In-app editing, at last. Without switching to your Mac or PC, you can now edit or create layouts right on Lemur. Images courtesy Liine.

Once the layout is done, using an iPad as an interactive, do-anything-you-want, Star Trek-style music and visual controller is a unique pleasure. But as your fingers surf through virtual knobs and faders, the idea has surely occurred to you: why can’t I actually do my editing and layout on the iPad?

Lemur is perhaps the most powerful controller app anywhere, a terrific demonstration of why a tablet controller can be useful. And its editor – directly descended from the editor that went with the original, pre-iPad Lemur hardware – is powerful, unquestionably. But switching between an editor on the desktop and the layout on the tablet definitely feels less intuitive.

A Lemur update at last brings what users have wanted: now you can directly edit those layouts on the iPad (and iPhone/iPod touch), ideal for “improvising” layouts and adjusting to what feels best on the controller. See the video for a first look. (One bonus, very interesting to a few of us: this also means, since you’re no longer tethered to the editor, you can more easily use Lemur as a controller with your Linux rig, whether that’s a laptop or a Raspberry Pi.)

It should be available on iTunes now. (Some country stores don’t get all updates immediately, so keep an eye out.)

That’s not all Lemur developers Liine are announcing today. Lemur also adds three new “skins” for a bit more control over how your layouts look. And coming early next year, there will also be a free layout for Ableton Live from one of the best creators of this stuff, ST8. (I would expect this is tailored a bit to some of the subtle but significant controller changes in Live 9.)

The new Lemur – in-app editing, new skins, and still the mobile controller app to beat.

Entirely tailored to iOS interface paradigms, in-app editing does everything you need to customize control layouts, says Liine. Here’s how they describe the use cases for the functionality:

So what does editing templates directly In-App mean?
For novice users, this means a much smaller learning curve and an immediate initial experience. Any basic configuration, such as a typical bank of faders, can now be created with a few familiar taps and gestures. And any factory template can be adjusted quickly to suit your particular needs.
 
For advanced users, the In-App Editor provides the possibility to quickly edit templates without breaking the musical flow. Whether you’re playing with live musicians or engineering a track in the studio, designing and using the Lemur controller becomes improvisatory. Need to add an extra fader for the reverb effect? Two seconds and you’ve got it.

We don’t know a whole lot about LiveControl 2.0, but knowing how powerful some of this stuff has been in the past – and knowing ST8 was involved – I expect hard-core Live users who love touch will be intrigued. (It’ll be interesting to stack this up against Ableton’s own Push, which should become available in roughly the same timeframe – how you might choose one over another, or even use the two together.) What we have from Liine on what’s coming:

Experience the ultimate Ableton Live controller, designed in partnership with master designer ST8. Improvise a riff on the Play page, then switch to the Sequencer page to edit the pattern. Choose a key and scale to guide your melodies and use Quick Chord to instantly create harmonies. Use the Modulate page to flawlessly map any parameter from any plugin to the MultiBall object and take advantage of Physics, LFOs and gesture recording. The Launch page gives you everything you would expect from a clip launcher, and more. We even integrated snapshots and morphing. LiveControl 2 will be a free download available in early 2013.

Let’s have a look at the new releases in images:

The New Lemur

Some people may still prefer doing initial editing on the desktop app, but it’s hard to imagine anyone will complain about at last being able to make adjustments on mobile. And if you do want to start from scratch, you can do that, too. The new Lemur app, editing away.

You have complete access to widgets and parameters. And, as you can see, by using iOS-native UI components, Lemur makes sure those editing tasks are fat-finger-friendly.

LiveControl 2.0

A new Ableton Live controller template will be available as a free download early in 2013, says Liine.

Info on the updates:
http://liine.net/en/products/Lemur

http://liine.net

I’ll take one DAW, to go?

Cubasis isn’t the first traditional-style DAW to appear on the iPad. But it could be the most complete offering yet. I’ll be testing it later this month, but I’m already impressed that the software appears to strike some balance between the traditional working methods of a DAW and the need for streamlined, fat-fingered control on an iPad. Most significantly, it also offers connectivity with other iOS apps and hardware, meaning it could be an ideal mobile sequencer for other apps and gear, and, allows you to integrate with desktop software and Steinberg’s own Cubase. Since many of us want to hang onto big screens and big collections of plug-ins and the like when we actually finish a track, that’s a big deal. I wanted to learn more about the workflow here, so check out some Q&A with a specialist from Steinberg below.

