Intermorphic have been pioneering win generative music for years. Bringing us amazing apps across multiple platforms way before we had iOS. But generative isn’t always the easiest thing to understand, and I know that lots of people struggle with it. However, Intermorphic have brought us a series of excellent, and remarkably short, videos as an introduction to generative and their flagship app Wotja.

Wotja for iOS

Wotja for macOS

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Since beginning to port apps to iOS Audio Damage has brought us some really stunning apps. A couple that I’ve found incredibly useful are Replicant and Axon. Now, Audio Damage brings us something new entirely, a fully fledged iOS granular synth.

Quanta is a six-voice granular for iPads running iOS11+ in both standalone (with Inter-App Audio) and AudioUnit V3 formats. The iPad app is fully compatible with the full version of Quanta for macOS and Windows.

Basically Quanta works on any iPad that can run iOS11. However, keep in mind that it is in fact a feature-heavy desktop quality synthesizer, and on the whole it would probably prefer a 2017/2018 iPad, or indeed an iPad Pro.

Audio Damage suggests that if you’re experiencing CPU issues on lower-end machines with the standalone, try changing the main display to FEG or FLFO, which don’t require redrawing and which will be significantly lower in CPU usage.

Here’s more detail on the features of Quanta:

Multi-Format Sample Loader
Quanta can load AIFF, WAV, Broadcast WAV, FLAC, MP3, and Ogg in any sample rate, bit depth, and channel configuration.

Grain Engine
Up to 100 simultaneous grains per voice, of up to 1 second long, with control over grain rate, pitch, direction, shape, length, panning, source position, and level.

Sidecar Oscillator
Continuously variable wave shape, with pulse width modulation, and independent control over pitch (separate from grain engine.) Can be injected directly into grain engine.

Noise Source
Noise source features a “color” control that affects tonal characteristics of the noise. Can be injected directly into grain engine.

Dual Multi-Mode Filters
Filters can be used in serial or parallel modes, and include lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and notch in 2-pole and 4-pole configurations.

Flexible Envelope Generator (FEG) x 4
The four FEGs are arbitrary function generators, with up to 99 steps, curve and step level control, arbitrary loop points, and host tempo sync.

Flexible Low-Frequency Oscillator (FLFO) x 2
The pair of FLFOs utilize four controls (phase, shape, skew, and warp) to access a virtually limitless palette of waveforms, and feature host tempo sync and retrigger.

Sample And Hold
The S&H mod source can sample noise (random) or any of the other mod sources, at either a user-defined rate or a musical division.

Modulation Matrix
Every mod and MIDI source can be easily and simply assigned to any destination using the quick-access bi-polar modulation matrix. Touch a destination on the UI and the matrix automatically scrolls to the correct row.

Tuning Tables And Global Tuning Offset
Re-tune Quanta to new intonations and temperaments using the open-source and easy-to-use TUN file format. A global tuning offset (default to A=440) allows you to easily retune the entire synth to match a different A frequency without using a tuning table.

MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression)
Quanta understands both “legacy” MIDI and MPE. Use your Linnstrument, Roli controller, Haken Continuum, or Madrona Labs Soundplane (among others) to directly access per-note pressure, pitch bend, and modulation.

Per-Instance Settings
Quanta utilizes a per-instance customization method: set MPE mode, aftertouch smoothing, pitch bend range override, tuning table, and global tuning offset for each instance in your AUv3 host.

Factory Presets
Quanta comes with a substantial collection of factory content, including Designer Presets from Marcus Fisher, Joseph Fraioli, Chris Carter, and Richard Devine.

Cross-Platform Preset Format
Quanta utilizes an XML-based preset manager, and stores the sample within the preset for easy asset management. Work between multiple systems without troubles, make a preset on your desktop machine and paste it to the iOS version with Handoff or vice-versa, easily share your creations with your friends, or make a preset bundle to sell, no asset management required.

