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What is Loopy Pro? — Loopy Pro is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive live looper, sampler, clip launcher and DAW for iPhone and iPad. At its core, it allows you to record and layer sounds in real-time to create complex musical arrangements. But it doesn’t stop there—Loopy Pro offers advanced tools to customize your workflow, build dynamic performance setups, and create a seamless connection between instruments, effects, and external gear.
Use it for live looping, sequencing, arranging, mixing, and much more. Whether you're a live performer, a producer, or just experimenting with sound, Loopy Pro helps you take control of your creative process.
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Which music apps would you grab if you had an iPad 1 as a dedicated music machine?
Hi folks,
OK, after you snicker ... 
I have been given a relic, but it works just as good as it did when it sold for hundreds. so ...
Which apps would you put on an iPad 1 for making music?
My usual pleasure is looping and playing guitar, but, using foot pedals could run some synthy kinds of stuff, or use the iPad for effects, or a drum machine.
Is there anything worth putting on here that would add?
FYI, I have thumbjam and drumbjam on here already.
I sure wish some flavor of Loopy would be backwards compatible.
Besides using it as a paddle, what would you do musically with it?
thanks!
Comments
Nlog Synth Pro, Lemur for using as a controller.
@RustyPerez You might want to look into midi apps such as TB Midi Stuff, SoundPrism Pro, MIDI Designer Pro, Chordion, Genome, Lemur, etc.
The guitar apps like Amplitube, Jamup Pro and the like work well.
Drum machines, Impaktor, Funkbox, MoDrum.
Sunrizer, Animoog, WaveGenerator, NLog Pro. You'll have to be careful about how many notes you play at once and the complexity of the patches or you can easily get glitches.
As far as using Audiobus, you can pretty much expect challenges. An app may run on iOS 5, but if it's been updated it might require a newer version of Audiobus which can't be installed on iOS 5. The version of Audiobus has only one sound chain. There is no IAA. You can often record within apps and then export the recording via AudioShare.
Multitrack DAW works well but has no midi. You can use a midi sequencer such as Genome to control the apps and can often record within the app, and then copy and paste these recordings into Multitrack DAW if you can't get an Audiobus chain going.
If you purchased apps a long while ago, they may still be downloadable to the iPad one. A good idea to backup these apps as they may be gone forever if your setup on the iPad one gets screwed up.
Thanks @Paul -- some very useful pointers there. I have one of those 'relics', working perfectly but usually gathering dust, and you've inspired me to press it back into service.
A useful topic to raise, @RustyPerez. I suspect that more than a few forum members have semi-redundant old iPads lying around.
Oh, and @RustyPerez , I've just discovered that Loopy HD works well on my iPad 1.
Wow. That's good to know...
Impaktor, loopy, bebot
.
iElectribe
Which iOS version is iPad1 running?
@fjcblanco It's running 5.1.1.
Unfortunately I came to IOS only recently, so I haven't bought any of those apps in the past, therefore probably can't get most of the legacy versions through traditional channels.
But, there are still some that do run on 5.1.1 like both drumjam and thumbjam.
I'd love to have loopy running on it. I guess I haven't checked.
I have a Behringer fcb1010 and though it's big and clunky, it would be lots of fun to have that as a home looping station. HMMM.
Thanks for the tips guys! I think the key is to keep the app switcher as clear as possible with this slowpoke.
I would avoid Nave and Neosoul Keys, too much strain on iPad 1 (from what I remember)
Thumb jam does work well, as does Impaktor, GarageBand
Just put Loopy HD on it. It warned me that the most recent version wouldn't work, but allowed me to download an older version. Now, of course, the fun will be finding out the differences. I do also have devices running ios 9.
Sure would be nice if you could filter app store searches by the ios requirement.
iPolysix/iElectribe ! soon updated with link !
Reading system requirements on apps I already have:
76 Synthesizer
Addictive Synth
Chordion
iSequence HD
Little MIDI Machine (Free)
Loopseque
MIDI Pattern Sequencer
Muza (Free)
Nord Beat 2 (Free)
Pro Keys
SpaceLab
Sunrizer synth
SunrizerXS synth
AKAI SynthStation (if you dare...)
ipolysix has ipad 2 as system requirements but this jam is on ipad1:
seems to work fine
@fjcblanco that's an awesom list!
Just remember that's a list about iOS version. I don't know if iPad1 is powerful enough to run all of them.
