Replacing Sensual Sax and Jubal Flute

Fruitbat1919

I use Sensual Sax and Jubal Flute by Embertone so much in my iPad music making. The problem is that they are getting quite unstable now and I’m pretty much sure that they are abandonware now!

Anyone that has used these apps have any ideas of what I can replace them with?

Drrabbitfoot

Swam? I can’t be without flute or sax myself

Fruitbat1919

@Drrabbitfoot said:
Swam? I can’t be without flute or sax myself

ive not used any of the SWAM apps. Do they change the change the playing style by how you are plying the keys, or do they need an MPE controller to change the instruments playing style?

Seems to be a lot of them. Im presuming its the Alto Sax one thats similar to Sensual Sax?

vlaoladis

I tested several different methods and for now the most convenient and versatile for me is to use a custom Mosaic script to map poly aftertouch of my pad controller (ESI Xjam) into different pitch bends and cc messages and assign them inside the app. And with the expression pedal it shines even brighter (but requires some training).

Also swam applications have a performance view with several faders/buttons for some parameters. So you can be pretty expressive with a simple keyboard and your iPad screen

I have tenor and bari swam saxes and both are super great. And I played a real tenor sax in the middle school, so I can’t stand 99% of virtual saxes
Unfortunately I’ve never used SensualSax or swam alto, so can’t give advises here

Here’s a small demo of my previous tenor sax setup with custom TouchOSC panel on my iPhone as a controller (several sliders for pitch and growl and accelerometer for the expression). Unfortunately I don’t have a demo for a newer setup yet

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvBDNA1o3Io/?igsh=MTY1eXdsa2xidDh3Zg==

Fruitbat1919

@vlaoladis said:
I tested several different methods and for now the most convenient and versatile for me is to use a custom Mosaic script to map poly aftertouch of my pad controller (ESI Xjam) into different pitch bends and cc messages and assign them inside the app. And with the expression pedal it shines even brighter (but requires some training).

Also swam applications have a performance view with several faders/buttons for some parameters. So you can be pretty expressive with a simple keyboard and your iPad screen

I have tenor and bari swam saxes and both are super great. And I played a real tenor sax in the middle school, so I can’t stand 99% of virtual saxes
Unfortunately I’ve never used SensualSax or swam alto, so can’t give advises here

Here’s a small demo of my previous tenor sax setup with custom TouchOSC panel on my iPhone as a controller (several sliders for pitch and growl and accelerometer for the expression). Unfortunately I don’t have a demo for a newer setup yet

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvBDNA1o3Io/?igsh=MTY1eXdsa2xidDh3Zg==

Thanks. Think I've found my answer then. Just will have to try one out first and see where I go from there. They do seem to be what I'm after.

vlaoladis

I also have a flute app, and it is definitely not a mistake as well (much more expressive and versatile than the jubal flute)

But as any highly expressive instrument it requires some setup, training and discovering your own workflow

GeoTony

As well as the performance view the SWAM apps have a built in MPE keyboards that are pretty good if you don’t want to use another controller.
GeoShred has slightly cut down versions (which some prefer) of some of the SWAM instruments plus the Naada collection has flutes / ethnic woodwinds.
Respiro is free and has some wind instruments.
Decent Sampler / Pianobook also, many of which are free.

Fruitbat1919

@vlaoladis said:
I also have a flute app, and it is definitely not a mistake as well (much more expressive and versatile than the jubal flute)

But as any highly expressive instrument it requires some setup, training and discovering your own workflow

Yeah the Embertone apps are pretty basic, but I always loved the sounds I got from them, especially with some decent fx apps. Definitely going to try the SWAM ones (over time as they aren’t cheap if I get a few ).

Fruitbat1919

@GeoTony said:
As well as the performance view the SWAM apps have a built in MPE keyboards that are pretty good if you don’t want to use another controller.
GeoShred has slightly cut down versions (which some prefer) of some of the SWAM instruments plus the Naada collection has flutes / ethnic woodwinds.
Respiro is free and has some wind instruments.
Decent Sampler / Pianobook also, many of which are free.

