Android music applications

Specdrums - Control sounds on your device with ring/s

1/8/2019

This had a small journey that have been going on for around two years since first being announced on Kickstarter to later being bought up by a toy company doing robotic starwars toys and other things.
So now it is here and have been fascinated by this since seeing it at first.
Basically it is rings that can easily learn to read colours that can be used to trigger sounds on a device through bluetooth.
It seems to work good and hopefully will get some extra monies to buy a pair and try them out.
Was hoping that the price would be lower. My treshold being set to around fifty up to 60... for two of them as one would seem a little bit too limited.
Now they are about 65 monies for one and 100 for two.
They do look like a lot of fun though and would be great for playing live as it can use colours on anything, like clothes or paintings etc.
To see a whole band perform tapping walls would look wonderful!
To have a couple of these for a theatre would seem like a must...

Here is a short list of what can be done:

Tap any color or the included Play Pad to create sounds, loops, and beats.
Discover music creation without spending money on expensive, singular instruments
Scalable for all skills levels, from curious-minded kids to seasoned musicians
Connects via Bluetooth Low Energy as a Bluetooth MIDI device
Long battery life of 2+ hours per charge
Specdrums MIX app with curated sound packs
Specdrums Music app with instruments, drum kits, and other sound pack

What is worth is important to mention as well is that it can be used to trigger other software that allows for Bluetooth midi.
It will be fun to see what people will do with this.

Also hope to see them used on Android with some different devices to see how they perform.

To read more or see more videos go here:
www.sphero.com/specdrums

Audioweld® Synthwatch® world’s first wristwatch synthesizer - Kickstarter

11/30/2018

So posting this as this synthesizer/watch thingie will be coming with an Android app to expand on its possibiities.
It is a weird thing reading about it as there is a lust to have such a thing but to be honest would probably never use it more than once or twice and a smart phone is more flexible in either case... plus that it is going to be kind of expensive (450 as early bird on Kickstarter) which really kills any lust for a big watch mini synthesizer.
But there is something funky to it anyway and it would for sure work as a conversation starter and a lot of people would think you must be an annoying hipster idiot!

To check out the Kickstarter:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/synthwatch/audioweld-synthwatch-worlds-first-wristwatch-synth?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=synthwatch

PolyRytm - New sequencer good for driving hardware

10/18/2018

Looks very interesting for people using hardware and love polyrhythms (or not).
If you want to see some videos of this in action go here:
www.synthtopia.com/content/2018/10/17/new-sequencer-for-android-devices-polyrytm/

Google Play:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.allibrante.PolyRytm

- Master midi clock
- 8 midi tracks with gate and velocity
- Individual pattern length
- 8 pattern pages
- Copy/paste/clear/mute function
- Customizable midi settings
- Plug and play USB connection on gears
- Midi connection
Written and designed by Gian Maria Allibrante
Improved by Alexander Glettler and Mark Hudson.

Tested on Roland Tr-08, Tr-09, A-01, Hexinverter Mutant Brain and Elektron Analog Rytm.

WHAT'S NEW
added master midi clock
added 16th note-off on individual channel
added customizable low/high velocity value
added plug and play USB Connection
increased performance
improved graphic design

Quantum VJ with mic - Quantum VJ in hardware form

9/29/2018

Mr Nightradio i sshowing off his hardware version that is also available as an app.
I love the app and made some very nice videos with it and it does not hurt that there is not much else (and nothing else on Android) out there that can obtain such lofi beauty that easily...

He sold some earlier versions of this and am tempted to get into the action with this one when being sold for the right price...

Ahh always curious what Mr Nightradio is up to.
So many cool apps and other projects already plus composing albums and artwork using his own creations!

Modal CRAFTrhythm / CRAFTsynth / Android app for tweaking etc

9/26/2018

There is a lot of small funny toys now for anyone with some extra cash...
These looks like they could be fun and the app provide a lot of control that would have been hard to fit into such small machines otherwise...
Myself have been snared into toyland and have a small drum machine -tek.Drum and in the end got a Volca Bass for a good price second hand.
So it is nice to have these things around as they provide some inspiration.
How much they actually gets used in the end is something else...

Google Play:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.modalelectronics.craftapp

Specdrums - Play Sounds With Colours and Finger Contraption/Ring

8/20/2018

Remember seeing this when it was on Kickstarter and it got released but not for long as a company called Sphero bought it up.
Maybe that was good as the Android app did not seem to work so good and a bigger company will probably spend more money on Android developers?
It shoulld be released in some months and seeing videos it looks mighty faboulus!

Just the idea to have a small concert with some phones and coloured papers or play clothes with patches on them etc...
The company makes robot toys and it looks like in good quality. But the rings should not be very expensive to manufacture so hopefully there will be a low price.
Waiting eagerly to see the price and see how well it will work with the Android app and if okay will for sure get a set of rings. at least one for each hand.

This is the webpage to the developers of the concept:
www.specdrums.com/

iRIG Guitar Interface - 2-3 Euros!!!

8/19/2018

It used to cost 30 euros or something but now when the iRIG 2 is out, there is a lot of chinese vendors dumping the first one for almost nothing.
Have been curious about the Tonebridge app for a while now and to use it properly it is necessary to have an interface and it is supposed to work good with the iRIG and took a look at Ebay and as mentioned above it can be had for almost nothing and postage free...

Well it is sent from China and ordered a lot of things from there and yapps if you have not and decide to, be prepared to wait for about one and half month or two...
(Have ordered maybe thirty or forty things from these places and everything arrived sooner or later to my surprise).

Of course it is supposed to work with Ik Multimedias Amplitube app and Samsung devices but reading the reviews it does not sound too promising...
But will post some impressions of the apps and so forth when it arrives.
Do not have any illusions that it will sound high class using the phone with the iRig but for that I do have some good hardware for my guitar.
But for this price it is worth to check it out and who knows maybe it is possible to coax something nice out of it, or some beautiful Lofi tones?
Plus am really curious about Tonebridge where in difference to Amplitube people write very nice things.

Here is one link to the one I ordered but must say that there was one place that sold it even cheaper! Yapps so it is possible to get it for twenty small monies less...

www.ebay.es/itm/A2E2-iRIG-IK-Multimedia-GUITAR-Midi-Interface-For-iPhone-iPod-iPad-Pro-Tools/202406009790?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Nanoloop mono is an analog synthesizer cart for the original monochrome Game Boy

5/15/2018

So the Nanoloop family have a new member.
Okay so it is not Android but it is a portable and old school and funky, so felt that it had to get mentioned. Plus that an old gameboy can be had for like 10-15 moneys...
Ahh the cartridge is more expensive of course but analogue mojo with three channels for 69 moneys is more or less what other gadgets cost, like pocket operators and the like... Plus have admiration for this single developer to just keep pushing such a niche product as much as he is.

Here are some facts and link:
http://www.nanoloop.com/mono/index.html

Specs

3 channels:

r = Rectangular Wave

Dual oscillators
Variable pulse width
Low-pass filter with adjustable resonance

c = Click

Single impulses
Extra-resonant bandpass filter for 808-like drum sounds.

n = Noise

True analog noise generator or
Dual square waves
Bandpass filter with medium resonance

Technology

On the original Game Boy models, one pin of the cartridge connector functions as audio input, connected to the built-in amplifier. This unique feature allows to generate sound on the cart and play it through the headphone output on a completely analog signal path.

In the nanoloop mono cart, the analog components (op-amps, comparators, logic cells etc) of a PIC microcontroller are connected and configured in such a way that they form a hybrid soundchip with 3 analog filters and a true random noise generstor, using only a few passive external components.

Hardware

The cart is a flat but very robust PCB with all electronic parts embedded.

Software

Nanoloop mono is a stepsequencer with per-step control for all parameters. There are 8 banks of flash memory each of which can hold 15 patterns per channel and a song structure.

Compatibility

DMG (original Game Boy) OK, clean and bassy

Game Boy Pocketworks, but less bass, more hiss, whine

Game Boy Colorworks, but very little / distorted bass, a lot of hum and whine

Game Boy Advancedoesn't work, cart won't even boot

Allthough amplitudes are the same as with internal sound, with nanoloop mono's softer characterisic, differences in audio quality are more noticeable.
Some improvement is possible by adding capacitors to the Game Boy's main board ("bass mod" and "noise filter mod"). However, GB Pocket will still produce a high-pitched whine and GB color will still hum and distort basses.

In conclusion, only the original Dot Matrix Game Boy can be recommended.

Sync

Nanoloop mono offers the same sync options as nanoloop one.

How to connect guitar to android (USB)

3/27/2018

Bandlab goes hardware - New affordable audio interfaces

1/11/2018

There is three flavours and the one that is out now for ordering is Link Analog which looks like a nice audio interface and with a good price point- 59.99$.
It is supposed to play nicely with Android mobile devices but works with computers as well of course.

To read more about it and if fancy takes you to order a unit or two go here:
https://www.bandlab.com/machines/link-analog

DIY Reverb / Tape Op Magazine

11/12/2017

Reading through the instructions on how to make your own spring reverb/sound design fx thingy made me excited!
It is not a hard thing to do and you hardly need anything.
For some people this is something obviously simple but for someone like me these things seems out of reach and difficult, but reading this and realizing that it does not have to be complicated makes me happy.

