Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
What’s the most FUN iOS/iPadOS synth of the moment?
By fun, I mean exactly that – just mindless enjoyable smile-inducing fun.
I don’t mean intellectually stimulating mountain climbing achievements of complex modular environments. Nothing complex. Nothing that requires too much learning. Nothing that’s more like showing off in front of everyone.
I don’t mean super-simple toys that you get and after a week never touch again because you’ve used it all up and there’s nowhere to go now – seemed a good idea when you bought it and was fun when it arrived, but that’s it.
Comments
For me it's Drambo.
I had a realization the other day: Drambo is basically legos for synthesizer people. They're colorful, they're blocky, they fit together in various ways, and if you can imagine it you can build it. I can be sitting at my desk in the middle of the day, and just suddenly think "I wonder what a bank of tuned comb filters would sound like". Or "you know, I bet you could turn a sequential switch into a drum machine". Test the hypothesis, play and build, come out of the process having learned a few things. It's neither deep nor complex imo, its just a process of imagination and tools.
Koala, surely!
I think for me it’s between Oscilab and Xynthesizr – I’m likely to drop into one or the other for a minute or so just to check what condition I left it in, and a minute or two later I’m happier and on I go with whatever else it was I was doing.
I've had a disproportionate amount of fun programming Mela synth.
It's simple enough that I can hold the signal chain entirely in my head, whilst also having a modulation system that adds more complexity for sound design.
I sometimes find other synths a little too overwhelming. But not so with Mela.
This is what makes it 'fun'.
Yes! even my kids love messing with it
Endlesss (ok not a synth, rompler?) (and ok, it’s the looper and fx part that make it fun) (I’ll go now)
Digitalism 2000. Don't know why, this app just clicks with me. Sounds, optics, level of control you have. Everything.
Synthmaster One, because I love the arpeggiator. It hits that sweet spot you mention between too simple and too complicated. It just does what I want.
But if you open it up to music apps in general, Groovebox and Drumcomputer are my most fun-for-your-dollar. I can open them, twiddle for fifteen minutes, and be very happy with what I get, every time. 🙂
Ah yea Drumcomputer, sounds so cool. But I'm on the fence because it's pricey
Koala! Between the easy to use interface, great effects, and the animated, customizable background... Koala is the funnest!!!
Flynth
Another vote for Drumcomputer 👍🏻
I also have a lot of endless instantly fun when using Fractal Bits 😀
Sugar Bytes Aparillo is one candidate.
And basically every synth with a good randomize function (PPG MiniMapper, Kauldron, Magellan 2, iMonoPoly, iWavestation, Phasemaker, Addictive Micro...😊)
This is quite eye-opening so far!
Koala's been the one I'd had a lot of fun with lately...
...sampling, re-sampling, stretching and mangling the sounds beyond recognition.
Another app that I've been really enjoying is Ampify Groove Box with all instruments unlocked.
For pure synthesis fun Drambo...
Addstation for me. Just draw stuff and see what it sounds like. Love it.
Bebot never disappoints.
Definitely Drambo and miRack, especially combining the two in AUM for modular paradise.
Actually beats most hardware I've had for fun and fast workflow.
Synth I've probably had the most mindless fun with cumulatively is most likely Bram Bos Troublemaker. Wish that it had a fine tune dial though.
SWAM Brass! Makes me sound like I know what I am doing 😂
Drambo and GR-16 are the apps where I will look up and suddenly realise I've been lost in play for hours. Super fun!
I think I’ll also add PureAcid. I’ve never any intention of using any of what it makes for any of my stuff, but as a fun diversion, it certainly is a lot of fun.
Electribe Wave (mainly as Warszawa in Gadget).
Simple and quick interface.
Drambo
Drambo and Ripplemaker for me
Not a synth but Koala with the new Samurai IAP is a heck of a lot of fun, especially if you have plenty of one shots, hits, samples, and loops to choose from.
Bought Samurai Yesterday and lost a few hours with it.
Not advocating one app or another but I feel like fun has many different connotations. Without getting all philosophical, fun makes me think of something with a low initial learning curve. While all the apps mentioned here are definitely fun, some are harder to wrap your head around then others. Just something to consider.
Gauss; not a synth but Gauss
TC-11. Using all the patches already available for it mind you, there’s no way I’m gonna try creating my own patches, I’m scared of rabbit holes 🤷♂️
Quanta is actually pretty good fun — I just load up random presets and swap out the sample with my own sounds. Really cool synth!