Ios Audio Unit Apps

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Which music apps are AUv3 compatible, Which apps have Ableton Link sync? I've literally received hundreds of comments, DM's, PM's and emails from viewers tel. Audio Units (AU) is an audio plug-in technology built in Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems. Initially developed for desktop operating systems along with VST (Virtual Studio Technology by Steinberg GmbH), it available now for iOS too.

Below are ten weird and wonderful iOS Audio apps (in no particular order) that are sure to inspire some experimentation.

1. Hexaglyphics

Hexaglyphics has no labels or indications of any kind on the interface. Like the name implies, the GUI looks like some sort of hieroglyphic computer-based gibberish that animates when touched. It invites experimentation and rewards the user with surprising bits of glitchy, noisey goodness. The downside is it appears to no longer be available on the App Store, at least temporarily. A little research yielded this FB post from Nicola Pisanti, the developer:

“Are you people able to get Hexaglyphics on the app store? My apple developer contract expired and it seems they are retiring my app until I pay them.”

Hexaglyphics website // Last Known Price: $1.99

2. Samplr

Samplr is well-known by any serious iOS music producer. It allows the user to create multiple looping regions on up to six sound files at once. It also includes some basic effects processing which, although limited to just five processes seem oddly sufficient for just about any situation. (Distortion, HP and LP filters, Amplitude Modulation, Feedback Delay and Reverb). Features eight play modes: Slicer, Looper, E-Bow, Tape, Scratch, Arpeggiator, Keyboard and Loop Player.

Hasn’t been updated since 2014, but still functions properly as far as I can tell.

Samplr on the App Store // Price: $9.99

Ios Audio Unit Apps Downloads

3. AudioStretch

AudioStretch, as the name implies, allows you stretch and also freeze audio playback on a sound file. The interface is simple, yet intuitive and powerful. A great tool for manipulating a single audio file in terms of pitch and speed. Billed as a tool for transcription, this app clearly has, perhaps unintended, performance possibilities as well.

AudioStretch on the App Store // Price: $9.99

4. BitWiz Audio Synth

BitWiz Audio Synth translates C-like code expressions into 8-bit generative stereo audio in real time. A two finger swipe across the interface will generate random code which may or may not make sound. It has a built-in XY pad for additional control. Sounds are glitchy, angular and sometimes angry. You can save presets, type in your own code, or take your chances with a swipe. Great fun indeed.

BitWiz on the App Store // Price: $2.99

5. Borderlands

Borderlands made my list for granular-based apps and definitely deserves a mention here as well. Waveforms from loaded sounds files can be moved around freely in the interface. Double tapping magically creates a circular granular player that begins to extract grains from the waveform beneath it. Double tap on the player to expose controls like: # of voices, overlap, duration, volume, vibrato, pitch, XY for positioning of grain sampler nodes, and width. Multiple granular control players can be created and several sound files can be loaded at once (not sure of the limit). This thing is really astounding. Playing is believing.

Borderlands on the App Store // Price: $9.99

6. Bloom

Bloom by Brian Eno and Peter Chivers creates lovely droning soundscapes that are generative and responsive to multiple touch. The interface is extremely simple and self-explanatory. Although the palette is somewhat limited, the sounds are infectious.

Bloom on the App Store // Price: $3.99

7. Concentric

Concentric is an incredible multi-meter, poly-rhythmic event generator with a circular interface that blends a beautifully designed rhythmic visualization with responsive sonic control. While it has built-in sounds, I find it can be more useful as a MIDI event generator for triggering external sounds. I’ve had fruitful results driving my modular rig with note and velocity events generated by this app. The developer, Jeff Holtzkener, is extremely accessible and open to user suggestions and requests. Great app!

Concentric on the App Store //Price: $3.99

8. Moebius Lab

Moebius Lab by Amazing Noises (creators of many great apps and Max for Live Devices) — from the developer: “Moebius Lab is a multimorphic sound processor; it contains a synth, a varispeed stereo sample player, 9 time domain effects, 6 spectral effects, 7 slots for external audio application, and nearly 200 LFOs that can modulate each parameter…The two effect chains are connected in a sort of Moebius Ring: you can route the signal from the Time Domain Chain to the Spectral Chain and vice versa.”

The name and signal routing scheme is clearly a reference to the work of A. F. Möbius, German mathematician and astronomer.

Moebius Lab on the App Store // Price: $12.99

9. Vosis

Vosis is described by the developer, Ryan Michael McGee as the “Voice of Sisyphus Image Sonification.” It allows the user to sonify a loaded image or live camera input by simply tapping on the screen and dragging around to various locations. When combined with a live camera feed, the camera and touch controls can affect the sound simultaneously. Brilliant!

Vosis on the App Store // Price: Free!

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10. Sequential

Sequential allows you to “Instantly reshape any loop beyond the imaginable. Create amazing breaks, fills and transitions. Turn even the simplest sounds into unique animated textures. Sequential is an extremely fun yet versatile app for animated effect processing.”

This highly useful sequencer, designed by Artemiy Pavlov, is easy to use and instantly gratifying. Load in any sound file and within seconds you can transform it step by step. It includes a randomizing button that accelerates the generation of fruitful results with a simple tap. This thing will surprise you.

Sequential on the App Store // Price: $4.99

If you bought all these apps as-is, it would only cost $61. That in itself is amazing!!