You’ll need an iPad 2 / iPad mini or better, but once you do, you can get a surprisingly capable DAW that’s more mobile than your laptop. The basic feature set, according to Steinberg:

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

The price is higher than most iOS tools, at US$49.99. (44,99 € including German VAT.) Then again, we’ve already seen one serious tool that can make a higher price point pay off, in the form of Lemur. And sometimes it’s better to spend more on one truly useful app than buy a bunch of apps that do half of what you need. Stay tuned for our review for a real judgment on that.

Workflow and integration with a studio setup seem to be the reason you would shell out for more. Steinberg talks to CDM about how those features work.

PK: What’s the workflow like when going from Cubasis to Cubase? How does the import work, via iTunes? What do you actually see when you open a file?

Steinberg: You can use the iTunes file sharing system or the Cubasis Wi-Fi Server to transfer the files to your Computer. Then you install the Cubasis project importer extension for Cubase (steinberg.net/cubasisimporter) and then you import the project file in Cubase.

What’s the relationship of Cubasis to Cubase under the hood? The sounds come from HALion Sonic; were there other Cubase technologies that made it into the iPad version?

Cubasis was done from scratch to be able to give users a fully multitouch DAW experience.

Is Audiobus something you’ve evaluated?

Audiobus is one of our top 5 feature requests, so we plan to support it as we support other standards such as AudioCopy/AudioPaste.

“Sequence other Core MIDI apps (MIDI recording only) ” — sorry, I’m not sure I understand the parenthetical note there. This means you can only record MIDI from those apps?

It means that you can play the virtual keyboard in Cubasis or play back a midi track and trigger the sounds of your other apps.

You can use MIDI sequencing with external hardware, too, no?

Yes, that’s possible too.

http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/ios_apps/cubasis.html

Stay tuned for our hands-on review.

And here’s the promo video – yes, with a somewhat funny awkward moment as this woman hands the narrator an iPad.

Amusingly, this to me is closer to Cubase for iPad than GarageBand is Logic for iPad. I like GarageBand on the iPad a lot, but Cubasis appears to come closer to what I’d want and actually use. Did Emagic’s old Hamburg neighbor one-up the folks who actually work at Apple? We’ll have to test and see. Pass me a Fritz-Kola and some edamame.

Gallery: (and is it just me, or does this look better visually than Cubase on desktop?)

It’s a bit ironic, don’t you think? Part of the original appeal of the iPad was focusing on running one app at a time. But it has become clear that in some instances, you want the focus of one app, but with tools combined in a meaningful way. (Linux users will sigh and note that they had argued for something similar for years – but the usability experience I would say has progressed radically on iPad beyond what developers were doing with Linux.)

In a new video, you can at last see this in action, with three applications mixed together at the same time, live – thanks to our friends at iOS Musician for producing this terrific vid.

(Rather than “ménage a trois,” mélanger de trois?)

The magic is all possible with Audiobus, the app we’ve been covering in recent weeks that allows you to pipe audio between iOS apps in real time. The results are an excellent argument for splurging for the iPad 4 (or at least the iPad “3″ from earlier this year); added horsepower makes this possible.

Some readers have expressed frustration with Audiobus, once they have found it doesn’t work with the apps they want to use. It’s absolutely crucial to understand that each app you want to use must separately provide support for the technology. But this video is a good illustration of where things are going once that support becomes available, which I expect will accelerate early next year. There’s a lot coming once the floodgates open. In this video:

BeatMaker 2 (beat machine) [beta - an example of an app that's coming]
Sunrizer synth
Funkbox

For months, you’ve heard about Audiobus, an app that allows iOS apps to work together rather than being isolated tools. Now you can try it – and see if connecting apps on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad can make you more musically productive. The video above puts it more nicely than a written explanation could, summing up what it means to be able to easily combine apps. It’s nothing new: software for computers and patch cables for hardware have done this before. But that’s the point: connecting musical tools can make them more powerful, and the ease with which they connect makes a huge difference.

Here’s the bit you’ve been waiting for: Audiobus on the iTunes App Store:
Audiobus, A Tasty Pixel

In addition to the “here’s what this thing does in a minute” pitch above, we’re also seeing the first of what I expect will be many hands-on impressions.

