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 Store

Loopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.

Icegear - Nambu (FM)

1568101120

Comments

  • A youtube short demoing a patch I made in the Nambu. See the pinned comment for a chance to win any IceGear app! As this is a “short” watch in vertical mode on your mobile device. 👍

    https://youtube.com/shorts/fKD8GkC-EP4

  • Full tutorial coming tomorrow hopefully 👍

  • Quick demo of Nambu velocity sensitivity:

  • @espiegel123 said:
    Quick demo of Nambu velocity sensitivity:

    Thank you Ed. Velocity Filter is also a nice hack for turning any patch velocity sensitive, but the point is well taken

  • _ki_ki
    edited August 2022

    @Gavinski said:
    One point to note - no velocity sensitivity. The app 'velocity filter' can fix that though

    In addition to the two already mentioned velocity curves there are tons of direct velocity modulation options in Nambu

    • the output volume of each of the six operator types can depend on velocity (even in inverse, ie get louder on softer keypress)
    • The settings of the operator envelope can change with velocity, ie shorter attack on louder notes, one can change sustain level or release time with velocity.

    • The influence of the pitch envelop can be set to change with velocity

    .

    The two velocity curves can be applied to any knob with a MOD button (there also MOD buttons for the matrix connections).

    With the default default curve, the output ‚value’ for lowest input velocity is negative max (-100%) for middle velocity it‘s zero and for highest input velocity its positive max (100%).

    Depending on the influence dialed in for the velocity curve inside the MOD popup, the original parameter knob is moved bipolar around its current setting. For positive influence and low velocity the original knob value is lowered and for high velocity its virtually turned more to the right.

    .

    The curve can be modifed with six settings knobs - if one does not want bipolar knob modulation from velocity, one can use the following settings. This will move the current setting of a parameter knob only in the direction dialed in with the velocity curve influence knob.

    .

    It is also possible to configure a high output value for a specific input velocity range:

    This setting outputs zero for zero input velocity, the max value for velocity 31 (which is quite a soft velocity for note input) and fades back to zero till half of the possible input velocities and stays quiet for all higher input velocities.

  • @Gavinski said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    Quick demo of Nambu velocity sensitivity:

    Thank you Ed. Velocity Filter is also a nice hack for turning any patch velocity sensitive, but the point is well taken

    The velocity filter hack is a less rich solution than the native one -- not only is it paraphonic (it'll affect all notes sounding by the same amount) rather than polyphonic -- but it provides a less rich velocity infuence than Nambu's native velocity options.

  • Very fair points @espiegel123 @_ki

    Thank you in particular _ki for the very detailed response and screenshots. My feeling is that most people would prefer to have that set up already in factory presets. Do others disagree?

  • @Gavinski said:

    @Grandbear said:

    @Gavinski said:
    Btw, there is also something in settings you can use to change the behaviour of the pop up windows

    What is this setting? I couldn't find it

    >

    It’s the 2nd from the bottom choice in settings ‘display as pop up window’ - just turn it off

    Gah, thank you; I don't know how I missed that (though most of us seem to be missing some thing or another when first trying out this synth 😉)

  • @Gavinski Yeah, addings velocity influences to the factory would be good - it shouldn’t be too complicated for the dev and probably would also enhance the playability.

    When i first tried out the factory presets, i thought that the internal keyboard isn‘t capable of Y-velocity - which in fact it is :)

  • edited August 2022

    @Gavinski said:
    This thing is killer. One point to note - no velocity sensitivity. The app 'velocity filter' can fix that though

    No MPE, no velocity, no sysex import less than 100 presets,...

    I really want to like this, but I think it would be good to have a comparison with other similar synths...

  • @_ki said:
    @Gavinski Yeah, addings velocity influences to the factory would be good - it shouldn’t be too complicated for the dev and probably would also enhance the playability.

