Audio Tools

AD 480 Pro – Reverb App Review

AD 480 Pro

They said you can’t get a high quality reverb on iOS. They said you can’t do a lot of things with iOS. They were right to some extent, but that was a while ago. Now of course a very large number of high quality tools & options exist for making professional quality music productions.
iOS Reverb options had been difficult to defend and honestly refer to as “professional” or “high quality” for a while. With increased device power (still relatively underpowered) and evolving development, the past several months have seen a boom in high powered music apps of all sorts.
Now AD480 Pro has come along to offer us a very nice quality stand alone reverb app. This is not your Grandmas “FreeVerb”.

You probably know by now that I love Reverb. If you didn’t, well, now you do. Reverb is a powerful effect giving most any sound a boost in warmth, depth, and wideness. Its very useful, and found nearly everywhere in music. It is a power hungry effect. Which is why early iOS music apps could never really deliver a high quality option. There was even a time when professionals would laugh at the idea of a digital reverb emulation ever being possible. Of course computers have rapidly moved forward and had numerous digital Reverb options at a very high quality standard for years. iOS however is just beginning to join the party.

AD480 Pro is the first high end, stand alone reverb app to hit the App Store, but not the very first high quality or professional reverb option (See my Auria – Plug Ins & FX review series) available to iOS musicians. But, this is about stand alone FX apps, so I’ll stay on track.
This really does sound amazing!
AD480 Pro is a unique algorithm created by Future Audio, inspired by legendary reverb units such as “Lexicon” and the likes. They wanted to develop a reverb that can reproduce any acoustic space imaginable. Furthermore they wanted to make it easy to use with a bevy of adjustable parameters and routing options for the user to manipulate to their liking.
I think they were successful on all counts with AD480 Pro.

AD480 Pro has a great sound. A really great sound! It is fully Audiobus compatible supporting “Input”, “Effects” and “Output” slots.
It is easy to use in any situation such as playing live, in the studio, a park or practically anywhere. There’s no shortage of possibilities to create a wide margin of reverberation effects.
Having control over Hi/Lo filter frequencies, levels, dampness, cutoffs, spread, mix, and many more parameters will offer you a multitude of sound types. With 108 presets covering a wide spectrum of sounds, there’s plenty of stuff ready to go and or build off of. Create and save your own patches and banks for easy use another time.
The cross feed parameters have a powerful effect, but may not always be necessary. I had been experimenting with these and hearing some added metallic sounds I wanted no part of.
So I asked Future Audio about it and here is what they said:
“The cross feed parameter group was introduced to allow a well defined behavior of the reverb for stereo signals which are not located in the middle of the panorama but much more on the left or right statically. If you have a sound like a nice broad stereo pad or similar things you actually don’t need that parameter group unless you intend to produce some special effect.”

That was a helpful explanation. It made so much sense to me that I felt silly asking the question.
It goes to show you that they are very proud of AD480 Pro and eager to help.

There’s no shortage of routing options for MIDI uses, and under the hood is a mighty engine. Here are some additional features at a glance:
24 input and output channel routing matrix.
Internal/ external USB class compliant audio interfaces supported.
Full MIDI communication support via network, & USB-MIDI & internal (virtual) MIDI.
Super low latency from 64 samples up.
Sample rate support for 44.1 to 96 kHz
Low Light Mode – Looks pretty cool by the way.
And more.

There are plenty of functions and parameters available to explore the world of reverb.
Nothing fancy like modulations, tuning, or springs etc, but plenty to make excellent sounding reverb space effects. Space, as in a space like a room, not deep space. You can however create deep space reverb sound effects though. Imagine a star destroyers massive hanger bay after all the fighters departed. Vast! It can be done as big or small, cold or warm as you want.
I had no instances where I felt I was unable to achieve the sound I was looking for. When I wanted a warm feel or a deep space chill, it was no problem. I never felt like I was using some old cheap sounding FreeVerb algorithm. What I’ve been hearing from AD480 Pro has been very satisfying and truly professional sounding. I’ve not experienced any crashing even when using Audiobus with this, an input and an output app. Its been stable on both my iPads 3&4.
My only complaints are there’s no recording function, & no AudioCopy/Paste. That dings the convenience factor in my opinion. My other stand alone reverb app is much better for recording directly into it, and or importing and exporting samples between other apps without having to rely on Audiobus or bounce around from app to app.
I was also a little disappointed in the lack of a chorus or other modulation parameters considering the price. Some modulation options might be added, and more presets at a later time, but as IAPs.
I get the IAP for modulation, but for presets? The following in this paragraph alone has been edited with additional content Maybe its because I do my own sound design, and find the parameters of this app to be pretty strait forward, but selling presets in this case just seems silly to me. Just my opinion. Maybe its a great idea to offer professionally designed presets via IAP? Could it be a good value for folks who either don’t feel comfortable trying to make their own, or just don’t want to spend the time? What do you think? Leave a comment, Id love to hear your thoughts, and I think the developer might appreciate it as well?