I received an early copy of Audiobus yesterday to try it out while playing live MIDI through it. I was pleasantly surprised that it barely adds any latency and reacts really well. The shortcut bar is extremely useful and app-specific icons makes it very easy to interact with backgrounded applications while having another app in the foreground.

In this short demo I’m using my Eigenharp Alpha with a pre-release of PPG WaveGenerator. It’s fed into JamUp for additional effects and amp simulation. Loopy HD sits at the output side to build up the loops. I’m also using FunkBox, MIDI-synced to Loopy, for the drums.

The Eigenharp is connected with iConnectMIDI through a USB hub, into the camera connection kit to send the MIDI with virtually no latency and at a very high bandwidth. I use a Matrix USB/SPDIF interface that’s also plugged into the USB hub and recorded the iPad audio digitally without any post-processing.

This is all extremely promising imho!

Our friend and CDM reader Geert Bevin shared with us over the weekend his own experience using Audiobus so far, complete with video, via our Facebook page.

Also worth checking out as you investigate iOS creation workflows is this creation on virtual MIDI. It’s not Audiobus – this handles the MIDI portion – but combine this with Audiobus, and things get interesting:

Tutorial: Setup to Song in Genome [Discchord]

If you need a DAW to combine your Audiobus glue, Synthtopia notes over the weekend that Multitrack DAW has just added support:
MultiTrack DAW for iOS Updated With Audiobus

The developers also post a nice set of reflections on the development process:
Thirteen Months of Audiobus

For nearly all users – and even for many developers – today is really the beginning of this set of tools on iOS. Some readers were disappointed that there weren’t more apps available, but we know that a) the SDK is extremely easy to work with and support, b) a vast number of developers are signed up for it and have promised compatibility, and c) Audiobus’ creators are rolling out that SDK to developers gradually rather than all at once. So I expect the scene could be radically different by spring.

The place to watch that will be the official site:
http://audiob.us

And, of course, here. But I do hope the impact of Audiobus is beyond only iOS: it seems like there are some user interface ideas and usability notions that could be just as valid for creating new interfaces to tools like JACK.

Looking the opposite direction, all of this has gotten attention beyond just our little music tech-y circles. (I mean, yes, sure, we’re the sexiest and most intelligent boys and girls around, us music technology nerdsters, but it is nice to see the “normals” take note, too.)

Mobile music-making just got a lot more interesting: Meet Audiobus [The Next Web]

More interesting, indeed. Let us know how it works for you in The Real World, folks.

Chroma and Gris-Gris are a beautiful pairing, a performance-savvy sequencer and a “monster” monosynth. If the release of the OSC implementation we dreamed of in Reaktor wasn’t enough to make you dust off NI’s modular flagship, this will surely do the trick. It’s the work of Montreal-based Reaktor guru Peter Dines, veteran CDM contributor and one of our favorite patchers anywhere, on any platform, for his eminently-practical, sonically-lovely creations.

And just as the Chrome sequencer goes nicely with the Gris-Gris synth, the whole thing comes alive with Reaktor’s new OSC implementation, letting you perform sequences – alone or in public – with a variety of inputs. So, in addition to mouse (which works quite well, in case you’ve only got your laptop handy) and MIDI, you can fire up OSC. That means Konkreet Performer, TouchOSC, and Lemur on the iPad/iPhone/etc. all make gliding through sequences from your fingertips a joy.

In fact, Peter says Konkreet Performer is his favorite. I think if KP hasn’t won over everyone’s heart, it’s probably because you need the right patch to match its alien, futuristic abstract interface – and this could be that, as seen as Peter uses the two in the video here.

For its part, Gris-Gris has legato and glide features that combine with Chroma, plus great-sounding virtual analog mono sounds with “flux controls” for adding a bit of chaos and morphing. There’s a dedicated filter LFO, too – listen via SoundCloud below.

The whole package is tuned for plug-in operation as well as standalone says Peter. (Good call.)

Check out the sounds and Konkreet Performer – performing.

US$24.99; requires a full copy of Reaktor. Full details and interface guide:

Chroma and Gris-Gris: Sequenced Monster Monosynth

(We dreamt about proper OSC happening, and it happened. Maybe now we can dream about Reaktor Player support for the amazing Reaktor community, somehow? Well, we can dream, anyway.)

