When reviewing NoInputMixer, I noticed the app’s excellent reverb capabilities, with great sonics and a true sense of space. So, after hearing about Igor Vasiliev’s new reverb app, Stellarvox, I wanted to review it for TabMuse. The app essentially provides a reverb construction set, letting you design bespoke sonic spaces suitable for multiple music genres.
Stellarvox Features
“Ambient Reverb Space Designer”
Combines Convolution and Algorithmic Reverbs with a Reflective Tail Processor
Build Immersive Sound Spaces with Control over Shape, Size, and Tonal Structure
Intuitive yet Deep and Powerful User Interface
Runs Standalone and Supports the AUv3 and IAA formats on iPad and iPhone
Stellarvox belongs in the app or plugin library of any musician or producer looking for a reverb design tool. Its ability to generate lush sonic spaces with long tail reverb algorithms especially makes sense for ambient artists. This iOS/macOS/iPadOS reverb plugin provides yet another example of a top-shelf Igor Vasiliev app. He remains one of the most unique music app developers on the scene.
Exploring the Stellarvox Reverb Construction Set
The Stellarvox user interface shares a similar look and feel with Igor’s NoInputMixer. Expect a virtual mixer design, with the reverb’s settings laid out in a channel-like form. Knobs serve as the most common control type, with push button switches and a dry/wet slider also included. A toolbar at the top of the screen supports preset management with access to other standard functionality.
Stellarvox provides an easy-to-use UI. Screenshot by author.
The Space section, at the far left, uses three unlabeled parameters to define the acoustic settings for the reverb. Interesting options provide variety, including the reverberation space, that space’s tail reflections, and the generated reflected response. In short, the expected settings for a convolution reverb. The Size, Time, Distance, and Stereo settings share similarities with most reverb tools.
Stellarvox’s tail reflection sonics are one of the most intriguing aspects of the reverb plugin. The Tail column provides knob controls for the level and decay time of the reflections. Choose from either linear or logarithmic response for the tail’s attack and decay envelopes. A final button switches between different timbral settings for the tail.
Additional columns allow tweaking of the tail’s frequency response in addition to the reverb’s modulation settings. Don’t forget the small effects section applied before the reverb. Take special note of the “2ND” column as it controls the second stage of Stellarvox’s reverb. It leverages a “Schroeder” reverb design, providing a series of diffuse delays enhancing the surrealism and length of the tail reflection.
Columns for managing the EQ and output of Stellarvox round out the reverb app’s user interface. Note that a Bypass button at the bottom of all columns – except for the output – lets you remove that section from the reverb. It’s a valuable resource when constructing reverb spaces and even learning the app’s functionality. Check out Igor’s thorough Stellarvox user manual for additional information and detail.
Crafting a Reverb with Stellarvox
If you want to craft a unique reverb for a music project, Stellarvox serves as a powerful tool. I am currently working on a new Church of Hed album, an aural travelogue down the Blue Ridge Parkway. One of the more ambient pieces in progress demanded an especially spacious reverb. Enter Stellarvox.
The UI’s similarity with Igor’s NoInputMixer made constructing a bespoke reverb for the track a breeze. In fact, after designing the verb’s long tail, go back and tweak the parameters in the Space section. This iterative approach provides a great way to quickly create different reverbs suitable for a variety of musical use-cases. In short, Stellarvox rewards the creative mind by providing an intuitive sandbox for crafting sonic environments.
The “BRP Dream 7” stem uses Moog’s excellent Animoog Z and Model D apps. The Animoog patch leverages a sample grain from a Grateful Dead sound pack provided as an IAP by Moog. What I assume is a granular sample of Jerry Garcia’s guitar gets blasted directly into space with Stellarvox. I tweaked a Model D polyphonic pad – almost sacrilegious – as the counterpoint to the Animoog Z sounds.
In the case of this stem, I used Stellarvox on the master track in Cubasis, so the reverb combined both synth parts. It especially made an impact on the Garcia’s tone, giving it a synth-like sense of space. Of course, the excellent Animoog Z and its touch control features provided great sonic material to the reverb.