Minor gripes aside, its about the quality of the app and AD480 Pro oozes quality. Considering that a comparable desktop plug in would cost many times more than this, AD480 is a good value. Just a little inconvenient in certain situations.

Recommended.

Master Record – App Review

Master Record
Developed By: Igor Vasiliev iMusicAlbum

Available in iTunes App Store HERE

Remember when you had to put an audio cassette tape in your old Tascam PortaStudio to record music? Remember the warm hiss that analogue tape added? You don’t? Really? Yikes, I’m really showing my age I guess.

Well anyway, before technological advances that brought us luxuries like gravity, oxygen, and iPads, we had to record our music up hill! Both ways, when I was young! Dag nabbit!
Now we have insanely easy ways to record. No more tapes, reels, or whatever. No more unwanted noise.

So now we have “Master Record” available for us to enjoy recreating the noisy analogue tape recordings from yesteryear. But, why?
Turns out there are plenty of folks who appreciated the warm hiss that tape forced upon us. With this app though, that noise is completely under the users control. You can crank it up and have your recordings sound like they were done behind a waterfall, or remove it completely. Whatever you want.

Master Record is a convenient way to record just about anything, from any audio source. Wherever you choose. It works with the iRig Mic (among many other mics) and is Audiobus compatible with the Effect and Output slots. Import or export using AudioCopy/Paste, Open In, Internal web service via WiFi and of course iTunes File Share. Moving recordings to and from Master Record is covered well. It needs Dropbox support though.

More than anything this app is best suited for adding analogue tape sound effects, rather than a go to recorder. It can warm up recordings with its 4 unique analogue tape noise emulations, and its “Tape Saturator” with 3 variants. There are also the “Flutter” effects with 3 frequency types and a basic 2 band shelf EQ for input corrections. So there’s plenty of options to manage and create the desired effects.
The “Flutter” however really doesn’t seem to do anything at all. I’ve tried maxing it in several experiments with various audio, but it has no noticeable effect on anything.
I suppose the effects this app generates are meant to be subtle, and very specific. In regards to that, it does a great job. So don’t go in expecting to get anything but analogue tape effects out of Master Record.

Master Record has a nice waveform view screen which also provides an environment to adjust fades. 3 envelope fade types ( just like in the Audio Mastering App which looks nearly identical to this app) to choose from and detailed positioning with pin point accuracy.
This is simply a recording app, but it would benefit from some editing tools. That would boost its appeal, making it much more useful and practical. As a stand alone recorder with no wave editing, that for the most part doesn’t do much except produce a niche sound type, Master Record has me on the fence whether or not to recommend it widely.

Yes! This does do a very good job with emulating analogue tape noise, has dubbing, a good array of tweakable parameters for warming recordings and adding body. But that’s about it. This is one of those very specific “job-type” apps. If you really want to have an excellent way to reproduce certain tape sound types, and make perfect digital recordings sound more natural, then look no further. If you don’t have a strong desire for this specific sound, then you probably won’t have much need for this particular app.

AUFX:Space – Review

AUFX: Space
A High Quality Reverb From: Kymatica
Available Now From iTunes App Store

Reverb is one of those FX that is found almost everywhere. It’s used in so many settings. From ambient electronic to heavy metal, reverb is in most any music. It’s not just an effect for music, but also something that occurs naturally in seemingly mundane places. Basements, cathedrals, auditoriums, arenas, and caves to name a few. It is often equated to vast space. Sometimes outer space, which is ironic as sound doesn’t carry in a vacuum. Sure that’s not literal when referring to reverb in terms of space with stars and planets, but it does represent the vastness that reverb can convey.

So “Space” is a good descriptive word when we are talking about reverb. AUFX: Space, is the latest and the first in a series of effects units being developed by Kymatica. You may know of Kymatica from their other highly useful and quality apps like “AudioShare” “BitWiz” and “Gestrument” among others.
What the rest of the AUFX series turns out to include remains to be seen, but “Space” is a great start. Reverb and iOS have not had a long running record of high quality offerings. “Space” aims to change that going forward. Finally a stand alone high quality reverb app is here.

