There's lots to explore in this sonic playground so I got in touch with the app's creator Erik Sigth of Humbetune. In the conversation that follows, Erik shares how the idea came about, talks about unique features, and wraps it up with a bit of philosophy on the conversational element of the app.
Xynthesizr is an iOS MIDI sequencer that lends itself to live performance by altering playback in real-time via the touch interface or MIDI. Generative features like probability-based pattern morphing and Life-like cellular automata build fascinating variations that are also interactive. Fans of Xynthesizr, including myself, tend to truly enjoy the way it works. I talked with Yuri Turov to learn more about the making of Xynthesizr and his newer XY pad synthesizer called Shoom.
TAL Software recently released an iOS version of their highly regarded Juno 60 emulation. I spoke with TAL Software founder and developer Patrick Kunz, based in Switzerland, to find out a little more about how he has perfected this emulation over the years.
Koala is a sampler for iOS and Android with a well thought out workflow, designed by Marek Bereza. The workflow keeps you from stumbling down a rabbit-hole of micro-editing, tweaking parameters, undoing, redoing, etc. I spoke with Marek who now lives in London to find out more about his design process and background.
Erik Sigth, who goes by the name Humbletune, is an independent developer of very unique synthesizers, samplers, and effects on multiple platforms. Erik is the creator of Tardigrain granular synthesizer, Strng string synthesizer, Shapesynth polyphonic synth, Frekvens frequency shifter delay and Elsa, a retro sampling keyboard among others. The minimalism of the user interface and color palette of his designs are striking. What follows in an interview with Erik to learn more about his approach to creating these instruments and find out about recent app updates.
Samplr was released in 2012, so it has been in the App Store for 8 years, yet a loyal following of musicians is performing with it today and new videos are showing up on YouTube. That’s a long run for a software app. I spoke with the designer of Samplr, Marcos Alonso, to learn about the story behind the design of this instrument.
Mark Watt is the creator of Spacecraft Granular Synth, for iOS and desktop. I contacted Mark to find out how this very musical and creative vision of granular synthesis came to be. What follows is a conversation with Mark that covers his background, the design of the app and in-depth details about how the app works.
Alexander Ewering is the creator of Xequence, an advanced linear MIDI sequencer, editor, arranger and controller for iPhone and iPad. I had a chance to chat with Alexander and find out more about the thinking behind this beautifully designed app.
A variety of MIDI sequencer styles and approaches are available with lots of creative options including Fugue Machine which was inspired by composition techniques used in Baroque music and Serialism. You can step sequence, loop record in an AudioUnit, create Euclidean polyrhythms, make semi-repeating generative phrases and use probability-based pattern morphing with the apps below. This is a short list of sequencers currently in vogue
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