164 pages all you need to know to start making music today!
Making Music on your iPad & iPhone 40 ✓ LEARN to play a real instrument today! ✓ COMPOSE your own songs with apps ✓ RECORD and mix any style of music
tutorials on the the very best music apps
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Contents FUN
LEARN
Welcome to the wonderful world of iOS music-making. There’s something for all.
RECORDING
Game-like experiences that will introduce you to music-making
Learn a real instrument with these amazing apps for your iOS device
Struck by inspiration? Get it down in musical form while it’s still hot!
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Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Using Beatwave Make music by drawing (SoundBrush) Konsonant: art and music Bebot: make synth a cinch Ocarina 2: turn an iPhone into a flute Rockmate Figure: create beats on your mobile Realbeat: turn sounds into sample jams Create beautiful art and music (Musyc) NodeBeat HD: the most colourful music Pixitracker: parts I, II and III Let your music Bloom Soundrop: drop like it’s hot Ethereal music with the Aeolian Harp soundTable Kids, Music and iPads
Piano: let your fingers do the talking Guitar: rock out with virtual strings Drums: swap the sticks for your fingers Wind: blow into your device for music DJ: mix it up on your iPhone or iPad
Meet GarageBand Create a song using Smart Instruments Compose and arrange a song in GarageBand 80 How to record real instruments on your iPad 84 Edit back on your Mac 86 Make your own music with NanoStudio 90 Using Steinberg Cubasis on your iPad 94 Get started with Auria 101 Connect your apps with Audiobus
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SYNTHS
PERFORMANCE
KIT
Hardcore music-making, but you can easily get started here
All you need to go further with your musical creations
The accessories that will complement your own music
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Discover iOS synths Synths and effects Using iOS as a controller expressionPad: easy MIDI music making Propellerhead ReBirth Discover the Korg iPolysix app Korg iMS-20: emulation perfected Make unique sounds with Moog’s Animoog synth 128 Arturia iMini: it sounds as good as it looks
Be a better songwriter Make monster riffs Program drum loops like the experts Share your music with others
Five budget AirPlay speakers iPhone-compatible earbuds Over-ear headphones Bluetooth headphones IK Multimedia iRig HD Lightning connections: two speakers go head-to-head
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FUN
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FUN
Kids, Music and iPads
Your iPad (or iPhone) is the perfect device to introduce your kids to the world of music, melody and rhythm. Let’s start playing…
B
ack in the old days (we’re talking as far back as pre-2007 here!) kids got into music by banging a few home-made percussion instruments or trying out the triangle at school, before graduating to a more challenging musical instrument with lessons – usually the recorder. Luckier kids, with musically inclined parents, would get a more interesting instrument bought for them – a violin or a piano perhaps – and embark on a series of financially draining weekly lessons with a teacher.
The disadvantage for parents here was not only the cost, but also the lack of headphones or volume controls that traditional instruments offer. If you’ve ever heard a child scratching out their first notes on a violin you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about… Real musical instruments are also expensive, and learning demands a big commitment in time. It’s worth it, though. The benefits of learning a musical instrument to a child’s development are many. For a start they’ll develop concentration,
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LEARN
Learn the drums: swap the sticks for your fingers! Train yourself to be the rock-solid powerhouse that every band needs
B
ecoming a good drummer is tough, but modern technology can help give budding beatmasters a break. We look at some tools and techniques drummers can use to improve their craft while waiting for the next gig – using an iPad or iPhone. You can start playing drums on your iOS device straightaway. Launch GarageBand (£2.99 / $4.99) on iPad or iPhone, create a new song and click Instruments. Swipe to Drums (not Smart Drums - the distinction’s important). You’ll see a classic kit laid out before you. Though playing on an iOS device isn’t quite the same as playing real drums, it does help you get used to the layout of a kit and to begin developing patterns. One quick tip you can try is to record a kick track in
GarageBand first. Play that back, with fingers on both left and right hands free to strike the other drums and cymbals in the kit. Tap your foot in time to the bass drum. The GarageBand kit also gives you a number of different kits to use, from realistic-sounding vintage kits, to electronic drum machines. If you don’t have GarageBand, try searching the app store for Ratatap Drums Free or Drums XD. They’re configurable, standalone drum apps that offer a selection of virtual kits to play. Both are free with optional in-app upgrades.
Taking lessons Drums are an easy instrument to begin playing, but they’re difficult to master. You’ll need some lessons to get you going in the right direction
SKINS Go to Drum School on your iPhone or iPad, complete with practice patterns and video examples to show you how.
