Erol Singer’s Studio iOS App

Posted on 03. May, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Finally, a voice trainer for the rest of us! If you can’t tell whether or not you’re on key when singing songs or performing vocal exercises, let this app help you by analyzing your voice and giving you instant feedback while you practice the included voice lessons. We’ve designed it to be simple enough for absolute beginners, yet powerful enough for the most advanced singers.

Did you know that even professional singers have pitch problems unless they practice regularly?

Erol Singer’s Studio is a complete voice and ear training program with intuitive pitch-tracking technology that gives you continuous visual feedback about your voice, so you know immediately if you’re singing the right notes.

The app includes 36 voice lessons that were designed by an award winning singer and vocal coach to help you learn about your voice and become a better singer. When you follow the instructions and practice the lessons, your tone, range, and vocal flexibility will improve, and you will simply sound better singing your favorite songs.

“Certainly the best App for singers in the App Store! … A Killer App!” – Apps4iDevices.com (Apr 15, 2012 – #1 app in “My Best Setup for Singer” category)

“This is a near perfect system. I am thrilled with the scope and effectiveness of this app. … I’ll be sharing this with many others.” – Stanley (Apr 12, 2012 – Forum comment in Vocal Health section of the User’s Manual)

What will Erol Singer’s Studio do for you?

BEGINNERS:
– Detect your vocal range by first listening to you, and customize the lessons to a comfortable range for your voice type. Be sure to use this feature when you first start; it’ll make the the notes so much easier to sing, and you’ll be able to focus on learning.
– Show you when you’re singing the right notes and help you sing in tune
– Teach you correct singing techniques that are widely used around the world
– Train your ear
– Allow you to practice on your own if you’re shy about singing in front of others

INTERMEDIATE SINGERS:
– Show you what parts of your range have problems
– Increase your range and track your progress
– Improve the quality of your tone
– Help smooth vocal breaks
– Improve your musical ear

ADVANCED SINGERS:
– Provide you with effective warmup/cooldown exercises
– Keep your voice in top shape with a thorough voice exercise program
– Improve your sight singing if you follow the music notation instead of the note bubbles
– (Optional) See the “Ear Training for Singers” package mentioned below

TEACHERS:
– Give you great exercises you can use with your students, at a fraction of the cost you can get from anywhere else. You can even enable “cue-chords” to see the additional chords that the piano is playing.
– Help your new students with getting their pitch right

Erol Singer’s Studio is NOT a karaoke game and as such does not include sing-along songs. It is a fun app that will seriously improve your singing. The app comes with 36 lessons included (covering everything from beginner to advanced), with an option to buy more exercises such as the “Ear Training for Singers” package that includes an additional set of 51 exercises for scales, intervals, and arpeggios that will greatly expand your musicianship.

Create Emotive & Powerful Trailer-Style Voiceovers For Your Videos – iPad App [Video]

Posted on 21. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Trailer Voice lets you create emotive and powerful trailer-style voiceovers for your videos and export to your iPad camera roll.

Features:

Harness the skills of USA movie industry voice talents to create a bespoke voice-over for your own videos.

Import your movie from the camera roll and drag/drop words and phrases from over 50 full scripts and 100s of phrase elements in the easy interface.

All audio recorded and processed by world-recognised music industry innovator Sonokinetic.

Mix and match 6 different Pro voice talents with categories such as
Heroic, Journey, Drama, Romance & Thriller.

Preview phrases with one touch.

Adapt phrase timings and adjust volume levels of both the original video and your voice-over to customise your mix.

Zoom into the video timeline for finer adjustments.

Export your movie to the camera-roll to share with friends.

A perfect companion to iMovie

lpTouch for Logic Pro iPad App

Posted on 08. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff, Recording

lpTouch for Logic provides mobility and touch screen controls for Logic’s commonly used functions. With lpTouch & Wi-Fi, you can control record and playback from anywhere in your studio, edit your software instruments, or adjust effects settings. Tired of trying to manipulate tiny controls on the Logic screen with a mouse? lpTouch offers large, usable multi-touch faders and rotary controls to edit send effects, inserts, plug-in instrument parameters, and EQ settings so you can get just the right sound.

Mute or solo any track to evaluate your mix during playback. Arm one or more tracks for recording. Know where you’re at with the timecode and bar-beat display, and track name and number identification.

