Korg dropped its new Gadget software yesterday and I had an
iTunes gift card burning a hole in my account so I decided to drop the $28.99
to get the app at its “discount” price before they raise it to its real $38.99
price. I am fairly thrifty with my app purchases and this exceeded my $9.99
limit but for what appeared to be a software workstation with 15 plugins I
figured it might be worth it and if it wasn’t I could at least tell all of you about
it before you dropped the cash.
What is Korg Gadget?
Gadget is an actual virtual workstation squeezed into an
iPad. It is basically like having a sequencer with 15 high-quality softsynths
all running in one workspace on your tablet. And to answer the pressing
question, yes it is pretty amazing. There is a great diversity of plug-ins including analogue, digital and sample based synths and drum machines. There is also an innovative and
somewhat intuitive sequencer. However, where it seems to really lack is effects and mixing capabilities.
The Synths
A rundown of the 15 included plugins can be found here so I won’t go into all the details. Needless to say there is quite a diversity
of sounds available in the app. I have only spent a few hours with the synths
but I can say I have been able to find at least an approximation of every sound
I have wanted to use in my first couple of tracks. The app seems geared towards
hip-hop, EDM and dubstep but you can find sounds for just about any type of
electronic music if you dig deep enough. One thing that is sadly missing is a universal arpeggiator. It seems like all iPad production apps always omit this essential function and Gadget is no different.
I usually use FL Studio on a touchscreen PC for production
and when I take a look at my tracks for any given project I realize that I
really use a lot of the same synths over and over. The last album I did really
only used about 6 plugins consistently and a bunch of drum samples. From that
perspective the 15 modules available in Gadget could really go a long way if you
find 5 or 6 favorites and stick with them dropping in others when
necessary.
3 of the Gadgets are drum machines: analog, sample and PCM
based options are available. So far it doesn’t look like you can add your own
samples but I haven’t dug too far so I could be wrong. I suspect if it is
missing this kind of expansion it will be added soon as Korg claims to have a
deep roadmap drawn out for the development of this app and this kind of control
will be necessary to elevate it to a true production tool as opposed to a
competitor for iPad Garage Band.
The other 12 Gadgets are synths. Again, they are pretty
diverse and emulate classic synths in a very stripped down manner (MS-20, TB-303,
Polysix, etc). They also add some new ones with specific genres in mind (again,
dubstep and EDM sounds abound). There are a good number of presets available for most
of the synths but some have just a few which again suggests the
work-in-progress feel of the app. The great thing about the iOS ecosystem is
the ability to continually update and add functionality to apps. However, I fear we will probably be looking at
in-app purchases in further updates to Gadget as outcry for more Gadgets,
more presets and more samples is inevitable and seems like a ready target for more
revenue.
The Sequencer
Perhaps the most exciting and innovative part of the Gadget
package is the sequencer. The app forces iPad orientation into portrait mode.
While this looks kind of weird in still photos, it really makes sense when you
start using the app. The screen is usually divided in half with part
sequencer/mixer or piano roll/synth configurations. The sequencer and piano
roll can be expanded to full screen when doing editing giving ample room for
manipulation. This configuration REALLY works well and makes other iOS
workstations seem cumbersome by comparison. So GREAT JOB KORG!
The other interesting feature of the sequencer is its
handling of parts. The instrument clips for each part are arranged horizontally
with the corresponding parts above the mixer track for each synth. The parts
themselves scroll vertically with the first one on top, last one on the bottom.
Song progression is controlled by arranging parts vertically. Sort of like
Ableton, but not really. Once you see it, it totally makes sense and there is a
really shallow learning curve for jumping in. Something those new to sequencers
will really appreciate.
There are a few missing features in the sequencer that make
it a little frustrating to use. I still can’t figure out how to select sequences
in the synth piano rolls and move them as a group, but that could just be me. I
am sure it is in there somewhere. Again I have only used it for a few hours.
Zooming in and out on the piano roll also appears to be limited and you can’t
always get the entire part on the screen at once. Little quirks that are easily
addressed and will probably be solved in future updates. However, they have
frustrated me to the point that I haven’t been able to do some things I really
wanted to do during song creation and had me throw the iPad down in disgust. So
Korg, if you are listening, CLEAN THAT SHIT UP! Or at least tell me what I am
doing wrong.
The Effects
While there are effects built in to each gadget, they
generally have little to no parameter control and are pretty generic producing
a stock sound that emulates complicated effects chains used in
current electronic music. For example you can get a pretty good approximated
ducking effect using the whole mix limiter or built in synth effects, but it
isn’t really a duck. Its not sidechaining or anything, its just squashing the
signal of the synth so it sounds like its ducking even if your kick pattern
doesn’t match the duck pattern. There is also a easy way to get a wobble bass
using the wobble knob (easy enough) on the “Miami” synth (the gadgets are all
named after cities, clever?). This lack of parameter control is really
frustrating if you are used to using effects to sculpt your sound beyond the
synth parameters. But hey, this is still the first multi-plugin capable
workstation I have seen for iPad so I guess I shouldn’t really be complaining.
The Sound
So far the sound of the overall mixes I have created appear
to be okay. Not fantastic, but I have yet to dive in and try to get a final
mix. However, the lack of mixer and effect parameter control is so limiting
that I can’t see final mixing natively in the app. I imagine dumping each track
out individually and mixing on a computer using real effects and maybe adding
some new sounds. Perhaps something that will be a target for future updates but introducing
proper mixing capabilities would take some serious work. With that said, the
synths sound great on their own and will provide sufficient fidelity to songs
created or mixed elsewhere. The drum machines are pretty limited and I have yet to find
a full drum kit I am totally happy with. The snare choices in particular are a
little limited and I have found myself using a placeholder snare on every track
I have made with the intention of using some of my own samples later down the road.
Hardware
Compatibility
Due to the diversity in iPad hardware available now, it
would seem the amount of gadgets that you can run simultaneously is dependent
on which processor your iPad is using. I have an iPad 3 and I haven’t hit the
device cap yet but I have only used about 10 devices at once. A lot of the demo tracks won't open on my 3 so it is clear they designed this thing for the power of the new iPads. You can actually
freeze tracks by rendering the audio after sequencing which is an amazing
functionality that has been available in PC workstations for a while. This
really makes sense in the iOS world. So again, GOOD JOB KORG!
THE VERDICT
So, is it worth it? I would almost say yes, at this point
the flexibility and unique sequencing ability of the app is without match on
the app store. $28.99 (current sale price) is steep and $38.99 (regular list price) is even steeper for an iOS app but
this is a pretty good deal considering everything you get. External and internal midi compatibility
is already baked in and Korg is promising a comprehensive roadmap to introduce
new content and features. Once some of the obvious omissions are addressed this
will be impressive songcrafting software. I am not sure it will ever be the
only workstation you need but new producers will probably be satisfied with the
sound if they have nothing to compare it to. I am glad I bought it but I still
haven’t produced anything I want the world to hear on it. I’ll let you know if
I do.
Korg Gadget
Korg Gadget
