iOS Synths and DP

Discussion of Digital Performer use, optimization, tips and techniques on MacOS.

Moderator: James Steele

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This forum is for most discussion related to the use and optimization of Digital Performer [MacOS] and plug-ins as well as tips and techniques. It is NOT for troubleshooting technical issues, complaints, feature requests, or "Comparative DAW 101."
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Babz
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by Babz »

James Steele wrote:I need to catch up on this stuff. I looked up Module and it's about $40 now, so I may just hold off.
Yes, the Korg stuff is some of the best, and I was able to take advantage of the 50% off deal they were running during NAMM week. But there's stuff going on sale and new products coming along all the time. I was thinking maybe we should think about starting a separate topic area for iOS-related news, deals, tips, and how to best use them w/ our MOTU products, of course.

It's a lot to keep up with. I'm a fairly late adopter of the iPad and once I decided to see if it could be of any use musically, I was blown away by how much stuff is going on out there now. There's even a whole genre of music called "apptronica" -- people who work ONLY in iOS.

Here are some the best links for iOS-related news and info:

http://www.thesoundtestroom.com/
(New videos and reviews, plus an archive of tons of past videos. They have a list of apps currently on sale that is updated daily. That's how I found out about the Korg sale, for instance.)

http://discchord.com/
(Another great site with reviews and videos)

http://www.sonicstate.com/video/index.c ... ic%20Touch
(Sonic Touch Podcast. 35 episodes so far!)

http://www.musicappblog.com/
(Newest one I just discovered a few days ago.)

Best,
Babz
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MIDI Life Crisis
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by MIDI Life Crisis »

Babz wrote:I was thinking maybe we should think about starting a separate topic area for iOS-related news, deals, tips, and how to best use them w/ our MOTU products, of course.
Great idea! If we do, maybe you can ask James to be the moderator? It doesn't take much of your time and I think you'd be a great addition to the team.
2013 Mac Pro 32GB RAM

OSX 10.14.6; DP 10; Track 16; Finale 26, iPad Pro, et al

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Tobor
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by Tobor »

I haven't had a chance to check out this new app yet but it seems very exciting. Thanks for the heads up!

I too have had the original iPad Air for a little over a year, and I didn't really click with how it would fit between my iMac and iPhone so just messed with it occasionally until fairly recently.

Now it's rocking my world.

Korg Module is fantastic, as is Korg Gadget. For live performance I've got my iPad USB'd into my Yamaha MOXF6 and use Module live for Korg sounds to complement the Yammies'. And with Module's Set List I can play backing tracks from my iPad. I've been going back through 15 years of live studio sessions I recorded at my studio with various bands for demos and little CDs, and now they're coming back to life minus vocals and lead as I remix them for backing tracks. Living history. Some of the original players have already passed to the great beyond, and others have moved away, but now suddenly the dust has been shaken off and we ride together again. Magic, very cool.

Now whatever I record in my studio can translate seamlessly to the stage. I don't have to teach people to play my originals like I want them performed, as now I can simply do my vocals and solos with my studio tracks live. Think about it!

Hey, there's nothing like working a gig with a full live band, and that's what I do 90% of the time. But lately with key members of my favorite band out of town much of the year, this enables me and a female vocalist to keep going, and it's proven to be a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

Long story short, iOS has come into it's own. To have it be able to integrate directly with DP is just the latest icing on the cake.
iMac 2.7 i5, DP 9.5.1, 10.13.3, Apollo Twin, 828, MTPAV, Toontrack, Spectrasonics, BFD3, Drumcore, Reason 10, Live 10, Logic X, Spitfire, Zebra, Miroslav, Waves, Kronos X, MOXF 6, Axiom 49.
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Tobor
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by Tobor »

It's funny that iOS has also rekindled my interest in hardware. Picked up a Kronos X in addition to the MOXF this year, first keyboards I've bought in 15 years. Both integrate very well with DP.

Play and record keyboard sounds into DP, then instantly bounce DP into the hardware via iOS, and from there to the stage.

