Pro Music Apps

HyperSpace, the waveform-sculpting 3-D oscilloscope synth is the latest edition of our Space series.

HyperSpace uses a unique algorithm to generate endless mesmerizing images from sound. It works similarly to a harmonograph, but uses its 3 voice oscillators instead of pendulums to create images. Each oscillator is mapped to a dimension in 3-D space. Playing a single note creates a wave, like on an ordinary oscilloscope. Playing two notes at once creates a plane as with the harmonograph, and playing a three note chord creates a volume.

There are two oscillators to crossfade between. These can be set to standard shapes as with older synths, but HyperSpace also lets you sculpt the waves with touch! Changing the wave shapes of course alters the sound, but it also alters the generated imagery. The variety of imagery generated with this simple algorithm is truly astonishing.

Features:
• Selectable keyboard scales for easier jams
• Fat keys option for fat fingers
• Three voice polyphony
• Two LFO modulators
• Lowpass filter effect
• Echo effect
• Audio Copy
• iTunes file sharing
• Works on iPad and iPhone 4s/4/3GS

HyperSpace 3D Synthesizer
Developer: The Strange Agency LLC

Rated: 4+

Price: $0.99 Download Here

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

WaveSynth Pro is “easy and full-fledged musical instrument app specialized in performance”, a wave table, 16 multi-timbral synthesizer application for iPad with 128 preset sound tones and 1 drum set defined by General MIDI specification.

WaveSynth Pro has 2 mode for playing various musical instruments sound tone such as piano, guitar, trumpet, strings, flute, drums, percussions and so on.
“Performance Mode”: Playing 2 layered instruments. 4 presets stores each instrument and various parameters.
“GM Mode”: Recommended for playing GM compatible MIDI files. Instrument and parameters of each part can be edited, and performance of each part is also displayed.

The keyboard can be selected by 1 octave keyboard or 2 octave keyboard on the display. In every sound tone, most suitable octave is assigned automatically or to be chosen by manual.
Also touch velocity support using accelerometer allows rich performance.
In addition to normal keyboard play, various expressions could be added by the Pitch Bend Controller, Portamento, Mono Mode.

Also WaveSynth Pro supports CoreMIDI compatible MIDI interfaces for full 16 channel MIDI Input / Output. Please use your iPad as a perfectly GM sound module !

Specifications:
* 128 preset sounds and 1 drum set defined by General MIDI specification
* Performance Mode / GM Mode
* Touch Velocity Supported
* Pitch Bend Change Control
* Portamento On / Off
* Mono Mode On / Off
* Hi-Quality Reverb / Chorus / Delay Effect
* Supported CoreMIDI compatible MIDI Interfaces
* 16 Part Multitimbral

WaveSynth Pro
Developer: CRIMSON TECHNOLOGY, Inc.

Rated: 4+

Price: $2.99 Download Here

6 or so months after the iPad version debut, here is a pocket friendly, though equally quirky, version of cascadr, which is also free.

Cascadr experiments with the idea of playing a sequence of notes and a number of speeds – simultaneously. Rather than the sequences being played in time with each other (for example, 30bpm, 60bpm, 120bpm…) they are played at intervals of 1bpm – which generates an interesting cascading effect.

There are eight notes in this sequence, and each note’s pitch can be chosen over a range of 2 octaves (on a chromatic scale) starting from A4 (or 440Hz). It’s also possible to alter the volume of each note, so emphasis can be placed on specific notes. Simply touch the column that represents the value you wish to change and drag up or down. When you change a note or note volume, the change will be heard straight away.

Perhaps most importantly, you can choose the speed of the sequences. As the idea of this application is to play sequences with this cascading effect, you can only choose the speed of the first sequence. So, if you choose a speed of 10bpm, the next sequence will be played at 11bpm, the next at 12bpm and so on.

Along with functions for starting and stopping the sequence, there is a ‘re-sync’ function that allows you to restart the sequence from the beginning, meaning that all of the sequences will be put back in sync again.

There are also 8 ‘save slots’. Just select ‘Switch slot’ from the menu at the bottom of the screen, touch a slot number, close, and continue composing! All changes you make are automatically saved to the current slot.

FInally, there is a ‘MIDI On’ button that will switch the app from outputting audio to outputting MIDI. You can connect the MIDI output to virtual MIDI ports between apps running on the same device and also MIDI via Wifi.

While there may be some ‘shock-horror’ at the lack of syncopation, Cascadr can produce some really ambient melodies and rhythms – along with some interesting chords as the sequences slide in and out of time. Just set your sequence, speed, play and listen.