In addition to a cleaner browser layout, SoundCloud is bringing more functionality to mobile, starting Thursday. Images courtesy SoundCloud.

For some months, a lot of us have been using an overhauled SoundCloud interface. Playback works better, and everything is bigger, clearer, and more usable. A lot has changed, but I think the simplest endorsement is this: I haven’t wanted to go back to the old version, ever.

Today, SoundCloud is launching that new UI for everyone. They’re also taking the opportunity to tout just how much usage they’re getting. SoundCloud’s founders have routinely told people they believe sound and music will be essential media for the Internet, making comparisons to video. Now, they have some numbers. There are 10 hours of uploads to SoundCloud every minute. The new version is increasing “engagement measures” (no specifics on that at the moment) by 30%. Most tellingly, SoundCloud claims reach of 180 million people monthly, or “8% of the entire Internet population.”

Impressive, but since you probably care more about how this impacts you than the Earth, here’s a quick summary of what’s new, and pictured in official SoundCloud screenshots. (Uh, sorry, I’ll take my own soon … how about I use that time to upload some more music/sound to SoundCloud instead?)

The centerpiece of the upgrade is this overhauled stream – a much more pleasant place to spend your time listening to music and sounds.

What’s new in a nutshell:

• Easier signup and landing pages for new users (or “onboarding,” though that sounds to me like a waterskiing injury or something that happens if you upset the Pirate Captain)
• Facebook integration, with sign-up, friend finding, suggestions based on other likes
• Explore page
• Related sounds and suggestions
• Overhauled, improved search – this was a big complaint about the previous version. It’s still not perfect, but it’s actually worth using now.
• Continuous Play
• Highlighted creators
• Improved Sets, now in single waveforms (a la mixes)
• Reposts
• Real-time notifications for creators
• A more complete experience on mobile, rolling out on Thursday: reposts, updated mobile search, and improved usability are coming this week to iOS and Android apps.

“Related Sounds” helps you discover sounds from around SoundCloud. In my testing, its results were mixed, but it’s a nice “needle-drop” way of finding new work.

Improved search is key; having been a major complaint regarding previous versions.

SoundCloud also touts a lot of what they’re bringing to Creators. An improved interface, Facebook connectivity, and sharing features, say the company, are intended to bring wider exposure to your work. And that’s essential if SoundCloud is to flourish: you care when you upload about whether you benefit from those uploads.

That, in turn, brings us to Sets. As you may have discovered, you can take existing SoundCloud sounds and turn them into integrated Sets. One thing I’m certain readers will bring up: yes, SoundCloud will sometimes flag mixes if you use copyrighted material, based on an automated algorithm. That algorithm appears not to be perfect; that is, it flags some content, but not all. The issue is this: some sites allow you to upload sets of music either because they’re running afoul of the law, or they’re paying license fees that allow them to stream legally.

Creators are now featured both in the interface and in editorial. Nice to see our friends at Disquiet in the press photos!

What’s interesting about Sets in SoundCloud is that, with some artist participation, it could allow greater interaction between mix creators and original creators – artists and labels. By having you add this content from SoundCloud, those creators get notifications on their music being played. That’s not the same as revenue, but since for many artists exposure is the major currency rather than royalties, it could be even more important. We’ll have to explore how this feature works – and see if people making mixes for online distribution embrace the idea.

More images of what’s new:

Lots of SoundCloud sounds are hosted as embeds and the like. The ‘Explore’ page promises a SoundCloud that acts as a starting point for finding music.

Music discovery is featured even on the new, cleaner landing page for new users.

Try it yourself. As from today, when you login (apparently even if you were in the beta), you’ll see a banner at top that reads: “You’re using an old version of SoundCloud. | Get the new SoundCloud” – click, and you’re in.

http://soundcloud.com

Audiobus is all about connecting apps, which requires apps with built-in support. So, one surprising and encouraging feature – Audiobus will make it easy to discover which apps are compatible. (See also: notifications, below.)

Use a great effect app to process another app. Record your favorite app in another tool. Make apps work together, and maximize the potential of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. At last, Audiobus promises the ability to take the constellation of apps appearing on Apple mobiles and use them together, easily. We’ve known why this was cool, and we knew it was coming – see our in-depth preview and explanation of workflow..

