FL Studio Mobile on the Way!!!

I have been waiting for an announcement from Image Line (FL Studio's Publisher) concerning and iOS version since the day the iPhone was announced. I have been using FL Studio from day one (back when it was still called Fruity Loops) and I have been longing for my favorite step sequencer and synths to pop up on the iPad. Last week my hopes were answered and I have to admit, I am a little worried it won't live up to my huge expectations.

Maybe this is gonna be
better than I think.

According to a post on KVR, JMC, one of the main voices behind FL Studio stated: "FL Studio Mobile was indeed developed in collaboration with Xewton". This is VERY disappointing. I am not a huge fan of Xewton to begin with and it looks as though FLMobile may just be a reskinned verion of Xewton with additions as follows:

- a step sequencer
- drumpads for the drumkits
- Image-Line (sample, synth & drum) content
- an export module to allow import in FL Studio
- a new UI

While I am REALLY excited about the step sequencer and the ability to go out to FL Studio I was really hoping for the workflow I have been addicted to in FL Studio. In addition JMC went on to say "All instruments (including our synths) are sampled". Samples are all right for some stuff, but I was really hoping for some deep synthesis options like in Nanostudio. The only things I am really miss in Nano are the step sequencer and an arpeggiator. It looks like there is not going to be one complete solution to all my needs any time soon.

Don't get me wrong, I will be the first in line to get FL Mobile as it will still likely prove to be a powerhouse for drum programming and sequencing. I was just really hoping for them to just port an early version of Fruity Loops over to the iPad with some touch controls. I made my first three albums using Fruity back when it was in versions 3-4. I bet the iPad could totally handle that type of processor load. It would be amzing to see 3XOsc or Wasp or (god willing) Sytrus make it over to the iOS version some day. I still feel limited by what the iPad can do and almost always end up finishing tracks up on the PC. I would love to knock out a track on the iPad and be done with it. FL Mobile could be the key to making this happen if they bring over some of the legacy functionality of its big brother.

iPad Live

Download it for free

I had a show this past weekend in Minneapolis with my band Ruby Isle. We just released a cover to cover electronic remake of Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction which you can download here. Alot of it was actually done on the iPad using Nanostudio. We had to pull it from iTunes thanks to some legal bullshit so we are giving it away.

Anyway, back to the story, I am in Georgia and I fly up to Minneapolis all the time to play shows. In the past I have taken several different keyboards in addition to some midi gear for my performance. Every time I have flown up there something has been broken in transit. Last time it was a brand new Korg R3 that was amazing but now no longer works as the knob stems were all pushed in and the board broke. I packed everything in a very secure kevlar reinforced suitcase but when homeland security inevitably opened my bags to examine everything they ignored my careful packing and ended up damaging my gear. Not to mention this system required me to check a bag and pay additional fees.

Blurrycam of the setup. I forgot to take
pictures. Luckily Mallman didn't.

This time I decided I was going to drastically cut down on my gear load and eliminate the potential for damage and the need to check a bag. The key to the plan was, of course, my iPad. My setup for this show consisted of my iPad, the Line 6 Midi Mobilizer a Roland SPD-6 drum pad and an Electroharmonix Iron Lung Vocoder pedal. Anyone who has seen any of my bands knows I am vocoder obsessed and this was a crucial part of the setup. the entire rig fit in a little 14" x 14" kevlar reinforced roller bag I got for free when I bought the big useless one I mentioned earlier.

I have several requirements for any setup I use live in Ruby Isle.

1. It must have a keyboard - I used the soft keys on Nanostudio and Bebot for this.
2. I need drum pads that trigger samples of my design - The SPD-6 was used for this with the Line 6 Midi Mobilizer to trigger samples in Nanostudio.



I am so happy I
didn't have to bring a keyboard!

3. It must have a vocoder with pre-programmed loops for the carrier so I don't have to worry about actually playing the parts live. This allows me to jump up and down and breakdance and do all the normal stuff that makes a good live show. - This was the fun part. I split the signal from the ipad into left and right channels. One went to the room and carried all they keyboards and samples I was playing. The other channel went into the vocoder as the carrier. Since Nanostudio now has channel panning in the mixer I was able to pan each signal to the appropriate channel. It worked like a charm!!!

Things went great, the buttons on the TRG-16 of Nanostudio were great to trigger samples. When the keys were set to medium I was able to play every part I needed to with the double keyboard. Bebot was great for solos when the custom key function was used. Basically, it was a total success. My next goal is to figure out a good way to set the gear up. There are a lot of cables in this setup and it got pretty messy.