Fully Resizable Retina GUI
Quanta’s vector-based GUI is resolution-agnostic, and displays the same on every system and resolution. Easily resize the UI (per instance) to match your visual needs, from postage stamp to poster-sized.

Quanta costs $7.99 on the app store:

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FabFilter have had their plugins in iOS for a while, but as far as I know they’ve only been inside Auria Pro. That was, until now. FabFilter have now brought us FabFilter Pro-Q 2 to iOS as an AUv3 so it can be used inside the host of your choice. This is probably going to be a big deal and quite a useful tool for your mixes.

Of course I’m hoping (as I expect many others are) that this is just the beginning and that the FabFilter Pro-Q 2 is just a first in a long line of AUv3 apps to come from FabFilter. It would be great to see a few more of their high end tools make they’re way into the mobile world.

Here’s the app’s description:

FabFilter Pro-Q 2 is a transparent, high-quality equalizer plug-in for mixing and mastering purposes, with up to 24 bands and a gorgeous interface for easy and precise editing. With its unique Natural Phase mode, it matches both the magnitude and phase response of analog EQ’ing perfectly. Innovative features like Spectrum Grab and EQ Match together with its intelligent interactive EQ display make Pro-Q 2 an absolute joy to use.

The Pro-Q 2 app filters the microphone input and plays it back in real-time. To use Pro-Q 2 as a plug-in, you need an AUv3-compatible host app like Auria, AUM or Cubasis. Pro-Q 2 will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins in the host app.

Key features:

• Highest possible sound quality
• Gorgeous Retina interface with large interactive EQ display, multi-band selection and editing for maximum ease of use and efficiency
• Up to 24 EQ bands
• Operates in zero latency mode, linear phase mode with adjustable latency or the unique Natural Phase mode
• Filter shapes: Bell, Notch, High/Low Shelf, High/Low Cut, Band Pass, Tilt Shelf
• Universal filter slope support for all filter types, up to 96 dB/oct
• Spectrum Grab: just grab and adjust a peak in the real-time spectrum analyzer right away!
• EQ Match feature to automatically match the spectrum of another track
• Optional Gain-Q interaction
• Each band can operate on the stereo signals or on the left or right channels independently for per-channel EQ-ing
• Built-in spectrum analyzer with Pre-EQ, Post-EQ and SC modes, adjustable range, speed, resolution, tilt and freeze
• Auto Gain and Gain Scale
• Mid/side mode where you can EQ the mid and side signals separately
• Optional piano roll display to quantize EQ frequencies to musical notes
• Different display ranges: 3 dB and 6 dB ranges for mastering, 12 dB and 30 dB for mixing
• Intelligent solo mode makes it easy to find problem frequencies and hear the effect of a band
• Phase Invert option to change polarity
• Large output level meter with peak level readout
• Undo/redo and A/B comparison

FabFilter Pro-Q 2 isn’t cheap (in iOS terms anyway), it costs $29.99 on the app store

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Unless you routinely have a bassist on hand whenever you need one then you might want to take a look at iBassist as a cheaper option than having the bass player on retainer, and of course, it’s almost certainly a cheaper route to getting a bass line done.

The app basically turns your iPad into a versatile bass player to jam or compose anywhere and create grooves for installed drum apps. The app sends progression chords by MIDI, so you can have any synth app running in background audio for a more consistent jamming experience.

According to the developer’s description:

Bass lines are based in degrees, so you can apply any chord progression to any bass line. A valuable tool to apply different bass grooves to your songs. And the jam tool brings musical variations and new ideas on the way.

The Chord Progression editor is quick, easy to use and allows to create or edit your progressions choosing Key Notes – harmony by steps, midi detection or randomizing.

iBassist includes 10 Round Robin sampled natural bass sounds. Different styles and colors, from Modern Finger Bass, to warm Double Bass.

Live Pads lets to play live sessions on the way with 8 assignable pads for Line-Progression-Jam, and change between them by MIDI.

Song Mode. Choosing “Make Drums” in song mode will create the whole song structure drums.

