iPhone as the world smallest USB MIDI Sound Module!

Thanks Palm Sound for posting the finding that it is possible to use iPad camera connection kit on iPhone 4 with iOS5 beta installed. Thanks to my friends Ian and Tom's help, I tried to connect iPhone to a USB MIDI Keyboard and it works as expected.

I believe this can make iPhone to be a great alternative choice for keyboardists. In my opinions, Tone portability is a problem for many keyboard players. They could find or rent a good enough hardware keyboard but they might not be familiar with the tone provided and interface on the hardware keyboard. And the MIDI sound module in market are not all portable enough or powerful enough. Therefore, A lot of players prepare laptops with their favorite software plugins installed to provide their preferred tone. After trying this out, I can see that iPhone can be a very convenient USB MIDI Sound Module and with proper Synth apps, any keyboard player can take his/her sound anywhere effortlessly, without bringing their laptops!

Currently I suggest using bs-16i (with good SoundFonts) and FL Studio Mobile on iPhone. Looking forward to seeing more synth apps (especially those on iPad only) comes to iPhone!

bs-16i (US$8.99)

FL Studio Mobile (US$14.99)

If you know any good synth apps on iPhone please do let me know. :)

Running iOS music apps as "modules" - potential of in-device CoreMIDI communication

Yesterday I just noticed that Molten Drum Machine support sending MIDI clock sync to other apps on the same iPad. That made me curious and after some surveys, I found some other apps also supporting this feature. So I had some experiments and I recorded what I can do so far this morning.

In this video I demonstrated 3 apps MoDrum, Bassline (from Finger-lab) and Gruvtron (from Sound Trends LLC) running simultaneously on the same iPad. The beats from 3 apps are synced by MIDI clock (MoDrum as the clock source).

Since all the 3 apps are universal apps, it should be no problem to do it on iPhone too.

This is really an awesome feature and made me feel like the apps as"modules" which can work together with other apps on the same iPad/iPhone, rather than running them as the only app exclusively on the device. Last week I noticed a project Polyonix trying to make multiple apps running simultaneously on the same screen of a jailbroken device. This will make controlling these apps even easier.

You can check out the app list which support in-device MIDI clock sync here from this article on blog.ilearnmusic.com. For more technical details, you can read this article from Syntheticbits.com.

I can see that with the ability of MIDI communication with other apps on the same device, there's great potential for the apps which focus on one thing (as a synth, controller, or MIDI sequencer). Musicians can freely choose the best apps they like for each component and combine them altogether to achieve the same effects which currently only workstation-typed apps can do (like NanoStudio, GarageBand, FL Studio Mobile, Xewton Music Studio, etc.).

Thinking in a whole Music Production / Performance environment ....

If the trend really goes in a way like making apps like module on iPad / iPhone, to help the cooperation of different apps altogether on the same device, I believe some "new" categories of music apps will appear soon:

Here is the brief introduction of some new interesting app categories which should appear soon:

• Live / Pattern controller apps: These apps have great special design of layout which helps musicians to play music easily. Or they provide flexible and customizable interface to let musicians control other apps.
• Instrument Combinator apps: These apps behaves like the "Combination" rack which Reason provides or the COMBI presets on the hardware synthesizer keyboards. They enable musicians to play multiple instruments easily (layered, split or more complex programming).
• MIDI Pattern / Sequencer apps: You can say these apps will behave like those DAW applications for desktop workstations. They send MIDI sequence to control instruments app (like Drums and bass apps). Furthermore, they can do real-time MIDI recording as well.

In my opinion I think Polychord, SoundPrism Pro and TouchOSC already have the potential to be great Live / Pattern controller apps as long as they support sending MIDI to other apps on the same iPad / iPhone. Little MIDI Machine could be a great MIDI Pattern / Sequencer app. I haven't seen any apps providing Instrument Combinator features, I might like to try to implement one myself when I am free. ;)

However, If musicians need to make that many apps work altogether, there needs to be a simple way to let musicians do it, since the beauty of iOS is that it is not a sophisticated monster like desktop DAWs.

