Muff's Modules & More

Backroads · Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 7:06 pm Post subject:

Only having an iPhone, most of the iOS apps end up becoming too cluttered on-screen (and I have small fingers) to be of much help, at least in a live scenario. I'd imagine an iPhone-sized DAW to be quite a mess.

Jason Brock · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 4:38 pm Post subject:

Anyone have Hex OSC? I'd like to know if it will send MIDI out to USB via the camera connection kit. I'm not willing to pay $20 for it until I find out for sure, and the software's designer isn't responding to my email. Based on their website I'd guess the answer is "no", since they mentioned a workaround that uses a second piece of software on a PC. But the weird thing is that they have another version of the program called Hex OSC S, and that one does explicitly say it sends data via USB. But it is written for the iPhone and you don't get as many keys on the screen at once.

http://www.sky-light.jp/hex/

evs · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 2:56 pm Post subject:

Jason Brock · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 11:41 am Post subject:

haven · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:35 pm Post subject:

Jason have you tries HexaChrom? http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hexachrom/id418962980?mt=8

A lot cheaper and supports coreMIDI and landscape mode. No OSC or built in sounds like Hex OSC though. No velocity sensing as well. Does Hex OSC do velocity sensing?

I had a Snyderphonics Manta for a while and it sensed velocity very well. It seemed to be done via how fast and how wide you fingers spread out on the pads. Seems like iOS apps could do this but I don't know if they can actually measure how wide an input is.

haven · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:36 pm Post subject:

I should add that I only experienced stuck notes with HexaChrom once. it does glissando with out sticking.

Jason Brock · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject:

Thanks, I'll check out HexaChrom. I also realized that my stuck notes might be caused by my cheap MIDI cable. I'll see if my other MIDI interface gets recognized by the iPad and try that one out. No velocity with Hex OSC either.

That Manta thing is something else I've been curious about, but it seems like it needs to be hooked up to a computer to work? It can't be a stand-alone thing like the Axis, can it?

haven · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:29 pm Post subject:

Manta only works with a computer unless the Manta mate is finally out. Considering the amount of information it puts out and receives this makes sense.

I had an Axis 49 for a while. I found it very difficult to play expressively with velocity, seemed to always by too high or too low. Lack of midi controllers was also a big minus for me. Never had a chance to play the 64. I didn't give it a lot of time I must admit. I guess I am just so used to keyboard where I am able to play with lots of dynamics. I did find the manta to be very playable with dynamic ranges of velocity. This is one of my important points with controllers. It needs to meet the stands or expression that a keyboard has in terms of "can I play soft? Can I play loud? can I play soft and loud?" If it can't do that its not for me.

Because of lack of velocity I only use hexacrom to input harmonies or control sequencers. I wish the keyboard from Animoog would transmit all its control data! That is a great playable interface on iPad.

A really good MIDI interface for the iPad is the Elektron TM-1. Not cheap, but solid timing.

Jason Brock · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:15 pm Post subject:

StepLogik · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:20 am Post subject:

I got the Genome Midi sequencer and I've been jamming with it for a while. A few thoughts:

