As tablets, phones, and iOS apps become more powerful, endless possibilities are extending to the creator-on-the-go or anyone looking to take a detour from making tunes behind a computer screen. With the recent release of his collaborative album Bandana, producer Madlib shared a tweet to all of his followers, stating “I made all of the beats for Bandana on my iPad.”
1. BeatMaker 3 by INTUA
To the beatsmith or any creative who’s accustomed to working in a traditional DAW, INTUA’s BeatMaker 3 is a great app to try, as it provides the basic functionalities of any traditional workstation such as multitrack audio and MIDI recording. It also includes built-in effect processing and in-app instruments, allowing creators to lay down a solid foundation for their ideas.
Find BeatMaker 3 on the App Store here.
2. Patterning 2: Drum Machine by Olympia Noise Co.
An alternative to the traditional path of beat making, Patterning 2: Drum Machine is not only fun to use, but also a very powerful tool to implement into your creative flow. Not only does it allow for you to create a wide range of drum grooves in real time, the built-in effects also assist in sculpting immaculate tonal atmospheres that can truly inspire.
Find Patterning 2: Drum Machine on the App Store here.
3. Audiobus 3 by Audiobus Pty Ltd
Audiobus 3 is a must-have if you’re looking to have a means for your music making apps to communicate with one another (such as recording the audio from one app, like Beatmaker 3, to another).
Find Audiobus 3 on the App Store here.
4. AudioShare by Kymatica AB
AudioShare is another essential app, as its file management capabilities allow for you to seamlessly import and export audio files with ease. There are also built-in effects such as normalize, trim, and convert, that can prove as handy on the fly.
Find AudioShare on the App Store here.
5. Korg Gadget 2 by KORG INC.
Last but not least, Korg Gadget 2 has got to be one of the most powerful music production apps available in the App Store. Not only does it work as a DAW to lay down your creations, it also offers 40 small synthesizers (also called “gadgets”) at your fingertips, allowing you to readily craft any sound you can imagine.
Find Korg Gadget 2 on the App Store here.
What do you think? Do you have any other iOS apps you’d recommend as well? Share with us below and let’s build together!
6. SunVox
If you’re interested in creating chiptune, SunVox is the best iOS app for the job. Fair warning though: this app isn’t for the faint of heart. SunVox is a fully fledged pattern-based sequencer that uses a tracker interface.
The app includes numerous modular synthesizers and effects processors, including an analog generator, a drum synthesizer with 120 built-in sounds, echo, distortion, reverb, vocal filter, and a module for building your own synths and effects.
Find SunVox on the App Store: here
7. KORG iKaossilator
Just like Figure, iKaossilator is a musical tool that breaks down the boundaries. It’s based on KORG’s pricey Kaossilator hardware, which uses an XY touchpad to manipulate the 150 built-in sounds to create weird and wonderful pieces of music.
The provides you with five channels of sound, which you can toggle at will. You can then take these channels, remix them across your projects, and control your loops in real time. iKaossilator is as much of a performance tool as it is a creative one.
It’s probably most valuable when generating ideas, rather than creating finished productions. It’s possible to export your creations, or upload them directly to SoundCloud if you’re into that.
Find iKaossilator on the App Store: here