A Great Tool for Crafting Ambient Space on the iPad
Stellarvox ultimately provides iOS and macOS musicians with an essential tool for creating your own reverbs. This use-case especially applies to those creating soundscapes in the ambient or dark ambient genres. With Stellarvox, crafting bespoke sonic environments becomes easy and actually quite fun. It’s another great and unique app from the mind of developer, Igor Vasiliev.
Fred Anton Corvest’s iOS plugins rank among the most-used effects on our iPad music projects. Check out our review of his effects bundle from a few years ago. I primarily use Apple’s tablet computer to create beats or stems for further overdubs using Reaper on the desktop. For example, FAC Maxima remains our top plugin choice for mastering within AUM. FAC Punchlab expands this functionality and more!
Fred recently released Punchlab for iOS, a AUv3 multi-effects plugin effectively serving as a Swiss Army knife for your next music project. We decided to try it out on two stems in development for an upcoming Church of Hed album. We found FAC Punchlab to be an intuitive tool, letting you quickly dial in one or more effects for a single track, buss, or even an entire mix. Let’s check it out!
FAC Punchlab Features
Combines up to Nine Effects on a Track or Master Buss
Effects Provide a Full Range of Sound Design and Control
Includes Filters, Transient Control, Limiting, Saturation, and More
Intuitive Dynamic UI makes Touch Control a Breeze
Responsive UI Evolves based on iPad vs. iPhone and Parent App
Reorder Effects with Simple Gestures
Seamless Present Management
Supports the AUv3 Plugin Format on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS
FAC Punchlab provides mobile musicians and producers with a top-shelf effects rack with a seamless, intuitive interface. Controlling the app with touch gestures especially works great on the iPad. I now use it instead of or in tandem with FAC Maxima on the master buss in AUM or Cubasis.
FAC Punchlab has a Top-Shelf iPad User Interface
The FAC Punchlab interface features an “Advanced Responsive Design,” which means it seamlessly adjusts itself based on the host app. It provides both portrait and landscape views, easily switching between the two as necessary. I used it in both AUM and Cubasis and had no problems leveraging the intuitive interface to quickly adjust effects settings.
FAC Punchlab features an intuitive and adaptive user interface. Screenshot by author.
Punchlab includes nine separate effects; simple button taps switch each effect on or off. Taps and swipes also serve to control each effect’s unique settings, including levels, switches, and other settings. An animated graphic in the middle of each effect evolves based on the changes to the settings. Simply put, the UI makes controlling Punchlab both fun and powerful.
Meters displaying the plugin’s I/O levels as well as the output waveform lie above the nine effects. Below resides the preset manager and a button displaying the app’s information screen. Note the button on the lower right that toggles a mode for reordering Punchlab’s effects. Use intuitive drag and drop gestures to move the effects around based on your desired audio flow.
Exploring the Effects of FAC Punchlab
Punchlab’s “rack of nine” provides a full range of effects suitable for instrument, buss, or master tracks. As noted earlier, simply toggle each effect on and off to get the right processing setup for your specific needs. This flexibility pays dividends on any mobile music project.
FAC Punchlab seamlessly fits in the Cubasis UI. Screenshot by author.
Now, let’s examine the features of each of the nine effects:
Attack: The Attack effect lets you design transients. The Punch slider controls the attack slope, while the Depth knob manages its level, no matter the slope.
Phat: Phat serves as the saturation effect for Punchlab. Two knobs control its drive and saturation depth. The Model button provides access to five different saturation models, providing sonic flexibility.
Boum: A cool resonant filter, Boum offers unique sonic exploration within Punchlab. Two knobs control the depth and decay. The ability to tune the note of the resonance is also cool. Finally, the Audition switch lets you only hear the effected Boum output.
Heat: If you need the sonic clarity provided by an exciter, Heat serves in this role for Punchlab. This effect includes control over the exciter’s amount as well as its pre-gain. Use the Oxygen slider for additional coloration and character.
Tone: The Tone effect includes a filter array: a shelf filter plus a low-pass or high-pass option. Use the dual knob and the two sliders to control the respective cutoff frequencies.
EQ: Another filter array with two bell filters provides EQ within Punchlab. Use the dual knob to control the gain for both, while dual sliders manage the cutoff frequencies.
