Loopy Pro: Create music, your way.
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.
Download on the App StoreLoopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.
Comments
Yes, already this is clear. What I need to do is learn the instruments. I have Sunrizer, Poseidon, TF7, Synthmaster — and the totally opaque Yamaha Synth and Drum Pad app, which is like starting a Russian novel halfway through...what's happening here??
It has occurred to me that with my worry about spending money: The synth apps aren't too expensive. They're too cheap! I'm disappointed that Poseidon hasn't really revealed itself. But it cost, what, $10? $15? Buy another one, maybe it'll be better.
I was totally fooled by Gadget, and how easy it was to jump right in. But I'm grateful for that.
I also bought Auria in a fit of app collecting (was it on sale, or did I imagine it?). So I have the Fabfilter sisters to examine, if I ever get the courage to actually open Auria.
Thanks for the advice, all. I'm putting my wallet away and working with what I've got.
LAST question: When's Memorial Day this year again?
I love some iM1 too. I rarely use it for lead sounds, but the ethereal sounds just fit so well when wanting to add depth
Question about the iM1. Does that work in Gadget? Or does the Darwin work in Gadget only if you have the iM1?
Asking for a friend.
For me:
GO TO: Animoog
Secondary Apps: iM-1/Module or LaPlace and now Model 15
There was a time NAVE was my go to.
I am surprised no one talks about NAVE anymore.
Waldorf needs to get in this app thing again.
Yeah, you need to own iM1 in order to use it (known as "Darwin" in-app) within Gadget. There's a step to import it into Gadget, as I recall.
One issue with using it in Gadget is that it is somewhat stripped down within Gadget, as I recall. I believe you aren't able to do much sound editing within Gadget, or at least to the same extent as in the standalone app.
@ExAsperis99
With Poseidon, Sunrizer, TF7, you are very nicely set up. Not to mention the Gadge which covers what those three don't.
Hi.
I'm totally biased but if you actually want to get on and make whole tracks all inside your iPad, especially if you want to programme your own sounds, I'd personally just start by learning all the Gadget synths inside out and making great tracks.
The advantages include:
Gadget is extremely easy to put whole tracks together in (assuming they are instrumental only). The piano roll and UI is unbelievable.
Some (not all) of the synths are pretty deep in terms of what you can get out of them although they are all pretty easy to learn. Therefore as a 'way in' to synth programming it's pretty amazing.
My favourites are:
You've also got 'genuine' and pretty flexible synthesis in Berlin, Kingston, Chicago and Miami. Plus some limited tweaking in Toyko, Brussels and Helsinki (which sounds lovely).
I've been using Gadget intensively for two years and am still finding new things and only recently feel I've properly 'mastered' most of the synths (I probably haven't!).
Disadvantages are:
Hope this is helpful.
Mersenne is great by the way (IMO). Like Animoog, I don't know any other synth that sounds like it.
A lot of good sense by Matt.
Also I don't think a go to Synth is always a good idea for all types of music. Some types work well sticking to one sound, say an analog synth, others work better with a good mix of types for lead, bass etc.
I've got loads of iOS synths. I just love synths, always have. I program new sounds just for fun sometimes. If you are recording material though, it is sometimes better to limit your options to focus the sound of the various tracks. I do believe some of the past albums jelled better due to the artists working to limitations.
So I'm for a recording approach of limiting synths, but using more than one. I would say that even Gadget gives too many options if all used at once.
Think of each app as an instrument and choose one for each instrument in your digital iOS band. Choose or program a good set of sounds and then switch to thinking of writing the music. Even using loops this makes sense when recording tracks in an album format.
Thanks @Fruitbat1919
And I think you are right about thinking of synths for different parts of your 'band'.
For example I always think of Animoog for leads and pads to be honest. It just sounds so good on longer, long release sounds.
Mersenne I think of as a wonderful percussion player with hundreds of different objects to hit! This means it's easy to sample inside Gadget's 5 second limit.
I usually use Phoenix in Gadget for bass (sounds so rich) - but more recently I've been sampling Model 15 individual bass notes in.
Chiang Mai is good for electric piano type stuff and also ok for percussion sounds.
Wolfsburgh I use for noise stuff, FX and making it sound a bit like Animoog.
Berlin you can make sound like a Theromin.
Kiev is just weird. Strangely, I use it for both pads and percussion sounds.
Helsinki is normally on chord duty, if I use it.
Miami is obviously for nasty, harsh bass and nasty rough sounding lead sounds.
Without having read all the comments: I would think that specializing (even if by accident) in certain kinds of functionality in apps would be a bonus for devs: 1) How big can an app be before it's useless? 2) Audiobus is here! 3) The ability to delete & re-download apps at will for space considerations; 4) a selection of different products to entice business; 5) Our ongoing app feeding frenzy!