Have fun with it!

cascadr xs
Developer: Michael Aldridge

Rated: 4+

Price: free Download Here

• 
• 
• 

Owners of Moog’s excellent Animoog can now access this new sound set via an in-app purchase.

From ethereal lead sounds to sci-fi insanity, the Devine expansion pack takes total advantage of Animoog’s uniquely expressive keyboard, modulation and timbre array.

The Devine Expansion Pack includes 32 original presets handcrafted by Richard Devine himself. Also included are 43 new Timbres nearly doubling Animoog’s sonic vocabulary.

Check the official page - http://www.moogmusic.com/products/apps/devine-expansion-pack-animoog

Check out some of the sounds

Animoog
Developer: Moog Music Inc.

Rated: 4+

Price: $29.99 Download Here

File this one under quirky noise generators. Could be handy for sound designers though…

[Description from the developer's website]

Welcome to The Droner, experimental noise & drone station for iPad.
On the left, you can see the routing schematics of the synthesizer.
Be careful, you don’t have a classic or a regular machine in your hands.
Indeed, it can produce very unique and strange sounds textures and you have to learn to handle it.

You have to use it with earphones or to use a line input on your
sound-system in order to render the best results.

You can record while playing with it.
The PCM file will be saved in the document folder of The Droner application on your iPad.
You use iTunes to manage the files in this folder to backup them on your computer, or remove them.

Click here for a demo of the type of sounds you can make.

The Droner
Developer: Julien Bayle

Rated: 4+

Price: $3.99 Download Here

Free update just in for owners of FL Studio Mobile, which is Image Lines portable version of the popular FL Studio. The feature list isn’t extensive, but still welcome nonetheless.

New 1.4 features & changes include:

• In-App shop (Instruments Tab), with 2 x instrument packs available free (HD version only)
• Purchases can be transferred between FL Mobile and FL Mobile HD by copying ‘.flmdlc’ files.
• WiFi server button (Setup Tab) for file sharing via your Internet Browser
• Double tapping an instrument category button opens/closes all folders
• Faster App launch
• Playback timing and performance improved
• Updated graphics to support iPad 3.

Note: If you have FL Studio Mobile (iPhone/iPod) and FL Studio Mobile HD (iPad) install both on your iPad to unlock all the sample packs.

FL Studio Mobile HD
Developer: image-line

Rated: 4+

Price: $19.99 Download Here

CASSINI Polyphonic Synthesizer
3 OSCs + 2 Filters + AMP + 9 EGs + 6 LFOs + 2 Delays + Arpeggiator

- 3 Oscillators plus 1 Sub-Osc
– Sawtooth, Pulse(PWM), Triangle, Sine, Noise, FM
– Waveshape Modulation
– Oscillator Sync
– Ring Modulation

- 2 Filters
– LP24, LP18, LP12, LP6, BP, HP

- AMP
– Overdrive
– 3 Band EQ
– Auto Pan

- 9 Envelope Generators
– DAHDSR(Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, Release)
– Velocity, Keyboard Tracking

- 6 LFOs
– Sawtooth, Pulse, Triangle, Random, 16 Step Sequence
– Waveshape Modulation
– Envelope(AD/AR)

- Modulation Delay
– Delay Time: 1-2000ms / Tempo Sync
– Delay Time Modulation

- Filtered Stereo Delay
– Resonant Filter (LP, BP, HP)
– Filter Modulation

- Programable Polyphonic Arpeggiator
- Scale/Chord Remapper

- CoreMIDI

- Recorder
– Audio Copy (Compatible with INTUA BeatMaker, Apple GarageBand and so on.)
– Export wav file via iTunes File Sharing
The recording time is limited to 3 minutes.

Further information at http://iphone.icegear.net/cassini/

CASSINI Synth for iPhone
Developer: iceWorks, Inc.

Rated: 4+

Price: $4.99 Download Here

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Realize your musical ideas more effectively with Melody Music Maker as integration with your songs and MIDI setups is now much easier. With this update you can not only write great songs but also easily fit in with existing songs and compositions. Everyone can become a composer with the great iPad app “Melody Music Maker 1.2″. It works simple and intuitive.

This update makes the app not only great for starting composers and song writers but also for the more advanced users who already have some MIDI-Equipment and want to take their musical compositions to the next level.

Colors will guide you through the composition

How does “Melody Music Maker” work? The answer is: very easy!

Different colors will guide the user through his own composition. The app contains all the needed theoretical knowledge and calculates in real-time the correct notes for the melody. Great songs, that can be compared to the songs of professional musicians, are created in a short period of time.