For this the parts could be had for less than five moneys...
You need a spring, a small speaker and a touch microphone.
A small speaker is easy to source from an old toy (or Ebay, just checked and saw some for one euro each plus postage...) and the touch microphones are very cheap.
After reading this I did order some through Ebay and it cost me less than ten bucks for ten of them. Half of that for postage! Always wanted some of those in either case as they seem to be a lot of fun to play around with.

The article/tutorial comes with some other neat tricks to.
Recommended Sunday reading!

https://tapeop.com/tutorials/76/diy-reverb/?utm_content=buffer61d9f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Oval - Lots of virtual instruments with FX/filters and more

10/17/2017

This app is made to work together with a midi controller that is based on the instrument called hang instrument. It seems to be a very nice midi controler but it costs a lot of money...
Luckily for us there is this app that is well made and have loads of virtual instruments inside that is laid out like a hang instrument. So it is of course tied into scales as there is not the full twelve notes. This is an advantage as it makes improvisation easy and the octave changes are easy to implement. Some effects are built in and recording as well.

The sounds are good and there is no ads and free!
Also like that there is midi out, so can be used to control hardware.
One thing to point out is that having this layout breaks the normal piano thinking and at least for me it makes me come up with a different type of playing rhythmically and melodically.
So for live recording very interesting. (Depending on device/latency)

Recommended download.

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ovalsound.Oval

The Oval App is a music, synthesis and effects platform designed from the ground-up
to revolutionize music creation, learning and live performance.

When paired together with the Oval physical controller, the App allows you to take full
advantage of each subtle gesture, combining the expressiveness
of an acoustic instrument with the flexibility of modern digital synthesis.

A NEW ESSENTIAL FOR MUSIC CREATORS
Tweak your favorite sounds from the growing collection of high quality instruments by adding effects such as filters, delays, and reverb. All the instruments in the library have been carefully crafted by professional sound designers, making the most of the Apps powerful gesture mapping functionality.

HOT FOR MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS
The Oval is also designed for those new to music creation. The intuitive layout will make it easy for you to immerse yourself in the music, and the large built-in scale collection allows you to explore different moods while always staying in key.

SHARE YOUR CREATIONS
When inspiration strikes, record your creations and share them with your friends, or export them to another music app and take them to the next level.

TECHNICAL FEATURES
- Exclusive sound libraries
- X/Y sensitive performing pads
- Large (and growing) list of scales from around the world, including microtonal scales
- Customizable filter, delay, reverb and dynamics effects
- Recording feature with simple editing capabilities like trim and fade in/out
- Compatible with other apps that use MIDI
- Customizable A4 frequency

Freedrum midi controllers for playing drums in the air and how to connect with G-Stomper...

9/13/2017

Do not know how well this works and the app is still in Beta but it if it works good this mighty cool.
To read more about the controllers:
https://www.freedrum.rocks/

To read about how to hook it up with G-Stomper app:4
https://www.freedrum.rocks/setup/frequently-asked-questions/playing-with-android-gstomper

Introducing Loopy- the Raspberry Pi 3 powered Sunvox Synth!

5/12/2017

A hardware workstation of SunVox goodness made by Transient that have made excellent music with both SunVox and Caustic. Pretty funky looking project if you ask me.

Ways to Plug In a StudioJack Mini Portable Audio Interface

1/13/2017

GO:MIXER - Three input Roland mobile USB audio interface

1/10/2017

This is interesting and works for PC/Mac as well so if needing a portable audio interface for a low price (99$) this could be good. It comes with preamp built in for microphone and guitar and as it has three input it can be used for recordings of several sources at the same time or just as a small mixer.

To read more go here:
https://www.roland.com/us/products/gomixer/

Ways to Plug In a StudioJack Mini Portable Audio Interface

12/7/2016

YouTube texty text:

Record, practice, and play live anywhere with compatible Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices using popular audio recording, amps and effects software! Charge your iPhone 7, iPhone 6, iPhone 5, iPad, and other compatible iOS devices while you listen to music, play or record your guitar.

StudioJack Mini ($149 US) is a compact, multi-platform, device-powered, 24-bit audio interface with studio-quality sound. Includes a mono Hi-Z ¼ inch input for guitar or bass, stereo mic/line ¼ inch input for vocals or keyboards, two analog input level knobs with LED metering, a stereo ¼ inch output for headphones, plug-in power for electret microphones, and all the cables you need to plug into your compatible Mac, PC, iOS and Android system. The successor to GuitarJack Model 2, StudioJack Mini is a much improved version of the critically acclaimed GuitarJack line. For even more features, check out GuitarJack Stage ($299 US).

Charge an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (or reduce power consumption for compatible Android devices) while you play!

Freedrum on Android - Showing Very Low Latency!

