Music Apps

Apple's GarageBand comes to iPhone

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Nov 1, 2011 a 12:59 pm

Launched alongside iPad 2, Apple's multitouch version of GarageBand has just been updated as a universal app -- that's right, it now supports iPhone and iPod touch as well. GarageBand for iOS is a re-imagining of Apple's traditional iLife music recording, mixing, and rendering app for their modern mobile platforms.

Apple's SVP of Marketing, Phil Schiller:

GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you’ve never studied music or played an instrument before.

Here's the full update list:

App Giveaway: Shows for iPhone

By Leanna Lofte, Friday, Oct 21, 2011 a 12:41 pm

Shows is an iPhone app that uses your music library to determine who your favorite artists are and then keeps you up to date and notified about upcoming concerts near you. You can also search for specific artists and share concerts on Facebook and Twitter.

If you love live music, and you love nicely designed, smartly executed iPhone apps, you want Shows on your home screen.

App Giveaway: DM1 - The Drum Machine

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 a 5:15 pm

DM1 is a virtual drum machine for the iPad. It comes with over 40 electronic drum kits: 18 classic vintage drum kits plus 22 in-house produced electronic kits. Too see the DM1 in action, check out the video below.

App Giveaway: MadPad by Smule

By Leanna Lofte, Friday, Sep 9, 2011 a 12:57 pm

Smule has released a new music app for iOS, MadPad. It's a video soundboard - of your life. After using the camera on your iPhone or iPad 2, you record 12 tiny clips of video and sound to create your soundboard, you're ready to start remixing.

I cannot justly describe the awesomeness of this app, so please watch the video below. And because we know that our readers are much more creative than us, TiPb is gifting 5 copies of MadPad for iPhone and 5 copies MadPad HD for iPad!

iSheetMusic for iPhone and iPad now available

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Jul 26, 2011 a 11:50 am

iSheetMusic, an app that allows you to download sheet music to your iPhone or iPad, is now available.

iSheetMusic is an educational music app providing fully dynamic sheet music to amateur/hobbyist musicians across every genre imaginable.

Download your favorite sheet music directly to your device.
Search for Music in FKBK or PVG formats.
Use In-App purchase to download new music to your sheet music collection.
Organize your music into sets; or view by Artist, Composer, or Genre.
Both an Audible and Visual Metronome are included. Each song defaults to the music default tempo, but you can adjust freely.
Guitar Chords Diagrams are included (when appropriate).

iSheet music is available on the iPhone and iPad for free. Screenshots after the break.

[iTunes link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

See slideshows of the band you're listening to with Coverjam Pro

By Leanna Lofte, Tuesday, Jul 19, 2011 a 10:46 pm

Coverjam Pro by Electric Pocket is a new iPhone and iPad app that, while listening to music, displays photo slideshows of the band.

Listen to your music and Coverjam Pro will search Instagram and Flickr for photos tagged with the band's name to create a stunning full-screen slideshow of the artists as you listen!

Enhance your listening pleasure with photos of the artist
Share the photos you like with friends via Facebook, Twitter or Email
Get a fresh slide-set each time your track changes
Play music from your iPod, or select from within Coverjam
View photos in Safari, find out more about them and see other photos by that photographer
Ban photos you don't like so they're not shown again

Coverjam is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99. Screenshots and video after the break.

[iTunes link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

DM1 - The Drum Machine for iPad now available

By Leanna Lofte, Thursday, Jul 7, 2011 a 2:13 am

Fingerlab has released their new drumming iPad app, DM1 - The Drum Machine. It will turn your iPad into a fun and creative beat making machine.

12 classic vintage drum kits plus 12 in-house produced electronic kits
Smart ergonomy for fast creativity and fun
24 vintage and produced drum kits, mastered at in-house Fingerlab Sound Studios
Mixer page with pitch, length and level rotary controls, and custom drum kit per channel
Extra fast drum kit loading
Playable pattern selection for extra creativity
9 Big Drum pads, quantized recording and MPC-like Repeat touch-stripe
Step Sequencer with multi-touch matrix
Duo FX Trackpads for real-time sonic destruction and multi-FX
Mode song with intuitive editing

I may not know much about drumming and have the musical creativity to put this app to any good use, but I know a good UI when I see one - and I see one in DM1.

DM1 - The Drum Machine has a launch price of $1.99. Screenshots and video after the break.

[iTunes link]

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Thursday, June 30

By Leanna Lofte, Thursday, Jun 30, 2011 a 8:31 am

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

Rhythm Guitar: Play guitar with your iPad! [$2.99 for iPad - iTunes link]
Tagged Recorder: Simply record conferences, lectures, seminars, talks and easily find your records by tags and location. [$1.99 for iPhone - iTunes link]

Progression, guitar tab editor for iPad, now available

By Leanna Lofte, Wednesday, Jun 22, 2011 a 1:51 pm

Progression is a guitar tab editor for your iPad that gives you the convenience of an easy-to-use guitar tab creation tool right at your fingertips. It is loaded with features and functions such as vibrato, slides, string bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, whammy-bar, bass slap, effects, mutes, and harmonics.

Enter, edit, and playback tab, notation, or both
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, and Bass Guitar samples included (add additional instruments such as Classical Guitar, Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo)
Search for tabs online
Open NOTION files
Open Guitar Pro files (versions 3-5)
Clean and intuitive user interface
Interactive 24-fret guitar fretboard for fast entry
Quick and simple selection palette
Distortion and reverb effects
Full audio mixer
Convenient file sharing
Full-range of guitar functions and articulations including: bends, vibrato, slides, hammer on, pull off, mutes, whammy bar techniques, bass slap, harmonics, and more…
Drag and drop cursor option
Insert text
Quick “Undo” and “Redo” functions
Chord and melody modes
Easy delete and erase capabilities
Help Files
Enter and edit title and composer information
In-App Purchases to add more instruments and gear
Free scales and exercises included

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the screenshots after the break.

[$4.99, with in-app purchases - iTunes link]

Have an app you'd love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we'll take a look.

Amplitube 2 for iPhone - App Review

By Allyson Kazmucha, Friday, Dec 3, 2010 a 11:24 am

Amplitube 2 by IK Multimedia is an awesome little app that allows you to convert your iPhone into a full on guitar rig. Their iPad version was recently featured in one of the new Apple iPad ads. The app has 3 versions currently - Amplitube Free, Amplitube LE ($2.99), and the full Amplitube version ($19.99). We are using the full version for this review to give you a complete picture of what's available.

To use this app, you'll need to purchase an iRig, which are currently priced at $39.99. You'll simply plug your guitar or bass into the iRig which then plugs into your iPhone or iPad. The 3rd outlet allows you to plug into the audio output of your choice. We just used a standard surround system (receiver) for this review. You're also free to use an amp or headphones, which can be great if you'd like to practice quietly. And hey, it's a lot easier to carry around the iRig than an entire guitar rig.

iTunes Link