Now, we know when, and to which apps. Audiobus’ developers have revealed next Monday December 10 as the official launch date. Also, we’re seeing some new screens – prepared for CDM – that show that it’ll be really easy to discover which apps work, or even to sign up for notifications on when apps are available.

All you need to run Audiobus:

• The US$9.99 Audiobus app. (Given the massive development effort behind this thing, that seems a good way to support the creators – and the app itself is rather beautiful.)
• An iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later. (The new iPod touch, for instance, looks like a great handheld music machine for those who don’t want a phone contract.)
• Compatible apps (a lot of your favorite apps will just add support in updates).

The heart of Audiobus: routing different apps allows you to combine sources, effects, and recording/hosts. All images courtesy Audiobus.

Audiobus has also revealed launch apps:

Funkbox (input slot)
JamUp (effects slot)
JamUp Pro (effects slot)
Loopy (input and output slot)
Loopy HD (input and output slot)
MultiTrack DAW (output slot)
NLog MIDI Synth (input, effects and output slot)
NLog Synth PRO(input, effects and output slot)
Rebirth for iPad (input slot)
SoundPrism Pro (input slot)
Sunrizer Synth for iPad (input slot)

Thumbjam and Drumjam are awaiting Apple App Review; Moog Animoog and Wavemachine Labs Auria support is coming, awaiting completed implementation.

Support is ramping up gradually. 700 people entered to become developers, but only 25 will get the SDK in the next round. (CDM will be looking at the SDK to give users and developers alike a preview.)

One reason: Audiobus’ creators want to make sure that these apps get feedback and that developers are approved by App Review. They say things will go public in the coming months.

More videos and details are coming from Audiobus – and hopefully from us here, too. In the meantime, here’s a look at the Audiobus app. See you next Monday.

Audiobus Launch on December 10th [Audiobus Tumblr]

Developers can notify you when apps become compatible – crucial given that Apple has to approve new apps, which Audiobus’ creators say is typically the longest delay, not development.

Doing more with less, and embracing limitations: it’s oft-repeated advice in music making. Maybe it’s repeated so often that it ceases to mean anything; I can find no harm in making music using the massive possibilities of a packed studio of gear or the endless depth of a computer.

So, instead, doing more with less can be something you do just because it’s liberating. It means you can make music on a budget. It means you can make music when you’re on a bus with nothing but a first-generation iPad and a copy of Polysix. It can mean, psychologically, that feeling of looking at just one tool and saying, here I go, I’m going to make something – and finish it.

Listening to these tracks made on Korg’s new iPolysix is liberating in that way. It’s a reminder that you can curl up in bed tonight with this app and produce something. It also demonstrates some of the benefits of Korg treating iPolysix in this case as a full-blown production workstation, with multiple instruments and drums and mixer and performance tools, in a way that means you don’t necessarily have to bring in any other tool. (See my preview from Monday.)

And if you thought that official demo track that came with iPolysix sounded good, we’re pleased to learn it comes from Friend of the Site Rutger Muller. Rutger has made a name for himself doing more with less, with a series of Nintendo DS-only albums and performances using Korg’s DS-10. (Composition trumps so-called audio “fidelity” again – for anyone complaining about sound quality, Rutger makes great, grungy, grooving tracks on that Nintendo game console.)

Watch Rutger jam with that track live:

Rutger reports a pleasant surprise: you can do this even on the first-generation iPad – the early-adopter device many developers are now more or less ignoring. (Sounds as though his iPad was straining – I’d still encourage picking up an iPad mini or iPad 2, minimum, if you can, finding it used if you have to. But if you already have that iPad “1,” the lesson is, don’t be shy about using it.)

More details from Rutger on this production – plus lots of additional listening on iOS and DS alike:

Jamming on an iPad 1 with the official demo ‘Submarine Drift’ track I made for KORG’s new iPolysix app.
- More of my KORG iOS music: http://www.Soundcloud.com/iNALOG

More of my works:

- Hypnotic School (dreampop/triphop):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oMEgwWyD00

- AuxPulse (acid/IDM on Nintendo DS):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPPPuGTKslI

- DS-10 Dominator (various EDM/acid on Nintendo DS):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTPFcn7fTsk

- Chiptune Music
http://www.Soundcloud.com/DisketteDeluxe
- My complete portfolio:
http://www.RutgerMuller.nl

Rutger says he’ll have more videos on the way.