    When i first tried out the factory presets, i thought that the internal keyboard isn‘t capable of Y-velocity - which in fact it is :)

    Fully agree about velocity baked in to factory presets. Definitely makes a better initial impression. I haven't been using the internal keyboard as I've been using the auv3. Is there a way to assign y axis control to other keyboards while loaded as auv3? I I haven't looked into this yet.

  • _ki_ki
    edited August 2022

    With y-velocity i meant that the vertical position on a key of the the keyboard controls the velocity of the note (like with AUMs keyboard).

    Several of the AUv3 midi keyboards support this input method, for instance Xequence AU keys, KB-1 or the keyboard in LK.

  • @_ki said:
    With y-velocity i meant that the vertical position on a key of the the keyboard controls the velocity of the note (like with AUMs keyboard).

    Several of the AUv3 midi keyboards support this input method, for instance Xequence AU keys, KB-1 or the keyboard in LK.

    I get you. Can y velocity be used to control other parameters?

  • @Gavinski said:

    @_ki said:
    With y-velocity i meant that the vertical position on a key of the the keyboard controls the velocity of the note (like with AUMs keyboard).

    Several of the AUv3 midi keyboards support this input method, for instance Xequence AU keys, KB-1 or the keyboard in LK.

    I get you. Can y axis be used to control other parameters?

  • Can y axis be used to control other parameters?

    The y axis of Nambus internal keyboard is always mapped to note-on velocity, but one can use that input velocity value to change any synth parameter that has a MOD knob.

    .

    Since i often use Sequence AU keys (that allows for multiple CC sliders), i did midi-map Nambu‘s Macro 1 Value knob to CC74 (slide on MPE keyboards) and the Macro 2 Value knob to CC11 (expression for SWAM) that can be used to modulate parameters of Nambu giving some more dimensions to control the sound.

  • edited August 2022

    @_ki said:

    Can y axis be used to control other parameters?

    The y axis of Nambus internal keyboard is always mapped to note-on velocity, but one can use that input velocity value to change any synth parameter that has a MOD knob.

    .

    Since i often use Sequence AU keys (that allows for multiple CC sliders), i did midi-map Nambu‘s Macro 1 Value knob to CC74 (slide on MPE keyboards) and the Macro 2 Value knob to CC11 (expression for SWAM) that can be used to modulate parameters of Nambu giving some more dimensions to control the sound.

    Good tip. Of course this modulation won’t have the same control as mpe but it’s interesting to think how it can be used. Thank you _ki

  • edited August 2022

    @qryss said:
    Funnily enough, I just sold my SY99 and now here’s this.

    Does NAMBU have most SY99/Sy77 features? ive been looking at the SY77/99 for a long time

  • Is there pitchbend support? I've hunted for it but not found it.

  • edited August 2022

    @Montreal_Music said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Montreal_Music said:
    Why this synth is more expensive than his others synths? More work involve or new range of price?
    P.s. I will buy it anyways.

    Maybe he realized that the others are underpriced and is trying new pricing to see if he can get closer to reasonable payback on his effort.

    It makes sense. Is it user friendly as a synth? Because FM can be intimidating for some people (me).

    In some ways it’s much more user friendly than other FM synths, both because (to me anyway) the matrixed controls are a much more intuitive way to visualize and control FM. But also, you can just ignore FM and mix the operators and use it like a normal subtractive synth. That said, there are so many operators, envelopes, LFOs and so on that it is necessarily a rather complicated UI. So I’d only say it’s user friendly for an FM synth.

  • @mjm1138 said:

    @Montreal_Music said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Montreal_Music said:
    Why this synth is more expensive than his others synths? More work involve or new range of price?
    P.s. I will buy it anyways.

    Maybe he realized that the others are underpriced and is trying new pricing to see if he can get closer to reasonable payback on his effort.

    It makes sense. Is it user friendly as a synth? Because FM can be intimidating for some people (me).

