iPhone Music Apps

[saxhound]

I finally moved into the 21st century and got myself an iPhone 4S. I've got all the corporate type apps I need, but would like to get some good music apps.I need some basics like tuner & metronome, but would also be interested in arranging & transcription apps. I don't really use it for listening (I'm old school and think mp3 fidelity bites). Free is always good, but I don't mind spending a few coins here and there.

I've been doing some targeted searches at the app store, but there is so much stuff out there, and no user ratings.

Suggestions?

[Merlin]

Cleartune - absolutely the best tuner I own.

Tempo - by Frozen Ape. Great metronome prog.

I also recommend iRealb if you play any jazz/commercial gigs. Instantly accessible and transposable chord changes for thousands of tunes. It also creates backing tracks for practice.

[Chris J]

+1 Cleartune for tuner

Something that helps transcription might be Tempo Slow - to slow music down, maintaining pitch. Cann also buy an add on to change pitch too
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/tempo...460008289?mt=8

My metronome is Metronome+
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/metro...434136233?mt=8

Chris

[WoodwindDoubler]

Woodwind Fingerings - I don't use it all that often, but the trill fingerings are really helpful.

+1 for iReal b


unrealBook - (not sure if it's iPad only or not) Inport PDFS of anything, but for music, you can then go into your audio libarary and add a playlist of music based on what you are working on. For example, I have been practicing the 1st reed book for the producers. I load up the charts in unrealBook and then I add a playlist of a pit recording to play along to.

p.s. I've also tried forScore, iGigBook and GigBook ... unrealBook is my favourite.


MusicJournal - is a decent way to keep track of what your are practicing.

GarageBand - HUGE value for $5. Lots and lots of posibilities. Create music on the go and then you can upload it into GarageBand on your computer or logic pro.

[SOTSDO]

One that I have used a lot is "Bassoon", a bassoon fingering chart for the Heckel bassoon. It's nothing fancy, but very quick to get to your information. The fingering charts diagrams are easy to understand, and are color coded for quick recognition.

As little as I play bassoon, there are always fingerings that I have forgotten over the years. This has been a lifesaver for me on a number of occasions.

It doesn't cover the entire range of the horn - the portions of the compass in the treble clef range are omitted. But, everything from tenor clef F# all the way down to bass clef Bb on the long joint is included. It was also pretty cheap.

[saxhound]

Thanks, all. I got Cleartune right away. Great app. I used it Friday night on stage during sound check. Drums banging, guitars clanging and it didn't register anything until I played a note. Can't decide between Tempo and Metronome Plus. May have to get both!

I don't play bassoon, and probably never will, but I can see how fingering apps could be handy. I could use one for the top register of the bass clarinet.

I may have to check out Garage Band. Heard a lot of good things. Don't know about the chord chart apps. My ancient eyes have a hard time reading this thing from more than 12" away. I'd love to see a Sibelius mini-app. I could work on my arrangements at lunch, or while stuck in traffic.

What I really need is one of those expand your keyboard apps. That keyboard is just too tiny for my fingers. A lot of choices - just have to find the right one.

[SOTSDO]

So could a lot of people. But, unless you get your programming act together and get on the "app" bandwagon, I'd place the chances at slim to none that you're going to see one.

I used to program for the Newton system, and it was all that I could do to keep the uses of the various ({[]}) symbols in line with that. Other than Hypercard/Supercard, I've pretty much given up the programming ghost, which is odd since that was my major during my college years. You don't use it (assembler and RPG were my two main "work" programming languages), you quickly lose it.

The iPhone SDK is free (although there is a charge for registering your programmer identification code). It's the learning curve and the time that's the problem. That Bassoon "app" is a nifty piece of work indeed, but I imagine that there was quite a bit of work done just to get everything just so.

Ironically, I forget my bassoon skills quickly after putting it away. My son, who played the horn back in high school BIH (before ice hockey) hadn't touched one for five years, but when he picked mine up when it was left out during one of his visits, he immediately ripped out the last movement of the Mozart concerto from memory, and with minimal fumble fingering.