Finally some of you might want to ask why I am so focused and passionate on running all of the apps on the same device. my thought is if I can take just one iPad with me and still do what I can do using a laptop, why bother myself to take more equipment and worry about the audio & network connection problem? ;P

If any of you are interested in similar topics (no matter you are just a musician, a developer or even designers), you are always welcomed to discuss with me by leaving comments in this article or contacting me via twitter (@wangpy_tw) or email.

Using iPad/iPhone as guitar processor

Since the release of Guitar Rig, which was the first software I've tried and felt like a complete solution to use desktop/laptop as guitar effects processor. After I got my first iPhone 3G I believe it is a better device for process guitar, replacing traditional gears. Currently there are also a lot of hardware / software solution for this purpose. I will introduce the current solutions and also describe what I feel or what it should be in the future.

Methods of connecting guitar to iPad/iPhone

1. cables / adapters connecting to headphone minijack on iPad/iPhone

Several different headphone connectors are available to connect guitar to iPad/iPhone. However I found a similar problem exists in all adapter I've tried (more or less) - crosstalk feedback due to input output signals in the same cable. Therefore, the input signal volume, processing gain & iPad/iPhone output volume should not be too loud, or terrible feedback sound can come out very easily.

The best adapter in the market is AmpKit LiNK (from Peavey). It requires batteries installed which might be for buffering input signal to deal with feedback issues. iRig (from IK Multimedia) is also a nice choice but with the same price range I would recommend AmpKit LiNK.

I've tried PRS Guitarbud cable (seems discontinued), but found that the quality of the cable is not good enough. Griffin GuitarConnect cable looks like a similar item but haven't tried so not sure about the quality.

2. audio interface connecting to dock connector port of iPad/iPhone

There are also some products connecting to the dock connector port, providing guitar connection. In this way there should be no feedback issue which is mentioned above. Though these audio interface costs higher, they still worth the bucks since they provide better sound quality and you can achieve more processing gain without problems.

For iPhone, Sonoma Wire Works GuitarJack (not supported for iPhone 4) is the first solution I've seen. Apogee Jam is another neat interface (it can also be used with iPad and Mac) but it only provides input connection. I haven't tried them though since I live in Taiwan and it's hard to get these products here.

If you own an iPad and Camera Connection Kit, you can just use standard USB audio interface, however you might need a powered USB hub to provide enough power to the audio interface. I've tried a $20 USB audio interface designed for guitar and it is quite usable. But the connectors are very weak so it is not quite a solid solution for live use. It's still good for home practicing and jamming though.

Alesis just released iO dock which also looks like a pretty good interface for musicians, not only for guitarists.

Guitar Processing Apps

The 2 major apps on the App Store are AmpKit (from Peavey and Agile Partners) and Amplitube (from IK Multimedia). I personally prefer AmpKit for its brighter and more raw tone but the only disappointment I found is that it doesn't provide tap tempo for delay effects. Amplitube is also a good solution and it provides tap tempo, but the sound is just feeling too airy.

Both the apps provide free version for you to try first before you buy. However if you want to purchase Amplitube please beware that: Amplitube has separate apps for iPhone/iPad, and the in-app purchases are not shared in the 2 versions. This is really annoying customers especially those who own both iPhone and iPad. I suggest you to think which device you will use more often to process your guitar before you make purchase. Amplitube also released Fender version, so you should be again considering which you want (depends on whose App Icon you prefer, really) to be the base app and make in-app purchases for the remaining features…How annoying!

There are also some apps available for guitar processing like iShred Live.

For iPad you can also try Garageband. There's also an app on iPad called StompBox but it doesn't feel like a complete processing solution since it only provides preamp features instead of full amp & cabinet.

