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.
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.
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.
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....
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.
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?
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)