True, it's pitched in an easy key and all, but still. Why can't I do that? For that matter, why couldn't I remember all of that bracket crap when programming?

[pete]

GarageBand - HUGE value for $5. Lots and lots of posibilities. Create music on the go and then you can upload it into GarageBand on your computer or logic pro.

I wasn't aware that it was only $5 for the iThingies. Even though I'm probably never going to use it, I'm thinking that a $5 investment in this is a great idea. Hey, even the Mac version is all of $15 -- and you can use your Mac as a synth. It's also got built-in piano and guitar lessons.

Take a look at all these features on the iPad version.

[Carl H.]

How useful as a tool is garage band? I can see it as fun to mess with, but is it a practical tool for a working musician?

[Chris J]

Looking at the GarageBand spec has got me thinking.

If it takes input from a MIDI controller, I can play my Yamaha WX5 into it.

Searching around, it seems a USB photo adapter might connect the WX5 to an iPad.

I assume if it works, it will only play a piano voice.

Another search suggest Music Studio app might give a variety (65 for the full version) of instrument voices. I have downloaded the free Lite version to look at and it looks pretty interesting.

If I get the USB to iThingy connection to work, it might even play through my iPhone as well as iPad.

Has anyone tried connecting a MIDI wind controller to an iPad?

What software has been tried?

Chris

[pete]

There are definitely iPad MIDI interfaces, like this one.

Breath controller support is generally based on the MIDI implementation of the application or tone generator (e.g. synthesizer) you're using. If Garage Band only has piano and drums (I've not checked), it has no need for breath controller support.

Interestingly, I was thinking about the same thing as you, Chris. I'm going to look into it a bit more.

[Chris J]

The MIDI Mobiliser is the gadget my searching finished on for MIDI in and out

But all the information I gathered about MIDI in to an iPad uses the iPad phot adapter taking USB in.

This http://www.amazon.com/5-1-Card-Reade...6056269&sr=8-4 may well work too and is very cheap!

I have ordered one from the UK Amazon and will try it with GarageBand. I will also try it with the free Music Studio. One of the free instrument in music studio is a flute, so I will report back to see if either of those work!

Chris

[pete]

But all the information I gathered about MIDI in to an iPad uses the iPad phot adapter taking USB in.

This http://www.amazon.com/5-1-Card-Reade...6056269&sr=8-4 may well work too and is very cheap!

I think you may have forgotten a sentence or two or put in the wrong linky or both ....

[pete]

Oh. Carl H, lots of pros do use Garage Band, at least the Mac version, and I know that some folks have mixed albums with it.

I'm going to continue the discussion of wind controller + sound generator in a different thread. I'll post the linky when it's done.

[Chris J]

I think you may have forgotten a sentence or two or put in the wrong linky or both ....

Sorry, my post was not clear at all. Problem of trying to rush while doing 2 things at once!

To decipher my post:

I can connect my WX5 directly to a computer by a lead which plugs into a USB port of the PC. When I was searching the web for solutions to connect my WX5 to my iPad, I could fing no reference to connecting the WX5, but a few references connecting a MIDI keyboard to an iPad.

The MIDI Mobiliser is the gadget my searching finished on, for MIDI in and out

There were 2 ways that I found often discussed - one was the gadget you linked to, the MIDI Mobiliser, which gave a true interface with leads for MIDI in and MIDI out.

But all the information I gathered about MIDI in to an iPad uses the iPad photo adapter taking USB in

The other references mention a USB to iPad input converter, using the apple camera adapter pack. This costs about £30 in UK, and consists of 2 adapters, one for an SD card, and one for USB connection. Here is a link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-Camera...6110448&sr=8-1

So I thought that if a USB input converter to iPad was all I needed, I thought I would first try a cheap version to see if that got me anywhere in connecting the WX5 to my iPad. My link was to something similar to the cheap version of a USB to iPad converter. It is a 5 in one card reader, that includes USB.

Chris

[Carl H.]

I could see it being useful there, but as a stand alone app is it worth having?

[pete]

Well, a MIDI to USB converter's pretty cheap.

