Why I’m happy to be an appaholic

rud

Growing up I had a crap guitar and a crap amp. Then I bought a crap 4-track. Reverb didn’t arrive until I saved up and bought a multi-fx pedal. I was around 20 years old.
Now I visit the App Store and am presented with things called ‘apps’ that can do pretty much anything, things I never imagined.
My mind is completely blown every day by the wondrous works of art that are available for a few quid.
I no longer feel the need to finish a piece of music, and I love it. I am free. I just enjoy the experience and the process.
A huge anount of thanks goes to this forum and our YouTubers. I never knew about an lfo or exposed parameters and I have learnt from you all.
Being an appaholic can be a wonderful thing and if you can afford it then go for it. Life is really short and apps are really fun.
I used to write on an acoustic guitar and a harp. Now I’ve just spent 2 hours jamming with strokes, koala and hammerhead and I am happy.
Now go buy some apps and have a whole lot of fun doing it.
Rud, appaholic and proud.

yellow_eyez

Great post! Thank you ! Rock on

wim

I think being a happy appaholic requires not being overly concerned with "wasting" money on apps that don't end up getting used or aren't perfect. I think of them as entertainment. If I get a few evenings of enjoyment out of learning a new and novel app, I got a huge bargain compared to a dinner out or even a few coffees.

That said, I'm buying fewer and fewer apps these days as I'm still having a blast with everything I already own.

rud

Thanks @yellow_eyez it was fun to write

@wim I’m glad you’re still having a blast with the apps you have, tardigrain and touchscaper are my old friends that I still love and it feels like the first time every time.
My commitment to being an appaholic means that I now buy apps that involve learning and employing techniques, styles, ideas and approaches that I have never considered or even wanted to know about. I realise now that I want to experience it all. Except maybe Drambo 😄

audiomike

Too true.

ejacul337

Well synthmaker and gradient synth are both available on TestFlight rn.

https://testflight.apple.com/join/GRWdJdgV&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi1w8bs0PWHAxVeEUQIHZcUMOkQFnoECAsQAg&usg=AOvVaw1NCfOX5zx5LfEgszGxojhe

Edward_Alexander

@rud said:
Thanks @yellow_eyez it was fun to write

@wim I’m glad you’re still having a blast with the apps you have, tardigrain and touchscaper are my old friends that I still love and it feels like the first time every time.
My commitment to being an appaholic means that I now buy apps that involve learning and employing techniques, styles, ideas and approaches that I have never considered or even wanted to know about. I realise now that I want to experience it all. Except maybe Drambo 😄

Drambo is the app that changed everything for me. If I had to pick just one app to be stranded on a desert island with, Drambo would be it without hesitation.

Pxlhg

Great post!

Crawlingwind

Recovering appaholic here, but happy the app shelves are well stocked.

jwmmakerofmusic

Excellent post here. Even though I'm no longer much of an appaholic outside of any IAPs for the romplers I have, it's just amazing that a whole studio full of gear and kit can be condensed into something that fits in my pocket (iPhone) or a small bag (iPad).

distantstar

Recovered appoholic here, but not about to go preaching. You do you, boo.

And as far as habits / addictions / hobbies go, it surely ain’t harmful, and it’s definitely not among the more expensive ones either. So hey, have at!

NoiseHorse

I miss my 4-track. It was fun making reverb by playing guitar in the shower, in a parking garage, inside a dumpster with the lid down.

Gratouilli

Great post.
I used to be an appoholic too when the price for almost any app was under 10€... at that time, every release was an instabuy 🤪
But, like @win said, I now have an iPad full of apps that I don't even suspect the existance 🫣 because I always use the same few... and am MORE than happy with them 👍🏻

Gordie

Appoholic that’s great ……. I’m stealing this lol

Gavinski

@rud hi! I think you can enjoy being an appoholic because you're already an accomplished guitarist so you have real performance chops, with presumably a good or even great understanding of many aspects of music theory. The main thing is that you know how to express yourself musically. So what I'm going to write here doesn't apply to you at all, but it is on topic.

There are only 2 major potential problems really with being appoholic. One is when people are living paycheck to paycheck, don't really have the money, but are still buying apps that they don't need, because they are addicted to buying apps in exactly the same way a drug addict is addicted to their drugs. That is not a good situation to be in, but there are definitely people in that state here.

The other is when people spend lots of time messing around with apps instead of developing musical skills. They might think they're getting a reward from amassing and playing with gear, and perhaps they are, but I'd argue that that reward pales in comparison to the rewards of developing real musicianship.

For people who have musical ability, getting more gear, whether virtual or analogue, can be brilliant. For those who don't, it's mainly a distraction. Imagine how foolish you would think someone if you walked into their house and they had an amazing collection of instruments of all kinds but couldn't play any. Sure, they can claim they have the joy of collecting, and perhaps they do, but I'd rather be the person with one nice instrument, or even a very mediocre instrument, that actually knows how to make beautiful music on it.

So yes, there's no black and white. Wim is also right that apps are a cheap form of entertainment, giving a lot more pleasure than a few beers would. Still, you get my point, I hope!

ejacul337

Can confirm, I am both a drug addict and an app addict, so I spend my money on drugs and just beta test off testflight

I’ve already looked into beta testing drugs. It’s never the good kinds.