AUFX: Space is a high quality 32 bit DSP reverb unit with enough adjustable parameters to shape or mimic countless reverb types superbly.
All the standard reverb parameters plus a few more are built in to Space. Spread, Damping, Pre-Delay, Wet/Dry, Scale, Gain, Room Size, Color, and both LoPass and HiPass resonant filters with Cutoff. Very nearly complete. I say nearly because it’s missing a parameter I’ve been seeking for ages in iOS reverbs; “Swirl” or “Chorus” of sorts. Not like a full-on Chorus effect, which I suspect will be offered later in the AUFX series, but a kind that adds a dimension of movement with the reverberations. Maybe it’ll come, but it’s a lot to ask for since it would add more power demands to an already efficient app. No need to over do it, but it would be nice to see for once.

The numerous highly adjustable parameters I listed from Space have allowed me to make some fantastic-sounding effects that nothing (Aurias Reverb Plug Ins are the exception) in iOS has allowed before. Space scratches the reverb itch.
Deep, rich, warm, and expansive to short, cold, subtle and every effect in-between sound really nice. Unlike most iOS reverb options, which by comparison to “Space” sound very thin, cheap, and like they’re coming from within tin cans. They have been improving slowly, but this is a significant and targeted advancement. AUFX: Space fills a void (no pun intended) I thought might never be filled. I wish I had this 2 years ago.

FEATURES

Process hardware input/output or other apps through Audiobus (input/filter/output slots supported).
Ready for the future inter-app audio standard.
Fully MIDI controllable, including Virtual MIDI.
Background Audio.
Save and load user presets.
Comes with several bundled presets.
Record the result directly in app.
Email recordings or export to AudioShare audio document manager app.
Access user presets and recordings through iTunes File Sharing.

Using this app with Audiobus has proven to be problem free so far as I’ve experienced on my iPads 3 and 4. In case “clipping” were to happen there is a thoughtful “limiter” function which can be enabled from the menu. It says it adds 10MS to latency, but I haven’t noticed it. You can also save your concoctions to call up later easily from the menu.

The U.I. is simple and uncluttered making usage effortless. Its just you and Space with nothing distracting. The way it should be. With the ability to record directly, run through all Audiobus slots, and MIDI including virtual MIDI, its ready for any project. Not to mention its already built with iOS 7s “inter-app audio” standard in mind and prepared for when iOS7 releases.
When this releases (could be sometime in July) I would encourage anyone who wants a simple yet sophisticated and excellent reverb option to pick this up.

EDIT: 7-23-2013
I wanted to add that I have been using “Space” with my iRig Mic to capture audio recording directly to the app. It was not only convenient, but really sounded great even through the iRig. Just holding on the recording from the menu brings up a option to quickly move files to AudioShare.
The launch price of $3.99 is a steal! Low price compared to others, but by no means is this cheap. Sure you could go spend $10 $20 or more for other stand alone FX, but you won’t get anything better than this.

It will be very interesting to see what Kymatica offers next in the AUFX apps series. I for one am very eager to find out. At any rate, this is a really great start!

Audio Mastering – Review

Audio Mastering
Developed by: iMusicAlbum Igor Vasiliev

Available in iTunes App Store HERE

UPDATED: 6-24-2013

Get on the bus! Audio Mastering now supports Audiobus effect & output slots. Very good news don’t you think? They also added a solo mode for EQ bands, record on signal start, fixed some minor bugs and so on.
The Audiobus effect & output support is probably what most folks will get excited for. Now after you do your mixing and have a song all arranged you can record it directly to this to then master. If you’re using Cubasis, NanoStudio, BeatMaker2, FL Studio, etc, then you need this app to make your mix really shine.

Original Review:

If you make music using your iPad, prefer to use one of the iDAWs other than Auria, then you probably would like to have a solid app to master your work?

There’s plenty of snobby purists around who will insist that mastering on an iPad is just not possible. They are right!
It is not possible for them to do it. With their eyes firmly shut and noses stuck so high in the sky, theres no way they could even see the screen. Sarcasm aside, the truth is; oh yes we can!
Admittedly mastering had in the past been a bit of a weakness in iOS music. Most of the iDAWs still have pretty lack luster or cheap tools with too many limitations to be taken seriously in the mastering department. Really only Auria has appropriate mastering tools, and the best plug ins to craft amazing sound. Those however can be very costly, and many people prefer other fine iDAWs for their work. Unfortunately those other iDAWs don’t have much to offer on this topic.
Now developers are taking this stuff seriously and some nice third party apps devoted to high quality mastering are becoming increasingly available, with more too come.

Welcome Audio Mastering!

If you have good monitors, or studio headphones, all you need is the software to polish up your music. Audio Mastering is a very solid software choice. Based on the same algorithms found in professional, high quality plug ins for computer DAWs, this all in one audio workshop is ready to go.

Features at a glance:
24 bit audio processing, linear phase 10 band equalizer, 3 band stereo imaging, 3 harmonic saturator types, variable speed loudness (limiter) maximizer.
Sample rate converter from 96, 88, 48.4 to 44.1 KHZ
Dithering with noise shaping. 3 fade shapes in and out. Plus many more. Visit Creator Igor Vasiliev blog HERE for more details and app support.