Integration.
iMac 2.7 i5, DP 9.5.1, 10.13.3, Apollo Twin, 828, MTPAV, Toontrack, Spectrasonics, BFD3, Drumcore, Reason 10, Live 10, Logic X, Spitfire, Zebra, Miroslav, Waves, Kronos X, MOXF 6, Axiom 49.
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BKK-OZ
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by BKK-OZ »

I haven't been keeping up with this thread, so apologies if some has already provided this link.

Interesting article on iOS, OS X, etc.

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/03/n ... connected/
Cheers,
BK

…string theory says that all subatomic particles of the universe are nothing but musical notes. A, B-flat, C-sharp, correspond to electrons, neutrinos, quarks, and what have you. Therefore, physics is nothing but the laws of harmony of these strings. Chemistry is nothing but the melodies we can play on these strings. The universe is a symphony of strings and the mind of God… it is cosmic music resonating through 11 dimensional hyperspace.
- M Kaku
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Babz
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iOS News: BREATHLESS MIDI CONTROLLER

Post by Babz »

Here's some news from the iOS trenches ...

Check out this new app called Breathless MIDI Controller. It uses a fingering system inspired by woodwinds, along with tilting the iPad to jump octaves. No blowing involved:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBLAhDGm8fY

It is currently available for FREE from the app store (introductory offer until April). Could this be your kinda thing, Shooshie?

Also, Audiomux and Midimux (which allow you to stream MIDI and audio between your DAW and iOS devices over a single iDevice cable) are now out and I should be testing them soon and reporting back. Reading nothing but good reports so far. Bundle pricing is $9.99. (Note that Audiomux requires AudioBus, which is $4.99. But AudioBus is pretty much sine qua non for anyone doing serious audio work in iOS.)

The combination of this controller + MIDI/audiomux could be a whole new way of triggering MIDI instruments in DP!

This has been today's report from iOS-land.

Babz
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Shooshie
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Re: iOS News: BREATHLESS MIDI CONTROLLER

Post by Shooshie »

Babz wrote:Could this be your kinda thing, Shooshie?
Oh, I won't be able to resist trying it, but it will almost surely be a novelty. The past few years have found me moving away from synthesized instruments (except for in DP, of course) and back toward my roots as a concert artist. While I still hate making reeds, I concede that it is necessary to get what I want, and I do love playing.

Thanks for posting it; I will have to check that out.

Shooshie
|l| OS X 10.12.6 |l| DP 10.0 |l| 2.4 GHz 12-Core MacPro Mid-2012 |l| 40GB RAM |l| Mach5.3 |l| Waves 9.x |l| Altiverb |l| Ivory 2 New York Steinway |l| Wallander WIVI 2.30 Winds, Brass, Saxes |l| Garritan Aria |l| VSL 5.3.1 and VSL Pro 2.3.1 |l| Yamaha WX-5 MIDI Wind Controller |l| Roland FC-300 |l|
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Babz
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by Babz »

This is just v 1.0. But if they could add some way to do vibrato by sliding your finger back and forth, and some way to modulate volume, it could be more expressive.

If nothing else it could be a different approach to discovering melodies..

Babz
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bayswater
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by bayswater »

Babz wrote:This is just v 1.0. But if they could add some way to do vibrato by sliding your finger back and forth, and some way to modulate volume, it could be more expressive.

If nothing else it could be a different approach to discovering melodies..

Babz
It is interesting. iPad sensors track movement in three dimensions, so the authors could add two more controllers, or use a wobble for vibrato.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
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guitardood
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by guitardood »

I know they're not synths, but I'm actually using the amp sims and effects BIAS & JamUp from Positive Grid and use an Alesis IO Dock II which has audio & MIDI Ins & Outs. I'm pretty sure the Alesis would be the cat's meow for using synths as well.
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cuttime
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by cuttime »