Korg iMS-20 Review

Korg just released an iPad version of their classic MS-20 analog synth. It is amazing. The only thing is, I don't know what I am going to use it for...

The Overview
The virtual hardware included in the iMS-20 consists of an analog monosynth (the MS-20), an analog sequencer, a drum machine based on MS-20 patches, a drum step sequencer, a song sequencer a virtual keyboard, two virtual kaoss (x-y controller) pads and a mixer.  I guess the word I would use to describe this setup is cool. It all looks and acts like you have a classic monosynth sitting in front of you. However, I wouldn’t exactly describe this as utilitarian. Just as with the iElectribe and even Rebirth (which was also just released as a dedicated iPad app) sometimes the decision to emulate analog hardware in an electronic touchscreen software environment is questionable. For example, the analog sequencer is totally cool, but it would have been much more conducive to songwriting and workflow to use a real multi-touch based sequencer. I understand that Korg is trying to keep it real, so to speak, but I want something that I can use more than something that is just totally cool.

The Step-Sequencer

The Step-Sequencer, Fruity and Good

One place where they got it right is the drum step-sequencer. I have been anxiously waiting for someone to put in a button based step sequencer on the iPad. I am a big fan of FL Studio and the drum sequencer on the iMS-20 will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used FL before. Rebirth kind of hits it with their drum sequencer, but the iMS-20 totally nails it. One thing that isn’t apparent when reading about the iMS-20 is the amount of control the step-sequencer gives you. It would appear from the description of the app that you only get access to one MS-20 synth but in reality, each track of the drum machine hides almost completely controllable MS-20 for its sound source. As you dig in to the interface it is revealed that you can actually load in synth patches, tweak them and then control their parameters including pitch through the step sequencer. This essentially gives you 7 instances of the MS-20 synth to layer. In addition, each drum track has an independent FX unit, which gives you even more control. Unfortunately, using the drum tracks as synths requires a lot of extra work compared to the main synth and can be pretty frustrating. Still the fact that such deep editing is available was like getting a free bonus anyway and really added value to the app.

Too much Fruit can make you sick

The Song-Sequencer This is the real let down in the app that will limit my use of it as an actual song writing tool. The analog/step-sequencer approach works great for drums, but for sequencing parts it is a real let down. I hate to say it, but I am grid obsessed. Give me a touch-controlled grid where I can layer and move song parts around easily and I am totally satisfied. Make me move numbers around on a linear interface and I get bored, frustrated and annoyed. iSequence and Rebirth both have similar song construction schemes and it is for this reason I will again find myself running to the beloved grid of Nanostudio for my song constructing needs. It is a real disappointment too because if we could combine the sounds of the iMS-20 with the editing and control of Nanostudio it would be an amazing production environment. This really makes me long for a plug-in based architecture on the iPad, but for now and probably for a long time, that is just a pipe dream. Also, as far as I can tell, there are only 16 different patterns available which is also quite limiting. For these reasons, as a song creation tool the iMS-20 just isn’t going to cut it. However, the sounds are unbelievable…

The sequencers are archaic but inspirational. Just give me a grid.

The Sounds
This is obviously the real draw of the iMS-20 app. Anyone who has used the Korg Legacy plug-in will know what they are in for and the fact that you can grab patch cables and route them using the touchscreen is almost mind-melting. Like a childhood fantasy come true. The huge sound of the MS-20 is totally there and I couldn’t stop making Daft Punk patches for the first few hours using the beast. Using the MS-20 to make drum sounds is a little dicey but it works. I could do with some sort of sample import for the drum sequencer, but as I said earlier, I don’t really see using this thing for a song creation tool so that may not be necessary. In defense of the analog sequencer, since the sounds are so amazing it can really be fun tweaking their parameters using the knobs on the sequencer.  Adding gate variation and portamento gives crazy 303 sounding melodies. Again, this totally reminds me of FL Studio. The first record I ever released was basically just a bunch of random loops generated by turning knobs and hitting buttons on the built in synths on Fruity Loops. The same effect is achieved here and you can get some crazy sounding stuff by randomly using all the tools provided here to sculpt sounds.

Who would've guessed I like Kaoss so much?