Next time, I’ll discuss effect processing apps and talk about Audiobus and InterApp Audio.

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➥ Synthesis 101 from Phil Mantione is available now Below are ten weird and wonderful iOS Audio apps (in no particular order) that are sure to inspire some experimentation. 1. Hexaglyphics Hexaglyphics has no labels or indications of any kind on the interface. Like the name implies, the GUI looks li

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With iOS now firmly established as a serious music-making platform, the apps you can get to program and produce have gone from strength to strength. Here are some of the best MIDI sequencers for iPad

1. Modstep

Modstep has been built from the ground up to work on iOS, so it’s not a port or a version of a desktop DAW. Although initially a little overwhelming, it makes a lot of sense when you get into it. It provides multiple ways to program MIDI using linear or step input methods, chord pads, drum pads, scales, chromatic note grids and more. It has a built in synth and sample player with many presets and both are fully tweakable, plus there’s extensive modulation available.

It supports Inter App Audio and Audio Unit compatible instruments and effects on iOS meaning it can act as your main sequencer even for other apps, and it can import and export MIDI as well as recording audio parts and song sequencing. Connection to MIDI hardware is easy, as it networked MIDI and there are templates to control many popular hardware synths. Possibly unlike anything you have used before, it’s a very powerful music-making tool.

Platform: iPad

Price: $19.99

Web: www.modstep.net

2. Cubasis

OK, so there are going to be some in this list that aren’t purely MIDI sequencers, but where MIDI is a big part of the story. Cubasis does audio tracking too, but its MIDI tools are among the best in the business. You get a bunch of bundled instruments and synths derived from the desktop version of Cubase, plus one of the most intuitive and powerful MIDI piano roll editors around. Pinch to zoom and scroll, add notes using your finger, the pen tool or hardware input. Draw around notes and edit them however you like: quantize, move, add all kinds of envelopes for automation. It’s perfectly possible to produce whole tracks since IAA is supported but you can also export a project to work on it with Cubase for Mac or PC as well. Truly, an all-round performer with an incredible depth of features.

Platform: iPad

Price: $49.99

Web: https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/mobile_apps/cubasis/start.html

3. GarageBand

Apple’s very affordable iOS app isn’t the most heavyweight in this list, at least in terms of its MIDI capabilities. There is note editing, chord input into the many instruments and of course MIDI loops that you can edit. What does set it apart though is the slick user experience of the app as a whole. If you haven’t looked at it since its early days, re-download it and you might be surprised by how much more capable and professional it is now. With the ability to transfer projects easily to GarageBand and Logic Pro on the desktop as well as comprehensive iCloud Drive syncing support, it’s a great proposition if your MIDI needs are more modest but you’re looking for an all-round mobile DAW. It works just as well on the iPhone too.

Platform: iPad and iPhone

Price: $4.99

Web: www.apple.com/garageband

4. Auria Pro

The basic version of Auria has far fewer features than the Pro version, and full MIDI tracking and editing is one of the many things that does require the advanced version. That said, Auria Pro is arguably the most advanced all-round mobile DAW. Its MIDI capabilities include editing, quantizing and processing using tools like velocity compression, legato, transposition and so on. If you’re buying Auria Pro you’ll also be doing so to get the very advanced audio and instrument plug-in features as well as the complex channel strips and other tools.

Platform: iPad

Price: $49.99

Web: http://auriaapp.com/Products/auria

5. Lemur

Lemur started off as a touchscreen app before iPhones even existed, and ran on special but very expensive hardware. Reborn for iOS and now at version 5, it brings many years of MIDI / OSC control experience to the platform, providing advanced multitouch control of almost any software. Admittedly there is a learning curve, but it’s found favour with some big names including Daft Punk, Orbital and Bjork amongst others. It’s especially useful when paired with Ableton Live, which has helped it to gain more prominence.

Platform: iPad and iPhone

Price: $24.99

Web: https://itunes.apple.com/app/lemur/id481290621

Ios Audio Unit Apps Free

6. iMPC Pro

AKAI’s iMPC Pro is a self-contained sampling and sequencing workstation but it has some great MIDI features and is also compatible with Inter-App Audio meaning you can connect it to other apps inside your iPad. With a strong emphasis on loops and beat making, you get the workflow of the hardware MPC family with the convenience of a software format. As well as loop programming and editing there are some really powerful tools available for working with velocity, swing, quantization and sample editing. With a clean, stripped-back design it won’t blind you with options – just let you get on with making beats the way you want to.

Ios Audio Unit Apps

Platform: iPad

Price: $12.99

Web: https://itunes.apple.com/app/impc-pro/id888946092

7. Tabletop

Retronyms’ Tabletop is almost unique in that it attempts to provide a whole environment inside iOS in which you can build music setups: route, add plug-ins, mix sound from different sources, program and edit MIDI and so on. It works differently from a DAW in that it lets you buy extra modules as you go, or buy many as a bundle to save money. Some apps are also Tabletop-ready, meaning that if you buy them for your iPad they will also be available inside this app. Advanced and powerful, Tabletop foreshadowed some technologies that would later be incorporated into iOS and a range of different apps. Specifically: plugin support, Inter-App Audio and Inter-App MIDI, which are all now much more widely used thanks partly to ideas introduced in Tabletop.

Platform: iPad

Price: Free, with in-app purchases

Web: https://itunes.apple.com/app/tabletop/id436080882?mt=8

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