The other iPolysix production we get early on comes from Keishi Yonao, available via SoundCloud:

Keishi is a renowned Japanese game composer, and it shows.

In fact, if you want to forget about iPolysix, nice as it is, there’s … this:

The YM2151, aka OPM is Yamaha Corporation’s single-chip FM synthesis implementation, an eight-channel four-operator sound chip,created originally for the Yamaha Corporation’s DX series of keyboards,it was also used in many 80′s arcade games and home computers.iYM2151 is the The world’s first FM synthesis music workstation app using Yamaha Corporation’s YM2151 simulator engine for iApp.

What just happened? You watched a live “dump” of parameters, via the Detune-released iYM2151, an iPad app that simulates the chip inside the Yamaha DX series. (Bonus: your iPad is a heck of a lot easier to use than a DX, for what it’s worth.) That app is a fascinating creation. Details:

The YM2151, aka OPM is Yamaha Corporation’s single-chip FM synthesis implementation, an eight-channel four-operator sound chip,created originally for the Yamaha Corporation’s DX series of keyboards,it was also used in many 80′s arcade games and home computers.iYM2151 is the The world’s first FM synthesis music workstation app using Yamaha Corporation’s YM2151 simulator engine for iApp.

[iYM2151 for iPad]
-uses YM2151 simulator engine for iApp
-4 operators per 8 Algorithms
-8 voices
-3 software LFOs
-max 99scenes (1scene with 64 steps)
-easy FM edit mode
-MML mode : programable huge FM parameters in every steps
-DUMP mode : realtime all FM operator parameters viewer
-song data file sharing and mail attachment
-good old days 80′s design user interface

Keishi is a master composer – like his compositional brain is just moving faster than ours. Check out more of his work:
http://yonao.com/

Fire up your iPads on these two apps:

iYM2151 on iTunes App Store
iPolysix on iTunes App Store

Get involved in the development of the open source WretchUp app for mobiles. With iOS funded, the next goal is extra features – and Android support. Photo: Nexus, (CC-BY-SA) kodel.

We’re in the final hours of the crowd funding campaign for Mouse on Mars’ handheld effects instrument, WretchUp. We’ve been really amazed at the level of support – we quickly reached our funding goal for the iOS app’s budget. But now we’re pushing in the final hours for just a bit more funding. It’ll allow us to do a dedicated port to the Android platform, if we can reach $7000 or more. And we’ll have additional budget for adding extra functionality beyond our current plans (something we’ll be discussing with backers as we work).

indiegogo.com/appwow

We’re really excited about the team of designers and creative people we get to work with on this, from Mouse on Mars to artists and creators. And, we’re especially eager to take advantage of the ability to release a fully open-source app: the patch will work on desktop, all the source code we can release, we will, and we’ll have a chance to help people to better understand how to use these tools to make their own instruments. The end result, then, isn’t just an app from us: it might lead to apps and patches from other people, too.

Backing WretchUp isn’t just a charity. You get the app gifted to you, and exclusive Mouse on Mars music in the form of the WretchDubbed album. In fact, we tried to calibrate backer levels to what we felt was the value of what you get in return – so this is an exchange of value and not a “donation.” Physical versions of that album are already all claimed, but lossless downloads are still available.

We also intend to involve backers in the development of the app as we finish polishing it up for iOS and (hopefully) Android. After all, if the whole idea of the model here is getting you to pay for the app you want before it becomes available, it seems it only makes sense to include those people most eager to get the app in the process of building it.

Music will be available in the next few weeks, with the final app available early in winter 2013.

Here’s a look of some of what’s in the app:

We shot a video with Jan and Andi in their studio here in Berlin, and had entirely too much fun.

And, to give you an idea of what lies underneath, here’s a screenshot of the underlying Pd (Pure Data) patch from a prototype version of WretchUp, originally built to work inside RjDj. An updated version of this patch will be available before the app, and will no longer require RjDj. We’re also adding additional sonic features beyond what this patch does, so while much of the work lies on the native side of iOS and Android and providing usability / interface / performance optimization / front-end functionality, we are working more with the patch and sound itself.