- fun, easy to use, very easy to build up and arrange a song in a very short amount of time
- midi echo is wonky. Genome outputs thru on the midi channel of the last pattern to edit. Typically in a daw the 'active' track is where midi input from the controller is routed to. Since there is no concept of an 'active' or 'selected' track, it just routes the midi from the input controller out to the channel of the last edited pattern.
- midi timing seems solid. I haven't done any objective testing but it feels more on par with a hardware sequencer than the epic timing slop of computer daws like fl studio or ableton live.
- works fine with iRig midi interface and Alesis I/O dock. The iRig interface kinda sucks - the connector barely stays in a place on the ipad and it protrudes out too far. *** BE SURE to update the firmware on the Alesis I/O dock if you use Genome!! You will have lots of issues if you don't.
- the pattern editor doesn't highlight the notes (on the left hand list of note numbers) coming in from the midi controller unless the virtual piano keyboard tool is open. It would be nice if it did this always so you could tap a key on the external controller and immediately find its row on the piano roll editor.
- The "envelope draw" tool can be used to edit note length - but damn if I can get this work. That seems like a bizarre way to edit the note lengths - would be nice if you extended/shorten notes with gestures.
- currently only supports basic swing grooves. They are fine, but I'm looking forward to more. Not sure if there is support for velocity offsets in the groove templates. If not, that could be a shortcoming.
- no zoom in the song/track view. Annoying but not a terrible issue.
- midi controller automation is fun and easy to draw!
- limited editing functions, would be nice to see the incredibly powerful 'job' functions from the Yamaha rm1x implemented as macros.
- the snapshot approach to song arrangement is unique. I didn't think I would like it but it's quite effective. Doing pure linear tracking in Genome would be a very tedious chore but for pattern-based music the approach is awesome. The only bummer I see now is that there is no way to easily clone/copy a pattern in the song view so you create a different version of it. The only way to do this is to copy the note data from the source pattern into the cut and paste buffer then paste it into a new pattern which requires a lot of work.
- no concept of song markers can make song arrangement a bit of a hassle, I'd really like to see this feature implemented.

Overall, this sequencer is about the best thing I've found that gives the GUI editing power of a daw with the simplicity and immediateness of a hardware sequencer. I hope the developer continues to improve and support it!

Will I be selling my rm1x and mv8800? I'm damn tempted...

evs · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:42 am Post subject:

don´t know if this was allready mentioned, but csound will come to the ipad..
http://www.boulangerlabs.com/products/csoundtouch/

oisin · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:52 pm Post subject:

Clumsy · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 12:02 pm Post subject:

Jut got a "New" iPad. It's a nice luxury/toy/gadget if you can afford it.

So far I've bought (worth mentioning):
StepPolyArp
Sunrizer synth
DRM1
TNR-i

That might have to be it for now (unless I see any free or 99c apps that look interersting).

Already had some apps for the iPod Touch including Lemur and Animoog. Lemur looks much cooler on the iPad. I'll get the iPad version of Animoog when it goes on sale (as it does, periodically).

Sunrizer seems to be a good VA synth and will be usefull for general polysynth duties. StepPolyArp also looks useful, though it might take awhile to work out how it actually works. DRM1 is fun, and could be really good, but at the moment (as far as I can work out) it doesn't do MIDI sync, which makes it useless in practical situations.

TNR-i is great. Go to the bounce layer, select the Xylophon instrument, and you have instant Steve Reich. I haven't explored the other layer modes in detail, but so far my experiments have been promising. My only complaint would be that the layers (and corresponding MIDI channels) are fixed: you only get one bounce layer (and it has to be MIDI channel 14).

There are some other apps that I plan to get, but since I spent so much on the iPad itself, they'll have to wait: Genome sequencer, iMS-20, iElectribe (maybe, if it does MIDI sync)

Anyway, I've had enough to drink, so I'll go now.

StepLogik · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:08 am Post subject:

Genome midi sequencer has a new update out. Hopefully I can check it out today. If you haven't tried yet, you should. It is a really, really good midi sequencer that is fun and easy to use!

evs · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:48 am Post subject:

krv · Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:06 pm Post subject:

Any sample player app??
nothing fancy, granular or extreme...I'd just need an app that can store (say) 8/10 "samples" to be played via midi/usb ...if it does more, fine thumbs up

for samples I mean my own pre recorded and pre produced ones (uploadable via itunes or else), even longer samples 10 minutes or so...nothing like maschine or apps like that...

hydrophilos · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:25 pm Post subject:

Don't know if this has been mentioned but Soundrop for iphone and ipad is fun and can get very creative once you get into it. It would be a great hacking project to be able to load any sound but...Also great as a trigger source for anything. The "pro" version is $1.99 about the same as a banana jack LOL

Mr. Sound Boy King · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:41 am Post subject:

rec.Koner · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:43 am Post subject:

oh, TC-11 is the most crazy powerful thing now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ttdpKoO6uI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkko4fBwHmY

It took the best things Noise.Io had (i mean using ALL multi-touch possibilities and gyroscope and screen layout) and added to modular (not as modular as Jasuto, though) synth engine

jonah · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:35 am Post subject: