Laptops vs. Tablets

A recent study I came about suggested that in the last two years or so desktops and laptops have lost significant ground to tablets when it comes to everyday use. So what does this mean regarding to music-making?

A lot depends on how mobile music-making tools develop in the near future. Apple’s inter-app-audio (IAA) is one major step toward a more integrated system in making music by using several apps simultaneously. Were there a VST instruments and FX standard for iOS at some point, the scales would keep turning even faster.

One important viewpoint is the supply and quality of apps. The ‘deep sample it to death’-strategy familiar from workstation libraries won’t work in tablet environment because of the limited storage space.

So instead of sample playback software, the app world users favor physical modeling software, since it requires less resources. There are only so many 500 Mb sample-based instruments that can be installed on a tablet without jamming it completely.

Some major library players like 8DIO and Sonokinetic have recently indicated that they have interest in dwelling deeper into the world of tablets. This is interesting since both of them have so far relied heavily on mainly large, deep-sampled libraries.

Making ‘light’ versions of those libraries for tablet use would probably not lead to success. Instead the interface and overall playability should step forward in the production process. Just think for example about ThumbJam, one of the first iOS apps in music making, which is still very much relevant because of its flexibility.

As a bonus, it would really interesting if there were iCloud or iTunes specifically for sample content. Nowadays sample libraries are sold in chunks, but as in the case of iTunes, people prefer buying specific files instead of ready-made packs.

Thus instead of IK Multimedia SampleTank for iOS there would be a light player software with an ’empty tank’, however with the possibility for buying individualized in-app sample content. In a way the Alchemy iOS version has done that already, but still the content in it is sold in prepacked form instead of individual sample files.

Ultimately the desktop/laptop world and tablet environment are probably set to merge also in music production. There are relatively big bucks in the game so it is nice to see which competitors play their hand most wisely.

My iPad Music Week: summary

On Easter Saturday I more or less by accident started to research the possibilities of (more or less) serious music making using iPad as the centerpiece instead of a computer and its DAW. The notes made during the week are available in the couple of postings made earlier, so here I shall make a brief summary on my experiences. This also enables me to close the chapter so to speak for now and move on to other topics.

1. iPad can be used as an instrument. The touchscreen and movement detection add a whole range of new features to the game compared to VST instruments. Best example: ThumbJam.

2. iVST app enables more control. Again the touchscreen enables one to handle instrument and fx control in a manner not possible on most controller keyboards. Best example: Korg iPolySix synth with KAOSS pad-like controls.

3. Importing audio is troublesome. This is – as I’ve understood – Apple-based problem, which stems from the era of DRM-music files. Best example: try importing a track into iPad without using iTunes.

4. Apps can talk. With Audiobus, it is possible to record any compatible instrument by using selected iPad DAW. On the other hand, there are great-sounding music instrument apps with no means other to record the sound than connecting the iPad to hardware mixer.

5. Tale of three DAWs. Recording on iPad means basically using either Cubasis, Auria, or Multitrack DAW. The latter is less expensive, but Cubasis and Auria offer more features with tracks, instruments etc.

6. External keyboard helps. Playing the screen can be tedious, so considering getting for example the three-octave iRig KEYS mini keyboard may be a good idea for more extensive use. So far there are still some usability issues with this keyboard concerning losing connection from time to time though.

7. It’s not for all. If you prefer producing deep-sampled Hollywood-style orchestral compositions or other resource-consuming stuff, the traditional workstation will be your go-to environment also in the future.

8. It’s a play in the park. One thing I have always lamented is looking out the window when the sun is shining and I am inside by my workstation. You can do a mix on iPad anywhere. Best example: there will probably be a Portlandia episode on the subject in near future.

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PS. After writing this entry, I discovered a semi-easy way to import one’s own audio files:

i. First you have to upload the preferred files on your FTP server.
ii. After that download the free FTP manager app or a similar paid version on your iPad and install it.
iii. Connect to your FTP server using the app, and after downloading open the files in your preferred iPad DAW.

Not the simplest of procedure but it does eliminate the iTunes phase.

The age of iVST?

Those who have followed some of the latest postings here are already aware of the fact that I am currently in process of getting more acquainted with iPad music production. It all started basically by accident: originally I was only looking for software for making mobile podcasts.

Well it didn’t stop there: since the wheels started turning, several new music-making apps have made their way onto my iPad. All this has been self-financed, as is my ‘traditional’ workstation hobbyism: both originate from my natural-born curiosity for all things new and preferrably digital.

Some of the apps I’ve tried – for example ThumbJam – have given me the chills: I really feel like I have found an instrument, something new and extremely playable. This is in my opinion the most common problem among large VSTi libraries, which sound great but give the user a feeling that he or she is knitting more like playing.

I am about to purchase the Steinberg Cubasis next. From the latest online reviews I have understood that the DAW’s busiest period of bug-fixing is now over, and since I am a Cubase user, the learning curve should not be too steep.

When I am in Cubase, I of course apply lots of VST instruments. Since the emergence of Audiobus, extended prospects for doing basically the same on iPad have emerged.