One great way to reap the benefits of lpTouch is to use Logic on your Mac to get some tracks down in your composition, then sit back with your iPad – or move around your studio – and use lpTouch’s track and transport functions to evaluate your mix. It makes recording a breeze.

lpTouch works with the built-in “TouchOSC” control surface driver that is provided by Apple as part of your Logic installation. It uses Logic’s new Open Sound Control (OSC) control surface support. NO NEED TO INSTALL ANY SPECIAL APPLICATIONS OR FILES TO USE LOGIC AND LPTOUCH. All you need is a working Wi-Fi connection between your Mac and your iPad.

REQUIREMENTS

* iPad running iOS 5
* Apple Logic Pro 9.1.6 or higher music application installed on your Mac
* Wi-Fi access to Mac running Logic
* iPad Bluetooth must be set to OFF to insure reliable communications

FEATURES

* Transport controls on all screens, including metronome, cycle and replace-record
* Track name and number shown
* Adjust each track’s volume with multi-touch faders; values displayed
* Edit pan and up to 5 send levels; value displayed
* Edit software instrument parameters; parameter values displayed
* Select, mute, solo and record enable any track
* Enable/bypass and edit parameter settings up to 12 insert effect plugins
* Adjust master volume & 3 Aux channels
* Dedicated EQ screen mimics Logic’s Channel EQ editing capability
* “LCD” displays timecode & bar-beat playhead location
* Move Loop Cycle location, or navigate by Markers
* Reset Solo to Off on all tracks
* Set automation mode per track
* Double tap most faders and rotaries to return to default position
* Preference settings: disable iPad sleep mode (Autolock); faders “jump on touch”; choose vertical rotary manipulation

Learn How To Play Songs With Song Chords iOS App [Video]

Posted on 08. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Learn the chords and rock out with your favorite songs, anywhere, anytime! Song Chords is Yamaha’s solution for aspiring keyboard and guitar players who want to practice or perform with a backing band, on stage or at home. The app features a 16 track MIDI song mixer, a player with easy-to-read chord symbols that change in sync with the music, and chord dictionaries for both keyboard and guitar. Song Chords is available for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

*View large chord symbols that change in time with the music.

*Look up chord diagrams for keyboard and guitar by tapping any chord in any song.

*Suit your skill level or style by changing the tempo.

*View the simplest chords using the Easy-Key feature to transpose any song.

*Access over a thousand awesome songs in the built-in shop.

*Build your ideal band for jamming by remixing any song!

iPhoto for iPad First Look [Video]

Posted on 07. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

With iPhoto for iOS, Apple brings Multi-Touch to photography in a breakthrough way. Browse, edit, and share your photos from your iPad or iPhone, like never before – all the powerful tools you need are at your fingertips. And with iCloud, you can share your experiences as stunning photo journals.

Use simple gestures to quickly sort through photos and find your best shots. A powerful set of Multi-Touch tools helps you perfect color and exposure, crop, straighten, and retouch images. Enhance pictures by adding beautiful, Apple-designed effects with just a tap. Or use fingertip brushes to apply adjustments exactly where you want them. In addition to posting photos to Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, you can beam photos between your iPhone and iPad, stream photos and slideshows to your Apple TV with AirPlay, and use iCloud to publish photo journals to the web to share your stories with friends and family in a whole new way.

Smart Browsing
• Use simple gestures to quickly sort through dozens or even hundreds of photos
• Automatically find similar photos, so you can quickly make comparisons
• View multiple photos side-by-side to help you choose your best images
• Tap to mark any photo with a flag, select a favorite, or hide an image
• Resize and reposition scrollable thumbnail grid for optimal browsing in any orientation

Multi-Touch editing
• Simply touch and drag on the parts of the image you want to change
• Touch and drag on the image to adjust blue skies, greenery, and skin tones
• Drag the white balance loupe to make precise color corrections
• All image adjustments are completely non-destructive and can be modified at any time
• Straighten your pictures with a tap using automatic horizon detection

Brushes
• Use your fingertip to paint photo adjustments right where you need them
• Turn on edge detection to help you apply adjustments with even more precision
• Lighten, darken, and change saturation or sharpness selectively
• Paint out spots and blemishes with a powerful Repair brush
• Brush away red-eye, or use the Soften brush to minimize wrinkles