Export Midi function to create MIDI Files with the Bass Line /- Progression – Jam combination or whole song structures.

Built-In Effects: Compressor, Delay, Chorus, Reverb.
Parametric EQ

Whilst this might not be my regular choice of app I can see the appeal of something like iBassist for jamming and working out tracks.

iBassist costs $17.99 on the app store now

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The Roland Go:Mixer Pro packs a complete mixer into a handheld device, and it interfaces with your iPhone, Android phone – or anything else. We got one of the first units to test.

Compact enough to make the compact TR-09 behind it look huge. From left: inputs for guitar/bass (high impedance), plug-in mic (like a lapel mic), phantom power switch (needed for some microphones to function), and a full XLR-1/4″ combo jack for a mic – that last one is why it’s got the big bulge.

Your phone is missing a mixer

Smartphones at least ought to mean that we don’t carry around dedicated recorders (and their batteries and SD cards) as often. Your iPhone or Android phone or other mobile device also boasts apps for editing and managing recordings, even before you get into more creative production and live effects tools. And most importantly, they’re connected for live streaming or uploading the results.

Various products will let you connect and record instruments, or serve as more practical sound recording solutions for video shoots.

But what about the scenarios where you have a send of sound toys, synths and drum machines, instruments and microphone, or even different gadgets (like a jam session with a couple of iPads or a couple of fun phone apps)?

That’s where the Go:Mixer Pro comes in. It’s a stereo in/stereo out interface to phones and smartphones and computers, but it’s also a mixer. (It’s a standalone mixer, too, and you might even wind up using it just as much as that.)

You can connect and mix multiple inputs (9 channels in, 2 channels out):

• Two 1/8″ stereo line inputs (for other mobile gadgets, a drum machine, a synth, whatever)
• Two 1/4″ instrument inputs (two mono or one stereo pair)
• Guitar/bass instrument 1/4″ jack input
• Minijack plug-in mic (for a lapel mic, etc.)
• One XLR/jack combo mic connection with phantom power

That’s the domain normally of ultra-small Behringer mixers and … not much else beyond that. Depending on the gear you’re using and whether you want mono and stereo connections, that’s somewhere between four and six independent sources.

There’s no line-level output – just a monitor output, though I did connect it to my studio mixer.

But there’s also a USB connection round the back. So the Go:Mixer Pro is also a 48K/16-bit stereo audio interface – you get two channels of input and two channels of output.

Front jacks – those are actually two separate inputs (each stereo) on the right.

USB means out-of-the-box support for computers and Android (OTG) phones and so on, a well as Raspberry Pi and other goodies. For iOS, Roland also supports “Made for iPhone” and includes a Lightning cable, so you get seamless operation with iPhones and iPads.

This isn’t a multichannel audio interface, only stereo, but that still fits many use cases – like recording gigs and jam sessions.

While it’s billed as a phone accessory, the mixer also works standalone – so you can just use that USB jack for power, via the dongle you already have for your phone or other gadget.

Three cables are included, for each possible device.

Form factor

Roland has packed this mixer/interface into a tiny form factor. The footprint is only about as deep as the iPhone 6 is tall. And it’s fairly slim, apart from a big bulge at the back to house the XLR combo jack and a battery compartment.

The batteries come in handy – you’ll need them to use the mixer standalone without USB power plugged in, if you want to avoid drawing power from your phone, or if you want to use a mic with phantom power with your iPhone. (Android phones will let you draw battery from the phone for phantom power; Apple are … more protective.)

Roland has included all the necessary cables in the box – USB-C, Micro USB, and Apple Lightning connections. That covers just about any computer or external power or Android or Apple phone.

But that cute little tabletop format is awfully useful. Yes, it’s marketed for smartphones, but you could also connect a Roland TR-8S, TB-03, and SH-01A to this little gadget for some on-the-go acid techno.

One constructive criticism to Roland on out-of-box experience: since this is geared for beginners, it’s a shame the box comes with no batteries and only a sheet pointing to a website in place of a copy of the (very friendly) short manual. Also a bit puzzling as they try to reach newbies: there are graphical icons on the top panel (a keyboard! a guitar!), but text labels on the connections (“instrument?”).

