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.
2023 - Synths with PolyPhonic aftertouch?
Which iOS synths do we have in 2023 with PolyPhonic aftertouch?
There's a forum thread from 2015 but we could do with a current list.
I know we have MPE now, but I have a few controllers with P-AT that I would like to utilise.
Cheers.
Comments
Not a common feature maybe?
I think all the bleass synths have polyaftertouch. FRMS and DRC, too. But maybe check before you buy.
I got a mint Hydrasynth Explorer off Reverb for $380 I think - such a fun synth and works great as a controller. Had all the preset packs I wanted on it too.
I don’t think the OP was enquiring about hardware but you got a beautiful synth for a very reasonable price.
Interesting thanks. I just downloaded the desktop Bleass Alpha trial to test but it looks like Channel Pressure rather than Poly aftertouch.
I'll try the others you mentioned. Cheers.
Maybe not. Perhaps MPE has taken precedence.
Nice! Any particular apps you've managed to use the Poly Aftertouch with?
@SpookyZoo Said:
Maybe not. Perhaps MPE has taken precedence
I know, polyaftertouch is around for quite some time longer than MPE, but I think in many softsynths at least, it's treated as one aspect of MPE.
I can use polyaftertouch on my push1 with Ableton, but to use it with a vst I have to activate MPE in the plugin and in Ableton, otherwise it doesn't work. Did you check some box in the settings, that enable MPE? Might be worth a try to look for it.
Yeah, I assumed that mpe pressure covers that same ground, but not sure, only ever had mpe controllers
Ah ok, that's a good shout. I'll check, thanks.
In case it's useful for anybody, in this video about Tomofon, the tutor goes through all the necessary steps to make an mpe-controller work in Ableton:
For reference, I'm using the Launchpad Pro mk 3 that has Polyphonic Aftertouch pads.
I believe Poly AT is difficult for synth apps to implement, compared to MPE. In MPE, the controller sends each note on a different MIDI channel, and sends expression messages for that note on that channel. This includes Channel (not Poly) Pressure (AT). The synth just needs to remember the channel assigned to each voice, and it all works. For Poly AT, each AT message is on the same channel, but includes the note in the message. To support Poly AT, the synth app needs to remember the note each voice is sounding. This is a moving target, so likely more difficult to implement. I don't believe I've noticed any synth apps claiming support for Poly AT, while there are several supporting MPE.
Yes, I missed that, just read the thread title and was excited to tell people about my new toy!
Pretty sure MPE stands for MIDI Polyphonic Expression…so in a way, polyphonic aftertouch is a type of MPE, but implemented without multiple channels.
So it makes sense to me that turning on MPE would help enable polyphonic aftertouch on a keyboard that has PolyAT.
Interesting, I didn't know that polyphonic Aftertouch just uses one channel.
So I suspect that polyphonic channel-pressure within MPE is not really distinguishable from true PolyAT while you're playing, but has a different technical setup. Is that correct?
I’m no expert, so naturally that means I’ll post something that sounds like I know what I’m talking about to anyone who knows less than me, but could be completely wrong.
Poly Aftertouch allows variations of volume (or other CC parameters) per key (sending note info) so that one could emphasize different notes of a chord (as an example). MPE includes Poly Aftertouch (i.e. note info) but adds other parameters such as pitch bend and vibrato (and others) to more closely simulate real world instruments. I think of it as putting the pitch wheel, mod wheel, and joystick controlers into each physical key, and each physical key has its own MIDI channel. That sort of playability is desired by skilled keyboardists, but not too many iPad music makers seem to want it. An iPad can’t capture all the possible motions. There are some apps like AniMoog Z (MPE) that have modulations possible by dragging the finger up and down the key, and GeoShred (MPE) allows string-like vibrato fingering, but I don’t know if they receive polyphonic aftertouch, which isn’t super common even in hardware synths. It seems MPE is replacing Poly AT, and with MIDI 2.0 there looks to be some really cool developments coming.
Oops. Forgot the original question. Maybe apps that have desktop versions would have Poly AT in the iOS version? Some devs must’ve been super thorogh and added that for those who have Poly AT controllers.
I still don’t think I answered the question. Use a Poly AT synth or controller on Animoog Z and let us know what happens.
Nice first paragraph:)
I have tried bleass alpha in the past with the excellent midipolygrid on my iPad with timbre on the y-axis and pressure on the x-axis and am pretty sure it worked polyphonically in both dimensions. I didn't use it with an external controller.
Would be interesting to know, if a launchpad pro and push 1 or 2 send polyaftertouch, that an MPE-synth can make use of.
Found this very interesting video in my research..
MPE does not use the Polyphonic Pressure messages at all. It uses Channel Pressure messages, sent on the same MIDI channel as the note being controlled. To avoid confusion, we should not refer to it as "polyphonic channel-pressure"; it's just the aftertouch component of MPE. So yes, there is no practical difference, but the controller (and synth) implementation is completely different.
There are some, Animoog supported Poly AT even before MPE was a thing. Here is what their documentation says now: "PRESSURE: The vertical position of your finger on an Animoog Z key while you're playing, or an incoming MIDI Channel Pressure or Poly Pressure message".
Moog animoog, model 15, model d and animoog z.
The ppg synths, no longer available...
Alchemy now bought by apple and built into garageband and logic
ID700
Not realy sure:
Zeeon
Layr
Synclavier Go!
Thumbjam
I think poly aftertouch was kind of a lost technology from the space age. Since no more keyboards with poly at were being built. Brands like ensoniq, kawai, akai and yamaha (cs80) used to make those keyboards.
Tried the cme x-key, wich was difficult to play with no travel in the pressure.
Love the hydrasynth keyboard. Great feel.