Kaoss
One feature I wasn’t too excited about that turned out to be really fun is the dual Kaoss Pads. The Korg version of the X-Y controller allows control over just about any 2 parameters on the left pad. But more importantly, the right controller allows control over gate and pitch of the synth. The key can be selected from a dropdown menu and there are a bunch of scales available, most of which I will never use. However, the end result gives you a controller akin to the beloved Bebot, but you are controlling an amazing, infinitely configurable synth! I played with this for about 3 hours last night and I will probably waste way too much time just messing around with this feature in the future.

Wrap-up
So what am I going to do with this thing? I am still not sure. Nanostudio is still going to be my go to sequencer on the iPad and it will also provide my live rig since I have pretty much refined it to the point of perfection. But I REALLY want to use these sounds in my iPad work. A lot of grumbles about lack of audiocopy have already been surfacing and of course, its implementation would be VERY appreciated. I can only assume Korg is working on this, but they are hard to read. More than this however, I am really hoping for some sort of external MIDI support either through the new framework being introduced in iOS 4.2 or even better (for me at least) MIDI Mobilizer support.

Even without this wish list being fulfilled this app is fully worth the $15.99 Korg is asking. Apparently it is going to go up to $32.99 at the end of the year. I could still see paying that much since it sounds so great, but hopefully by that time the introduction of iOS 4.2 will result in an update of the app with some more utilitarian functionality. I am definitely in love with iMS-20 and it will take a prominent #2 position on my list of favorite apps.

Korg iMS-20

MIDI built in to new iPad iOS 4.2!

Some really exciting news just surfacing at Create Digital Music and Palm Sounds reports that the next version of iOS for iPad (4.2) will have Apple's Core MIDI Framework available! This is really great as it means that you will no longer need the Line6 Midi Mobilizer to talk to midi devices. You will, however, need the apple iPad Camera Connection Kit’s USB adapter. So you still have to buy something.

What does this really mean?
It looks like certain supported usb MIDI devices that do not require bus power are going to work with the iPad right out of the box (provided you have the USB adapter mentioned above). There are already reports of it working with a Novation Remote 61 (see below) and other hardware is being looked at as I write.















Why did I buy a Line6 MIDI Mobilizer? 
I asked myself the same thing and I decided I am going to hold on to mine. I have actually been using the mobilizer with Nanostudio to talk to my old school/non USB MIDI gear and even with this new framework, it looks like the Mobilizer is going to be the best solution for my needs as it doesn't require any power and is a compact way to get in and out of my old MIDI gear.

In any case, I guess I get to buy another accessory that is small enough to lose (the USB adapter). I have a bunch of USB MIDI controllers so I will report back here when I figure out what works.

(Thanks to Create Digital Music for the vid...)

DJ Mixer 3 Review

In the neverending quest for the perfect iPad DJ app (basically iTraktor) I have recently stumbled upon the literally named DJ Mixer 3. It has a lot of features we haven’t seen on the iPad and is packaged in an interface that is, well… interesting. So do the functions excuse the graphics??? Let’s find out.

Never judge an app
by its icon

Free Trial: DJ Mixer 3 is a free download so you really have no excuse not to check it out after reading this. The devs let you download and try it and then give you two options for upgrading the package to make it actually useful. More devs could learn a lesson from this approach, it is very effective as I couldn’t resist one of the in app downloads and probably wouldn’t have bought this thing outright for $20. What you get for your download is an almost fully functional DJ app with some free music downloads that are useful for demo purposes. The music selection also sort of gives you an idea where the devs are coming from; the tracks are not really my cup of tea and have a strong connotation of something… I will let you interpret that on your own after you download the app and look at the free song choices.

In App Purchases: The in app purchases unlock one critical feature and one amazingly innovative feature. The first and critical one is “mix your own music” ($9.99) which allows you to access your own music library in addition to the free music you get when you download the app. The second, “DJ with headphones” ($9.99), is a really cool feature that allows you to stream your cue over wifi to another iOS device effectively giving you two stereo channels to work with. There is also a sound effects pack available for $4.99 that probably gives you some airhorns and fake scratch sounds. I am not into that stuff so I didn’t download it.

Autopilot: The app also serves as a stand-alone music player with built in mixing including beatmatching if the songs are near each other in tempo. Sort of like the cruise function on Traktor but with its own interface. This addition is great for someone who wants to DJ parties but doesn’t want to be stuck behind the mixer all night. I use the cruise all the time early in the night at my Saturday night party. I put it on autopilot and hang out with my friends until people show up. The designers also gave the app a “shake to mix” function that is kind of gimmicky but probably could be useful to someone.

Wicky wicky, wha???