How it works

Operation is really plug-and-play. There’s not much feedback on level apart from a tiny “PEAK” light, but that’s okay — there are big, easy-to-see knobs.

Routing is rudimentary, but there’s a useful LOOP BACK switch – this records video while looping audio from your phone back into the device. Roland suggests doing this when you want to “play back music” while shooting video, but obviously it’s useful for production applications, as well.

And in case you forgot Roland is a Japanese company, there’s a karaoke mode. A center cancel feature is designed to remove vocals so you can host your own karaoke night.

Roland also makes Android and iOS devices intended for shooting video, though any audio device-aware application will also make good use of the hardware.

Here’s what’s really important: the thing sounds good. The mic pre and mix circuitry is transparent – I tried it with a couple of higher-end condenser mics and had no qualms inserting the mixer in my studio signal chain.

And that’s what sets this and some other recent mobile gear apart. It’s consumer-friendly, yes — but there’s no reason you can’t use this as a serious studio tool, as well. And that’s how it should be.

Key specs:
Runs on USB or 4xAAA batteries or your phone
170 mA power draw
Size: 104 x 155 x 41 mm, 220 g (that’s 8 oz)

Street price: USD$169.99 – okay, that’ll turn some people off, but frankly I’m glad to have a quality, quiet mixer

Battery case, and the two instrument jacks – you can use those as two mono inputs, or a stereo pair.

The competition

Anyone who’s been to a Berlin flea market in the past half decade will no doubt be reminded of the locally made POKKETMIXER. But that device, while a cute and cool proof of concept, is entirely unpowered, so it only mixes headphone outputs. It’s useful for crossfading between two smartphones, and that’s about it.

IK have so many devices that it’s possible one of theirs is more what you need than the Go:Mixer Pro. If it’s mainly an interface you want, for a guitar, for a mic, or for line recordings, IK Multimedia has an array of options. Apart from specialized guitar, stompbox/pedalboard, and AV options, the iRIG Pro DUO is most capable with dual preamps and balanced outputs. That interface also, crucially, has MIDI. (IK also makes standalone MIDI interfaces.)

And then there are devices that are just mixers, though for the moment few are challenging Behringer’s offerings in the subcompact mixer space. Some of those additionally have USB audio interface capability ,but that’s not the same as native iOS support, and they tend to be bulkier than this.

So to me, the Go:Mixer Pro just solved a major need for quick recordings and jam sessions. The fact that it’s a mixer as well as an interface makes it doubly convenient, and easy access to those input levels is also a big plus.

I just wish the interface with the Roland brand on it had MIDI, too – this is just shy of being an ideal ultra-compact mixer for, say, the Boutique Series. But I plan to make this a permanent part of my carry-on, and I bet I’m not alone.

https://www.roland.com/global/products/gomixer_pro/

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I think it’s only fair to say that FieldScaper is on the more experimental side of the iOS world. In my view that can only be a good thing though. It’s an unusual app in that its main focus is around field recording and making more experimental audio from field recordings.

If you’re not familiar with FieldScaper then it’s worth a quick read of the developer’s description of the app:

FieldScaper is advanced field recorder combined with a sound warp engine and a collection of ready to use dynamic presets for iPad and iPhone. Discover new ways to create and construct unusual and exciting sounds from any environmental audio recordings or samples recorded from other apps through Inter-App audio or Audiobus.

The main advantage is that you can record and modify samples along the way within the single app. You can record sounds and noises, delete unwanted parts and then use presets to give a whole new sounding or create spectacular soundscapes and textures to use them as loops in this app. And even use FieldScaper as effect in real time with other apps or external input.

