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.
How mobile are you?
Always wanted to do something like this. I’ve enjoyed sitting in my front yard during the colder months and take in the scenery while experimenting. Recently returned from a little vacation to Montana and kicking myself for not taking advantage of the opportunity.
Have any of you planned out a journey into nature or public as your visual backdrop for making noise?
With all the talk about people leaving iOS, being mobile is one the most gratifying aspects of making noise on a iPad/iPhone.
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I take my iPad with me when backpack camping, but I spend only very limited time on it since I don't like to waste precious time in the backcountry on things I can do at home.
Same situation as we were crunched for time. However, I’m going to try next time or go to a local river or scenic location and see what transpires.
First thing you’ll find is you can’t see the screen outdoors.
Depends on shade
I think I am completely mobile now. Recently got a solar powered power bank with multiple solar panels, as well as rechargeable batteries that can be recharged using usb cables. I’ll have power to the end of time now wherever I go, for everything I need to make music.
Didn’t know a musical survivalist existed but you have inspired me, friend
I used to commute to work about 2.5 hours a day (pre co19) and if it wasn’t raining I could be using my iPad from the moment I left my apartment to the moment I got to my desk. If it were raining then I would have to stow it for a few chunks of time but still used it on the train and at stations. I got soooo much done this way and now my whole regular music making ritual is kind of screwed up really without the commute.
Also, I loved walking with my ipad, which is why killing the headphone jack really stinks as using the adapter in the middle of the pad would be so cumbersome for holding/walking, but who knows I may be working from home until I retire.
Typically when i go out in nature i leave my devices at home except for a field recorder. Id hate to be in the mountains and have my eyes glued to an ipad screen.
In the same exact boat, nearly same commute time. And yeah who knows when the f headed back, but I’d say I miss that the most about my day (no kids, no dealing with people, just me, headphones and iPad)
I hear ya. Personally, I wouldn’t use the whole time staring at an iPad. Just comparing it to musicians through the years doing the same with different instruments.
Headphones, iPad, sonic wizardry & visual inspiration
Normally I like to hang out at a coffee shop or a park or someplace in public like that and work on music ideas. The only time I usually work from home is when I either...
However, due to the quarantine, I'm working mainly from home.
That said, my iPad Mini 5 is my main device and Beats Solo headphones are my sonic weapons of choice. Going cordless means not having to worry about the headphone jack failing on me (which it eventually did on my iPad Air 2).
Inspired me as well. "Garageband Prepper" FB group is imminent.
@mjcouche, would you elaborate on "Recently got a solar powered power bank with multiple solar panels, as well as rechargeable batteries that can be recharged using usb cables." please? I have a solar powered USB battery but multiple panels sounds serious indeed!
The idea of making music away from home is always appealing, but the reality is always such a pain. Too much light, not comfortable enough, too noisy. If I’m in the middle of a beautiful landscape, the last thing I want to do is try to stare at a screen.
I my make field recordings for later sampling, though. And from time to time, back when we could go out to coffee shops, I’d take part in a 2-hour song-from-one-sample contest, but that’s about it. At home, my small amount of gear is “just there,” ready to use. Out and about, it’s a pain to get it all set up.
BTW, is anyone cruelly going out these days anyway? Surely going out to diddle with music apps is the very definition of inessential travel.
About as mobile I get is doing audio related housekeeping at cafes. Creating templates, chopping/mapping samples, testing ideas, etc. Compared to home, I feel much more productive studying or practicing graphic design at cafes, but I never really get in a music making headspace while out.
Though I do love bringing my guitar to the beach
That was meant with humour, but I can remember the crushing disappointment I felt after building an awesome battery powered outdoor iPad rig, only to get outside and realise my fatal design flaw. Here in the UK the shade is rarely a pleasant place to be unless it’s got a roof and some walls.
Nowadays when I go alfresco I try to do it with a well setup midi controlled looping system, that way I’m not reliant on looking at the screen. However, that itself has sucked away days of my life trying to make something backpack friendly (well worth it though ultimately).
I think there is definitely something special in making music (just like sex) outdoors. The problem is that more often than not the romantic image fails to materialise. I find touch screen devices to be particularly good indoors but as soon as sunlight comes into the equation things get rather uncomfortable.
Also when I'm away from home I generally strive to also break away from my usual things as well.
Having said that I always have my phone at the ready to capture audio and video samples for future projects
I have many ideas which sadly have got to the stage where having them put down is the only viable option.
I was inspired by @Janosax I believe, who mentioned a solar powered bank with panels. This is the one I ended up getting. Reviews say it takes about a day in full sunlight to recharge. Better than nothing:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07FMFGGNR?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
I also got these Blackube batteries in AA, AAA, and 9V variants:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0821ZNWKW?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
This will support the Microkey Air 49, Blueboard, headphone preamp and the active electronics of the Ovation 6778LX.
I’m waiting on a Centrance MixerFace R4, that is rechargeable and supports phantom power. I currently use a Shure MVi most of the time which I am very happy with, but it is only 1 channel.
Now I just need to move to the Midwest US...
I have a load of solar gear left over from a filming expedition, I was off grid for a couple of weeks with a very tight weight limit.
After spending weeks testing and experimenting the best stuff was from Goal Zero. It wasn’t cheap, but it was reliable and very functional. 8 years later it’s still serving me well. I got some second hand from eBay, but was happy enough with that to buy more new.
The very best battery I have is a 12v liPhosphate (LiFePO4) golf cart battery from Tracer. Sadly it was too high capacity to take on a plane (even though LiPhosphate is completely different from LiPO and not prone to exploding... airlines aren’t interested in the detail). Light weight (compared to lead acid), very rugged and solar chargeable straight off a panel.
Tenor sax is a loud instrument, I measured myself at 90/100 dB average, with FFF 111/118 dB. During most of the year I use a sax mute, my neighborhood appreciate, and no one complains. But between mid May and early October, I practice outside. So mobility is essential for me. Basically, all my studio essentials comes with me, and that’s pretty compact apart from the sax. Everything is in the sax bag:
Sax, Mic, IRig, IEM’s, wires, BlueBoard and smartphone arm band.
I live at 20 mn from Paris in car, but I’m lucky enough to have this place at 10 mn from home:
I try to find one or two hour per day to practice, my 7 Plus loads my AUM/GTL/MidiFire apps live setup for great sax looping fun in full nature!!
This was about half of the commute, so pretty comfy and a table / power plug too which was nice. I even used my Circuit for a bit but it seemed to attract too much attention. Every couple days I would just chill and chat with a friend I ran into so it was a nice. Still prefer working from home overall though as... office, eh.
I take my phone and headphones with me mountain biking and backpacking all the time to work in music.
Oh, I love/miss the big open skies of the prairies. Being able to just stare off to a horizon like that.
Whole setup is battery powered so could run generator in daytime. Nightime could still party with everyone wearing bt headphones.
@AudioGus that’s pure joy, even more after those two months of lockdown.
“GarageBand Prepper”
That is brilliant.
Have noticed that ipads really do not do well when used outside on hot days. They overheat super easily.
My bugout bag is equipped with an ipad, a Linnstrument, RC505 loop station, a battery pack, and a banjo. And a few bags of Soylent. Catch me in the drainage tunnels playing gigs off grid
@sclurbs
That is hardcore, fair play to you... but how do we know you just don’t have a large irrigation tube in your bedroom???
That might look cool with a star timelapse overlay.