Here’s a quick synth tip, via Phill Wilson, that looks at playing a Korg Monotron in scale with the help of Improvox for iPad:
One of the Korg Monotron’s few drawbacks is how hard it is too play something meaningful… I have found that, by connecting it to my iPad I can use the hardtune effect of my app Improvox to fix the notes coming from the Monotron to a certain scale.
I also use Audiobus and Turnado to add other effects that make the sound of the monotron even more useful in a musical context.
It’s a little MacGyver’d, but it does take the analog sound of the Monotron and open up a lot of new options.
Check it out and let us know what you think!
That is a great clear presentation that you have done.
I still think that Ipads are very expensive and that money could have bought a very decent synthesizer in the first place.
I can’t fault your presentation, but 500 quid to get a correct pitch from a monotron leaves me scratching my head.
Hi, I’m the videos creator, thanks for watching and for your comments.
I think It is a valid point worth evaluating to find the true cost/benefits of an iPad for anyone thinking of a new piece of gear.
Mine for example is an iPad 2, I bought it with a cracked screen for £160 and repaired it myself. with a £20 screen.
it sits in a £80 IO Dock off ebay that I would REALLY recommend to make the iPad start to feel like hardware rather than a computer device.
App wise, I have gone a little crazy BUT I could now probably recommend 25 apps that would sort out all my needs. so say another £100 for all the software..maybe less, I dare not look!!
So for me, it is closer to £300 and the app investment is shared over both my iPads which again allows for more flexibility.
The other side of the coin is FUNCTION ….
Now I run this iPad in the mixer send return which is SO powerful to me, it lets me use apps like Turnado, Loopy and Werkbench to turn the iPad into a recording/sampling effecting tool for any of my mixer inputs, or for internal sounds, this far surpasses all hardware options I know of (besides perhaps the Octatrack), but then more ,
In a different song , without any kind of re-cabling, it can serve as one or even two synths or virtual instruments with some very high quality sounds.
Finally, in the times where my sound and sampling needs are taken care of by my hardware, the iPad STILL has a function as a kind of arch Uber controller, using Beatsurfing or Lemur to control my other hardware in ways that just were not possible without the iPad.
There is no doubt that this looks totally “fanboy” but the truth is , I am not, I really resent a lot of Apples choices particularly in their OS roll-outs and API ring-fencing, BUT, since I have given the theory of useing iPads in music making a try, I have unlocked limits that had been holding my work as a one man lave performer back for years, and for me that is worth A LOT more than the economic price I have paid.
Phil, thank for your explanation of why you use an IPad for software instruments. It is not only great for instruments, but for other uses too. I just bough the Mackie DL 1608 that is control all by the iPad. So I can easily open a synth app, plug in drum mics, a guitar and and have a jam while mixing my gig all from my iPad.
Yeah, because that’s all he uses his iPad for – autotune. But keep flogging that dead horse if you like!
Why?
Genius! Great innovative way to get better use out of the ribbon on the delay – kind of like getting midi in for notes without attempting to hack. Well done!
I just play it with a Nintendo stylus like the youtube videos.
They are cheap and readily available, and they make it much easier to play the Monotron somewhat precisely. 🙂
(Which reminds me of how much I like Korg’s DS-10+ app on the DSi – still waiting for the M1 app to make it out of Japan!)