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Simplifying my iOS app selection. Thoughts?
I have too many apps. Last year I upgraded to 128gbs and immediately went on a buying spree. My problem is that while I'm doing a lot of tinkering (which is fun), I'm not really sticking with an app long enough to really learn it or even optimize my workflow. As a result, I'm not really creating the quality of output that I'd like to. I'm thinking about simplifying down to the following until I actually produce an album of material that I'm proud of.
Audiobus (io)
Audioshare (sample management)
Samplr (sample mangling and loop creation)
Borderlands (loop creation)
Blocs Wave (creative arranging)
Gadget (heavy lifting / multi-tool)
Auria (mixing/mastering)
iSpark (drums)
Alchemy (additional synth flavor)
Model 15 (additional synth flavor)
Very painfully probably wont make the cut;
Fugue,
Both Ruismakers
Imachine
DRC
Patterning
Figure
Iceworks synths
Korg synths outside of gadget
Virsyn synths
Thoughts? Too many? Too few? Is gadget cheating?
15 years ago, an iPad with only these apps would have produced multiple hit records and cost many thousands of dollars. If I can't do it with these I can't do it, period. But I'm curious if I can cut even further and further improve my productivity.
Comments
You don't really need to delete any apps - IMO with this mindset you're still focusing on the apps rather than creation. Leave the apps on the iPad and set yourself deadlines and goals with your music - you will naturally gravitate to the apps that work for you and ignore the others.
The SOTMC we have here on the forum was started accidentally because I once mentioned that I was planning to write and produce a song every month, and @JohnnyGoodyear liked the idea so it became a community thing. I started in January 2015, and have written and fully produced 21 tracks since then (with no. 22 in the works). You don't need to join SOTMC to do that, but having a monthly or weekly deadline that you meet come hell or high water is a really good method for being productive IMO.
I agree with Richard, but then I would I guess. It's not the machines it's the doing, BUT I can hear what you say/feel as regards too much stuff/too many choices. As regards your list: I think you're going to get an argument from a number of folks on Patterning, but it really rather depends on what you do/what you use. I do think a cull is often a good idea, but by the same token, purchasing (if you can afford it) opens up possibilities. I personally would be loathe to toss out Fugue and DRC, but that's just looking at what works for me. It's certainly true that your 'A' list should/could/would produce whatever your talent and inspiration can imagine...set a deadline, make it happen. As I'm always saying (and as Pablo said): Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working...
no right or wrong answers imo. FWIW, I think about app bloat in a similar way as you so I'll play along just so you can see another person who struggles with the same issue. I'm trying to limit my choices to get rid of choice distraction. Apps organized by purpose.
Make melodic loops
*Shoom
Make beats
*triq traq
Record audio
*AUM
Edit audio and move it around the cloud and between apps
*Audioshare
Effect and mangle beats and loops
*A bunch of insert FX
*Egoist, Turnado, Sector, Launchpad
This still feels like a long list
Deleted everything not on the list and my ipad does feel like a leaner and meaner, less distracting workspace
I only delete apps that become abandoned and buggy, or that I just don't get on with. Sometimes opening an app I haven't used for a while will trigger an idea for a new tune.
Agree completely with @JohnnyGoodyear and @richardyot but have also found myself in your shoes @robertreynolds I think it centers around the idea of necessity being the mother of invention. Maybe it's the father. Point is, invention and creation look the same. And with all of these toys—many of which bypass the "necessity" part of that statement because they are capable of doing so much—it can get overwhelming and stifle all processes of invention. One thing I've tried my best to adhere to is to focus on one app, maybe for an entire week, and anytime you create during that week you do it with that one app and see how far you can take it, and how much you can learn about it. Maybe it's a type of synthesis, FM for instance, so you spend that week learning about FM synthesis while using that one FM synth app. Then repeat this process with as many worthy apps as you can. In my experience this has helped me tremendously in terms of focus, knowledge and ownership. All of which are important to the invention process. But it also allows you to slow down and focus, while ignoring the vast sea of apps you've got ready and waiting to be opened.
But keep Patterning, Fugue and both Ruismakers.
In my short time in the ios world i have gravitated to this too. Gadget is enough to take me 80% or more and cubasis fx and synth, along with with riusmaker, model 15, gospel rhodes, and au fx bring it home for extra flavor, audio recording and mixing. Any more and i feel i'm going through hoops and not fully taking advantage of the "gear".
At least nobody's mentioned Sunvox yet.
no need to delete some small apps, just move them to an 'unused' folder
(I did with almost everything from Apple... because the crap can't be trashed)
DRC in particular has a top notch synth engine, one of the best I've heard on any system.
It may not have such a smart control surface and lacks the famous name, but in regard of faking analog gear it outperforms Animoog with ease - a hidden gem, truely.
(talking about the raw, uneffected, non-detuned single voice)
So much food for thought in this thread. Thanks.
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I have less space than you, and can also get distracted by the glittering toys. But that said, ditching the unique thing that is Fugue Machine and what is probably the most innovative drum app for IOS is surely counterproductive.
