Lachlan Mooney has introduced Alpha Editor – an editor and patch library app for the Roland Alpha Juno synthesizer family.
Alpha Editor provides direct access to all of the Alpha Juno’s patch parameters, through a clear and reactive touch based interface.
Alpha Editor is a MIDI based app; it uses MIDI to communicate with your Alpha Juno. In order to do so, it requires a coreMIDI compatible adaptor or a connection to a Mac or PC that provides MIDI capabilities.
Features:
- Create, edit, manage and save Alpha Juno patches on your iPad
- Organize your patches into banks
- Load patches from the Alpha Editor to your Alpha Juno
Load the current patch from your Alpha Juno to the Alpha Editor - Create random patches
- Ships with 5 banks (320 patches) of presets
Note: Alpha Editor is compatible with the Roland Alpha Juno 1 & 2, MKS-50 and HS-80. It is intended to only be used in conjunction with one of these synthesisers: it does not double as a generic MIDI controller and it does not produce any sound by itself.
Alpha Editor is available for US $6.99 in the App Store.
cool stuff, might have to try this out.
Really wish the author (for this or any other sysex controller iOS app) would make these Universal (for iPhone & iPad). I would buy every single one of these apps for the hardware I have. Yet not a single one runs on iPhone… I don’t get it. It takes zero effort to make it run on iPhone. Perhaps there’s some developer’s fee I’m unaware of that Apple charges? But most likely not.
I refuse to buy an iPad just to run these little apps when there’s enough power in my iPhone 6 to do the same. This just kills me. Otherwise I run completely on my MacBook for everything synthy.
…I just got a note from the author… An iPhone version may come, but not for a little while. That’s enough to make this curmudgeon a little less grumpy. 🙂
I agree with your wish to have apps be universal. However, there is often a HUGE amount of effort needed to design a UI that works on both screen sizes/ratios. It’s no small task, but can be made easier if this goal is in mind from the beginning of app development rather than as a retrofit.
I always cut devs some slack on the time it takes to get from one device to another. Releasing on only one device first is just good business sense.
This looks like an instant buy to me.
The Juno sounds fantastic for pads and bass, but it’s like a minute to just set your envelope settings, because you have to go back and forth using one dial.
Hope they do the six trak next – another good synth with a crappy interface.
When I had MKS50 I used to control it with AU300, which ran in Logic9. The setup was really awesome – if I had a preset made in AU300 then it went directly into TouchOSC on iPad and it was possible to change all the parameters over the air. This one seems nice too.
Cool. But- BCR-2000.
but what is the market size for these vintage synth editors…
I understand these editors work with the dedicated hardware, in this case the Alpha Juno.
So in order to be worth developing there should be a) enough Alpha’s produced, and b) in working condition and c) enough people interested (with an ipad).
So, for instance, if there were a) 100 000 units produced (and I could not find the number of units produced), and b) 50% of these still working ie 50 000 units, for c) 25% of owners who are interested and with an ipad, ie 12 500 units, this means if all of them bough the editor, the total turnover of 87 375 USD.
If we take away 30% of Apple App fee, this would equate 61 162 USD for the developers. If the app took 2 months with 2 coders at 5 000 USD each per month, that would mean a cost of 20 000 USD, and therefore a potential profit of 40 000 USD. Before other costs (rent, promo, computers…).
Of course, all figures are hypothesis we can play and tweak, but it often helps understand the economic interest of these.
I think you’re too optimistic with your calculations. In order for it to work, one must have an iPad + MIDI interface (usually they’re clumsy).
Vintage gear is used quite a lot – usually newcomers buy new synths, because they don’t know much about them, but otherwise there’s a lot circulating around which people still use and existing editors are not the best either or they are vintage themselves (requiring OS 9, Windows XP or something).
I believe such editors are mainly developed only because of the enthusiasm. If it’s good, then why not earning something back.
then if this is for fun, it is a hobby, otherwise a miscalculated plan – or part of a wider scheme, like catching attention for other purposes.
Why all the scheming & speculation?
Apps like this get developed because the creator wanted it, and decided to share it with others at a fair price.
Kudos to the developer!
I’m sure the developer just wanted easy control of his Alpha Juno and thought he’d share the work with everyone else. I really doubt it’s some huge planned business strategy. Let’s just be happy there are developeres out there makin apps like this. They are very useful for certain people.
I also believe you are expecting too much in the development of an app like this. While it’s no cakewalk, two good coders working full time for two months would be able to develop a hell of a lot more than a remote editor!
I have a Juno 1 which I have lovingly owned since 1986! I have an iPad and iMac and this little app is just the icing on the cake! My Juno 1 was awesome back in 1986 and is still awesome now and I would never part with it! I am smiling and the fun just got better! Thank you Lachlan Mooney!
Would I be asking too much if I wanted to control my synths with my mind? Yes, but not in another 20 years.