Here's a rather novel approach to MIDI to iPad for $15, but that MIDI Mobilizer is only $40 at Amazon.

[pete]

Comment on MIDI Mobilizer, quickly: I've looked at a number of MIDI-capable iPad apps and they specifically say that they support "MIDI Mobilizer." Not "MIDI Interface" or something like that. That means YMMV.

Here are some really, really nice SYNTHS. Why the capitals? Because they sound like ... synths:

SynthTronica. $4.99. Very comprehensive app.
Korg iMS-20. $16. New version supports MIDI. It's a virtualized analog synth. Read: fairly difficult to set up.
MusicStudio. $15. The pianos do sound nice.
Animoog.. $30. An actual new synth engine for the iPad.

EDIT: Check out http://ipadloops.com/tag/ipad-synthesizer/ and http://www.synthtopia.com/content/ca...zers-samplers/ for more synths

[WoodwindDoubler]

Interesting discussion.

I wonder if the MIDI iRig can be used to connect a WX5 to an iPad?


As for garage band.

I've personally worked on film scores on garage band for iPad.


It's great if you all of a sudden get a melody in your head for a song and want to write it down.

It's great if you want to create a sketch to import onto your computer later.

I can't speak for its use on the iPhone ... but on the iPad with it's bigger screen, it's a really amazing program.

The other thing I like is fact that they are constantly doing free upgrades and improvements.

[pete]

I wonder if the MIDI iRig can be used to connect a WX5 to an iPad?

Don't see any reason why not. MIDI has been around so long because it's a universal standard. The only caveat I mention is that whatever App you use might not support breath control. That's not a problem with the interface, it's a problem with the App.

Hey, WW2, the iRig website also mentions SampleTank for the iPad/Pod. It's $10 this month and it's got some GREAT acoustic sounds. I don't know about breath support, tho.

[pete]

I e-mailed the folks at iRig/Sample Tank. Emphasis mine, in the response:

Hello Pete,

Thanks for your interest in SampleTank.

SampleTank and iRig MIDI will work with any MIDI device equipped with a standard 5-pin MIDI Out or MIDI In port. As long as your MIDI Device has a standard 5-pin MIDI connection, you can certainly use iRig MIDI, and by extension SampleTank.

Please do note, however, SampleTank currently does not receive many of the MIDI CC messages that a wind controller can send. At this time, SampleTank will receive MIDI Note on/off, Velocity, Pitch Bend and Modulation control. Additional MIDI CC messages can not be set to control parameters in SampleTank.

We are working on a new, free update for SampleTank that will allow you to assign different MIDI CC messages to different parameters in SampleTank. This update is not available yet, but it will be available soon. Please keep an eye on our website: www.ikmultimedia.com, for any news or announcements regarding future updates for SampleTank for iPhone/iPad.

I hope this helps. If you need additional help, please reply to this email.

Best regards,

Miguel Paucar
Technical Support
IK Multimedia. Musicians First.
www.ikmultimedia.com

Check our FAQ section for quick answers 24/7! Visit:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq
Access your IK User Area here: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/userarea

FWIW, I did get the free version of SampleTank and it does allow you to hear all the other instruments they have available, but not do anything else with them. As almost always, the sax is abysmal. The clarinet is OK. The flute is OK. The (Harmon, I think) muted trumpet is almost perfect.

[nhsaxes]

I have just been experimenting with the WX5/iRig Midi/sampletank/iPad combo for the last day or so. It sort of works, but with exactly the issues described. I got a very similar email from Miguel at IK Multimedia in response to my own inquiries about support for CC 2 & 11. Guess we'll have to wait and see what they come up with.

Some of the samples are pretty good, but I must concur that the saxes suck. Not a problem for me, as I would rather play my own anyway, it's the other axes that I'm after for potential performance scenarios. Some odd bits, though - some samples have a limited time duration, such as the Trumpet Mute instrument, and they will not sustain past a couple of seconds, thus making natural long-tone phrasing impossible. Some samples you can hold as long as you like, no matter what you use for a controller. I did not get a response on that one, will be following up again.

Guess it's the price paid for wanting to be on the bleeding edge.