Version 2.0 of FieldScaper has been a while in the making, but I think it’s worth waiting for based on the new features that have arrived. Here’s all that’s new in 2.0:

• Added new presets.
• Ableton Link start / stop sync.
• Step sequencer for each oscillator.
• Parametric equalizer for each oscillator.
• Signal amplification before filters and EQ.
• Automatic gain control of output for each oscillator.
• Synced Sequencer / LFOs with Ableton Link, IAA, MIDI.
• Pack scene and all its samples / presets to single file.
• Ableton Link SDK 3.0.2 updated.
• Audiobus SDK 3.0.5 updated.
• Built-in description updated.
• Several minor bugs were fixed.

 
I haven’t had a chance to try out the new features as yet, but I’m especially interested in the step sequencer functionality and what that can do to audio.

FieldScaper is a universal app and costs $9.99 on the app store

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I’ve talked about Pacemaker before. They’ve been around in the mobile world for quite a while now, long before iOS. Of course their hardware is a thing of the past. But their app is a thing of beauty, and it keeps getting better. In their latest release on iOS they’ve brought us a new collaboration feature allowing users to co-create a mixtape together.

With their collaboration feature all you need to do is to hit the new ‘Collaborate’ button in the mix view and invite your friends to start creating. Using the new feature you can add tracks, edit transitions and give you co-creator feedback through comments. When you are collectively ready, you can publish your masterpiece to the Pacemaker community, and all of the collaborators will be displayed as creators.

What’s more, in this release they’ve added a lot of AI improvements to the app. Now your favourite tracks that previously ended up on the wrong side of things might now be mixable. Funk, rock and other organic genres should also now mix much better. Very AI.

Pacemaker is free on the app store

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Korg Gadget is one of the most popular iOS workstations around. I think that’s only fair to say, and Korg have made a very good job of making Gadget work with just about everything (ok not everything, and I know that there are obvious things mission), but, it does play well with other apps in terms of Ableton Link. It also connects to Allihoopa for sharing, so I think you can say that Korg are taking on board what people want.

In version 3.6 of Gadget, Korg have taken a very interesting step indeed. The latest gadget to be added to your library is Stockholm by Reason. As Korg puts it, “Stockholm by Reason is a gadgetized version of the Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player”. What’s most interesting here is not just where this comes from, but where it goes next.

Of course it’s great to see this kind of collaboration to bring creatively useful tools into an app like Gadget that is already packed with great devices. It’s excellent to see two forward thinking companies in the music technology industry bringing what they’re best at to the table and making something together that works for users. Personally I hope that this is just a beginning and not a one off by any means

Which neatly takes me to the “Where next” point. Is it just the start, as I (and hopefully you) wish? If it is the beginning, who else might we see bringing their synths to Gadget. It’s going to be fun to speculate, that’s for sure. I can think of a few that I’d like to see available inside of Gadget, and, what’s more, at Gadget prices too.

I think that this is a good and bold step for both of them. I hope it’s a beginning. If it isn’t, then I’ll certainly be a little disappointed. If it is, the sky’s the limit.

Also in version 3.6 (iOS) they’ve added a few other fixes etc.

• MIDI External Sync behavior has been improved.
• Vancouver gadget SPACE FX APOLLO has been improved.
• Fixed an issue that crashes when iCloud Drive files are deleted.
• Other enhancements to make Gadget easier to use.

Finally, not only is Gadget on sale, but so are all of Korg’s iOS offerings, through to the 8th of August.

For now, Korg Gadget and IAPs are all half price

All other Korg apps are on sale too, with up to 50% off. Click here to find them on your app store

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This is an unusual new audio unit, but then that is one of the nice things about iOS, that you can find some pretty strange to add into your host, and now one of those can be the RX950, which is of course an Akai S950 Emulator, that you can use to recreate the sounds of the kinds of classic machines which defined the sound of Lo Fi House and Hip Hop. If that’s what you want of course.

The RX950 shows some fairly close attention to detail in how the app has been developed and put together.