For Serious Live Use: Controlling / Switching

Currently the main way to switch presets in these guitar processing apps is by the touchscreen. It is hard to use when it is used for serious live situations. Griffin announced StompBox which looks like a nice switching solution for guitar apps.
Digitech just announced monstrous iPB-10 pedalboard for iPad but it is just too pricey for a controller…
I still believe the best way to control guitar processing apps is MIDI switch pedalboard through CoreMIDI. Currently only StompBox (for iPad) seems supporting CoreMIDI. There should be more apps supporting CoreMIDI control so standard MIDI controllers like Logidy UMI3, Moog MP201 and Behringer FCB1010 can be used with the software without explicitly support.

JamUp Lite beta test report - new iOS guitar effects app (and the best so far!)

[Update: JamUp Lite has been released on the App Store. Download via this URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jamup-lite/id449820506 ]

I have been playing electric guitar since 10 years ago and has been in church service for more than 2 years. In my journey I've been from using famous digital modeling guitar processors to pedals & tube amps. I believe using mobile devices as guitar effects processors will become one of the mainstreams soon since the processing power of mobile devices and of course the convenience of mobility.

Thanks to the developers from PositiveGrid for giving me the chance to test their first app - JamUp. The sound quality it provided is really stunning good - It is so far the best amp simulation I've tried among the guitar amp simulation software, not only on iOS but also on desktops... even better than digital modeling hardware guitar processors.

In the lite version it provides only an amp modelled after VOX AC30. It provides great VOX AC tone and the controls really feel like the real amps with quite wide range. The best thing I really want to point out is the dynamic response from this app is very real - I am just feeling like playing on a real amp! Never seen a processor which can made this so real and perfect before JamUp.

Unlike normal amp modeling software/hardware, JamUp doesn't provide detailed control and selection of cabinet, mic type & position, but it already sounds great enough. I guess their design purpose is to provide users simple yet powerful solution. (And I think most users will not bother themselves to tweak the settings if they haven't played real things?)

The effects from JamUp are pretty good as well. Noise Gate behaves great when put before drive pedal and amp, and it doesn't affect the sustain (at least as I feel). Drive pedal (which is modelled after Tube Screamer) is great too and I can achieve metal-like tone with drive knob and preamp volume maximized. Tube echo and reverb pedals are also just those what you familiar with and dream of.

For the interface part, in addition to the detailed quality graphics, JamUp lite is really neat and simple. Just drag the effects you don't want out of the signal chain and they are turned off. Drag them back to enable them. Pedal positions in the signal chain can be also changed freely. Enough said. However I do hope to see more versatile pedal routing possibilities, multiple pedals of same type, and tap tempo functionality (very important to play like Hillsong!) provided in (maybe the Pro version of) JamUp to satisfy serious players' need.

With the strong modeling technology and simple interface, I believe JamUp will be a blockbuster in the market when it is released. Keep yourself informed by registering their newsletters on their official website: positivegrid.com.

[Update: JamUp Lite has been released on the App Store. Download via this URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jamup-lite/id449820506 ]

The following are the test videos recorded by myself:







The test audio clips (same with the ones in the videos) are also available on SoundCloud:

JamUp Beta Test clips by Brian Wang (TB)

My iPad/iPhone app list for playing in worship

In this article I will introduce some iPad apps which are the best instruments to playing in live worship session or practicing with singers so far IMHO.

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Polychord (US$9.99, iPad only)
The best instrument for comping which can be played alone with full sound, including chords & appregios, and even rhythm patterns including drums & bass.
With version 2, the timbre and envelope of each part can be independently tweaked, resulting in much wider sonic range.
The rhythm pattern part is hardly useful when playing with full band since it doesn't provide tap tempo function and pattern editor, but it's still good with lead instruments.
The best value of this app is that it enables users who can read chord sheet to play comping, without the skill of playing music.
The MIDI function seems not working with iPad camera connection kit. The official website does mention that it works through (WIFI) MIDI network though.

