Our Verdict
Those wonted to thinking of iPhone and iPod sense of touch applications as stripped - down mini - versions of desktop applications need only expend a half hour withBeatMaker , Intua ’s mobile euphony - creation program , to change their idea . With its multiple concealment — including screens that offer 16 drum pads for actuate samples , call sequencer , effects ( FX ) , waveform trimming , and an redaction screen for adjusting speed and groove — BeatMaker is anything but a bare - bones mobile covering . BeatMaker is deep — though clearly still a work in progression .
BeatMaker look nothing like your typical iPhone program . You ’re not go to find port constituent that resemble anything within Apple ’s default apps — even the keyboard is a custom job . rather , you have a series of sieve approachable from button on the program ’s Home page as well as from the Navigation bar that pops down from the top of the display when you tip the BeatMaker ikon . Within that toolbar you find push for accessing the Pad , Sequencer , and FX views . button on the habitation varlet let you load kits ( collections of sampling mapped to the tympan pads ) . At the bottom of the screen you tap yet another icon to produce the Transport bar , which contains Stop / Play , Record , Loop , and Metronome controls as well as readouts for BPM ( beats per minute ) and streak and beats .
BeatMaker ’s Pad thought give you controls for recording shape , and deepen loudness and pacing of your transcription .
BeatMaker’s Pad view gives you controls for recording patterns, and changing volume and tempo of your recording.
You ’re likely to spend much of your meter in the Pad horizon where you may trigger up to 16 samples ( and up to five simultaneously ) by pink a four - by - four layout of virtual membranophone pads . Just exploit the Load Kit push discover on this screen , choose one of the pre - made kits , and start solicit to spark the samples assign to the pad of paper . With the assistance of Intua ’s free ( and beta ) BeatPack applications programme , you may create kits on your Mac or Windows PC using sample distribution of your own and then import those outfit to BeatMaker . The pads are n’t whole reactive — there ’s a minute of rotational latency between the metre you tap a launchpad and when it sounds .
Within Pad persuasion , you ’ll find controls for recording radiation pattern , changing the global book of the kit as well as the pace of the transcription . intercept an Edit button and you may commute the sales pitch of each sampling , but it ’s not very musical as doing so also change its duration — increase the sales pitch and the sample plays faster , decrease sales talk and the sample slow down . to boot , you’re able to select a sampling and edit it as a waveform within a separate screenland — sweep up your finger’s breadth across it to trim the front and back .
You put together projection by stringing together patterns within the Song Sequencer .
You assemble projects by stringing together patterns within the Song Sequencer.
Recording from the Pad view is a lilliputian awkward because you’re able to only record one measuring stick at a time ( and a 4/4 step at that as the program does n’t stand other sentence signatures ) and , as I tell , latency can be a problem . you could ameliorate the rotational latency issuance moderately by taking advantage of the programme ’s overdub feature . Like a raft of beat sequencer , this one record in a loop , add parts as you bang on the tablet . So , you could make a pattern closer to being in sentence by solicit a pad with a basso drum mapped to it on beats 1 and 3 and then , on the next pass , tapping a gin lodgings on beats 2 and 4 .
For more accurate transcription , you ’re better off using BeatMaker ’s sequenator , which is made up of Step Sequencer and Song Sequencer screens . Within the Step Sequencer , to produce a pattern you solicit a segment of a timeline ( made up of 16 , sixteenth note segment ) to trigger a particular sampling on that beat . For example , in the line that corresponds to Pad 1 , water tap beats 1 and 3 to lay down the rush drum and , on a third line mapped to Pad 2 , tap amaze 1 and 3 for the snare . Then in the Song Sequencer you enter patterns you ’ve make by tapping measures on a power grid next to each pattern . you may repeat patterns by dragging a Start / remnant bar at the top of the screen .
you could route your piece of work through BeatMaker ’s Delay , EQ , and BitCrusher effects .
You can route your work through BeatMaker’s Delay, EQ, and BitCrusher effects.
Once you ’ve recorded a sequence you ’re welcome to route it through the FX section . Effects include delay , three - ring EQ , and BitCrusher — an force that adds a gnarled distortion . You enable effects by disable a Bypass push button ( yes , a little counterintuitive ) and you could lend oneself diverge degrees of processing with the Delay and BitCrusher upshot .
When you ’ve put together your running you may then save it as a projection . Once saved you may export it to your electronic computer as a WAV or MIDI file via the BeatPack program .
BeatMaker , in its current form , is challenging for a couple of understanding . The first is that in some place it feel bare . For example , when using the Step Sequencer it would be great if you could try the sample distribution you ’re touch off when you tapdance in the timeline — but you ca n’t . This can be a trouble given that you have 16 different sample distribution ( and their go with timeline ) to keep track of . you’re able to intercept in an event , play the sequence , and take heed what you ’ve done , but a live initiation when you tap would be welcome . Or , while in Pad view you trigger off a diggings and then cerebrate better of it . Removing that trigger is confusing — requiring that you move to a Record window glass and utilize a Clear release to get free of the triggered event . And , of course , there ’s the triggering latent period issue in Pad purview .
You can create more time-accurate patterns with the Step Sequencer.
you could make more time - exact patterns with the Step Sequencer .
And then there ’s the depth of the program and the many screens necessary to allow for that depth . BeatMaker is not an loose applications programme to wrap your head around . It requires a lot of time playing with the interface and familiarizing yourself with what goes where and how Intua parse the program ’s power .
Fortunately , with version 1.0.2 of BeatMaker , Intua expel an update and greatly improved manual — and it needed it . The previous manual of arms was too short on detail and not as organized as it could be . Still , the new manual would benefit from a a couple of bare tutorial — step - by - step education for adulterate a kit , recording a few pattern , string those pattern together to make a project , and exporting the project to your computer .
There is some remarkable and melodic stuff going on within this coating . And for $ 20 , it ’s a steal . BeatMaker need a little finish work — dealing with those rotational latency issues and make the interface and operation more nonrational . But even in its current body politic it ’s well on its manner to becoming a killer iPhone app that any pulse maker would be proud to own .
BeatMaker is compatible with any iPhone or iPod mite running the iPhone 2.0 package update .
[ aged editor Christopher Breen postdate all muscial matters at the Playlist web log . ]
