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 StoreLoopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.
Comments
Also if you have extra cash you might want to consider the Air 2. It's a big step forward with double the RAM (2 GB). We are already seeing the effects in the new version of iOS that comes out in the fall. The Air 2 is the only iPad that has split screen. Spend a little extra now for longevity.
Don't get a 16gb or even a 32gb.
That's true. My first iPad had 16 GB and it sucked big time. I've got 32 GB on my mini and I've run out of space. My 128 Air 2 has been great. I've got all my apps, SoundFonts, and lots of audio in Cubasis and Audioshare.
Goodyear's First Appropriated Rule of Puters: Decide on the maximum memory you can afford and then double it.
[Shakes tiny fist at @solador78, @mkell424, and @JohnnyGoodyear]
Curses! I was looking at a used mini 2 16GB for $189, and now you've got me eyeing a new iPad Air 2 with 64GB at Walmart or Target for $524.
My current iPad 3 is a mere 16GB! I'm always having to play "musical apps" and send the losing app up to the cloud.
@ChrisG please comment and help someone out here.
>
lol Sorry man. The iPad is the heart of your studio. You'll thank us in the end. :-)
I don't care whether he thanks us or not. When he bestrides the stages of glory, thanking all manner of people apart from us for his Massive Output, we will know we played our part and that will be thanks enough...
[Goes outside and has a good puke.]
I moved up from a 32gb iPad 2 to an Air 2 64gb and I've got absolutely tons of space left despite my horde of appitis treasures. Easily enough for me, and if it does start getting cramped it's a clear message to TIDY UP YOUR STUFF MONZO.
I have a 128 and IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.
I take your point but the synth is much more likely to be usable in 7, 15 and 20 years.
Well I had the Electribe 2 which only collected dust. Gave it back and got the jd-Xi as I wanted to have a toy with at least some knobs on, that doesn't need a daw (a groovebox basically). I've done a bunch of little song sketches/beats on the thing already.
There are basically 2 things one should know before buying it. First thing is that it "only" has 4 tracks/parts. 2 digital parts with up to 128 polyphony. 1 drum part (the drum part in the jd-Xi is VERY solid and gots more parameters then u'd care for in a drum machine lol, but it's there). And finally 1, quite basic (one osc, one sub osc), monophonic analog synth.
So you gotta household with the 4 parts (it is able to record preset changes in the internal sequencer, either via a daw or directly on the jd by using a minor workaround which helps a bit). You can also be smart in programming new presets so that a low velocity input plays a funky clav or something, and higher velocity input plays another sound (each preset can contain up to 3 partials/sounds/waveforms), alternatively play around with filter and amp key-tracking.
The Electribe 2 has 16 parts, but that's with the drum hits included, plus it doesn't have nowhere near the polyphony to make use of them all.
The second major thing to keep in mind is that this synth is almost completely menu driven when it comes to creating new presets or drum kits. You have your filter knobs, a simplified ADSR knob, part volume knob, an LFO speed knob, LFO shape knob, depth knob, with 3 destinations (amp, filter, pitch). Plus basic fx levels/settings. All the rest takes place on that tiny 2 row LCD screen. And the engine in this thing is very, very deep, way too deep for that tiny screen. Thankfully people are already working on standalone/VSTi/AU editors.
At this time, it's a lot easier to get some groove going on the jd then messing around with an iPad and random iPad daw IMO (unless ur using something like Korg Gadget that is self contained), as long as you can work with 4 bar patterns.
Sounds great to me, it can basically squeeze out any EDM/wubwub/trap/radio-hits sound you can think of, and Roland is pushing that part hard in the PR, but obviously it can do so much more then that given how f'in deep it is, plus it has some very decent sounding acoustic material as well in there. The drum section alone is worth the price if compared with Roland's Aira TR8 etc. Again very versatile and deep, around 500 drum sounds that you can put together/program however you want, each key/drumhit can contain up to 4 different drum sounds, and each sound has its own various envelopes and parameters in abounds.
Try before u buy is my suggestion. It is a lot of cash so
I thank the ghost of Steve Jobs every day that the Apple Store was sold out of 16 gbs the day I bought mine.
I just powered up my old K4 from 20 years ago. Still works! :-)
Yep. I'd lean iPad in this particular equation but as far as 'future' goes, think hardware synths are going to win out every time.
@syrupcore I agree with your logic/leaning to some extent, but my own bias says how much will I do or make or create between now and this unspecified future? Five years of now rather than then. Specious possibly or personal certainly. Truth be told my own thought, if I were truly torn, would to use the anguish as motivation and find a way to afford/save up to buy both...
