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
As a product manager in my daily life i applaud @sinosoidal position that focusing on one thing and doing it well (and paying off tech debt is crucial) is the smart strategy. I believe we’ve seen enough of Loopy Pro to know that @Michael is about ready to fill the gaping void.
Thanks for your kind words.
What's that void you all mention? Sorry, I just don't make as much music as you all do!
I’ll try and keep this brief ☺️
So I’m sure you know daws have supported putting audio tracks alongside midi tracks on the same timeline basically forever... iOS daws are the same (apart from nanostudio 2 but let’s not go down that rabbit hole)
As you probably know, iOS daws are all missing features for many of us like multi out support etc. so we’re breaking away to modular ‘dawless’ setups that allows us to have these features.
AUM with Xequence 2 is a popular setup but whilst Xequence 2 provides a great midi timeline for AUM, there’s not a good audio track counterpart. @4Pockets had a go with multitrack recorder but it didn’t cut the mustard apparently (I’ve never really bothered with it after seeing all the bug reports seemingly unsolved). People are hacking in looper tools like enso but they don’t really solve the timeline problem.
Now you guys come along with an awesome clip launcher ‘module’ and atom 2 is set to smash the piano roll ‘module’, but we’re still left without a good answer to the audio track ‘module’ (until loopy hd by the looks of things @Michael)
The use cases that I’m aware of are:
Short samples and loops (actually some good options IMO like segments, pulse etc, but most use the built in Apple timestretching which is poor compared to elastique etc.). Also not technically clip launchers if that’s what people want.
Full audio tracks that span the whole timeline, eg. Vocals and guitar tracks - this is where I think enso just about does it for some folk.
Freezing tracks to audio when you hit a limit on what the cpu can handle, like you can in lots of the daws. I’d personally love to be able to easily bounce a midi clip in LK to an audio one - at the moment best option is to record that track’s output into segments then trigger it with a replacement clip, but it’s not particularly elegant. This would allow to change the tempo of the whole song with segments’ timestretching if you wanted to.
I think that sort of wraps it up! Hope that helps explain it a bit further. I’m sure there are some other must haves that I’ve missed.
Currently once I get to a certain point, I record everything to stems then bounce to cubasis for finalising, but it’d be great to not have to necessarily do that.
He means the missing audio clip launcher.
Besides the 3 use cases, there are also different goals, if I see it correct.
1. Would be to launch audio as a clip like in LK, or loopy (don’t have that one so perhaps I’m wrong on that) or like the Launchpad app to use in a jam, or to record a jam.
2. Is arranging audio along a timeline, like in cubasis, as to build a song structure.
3. Would be the freezing to save resources, so same as mentioned.
4. Mangle recorded audio for variation.
I believe the cases can have different goals. For example bouncing a track is nice for both keeping progress and for saving resources. Clip launching of audio can be for jamming but also for song structure. Bouncing a clip to Segments to change up a pattern for variation in an arrangement.
I guess a ‘module’ app that looks like just one audio track of, say, cubasis, where you can arrange several audio clips at different spots on a timeline would fill a gap. You would then use that in AUM like the file player. I don’t even think it’s needs to be very fancy, as you can do all effects, pan, volume etc with other apps in the effect slots.
You would have for example several clips recorded from a jam session with a particular synth, different patterns, filter modulations etc, and arrange them so you have the intro choruse verse etc arranged. You then jam over it with LK clip launching and using the Controller and XY for ffx modulation.
Can you point out a few of these modern piano rolls that have these features? If I have any of them I would like to understand how they work when moving several notes.
I remember fl studio mobile doing this and moving a simple 4 note arpeggio a coupla bars would result in a huge Dracula-esque concerto as every note you scrolled past was played and held until you let go!
They did add a feature to turn it off - dunno if it even still does it at all.
Is it possible to trim a clip to the recorded notes without having to drag the notes around? I mean getting rid of the empty parts on at the beginning and end of a clip.
Hi!
Here’s my latest (second really) full song with LK in AUM. Loads of audio triggering Drambo drums (patterns), guitars, bass and vocals (sampler). Keys recorded into LK piano roll. FX automation in LK.
@sinosoidal , @gregsmith @krassmann i hope it serves as an example of the missing audio clip tool. I did manage to “finish” it but it’s a long and bumpy road with audio. I had to replace Enso with Drambo and start all over... If anyone has any questions I’m willing to fail miserably at giving proper answers 🙃
AstraZeneca!!
I might take the stems to Auria and see how much/if it improves, and maybe do a video. This screenshot thing is jolly appealing to us geeks.
Extra vaccine shot to @sinosoidal for being such a talented yet really nice, patient and helpful persona and making LK. Cheers!.
Off the top of my head, Ableton, Gadget, Groovebox initially had it. For me, I don’t care so much that sound plays “on move,” but would be nice if when when adding a note to grid it plays (before Playhead hits the note). This way you can rapidly get idea down when controller isn’t around.
