iOS and Music Apps
Since mobile devices have been getting more powerful it is no surprise that they are starting to take on roles typically reserved for computers. Music making on iOS devices may have garnered a reputation for being toy-like in the beginning because the first wave of devices had meager amounts of power and limited interface space before the debut of the iPad. Today’s devices completely turn that notion on their heads and can even offer a better solution to portable recording than a laptop for some.
An avid community of developers have turned the iPad into a device that can reliably be a tool for any kind of musician, from hobbyists to professionals. One of the big secrets which may not be at all clear initially is: “How do I connect my iPad to a keyboard, interface, mic, etc. ?” The answer is that the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter will connect any class-compliant MIDI device and most USB-based audio interfaces (with interfaces it is a good idea to double check for compatibility as there are a few that do not work). So now we have a way to hook up music gear directly to the iPad.
The next step is to get an app to play with. If you are looking to make “produced” music on the iPad there are a plethora of options out there:
Animoog is revered as one of the best sounding and original synths out there, with a legendary name to back up the sound. There are also many ports of computer synths such as offerings from Arturia and Korg as well as THOR by Propellerhead, the legendary semi-modular monster synth from their flagship music production software.
So now you’ve got an app and want to add, let’s say, some reverb. Well, a quick app store search will reveal many audio effects that you can process your sound generators with. But how do you get the audio to the reverb? An app called Audiobus (an absolute essential on the iPad) routes your audio from one app to another, as well as saving the states of your synths (if the app supports that function; currently adoption of this feature is growing fast) as a preset to recall your synths and effects and routings all at once. You’ve now got a cool synthesizer, with a few effects to start playing with!
Now what if you want to record your performance? What if you just want to use your iPad as a portable field recorder? The app options here vary wildly in price from free to $50 for the best. Programs like the free recorders are good for getting ideas out and apps such as Cubasis give you the features and power that you need to make full productions.
Focusrite makes a great free one, with offerings going up to Steinberg’s $50 Cubasis which has complete DAW features such as apps as insert effects, support to receive audiobus in order to record your synth performances, and even automation!
Also be sure to check out Novation’s Launchpad looping app. Anyone familiar with using Ableton Live will feel right at home here. It is free to use with their presets and an in-app purchase gives you the ability to import your own samples!
This is just barely scratching the surface of the ecosystem, and if you are interested in digging deeper, check out websites like Synthtopia or Create Digital Music for news on the latest apps.