    In some ways it’s much more user friendly than other FM synths, both because (to me anyway) the matrixed controls are a much more intuitive way to visualize and control FM. But also, you can just ignore FM and mix the operators and use it like a normal subtractive synth. That said, there are so many operators, envelopes, LFOs, filters and so on that it is necessarily a rather complicated UI. So I’d only say it’s user friendly for an FM synth.

    Must buy synth, thank you.

  • @Gavinski said:
    Full tutorial coming tomorrow hopefully 👍

    Sweet.

  • @lukesleepwalker said:
    Needs a randomization button!

    Someone had to say it. Not game changier without the dice button!

    +1. Especially with a synth so deep and complex, a randomizer really helps me find the ‘hidden’ possibilities I might never stumble upon otherwise.

  • @Shabudua said:

    @lukesleepwalker said:
    Needs a randomization button!

    Someone had to say it. Not game changier without the dice button!

    +1. Especially with a synth so deep and complex, a randomizer really helps me find the ‘hidden’ possibilities I might never stumble upon otherwise.

    Writing a decent randomization algorithm for such a complex synth (particularly with such flexible routing) is quite challenging...much trickier with FM synths than subtractive synths whose pathways have a more or less fixed architecture.

  • edited August 2022

    Anyone know how to get ahold of the developer? Does he visit here?

    Nambu will not work as an AUv3 in GarageBand. It crashes GarageBand if you try to open a file with it on a track, or GB requires you to disable Nambu to continue.

    This needs to be looked into.

  • edited August 2022

    @NeuM said:
    Anyone know how to get ahold of the developer? Does he visit here?

    Nambu will not work as an AUv3 in GarageBand. It crashes GarageBand if you try to open a file with it on a track, or GB requires you to disable Nambu to continue.

    This needs to be looked into.

    There is an email link on IceGear's homepage:

    https://icegear.net/

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @NeuM said:
    Anyone know how to get ahold of the developer? Does he visit here?

    Nambu will not work as an AUv3 in GarageBand. It crashes GarageBand if you try to open a file with it on a track, or GB requires you to disable Nambu to continue.

    This needs to be looked into.

    There is an email link on IceGear's homepage:

    https://icegear.net/

    Thanks.

  • For those that think FM is hard or confusing, I'd recommend taking a look at a good FM explainer and experimenting with just two sine waves at first to get a feel for the timbres created by different frequency ratios and by using fixed modulators, too. Use different envelopes on the modulator and see how the frequency spectrum changes. A lot of people bypass that and don't realize that a lot of magic that can't be done with filters can be found, Then try using a pitch envelope in the modulator.

    Spend at least a few minutes a day doing that till you develop a feel for it.

    Then add a third oscillator as a modulator.

    Take your time and stick with it and you will stop finding it mysterious though it will afford you many discoveries even once you become expert.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    Is there pitchbend support? I've hunted for it but not found it.

    Found it. There is a slide out drawer on the left side of the keyboard.

    I'd love to see it added as a modulation source, too.

  • FM is not really that hard but it’s a lot harder to predict the outcome compared to subtractive or basic additive synthesis…

    As for a comparison to the FM engine in TG77/SY77/SY99, Nambu does not have the option yet to control the start-phase of the operators which is quite unique to thr AFM engine.

    For me Nambu is more like a semi-modular synth that happens to be capable of doing FM but it’s s definitely not limited to just doing FM. (It can do 2OP FM, 2OSC VA thru one filter and a sample/texture on top, all at once).

    It’s a very deep and capable synth that really reward those who explore it…

  • Brilliant FM synth, this is how it should be done - bravo Icegear!

    The interface is well thought-out and makes patching fun. Sweet touches like envelope grouping, and the ability to give every envelope stage its own velocity response.

    It sounds top-notch. I'm coaxing some gloriously expressive pads out of it.

    If I had one request it would be to see aftertouch as a mod source.

Sign In or Register to comment.