Hexatone by Victorien Genna (Released)

Pixel

https://apps.apple.com/app/id6775283069

Hexatone is an isomorphic hexagonal keyboard and microtonal instrument for iPad. Every
interval keeps the same shape anywhere on the grid, so scales and chords are easy to learn
and transpose — in any tuning. And with the built-in sampler, it makes its own sound, in
tune, with no extra apps required.

PLAY ANY TUNING
• Any equal temperament (N-EDO): 12, 19, 22, 24, 31, 53 and beyond
• Import your own scales as Scala (.scl) files — keys show their ratios
• Adjustable octave, concert pitch (A4), and key density

BUILT-IN SAMPLER — SOUND OF ITS OWN
• Load a single audio file and play it across the whole board, perfectly in tune
• Or import full multisample instruments (SFZ) — pianos, kalimbas, pads, anything
• Manage your instrument library and reclaim space, right in the app
• No external synth needed — though you can still send MIDI at the same time

ISOMORPHIC LAYOUTS
• Bosanquet, Wicki-Hayden, Harmonic Table, Fourths, Accordion — or a Custom layout

BEAUTIFUL, READABLE KEYS
• Glassy, glowing keys that light up as you play
• Four colour palettes (Pastel, Inferno, Turquoise, Campfire) — hue shows pitch class,
brightness shows octave, so you can read the keyboard at a glance

WORKS EVERYWHERE
• Standalone, or as an AUv3 plugin in AUM, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubasis, Loopy Pro, Drambo
• MPE output: each note gets its own pitch bend, so MPE-capable synths play in tune too
• Velocity curve and pitch-bend range controls

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Details:
Universal: No
Minimum OS version: 17.0

Gavinski

After carefully reading the App Store description, it looks unlikely that this is a full MPE implementation. The description makes it sound like it only supports MPE pitch bend. If it doesn't also support CC74, channel pressure, and note-on/note-off velocity, it's going to be disappointing for any true MPE heads. If anyone gets it and finds it does as actually offer these, please let us know.

Gavinski

Luckily there is a beta version for this, so it can be trialed before buying:
https://testflight.apple.com/join/WUYN9kp9

Synthi

It’s nice, but can’t control,velocity.. even when using the experimental acelerometer I’m getting fixed velocity… with have the responsiveness of velocity keyboard!! Also for sending MPE cc74 and aftertouch..

jjap

app store now says he’s working on mpe. The current mpe feature is for getting synths to play in tune with microtones. hmmm, did ios have a decent microtonal hex keyboard before this?

for the curious, unfortunately musix pro (not microtonal, but my poor mans lumatone) didnt make enough money to continue development (mpe). velocity keyboard is our best isomorphic mpe keyboard, but (chromatic) squares only. my poor mans linnstrumemt. Ribbons has mpe output, my poor mans continuum It’s a shame isomorphic surfaces arent more popular on ipad.

Gavinski

@jjap said: It’s a shame isomorphic surfaces aren’t more popular on ipad.

It is a pity. From memory, not microtonal, and not hexagonal, but midi poly grid is another great little mpe keyboard with a well thought out feature set. Vastly prettier UI than this Hexatone app, which to me looks like it was probably churned out pretty quickly.

https://apps.apple.com/app/midi-poly-grid/id1633882803

FizzyLizzy27

Aren’t one of the SQSL apps all about isomorphic keyboards? If so, is it MPE? I remember you covering a few of their apps a while back.

Gavinski

@FizzyLizzy27 said:
Aren’t one of the SQSL apps all about isomorphic keyboards? If so, is it MPE? I remember you covering a few of their apps a while back.

Oh yeah, ‘Shaper’ - but he pulled nearly his apps from sale recently, while he thinks about what he’s doing and where he wants to go with his apps (something along those lines anyway…probably a good thing. I watched these chart worse and worse as the years went by, he needs to start making AUv3s if he wants to remain relevant in 2026, people’s patience for non-AUv3 midi apps is wearing thin)

egobeats

@Gavinski said:
Luckily there is a beta version for this, so it can be trialed before buying:
https://testflight.apple.com/join/WUYN9kp9

Good looking out on midi poly grid.