MusicRadar Verdict
Competition among iOS DAWs is only going to get hotter, but the MultiTrack DAW offers ease of use and value for money.
Pros
- +
Inexpensive. Useful range of facilities. Auto punch-in.
Cons
- -
Full 24 tracks requires in-app purchase.
MusicRadar's got your back
The number of recording applications available for iOS continues to expand, and one that provides plenty of capability without breaking the bank is Harmonicdog's MultiTrack DAW, for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
"Mixing facilities include EQ and compression for each track, with reverb and delay available as send and return effects"
It offers playback of a full 24 stereo tracks with a sound quality of up to 24-bit, 96kHz, depending on whether your audio interface supports that. For your money, you get just eight stereo tracks, but you can add the rest later as an in-app purchase (£5.49).
In Use
With the software's metronome available as a timing guide, you can record two tracks simultaneously on an iPod or iPhone, and up to eight tracks on an iPad.
There are plenty of audio editing functions, and the mixing facilities include EQ and compression for each track, with reverb and delay available as send and return effects. For the final polish, there's more EQ and compression in a mastering section. Individual tracks or final mixes can be transferred to computer via Wi-Fi, and you can use iTunes File Sharing for mixdowns and to import audio.
Overall, the app is easy to use, with simple touch gestures. It's great for quickly putting parts together, and has a hands-free automatic punch in and out capability that should appeal to guitar players.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
“We tried to capture the heart of what a Gibson Custom guitar is, and I think we really have done it”: Epiphone expands and upgrades its flagship Gibson Custom collab with eight stunning vintage-inspired electrics
“It's probably my Behringer Model D monosynth. So simple and obviously cheap, but it’s just so versatile. I’ve used it on basically every track that I’ve created”: 10 producers share the tech they can’t live without
“No one noticed that half the playlist was AI-created, and a few even preferred the AI tracks”: Should today’s music-makers and producers fear AI - or embrace its inevitability?