Wow! Listening to that I can feel the journey you went on whilst making the track.
Something like this would be far easier in cubasis or something surely, but it’s not about always about easy is it! I can imagine loopy pro will be all over this sort of thing.
I just wonder if LK or loopy will be the ‘master launcher’ or if you’ll have them both open on screen next to each other.
Wow, this is incredible! We feel very proud seeing LK orchestrating all this. Just for the amount of work that is required to set up all this, having audio clips in LK would be an obvious improvements to this workflow....
We will share this on our social media!
Thanks for your kind words!
Yes, a lot of tedious work to set up the samplers, import the samples, bind notes in LK to samplers. There’s also a slight “out of sync” at times (my playing timing will be unjustly blamed 😬). Samplers are not made for this. It really is not worth it to do these kind of pieces without a clip launcher, but I’m stubborn and probably geeky masochistic. I didn’t say before but the clip recording is not as bad as the performance side. I use Zenbeats to record the clips. It’s got a good clip mode and I sync it to AUM via Ableton Link. So I get the “audio clip” workflow. Sadly you can’t output Zenbeats to AUM, it doesn’t have Audiobus. But that clearly gives me an indication of what’s missing in terms of audio clips in auv3.
In a linear DAW like Cubasis it wouldn’t have been, that’s basically the point. The mindset is completely different in linear vs clips. I hadn’t worked with clips until I switched to the iPad and there’s no going back. It’s so much more fun and liberating. Linear makes all the sense when you have a “song”, with all the parts that maybe you’ve composed on your acoustic and want to make a proper song. But clips allow you to just improvise a part and play (in both senses of the word) on top of it. You’re not thinking of a song, you’re just playing along, it’s liberating to not have to think about what goes where at that point. AUM enhances that “freedom” with its modular nature, you send midi around, you add and switch instruments without “committing” to a track as in a DAW.
I have no idea!. I’ll see what Loopy pro can do (if). But in theory it makes sense for LK to be the master. Actually I’m considering buying an Akai Force just because of this missing audio clip thing in iOS. I’m holding back because it’s huge and expensive and hopefully Loopy Pro (we agreed we can’t expect audio clips anytime soon from LK) will come out soon.
It’s funny cos I consider my way of working and the songs I make to be pretty standard stuff. It’s really nothing special, that’s why it baffles me that it can’t be done properly. We got the Gauss looper hype, and it’s great, but the basics in audio are just not covered in iOS. I’d say nothing “serious” has come out since Loopy and Auria. If only Imaginando sold shitloads and could hire more people...
Thanks @sinosoidal for the kind words. In a way I’ve stuck with this half-baked workflow just because I love LK and it’s totally the right concept. I wish others would follow.
Sorry for the long post, I hope it’s not totally off-topic!.
Maybe you should take a look at 4Pockets MultiTrack again. As an AUv3 it integrates perfectly with AUM. I have problems using the looping properly when recording but that's probably an edge case. Apart from that it's not so bad as many people on the forum say. At least it should do the job for you to record clips along with your LK + AUM setup playing back the song. It has very limited audio editing though and I'm using auditor for that.
Anyway, I also need a versatile audio clip launcher for my ideation and jam phase as well. As I said working in looped scenes does not work well with MultiTrack. Completely lost I'm with freezing an instrument track including all FX. I believe that must be covered by AUM, the audio clip launcher and LK together
Probably that's where the DAWless workflow hits the limit or I don't get the right idea. I doubt that the coordination as mentioned above is realistic.
Hi!. Multitrack is completely linear, totally defeats the purpose. As you can hopefully see in the video I’m not sticking to scenes, I launch different clips here and there. Actually the song that comes out is never the same.
Regarding audio clip freezing, you’re waaaaay ahead😂 That’ll be a very welcome problem when it comes. In my case, I bounced the CGB guitar tracks with Nembrini amp sims and some fx, so in the sampler I’m using the processed guitars, bass and vocals to save on the cpu.
I’m referring to Logic, Garageband, Pro Tools and as @Model10000 mentioned Ableton and Gadget. It may be that most of the iOS Midi Sequencer’s/DAW’s piano rolls are not as modern/powerful as those of the big desktop players, which are equipped with all conceivable means and the most sophisticated tools for note editing. I don't think we should expect that ‘everything your heart desires‘ approach, probably not. But one of the minimum requirements should of course also be met under iOS, namely that you hear what you edit, what you hear is what you get.