Professional-quality effects
• Enhance your photos with dozens of beautiful, Apple-designed effects
• Touch and drag to add drama to landscapes with a selection of graduated filters
• Create a perfectly toned black-and-white photo by simply dragging your finger
• Pinch and zoom a vignette or tilt-shift filter to focus on a key part of the photo
• Apply artistic effects to transform your photos into brilliant watercolors

Photo Journals
• Share your stories in a whole new way as beautiful photo journals
• iPhoto automatically flows your pictures into a great-looking layout that’s fun to personalize
• Freely move and resize photos with a touch of your finger
• Touch and drag to add captions, maps, dates, and even the weather
• Publish your photo journals to iCloud as stunning web pages to share

Other great iPhoto features
• iPhoto is a universal app, optimized for both iPhone and iPad
• Create cinematic slideshows of your photos with a few taps
• Post directly to Facebook or Flickr and view friends’ comments on your photos
• Beam photos between your iPhone and iPad, including all non-destructive adjustments
• Use AirPlay to stream photos and slideshows to your HDTV over Wi-Fi with Apple TV
• Print your photos wirelessly on an AirPrint-enabled printer

Some features require an iCloud account and/or compatible internet access.
AirPrint requires an AirPrint-compatible wireless printer.
AirPlay is compatible with the second-generation Apple TV or later.

GarageBand for iPad & iPhone Smart Stings FIRST LOOK [Video]

Posted on 07. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Apple has updated the iWork apps, GarageBand and iMovie for iOS to go along with today’s announcement of the new iPad. Apple also introduced iPhoto for iPad

New GarageBand Features:
GarageBand now has a Smart Strings feature, a note editor and the ability to push songs through iCloud.

Now you and your friends can play and record together like a real band using only your iOS devices. All of your devices sync to the same key and tempo so everyone sounds great together. And when you’re done recording, each track automatically appears on the bandleader’s device so it’s easy to mix and share. It’s the perfect time to get the band back together.

• Start a Jam Session to play or record live with up to three of your friends using iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch*
• Conduct an entire string orchestra using Smart Strings
• Use the Note Editor to adjust or fine-tune any Touch Instrument recording
• Combine recordings to free up additional tracks using Track Merge
• Keep your GarageBand songs up to date across all your iOS devices with iCloud*
• Share your songs directly to Facebook, YouTube, and SoundCloud
• Perform retro and modern synth bass lines and grooves with new Smart Bass instruments
• Play synth melodies and arpeggios with new Smart Keyboard instruments

*Jam Session and iCloud are available on iPhone 4 or later, 4th generation iPod touch, and all iPad models.

Pulse Surface Controller System Review Part 1 – MIDI Control From Tapping Your Desktop [Video]

Posted on 07. Mar, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Gear, Mac & Apple Stuff, Reviews

The Pulse Controller is a hardware / software solution that liberates computer-based musicians and performers from conventional input devices by allowing a surface – i.e. desk, laptop, objects and more – to become a playable MIDI controller. An included piezo microphone coupled with a simple yet powerful software interface converts acoustic impulses into MIDI Note messages for playing your software instruments in an intuitive, responsive and connected manner.

Here’s a quick review I made with my Pulse Controller.

More Info

Mastering Your Music For iTunes With Apple Audio Mastering Tools [Free]

Posted on 24. Feb, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Mac & Apple Stuff, Recording

Apple has released Apple Audio Mastering Tools To hear how music will sound after it’s encoded to make important creative choices during the mastering process.
The Mastered for iTunes droplet is a simple, standalone drag-and-drop tool that automates the creation of iTunes Plus format masters, allowing for a preview of songs using the same world-class technology used to encode the entire catalog for the iTunes Library.

AURoundTripAAC is an Audio Unit that allows you to compare audio encoded using iTunes Plus AAC against a source audio file. It also includes clip and peak detection, as well as a simple listening test environment. It can be used in any Audio Unit host application, such as Logic or AU Lab.

You can also use the command-line tool afclip to check any file for clipping. This tool works by examining an audio file and identifying areas where clipping has occurred. For more information about this tool, run afclip -h from the command line.
This tool is gets installed in: /usr/local/bin

Download For Free:

Apple Audio Mastering Tools Zip
Creating Masters for iTunes PDF

Play Your Audio Unit & VST Plugins As Standalone Instruments [Mac App]

Posted on 23. Feb, 2012 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Mac & Apple Stuff

Audio Plugin Player is a lightweight VST and AU instrument plugin host, that allows you to play these instruments using either your mouse, computer keyboard, or MIDI device (both hardware and software MIDI devices supported). It has a simple, one-screen interface, that will let you start making music with your favorite audio instrument plugins in seconds – just drop your plugin onto the application window, make your input and output choices, and you’re ready!

