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.
Noob's Guide to Virtual MIDI?
I'm really new to synthesizers and have been trying to learn more about the different iOS options to go with my guitar playing and DAW work. But I know very little about MIDI, step sequencers, etc. However, I did manage to download "Little MIDI Machine" from Synthetic Bits for free, and I got it to play some patterns in Sunrizer. I have the free version of SoundPrism, but I think you need the "Pro" version to use it as a MIDI controller.
I was wondering if someone could give me the Cliff's Notes version of what Virtual MIDI controllers do and how/why they might be used with synth apps on an iPhone or iPad. Do the sequencers/arpeggiators with the good synth apps like Sunrizer XS, Magellan Jr., and Cassini make MIDI unnecessary, or can a MIDI output do other things too (like chords)?
Also, are there some free ones I could try out before committing to buying one? SoundPrism looks cool, but I don't understand the interface yet...
Thank you thank you!
Comments
Well there are a couple of different things here: sequencers and controllers are pretty different beasts: with sequencers you program notes into a piano roll, whereas controllers let you play live. You can of course combine the two, by using software like Cubasis or Genome to record a performance as MIDI and then edit the notes in a piano roll editor to fix any timing issues etc...
As another guitarist who discovered synths via iOS I can personally say that programming sequences is not my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. I prefer to play, and then fix if necessary.
The controllers on iOS all have some compromises involved so far, I wrote my impressions of them a while back:
http://forum.audiob.us/discussion/2979/touch-screen-midi-controllers-/
Soundprism is actually pretty easy to understand if you spend a very small amount of time with it. It basically presents you with a circle of fifths with all the main triads in a given key, and if you look carefully you will see you can also play inversions. The interface is pretty clever and it's a good way of checking out basic chord progressions, but you can't play augmented chords with it (7ths etc) and it doesn't have much in the way of expressivity.
My personal favourite touch controller app is ChordPolyPad, because it's very versatile (you have far more options in terms of chords), and more expressive. Geo Synth is also excellent, and as a guitarist you will find the paradigm familiar.
There's also MIDI guitar which will let you control synths with an electric guitar through an interface such as the Apogee Jam. It has some limitations but playing a synth with a guitar is a lot of fun.
Finally you should also consider a keyboard through the Apple USB adapter, in the end it's probably the best option.
@richardyot - Great stuff, thank you! I wish-listed ChordPolyPad and GeoSynth, and I might look at the Pro version of SoundPrism if I like enough of the sounds I get out of it internally.
I like the sounds I'm getting out of my synthesizers, but realizing that automzation must be used with them a lot of the time because playing the parts manually on a touch screen in good rhythm is not really feasible.
+1 GeoSynth
Great input! I'm actually really leaning towards ChordPolyPad because I love that interface and it allows you set up large pad buttons as chords, notes, etc. (even from multiple synths).
GeoSynth looks like a guitar fretboard and has the cool sliding interface, but doesn't do chords (I think), and looks a little similar to ThumbJam's interface, which is great for some things and less great for others.
I can play chords on Geo Synth just fine... You have to learn the chord shapes, of course...
Cantor is another good controller simular to Geo but with mire expression again in my opinion.
IFretless series also...
I think you can play 7th chords in SP Pro with two fingers right next to each other on the vertical axis (one in each column). I swear I spelled a m7 chord, R-b3-5-b7.
@PaulB said:
Stupid as it sounds, I'd never thought of that...
@CJ_Stout said:
Yes, good point also, you can play 7th chords in single note mode if you use four fingers, although it's not really what the interface is built for.
I got ChordPolyPad yesterday and played with it a bit. The pads are super accurate to use and the customization options are almost endless. It has an impressive bank of chords and scales, and a randomization option within those scales, so I'm hoping to use it to learn theory and create unique progressions. The downside (so far) is that the setup can be a bit overwhelming, and some apps (like the new Nice to Be Your Friend Synth) freaked out when I tried to play a three note chord. Also, I had this weird glitch where I had AudioBus set up with ChordPolyPad and Thumbjam as inputs, and MT DAW as my output, and it would quit recording after a few seconds for no apparent reason at all. Tried it with GarageBand and it worked fine. Did not try AudioShare, which may be another way to capture tracks.
Also got Synthecaster which is 99 cents and more of a straight note playing controller, but haven't got the midi setup figured out on the that yet.
Okay, this is driving me nuts - how do you set up a MIDI connection to a synth like Sunrizer or Magellan? What are the steps?
Yesterday I just loaded up ChordPolyPad and Thumbjam, and it just worked. My MIDI Out on ChordPolyChord showed the name of the app. I've played with a million settings and there is no sound on the pads when it looks like I set it up right.
Same on Synthecaster - I'm obviously doing something wrong. Help!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm not able to check at the moment but you do have to go into MIDI settings in CPP and pick which synth you are sending MIDI to, it doesn't just work right out of the box. Open the synth app first too so CPP can see it. I haven't sent MIDI to Sunrizer and Magellan before so I can't speak for those apps.
You need to ensure all apps are set to the same midi channel, the correct source is set in the receiving apps, and background audio is enabled in the receiving apps.
Also with Sunrizer you will need to turn background audio on (in the settings).
OH, of course! I'll bet it's the background audio issue. I will try that in the apps and post an "edit" if it worked. That would totally make sense since most apps don't default as playing audio when they aren't open in iOS. I KNOW they work with synths like Sunrizer and Alchemy because the guy showed those in the demo video!
You guys are the best - thank you. I was about to dropkick my Apple devices this morning after paying 13 bucks for the controller apps!
EDIT: Confirmed! Sunrizer has a little flashing button called "BKGRD" or something like that. Didn't even occur to me what it was. Sounds and works great with both controller apps (Synthecaster is pretty neat for 99 cents!)
Another app that might be interesting as a controller, as they've just added virtual midi:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fiddlewax-blue-music-maker/id814998374
Fiddlewax does look interesting, anybody have experience with it?
That looks really cool, thanks @richardyot! Wow, you could have Synthecaster and Fiddlewax for a grand total of 2 bucks (U.S.) and have your bases pretty much covered in terms of MIDI control for notes, scales, and chords! Still, I don't regret the ChordPolyPad purchase, that is one badass app, and it allows you to move things around to your needs.
EDIT: I just picked up Fiddlewax. LOVE the interface. On-board instruments are just okay, and it's not AB-compatible, so they seem to recognize that. Of course, that isn't really the point. It's a Virtual MIDI Controller and it excels at that. I got it to work with Sunrizer immediately, and they give the MIDI vs. internal output toggle at the top of the screen, so you don't have to fish for it.
Also has a lot of chord/key displays that Synthecaster has - you pick "C Minor" or "F Harmonic" and the appropriate chords and notes light up in blue. Very easy to see on the fly. I don't think it has quite as many scale options as Synthecaster or ChordPolyPad, but for a $0.99 app, I could see using this a ton. Great tip! I'll try to attach a screenshot to give an idea of what I'm talking about here.
EDIT #2: HOWEVER, the absence of AudioBus does create a fairly major problem - no mini controls for your DAW within the app. Yes, you can control AudioBus compatible apps like Sunrizer and Cassini. But if you can't start/stop the recording from within Fiddlewax, I'm not sure how you use it without a creative workaround. There's no metronome within the app either, though you could run one in the destination app. I will be sure to encourage them to "get on the Bus" in my review, which will be otherwise quite positive.