The Interface: I have to admit, I am torn over this one. It has some very unique features like the headphones over wifi that are totally innovative and cool. However the whole aesthetic of it is kind of cheesy as the interface design almost seems to center around two fake turntables on the screen. In the initial version they appear to be onscreen for no apparent reason other than allowing you to scroll through the waveform. This can be done on the actual waveform anyway. After talking to the devs it turns out they will be implementing scratch capability into these decks with the next update so at least functionality is on the way. The turntables can be graphically turned into DJ CD players too (?). Like I said, kind of cheesy. This is really the major complaint I have about the interface and the app in general, but it is sort of a doozie.

The Good: The best thing about this app is it is a full-on universal app. It uses all the real estate on the big iPad screen and scales down nicely on the iPhone. The interface has some great ideas built in like letting you see the waveform vertically and horizontally. It even has a unique block readout next to the waveforms that can be used to beatmatch when the tempos are locked. Like Quixpin and Touch DJ, it couples the waveforms on each deck so you can beatmatch. It also has an auto-beatmatch function (sync) that works well and uses timestretch instead of pitch-shift. Speaking of tempo, you can actually pitch-shift AND timestretch on this one. It also has this really interesting “mix” button that when pressed spins back the current track and goes right into the track on the other deck. Sort of a panic button if a song kills the floor. I could probably have used this a time or two when dropping the wrong song for the room (come on, we all do it).

It gets worse. CD players???

The Questionable: This is why I am torn; it has some of the best functionality I have seen in an iPad DJ app, but it is packaged in a kind of ugly and awkward package that is trying to emulate CD players and/or turntables. Why anyone wants to stick to the old system when the hardware has clearly moved on is sort of confusing to me. It might have made sense to use the real estate they plopped the platters on for larger waveforms or hotcues or something else a little more modern and utilitarian. The system is also lacking any effects, which would be a nice addition but not a deal breaker for me.

The Verdict: At $20 (which is the real cost of the app), you get one of the most functional iPad DJ apps out there. It does a lot of stuff in one package that up until now no one else can deliver. The fact it pitch shifts and timestretches is a real standout feature. However, despite the awesome features, I still don’t know if I will use it because of the awkward looking interface. People are going see this thing and it just looks kind of like it was designed for a PC in the late 90s. The functionality however is anything but 90s…

DJMixer 3 FREE!

Nanostudio 1.1 Update!!!

A New Nanostudio Update has just been released and I couldn't be happier! I know I have my head up Blip Interactive's proverbial arse but anyone who uses it knows that Nanostudio is amazing. With this 1.1 update it just got even better. I had been talking with devs about some features I was hoping for and they were almost ALL included in this update.

It's Splitsville for these channels.

The most significant for me are pan controls in the mixer (now I can split one channel off into my vocoder!!!), 8meg sample import (backing tracks in the other channel?) and the most exciting -  MIDI Mobilizer support (I just ordered mine). With this update I will hopefully officially be able to use Nanostudio on my iPad as the centerpiece of my live setup!

I will have a full review with pictures of my live setup when my Mobilizer gets here.
Here is what's new:

Features:
* Audio copy/paste - both Intua and Sonoma standards
* MIDI file import/export
* Support for the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer
* Project import/export (self contained projects complete with samples packaged in a single file)
* Direct SoundCloud export from phone
* More mixdown options - individual track split, song regions, render tail option
* Pan controls in mixer
* Note preview in piano roll view when selecting and dragging
* Complete backup/restore of unsaved Eden presets when the app is closed or a call is taken
* Eden preset numbers now begin from zero, not one (this is to match preset changes made via MIDI)
* New (empty) global bank C for Eden
* Increased sample size limit to 8MB
* 'Loop on selection' feature in song editor - sets song loop points to the current selection
* Samples above 8MB can now be previewed in file dialogue (the first 20 seconds)
* MIDI input on Windows version
* NanoSync - Support for 24 bit wavs, copying folders and older PowerPC machines
* Snap to centre zero on pan knobs

Bugfixes:
* When an Eden controller is mapped to oscillator pan, it now takes it over the full L/R range
* Glide notes not recorded correctly (they don't overlap slightly as they should so they need lengthening afterwards in the editor)
* Drawing lots of notes in the pattern editor can result in a synth not responding until the project is reloaded
* Infrequently there is a hanging note (possibly when deleting a part which is being played), resolved by reloading the project.
* Chorus delay modulation destination doesn't work
* Using '&' in sample file or folder names causes the message 'The project file could not be loaded'. It may be possible to load your project's .bak file and then change any samples using a '&' in the file or folder name before resaving.
* Samples with a rate other than 44.1kHz do not play back at the correct speed.
* Vertical scrollbar doesn't behave properly when drawing in the pattern editor.
* Fix for first metronome beep not being played during count in at certain tempos
* Improved sequencer timing drift - now stays perfectly in time even when rendering a wav of any length
* Changed TRG-16 minimum release time so it doesn't sound different during resample/mixdown

I recommend buying or upgrading immediately!