With version 1.2 you can:

• freely select and change chords

• store your own presets for easy reusing

• transpose chords and melody to fit your individual needs

• set velocity ranges for better integration in a MIDI studio

• use ‘sync in’ for synchronization with MIDI sequencers

For more details on Melody Music Maker, check the official site - www.melodymusicmaker.com

Melody Music Maker
Developer: C.W.A. Verjans

Rated: 4+

Price: $8.99 Download Here

The Arpeggionome is a musical instrument designed specifically for the iPad. With the Arpeggionome, you can design and perform intricate patterns of musical notes at incredible speeds and with precise control.

MUSICAL EXPRESSION AT 480 NOTES PER SECOND.
The Performance Matrix is the Arpeggionome’s main musical interface. Touch any Control Point in the Performance Matrix to trigger the notes in the pattern.
• Move your finger left and right to set the reference-note of the pattern.
• Move your finger up and down to set the pattern’s speed.
• Control up to 480 notes per second, nearly 30,000 notes per minute.
VIBRATO AND TREMOLO, ESSENTIAL FOR 8-BIT SOLOS.
The iPad’s accelerometer controls vibrato and tremolo.
• For expressive changes in pitch, tilt the iPad left and right to apply vibrato.
• For expressive changes in volume, tilt the iPad forward and backward to apply tremolo.
DESIGN AN ARPEGGIO FROM SCRATCH…
Eight touch-knobs are used to design the Arpeggionome’s pattern. The touch-knobs are also great for performance. They can be changed in real-time, and then double-tapped back to their saved value.
• Key & Scale – sets the key and scale of the pattern.
• Octave Range – sets the starting and ending octaves of the pattern.
• Octave Style – sets how the pattern moves between octaves
.
• Control Range – sets the placement of the Control Points.
• Notes – sets the number of unique notes that will be triggered
.
• Step Distance – sets the distance between each note of the pattern
.
• Notes Style – sets how the pattern moves between notes
.
• Tempo – Sets

 the global tempo.
…OR USE A PRESET.
The Arpeggionome includes a Pattern Library with a wide selection of presets. You can also save your own patterns to the Pattern Library.
BEAUTIFUL AND INFORMATIVE VISUAL FEEDBACK.
The Arpeggionome provides visual feedback for your position in the Performance Matrix, every note you trigger, vibrato amount, and tremolo amount.
• Your position in the Performance Matrix is represented by the intersection of two green lines.
• Every note you trigger flashes green in the keyboard above the Performance Matrix.
• Vibrato and tremolo are represented by the two sliders below the Performance Matrix.
OTHER FEATURES
.
• Includes an interactive tutorial.
• Can be used as a tool for learning music theory.
• iPad HD ready.
HISTORY
The Arpeggionome was first a hardware project, called the Kaossonome. At Music Hack Day San Francisco 2012, the project found its new home on the iPad. After receiving some great prizes at Music Hack Day, it became clear that the software successor to the Kaossonome, the Arpeggionome, was ready to rear its head on the App Store.

Demo video

Arpeggionome
Developer: Alexander Randon

Rated: 4+

Price: $4.99 Download Here

Figure is the fun music-making app for instant inspiration.

Create an addictive beat before the next bus stop or lay down a beefy bass line while waiting in line at the bank. Figure will have you making music within seconds yet is deep enough for endless play on a transatlantic flight.

Figure highlights
• Make songs with Drums, Bass and Lead Synth
• Play by sliding your finger across the play pad
• Always stay in key and on the beat
• No previous playing skills required
• Tweak and twist your track on the fly
• Sounding amazing has never been this easy
• The sound of Reason on your phone!
Truly designed for mobile user on the go, Figure gives you drums, bass and lead synth, controlled by an incredibly easy to use touch interface that gets you sounding great literally in seconds. Slide your finger across the play pad and hear your bass line play. Tweak the Rhythm, Range and Scale Step wheels to get the result you’re after. Programming drumbeats is just as easy. Set the rhythm and play the drums with your fingers. You won’t want to stop. You won’t believe how amazing you and your phone can sound.

If you are new to music making, getting started making great sounding tracks has never been this easy — and sounded so great!

If you are a seasoned musician – music creation has never been this fun!

The nitty gritty details:
• Bass & lead parts use Reason’s Thor synthesizer
• Drums powered by Reason’s Kong drum machine
• Play in different keys & modes. Set once or change on the fly.
• Increase the Shuffle to loosen up your beats
• Turn up Pump to add a club sound to your tracks
• Adjust levels using Propellerhead’s legendary mixer

** Requirements: works on iPhone 4 or higher, not recommended for iPhone 3GS

Figure
Developer: Propellerhead Software AB

Rated: 4+

Price: $0.99 Download Here

• 
• 
• 
• 
•