O I have GeoShred. Haven’t tried it in Logic on iPad though. Maybe I might see about the Nasdaq ones too. Thanks.

GeoTony

They are separately purchasable instruments but significantly less than the swam equivalents and are on sale till 10th.

NeuM

@Fruitbat1919 said:

@GeoTony said:
As well as the performance view the SWAM apps have a built in MPE keyboards that are pretty good if you don’t want to use another controller.
GeoShred has slightly cut down versions (which some prefer) of some of the SWAM instruments plus the Naada collection has flutes / ethnic woodwinds.
Respiro is free and has some wind instruments.
Decent Sampler / Pianobook also, many of which are free.

O I have GeoShred. Haven’t tried it in Logic on iPad though. Maybe I might see about the Nasdaq ones too. Thanks.

Sensual Sax takes care of a lot of the performance issues for you, so you get a great sounding instrument every time as long as you understand how they handle glissando and other quirkiness. SWAM standalone apps require a lot of fine-tuning to get exactly what you want and they are more demanding in terms of getting a good performance because you have so much control over the subtleties of the instruments. Personally, I prefer the GeoShred SWAM instruments. The GeoShred UI works with you, instead of against you.

Fruitbat1919

@NeuM said:

@Fruitbat1919 said:

@GeoTony said:
As well as the performance view the SWAM apps have a built in MPE keyboards that are pretty good if you don’t want to use another controller.
GeoShred has slightly cut down versions (which some prefer) of some of the SWAM instruments plus the Naada collection has flutes / ethnic woodwinds.
Respiro is free and has some wind instruments.
Decent Sampler / Pianobook also, many of which are free.

O I have GeoShred. Haven’t tried it in Logic on iPad though. Maybe I might see about the Nasdaq ones too. Thanks.

Sensual Sax takes care of a lot of the performance issues for you, so you get a great sounding instrument every time as long as you understand how they handle glissando and other quirkiness. SWAM standalone apps require a lot of fine-tuning to get exactly what you want and they are more demanding in terms of getting a good performance because you have so much control over the subtleties of the instruments. Personally, I prefer the GeoShred SWAM instruments. The GeoShred UI works with you, instead of against you.

Yes, think I’m going to use the GeoShred SWAM instruments first. I have forgot how to record GeoShred in Logic though. What I thought I did before doesn’t seem to work now.

JanKun

I would recommend SWAM too. I think Geoshred SWAM is a good all in one solution though I haven't bought those.
I went for the SWAM apps. I usually play those with my midi controller and then use Expressive-e Touché to modulate different parameters. It can be very expressive this way. But for the most complex piece I created with those, I went with the most unintuitive way. I first wrote the parts I wanted then edited all the parameters until I was satisfied with the result.
I'll put a link below. It is a very long and weird track, not an enjoyable listen by design to match the theme of the lyrics. For the finale I wanted some free jazz vibe à la John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. For that I used one tenor and one alto. If you don't want to listen to the whole thing , jump to 6:30 until the end. Did I tell you it's weird? 😉

https://oripeaux.bandcamp.com/album/le-passeur-de-sangatte

Drrabbitfoot

@Fruitbat1919 what they said lol

Fruitbat1919

@JanKun said:
I would recommend SWAM too. I think Geoshred SWAM is a good all in one solution though I haven't bought those.
I went for the SWAM apps. I usually play those with my midi controller and then use Expressive-e Touché to modulate different parameters. It can be very expressive this way. But for the most complex piece I created with those, I went with the most unintuitive way. I first wrote the parts I wanted then edited all the parameters until I was satisfied with the result.
I'll put a link below. It is a very long and weird track, not an enjoyable listen by design to match the theme of the lyrics. For the finale I wanted some free jazz vibe à la John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. For that I used one tenor and one alto. If you don't want to listen to the whole thing , jump to 6:30 until the end. Did I tell you it's weird? 😉

https://oripeaux.bandcamp.com/album/le-passeur-de-sangatte

Well my wife hated it. I loved it! I didn’t find it weird at all. I don’t understand the lyrics, but that has never bothered me. Definitely music I would listen to more than once.

