MusicRadar

Nitrotracker is a great 'homebrewed' DS app.

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Welcome to the second part of MusicRadar's guide to making music with a handheld device.

Previously, we assessed the merits (and shortcomings) of Sony's PSP as a portable tune-crafting platform – now it's time to put Nintendo's hugely popular DS under the microscope. Elswhere, you can find out what we make of Apple's iPhone/iPod touch platform.

Strengths

The DS has the advantages of stylus input, dual displays and a long tradition of homebrew development on Nintendo platforms. That has made it fertile ground for oddball music-making apps of the sort you often can't find on desktop computers, let alone mobile devices. A range of emulators and its GBA cartridge slot make the console backwards-compatible with classic tools like Nanoloop and LSDJ. The DS is also a bargain, and has a rabid community of musicians behind it to help you out.

Weaknesses

The device's internal architecture isn't as powerful as that of the PSP, or as easy to develop for as the iPhone. Most importantly, hacking can be a pain – and Nintendo, like Sony, wants the practice halted altogether.

Hackability

Running homebrew software requires specialised 'backup' or flash-loader hardware, which can involve some complex compatibility issues. At the very least, you'll want to do your homework before ordering an add-on. The payoff is custom firmware with other capabilities, like multimedia management software and the option to back up your games.

In July, Nintendo joined with various software developers to sue five Japanese makers and distributors of popular flash-loaders. These lawsuits are unlikely to eliminate the devices' availability, however – good news for people who use them as tools to make their own software, rather than steal someone else's.

Must-have apps

NitroTracker: This is a DS-compatible, more contemporary take on the legacy of tracker tools like LSDJ. NitroTracker can create elaborate, complex sequences of patterns, complete with loops and drawable volume envelopes. As with the PSP apps, it can also export audio, so you can use NitroTracker as a portable loop factory for export to other platforms. It also has Wi-Fi MIDI support, so you can use it as a mobile sound-maker and a wireless MIDI sequencer for your computer rig as well. There's support for internal sounds, sample looping (with a built-in editor), and even live recording via the mic.
Price: Free

DSMI – DSMIDIWIFI, DSERIAL: 0xtob, creator of NitroTracker, collaborated with TheRain on a suite of useful utilities for using the DS with MIDI. You can transmit and receive MIDI messages via Wi-Fi or – using the DIY DSerial hardware – MIDI cables, meaning that it's also possible to connect your console to another DS, MIDI hardware or a computer.

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