Synth Apps Review:

A colleague recently sent us an email with a couple of recommendations for some great music synth apps. Mark Moriarty is an Education Officer in Wagga Wagga and has been a long time supporter of Apps in Education. He's been doing some fantastic Professional Development around implementing and integrating iPads in the classroom. Today we get the wisdom of that experience. Thanks Mark!

The Apps:

Sunrizer: $5.49 AU
Sunrizer synth is a virtual analog synthesizer that takes the definition of iOS synthesizer to the next level. Thanks to carefully designed architecture and heavy usage of co-processor it blurs the boundaries between iOs and hardware synthesisers. Sunrizer was built to perform and works perfectly with any MIDI keyboard or sequencer.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sunrizer-synth/id443663267?mt=8

Animoog: $31.99 AU

Animoog captures the vast sonic vocabulary of Moog synthesizers and applies it to the modern touch surface paradigm, enabling you to quickly sculpt incredibly fluid and dynamic sounds. Animoog’s unique user interface gives you the power to easily create a visually vibrant and sonically rich universe. It is the ultimate tool for total creative expression!

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/animoog/id471638724?mt=8

NLog Pro: $15.99 AU

An iOS synth with professional grade virtual analogue low latency sound engine. Play it from on-screen keyboard or use MIDI keyboards. Connect to your digital audio workstation via MIDI interfaces and play NLogSynth from other iOS apps like SoundPrism, polychord or Genome Sequencer via virtual Core MIDI. 

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/nlogsynth-pro/id393879841?mt=8

"These apps also have support for Core USB Midi which allows the connection of a USB Midi keyboard through the USB Camera Connection Kit adapter so that the synth can be played from the keyboard. External speakers can be attached through bluetooth or the headphone out on the iPad.

I have a Yamaha PSR S500 keyboard with USB Midi and have successfully connected to the iPad to use the apps. There are some expensive adapters for connection of keyboards to the iPad, such as iRig, V-Midi etc. but if you want a simple connection, the Camera Connection Kit works fine. Obviously it is going to run the battery down a bit, but for casual use it 'just works'.

Another new app is Fruity Loops, FL Studio HD for music creation via the sequencer method."

FL Studio Mobile HD: $19.99 AU

FL Studio Mobile HD allows you to create and save complete multi-track music projects on your iPad. You can even load the FL Studio Mobile projects into the 'FL Studio Desktop PC' version* and take them to the next level. If it’s a beat on the step sequencer, a melody on the piano roll or a full song on the playlist, FL Studio Mobile has you covered.


http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/fl-studio-mobile-hd/id432850619?mt=8