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In general when I see this question I think it's a good idea to limit my suggestions to apps which have been updated within the last 6 months or so, give or take.
Firo by fiddlewax?
Firo - Music Maker, Instrument, Drums, Chords, Looper, and MIDI Controller por Fiddlewax
https://appsto.re/es/b2P_1.i
Exactly... Thx... I knew there was a Fiddle somewhere ;-)
It's a fantastic app when used as a controler to compose in Gadget (IMO).
These apps work fine running ios10. You gonna mis a lot of great apps if you only focus on recently updated apps (Samplr for example).
Elastic Drums and Seekbeats for drum synths
@Proto , whilst I agree that some of my favourite apps have gone a long time without updates (e.g. NanoStudio), the OP specified that they were at the beginning of collecting a set of iOS audio apps.
I think in those circumstances the apps are so very numerous that it's very easy to get overwhelmed, so I consider recentness of update to be a convenient way to limit my suggestions to a number I could more easily manage if I were just starting out.
If that makes any sense ... ?
So what about utilities, in order to arrange, record and export a finished track?
If I understood I will need something like:
-audiobus or aum for interapp operations
-a daw for record/arrange
-audioshare for export the final result
Am I wrong?
Audioshare is an essential tool for file management on any iOS device. Audioshare also integrates very nicely with AUM (both apps by Kymatica). depending on how and what you want to record, AUM may be as much DAW as you need, being an IAA and AU host, and 8 busses for mixer routing madness
No, you're right, but the big DAWs include facilities for polishing off your raw audio, e.g. (in no particular order) Cubasis, MusicStudio, all Auria versions etc.
My personal recommendations are
ToneStack 3 for guitar fx
TwistedWave Editor for audio recording and fine tweaking one track at a time
MultiTrac.kDAW for arranging and fine tuning your mix
TwistedWave Editor again for final polishes to the mix, and export in gazillion file types
AudioShare for getting your tracks to and from anywhere
Start with those, add more as needed.
Right, my take on this. It is actually my third attempt, but I've discarded twice as I realised it was doing a combination of tips but also trying to please people in here (i.e. not start a war over "this is better than that" etc), but it all turned wishy washy basically ending in "buy everything".
Instead I shall concentrate on scenarios. One scenario would be that you make more jam-based music with your guitar and some natural instruments. The other scenario would be that you make drone-based ambient stuff, and yet try to stick to one app at a time as the suggestion.
Background: I'm a (formerly full-time) guitarist who these days mainly make music along the two scenarios above myself, so this turned into a "if I have to un-install apps, which ones will be left" as I own most of them already.
First, utilities, which is scenario independent:
* AudioShare (for file management and sharing, and also field recording if you have a phone)
* AUM (as it plays nicely with AudioShare and can be used as a quick DAW)
* MidiFlow (will help you handle pretty much anything midi-related that isn't handled elsewhere)
* Midi Link Sync (when you need Link and midi, and the apps are missing one, such as Samplr)
* midiLFOs (can do automated wonders to any app/synth that has midi learn)
* SunVox (as it can do too many things to list here, but it can be a synth, an effects unit, a midi controller, a tracker, a sample player etc)
DAW:
Sticking my neck out and suggesting Auria Pro, simply as it will help you achieve multiple things in your wished for scenarios, whilst still appeal to your "I can tweak synths" abilities. You also have the option to go for the best FX package on iOS (FabFilters) within Auria, though that isn't needed off the bat.
Guitar based set-up:
* Guitar amp: Bias FX (+IAPs, possibly also Bias Amp, as they complement each other well)
* Bass: iFretless Bass
* Drums (if you like complete control): DrumPerfect Pro
* Drums (if you prefer arranging natural sounding loops) Drum Session OR Rock/Funk/Soft Drummer (pick your preferred sound set after listening on YouTube)
* Other instruments: SampleTank (+IAPs). Will give you access to pretty much any instrument, in a decently good quality.
Electro/Ambient set-up:
* Guitar (just for fun, this is optional): Midi Guitar 2 (use your guitar as a midi controller)
* Bass: One (included in Auria)
* Drums: Patterning (you already own it)
* Synth: Twin 2 (included in Auria). Very versatile and very good.
* Other instruments: SampleTank and SunVox (from above)
That should actually get you started quite nicely. Later on you can add even more synths/instruments, and here you'll get loads and loads of suggestions.
Originally being a guitarist myself I am more of a "preset tweaker" than I am a hardcore synth-head who revel in manual creation of every audible sound coming out from a synth. For me I'd suggest Magellan, Thor, Tera or Addictive Pro, which all are fairly easy to get going with, but still has loads of presets and decent tweakability. If you want to go wild you could look at Model-15, Audulus etc. There are hundreds more, each with their pro's/con's, and a hundred opinions about each.
There.
How could I forget Fiddlewax! The developer has moved on, but in a real act of class he's left all the apps up for free. Fiddlewax Yellow, Fiddlewax Blue, and Fiddlewax Pro aka Firo. In my dreams the dev would get back in the game and do a universal update for Firo (the other two already are universal), and I would gladly pay much for it!
Great tips, thanks!
I'm not a synth head too, my hardware synths ATM consist in a Teenage Engineering Op-1 and two modified Korg monotribe.
(I got a TB-3 too but it's for sale)
I'm definitely more of a preset tweaker too...
