iPhone/iPad iOS music making app round-up: Week 68

This week, the big news in the world of mobile music making comes from Microsoft rather than Apple, after the company announced it's range of Surface tablets on Monday.

With USB ports and, in some cases, Intel processors, could the Surface take over the mobile music making market? For the moment, no one knows, but it'll certainly be interesting to track developments as the war of the tablets hots up...

Back to the present, however. On the slides that follow you'll find this week's crop of incoming new apps and significant updates, including several samplers, a curious MIDI device and a retro styled instrument.

Bolasol WerkBench, £4.99/$6.99

WerkBench is a live sampling step sequencer built around a pleasantly whimsical-looking interface. It also features pitch control, low pass filter and envelopes - all of which the app description refers to as ‘Fancy Controls’, a description we enjoy.

Buy now from the App Store

Detune I Am Sampler, 69p/$0.99

I Am Sampler is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a sampler - albeit a nicely simplified one. The interface is largely image based, with lots of white space, with the aim of offering a simple, intuitive user experience.

Buy now from the App Store

Drew Beatsurfing, £7.99/$11.99

Beatsurfing is an app that allows users to draw their own MIDI control surface. The app is then played by either bashing the colourful shapes you draw on screen or by running a finger across the iPad and ‘surfing’ between them, triggering MIDI information as you go.

Watch a demo video

Buy now from the App Store

Digitags iDrumming, Free

iDrumming is a free, sample-based drum pad app. The app comes with 11 free samples included - plus the ability to record your own - but 200+ extra samples are available as an in-app purchase for 69p/$0.99.

Buy now from the app store

76 Synthesizer 2.0, £1.49/$1.99

76 Synthesizer is a virtual analogue mono-synth inspired by retro ‘70s instruments. Version 2 adds the ability to record and export files, along with several bug fixes.

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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I'm the Managing Editor of Music Technology at MusicRadar and former Editor-in-Chief of Future Music, Computer Music and Electronic Musician. I've been messing around with music tech in various forms for over two decades. I've also spent the last 10 years forgetting how to play guitar. Find me in the chillout room at raves complaining that it's past my bedtime.