So let’s have a look at the app’s features:

• Legendary 12-bit resolution
• Perfect modelling of the S950’s audio signal path
• Adjustable audio bandwidth (and thus sampling frequency)
• Original steep 6th-order low-pass Butterworth filter
• Stereo or mono operation
• Low CPU consumption
• Supports AUv3 and Inter-App Audio

And here’s how it works:

The Input Gain Knob makes your sound loud’n’proud with the S950’s unique grit and warm distortion. It’s powerful and will help anything stand out in your overall mix.

The Audio Bandwidth Knob controls the target sample rate and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry with an exquisite, yet remarkably subtle, aliasing effect.

The Filter Knob controls the S950’s infamous steep low-pass filter. Use it on separate elements, or on any output bus or master section.

The Mono switch button is for mono operation (as the original S950) with a 50/50 mix. Great for checking your mix.

The RX950 isn’t an app that’s going to appeal to everyone, but for some users it will be a joy to hear that it’s arrived. If it’s your bag then that’s awesome. If not, then probably just move along and there’ll be another audio unit along soon enough.

RX950 costs just $1.99 on the app store now

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LCW-2 mono comes from the developer of LCW-1, PWM-1, and ToyTone. All of which are quite unique and ‘quirky’ in their own right. Then along comes LCW-2 mono. A synth app specifically for your iPhone, which is, in itself a nice thing to see, as you don’t see that many iPhone only synths these days. I feel like that’s a shame. Like that’s where we started this journey, and now most of what iOS music has become is about the iPad. Which is ok, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that there seems to be less and less specifically iPhone related app ware these days.

Anyway, enough of the rant. More of what LCW-2 mono is about. This is, according to the developer, a “little complicated synthesizer”. Apparently it’s based on ToyTone and implements several experimental functions. Which is absolutely music to my ears (pun intended).

So let’s take a look at LCW-2 mono’s specifications:

Voice

• 4 channels, Monophonic

DCO

• Wave form:
• Sine, Triangular, Sawtooth, Rectangular, Noise

LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator)

• Wave form:
• Sine, Triangular, Sawtooth, Rectangular, Noise
• LFO1 for Voice
• LFO2 for Delay effect

EG (Envelop Generator)

• EG1 for Modulation
• EG2 for Modulation
• EG3 for AMP/Modulation

Time modulatable delay

• Time modulatable delay gives effects like Chorus / Flanger.

Signal

• Signal generator can trigger each voice in combination with a threshold.

Plus LCW-2 mono also supports Inter-App Audio (Generator only).

So, all in all this is a nice little, and yet somewhat complex synth.

LCW-2 mono is free on the app store now

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iLEP is an interesting concept from a developer we know and love, Oliver Greschke (Elastic Drums, Elastic FX). With iLEP Oliver joined the team later to finish off the app development, but even so it’s a significant credential in my view.

The idea of iLEP is also quite intriguing. It sounds to me like it’s somewhere between instrument and effect, which is in itself a good place to be. The background to iLEP is worth understanding before we delve into the detail of what it actually does.

iLEP (Live Electronic Patch) is the result of many years of collaboration between composers and software engineers with the aim of creating a live-electronic instrument that shows its strongest musical performance in conjunction with an acoustic musical instrument and is especially suitable for use in concerts.

The first version of LEP was developed in Max-MSP by Wolfgang Heiniger and Thomas Kessler and later further developed by Thomas Seelig. Thomas Seelig then redesigned the original version and ported it for the iOS operating system to make the app runable on the iPad and thus accessible to a wide range of applications.

To make it clearer, you probably need a feature list and then to see the videos to get a view on what it actually does.

