Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
  • Guitars
  • Amps
  • Pedals
  • Drums
  • Synths
  • Software
  • Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Recording
  • Buyer’s guides
  • Live
  • DJ
  • Advice
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
  • About Us
  • More
    • Reviews
Magazines
  • Computer Music
  • Electronic Musician
  • Future Music
  • Keyboard Magazine
  • Guitarist
  • Guitar Techniques
  • Total Guitar
  • Bass Player
More
  • Purdie on the Purdie shuffle
  • Type beats
  • 86000+ free music samples
  • How to make an AI cover song
  • Three-chord trick

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. News

iPhone/iPad iOS music making app round-up: Week 70

By Si Truss
published 22 August 2012

New instruments, effects and audio tools

There have been a number of recent additions to the world of iOS music making over the past few weeks. Just yesterday we reported on Clavia's free Nord Beat step sequencer for iPad and the new iOS incarnation of Pioneer's rekordbox application.

Further back, Dream Theater keyboard player and app addict Jordan Rudess has two new instruments out - Tachyon and SpaceWiz. While Wave Machine Labs have released probably the most advanced mobile DAW to date in the shape of Auria (full MusicRadar report coming soon.)

For now though, here's a round-up of the other new music making tools and significant updates to hit the App Store this week.

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Refined Stochastic Technology S.709 2.0, £1.49/$1.99
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad (requires iOS 4.3 or later)

Refined Stochastic Technology S.709 2.0, £1.49/$1.99

We first covered S.709 back in May - it’s an experimental iOS synth that utilises the device’s touchscreen and accelerometer to give you deep control over a sine wave output.

Version 2.0 makes this novel little app even more fun, however, adding the ability to audio paste sounds from other apps in order to use S.709 as a ring modulator. Audio copy and email export have also been added.

Check out a video demo.

Buy now from the App Store.

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
iceGear Cassini for iPad, £1.99/$1.49
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 4.3 or later)

iceGear Cassini for iPad, £1.99/$1.49

Cassini, the latest offering from notable iOS developer iceGear, is already a popular instrument for the iPhone and iPod touch. The iPad edition only improves this great little app - offering plenty of tweakable features, a nicely designed interface and excellent sound.

Buy now from the App Store.

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
AudioAppStore SpeakerAngle, 69p/$0.99
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad (requires iOS 4.3 or later)

AudioAppStore SpeakerAngle, 69p/$0.99

New Genelec-branded app SpeakerAngle isn’t exactly the sexiest iOS tool out there, but it’s likely to prove very useful for a lot of producers. It provides a tool to help position and balance a set of stereo or surround sound speakers - handy for getting those studio monitors setup right.

Buy now from the App Store.

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Retronyms Tabletop 1.6, free
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 4.3 or later)

Retronyms Tabletop 1.6, free

We’ve been closely monitoring the progress of modular iOS audio tool Tabletop since it arrived last year, and with each update it’s been living up to its promise more and more.

The latest update adds a free microphone input recorder, in the form of Magic Mic, along with hip-hop endorsed Auto-Tune-alike the T-Pain Effect (which is available as an in-app purchase).

Download now from the App Store.

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Poorly Dressed Ape Easy Strum, £1.49/$1.99
Compatibility: iPad (requires iOS 5 or later)

Poorly Dressed Ape Easy Strum, £1.49/$1.99

Easy Strum is a new autoharp-style iPad instrument from excellently named developer Poorly Dressed Ape. It allows users to strum several different instruments - harp, piano, glock, celesta, sitar and marimba - to play chords around preset scales. Usefully, it can also send MIDI info via Wi-Fi in order to control software instruments.

Buy now from the App Store.

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

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Page 6 of 5
Page 6 of 5
Si Truss
Si Truss
Social Links Navigation

I'm Editor-in-Chief of Music Technology, working with Future Music, Computer Music, Electronic Musician and MusicRadar. 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.


More about tech
blockheaad

This 'experimental' new DAW has a ton of innovative features that we haven't seen anywhere else: "This is something that should have existed for years"

Moog Music

Moog Music is rumoured to be laying off staff at its US headquarters and moving the majority of its synth manufacturing to Taiwan

Latest
Mike Campbell (L) and special guest Bob Dylan perform in concert during Farm Aid at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana

Bob Dylan goes electric again during a surprise set with The Heartbreakers at Farm Aid 2023

See more latest ►
Most Popular
Watch Chad Smith play 30 Seconds To Mars’ biggest hit in one take after hearing it for the first time

By Stuart Williams24 September 2023

Nirvana session cellist Kera Schaley talks about playing on In Utero: "The funny thing about All Apologies is Steve kept trying to talk Kurt out of putting cello on it"

By Rob Laing22 September 2023

Show Us Your Studio #9: "I use Ableton and Maschine as glorified grooveboxes on steroids - it's endless fun and inspiration!"

By MusicRadar22 September 2023

Could this Neumann w495 emulation be the most useful free EQ plugin you download this year?

By Ben Rogerson22 September 2023

SampleRadar: 435 free UK urban samples

By MusicRadar22 September 2023

Groove Synthesis’ 3rd Wave synth module does away with the keyboard and is ready for your desktop

By Ben Rogerson22 September 2023

Wampler brings back its Fender-inspired Tweed ’57 and Black ’65 amp-in-a-box drive pedals – for a limited time only

By Jonathan Horsley22 September 2023

Beatie Wolfe: “It’s the imperfections that move us - Leonard Cohen’s weird voice or Nina Simone’s timing. It’s humanity that we respond to, not the perfect sheen”

By Andy Price22 September 2023

“All the ferocious growl and bite of an Ironheart you know and love”: Laney adds two compact, affordable and feature-stacked 60W amps to the Ironheart Foundry series

By Jonathan Horsley22 September 2023

Instrumental guitar music has never been more exciting than it is right now - here are 10 albums that prove it

By Michael Astley-Brown22 September 2023

“It makes it exciting and dangerous and fun”: Yngwie Malmsteen says he doesn’t need to rehearse anymore and explains why he mostly ignores the setlist

By Jonathan Horsley22 September 2023

  1. Zakk Wylde, Dave Grohl, Lemmy Kilmister and Slash backstage during Dave Grohl's birthday bash at The Forum on January 10, 2015 in Inglewood, California
    1
    16 famous musicians who almost joined very famous bands
  2. 2
    Marty Friedman’s guitar teacher told him to take a bong hit every time he played an exercise correctly, but the ex-Megadeth guitarist has better advice for students
  3. 3
    6 of the best classic tape emulation plugins
  4. 4
    “Right now I’d like to do a song, it’s a little thing by Howlin’ Wolf…”: Listen to Jimi Hendrix’s newly unearthed performance of Killing Floor at the Hollywood Bowl, 1967
  5. 5
    “He doesn’t do Zoom”: Mick Jagger reflects on how his songwriting partnership with Keith Richards has changed and discusses Paul McCartney’s bass playing on new Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds
  1. universal audio
    1
    6 of the best classic tape emulation plugins
  2. 2
    Cindy Blackman Santana tackles the iconic In The Air Tonight drum fill as she joins Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg on a new version of the song for ESPN’s Monday Night Football
  3. 3
    Hania Rani on bringing synths and drum machines into contemporary classical: “I spent 20 years playing one instrument, but I’m still interested in investigating others”
  4. 4
    Watch bluegrass guitarist Ian Ly become the 2023 US National Flat-picking Champion
  5. 5
    “It makes it exciting and dangerous and fun”: Yngwie Malmsteen says he doesn’t need to rehearse anymore and explains why he mostly ignores the setlist

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.