I recently did a Spring cleaning, out of season, but it went like this:
It's been working well so far. I've eaten 8 baloney sandwiches and got half a project done.
Ditch iSpark and keep patterning and the 2 ruismaker if you aren't totally crazy!
I recently tried to install ios10 on my iPad 4 and something went wrong during the upgrade...and I lose (almost) everything. Past the first moment where I was devastated, I started to reinstall what was still here and now...I have a fully functional music environment, 20gb more space and the feeling that sometime you have to destroy what's in place to move forward!
I've been through this many times. It just didn't work for me. The apps came back steadily as I wanted them.
So, I came up with a way to organise my pages and folders better. Everything I need often to hand on one page. Everything I don't use often, but still use now and again on another page.
Just to add, the internet and dare I say these forums are my biggest time sink
Often it’s hard to even know where to start, and I want to explore everything. Fortunately, I’m at a place where experimenting is good, and I have no deadlines. I’m still in primarily a learning phase, and I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. If I did have specific projects to do, and had to buckle down, nobody but me could answer for me what apps I should use for whatever I was doing at the moment. I think you have to take the time to figure out what apps can get the bulk of your work done, however many there are, and then get to know those really well. Everyone is going to choose a different set of go-to tools for their particular music, skills, and workflow(s). For instance, two apps you don’t even mention that I use a lot are GeoShred and ThumbJam. There are also apps revered here I either don’t use at all, or don’t need them. I also can’t get away from the desktop and go completely mobile, but others say they do.
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Yes, I organised all my music apps onto one page in a series of folders. I've been much more productive recently, too. Mainly by focusing.
As for on-line activities, here is about the only place I bother with, these days. I love the openness Sebastian allows, the friendliness (usually) and that I can learn from others here, and sometimes help them, too.
As I said in another thread, I've abandoned Twitter (or Twatter, as James May accurately dubbed it), couldn't stomach Facebook, and as of this evening will do all I can to end my oldest on-line presence at Digital Spy. The latter, because I'm fed up with the PC mob, DS censorship, and clever-dickery. It just wastes my time.
Delete everything and install based on need after you've created several songs. Gadget is a good place to start- it has everything you need. If it doesn't have the sound you're looking for, substitute it later, or now, and delete Gadget. Consider it a challenge, if anything.
Delete the internet.
Eat your iPad and buy a friggin banjo.
I fully agree with @richardyot and @JohnnyGoodyear, it"s mostly a question of focus and deadline...
But I would also add that what works for me is to have 1 or 2 central "DAW like" apps (such as Gadget or Cubasis) in which I finalize my songs... Then, other apps are only used to "feed" these apps when making a track/prod.
And as many already said, you could start by using only Gadget or Cubasis (they offer more than enough to make full tracks) to make a few songs and then the need/desiere to use other sources will come by itself (e.g. need for a specific synth sound, use of chopped samples in Bilbao, ...).
I don't participate to the SOTMC but using this method, I already publish on Gadgetcloud/soundcloud at least a song every 1.5-2 months for over 2 years now.
SOTMC or it didn't happen.
I need to clean out too. I could easily survive with just Auria at this point. I'd probably hang onto Moog, Korg, iSymphonic, Sampletank, Lurssen, and GarageBand as well.
Ha ha ha... Can I participate post-mortem by posting the songs in the corresponding month threads based on the date of publication from Gadget to Soundcloud LOL...
Just kidding of course.
And I already like being a listener on the SOTMC thread man ;-)
Interesting. I wonder if we had a blind listing of the, say, seven or eight apps folks would hang on to if we could make any decent guesses as to the music they produce....
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As for Lurssen, I haven't been involved in any of the previous chatter on this app, but it makes your list? What are your thoughts on it at this point?
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Very true, it has a highly tweakable warmth about it, oozing 'analogness'
@u0421793 bwahahaha!
That and DRC is universal where as Animoog is sold in iPhone and iPad making the IAPs a double purchase situation, ugh. I sent Moog a support question email and STILL haven't heard back. This is why I haven't bought Model 15 yet, the Animoog situation just rubs me the wrong way. On the other hand the developer of DRC keeps up on threads here, is responsive to direct questions, and helped create the very cool Harpa Laser1 A gentleman and a scholar. So yes, keep DRC! And anyone that doesn't have it, buy it!
https://www.imaginando.pt/projects ;↩︎
Currently I use only Auria Pro and its FX/instruments, Ampkit, Drum Perfect Pro, Phasemaker, iSem and FM Essentials as AUs, and iPolysix, iMS20, Magellan, DXi and Model 15 as external synths. Oh, and Heavy Brass and Sample Tank as well!
Since I also use my iPad to record other people, I needed space and deleted almost every other music app, including Cubasis, Final Touch and Impactor. I can put them back at any time, and they aren't really missed yet.
What is so bad about Sunvox that everyone mocks it?
Copy them over with iFunbox. Problem solved.