FEATURES

• Modular effect app with various routing and modulation options
• 6 different effects: 2x ring modulator, 2x filter (low, high, band), 2x pitch shifter, 2 delay, degrade, reverb, which can be precisely controlled graphically and by direct parameter input
• 16*16 patch-possibilities to route audio through different effects, like in a modular system
• Possible sound sources: Microphone/line in, sampler and pitch tracker, various test signals (sine, noise, sample)
• Various effect parameters can be modulated to different degrees (min… max) by a modulation source (e.g. Midi Express pedal): Excellent for live applications!
• An additional effect parameter can be modulated by midi notes
• Save, import, export and edit your own cue effect configurations
• Different cues can be combined to a set
• Import and management of own samples and entire sample libraries assigned to a set
• Import of midi files for modulation purposes
• Possibility to automatically run through different cues (presets) with time control using the “Autocue” function
• Possibility to quickly launch cues (presets) via Midi Bank and Midi program messages
• Stereo 3-way input equalizer (high shelf, peak notch, low shelf) to adjust input signals
• Master limiter at the end of the signal chain
• Audio bus and IAA capable (effect node)

I’d like to see how people start to use this and develop performance capabilities around its use. It feels like iLEP has a lot of power behind it, and also like it might take time and energy invested in it to get the maximum out of it.

iLEP costs $9.99 on the app store now

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EQ is just one of those essential plugins you can’t do without. Some are great, some are not so great, and some are great but hard to work with, which is just frustrating. Working with iOS apps that both do the job, and do it in a way that makes life easier is a joy to be honest. Especially when you might be working in less than perfect environments such as on trains and buses, where dealing with less than perfect interface design can be deeply annoying.

So when I took a look at the Blue Mangoo Parametric Equalizer I thought I’d take a look at any App Store reviews first to see if it’s something to take seriously. This is what I found:

“I use an equaliser on all my Audiobus preset configurations for iOS synths. I was fine with the way another EQ audio unit app sounded but frustrated with the user interface. I’m a lot happier with this app. It sounds the same as the other app I was using before but the UI is uncluttered and I can dial in my sound more quickly.

There is just one slider on the right that controls the Q of whichever filter you currently have selected. Aside from that, you just pull filter control points into place to set gain and frequency. They automatically disable when you set gain to 0 db, or when you pull the low pass or high pass filters out of the audible frequency range.”

So that’s a good start.

The Blue Mangoo Parametric Equalizer is an audio unit plugin, with six bands of filter controls:

• Low cut and high cut with adjustable Q (resonance)
• Two bell filters with adjustable Q
• Low and high shelf filters

Blue Mangoo Parametric Equalizer costs $2.99 on the app store now (sounds like a bargain to me)

* Blue Mangoo Parametric Equalizer is an AU3 plugin. It runs within an audio unit host app such as Garage Band. It does not run as a standalone app.

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One app for iOS and Android now recognizes songs – and links you to covers, remixes, and samples. WhoSampled just added song recognition.

First, let’s talk WhoSampled. The site is a database of sample sources, plus remixes and covers – basically, think Discogs for people who want to know where samples came from. This is obviously only really relevant to genres and artists that make heavy use of sampling and remixes, but for those, it’s a fascinating linkhole of musical connections. Here’s a look at Flying Lotus’ back catalog, for instance:

And like Discogs, that data is all human-gathered, not algorithmically collected.

The site already has an app that lets you manually look up that information. Now, you add music recognition. No word yet on whose algorithms they licensed for the recognition – accuracy and content depth remains a stumbling block for some music – but we’ll have to give it a try.

Why this matters: you get a whole bunch of functionality now in this app, between the WhoSampled database, the various features of the app to check out your music collection, and now music recognition, too. In short:

• Unlimited music recognition (via the mic), irrespective of whether a particular track is in the WhoSampled database
• A list of track IDs (with login)
• Favorite tracks
• Scan your existing Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes libraries (iOS) or local library (Android) – a fascinating window into the music you’re playing. (And a lot of us duplicate DJ libraries on Android or iOS on the go)
• Check out sample, cover, and remix connections

All of this will cost you a little bit. In an interesting pricing approach, they’re ad-supported and free on Android, but US$3.99 and ad-free on iOS.

For music recognition, you pay ten bucks a year USD, which then removes ads on all platforms (including the Web).