Anyone try TC-11? It just came out in v.2.0 today. I've had this one for a couple of years. No matter how hard I try, I just can't warm up to it. It basically is a standard subtractive synth buried under a bizarre interface. Every controller is a permutation of every iPad input motion and attitude, spread over an 11 oscillator synth. Sounds great, right? Well, if you are the experimental, tweakable type, get it now. If you want something that gives you musical results that you can predict, stay far away. I kind of regard it as the closest thing to Reaktor that I've seen for iOS.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tc-11/id488577050?mt=8

http://www.bitshapesoftware.com/instruments/tc-11/
828x MacOS 13.6.5 M1 Studio Max 1TB 64G DP11.31
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Babz
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by Babz »

I haven't tried TC-11, cuttime, but that's part of what I like about iOS. Sometimes as a composer, you have a concept and you just need to execute it. We have our traditional tools for that.

But sometimes it's about discovery -- and serendipity. For a few bucks you can play around with these more experimental apps, you're interfacing with, and manipulating, sound in a completely new way, and sometimes you can end up breaking into new soundscapes you might have otherwise never discovered.

That's part of the reason why I have been mega stoked about these new MIDI and audio over USB apps -- being able to capture some of these accidental/experiMENTAL sounds in DP!

BTW, FWIW, the Sound Test Room is currently doing a series of videos on TC-11, so maybe that might help shed some light ...

In other iOS news ... Propellerhead Figure, which is the coolest little app I've seen for composing a little masterpiece groove when you've got 3 minutes to kill, is currently FREE. Go grab it at the app store!

Best,
Babz
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stubbsonic
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by stubbsonic »

With iOS we have access to some very powerful and innovative software that is priced within this mega-market paradigm-- thus it is very easy to accumulate a vast number of apps. For me, this has been compounded by both free apps, and apps going on sale (which happens quite frequently).

The META-challenge this brings is how to maintain an area or areas of focus-- and not just have way more apps than you will ever use, much less learn.

For me, I just have created a few soft boundaries for things I don't want too much of:

1. Granular synths/effects: I have a couple, and they are cool, but I get tired of that sound pretty quickly.

2. Dumb sequencers: There are so many beat makers that are limited to 4/4 and 16th notes. If I see a sequencer that doesn't allow ANY kind of rhythmic variety, I just pass.

3. Subtractives: Ok, I didn't make my boundary on this soon enough. I have a ton of them, and they are jolly good ones. But no more, please.

4. Modulars: I don't need to be convinced about how cool they are. Audulus is great! Sunvox is great! Modular is great! I just can't make myself care about them.

5. Glass wiping synths: TC-11 and its ilk just don't appeal to me. I get that it is the new thing, and it takes full advantage of the input device that is the iPad screen. I just can't make myself care about them.

6. Etc. etc.

What I do REALLY get into:

1. Physical Modeling synths. LaPlace, SpringSound, etc.

2. Metronomes & tuners

3. Drum/Groove machines that allow any meters & beat divisions. DrumPerfect, StrokeMachine, Metronomics, etc.

4. One app: Multitrack Studio-- This app is as close as the iOS comes to DP, IMHO. It ain't as high roller as Auria, in terms of audio and the GUI, but in terms of flexibility for composition & MIDI, it is better than any others I've tried.

In short, cheap apps have made me feel spread thin. But I've become more careful about not buying stuff I know I won't use no matter how cool or cheap it is. And, I've gotten better at dumping apps I never use (I can always pull them from the cloud later), and just having a general sense of what is available to me if I need some specific kind of sound or process.
M1 MBP; OS 12, FF800, DP 11.3, Kontakt 7, Reaktor 6, PC3K7, K2661S, iPad6, Godin XTSA, Two Ibanez 5 string basses (1 fretted, 1 fretless), FM3, SY-1000, etc.

http://www.jonstubbsmusic.com
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cuttime
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by cuttime »

stubbsonic wrote: In short, cheap apps have made me feel spread thin.
Excellent post SS. I have come to pretty much the same conclusions. I would like to add Animoog, Filtatron, and Addictive Synth as iOS gold standards that have yet to be surpassed.
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cuttime
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Re: iOS Synths and DP

Post by cuttime »

I am curious about this.
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