Some vendors like Korg have been active in transforming the concept of VSTi into a new mobile version: let us call it iVST for now. However there is a striking void in iVSTs when it comes to many of the biggest names in the industry.

How about for example a reasonably priced Native Instruments iVST synth? Nope, not mentioning iKontakt (I am going to trademark that name if it’s still free). How about a iMaschine, or any sort of integration between the Maschine family and iPad? Well no, unless the 2011 iPhone app is considered. Well how about at least iGuitar Rig, the most obvious iPad product of all? No.

In fact, most of the instruments currently available on the App Store are created by small business entrepreneurs. I have nothing against this: I think it is absolutely marvelous a phenomenon. With it however comes the obvious lack of any common procedures and standards. Audiobus is a good start, but even deeper integration between different apps will be required for the iPad production environment workflow to improve. All the import/export hassle may be fun for a while, but soon it will start to feel like a nuissance instead of strange but tolerable curiosity. Importing already existing vocal lines etc. must simply become easier for users than it is now.

But back to iVSTs. When it comes to most of the VSTi vendors, there seems to no real effort to penetrate into this new market of iVSTs. For example 8DIO recently released 8DIOboe, a new oboe VST instrument with ‘hyperexpressive’ features. I am not sure if the people there have ever tried playing ThumbJam where you can create vibrato by smoothly moving your finger or shaking the iPad instead of clumsy 1980s keyswitches. That’s real expression at work, not just empty big words (and numbers).

It is also hard to forget the odd 8DIO December launch of V8P, a new company presumably aimed at providing custom sampling for professionals. I would not be too surprised if nothing much ever came of this venture, since it was an ill-designed, wrongly timed, and in general unrealistic a project right from the beginning. Had they instead put out a couple of quality orchestral iVSTs and an iPad strumming guitar with touchscreen controls, maybe wind controls for brass and woodwinds, both equipped with reasonable price tags, they would have already made a decent lump of money already in the first quarter – including some of mine for sure.

As mentioned, there are still large vacant lots right at the very centre of iVST city. I think I am not too bold by stating that this won’t be the case for long. The only open question is the iVST company whose name is going to lit the skyline.

VSTi & iPad: rivals?

For the last couple of days I have been researching as well as trying out different audio apps for iPad. So far the road has been very enlightening indeed, and several new questions have come to my mind. Perhaps the most crucial of them is this: can an iPad-based music production environment replace the ‘traditional’ setting in which there is a computer, master keyboard etc?

For more educated readers than myself it is not news that there are great iPad music apps around. To me it was, maybe because I was under the impression for example that Garageband is only some sort of loop player with predefined riffs and not much else: after all it costs less than five euros. Heck, some April Fool’s day joke instruments by VST vendors cost more.

Before Saturday I had also no idea what Audiobus is and what it means: the possibility to link iPad apps. Thus one can have an instrument, an effects app, and a DAW app – such as Garageband – in the same chain working together.

It is notable however that not all audio apps support Audiobus, and if they lack an internal record option – like the fabulous WI Guitar by Wallander Instruments – the only way to use them in productions would be to connect them via some sort of cable solution to one’s workstation and thus use the iPad as an external instrument.

The catch with the WI Guitar is that it enables both picking chords and strumming by touching the screen, which makes the whole thing much more enjoyable than the ancient idea of using keyswitches. Another Wallander app instrument, the WI Orchestra, makes it possible for user to control for example the oboe by using wind control via the internal microphone. Granted, the instrument samples in it are of pretty poor quality, but still it was an absolute joy trying something like that – with the option to record what I played.

One more app that really caught my attention was the ThumbJam, which at first appears as complete enigma. However by trying different sounds and settings the secret of the app is revealed: it is one hell of an instrument, and it supports Audiobus for recording.

As mentioned, my knowledge on iPad music production consists only a couple of days. What I know already is that there are intriguing possibilities in this kind of approach to making music. I heard Damon Albarn has more or less compiled at least whole songs – if not an album – on iPad, so this is not a mere kids game anymore.

When it comes to pro sound quality and the extensiveness of VSTi libraries, the good old workstation is not going anywhere: the average app is way less than 100 megabytes of filesize. As the interconnectivity between the two worlds increases however, there might be some sort of merging ahead. Already there are numerous mixing apps around, and the first iPad DAWs by big vendors such as Steinberg are starting to arrive.

One reason for their success will no doubt be the price: if an app costs 30 euros, it is considered top price: try getting a DAW for PC or Mac with less than 300 euros.

The ultimate strength of iPad is the touchscreen when used for creating for example vibrato or tremolo effect: ThumbJam is the perfect example of this. Also the instrument prices range usually from two to ten euros, with only vintage gear like Korg apps being costlier than that. One can thus afford to make a disappointing purchase every now and then, and still be able to get better ones to replace them without going bankrupt.

Last week this time I could not have imagined playing the English horn on my iPad – by blowing into its mic (the app works also on iPhone). I will still use my workstation for more complicated things, but I already know that when sketching new things as well as just playing around is concerned, my new go-to production environment is my iPad.