Moog AniMoog iPad App Overview [Video]

Posted on 26. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Animoog powered by Moog’s new Anisotropic Synth Engine (ASE), is the first professional polyphonic synthesizer designed exclusively for the iPad. ASE allows you to move dynamically through an X/Y space of unique timbres to create a constantly evolving and expressive soundscape.

SampleTank 1.1 Tutorial – KEYS, PADS, Recorder

Posted on 26. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff, Songwriting

Now make record-ready music on your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch with hundreds of pro-quality sounds and patterns. SampleTank – IK Multimedia is the first professional-quality sound and groove module that puts hundreds of world-class instruments and patterns in your pocket. You can play SampleTank instruments on stage with the iRig MIDI interface and a keyboard or pad controller just as you would with a regular sound or synthesizer module, or you can use the built-in tools to create inspiring, professional-sounding music on the go.

Music Accessories for iPad

Posted on 26. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Gear, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

A few cool music accessories options for your iPad.

SampleTank 1.1 for iPhone/iPad. Tutorial PART 1 – SOUNDS

Posted on 24. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Now make record-ready music on your iPad/iPhone/iPod touch with hundreds of pro-quality sounds and patterns. SampleTank – IK Multimedia is the first professional-quality sound and groove module that puts hundreds of world-class instruments and patterns in your pocket. You can play SampleTank instruments on stage with the iRig MIDI interface and a keyboard or pad controller just as you would with a regular sound or synthesizer module, or you can use the built-in tools to create inspiring, professional-sounding music on the go.

Got an idea? Grab your iPad! SampleTank instruments give you unmatched realism, sound variety and audio performance — a true premier for the iOS world. For the first time on this platform, hundreds of professional sample-based sounds and patterns can be easily accessed, layered and used for playing live. The built-in 4-track MIDI recorder lets you create beats, grooves, ideas and even complete songs. You can make music anytime and anywhere the inspiration hits you. SampleTank is the most compact sound and groove workstation ever made.

This is PART ONE of a two-part tutorial.

Use your iPad to control GarageBand on your Mac

Posted on 23. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

With gbTouch 3 for GarageBand you can control record and playback from anywhere in your studio. Set each track’s volume with multi-touch faders, or track mute, solo, or record enable with a simple button tap. Tracks display their name and are color coded by type. Select a track and bring up an edit panel to make those critical tweaks to settings and important effects, or check the numeric values of track volume and pan. Untether yourself from the computer mouse and screen!

Logic Pro 9 ($199) and Main Stage ($29.99) Now In Mac App Store

Posted on 08. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Mac & Apple Stuff, Recording

Logic Pro – Apple Logic Pro 9 is a complete set of creative tools for any musician who wants to write, record, edit, and mix music. It comes with a massive collection of instruments, effects, and Apple Loops, making it easy to get amazing sounds and create amazing-sounding songs.

Now Olny $199 in the Mac App Store.

Made for musicians
• Get up and rolling fast with production-ready templates and one-step track setup
• Work fast with easy access to all tools and editing areas using a single-window interface
• Enhance your songs with over 15,000 Apple Loops in a wide range of instruments and genres

MainStage – Apple

MainStage 2 lets you take your Mac to the stage with a full-screen live interface, unmatched hardware control, and a massive collection of plug-ins and sounds.

Now Only $29.99

Quiztones Frequency Ear Training Now In The Mac App Store

Posted on 02. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Quiztones is a frequency ear training app for amateur and professional audio engineers and musicians. Quiztones uses frequency-altered tones, noise and musical loops to train your ears and help develop more acute listening and frequency recognition skills.

Quiztones – iOS
Quiztones – Mac App

Quiztones will…

• Sharpen your ears & frequency recognition skills
• Improve your mixing and EQ chops
• Prevent noise and frequency buildup in your mixes & recordings
• Eliminate the need to sweep for frequencies

Quiztones cleverly uses quizzes to engage users in training exercises. Track your progress with the built-in score log.

