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.
One home Synth with your iPad
If you really could only have one synth to have at home with an iPad only, what would you go for? Keep in mind this would only be the one keyboard and iPad with possibly an audio interface for the iPad if needed.
For other options, must have keybed, must be available brand new and must be roughly within £4000 or so, as to count out some of the stupidly expensive options.
- Choose one of the following:23 votes
- Roland Fantom EX 8813.04%
- Yamaha Montage M 888.70%
- Nord Stage 4 884.35%
- Arturia Polybrute 1221.74%
- Sequential Prohet 104.35%
- UDO Super Gemini4.35%
- Yanaha YC88 and change for a holiday!0.00%
- Other (please state which model)43.48%
Comments
Korg Minilogue XD
I have one of those lol
Then look no further
Mostly G.A.S i think.... maybe you can get tons of good sounds with £100 of Synths in iOS, and maybe buy a good MIDI Keyboard (61 keys maybe), and save £3500ish for holidays, some concerts, restaurants and drinks
Access Virus KB
Hydrasynth for me (best all around sonic flexibility), or maybe a Virus TI2-K in good condition (best keys I’ve ever had on a synth).
Polybrute is an amazing synth but I hated the keys, so cheap feeling for a best in class analog synth. Also, it definitely had a more muted analog sound, hard to get get bright and airy.
This. +1 Although an OP-1 Field is a nice "desert island" hardware synth, but after selling it and feeling a little sadness for doing so, I found iOS has exactly what you said Raimundo.
Hmm. Haven’t voted, as none of the synths I’d want meet your criteria!
FWIW (and probably not particularly helpful, I know), I don’t see the point in huge keyboarded polysynths when you have the iPad already and we’re awash with them. Might as well just have a MIDI keyboard and ignore the synth side in the hardware. So from that viewpoint it’d be better to get a hardware synth that does something special (IMHO).
As you don’t actually specify that the keyboard has to be MIDI (though I suspect that’s actually what you want), my first thought was a Buchla Music Easel, but that’s over your price ceiling (they’re about £5000). And the keyboard is made of touch plates, though the keys are pretty much the same shape as a conventional keyboard.
Second thought was if I was on a limited budget, the Moog Mavis/Korg SQ-1 combo would be good. I’ve almost begun to think of mine as a “micro Easel”. The Mavis has a keyboard (admittedly not a standard one, just a set of rubber buttons), and the SQ-1 gives you a sequencer and (if the sequencer isn’t running) two channels of MIDI to CV conversion.
Third thought (and probably closest to your brief) would be that Solar42 instrument. Expressive touch plate keyboard rather than a black and white job, hugely configurable/patchable, polyphonic, and well within your suggested price ceiling.
This has been a PSA from your local branch of Weird Synths’r’Us :-)
This might be pushing the "one synth" a bit, but I'd go for a NiftyKEYZ case and make a small modular setup with the benefits of a keybed and MIDI I/O stubs. An ES-9 or ES-8/similar module could handle audio interface duties, leaving some space for a custom synth voice(s). The "synth" itself could be changed and reconfigured over time as needs or interests changed.
Excellent idea!
Doesn’t meet your criteria cos it’s discontinued but I already have my iOS synth that does everything. The much maligned, totally unsexy Roland AO-1k. Jack of all trades, master of none. But better (for me) than the master of some. Perfect size, syncs well, sequencer, simple dirty sounding synth and more.
Hydrasynth with that sweet, sweet polyphonic aftertouch.
This is an interesting discussion. I can think of two main reasons to add a physical synth to an iPad setup. First, perhaps there are sounds that you want to generate that are beyond the capabilities of an iPad / iOS apps (e.g., analogue oscillators). Second, you find the sound-crafting workflow easier with a physical synth (e.g., knob-per-function with an effective layout).
Novation Summit at first place. Amazing sound and it’s not bloody expensive. I’m saving up for one currently.
My 2nd choice would be a Prophet Rev2-16.
O yes it's partly GAS, but the love of ownership of a top end hardware synth has a certain pleasure quality to it that's not quite as simple as GAS. I used to own an Andromeda years back. The pleasure I got from just sitting at that keyboard and making sounds was a completely different thing from just acquiring new gear - at the time I had quite a decent collection of hardware, but using the Andromeda was such a pleasurable experience.
In some ways getting other gear would be more logical, but these are all possible synths to get 'that' feeling again.
I love the interface, but much of the sound grates on me after a while. I don't know what it is, but the first time I tried one, I felt like one of my headpains would come on if I continued listening to it. Maybe just a coincidence, but I've found you tube vids of it grate after a while too, so just not sure about it.
Yeah not quite after a weird synth r' us model lol
Have you tried the Polybrute 12 keyboard yet? I've still got to try one. The build quality could be of concern anyway, as Arturia knobs don't exactly scream top end to me, but I have to admit that the new after touch modes on the 12 look very enticing.
Not sure the wife will sign off on the looks of modular in the room it's planned to go in....yeah possibly not lol
Yep not quite hitting the mark lol
If you have to get something beautiful, these are so gorgeous that your wife might be willing to overlook the prices:
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/love-hulten-is-the-willy-wonka-of-weird-synthesizers/
Already commented on this one further up. I may try it again, but while it's such a wonderful interface, that sound still worries me.
Actually, that article doesn't have many pics of his good stuff. Better to click this: https://www.google.com/search?q=love+hulten+synth and then choose Images. His prices start from around 3k, I was surprised how cheap it is considering how many big stars he has made custom units for.
The Roland, Yamaha and Nord are about ease of interface for my wife and I to use.
The UDO is all about immediacy of the interface and pleasure of using.
The Prophet is all about always wanting one since being a kid and I should of added the new OBX8 as well, when the street price drops a little!
The Polybrute 12 is all about those aftertouch modes and the modulation possibilities.
So yes, that knob per function immediacy and physical synth analog sound is fighting it out against the 'do it all command station and controller' feel of the Roland and Yamaha. The Nord could possibly give the hands on feel of the UDO etc to some degree, with the wide scope of the Roland / Yamaha - just without that member berry analog goodness of the Prophet.
Also as the synth will be in our living room, it is also a physical statement in the room.
Also big synths can be sexy too!
Used to be a possibility as I love the sound, but I didn't quite gel with the interface on first try. I am probably a tad standoffish as well due to some bad experiences with some of the companies gear in the past. Can't deny that it really does sound good!
Surprised nobody has shown any .ove for the YC88 yet. While sound wise, it doesn't do anything that the iPad can't do and is quite simple, it has a lot of qualities for use with an iPad - each preset can include 4 midi zones and midi and audio return is via one usb cable. The feel of the unit is just wonderful - feels like it could outlast my aging bones lol
Well they do say ' beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and they do remind me in many ways of a D&D beholder! Lol
Lol, yeah I realised after I sent you that one that they put the pics of his ugly shit in there, such strange choices 😂 but a quick search by his name will show you he's done some serious works of art!
Modular.
I'd also consider the Korg Nautilus range...