Blog

The Pro Tools Sketch App

11/6/2023

This week's app is the Pro Tools Sketch app:

Pro Tools Sketch (https://www.avid.com/pro-tools/sketch) Non-linear, clip-based creation tool; capture and play with musical ideas anywhere; trigger samples and loops, record audio, and capture MIDI performances to work up sketches; drag-and-drop clips and experiment with arrangements; editing tools to shape and tweak audio and MIDI; onboard mixer and real-time effects; export arrangement to share and play or open in the Pro Tools Mac/Windows app for further editing and mixing; experiment with samples and loops, record audio, and capture MIDI in a clip-based, non-linear environment with 16 tracks and unlimited scenes; play, stop, and rearrange clips and ideas; explore a large library of included MIDI loops that automatically sync to your time and tempo; bring own audio and MIDI loops into the mix; record audio clips using iPad’s built-in microphone or attach an external mic; edit and manipulate audio with trim, fade, stretch, reverse, and pitch-shifting effects; play and record MIDI using onboard PlayCell and SynthCell software instruments; use the software keyboard and drum pads or an external hardware MIDI controller to capture performances or enter and edit MIDI notes on the grid; choose from a range of nine effects to enhance clips including chorus, compressor, crunch crusher, delay, EQ, LoFi, multimode filter, reverb, and saturation; add effects directly to tracks or use the global reverb and delay controls; use the basic XY controls to tweak effects or get access to all parameters for finer adjustments; create complete songs by organizing scenes into an arrangement; drag scenes into the Scene Arranger in the order you want them to play and set the number of times to repeat each scene before advancing to the next one; experiment with the order, length, and combination of scenes; export arrangement as a .WAV mixdown to share and play anywhere; move Sketch to the Pro Tools Intro Mac/Windows app to use editing and mixing tools; (iOS 16.0 or later).

The Soundtrap Capture App

10/2/2023

This week's app is the Soundtrap Capture app:

Soundtrap Capture (https://www.soundtrap.com/musicmakers) Multi-track and collaborate to create music; designed alongside musicians and artists by Spotify; multi-track recording app for on-the-go music capture, songwriting, and creation; sketch ideas, record, layer, edit, and share beats and songs; invite friends, music makers, and collaborators by sharing links over messaging apps, email, or social media; layer recordings, instrumentals, and vocals over one another to sketch out songs; use reverb and pan to enhance recordings; record music, write songs, and sample sounds on the go, online, or offline; open projects in the Soundtrap Studio to add effects, virtual instruments, and loops; invite and connect with collaborators by sharing a link to your project; import existing projects and audio files; all projects are backed up to the cloud; (iOS 12.0 or later; Android varies with device).

The StaffPad App

9/4/2023

This week's app is the StaffPad app:

StaffPad (https://www.staffpad.net) Designed for composers who want to write music effortlessly, using music notation and audio from basic idea to a full film score; write music using Apple Pencil and app will transform music writing into typeset notation that can be edited, played back, printed, and shared; record or import audio directly onto score and edit intuitively with Apple Pencil; use leading sample libraries and mix score with a suite of studio effects; easy, powerful, and intuitive way to compose music on iPad; write score with fluidity of natural handwriting; use touch and Apple Pencil to quickly edit notation; transpose, repeat, and structure score with intuitive gestures and tools; add smart symbols from the symbols palette, turning Apple Pencil into an articulation paintbrush; customize tempo with a unique tempo staff or import a tempo map from a MIDI file; add chords manually or automatically with the chord staff; copy music written in StaffPad into other apps using the copy and paste functions; playback engine and over 55 included instruments; perform written piece instantly; add industry-standard sample libraries, adapted and customized for StaffPad, from some of the world’s leading sample developers; tap the ScoreSync button in StaffPad and score is instantly shared across a Wi-Fi network to any device running the free StaffPad Reader app; present each individual musical part formatted; update in realtime; automatic page turns; play back in perfect time with a synchronized metronome; imports and exports MusicXML and MIDI files for working with other music apps; export playback as WAV, AAC, or MP3; import audio files into score with support for most major audio formats; mix audio with notated score; record directly onto score canvas using device’s in-built microphones while monitoring a metronome through headphones; import existing audio in most major audio formats; tempo map freeform/rubato performances using the tempo staff; suite of studio quality DSP effects and automation; create release-quality productions; annotate score with either private or public (shared with the Readers) annotation pens; public pens allow for instant written communication with individual musicians in the room via ScoreSync and StaffPad Reader; app will automatically format and print parts or export PDFs; customize the paper size, bar number styles, number of bars per line, scaling, margins, multi-bar consolidation, and more; automatically formats the score for consistent presentation; features “Fenby” voice-activated composer assistant who can assist in routine tasks like setting up the score, adding instruments, tempos, bar line styles, key changes, and more; add a time staff and choose a time base (e.g. mins/secs, or a SMPTE timecode); drop labelled time markers directly on the time staff; Reduce Treble and Reduce Bass mixer effects for audio and instrument staffs; drag down and up on hairpins to add a niente circle to ensure the dynamic goes to or from silence, saving edits to the expression layer; dynamics will render above the staff for the print view when lyrics are used; favors tempo numbers when tempo words and numbers are used together; designed from a composer’s point of view; (iOS 14.5 or later).