Currently Audio Mastering supports Audio Copy/Paste, and “Open In” making it easy to exchange files with numerous apps including AudioShare.
There is no DropBox support yet, which I’d really like to see added. No Audiobus support yet, but it is planned for upcoming versions.
No waveform editing, and shouldn’t be expected considering this is not that kind of app.
Although it wouldn’t hurt to have a basic trim, slice, and crop functions.
Worrying about those things would be missing the point of AudioMastering anyway.

I’ve been happy with the results after using Audio Mastering. No complaints about the audio quality at all. It sounds fantastic! Excellent separation.

I really like how all the controls are on one page making it a breeze to use. Checking work on the fly is hassle free for comparing the mastered version against the original. Making all the fine tuning, & frequency adjustments in real time with instant results, all functions flawlessly. Use the sliders or for finer control, all parameters have +\- buttons to incrementally tweak the sound. If something goes terribly wrong or you just want to go a different direction tap “reset”. Do over!

When you’re all done and have the sound you are looking for just hit “process” and choose the file types to create new copies of your work. After a brief wait, or longer for large files you’re done. It is just painless.

Audio Mastering has several presets based on music genres to get you started and build off of. You can of course make your own presets to call up quickly to use again. Name and rename them as you like.
Its all about the the sound, and you don’t always need fancy controls or huge amounts of features.
If you don’t feel the need for more than 10 EQ bands or zero latency, automation, or independent channel EQing, this will suit you quite well. All in all Audio Mastering is a bargain and with a high quality suite of tools makes this a powerful and serious option. If you want something that can take a good sound and make it great, then this is a must have app. The difference Audio Mastering makes compared to the limited iDAW mastering options is a no brainer and essential for having the best sound possible. This is a grand companion app to fill out your mobile music production studio.

* I used this app to master a new song I had made in Cubasis. This really added more depth that Cubasis simply couldn’t do. Check out Orbiting The Son for the mastered version. While on that same SoundCloud page scroll down to the un-mastered version called In My Sons Orbit (WIP) for comparison.

Samplr – Review

SAMPLR

Developed by: Marcos Alonso

Available in the iTunes App Store HERE!

Samplr is a uniquely designed and powerful audio manipulation app no iDevice should be without.
A super cool and fun way to control waveforms by touch, in a diverse collection of playing modes.
Samplr does a superb job with the gesture and touch controls leaving no impressions of it being anything short of brilliant.

This is just such a fun and powerful app. To start off, there’s nice presets to choose from that are a great way to begin with familiarizing oneself with the intuitive controls. Of course no sampler would be worth anything if you couldn’t easily bring in and record your own sounds.
Samplr is fully ready for you to explore and get creative while also being very enjoyable. AudioCopy/Paste and Audiobus – Input & Output compatibility opens the best doors to stroll on in hassle free.

Designed for use in live performances, Sampler offers 6 slots for you to place samples in. Play all six simultaneously while manipulating one in real time. Each slot can be independently paused and started again with a quick tap of the slot it’s in which is visible on bottom of the screen at all times. There’s no getting lost here. With 7 different play modes, each assignable in any order to the samples, there an awful lot of possibilities.

Click here for details, features, & tutorials. to be directed to developer Marcos Alonso’s web site.

Features at a glance:
The seven play modes are: Slicer, Looper, Bow, Tape, Scratch, Keyboard, and Loop Player.
That’s a pretty nice variety of tools to twist up samples.
Plus, Samplr has 5 global FX that also can be worked in real time. Filter, Delay,
Amplitude-Modulation, Reverb, and Distortion effects are at your fingertips.
A sweet gesture recorder allows custom movements to continue while moving on to another sample bank.
Easily record and resample. Keep the flow going with Background Audio included.

Samplr has quickly become my favorite for all my sampling uses. It has everything I need to do everything I want to do. It’s reliable, stable, and sounds great. To me its not just a sampler but a creative and strong instrument. Samplr will suit many uses and music styles very well. I’ve not experienced any crashes or strange malfunctions at all (so far) using it with my iPads 3 & 4. It was in fact a great inspiration for my Colors Of Choices song which I made based off of this magnificent app.

I have no reservations with recommending Samplr as a must have. Unless you really need something of a more common design, it will very likely become a new favorite.

SmiteMatter iOS Music

Making music using only iOS devices & Apps. Unbiased reviews from the unique perspective of an artist using them. Say NO To Wires.

Audio Tools

AD 480 Pro – Reverb App Review

Master Record – App Review

AUFX:Space – Review

Audio Mastering – Review

Samplr – Review

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: