6 ms·

I discovered by pure chance the vast ecosystem of iOS synths apps. And I was absolutely blown away. 90+% of the synths of the past century are available for ~5-

by lolive 1y ago

I discovered by pure chance the vast ecosystem of iOS synths apps. And I was absolutely blown away. 90+% of the synths of the past century are available for ~5-20€ each. Connect that to a basic KORG MicroKeys Air [extra cheap, but includes Bluetooth]. And you are the next Jean-Michel Jarre. [Note: and the amount of tutorial videos on YouTube is huge.]

beAbU 1y ago
I'm not sure what it's like on iOS, but on Android the latency renders attempting anything "serious" impossible. There is a noticeable delay between pressing an on-screen key and getting sound out. I don't even want to imagine what a Bluetooth keybed introduce in the latency chain! Do iDevices not support hardware (USB) MIDI?
- lolive 1y ago
  I notice no latency with my USB midi keyboard. And the MicroKey Air I have is also real-time, in Bluetooth. [the Bluetooth headphones on the contrary have a noticeable delay, so prefer the almighty jack 3.5 mm connection]
  - lolive 1y ago
    * on iOS, of course
lolive 1y ago
Additional note: synth emulation is also available in the Bristol Linux app, or in the [proprietary but very complete] Arturia VST.
rjh29 1y ago
For some synths like Blofeld, you're paying $10-20 for something that used to sell in a box for $300. And it's the exact same synth (100% digital) often with a better UI. The iPad is a great choice for music - you get the variety of hardware synths with none of the annoying setup (power, midi, audio routing), at a cheaper price, but it still feels more immersive than sitting at a desktop PC and a daw.
- ofalkaed 1y ago
  But they are not the same, if you are a musician going to bars and practice spaces and the like that $300 Blofeld will handle the abuse and accidents much better than a laptop or tablet. No matter what you do and how careful you are, cords get snagged and stepped on, stuff gets knocked over, things get spilled etc etc etc. My Blofeld has taken far more abuse than any laptop or tablet will handle and still going strong 15 years later; three laptops and two tablets later. There are things you can do to make computers more suitable for this stuff but it gets expensive fast and less convenient quickly. Toughbooks are tempting, but expensive, rackmount computer can be managed for not much and keeps the computer safe in its rack but now you more and bigger stuff to haul. Taking a disposable approach with rpi or the like is tempting but not exactly ideal. Computers/tablets are great and have their uses but are not a replacement for hardware yet. The big problem for me with all things touch screen is that they get confused by water on the screen, which is an issue when it is hot and you are sweating or on a stage with bright lights cooking you. Not an issue if you just want to tap out beats but a serious headache if you want to adjust parameters. Connectors on tablets are also an issue, USB is not a very secure connection and the wireless options are not great. Give me a tablet with a plastic screen, 1/4" ins/outs, can run PureData and will not get confused by water on the screen and I will probably give up my hardware.
  - diggan 1y ago
    > My Blofeld has taken far more abuse than any laptop or tablet will handle and still going strong 15 years later; three laptops and two tablets later. On the other hand, my Blofeld had wonky unresponsive knobs after just a couple of months, not that they were very good at the first place, who thought having knobs with no tactile feeling of grip was good idea?! Personally the biggest win for actual hardware is that it's just more fun to play and use. I've tried various music apps for mobile/tablets and while it's fun for some minutes, that's pretty much it. But then I feel the same with DAWs, it's just not as fun as playing with an hardware drum machine + synth + sampler all hooked together.
    - ofalkaed 1y ago
      The encoder issue was fixed with a firmware update, they switched encoders and did not quite account for how they would work once broken in. I had one of those Blofelds for awhile, bought a second because the deal was too good to pass up and it was pretty much new in box. I like the knobs, love the detentless encoders.
lastdong 1y ago
GarageBand is free on every iPhone and has a good selection of starter synths, with added DAW capabilities. Bluetooth midi controllers are supported (via bluetooth midi connect App). Using a pi or Arduino to build a midi controller can also be great fun.
- raffraffraff 1y ago
  This is the real competition. I'm not a Mac head but the one Mac in my house that will runs MacOS is connected to my Yamaha piano and runs Garageband. Is there any other software that works as simply as this, on any other platform?
  - AlecSchueler 1y ago
    Simple in what way? It's a difficult question to answer because in my mind pretty much any software synth on Linux is just plug and play, but I'm guessing there's a technical gap that I'm overlooking due to familiarity. What complications do you run into outside of garage band, or you imagine you would run into?
    - klodolph 1y ago
      Garage Band is also a DAW; you can record both MIDI and audio tracks. Big library of things like drum loops and basslines you can drop into your project. Big library of sounds, including acoustic instruments, orchestral instruments, drums, world instruments. Good selection of effects. Easy to browse presets. I have at various points in my life used Garage Band, Logic, or various Linux software.
    - QuadmasterXLII 1y ago
      They might just be old like me- I crashed into ubuntu studio’s ALSA and Jack config like a brick wall in 2012 and never recovered.
      - klodolph 1y ago
        I also remember dealing with a nightmare of PulseAudio problems. It took me a long, long time to warm up to PulseAudio after experiencing how bad it was around 2010.
Juliate 1y ago
Yes! But, huge but, very huge but, you lose the affordance of the switches and the buttons and the knobs and the patch cables. And that is a terrible loss for fiddling and discovery.
- drcongo 1y ago
  Ahh, but, you can just chain a bunch of Intech controllers. That's what I do. https://intech.studio https://intech.studio
- lolive 1y ago
  True. But for going from zero to semi-hero, that’s definitely an option. [the huge amount of presets in software synths is really an BIG added value, so you can learn how each given sound is built]
  - Juliate 1y ago
    Definitely agree too. Budget is definitely not the same. And something like VCVRack is heaven to learn, experiment and understand what one can do with synthesis, step by step.
- kstrauser 1y ago
  My first synth was a TX81Z. That one set of buttons I’ll never miss.
- lolive 1y ago
  My path has been to work a lot in the ODDYSEi app. Now that I understand most of it, I am really considering buying a ARP 2600 replica. So yes, the switch from software to hardware comes with time. But, at least for me, the first step is cheap apps on my already-owned tablet.
  - piltdownman 1y ago
    As a BARP 2600 owner (standard, not grey or blue) I couldn't recommend it more. If nothing else its max €400 for one of the most incredibly routable FX modules of all time with a very serviceable digital spring-reverb and Ring Modulator in the mix. Pair with a Strymon Night Sky or Big Sky and you've an enviable ambient/soundscape setup.
m_kos 1y ago
For synth heads, there is also a well-regarded Syntorial app/course. (BTW, has anyone tried their Building Blocks? There are very few online reviews.)
- bzzzt 1y ago
  Building Blocks was a pack-in when I bought Syntorial in last years sale. It's technically different (web-based instead of a standalone app like Syntorial), and tries to do with music theory as a whole what Syntorial does with synthesis. Since it goes through the same 'theory, practice and create' cycle every time (eg. once for every chord type) I found it getting a bit tedious after a while.
ACCount37 1y ago
Creating music was never more accessible than it is now. Conversely, the likelihood of making it big just by making some good damn music was never lower than it is now. Makes for a fine hobby though.
- diggan 1y ago
  > Conversely, the likelihood of making it big just by making some good damn music was never lower than it is now. Is that statement backed by any facts? Otherwise it sounds like a soundbite that sounds good, but I'm not sure how true it is. Maybe what "making it big" has changed more compared to how many people make their living making music, which for me would be enough to be considered "making it big".
  - AlecSchueler 1y ago
    Do you believe more people per capita now make their their livings as performing musicians?
  - lolive 1y ago
    Making it big used to be a mix of luck, hard work, insane talent and tons of marketing. The marketing stratégies are, from my perspective, what makes things different nowadays. [but when you simply ignore the marketing , and are a bit picky in your choices, the current offer is 10000% more qualitative than it has ever been. And BIG THINGS happen behind the curtain of mass marketing]
- usrusr 1y ago
  How will that hobby fare against gen-AI prompt composing? Synths and samplers and sequencers were once removed from playing real instruments, softsynths and DAW twice removed and now there's genAI, thrice removed and arguably the biggest jump of them all. When softsyths appeared, real instruments weren't affected at all, but physical synths all but disappeared, just carried on by inertia, integration with real instruments and a bit of nostalgia. Will the same happen to soft synth now that there's an alternative thrice removed from real instruments? I believe so: in an aging softsynth community I still mingle with occasionally, everybody who is still actively involved with music seems to have either moved on to genAI, or to soft-on-Rpi for better integration with real instruments (including synths of all kinds).
MomsAVoxell 1y ago
I have a room full of synths from the 70's and 80's, two racks full of synths from the 90's, a veritable crap heap of soft synths on various Macs, and a Eurorack corner that threatens to implode my universe .. an as well - my Zynthian and Monome systems are chock full of great stuff, too. It's not just iOS. Zynthian and Monome provide an AMAZING ecosystem for audio exploration. If you haven't checked that out as well, here's the links: https://monome.org https://monome.org https://zynthian.org https://zynthian.org That said - I could easily just get another iPad, throw away the room full of synths, wire up my iPads and the Zynthian and Monome systems, and be quite satisfied.
vunderba 1y ago
I do the majority of my music composition on a desktop but it can definitely be nice to bring my 37-key midi controller + iPad for doing stuff on the go. It's also not entirely uncommon for an App Store synth to offer both an iOS and a native Mac version so always check the store description to see if its universal. The ability to seamlessly bring your tracks over to a more full-fledged DAW on your Mac is really nice. Example: Minimoog Model D Synthesizer https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minimoog-model-d-synthesizer/id1339418001 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minimoog-model-d-synthesizer/i...

by lolive 1y ago

beAbU 1y ago

I'm not sure what it's like on iOS, but on Android the latency renders attempting anything "serious" impossible. There is a noticeable delay between pressing an on-screen key and getting sound out. I don't even want to imagine what a Bluetooth keybed introduce in the latency chain! Do iDevices not support hardware (USB) MIDI?

lolive 1y ago
I notice no latency with my USB midi keyboard. And the MicroKey Air I have is also real-time, in Bluetooth. [the Bluetooth headphones on the contrary have a noticeable delay, so prefer the almighty jack 3.5 mm connection]
- lolive 1y ago
  * on iOS, of course

lolive 1y ago

Additional note: synth emulation is also available in the Bristol Linux app, or in the [proprietary but very complete] Arturia VST.

rjh29 1y ago

For some synths like Blofeld, you're paying $10-20 for something that used to sell in a box for $300. And it's the exact same synth (100% digital) often with a better UI. The iPad is a great choice for music - you get the variety of hardware synths with none of the annoying setup (power, midi, audio routing), at a cheaper price, but it still feels more immersive than sitting at a desktop PC and a daw.

ofalkaed 1y ago
But they are not the same, if you are a musician going to bars and practice spaces and the like that $300 Blofeld will handle the abuse and accidents much better than a laptop or tablet. No matter what you do and how careful you are, cords get snagged and stepped on, stuff gets knocked over, things get spilled etc etc etc. My Blofeld has taken far more abuse than any laptop or tablet will handle and still going strong 15 years later; three laptops and two tablets later. There are things you can do to make computers more suitable for this stuff but it gets expensive fast and less convenient quickly. Toughbooks are tempting, but expensive, rackmount computer can be managed for not much and keeps the computer safe in its rack but now you more and bigger stuff to haul. Taking a disposable approach with rpi or the like is tempting but not exactly ideal. Computers/tablets are great and have their uses but are not a replacement for hardware yet. The big problem for me with all things touch screen is that they get confused by water on the screen, which is an issue when it is hot and you are sweating or on a stage with bright lights cooking you. Not an issue if you just want to tap out beats but a serious headache if you want to adjust parameters. Connectors on tablets are also an issue, USB is not a very secure connection and the wireless options are not great. Give me a tablet with a plastic screen, 1/4" ins/outs, can run PureData and will not get confused by water on the screen and I will probably give up my hardware.
- diggan 1y ago
  > My Blofeld has taken far more abuse than any laptop or tablet will handle and still going strong 15 years later; three laptops and two tablets later. On the other hand, my Blofeld had wonky unresponsive knobs after just a couple of months, not that they were very good at the first place, who thought having knobs with no tactile feeling of grip was good idea?! Personally the biggest win for actual hardware is that it's just more fun to play and use. I've tried various music apps for mobile/tablets and while it's fun for some minutes, that's pretty much it. But then I feel the same with DAWs, it's just not as fun as playing with an hardware drum machine + synth + sampler all hooked together.
  - ofalkaed 1y ago
    The encoder issue was fixed with a firmware update, they switched encoders and did not quite account for how they would work once broken in. I had one of those Blofelds for awhile, bought a second because the deal was too good to pass up and it was pretty much new in box. I like the knobs, love the detentless encoders.

lastdong 1y ago

GarageBand is free on every iPhone and has a good selection of starter synths, with added DAW capabilities. Bluetooth midi controllers are supported (via bluetooth midi connect App). Using a pi or Arduino to build a midi controller can also be great fun.

raffraffraff 1y ago
This is the real competition. I'm not a Mac head but the one Mac in my house that will runs MacOS is connected to my Yamaha piano and runs Garageband. Is there any other software that works as simply as this, on any other platform?
- AlecSchueler 1y ago
  Simple in what way? It's a difficult question to answer because in my mind pretty much any software synth on Linux is just plug and play, but I'm guessing there's a technical gap that I'm overlooking due to familiarity. What complications do you run into outside of garage band, or you imagine you would run into?
  - klodolph 1y ago
    Garage Band is also a DAW; you can record both MIDI and audio tracks. Big library of things like drum loops and basslines you can drop into your project. Big library of sounds, including acoustic instruments, orchestral instruments, drums, world instruments. Good selection of effects. Easy to browse presets. I have at various points in my life used Garage Band, Logic, or various Linux software.
  - QuadmasterXLII 1y ago
    They might just be old like me- I crashed into ubuntu studio’s ALSA and Jack config like a brick wall in 2012 and never recovered.
    - klodolph 1y ago
      I also remember dealing with a nightmare of PulseAudio problems. It took me a long, long time to warm up to PulseAudio after experiencing how bad it was around 2010.

Juliate 1y ago

Yes! But, huge but, very huge but, you lose the affordance of the switches and the buttons and the knobs and the patch cables. And that is a terrible loss for fiddling and discovery.

drcongo 1y ago
Ahh, but, you can just chain a bunch of Intech controllers. That's what I do. https://intech.studio https://intech.studio
lolive 1y ago
True. But for going from zero to semi-hero, that’s definitely an option. [the huge amount of presets in software synths is really an BIG added value, so you can learn how each given sound is built]
- Juliate 1y ago
  Definitely agree too. Budget is definitely not the same. And something like VCVRack is heaven to learn, experiment and understand what one can do with synthesis, step by step.
kstrauser 1y ago
My first synth was a TX81Z. That one set of buttons I’ll never miss.
lolive 1y ago
My path has been to work a lot in the ODDYSEi app. Now that I understand most of it, I am really considering buying a ARP 2600 replica. So yes, the switch from software to hardware comes with time. But, at least for me, the first step is cheap apps on my already-owned tablet.
- piltdownman 1y ago
  As a BARP 2600 owner (standard, not grey or blue) I couldn't recommend it more. If nothing else its max €400 for one of the most incredibly routable FX modules of all time with a very serviceable digital spring-reverb and Ring Modulator in the mix. Pair with a Strymon Night Sky or Big Sky and you've an enviable ambient/soundscape setup.

m_kos 1y ago

For synth heads, there is also a well-regarded Syntorial app/course. (BTW, has anyone tried their Building Blocks? There are very few online reviews.)

bzzzt 1y ago
Building Blocks was a pack-in when I bought Syntorial in last years sale. It's technically different (web-based instead of a standalone app like Syntorial), and tries to do with music theory as a whole what Syntorial does with synthesis. Since it goes through the same 'theory, practice and create' cycle every time (eg. once for every chord type) I found it getting a bit tedious after a while.

ACCount37 1y ago

Creating music was never more accessible than it is now. Conversely, the likelihood of making it big just by making some good damn music was never lower than it is now. Makes for a fine hobby though.

diggan 1y ago
> Conversely, the likelihood of making it big just by making some good damn music was never lower than it is now. Is that statement backed by any facts? Otherwise it sounds like a soundbite that sounds good, but I'm not sure how true it is. Maybe what "making it big" has changed more compared to how many people make their living making music, which for me would be enough to be considered "making it big".
- AlecSchueler 1y ago
  Do you believe more people per capita now make their their livings as performing musicians?
- lolive 1y ago
  Making it big used to be a mix of luck, hard work, insane talent and tons of marketing. The marketing stratégies are, from my perspective, what makes things different nowadays. [but when you simply ignore the marketing , and are a bit picky in your choices, the current offer is 10000% more qualitative than it has ever been. And BIG THINGS happen behind the curtain of mass marketing]
usrusr 1y ago
How will that hobby fare against gen-AI prompt composing? Synths and samplers and sequencers were once removed from playing real instruments, softsynths and DAW twice removed and now there's genAI, thrice removed and arguably the biggest jump of them all. When softsyths appeared, real instruments weren't affected at all, but physical synths all but disappeared, just carried on by inertia, integration with real instruments and a bit of nostalgia. Will the same happen to soft synth now that there's an alternative thrice removed from real instruments? I believe so: in an aging softsynth community I still mingle with occasionally, everybody who is still actively involved with music seems to have either moved on to genAI, or to soft-on-Rpi for better integration with real instruments (including synths of all kinds).

MomsAVoxell 1y ago

I have a room full of synths from the 70's and 80's, two racks full of synths from the 90's, a veritable crap heap of soft synths on various Macs, and a Eurorack corner that threatens to implode my universe .. an as well - my Zynthian and Monome systems are chock full of great stuff, too. It's not just iOS. Zynthian and Monome provide an AMAZING ecosystem for audio exploration. If you haven't checked that out as well, here's the links: https://monome.org https://monome.org https://zynthian.org https://zynthian.org That said - I could easily just get another iPad, throw away the room full of synths, wire up my iPads and the Zynthian and Monome systems, and be quite satisfied.

vunderba 1y ago

I do the majority of my music composition on a desktop but it can definitely be nice to bring my 37-key midi controller + iPad for doing stuff on the go. It's also not entirely uncommon for an App Store synth to offer both an iOS and a native Mac version so always check the store description to see if its universal. The ability to seamlessly bring your tracks over to a more full-fledged DAW on your Mac is really nice. Example: Minimoog Model D Synthesizer https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minimoog-model-d-synthesizer/id1339418001 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minimoog-model-d-synthesizer/i...