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Top 5 Music Technology iPhone Apps

I've never owned an Apple product in my life. Not a computer, t-shirt, mouse mat, keyring, iPod, iLife, iDeath and certainly not an iPhone - I just don't have that kind of iLifestyle. But i know people who do and my first experience of the iPhone was at LIMS a few weeks ago and I was honestly blown away. There's little chance of me being converted into some kind of religious Apple zealot but there's no doubt it's a cool bit of kit - the coolest thing being the apps that you can download and install while simultaneously creating a brand new market and industry. A little bit of genius. Anyway, I thought it might be cool as a complete outsider to have a look at what apps exist in a computer music styli. Not players or radio stations or the completely awesome Shazam app that can tell you what music is playing just by listening to it, this is about music making, recording and producing.


No doubt i've missed all the good ones in which case please send in your suggestions and i'll happily publish reviews if you want to send them in.

Obviously not having an iPhone means that I can't actually try any of these out, so i'm basing the coolness purely on my perception of it - is this all a bit silly? Yes probably :)

So, no particular order here's 5 iPhone apps that look fab to me:


1. Novation Automap for iPhone

Turns your iPhone into a MIDI controller using Novations Automap automation software. It's not quite out yet so the videos of it actually being used usefully are scarce. Here's a ropey Sound On Sound interview at the LIMS show but I actually think it's more exciting than it comes across.



I don't think they've quite cracked the whole viral marketing thing yet but at least the website has some better information - http://uk.novationmusic.com/news/article=18

2. Steinberg Cubase Transport

Control Cubase transport functions and arranger track. All the usual play/stop controls plus scrub, song locator, tempo, loop on/off and all that jazz. It works over Wireless LAN and is completely free! The closest thing to it was the Tranzport from Frontier Designs which was £200. It's got a lot of potential for people playing instruments when they can't reach the mouse - pretty cool i think. Here's another terrible video that shows you what it can do.




3. Noise.io - iPhone Synth Workstation

FM based synths and stuff with a sequencer and things. 3 generators, 2 filters, 6 effects, LFO's, EQ, pattern, step and realtime sequencing. Now this is how you do a promotional video. http://noise.io/




4. Sound Scope Space Synth - The Strange Agency

Sort of like a signal generator and oscilloscope that allows you to edit the waveform and pitch and then mess about with LFO's and modulators. This is hardcore synthesis that's better explained by watching the video. http://thestrangeagency.com/




5. Bloom - Brian Eno & Peter Chilvers

It let's you create ambient tunes. Looks and sounds beautiful - simply gorgeous.



6. Tamborine

I know this was supposed to be a "top 5" but i couldn't resist this one because the video is just sooooo fabulous and could teach all the above apps a thing or two about marketing :)




Makes me laugh every time.



So, yeah, if you want to send me a review of the coolest iPhone music tech app you can find then send it in through the Contact form.

I'm waiting for Native Instruments to release Metaphysical Function for iPhone - that would be cool.

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