automate panning, fading and effects using the mixer.
• Export and share to other iOS devices via Bluetooth, Pasteboard, SoundCloud, DropBox, Email and FTP.

It also has WIST for synching up with other devices. It's a pretty interesting app and if your interests run to matrix sequencers, probably worth checking out.

Get it on the App Store for AU$20.99.

Original Music Made With The Korg iPolysix

How cool is this? Although it's hardly surprising. The iPolysix is pretty much an entire production studio in itself. I predict we're going to see a lot more vids like this one.

Also check out his SoundCloud page for more cool app-made music.

Good stuff.

Get the app on the App Store for AU$15.99 (until Dec 31.)

Auria 48 Track DAW is On Sale

Auria, the 48 track, professional DAW for iPad is currently on sale for AU$25.99 (normally AU$51.99.)

If you've been on the fence, now's the time to grab it. And in case you were wondering, it really is as good an app as it sounds. However, if you have NanoStudio or Multitrack DAW or something similar already, you may not need it.

Nonetheless, recommended.

Get it on the App Store for AU$25.99.

ReBirth & Figure Get Updates

ReBirth has been updated to Ver. 1.3.

The new stuff:

• Duo Mode - flip instruments around and jam with a friend on the same iPad
• MIDI sync - sync ReBirth to your DAW, MIDI hardware or other apps
• Background mode - keep ReBirth playing in the background when slaved to other apps
• SoundCloud Sharing - share your ReBirth music on SoundCloud
• iTunes export - export your track to iTunes on your computer

No sign of an iPhone version update. But trust me, you really want to use this on the bigger screen where it's a lot more fun.

Get it on the App Store for AU$10.49 (reduced from $15.99 until Dec 31.)

Figure has also been updated to Ver. 1.3

• Universal - Adapted for iPad and iPhone 5
• Legato notes - Create tied notes in the pattern by drawing finger right on Rhythm wheel, then up/down 
• Clear all function - clear a whole track with one tap
• VU meters in mixer
• Updated translation (Russian and chinese)
• Choose language in Settings

This is a really fun and very addictive app. Highly recommended for .99c.

Get it on the App Store for AU$0.99.

Both updates are free for existing users.

Uphase+ For iPad

uPhase+ Demo Video 01 from Gregorio Zanon on Vimeo.

Okay, this is interesting. The website describes it as "interactive minimalism" and that about nails it. Essentially what this app does is a software emulation of the out-of-phase tape deck experiments pioneered by Steve Reich and Brian Eno, but with some nice multi-touch UI tweaks that make it a lot of fun.

And quite addictive. Let's hope future updates expands its basic usability.

Get it on the App Store for AU$5.49.

Korg iPolysix for iPad

Another terrific app from Korg. It even has 2 Kaoss Pads built in, as well as a drum machine, step sequencer and mixer.

I'm going to be giving this one some heavy use.

Get it on the App Store for AU$15.99 (until Dec 31.)

ETA: All Korg apps are now 50% off until Dec 31.

Samplr for iPad

You all know about Samplr, right? It's only been out a week and has already made some waves around the place. And I have to admit, it's a really nice bit of kit.

Here's the meat of it (from the App Store):

• 7 different play modes: Slicer, Looper, Ebow, Tape, Scratch, Keyboard and Loop Player.
• 6 simultaneous samples (with 6 voices each).
• 5 sound effects per sample: Distortion, Filter, Amplitude Modulator, Feedback Delay and Reverb.
• Gesture recorder.
• High quality audio engine.
• Detailed user guide.
• Import your own samples (WAV) through iTunes.
• Ready to use sample library.

As far as I'm concerned, the only things missing at this point are: Dropbox sync (let me open samples from Dropbox in Samplr, don't make me connect to a computer to do it, I mean, come on), audio copy/paste (specifically audio paste: I want to get sounds from Animoog and Sunrizer, etc into Samplr) and Soundcloud uploading. With those three things added, Samplr would be my definite one-stop go-to music app, no question

As it stands, though, it's still a really nice app, with a great UI, and worth every cent of it's AU$5.49 price.

Get it on the App Store.