Nanostudio

More DJ Apps - Red Bull BPM HD and Cue.Play.DJ

I noticed that there was some mention of a couple other DJ apps in the comments on here. I thought I would briefly take a look at them. One was pretty cool, one was really not...

UPDATE: The Red Bull App is now called DJ Player and it is awesome. The most comprehensive DJ app on the app store but I STILL WISH YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE SCREENS ALL THE TIME ESPECIALLY ON iPAD!!!

It appears Red Bull BPM HD is just a rebrand of a previously released app. I can't remember what it was called, but I remember thinking it was kind of a let down upon its initial iPhone release. Now with a Red Bull brand and a $30.99 price tag, I am almost offended. To add insult, they are asking for another $9.99 to add wifi cue out, a feature that is also $9.99 on the recently released DJ Mixer 3 that is free to try and only $9.99 unlocked and has a much more useful interface (review coming soon). So the total package here is going to cost you $40.98. Seriously? There is a lite version so if you really have to see it for yourself, go check it out.

Whatever...

There are so many things wrong with this app for real use. It has no way to look at both tracks at the same time. Kind of crazy, right? I mean they have all that space on the iPad screen and they just blew up the iPhone version which requires 3 screens to mix. For real, Deck A, Deck B and the Mixer all have their own screens? They could have easily coupled the decks on the same page to at least give you an idea of what is going on. Seriously Red Bull, WTF? You are lucky I like RB and Vodka so much!

I will say the effects were always cool on this thing. Even in the non-red bull version. They use the accelerometer to control an XY pad. Very gimmicky, but kind of fun to mess around with for about 5 minutes. Other than that this thing is just shocking. I probably wouldn't use it for free, so there is no way I am paying to unlock the $30.99 access to my music collection.

Looking online I found all this stuff about the launch party Red Bull had for this thing. I guess they were  so stoked they had to party over it or maybe they have to charge $30.99 to pay for the party? Either way this is a combination of lame marketing and an attempt to create perceived value that have added up to blah. Kudos to the dev that sold this thing to Red Bull though. It is based on an early effort in the app store that at the time really wasn't all that bad. I just wish I could remember what it was originally called. Anyone who remembers please leave a comment.

Cue.Play - A breath of fresh
air after that last one.

Cue.Play.DJ seems to have a lot more going for it. While not exactly the best DJ app out there, at least they put together a good package with a usable interface. Again, this is an iPhone app that you have to scale up on the iPad so it isn't really designed for the whole screen, but it does get some things really right.

This app uses stacked or side by side waveforms depending upon the orientation of your device. When I really think about it, Quixpin's  and DJ Mixer 3's waveform coupling are probably the best as they are right next to each other. Really the best way to do it. But Cue.Play works it out pretty well too as it is orientation sensitive. This is a great feature for use on the iPhone and certainly an innovation in the space.

This one gets 2 pics thanks to
orientation sensitvity

The mixer is really cool if you are on an iPhone as you double tap to open and close it which comes in handy on the small screen. I would assume a proper iPad version would just make it big on the main screen, but it doesn't really hurt on the iPad as is.  It also uses orientation to change functionality. The mixer and pitch adjustment seem to only be accessable in vertical orientation while horizontal orientation gives you more control over play location and beatmatching. Again, cool on iPhone but not necessary for iPad. As far as beatmatching goes, this one syncs by pitching so it kind of loses me there. Timestretching is an absolute requirement as I hate pitched songs unless they are keymatched to other tracks. Even that can annoy me as I like to hear songs in the state intended by the band. Again due to processing restrictions it makes sense that a lot of these iPhone aimed apps use pitch instead of a complicated, processor intensive timestretching algorithm.

With that said, Cue.Play is certainly is a useful iOS DJ app. At $9.99 the price is a lot better than some. Now that I have seen the lower end of the spectrum (read above) I have a lot more respect for the apps that at least try to get it right.

Red Bull BPM HD

Red Bull BPM Master Out

Cue.Play.DJ