And because this is about music and not just apps, here’s the WretchDubbed album MoM made, featuring WretchUp as one of their instruments / studio effects:

I want to thank everyone who’s gotten involved. Apps are generally thought of as a way of promoting artists or something like that. Here, I will say, the relationship has become quite different. Everything we do with this tool, we have two experienced artists who can then be the ultimate test of this – can we build something that they can be happy with onstage and in their music? Involving more contributors and developers, and then opening up the results to a wider community of musicians and coders, I think holds real promise.

So, with hours left, have at it:
indiegogo.com/appwow

With the iOS goal met, Android is our next target in the final hours of the campaign.

This is only Genelec’s first stab at the problem, but the idea’s time has clearly come: help people place speakers correctly by giving them an app on their phone that helps them solve the problem. For pros and consumers alike, it seems a phone could be the perfect device.

Speaker maker Genelec has released SpeakerAngleApp for iOS and Android. Features:

• Angle matching for stereo and surround.
• Applies generically to all speakers (of course), despite the Genelec name.
• Rotate each speaker, and you can watch the app display angles and rotate the display.
• Number boxes and color coding provide feedback for setting up recommended angles in different combinations and pairs.
• Includes tutorial on angling generally, as well as instructions for the app.

This only really scratches the surface of what’s possible. A hilarious review on Google Play for the Android version notes, “Would be cool to add some other features, like maybe a db meter, or more help with speaker placement and distance to listening position etc. Right now it kinda feels like I paid $0.99 for a “how-to” on making a triangle.”

Of course, a level is a pretty simple tool, too, and it’s still useful. (Or a t-square, which typically costs more than a buck and only helps you make a right angle.) But there are other directions to go with these sorts of apps. Audio meters and automatic sound-based calibration are one idea. Other automatic tools are a potential development soon, too. I heard a presentation at the Game Developers’ Conference a few years ago in which a researcher described work on exactly calibrating headphones by taking pictures of the wearers’ ears.

For now, though, a dollar on iTunes or Google Play gives you something you can use while you wait:
Android / Google Play
iOS / iTunes App Store

via bey-c, “audio for everyone”

Part of the utility of the iPad is its power to transform into whatever you want it to be, the black, empty screen fitting any role you happen to need in the studio. Our friend Chris Stack shows off the combination of Ableton Live with the Koushion step sequencer on the iPad.

Koushion is capable of sequencing hardware as well as software, provided a compatible interface. I don’t normally copy-and-paste, but here, let’s give ourselves a break. Features:

• 16 steps per scene (up to 128 steps in chain mode)
• 8 scenes with independent midi channel per scene
• 4 playback modes: single, simultaneous, chain, rebound
• Key switching between any major, minor, or pentatonic scale
• Adjustable quantization (1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32)
• Quantized scene switching
• MIDI clock send/receive
• Tap to set tempo (great for syncing with a live band)
• Velocity control
• Monophonic drawing mode (only allows one note per step; great for programming leads)
• Wireless connectivity via CoreMIDI Network Sessions or rtpMIDI
• Automatic integration with other apps via CoreMIDI virtual ports. Open up a synth in the background and Koushion will trigger the notes!

http://www.kudzucreativegroup.com/work/koushion/

Sometimes, it can be quicker and more expressive to simply patch together what you want from basic building blocks, rather than wrangle with something built for a specific purpose. And that explains the ongoing appeal of modular software environments. Audulus is an elegant, efficient modular environment on the Mac. It’s not as deep or broad as some alternatives, but it does bring a range of ideas to making these features easy to use.

And now, it’s coming to the iPad. That’s significant for several reasons. First, it could be one of the nicest modulars to grace the iPad, for people looking for touch interfaces to do such things. Secondly, it’ll have a round-trip workflow with the Mac version. So, for those of you who see iPads as a companion to a laptop, rather than a placement, using the two in harmony could work nicely.

CDM has an exclusive first look at the video demonstrating the UI. Since it’s easier to see these features than listen to me talking about it, I’ll let your eyes have at it.

Audulus, looking quite nice on iPad. Click for the full-sized version. Courtesy the developer.