The Dorico - Compose Music App

8/7/2023

This week's app is the Dorico - Compose Music app:

Dorico – Compose Music (https://www.steinberg.net/dorico/) Automatic engraving; note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard; adjusts notation; any number of movements or pieces in a single project; automatic layout of instrumental parts; expressive playback using included sounds and effects; supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors; sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor; sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion, and drum set notation; handles unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc.; transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc.; (iOS 14.0 or later).

The Music Player 2023 App

7/3/2023

This week's app is the Music Player 2023 app:

Music Player 2023 (https://www.theappknight.com/) Free online and offline music player; listen to online songs via Jellyfin, Emby, or Plex for free; music player with 6-band equalizer supports MP3, FLAC, MIDI, WAV, and all other audio files; built-in Chromecast and Android CarPlay; search favorite songs; tag editor ID3; folder song player; blurred album art background; unique theme styles; lyrics support; sort songs by A-Z, Z-A, year, artist, album, or duration; playing queue option; quick search and discover songs by album, artist, or folder; automatic sync of missing albums or artist images; three home screen widget styles; Last.FM scrobbling; audio player with gestures; switch through songs; sleep timer; share, delete, or set as a ringtone option; (Android 5.0 and up).

The Newzik: Sheet Music Reader App

6/5/2023

This week's app is the Newzik: Sheet Music Reader app:

Newzik: Sheet Music Reader (https://newzik.com/en/) Create and organize digital music library; access from any device; interactive music reading experience; improve practice with LiveScores; tag scores and create custom lists; group different versions or parts together and quickly find any music; access music scores anytime, anywhere; upload sheet music from computer; scan print scores into digital library; create markings from iPad; add recordings from iPhone; with Newzik Cloud, work is constantly synchronized between different devices; practice with interactive accompaniments; turn PDF and paper scores into interactive LiveScores to benefit from automatic page-turning and dynamic multitrack accompaniment; record yourself to track performance progress and add videos to improve practice; create own markings; create custom tools to annotate sheet music, use different colors, add symbols, and organize markings with an unlimited number of layers; tuner, pitch pipe, metronome, audio recorder, scanner, multitrack mixer, advanced display modes; use a Bluetooth pedal to turn pages more easily with foot, and anticipate every turn with Half-Page Turn or synchronize media files with score; share scores and markings in real-time; look at conductor’s score or annotate students’ exercises and listen to their recordings from anywhere using Newzik’s collaborative spaces; with trial version can try most of the features and store up to three scores in digital library; upgrade to Newzik Essentials for unlimited storage or Newzik Premium for unlimited storage, LiveScores, and collaborative projects; Newzik Pro subscription available; (iOS 14.5 or later).

The ScanScore Capture App

5/1/2023

This week's app is the ScanScore Capture app:

ScanScore Capture (https://scan-score.com/en/scanscore-the-app-that-reads-music/) Complements the desktop applications ScanScore and FORTE Premium; turns mobile device into a sheet music scanner; take a photo of a score and it will automatically transfer to the desktop version of ScanScore; start the recognition process and export it to a MusicXML file or directly into the music notation program FORTE; (iOS 9.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up).

The Enote: Intelligent Sheet Music App

4/3/2023

This week's app is the Enote: Intelligent Sheet Music app:

Enote: Intelligent Sheet Music (https://enote.com) Comprehensive library of over 20,000 classical works; study, practice, and perform; thousands of Urtext editions from essential publishing houses including Henle, Bärenreiter, Breitkopf & Härtel, Peters and Durand; discover repertoire with musical categories and search filters; built-in shortcuts to movements, repeats, codas, and more; big-picture view of each work with full score previews from instrumental part; smart drawing tools; automatic highlighting to color-code parts and symbol groups instantly; full flexibility to transpose and reformat music in flexible Digital Edition prototypes; one-tap printing and seamless synchronization across Apple devices; free to download and play every public domain score in library; Premium subscriptions unlock an ad-free app experience, offline score access, cloud back-ups, device syncing, and custom printing; built by a team of musicians, musicologists, app developers and AI engineers; new repertoire is added to the library each week; app is regularly updated with improvements; global community of users; (iOS 14.0 or later).

The Tin Pan South App

3/6/2023

This week's app is the Tin Pan South app:

Tin Pan South (https://www.tinpansouth.com/download-app) Official app of the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival March 28-April 1, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee; numerous venues throughout town put the spotlight on the songwriters that create the music we love; nearly 400 songwriters will perform and share the stories behind everyone's favorite hit songs; Tin Pan South is produced by Nashville Songwriters Association International; (iOS 14.0 or later; Android 7.0 and up).

The Piano by Yousician App

2/6/2023

This week's app is the Piano by Yousician app:

Piano by Yousician (https://yousician.com) Personal piano tutor for the digital age; learn and play thousands of songs on a real instrument with instant feedback on accuracy and timing as the app listens along; learn at own pace; curriculum designed by expert piano teachers for pianists of all levels from complete beginners to professionals; step-by-step video tutorials guide each lesson; gameplay tracks progress and keeps students motivated to practice and learn; includes over 1,500 missions and exercises with hundreds of videos covering all skills; sight reading for sheet music; music theory; special trainers for each skill; Weekly Challenge where students can compete with friends and other Yousicians worldwide; suited for self-learning or as a supplement to learning with a teacher; played with a real instrument and requires no additional equipment; phone’s microphone listens to playing and app gives feedback; premium subscription available; (iOS 13.0 or later; Android 7.0 and up).