Nevertheless LK is first and foremost a clip launcher and its piano roll doesn’t need to be fully featured with all the bells and whistles, listening to the notes while editing them should, in my opinion, be part of the basic functionality of every piano roll. This actually also refers to some other parameters like length, velocity, modulation, etc. How else should you be able to judge what you set there if the playhead is not running? We are talking about music creation, sounds, ears. To hear immediately what you are doing is absolutely essential, at least it’s my expectation. This would be roughly comparable to (digitally) painting with different colors, hue and opacity but only seeing these choices after confirming them by pressing a play/see button.
Some smart coding could make for decent handling of this feature. It's just a matter of making small adjustments in the arrangement, shifting some notes or chords by one or two semitones or whole notes, quickly trying out an inversion, the usual stuff. For this purpose, I would just like to have acoustic feedback to make the right decisions, it's that simple. Nothing special. I am surprised that this has not yet been asked. Obviously this is not missed in the workflow of most LK users and you all nail your harmonic structures on the spot. Is it just me?
In addition, because you don't need it all the time I agree this feature should be disengageable, for example via an easily accessible midi out on/off switch for the clip you are editing. Everyone who is able to edit without sound feedback only with the help of his eyes can then continue to do so. ☺️
Just to clarify, I am absolutely thrilled with the guys at Imaginando and their dedicated work on LK, FRMS and DRC and here on the forum. What has been delivered so far is simply awesome. As we all know there is always room for improvement. And the best thing is, @sinosoidal said it’s not difficult to implement at all, nothing easier than that. Well then...🤘😊
@sinosoidal
Could you please add AR-909 mapping as well.
"AR-909": {
"36": "Bass Drum",
"37": "Snare",
"38": "Closed HH",
"39": "Open HH",
"40": "Rim Shot",
"41": "Clap",
"42": "Low Tom",
"43": "Mid Tom",
"44": "Hi Tom",
"45": "Ride",
"46": "Crash"
}
Thanks!
No, I meant instead of recording a guitar with Zenbeats, you could also record with Multitrack. In contrast to Zenbeats via Ableton Link, Multitrack does sync with AUMs timeline. So you could play along and work with punch in and out. So lets say when you start AUM and your scene in LK the part where you want record is 8 bars and begins after 4 bars from the start, you could set the punch in and out accordingly. Then export the audio, polish it and load it into your audio clip launcher.
I must say that my 'solution’ might be to buy the upcoming iPad Pro 2021 and hope that I do not need to freeze tracks then
Impressive work! Much respect to anyone that uses iVCS3 in a piece to begin with, and great use of the flexi samplers for your guitar tracks! LK seems like it’s “handling” everything ok and you managed to do all this while keeping your DSP under control.... Well Done!!
Updated.... Digging in...
Thank you..🙂
Edit....WOoooooW...
Beautiful... 😳
@sinosoidal
it would be nice to have an acceleration function, for note Tools - Time Shift .
With the shift key, maybe 1Bar …
Thanks
Multichannel Midi Import!
I have been waiting ages for this, and now can finally make full song arrangements inside AUM.
With this the iPad takes another step towards becoming a replacement DAW - thank you Imaginando.
I have had a few thoughts about audio clip launching. Please correct me if I‘m wrong, this MIDI stuff is still pretty confusing to me.
As I gathered, using LK to send single MIDI notes to launch audio loops in another app (EG Pulse, Beathawk, Drambo, Koala, etc.) is something a lot of folks tried but not many stuck to it because it needs a lot of setting up (at least in the grand scheme with multiple batteries of clips).
In my case I tried to replicate the workflow of the launchpad app with LK and multiple instances of EG Pulse (drum loops in one instance, bass in another, etc.). Every cell in a track sends one note to trigger another one of the pads in EG-Pulse. My biggest problem with this setup is that I have to adjust the clip length for each cell in LK to match the clip length in EG Pulse. Maybe I‘m just stupid and there‘s another way. If so please tell me.🤷🏼♂️
So the core problem, as I conclude, is that the audio clip gets retriggered everytime the LK cycles through the clip and sends the note on/off message again. One possible solution to this problem would be if EG Pulse was set to latch and LK only sends out a single MIDI note-on message the first time it gets triggered and a MIDI note-off when the clip is stopped or another clip on that track is selected.
I don‘t know if it would make sense to implement something like this in LK. For the time being I‘ll try to work something up in moziac, but I doubt that my coding skills (total noob) an perseverance are up to the task.
And to bump my other question: Is there an easy way to trim LKs clips to the visible notes and get rid of silence at the beginning and the end?
Also, I love the new housekeeping beta. Looks and feels smooth and everything seems to work as intended. ❤️
.....
I don't believe so. You have to select all and drag to the beginning of the clip. Make sure to drag from the earliest note so that you don't accidentally drag it off the screen.
We have been requested a crop tool more than one time. We should add that soon. It is definitely a worth addition.
Done! Should be available on 1.10.1
Thanks for providing the layout in the necessary format.
To make shift notes in really big lengthy clips?
We are glad this improves your worflow. Let us know if everything works as expected.