Having pull out big cash to buy the iPad
I got no more than 130€ for "app shopping" right now.
(and I still don't have an interface for connecting my guitar to the iPad...)
Yeah, well, cost quickly runs away when getting things. I have spent far too much money on apps. Still, as they are comparatively cheap (to desktop software at least), a few dud purchases are ok. The apps I have used, and gotten many hours of use out of, especially compared to $/h means I still think making music on iOS is a lot cheaper than any other hobby I have.
As for interface, again, there are loads. I have a Roland Duo Capture EX as I then can use it both for my iOS devices as well as for my Macs. I also have an ICM4+ for those moments when I want to use both my iOS devices and my Macs at the same time, but depending on your intended set-up it might not be needed.
You might want to take height for a good USB hub too though, that can power/charge your device. It can also give your iPad access to your hardware midi controllers within your iOS apps, provided the controllers are connected to the same hub.
I recomend novation audiohub and cck3.
I envy you.
Gadget
Great post. Very thoughtful. I'm a little surprised you feel you're sticking your neck out by recommending Auria,. I know there's been a lot of debate about Auria vs Cubasis, (or AUM or GarageBand) but they're all great apps. No one can really say any of them are the "best." It's more about personal preference and finding the right fit.
Thanks, yeah, I normally dodge the "pick only one" arguments as I have them all, and I really like Auria, Cubasis and MultitrackStudio (not the crap one, the good one), for different reasons, so me sticking out my neck was more that I don't promote them equally in this particular post. I do think it would be the most suitable DAW in this case though, but any of the DAWs would do the job.
@hellquist Would you be kind enough to give me your opinion on BIAS FX as a general purpose multi FX unit? I'm almost there, but I'm a bit skittish with Positive Grid and their wild price fluctuations. I kinda feel burned with Final Touch.
I got cck3 too, I bought it together with the iPad,
Having an iPhone 7 maybe an ICM4+ could better suit my needs if I ever want to use the phone too?
@hellquist
Thanks for your precious advices.
@rumorazzi For your guitar-plugin-to-iPad interface, I recommend the Centrance AxePort Pro.
http://www.centrance.com/products/ap/
To run it with your iPad you'll need Apple's USB 3 Camera Connection Kit, a portable power pack, a USB hub with at least 2 available ports, a USB — USB cable and a mini USB cable.
Tiny all in one 3-port USB hubs are perfect for this.
If your total budget is €130, then I'd recommend prioritising the purchase of quality hardware, because that has the most impact on the quality of your original audio signal.
Cheap interfaces can be noisy and this cannot be fixed with apps.
Best apps on iOS in my opinion are...
Korg iWAVESTATION
Korg iM1
Korg ODYSSEi
Poison-202
Phasemaker
Sunrizer
Z3TA
Addictive synth Pro
PPG WaveGenerator
Korg Gadget
Cubasis
Beatmaker 2
NanoStudio
ISequencer HD
AudioShare
I haven't actually used it as such, other than for proof-of-concept situations, but it should work very well indeed, much like Tonestack, or like a physical string of guitar stompboxes or racks. As it can take IAA, which can be placed anywhere in the chain, and the chain can be split (for example a dry/wet chain) there should be plenty of control.
As for the quality of effects themselves I find them to be good. There are probably better out there if you aim for specialised units for each type of effect, but "as good as stomp boxes", definitely. As stated in my first reply I used to be a full-time guitarist, and my physical guitar gear is rather large (the larger part of a small truck) with "everything" (which costed me "lots" to acquire). I haven't felt the need to use any of it these days unless I want to physically move lots of air via large speakers, but pre-amp/power-amp/effects wise I am finding Bias FX (with Bias Amp, as they are so integrated with each other) a good substitute.
As a guitarist I especially like the cloud functionality, where I can search for "Back in Black" (songs) as well as "Bonamassa" (guitarists) and then preview the tone before downloading it. If I download it and have the effects/amps used (which admittedly could be IAP effects) it is a great way of getting a specific tone quickly/easily, which is great when you are in a recording/creative mood as opposed to tweaking mode.
Thanks for the feedback, @hellquist. It's interesting that on the desktop side, the folks I chat up generally prefer IKM's AmpliTube, but on iOS it seems that Positive Grid/BIAS gets the favor.
Oh? All my friends are raving about Bias on the desktop too, IKM has a quite bad reputation amongst my mates in general, though Amplitube itself isn't slagged off that bad.
That is not the decider for most of them though; the amp modelling in Bias Amp is. Basically they have made EXACT replicas of their exact hardware equipment, for usage in the desktop (and thereby in the studio), via the amp modelling in Bias Amp. Bias FX for them is just a set of effects that they can add to their replicated physical-but-now-virtual amp. Not sure how they have managed to pull that off, but it works wonders. I honestly can't tell the difference between my mates modelled amps and their real ones.
Yup but be sure it works right with your iOS versions before go for it.
I see that centrance axeport pro was recommended. I don't know anything about that, but I have and like an apogee jam I got used for $40.
I've used both Apogee Jam and Axeport Pro, and both are excellent digital-audio converters (DAC). What the Jam lacks and the Axeport has is a powerful pre-amp with an incredibly low noise floor, which many input signals need.
It really annoyed me to have got the Jam, and only then through experience learnt I needed the Axeport. I'm hoping to save the OP some time/money/frustration/annoyance/etc.