Go Ape for Apps
7 products for musical survival in the urban jungle
You see them everywhere, eyes transfixed on the little glowing glass touch screens, updating Facebook statuses, checking the weather, sending off e-mails, and ... even creating and learning music.
Originally designed for the daily hustle and bustle, the Apple trio--iPhone, iPod, and iPad--have quickly permeated other areas of life by allowing third party companies to create applications (apps). Many high profile music companies have jumped on board, and there are tons of handy apps geared towards musicians, with new ones constantly emerging from development.
Check out some of these recently released apps that will keep you pleasantly distracted thoughout your day, and add a touch of music making to every situation in your life.
AmpliTube
Who would have thought that we would see the day when a telephone could be a digital effects processor? With AmpliTube, you can simultaneously use three stompbox effects, choose between five amps and speaker cabs, and even choose the kind of microphone picking up the sound. Then, using the iRig interface, just plug in your headphones or amplifier, and you're ready to rock with your own portable effects rig. Cost: $19.99 (Free version also available.)
Peterson iStroboSoft
Peterson has been known for making some of the most accurate tuners ever. They have now entered the app world with their release of iStroboSoft, a professional grade tuner for the iPhone and iPod touch that offers the same precision as their hardware models. Features include a noise filter, 24dB input boost, full screen strobe display with a user-selectable color scheme, capo and drop tuning options, and a unique calibration feature that syncs the tuner to an external source. Cost: $9.99
Easy Ear Training
Ear training is an important part of learning music, and Easy Ear has created an app that teaches the fundamentals of intervals. Their latest creation, Step and a Half, is a fun game designed to make ear training fun and manageable. Learn to recognize intervals by listening to a melody, then dragging interval "blocks" to recreate the melodies. Learn quickly by correcting your mistakes as you go.
Cost: $4.99 (First Steps version is free.)
Planet Waves Guitar Tools
Planet Waves has guitar players covered. With more than 7,800 guitar chords in its library, a complete listing of scales and arpeggios, an accurate tuner, and an easy to use metronome, everything you need to master the guitar fits right in your pocket. Also, the Guitar Tools app has a handy reference that locates music stores and teachers around the world using The Lesson Room, D'Addario's online hub for music education.
Cost: $8.99
Musicnotes Sheet Music Viewer
Wouldn't it be neat to be able to pull up any sheet music you want whenever you want it? Musicnotes, a leader in supplying sheet music in digital format, has an iPad app for that. Easily access all of the music you have purchased through Musicnotes, wherever you may be, and even better, mark your scores, instantly transpose, and easily change pages with a swipe of the finger. Cost: Free with a Musicnotes account.
Vandoren
For woodwind musicians, Vandoren has introduced a resource that puts the company's expertise in the palm of your hand. Their new app is both informative and helpful, from making everything in their 100-year history instantly available, to locating distributors across the globe, to offering tips to find the ideal reed and mouthpiece setup. Cost: Free
RiffBox App
Phrase looping has never been so handy or portable. RiffBox, an app available on iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, allows you to create loop-based compositions or improvisations by singing or playing into the built-in microphone, and letting the app do the work. By recognizing rhythmic and tonal patterns, RiffBox automatically creates perfectly timed loops. After you've created your masterpiece, you can save it and show it off to your friends.
Cost: $4.99 (Lite version is free.)
