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What's the best symphony app?
I was using that free BBC orchestra vst on Ableton then I think this thing is crazy good, there should be an equivalent one on iOS. So what's the best symphony/orchestral app?
Comments
I myself prefer Steinberg's Iconica Sketch if we're talking strictly symphonic sounds, but of course I'm assuming many will mention Decent Sampler and the free sound libraries one can find on pianobook.co.uk .
Iconica Sketch is good as @jwmmakerofmusic suggests, also check out some of the IAPs in Beathawk, String and Brass Ensemble's, and Tutti Orchestra are real good to name a couple.
Then there's the slightly older iSymphonic
Then there's also some excellent instrument collections in Staffpad.
I agree with those mentioned but also Xinematics has some good instrument samples plus the unique voice morphing bar.
There are plenty of good sounding apps mentioned here. I haven't seen SWAM apps from Audio Modeling mentioned but they can sound convincing too. Of everything available on iOS, I find Staffpad to be the most impressive of all in terms of realism. Its major drawback is that it requires an apple pencil and the user needs to be familiar with traditional music notation. But it's an amazing tool and there are so many great sounding libraries. A few exemples of what can be achieved with Staffpad
More experimental or contemporary but made only with Staffpad
do you experience any instability when using Xinematics? I have the impression it is unstable for some reason, but can’t remember why exactly. it has been keeping me away from it, despite it always looking really cool and intersting.
No problems with Xinematics. Best bang for the back when you’re after that cinematic sound. Swam and Staffpad if you’re knowing what you’re doing.
hey that’s great to hear. im likely to buy the IAP next time it goes on sale then.
thank you for the info.
🤙
I uninstalled it because of too many problems but I can recall what they were.
For the most part it's worked okay for me. Possibly sometimes when I've switched voices too many times; maybe a memory issue. Also the way the presets are arranged can be annoying; trying to find a sound I'm looking for.
These are all amazingly great! So much detail and nuance! I haven't noticed your orch stuff here for a while and hope you do more.
Gospel Musicians Pure Synth has some nice orchestral sample too.
Same here, one of the only purchase I really regret.
I'm possibly the only one here who used Notion Mobile, now called Fender Notion. Its cheap compared to StaffPad, doesnt require a pencil and is a good alternative if you like entering traditional notation.
I 'remixed' a GeoTony Geoshred track with it:
https://forum.loopypro.com/discussion/59690/following-footsteps-in-the-snow-notion-mobile#latest
I put it through a 'concert hall' reverb using Thafknar to get it sounding half decent.
@Johanso, I agree about the free BBC Orchestra; wish Spitfire would bring it to mobile - tiny install size and sounds great.
The orchestral bundle of Digital Sound Factory soundfont packs in Audio Evolution Mobile Studio is great value and sounds very good. Covers pretty much all orchestral instruments including solo instruments which a lot of iOS options miss out.
If you have Audiolayer, the ‘included’ VSCO community edition is another great option. Note, the version available to download in Audiolayer has been converted and mapped for Audiolayer’s requirements but VSCO community edition is free to everyone from their website and is, if I remember correctly, available in sfz format as one of the options, so perfectly usable in other apps which support the format.
Not iPad specific but I just stumbled on this video which may have some useful info in it…
Well, Halion Sonic Play was released today, and that has a myriad of great symphonic sounds in it (plus a lot more) for $15 intro price.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/halion-sonic-play-workstation/id6762268475
This paired with Iconica Sketch (which is also currently on sale) should cover everything one needs.
that is a good point.
i got some considering to do.
@ecou @Johanso thanks for the warning reminders. those are the kind of comments I recall when this app was newer. sometimes all the initial problems get fixed, sometimes not.
@MrStochastic thanks for the additional details. thats good it is working for you. good to hear about annoyances when using an app too, not just bugs or crashes. all of that stuff matters, as there are so many apps out there to sort through before choosing.
Indeed.
And, you have until 24 Aug (the sale period) to decide if Steinberg's instrument plugins are right for you. 
maybe worth also comparing korg module london symphony orchestra with xinematix, vcso, and iconica, i haven't bought iconica yet so can't say, but km is usable. i end up going back to doing it line by line with swam due to a frustration with the fixedness of library type sounds, but its a much more expensive option because you'd want at least viola sections, violin sections, cello sections, flute, clarinet and bass clarinet, for a strings and woodwinds composite (woodwinds not being sections you'd have to process/layer further), and a comfort with line by line workflow and possibly using expressive interface. the swam stuff is the ideal for organically and completely customized dynamics, like crescendo via controlling the aftertouch, or gradual increase in tremolo, or sudden falls on note-ends, the type of things that with samples have fixed parameters