12/5/2016

So this video show pretty clearly that there is Android devices that can work with totally acceptable low latency. They are using G-Stomper that admittedly are optimized for low latency as well. The Freedrum sticks looks like a great thing to have as well as a drummer. The sticks are still on Kickstarter but fully funded.
To read more regarding the Sticks go here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/freedrum/freedrum-the-drumkit-that-fits-in-your-pocket/

A lot of people have been asking us why Freedrum doesn't work with Android, so we started experimenting. The general problem for us is that Android devices typically has a higher audio latency than iOS devices. That means that the time it takes from when the phone decided to play a sound, until it actually outputs a sound, there is a delay.

It's complicated for us to say what Android devices will work well compared to IOS (Iphone and Ipad) because there are a million different devices out there. If you have a recent device which run Android 6 or 7 you will most likely have a very low audio latency. Have a look here for some actual numbers on many devices: http://superpowered.com/latency. We have done tests with Nexus 5 and Nexus 5X using the free G-Stomper drum synthesizer and have found no noticeable latency. Watch the video to see for yourself.

Historically, Android has not been optimal for music making, but times are changing. Have a look here for a more in depth analysis:http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/11/...

Conclusion: While we cannot guarantee performance for your particular combination of phone and Android OS version, if you have a recent Android device that is up to date, Freedrum will probably work great for you!

USB Connections being phucked up...

11/20/2016

Okay this is far from being Android related but felt that I wanted to share.

Many years ago I was living in a place with about 95 to 98 percent humidity and everything was rusting or molding driving me crazy.
Lost a lot of electronics and machines and it still distresses me.
But had a mixer that I just opened up and sprayed with some W-40 and it started to work and after this have always sprayed everything inside when things gets phucked up.

Anyway the last night with about a hundred USB sticks that kind of works but not really and needing to put a film for my lovely daughter so she that she could see it on the TV.
Decided to try with some W 40 (electronic connection spray) and put the small straw unto the bottle to spray it into the USB stick...
It did work really well and this would probably work with any USB connectors/receptors of any mobile and computer etc too.
I did consider to try to clean it with some thin stick or similar but this was definitively easier!
There is other brands of course than W 40 and I am not endorsing their brand and I am sure that any kind of other similar spray works as well.

This post is of course not directed to any readers that actually live in the real world of technical or left side braininess but to people that have a hard time to connect left to right like me.

Best Smartphones for Storing Music

9/21/2016

In years gone by, Apple’s iPhone has dominated the mobile sector for music lovers but Android phones have battled back with plenty of gusto in recent times.

You no longer need to spend over the odds for an immense music experience on your smartphone; you can enjoy and listen to your favorite tunes on the latest Android devices – and it would be fair to say that the sound quality is just as good, if not better...

Applications and entertainment are crucial to a mobile phone user’s experience and many customers, mainly youngsters, search for a device that has a USP (unique selling point) that relates specifically to music. However, memory and space is crucial too

After all, shoppers need space for Amazon, online gamers need memory for Lucky Nugget Casino and sports fans need access to the latest news via the FOX Sports app. Here are our three favorite mobile devices for music quality, storage and other entertainment purposes.

BQ Aquaris M5

For a reliable musical experience, this is the phone for you. The BQ Aquaris is fairly simple but it is effective and consistent; and that is exactly what you want out of a smartphone.

If truth be told, this phone is fairly quiet compared to other devices but users can enhance this by syncing the Dolby Atmos app – which should have been pre-installed before set-up.

This app allows users to receive a 15-20% boost in volume and bass, which will appeal to those who enjoy dance music but don’t want to cause any damage to their ears. All in all, this phone is well worth a look if you are on a tight budget; you won’t regret it...

Samsung Galaxy S6

One of the most popular phones on the market, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is THE complete device for music, gaming and entertainment. And to be fair, it is an incredible smartphone...

With up to 128GB of memory, the S6 can comfortably hold all of your music and more. It has enough space for thousands of tunes and gamers will also enjoy the appealing user interface.

In fact, you can improve your chances of winning by practicing on the S6 – as many websites are actually much more user-friendly on the S6 platform than they are on other devices.

Sony Xperia Z5

But the tip of the musical iceberg is the Sony Xperia Z5 . The sound quality is simply sublime and much greater than anything else out there – and the dual front-facing speakers are especially helpful for added noise.

The tonality and imagery on screen are phenomenal. The screen is incredibly clear and you would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable musical experience. With the ability to tweak the equaliser, you can tailor your sound depending on what genre you are listening to.

The Sony Xperia Z5 is the pinnacle of musical phones and users will be extremely happy with their device. Sony are widely regarded as one of the biggest and most impressive technology companies in the world and they rarely get things wrong. And they have another roaring success in the Xperia Z5...