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iPhone/iPad iOS music making app round-up: Week 60

By Ben Rogerson
published 29 March 2012

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Hot things to touch

Hot things to touch

We're still eagerly awaiting the arrival of Propellerhead's Figure, but plenty of other new and updated apps have already made it through Apple's approval process and are available to buy now.

Also make sure you check out The best iPhone/iPad music making apps in the world today.

If you've got a new iOS app, make sure you let us know about it by emailing musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com with all the details.

NEXT: Mike Gao Polyplayground

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Mike Gao Polyplayground, £4.99
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 3.2 or later)

Mike Gao Polyplayground, £4.99

There is a synth built into this app, but it’s designed primarily as a MIDI controller. Its chord buttons are based on an isomorphic layout, which means that they’re all in the same key, while the Horizontal/Vertical buttons enable you to change the pitch space.

Buy now from the App Store

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Boulanger Labs csGrain, £6.99
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 5.0 or later)

Boulanger Labs csGrain, £6.99

A live audio multi-effects processor that you can use to “create new sounds and new musical textures by transforming your voice, your instrument, or your favourite songs from your iTunes library”. It features a stereo granular sound processor and ten additional audio effects.

Buy now from the App Store

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Julien Bayle Digital Collisions, £2.99
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (requires iOS 5.0 or later)

Julien Bayle Digital Collisions, £2.99

The latest in a long line of generative music apps: this one is based on physics collision algorithms. Touch the screen to create particles, then watch as they take on lives of their own, bumping into walls and each other. Sound shaping options can be accessed via the Menu button.

Buy now from the App Store

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VirSyn Addictive Synth, £3.99
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 3.2 or later)

VirSyn Addictive Synth, £3.99

An update for this highly regarded iPad synth. There’s now a spectral noise generator with dynamic filter structure, a new reverb unit, support for the new iPad’s Retina display, 32 new presets and additional MIDI controllers. The price listed above is the current discounted one.

Buy now from the App Store

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Page 5 of 9
SS Series Smart Studio A, £10.49
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (requires iOS 5.0 or later)

SS Series Smart Studio A, £10.49

A self-contained music production app that offers a 4-track recording studio, drum machine with step sequencer and digital sampler. The latter two devices come with their own soundbanks.

Buy now from the App Store

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Page 6 of 9
Iglesia Intermedia SpaceLab
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (requires iOS 4.2 or later)

Iglesia Intermedia SpaceLab

A monophonic synth that can be played in four ways: keyboard, graph, guitar and wind controller. SpaceLab is a fully programmable instrument that also comes with three effects and an arpeggiator.

Buy now from the App Store

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Kelfar Technologies WorldScales
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 5.0 or later)

Kelfar Technologies WorldScales

If equal-tempered scales are proving too restrictive, WorldScales is here to help. It’s an app that enables you to tune each note in an octave individually (+/- 100 cents) and comes with 35 sample-based instruments. Many of the presets employ lesser-known scales, and MIDI In functionality means you can plug in a keyboard.

Buy now from the App Store

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Synthetic Bits Little MIDI Machine 3.0, Free
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad (requires iOS 5.0 or later)

Synthetic Bits Little MIDI Machine 3.0, Free

Everyone’s favourite free analogue-style MIDI step sequencer now has Virtual MIDI and background audio support, meaning that you can use it to trigger other iOS apps. Various other things have been added too, including MIDI Input support and the excitingly named supersequence feature.

Buy now from the App Store

Liked this? Now read: The best iPhone/iPad music making apps in the world today

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Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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