NeuM

@JanKun said:
I would recommend SWAM too. I think Geoshred SWAM is a good all in one solution though I haven't bought those.
I went for the SWAM apps. I usually play those with my midi controller and then use Expressive-e Touché to modulate different parameters. It can be very expressive this way. But for the most complex piece I created with those, I went with the most unintuitive way. I first wrote the parts I wanted then edited all the parameters until I was satisfied with the result.
I'll put a link below. It is a very long and weird track, not an enjoyable listen by design to match the theme of the lyrics. For the finale I wanted some free jazz vibe à la John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. For that I used one tenor and one alto. If you don't want to listen to the whole thing , jump to 6:30 until the end. Did I tell you it's weird? 😉

https://oripeaux.bandcamp.com/album/le-passeur-de-sangatte

I like that beginning. Like "The Police" meets "Cornelius".

Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

@Fruitbat1919 said:

@GeoTony said:
As well as the performance view the SWAM apps have a built in MPE keyboards that are pretty good if you don’t want to use another controller.
GeoShred has slightly cut down versions (which some prefer) of some of the SWAM instruments plus the Naada collection has flutes / ethnic woodwinds.
Respiro is free and has some wind instruments.
Decent Sampler / Pianobook also, many of which are free.

O I have GeoShred. Haven’t tried it in Logic on iPad though. Maybe I might see about the Nasdaq ones too. Thanks.

The tenor sax and flute are the best SWAM models on GS. Both are really good, but they don't sound like the Embertones. Not worse, just different.

JanKun

@Fruitbat1919 said:

@JanKun said:
I would recommend SWAM too. I think Geoshred SWAM is a good all in one solution though I haven't bought those.
I went for the SWAM apps. I usually play those with my midi controller and then use Expressive-e Touché to modulate different parameters. It can be very expressive this way. But for the most complex piece I created with those, I went with the most unintuitive way. I first wrote the parts I wanted then edited all the parameters until I was satisfied with the result.
I'll put a link below. It is a very long and weird track, not an enjoyable listen by design to match the theme of the lyrics. For the finale I wanted some free jazz vibe à la John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. For that I used one tenor and one alto. If you don't want to listen to the whole thing , jump to 6:30 until the end. Did I tell you it's weird? 😉

https://oripeaux.bandcamp.com/album/le-passeur-de-sangatte

Well my wife hated it. I loved it! I didn’t find it weird at all. I don’t understand the lyrics, but that has never bothered me. Definitely music I would listen to more than once.

Hahaha! Glad you liked it and terribly sorry for disturbing your wife's ears 😄

JanKun

@NeuM said:

@JanKun said:
I would recommend SWAM too. I think Geoshred SWAM is a good all in one solution though I haven't bought those.
I went for the SWAM apps. I usually play those with my midi controller and then use Expressive-e Touché to modulate different parameters. It can be very expressive this way. But for the most complex piece I created with those, I went with the most unintuitive way. I first wrote the parts I wanted then edited all the parameters until I was satisfied with the result.
I'll put a link below. It is a very long and weird track, not an enjoyable listen by design to match the theme of the lyrics. For the finale I wanted some free jazz vibe à la John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. For that I used one tenor and one alto. If you don't want to listen to the whole thing , jump to 6:30 until the end. Did I tell you it's weird? 😉

https://oripeaux.bandcamp.com/album/le-passeur-de-sangatte

I like that beginning. Like "The Police" meets "Cornelius".

Thank you for the kind comment!