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PianoAngel (US$4.99, iOS universal)
DISCLAIMER: This app is developed by myself, but I still try to describe it from my own using experience and expectation from the perspective of merely an user of this app. I will try to keep improving it in near future.
This app is designed to make people play piano easily with lead sheets (providing chords & melody). Since it provides two-layer piano keyboard (which Polychord doesn't), This is currently the only app to enable users to play both chords & melody easily as long as the users can read the lead sheet, without need to be skilled in music as well.
I found this app most useful to be the instrument to help worship singers practice since it can play the melody to help singers sing in tune. But the piano keyboard is always transposed when the song key is set other than C. This sometimes confuses users who are familiar with piano keyboards.
In playing live, the chord / melody "intensity" settings help the users to play in more versatile ways. However the settings can only tweaked in settings page therefore can't change the settings easily in live.
The chord buttons are too small on iPhone so sometimes taps are missed. However at least it is still usable on iPhone since it is an universal app.
The only sound it provides is the piano sound. It supports CoreMIDI though but it sends notes in constant length, which made it unusable with pad sounds.
It provides free version without preset saving & MIDI function so you can try it out free first.

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Soundprism Pro (US$14.99, iOS universal)
Another great app for playing comping. Notes are in 3rd intervals layout so playing chords with this app is easy. Playing extended chords requires user to have more chord knowledges, however. Checking out the HOWTO section on official website is highly encouraged.
Soundprism Pro version provides "pitch class shifter" function (iPad only) to make user able to play notes not in major scale temporary. When played with sheet music it is easily mapped to temporary sharp/flat signs. Pro version also provides MIDI functionality which make it a great controller to control synths and instruments via iPad camera connection kit.
It provides free version without the shifter and MIDI capability but still good to try it out before you buy.

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SampleWiz (US$9.99, iOS universal)
The latest masterpiece by Jordan Rudess, keyboardist of Dream Theater, is really a versatile instrument indeed which provides both great and versatile audio engine and good interface to let user play easily in live.
Best instrument to play lead/melody so far and also good to play comping. Better than their previous work MorphWiz since SampleWiz provides piano keyboard (two layer keyboard layout is also possible). Thanks Jordan, you've made it again!
Keep a habit to record the sound which you like to extend your collection of tones!
Hoping to see it support CoreMIDI to make it much more useful on iPhone and of course a forum to let users share their sounds....

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BS-16i (US$6.99, iOS universal)
Another great instrument which supports SoundFonts. So it can provide good sound as long as you have great enough SoundFonts libraries. I will share my SoundFonts collection in later posts. It can be used as GM MIDI sound module to play MIDI files.

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FL Studio Mobile (iPad version $19.99, iPhone version $14.99)

Garageband (US$4.99)
These two apps are great both as workstations to make music or record music ideas and as live instruments providing wide range of tones (which are great as well).
I like the interface of FL Studio much more then Garageband since it is more intuitive for me. However Garageband provides "smart" instruments which is a good try for users who are not skilled in music. The drums instrument on Garageband is great too. It can also be used to connect real instruments and behaves as software amps & effects. I will compare software amps & effects apps in another post later.
They both support CoreMIDI and they both do support sustain pedal.
BTW, I really don't like apps sold separately for iPads / iPhones. If there's no difference in the features, why should I pay twice for same thing but just for different screen space?

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iSyn Poly (US$9.99)

Horizon Synth (US$4.99)
Both are great synth apps to play lead / melody with large preset collection. Though many of the presets feel very electronic, some of the preset are really good for worshipping indeed.
I particularly like the XY pad on iSyn Poly.. very convenient to control the parameters in playing live.
They both supports CoreMIDI via iPad camera connection kit but they don't support sustain pedal. (Real analog synthesizers neither do)

Blog started

As a software developer and church worship guitarist, I've been recently pursuing the possibilities of making use of touch-screen devices (like iPhones/iPads/tablets) as simple, practical and powerful live instruments in church worship sessions. With a vision that such devices becoming helpful to make more people (even those who are not skilled players) play music in simpler ways, I will start sharing my hopefully useful findings to those who are also interested in similar topics. May God bless and use these information for His goodness!