Each EQ quiz includes four trainers:

• Easy frequency boost
• Hard frequency boost
• Hard frequency cut
• Expert frequency boost (1/3 octave)

Quizzes included in version 1.0:

• iTunes/Music Library
• Tones
• Pink Noise
• Piano
• Bass
• Drums
• Strings
• Strings 2
• Orchestra
• Upright Bass
• Female Vocals
• Electric Guitar
• Acoustic Guitar

The T-Pain Engine by iZotope Now In The Mac App Store – Special Price

Posted on 02. Dec, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, Mac & Apple Stuff, Recording

The T-Pain Engine – iZotope, Inc. This self-contained beat-making and vocal recording application powers you through from start to finish, even if you’re brand new to music production.

Get three fast and fun music-creation tools in one package, all brought to you by T-Pain and iZotope.

TOP FEATURES:
• Make beats: choose from hundreds of beats or make your own
• Record vocals: sing or rap, then add the official T-Pain Effect™
• Share: post songs for all to hear, straight to the web via SoundCloud

This overview demonstrates how to record vocals and add reverb and pitch correction effects in The T-Pain Engine, the self-contained beat making and vocal recording app brought to you by T-Pain and iZotope.

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL: GET THE T-PAIN ENGINE (FEATURING THE T-PAIN EFFECT) FOR JUST $19.99 (regularly $29.99)!

Auto-Tune Your Phone Calls With New iPhone App

Posted on 29. Nov, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Auto-Tune Phone by NewHula.com Inc. is the only app that lets you use the one and only Auto-Tune vocal effect on live phone calls. While previous apps have let you record your singing with Auto-Tune, now for the very first time you can achieve the same results over the phone… in Real Time!

Not just a recording but Live. Surprise, amuse and shock your friends with live Auto-Tune phone calls to any phone number in North America.

There is a practice area where you can hone your Auto-Tune skills. To achieve the best effect you do need to vary the pitch of your voice. So use the practice area as much as you like and record yourself to hear your progress. It is always free to practice. Check out our website to hear live Auto-Tune phone calls in the video. This will help you get it right!

There are Featured recordings in the app to help you along.

When you are ready to call someone, you can tune only yourself OR both yourself and the person you’re calling. Imagine the possibilities! Two way Auto-Tune calls and the other person doesn’t even know they are being tuned!

Record your calls and share them with your friends and the world via Facebook, Twitter & SMS.

The first 30 minutes of outbound calling time are free. Afterwards you can add time for just pennies a minute with the convenience of in app purchasing. So you can even use the app to make low cost long distance calls with no Auto-Tune effect. Just dial 8 before the 10 digit phone number.

You will be required to verify your Caller ID information. This is done the first time you open the app. After verification you will have to restart Auto-Tune Phone.

A WiFi or 3G connection is required, but WiFi usually produces the best results. Otherwise try 3G instead.

GarageBand Now On iPhone & iPod Touch

Posted on 02. Nov, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

GarageBand turns your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. Enjoy a full range of Smart Instruments that make you sound like a pro — even if you’ve never played a note before. Plug an electric guitar into your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch and play through classic amps and stompbox effects. Use the built-in microphone or a guitar to record, or capture any performance. Then mix up to eight tracks to create a song you can share.

GarageBand was first launched as a Mac application, and later ported to the iPad with the launch of the iPad 2 in March 2011. “This is no toy,” Steve Jobs said of GarageBand on the iPad. “This is something you can use for real work.”

Alchemy Synth Mobile By Camel Audio iOS

Posted on 27. Sep, 2011 by Greg Kocis in Blog, iOS, Mac & Apple Stuff

Turn your iPhone/iPad into a powerful synthesizer! Alchemy Synth Mobile includes everything from evolving soundscapes and fat bases to lush pads and pulsing arpeggios, and is available for free from the iTunes App store. This is the iOS version of Camel Audio’s award-winning Mac/PC Alchemy synth – the leading sample manipulation synthesizer which can be heard on thousands of records and films by world-class artists.

Touch Remote for Alchemy on Mac/PC

With the Pro Upgrade ($19.99/€15.99/£13.99), you can remotely control Alchemy or the free Alchemy Player on your desktop computer. This is the first iPhone App to offer a dedicated touch remote feature for a desktop synth! Easy one touch access to the remix pad and preset selection means you’ll spend more time getting inspired and less time reaching for your mouse.