Take Your Music Recognition Game to the Next Level! Let the WhoSampled App Show You the DNA of the Music Playing Around You

[Whosampled, via rekkerd.org and h/t Oliver Chesler]

The post Is WhoSampled’s app set to be the Shazam of pro users? appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Audeonic are well known for their MIDI apps on iOS, and on macOS too. Now they’ve broken out a module from their very popular app MIDIFire. StreamByter is now available as an audio unit plugin for creating your own custom MIDI effects. StreamByter can be used as an Apple Audio Unit (AU) effect or as a standalone app connected via CoreMIDI virtual ports.

To make use of StreamByter you’re going to need your iOS device to be at a minimum of iOS11, and you’re also going to need to be using a suitable audio unit host app like AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis or Sequencism. If you want to use StreamByter with CoreMIDI, then a routing app like MidiFire would be recommended and an iOS device with at least iOS 8 is required.

So what can you actually use StreamByter to do. Here are some exaples:

• You can extend the MIDI processing functionality of any AU host, such as AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis
• Remap channels, notes, controllers (anything MIDI)
• Filter MIDI events coarsely or finely
• Clone or Delay any event
• Send any event automatically when plugin is loaded
• You can also create complex effects using programming concepts like conditionals, loops, variables (including array, timing and random), and math operators.

StreamByter is configured using a textual rules ‘language’ that defines how the effect should operate. Please see the support link to go to our website for full details.

StreamByter costs just $6.99 on the app store, which is a lot cheaper than I expected, given how powerful it is

I had a look on the app store and saw this review on there, which was quite inspiring

“Whether in the context of MIDIFire or now as a stand-alone app, StreamByter has allowed me to realize my musical intentions more fully than ever before. This is true because of Audeonic’s unwavering support in helping its users to create StreamByter code to realize creative musical ideas and functions.

StreamByter should be part of every MIDI system.

Thank you Audeonic! You have brought joy to my musical world and that of many others.”

So, if you’ve been looking for a way to bring your own MIDI FX to life, I think that maybe StreamByter may be a good place to start.

The post Audeonic bring us StreamByter, an AUv3 that lets you make your own MIDI FX appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

I posted about AudioKit Synth One a month ago to give you the heads up that the first completely free & open-source professional iOS Synthesizer app in history was on it’s way. Now it’s arrived and, as they promised, it is indeed, completely free. In May I described it as “A big step forward for mobile music”, and I’m sticking to that view. Judging by the initial reactions across the mobile community, lots of other people think it too (check the videos at the end of the post).

The synth has been created by over 100 volunteers from all over the world. The app includes MIDI support (play it with a MIDI keyboard or controller), a sequencer, vintage-inspired analog filters, expressive arpeggiators, warm analog delays, and, over 300 presets to get you started . And of course it is completely open-source.

In fact, you can effectively use the code from Synth One to help you to learn how to build your own synth app or modify Synth One for your own purposes.

SYNTH ONE FEATURES:

• Hybrid Analog/FM Poly Synthesizer
• Over 300+ Presets crafted by famous sound designers
• Audiobus 3 & Inter-app Audio (IAA)
• Five Oscillators (2 DCO, FM, Sub, Noise)
• 2 LFOs with over a dozen routing possibilities
• Vintage-Style 16-Step Sequencer
• Classic poly arpeggiator
• MIDI in (Control with a MIDI Keyboard or AudioBus/IAA)
• Touchable ADSR Envelopes for Amp & Filter
• FM Oscillator w/ Mod
• Mono glide and legato
• Dedicated Sine/Square -12/24 Sub Osc
• 4-Pole Vintage Low-Pass Filter
• High-Pass/Band Pass Filters
• Beautiful Costello Reverb
• Multi-tap (ping-pong) delay
• TouchPads
• Preset & Bank Import/Export & More…

On the roadmap for a future release of Synth One:

• Ableton Link
• MPE Support (Play w/ a Roli Seaboard)
• AUv3 Plug-in support. Use AudioKit Synth One
• Full Source code will be released soon…

 
AudioKit Synth One is available for your iPad and is completely free

The post AudioKit Synth One has arrived appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.