I recently went through this with my old iPad1 when it got too slow to play Netflix for Mom. I was able to get quite a bit of stuff working on there, and I'm pretty sure I purchased many of these apps after I upgraded to a newer iPad. No guarantees, but I think that so long as your iPad has iOS 5.1.1 or greater, you're allowed to download legacy versions no matter when you make the purchase. They still want your money, after all.
Here's what I was able to get working, after removing those already mentioned.
Nanostudio
Chordbot
StepPolyArp
Beatmaker1 (runs as phone app)
Beatmaker2
PixiTracker 1bit
Cubasis (impressed with how well this works)
ChordPolyPad
ProChords
Drumjam/Thumbjam
DM1
Triqtraq
Music Pro
Orphion
Polychord
Samplr
Werkbench
MIDI Designer
Arp Pro
Nodebeat HD
Gestrument
Changeling
Echo Pad
Filtatron
AudioShare
Hokusai
iFretless Bass/Guitar
Guitarist
Yumi:Synth
Echo String
Arctic Keys
Xenon
Magellan
Cassini
Alchemy (I know, right?)
Galileo
Arturia iSEM
iMini
Grain Science
Arctic ProSynth
SoundieThingie
Thor (another nice surprise)
elsa
Tachyon
Bitwiz
iMIDIPatchbay
bs-16i
electric Piano
M3000 HD
whew...
I've opened and noodled with all of these, but haven't used most of them in depth since loading them up, so I can't vouch for how dependable they are overall.
Also, Audiobus appears in the store, loads, and opens, but it's buggy as all get out. Maybe you'd have better luck, but I wouldn't bother probably. I use this iPad as a dedicated device on my desktop with an iConnectMIDI2+ so it's not a huge deal for me.
Good grief that's a lot of apps I don't use much.
I would probably just use it as a dedicated MIDI device, for a sequencer or controller. Some of the above listed apps would apply to this use case.
I also wonder if Genome has a 5.1.1 compatible version? The current AppStore listing says it requires iOS 7.
If you often use Loopy on another iPad, definitely consider looking into MIDI Designer. You can control an awful lot of Loopy at once. @Hmtx made a lay out for it at some point.
Plenty of folks have generated solid lists here. Just consider the apps that were available for it when it was around if you want a 'solid' experience. Funkbox is a great syncable drum machine, for instance. NanoStudio will run like a lion on it for synths and drum machines but will not MIDI sync to anything. BeatMaker 2...
@fjcblanco and @aaronpc although I don't have an iPad 1, these lists are great to have for the future. Thank you both!
Great list. Thanks for the effort. 64 gigs that's just sitting there (for me anyway) might as well do something with it
hah, yes indeed. I haven't been using that Loopy HD layout lately. I kind of changed my approach to live looping, but here's the layout for MIDI Designer:
https://mididesigner.com/qa/1875/loopy-hd-controller-for-second-ipad?show=1875#q1875
Well, @Hmtx that's the rub isn't it? Though Loopy hd says it requires ios 7, it downloads a 5.1.1 compatible version. So it's tough to know just from the app store.
But there are certainly lots of GREAT suggestions here.
I think a sortof minimalist setup will be best with this.
I'm just realizing that I think I have enough equipment that I can possibly cobble together to work loopy hd with pedals.
I think that's gonna be my first project. I don't have a keyboard controller right now.
Loopy HD is a real great app for music passionates. I also use varioys audio player and music streamers, like Orange, MyAudioStream, SoundCloud and Real Guitar Free to practice.
A note about iMini: need to play monophonic or glitches. Ipolysix had some issues in the community pages and playing back some of their songs. Animoog sometimes crackled on heavy poly patches. Mostly worked solid other than the 4track recorder.
As far as I remember the rest of those worked fine and were most of my favs on the ipad1.
Would add ielectribe and ims20 to solid ipad1 apps. Oh and figure too.
iSem, iMini, ipolysix, nlog pro, sunrizer, bs16i, animos, Magellan, thor, galileo, thumph jam, ifretless, drum jam, rebirth, samplr, audioshare, loopy hd, nano studio, multitrack daw, beatmaker2, midibridge, freeewi, midimux, little midi,
Thanks @ That's quite a collection! I actually have some of those.
I'm excited about using loopy on here, but kinda having some trouble getting my SoftStep set up like I want it.