BADOOM-TISH Of all the standalone virtual drum kit apps available, Ratatap Drums Free is our favourite. Fun and free, if you don’t mind a few ads.
and continue improving. There are apps for that too. Drum School for iPad is at the top of our list. There are few frills with this app but, for just £2.99 / $4.99, it packs a lot of information into a simple interface. A list of grooves, practice patterns and techniques in the sidebar are illustrated on the right of the screen with video and musical notation. With a real drum kit to practice with, you’ll be able to progress the material at your own pace, until you’re ready to jam with a band. If you feel like you can do without the video support Drum School offers, or you’re using an iPhone or iPod touch, there’s theDrumDictionary at £2.49 / $3.99. The app concentrates on standard styles and playing patterns, but the notation is very clear and great for beginners. There are audio examples of each technique too. You’ll soon be able to tell a double drag tap from a multiple bounce roll... Once you’ve got your grip right, have coordinated your feet and hands and can play a few basic patterns, you’ll be itching to play along with some music. There are a couple of decent apps to get you started. Tempo SlowMo Pro is one of those gobsmacking, universal apps we wish we’d had when we were first learning to rock out. It can play back audio
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LEARN
tracks from several sources, including iTunes. The killer feature is that you can slow tunes down without changing pitch so you can keep pace as you play along. You can also loop sections of songs, to play a part over and over until you get it right. The advertising-supported version is free, but if you use it a lot you can remove ads from 69p / 99¢.
We’re jamming Jammit (Free) is another impressive app for practicing. It has some features similar to Tempo SlowMo, but works with special “Jammit Tracks”. These are taken directly from the original multitrack recordings and enable you to isolate specific instruments - so you can sit in the drum chair with Nirvana or accompany KT Tunstall on Suddenly I See. It’s a more expensive option than Tempo SlowMo, with individual instrument tracks as much as £3.99 / $5.99. The real tragedy of drumming is that it’s the least portable of all band instruments. While keyboard players and guitarists can pop in earbuds and
TALKING DRUM theDrumDictionary is a reference guide to drumming patterns, complete with musical notation examples.
VIRTUAL BANGS GarageBand’s drum kits give you a great way to practice patterns with headphones in, without setting up your real kit.
TIME FOR YOUR SOLO Jammit enables you to download isolated instruments from your favourite tunes. A great idea in theory, though a bit expensive once you begin to buy tracks.
practice anywhere, drummers really need a full kit and a soundproof room to practice properly. But there is an iPhone app that’s the next best thing. TableDrum (69p / 99¢) is two years old, but has yet to be bettered or emulated. The way it
Becoming a good drummer is tough, but modern technology can help give budding beatmasters a break
works is like voodoo. You train the app to recognise a specific sound – a tap on a table with a fingertip, or a pen hitting a mug – and it then uses that sound to trigger a drum. The response time is near-instant and, with headphones in, you can quickly set-up a full, ad-hoc drum kit from everyday objects. In-App Purchases unlock additional kits. You can run it on an iPad, but it works best on the iPhone or iPod touch. ●
MIRACLE APP? TableDrum has fast become our favourite iPhone app of any kind – for just 69p, too.
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RECORDING
Recording: getting all your ideas down Struck by inspiration? Get it down in musical form while it’s still hot! 70 72 76 80 84 86 90 94 101
Meet GarageBand Create a song using Smart Instruments Compose and arrange a song in GarageBand How to record real instruments on your iPad Edit back on your Mac Make your own music with NanoStudio Using Steinberg Cubasis on your iPad Get started with Auria Connect your apps with Audiobus
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RECORDING
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SYNTHS
Synths: the core of iOS music making Integrate with your DAW, play with effects apps and use iOS as a controller 106 111 112 114 116 120 122 124
Discover iOS synths Synths and effects Using iOS as a controller expressionPad: easy MIDI music making Get to know the amazing Propellerhead ReBirth Discover the Korg iPolysix app Korg iMS-20: emulation perfected Make unique sounds with Moog’s Animoog synth 128 Arturia iMini: it sounds as good as it looks
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SYNTHS
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PERFORMANCE
Peformance: improving your skills Take your songwriting, or loops riffs and further, and then share‌ 134 136 138 142
Be a better songwriter Make monster riffs Program drum loops like the experts Share your music with others
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PERFORMANCE
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