I agree with Johnny. Hardware synths are better but cost a fortune. It would take years to accumulate the synths, effects, drums, etc that I have on my iPad right now. You would loose out on years of creativity while building up your arsenal.
not familiar with the jd, but if it's a virtual like the microkorg, then I would go with a new iPad, keep the microkorg for a controller and the microkorg is deep itself even though it's not multitimbral,. if you need some inspiration I'd pick up some microkorg patches from alba ecstasy but if you're patient the microkorg can come up with some sweet patches. the microkorg and iprophet, isem especially, imini, nave, etc... and your street box should have you covered. and you can run your microkorg through fx like turnado and flux etc to come up with some great stuff as well, but my main point is that I don't think there is anything on the jd that you can't come up with on the ipad and on the iPad you can sit comfortably where ever you are and work on those patches until your content.
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/06/20/roland-jd-xi-synthesizer-review/
Hmm, I see it's not just another virtual. I will be back.
okay. I'd get the new ipad (i'm on an iPad 3 as well and we really need to upgrade)
then sell the iPad 3 and microkorg and get the jD. imho
Buy air2 and good midi controller with aftertouch, like nektar or maybe akai mpk2xx
Thanks for the thorough overview, @ChrisG!
Not a good weekend for my soft synth explorations. Seemed like most exhibited ticks and pops when I played demanding polyphonic parts with my QuNexus. These are patches that have low CPU usage. I experienced the same thing playing a rather tame patch on Crystal Synth on my Mac Mini. This is not something I experience with my hardware synths. Is it common with soft synths?
Another thing was that Korg Gadget seemed to have an annoyingly weak response to velocity using either my QuNexus or MicroKorg as a controller. If I turn off velocity, everything was nice and loud, but when I turn it on, I feel like I have to pound the keys and even then it's too quiet.
I voted for the Roland. Hardware can't be replaced by anything except by hardware ;-)
Clicks and pops on iPad synths in general? I wouldn't say it's common. If you run the apps within audiobus (start audiobus first), you can easily switch the buffer for everything in there, and see if that helps out with the click/pops. Obviously a too high buffer will mean too much latency, but an iPad 2/3 should still be relatively capable at 512 buffer. Other then that, the only way to rid yourself of clicks/pops is faster hardware (unless Apple pulls out some rabbits...drivers for its coreAudio/midi system).
Edit: The Mac mini, dunno what hardware those have. But on my Windows based DAW there are no issues with clicks/pops, unless the synth is coded by a drunk monkey. Make sure to use the proper ASIO drivers (if that's what Macs uses as well), and have the buffer set at a level suitable for the hardware, to avoid clicks etc. Buying an external audio interface with good drivers might help a lot in some cases.
Cheers, @ChrisG. I will definitely play around some more.
I've decided to go with @JohnnyGoodyear's advice and save for both. I'm starting with the Roland JD-Xi. When the new iPads are announced in the fall, I'll snag a discounted and/or refurbished iPad Air 2. In the mean time, my iPad 3 is essential (and great) for sequencing and recording using tools like Auxy, Yamaha Mobile Music Sequencer, and MultitrackStudio. Drives my MicroKorg without a hitch, and soon, the JD-Xi.
There's nothing like real knobs and there's nothing like being able to sequence on hardware especially if it's somewhat portable. There are a lot of great sounding, playing and useful apps out there but as soon as you go for a knob or slider and your finger hits that glass it's kind of like awakening from a dream about "that hot chick". With that said Gadget and Gnome are my go-to apps 90% of the time on iPad.
I've had good results with using different Electribes (EMX1, ESX1, Electribe2) and iPad together. Electribe2 and iPad together are a ton of fun. Played quite a bit with the JD-Xi and it's equally fun all by itself and sounds great. Coming from MicroKorg you'll get along with it quickly. I have the MK's more knobby ancestor MS2000BR and found the jam and creation capabilities of JD-Xi pretty astounding regardless of the price or size. In other words, it's one of those things you can loose yourself in for hours and hours without any other gear. Don't worry about the specs and all that crap, it has them, just grab the pallet and your brush and start painting.
You understand me very well, @KDub! Thanks for sharing your experience. I can't wait to put on my beret and start putting brush to canvas, so to speak!
not apples to apples
the iPad is a(IMHO necessary) compliment to a nice piece of hardware ...that said, I would recommend starting with an iPad to ensure plenty of experience with the widest variety of synths to determine where to invest in a hardware piece.
Just watching the sonic state video for the JD-XI, and that is indeed one impressive mini synth with pretty great features! I had not really looked at it previously.