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.

The Audiobus Forum is now the Loopy Pro Forum!

In case you didn't see the announcement thread, I have some big news: Audiobus – the app – is going to a new home. Francesco and Andrea are developers and musicians who are keen to pursue Audiobus’ further potential, keep it updated and enhance the experience for users old and new – and unlike me, they have the resources to do so! They’re full of ideas and energy, and I am confident that Audiobus will be in good hands.

The Audiobus Forum, however, is staying right here with me. After some consultation with the community here about what to do, I've decided to rename it to the Loopy Pro Forum, at forum.loopypro.com.

It has a new name and new colours, but otherwise, it's the same place, and nothing else will change.

Cheers,
Michael

Small iPhone for music making

CyndilovCyndilov
in Hardware

Looking to get an iphone 12mini or SE3 for music making - mainly to quickly capture develop ideas when I’m out and about, or in addition to my iPad at home (perhaps as a controller or sorts). Will definitely be looking to run Loopy Pro, AUM and Koala, as well as maybe other touch-surface as instrument apps also.

Is the small iPhones too small? Anyone got any experiences to share?

Comments

  • NighurNighur

    I use the SE3 and manage quite well using lots of MIDI generative sequencer apps, but I have thin and pointy fingers. It’s a small device with enough juice.

  • andowritesandowrites
    edited October 3

    I use the SE2020 as well as iPad and desktop, and am yet to be limited by it, but I like to keep things simple too.

  • SevenSystemsSevenSystems

    Xequence works brilliantly for me for composition & arrangement on my iPhone 12 Mini, but I also have pointy fingers 😃

  • qqqqqq
    edited October 3

    I have an XS, and find most apps not very usable but some are fine. A lot of AUv3s don't even run on iPhone, and the ones that do are often hard to work with.

    Surprisingly Drambo works well because the UI is scrolling based. Koala is no problem. With Loopy Pro you can make a layout work well enough. Some of the simpler AUv3s like Gadget's will work OK.

    SpaceCraft is an excellent iPhone choice. Someday it seems like there'll be Borderlands Granular for iPhone and that'll probably work well too :)

  • Kewe_EsseKewe_Esse

    Think of it like one of these:

    I use an XR, and if it wasn’t for the occasional phone call or message it’d be more or less the perfect toy. I recommend leaving out the sim card.

    The lightning/headphones adapters tend to have 24bit DAC built in if you plan on making field recordings and that matters to you.

  • FruityLoopFruityLoop

    I personally think even the standard iPhone is just too small to work with. I got a 15 plus to use alongside iPad though, and I have since abandoned the iPad completely - I do everything on the 15 plus. Some apps struggle - Digistix 2 splits each page in two making it awkward to work with for instance. Others use the three finger zoom option such as Scaler 2 - without the zoom, buttons are too small to target with your finger. The majority of apps work just fine, but it does limit your app choices a little too - a lot of good apps are iPad only still, such as the recently released Klevgrand OneShot.

  • catherdercatherder

    There are some “oldies but goldies” like TC-11 or Xynthesizr that are great on the iPhone.

  • mistercharliemistercharlie

    The iPad mini is pretty great for music, and you can run all the apps. You can even do things like running Ableton Note and Koala side-by-side, which is my new favorite combo.

  • stefkeBstefkeB

    Ableton Note and Drambo run OK on an iPhone SE 2020. Cubasis is not really fun on the small screen. But I prefer an iPad mini for everything mobile. Drambo is my favourite on this device. I was intrigued by Cubasis, but hardly use it these days (although sounds and arpeggiators out of the box sound more punchy than what I can come up with on Drambo). But Drambo's workflow is hard to beat for me. And that transfers reasonably well on an iPhone.

  • pedropedro
    edited October 5

    I’ve recently upgraded for a 14 (base model) but before that I used an SE (2016) for 8 years. Only 4” (tagging @jwmmakerofmusic )
    What I used it for (musicwise):

    • lots and lots of voice memos for ideas that popped into my head
    • field recordings (normally into audishare)
    • quick tests, previews and limited tweaking of drambo (it totally works on 4”, but for complex patches I’d rather build on ipad and tweak/sound check on the go with SE)
    • You can use it as a remote controller for the ipad/mac/anything midi). Haven’t used that past testing for fun cause I have better controlleres
    • There’s lots of tiny apps you can use to waste time, while having fun and making music, instead of scrolling through tiktok or whatever. Leaves you satisfied instead of empty

    I might be missing something, but the above was more than enough for me to ask from such a small device that didn’t require oversized pockets, for the modicum amount of 500€/8years

    Edit:
    A few downsides:

    • I only got the SE 48Gb, so space management was a constant worry—but that’s on me not being rich
    • Only recently did apple allow multi export of voice memos, it had to be one by one (uggh). I understand they have limited resources to develop such a common feature, but c’mon… all these years?
    • On the subject of exporting media audioshare is flawless. Same can’t be said for something that should be so easy as photos. Try exporting 40Gb of photos from the phone, connected to (windows) itunes in one go. There’s that stupid folder system, and it keeps failing after a while. Had to do it in batches and keep track of which folders I already tranfered. Took me a whole afternoon 🤬
    • Although you could technically do it, it takes some superhuman level of OCD to make some detailed midi editing, or more than basic arrangement on such a small screen
  • jimbrown1jimbrown1
    edited October 12

    I've used the iPhone 12 mini for music-making, and while it's great for capturing quick ideas on the go, the small screen can feel a bit cramped for more complex tasks. Loopy Pro, AUM, and Koala run smoothly, but I prefer my iPad for more detailed work or when using the iPhone app as a controller. If portability is your main goal, the iPhone SE3 or 12 mini will get the job done, but for longer sessions, the iPad is definitely easier to work with.

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