My go-to synth was once Arctic Pro-synth. I haven’t touched it for ages and just had a twiddle on it. I say it was my go-to synth, it was the one I went to first to test things, serving the purpose of a thing that made a sound. I didn’t actually stay with it to the point of doing anything, but it would often be the synth I open first to start doing something with, and then I’d go somewhere else and carry on.
To me this would be a worthy accolade for an app, even if it does only lead down a path to making music somehow else... and the variety of apps is itself a boon in this regard.
Gadget would definitely be my "desert island" app. I find new uses for each Gadget almost every time I use it. And just when I thought was settling into a pattern with it, they went and added the arpeggiator feature, which got me thinking about things in a different way.
Didn't stop me.
100% Gadget uploaded straight to GadgetCloud
I had a hardware M1. I use iM1 like I used to use hardware. 1 or 2 analogs, a sampler and the M1 plus a drum machine can do a lot.
If it wasn't for the lack of ability to respond to program change messages and midi learn Thor would absolutely be my go to synth.
As it is tho the crown goes to sunrizer albeit I'm slowly getting bored of the sound.
How are you all incorporating Sunrizer into your workflow? It sounds amazing, but I'm discouraged with having to bounce tracks since you can only load a single instance. My songs usually have lots of automation so keeping it MIDI is easier to work with.
Please remind me again: How does one engage the Arp?
Within the gadget, select the "scale" button. You'll find the arp settings in there.
But of course. Thank you.
My problem with most of the iOS synths is a feel of thinness in the filters, especially with resonance added (Thor, which used to be my go-to, being a main culprit). Animoog has always been a staple, and Model 15 is a godsend. I'm not a Moog elitist, but the Korg sounds (hardware or software) have always been too sterile for me.
The iSem and and Magellan are the others I'd recommend for good all-arounders and great presets (though the Magellan's are usually slathered with overdone effects levels), which seems a priority for you vs. programming your own patches, at least at this point in time.
Objectively, I think Auria Pro gives the best workhorse option with the Twin 2. It is also the most fun to program once you understand how it works.
This is better than therapy.
I am really drawn to the Animoog, but I worry it's too complex. But maybe there's no better way to learn.
Animoog, with its timbre selection and path/orbit design, will not help you really with any other synth. But it is easy to learn how to program and still one of the top couple best sounding synths.
Definitely not a complex synth. Very very simple, really. Part of its magic.
Perhaps not a surprise but I generally sample the sound and load it into an Eden instance in NanoStudio. Converts it to mono but works for most things.
Everyone always mentions Magellan.... and it's got some strong points. The developer is very good at including all of the MIDI/IAA Instrument (with transport)/Audiobus etc capabilities....and it's a very capable synth.....but, I have to admit....I've never really liked the sound quality that comes from it. It's got every feature imaginable it seems, but I've just never liked the quality of the sound..... maybe it will work in a mix?
I agree. I've always found Magellan's sound unpleasant. Even when initialised. It's got to be the oscillator waveforms that let it down, dunno. I guess it depends what flavour one is after. I still use it as a light weight fx processor. Works a treat.
I find Sunrizer very straightforward to program because of its simple layout. I wish synth like Model 15 had a UI mode where all the synth is shown in schematics blocks that fit into the ipad's screen, a bit like reactable or that other modular synth I don't remember the name of
Dividing synths by strength area is definitely a way to go. In fact they're already allocated in their areas the user just needs to find how it fits with their music. I've tried to use Animoog for bass but failed while getting a tight bass from isem, Dublin (or is it berlin) or Sunrizer Is a doddle. Getting long decay lead/pads from Animoog just happens.
On the other hand no matter how hard I try I can't get just the right kind of clav or organ out of Sunrizer.
Edit. More often than not the preset set that comes with the synth will highlight its area of strength.
Careful, there!
Nothin like a good preset browse in the morning after coffee...
It kind of depends on the mindset that those presets were put together in. There’s so many synths I was initially put off because my first foray through the presets demonstrated that it is going to be only any good at banging techno or handbag or rave, because that’s all I found.
Alternatively, it might have nothing but a bunch of experimental and obtuse presets that sound like distant insects, or doors being a jar, or a cat waking up, and that could put a few people off.
I was put off Yamaha’s Mobile , well, anything that Yamaha have ever made, to be honest, because all you get is demo tunes of Japanese K-pop or cheesy show tunes or frantic unattainable virtuosity, and yet I’ve used my QY20 in the past to make actual proper experimental music.
And as for drum machines, my opinion of almost all the iOS drum apps is that they’re all anticipating we should make the drums the lead instrument, nay, the only instrument, in our compositions.