Developer Taylor Holliday does point us to some key features in the iPad rendition of this tool. (Mac users, you can grab this for fifty bucks on the app store.) Taylor notes:

• All nodes are there except the Audio Unit node (as you know the iPad doesn’t support plugins)
• Files are cross-compatible with the Mac and Audio Unit versions: build a patch on the iPad, load it on the Mac or in your DAW
• The initial version is iOS 6 only, but I’m going to try to rewrite the iOS 6 specific stuff so it will run on the iPad 1
• MIDI input is supported
• There’s a nice patch browser for flipping through your patches, with big previews.
• Example patches included
• looks GREAT on the Retina iPad
• iCloud support coming soon
• audio recording coming soon
• Supports background audio now
• Initial price will be $9.99

Audulus is in for Apple’s review; watch our Twitter feed for news of when it ships. Or check out the Audulus site:
http://audulus.com/

The usability and workflow features look great (with tools like iCloud, even if I prefer Dropbox). This one will be nice to try. It’s a shame I’m stuck on the first-generation iPad, but I think a lot of us in that boat will be watching Apple closely this week.

In this corner, the computer: dynamic, networked. In this corner, the trained human musician: still, in fact, very much able to read scores. Combining those two technologies – human and machine – has been surprisingly limited.

That’s why OSCNotation, while a very simple app, is an intriguing glimpse into the future of the score. Normally, notation is fixed on paper. Here, you can send musical notes to a performer live, and dynamically – without the use of a printer and dead trees. In fact, with musicians able to sightread, it’s a little bit like being able to send musical patterns to a human in the way that you would over MIDI to a machine or synth. (Ask nicely. Sudo make me a sandwich.)

The app is free and intended for handheld iOS devices. (Hmm, iPad support, please? Although I do rather like the idea of minimal patterns as the focus.)

http://oscnotation.sylvainpoitras.com/

Developer Sylvain Poitras shares his work with CDM, and notes that since rhythm and notes are sent separately, modifying transposition (or rhythmic disposition) is a simple matter. Sylvain suggests some implications of how this would be used on his site:

Live-coders can send patterns and melodies to musicians.
Composers can create pattern based music and use a notation server to send patterns to musician (think of Riley’s In C).
Musicians could use OSCNotation to perform works that require random selection of passages.

There’s a video demo, as well:

I think it suggests some nice possibilities, and I don’t see why centuries of learned notational convention need to be discarded just because we now have computers. Putting the two together could be really powerful.

It’s not a new idea – I recall a Morton Subotnick piece from years ago that used the same concept, though I unfortunately don’t recall the title of that work. (Anyone?) But, of course, ubiquitous mobile computing means what was once confined to big, heavy computers and academic research is now literally in everyone’s hands.

The sorts of people with imaginative thoughts on how to use this tend to read this site, so, I humbly submit to your fancies. Let us know if this inspires you in your own projects.

Borderlands Tutorial (iPad version) from Christopher Carlson on Vimeo.

What makes the tablet software experience unique on the iPad is the sense of immersive software – touching the screen interface directly, and letting everything else fall away. There’s a cost – you don’t get the flexibility of desktop software or the tangible quality of hardware. But sometimes, that experience becomes something unique.

Users have been eagerly waiting since earlier this year for the release of Borderlands Granular because it suggests something really special. It has the feeling of a tool that is at its best in this medium: visual, touchable, and a window to new worlds of sound. And now, it’s here, at US$3.99 for any iPad. (If you’re willing to live with degraded performance, even the first-gen iPad works; I’ll test on that hardware. Speaking of which, someone want to buy me a new iPad?)

Amidst a deluge of iOS software, Borderlands Granular stands apart. It’s sonically adventurous, visually creative, and behind it is a robust research project and open source code that can enable it to run on desktop, too. It’d be great to see more projects take on those kinds of goals.

Here’s what I wrote in April – and now is a perfect time to revisit the conceptual sketch developer Chris Carlson sent us back then:

How do you visualize the invisible? How do expose a process with multiple parameters in a way that’s straightforward and musically intuitive? Can messing about with granular sound feel like touching that sound – something untouchable?

Answer: um, yes? Yes, it can? Have a try, and let us know what you think – and do post interesting sounds and music you make so we can all give it a listen.

Borderlands on the App Store
http://borderlands-granular.com

Chris’ research is available on his site:
http://www.modulationindex.com/

Previously:
Borderlands, Amazing-Looking Granular Sampler [iPad, Desktop, Free Source], and Beautiful Sound