Fizz: Fizz is one of the more unique effects in Punchlab. It provides audio rate modulation using six different models, plus you also control the modulation frequency with the Note slider. Experimentation and exploration become easier when playing around with Fizz (and Boum in tandem).
Clip: The Clip effect also provides a cool source for sonic exploration within Punchlab. You gain control over the clipper’s knee curve and gain using the knob. The Shaper slider controls the effect’s harmonic profile. The Auto-gain switch compensates for any reduction in the signal.
Mix: Finally, the Mix control serves in its traditional role, blending the dry and wet audio signals. It also includes a High Quality switch for oversampling and a final limiter switch with brickwall, hard, and off settings.
Putting Punchlab through its Paces
As noted earlier, the iPad serves as my musical tool for beatmaking and stems. Using Punchlab in Cubasis on two stems for an upcoming Church of Hed album provided a perfect test scenario. One track includes a Berlin School synth sequence on the Minimoog Model D app with the Model 15 providing aural scenery. The other piece conjures a surreal aural landscape using the Model D in tandem with Animoog Z.
In both cases, Punchlab’s array of effects provided an easily controllable chain leveraging the app’s intuitive touch-powered user interface. Toggling effects with simple taps while controlling their parameters with finger swipes makes mobile music production alluring. Fred simply knows how to craft top-shelf user experience for iPad musicians. Note that Punchlab is also available for the iOS on the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as the macOS and visionOS platforms. However, I only tested it on my iPad Pro.
Notably, Punchlab parameters respond to automation in Cubasis, enhancing the effects app’s capabilities for sound design or more esoteric music works. A robust preset library provides additional insights on the app’s potential uses on your next project. Access present management functionality at the bottom of the plugin.
An Essential iOS and iPadOS Effects Plugin
Punchlab quickly became one of my most essential options for different utility and creative use-cases for iPad music projects. The ease of use and intuitive interface makes learning it a breeze functionality. You need to explore adding FAC Punchlab to your effects arsenal. Fred Corvest made another great mobile music effect, or actually nine great effects in one!
BLEASS is a French iOS music app maker. Their line mostly features effects that support the AUv3 plugin format. The company also offers BLEASS groovebox, a fun drum machine app worth checking out. Their wares support iPad, iPod Touch, and the iPhone provided you are running iOS 9.0 or later.
We recently spent some time diving into BLEASS delay and BLEASS reverb, as well as groovebox. The company also released BLEASS filter in the last few weeks, so expect a review of that app in the future. Here’s a look at what these iOS music apps bring to the table.
BLEASS delay is the Antidote for Anger
No one can own too many delays. This time-honored rule applies to both hardware devices and software-based plugins. BLEASS delay provides the iOS musician with an easy-to-use effect suitable for AUM, GarageBand, or any other host app supporting the AUv3 format.
BLEASS delay features an easy-to-use interface. Screenshot by author.
BLEASS delay syncs to the host BPM if desired. It also provides a cool ping-pong feature for those who love those trippy stereo imaging effects – I do. The overall sound is great and musical. I typically use it in AUM with one of Bram Bos’s Rozeta rhythm plugins; it’s an approach inline with my typical iOS use-case as a beatmaker for studio synth productions.
The interface is extremely straightforward; essentially as easy to use as a simple stomp box delay. Everything is arranged in an obvious manner. You simply need to add delay to your project and start using it.
This delay offers a host of features that go beyond a simple echo. Two resonant filters serve to add a measure of tweaking to your sound. The delay’s feedback stage includes a pitch shifter which serves quite nicely for mangling electronic drum sounds. Use the LFO with stereo phase for an additional sense of motion to your tracks.
Check the included presets for an idea of delay’s possibilities. Of course, you can save your own presets as well. BLEASS Delay is available at the App Store for $4.99. Git ya some!
Take Your Tracks into Space with BLEASS reverb
BLEASS reverb pairs nicely with its delay brother. In fact, I wish AUM had a “macro” feature so I can load both effects with one action, or even a way to model effect racks similar to the desktop DAW world. Well, enough of my dreaming.
BLEASS reverb goes beyond the standard verb functionality. Screenshot by author.
Another straightforward BLEASS effect, using reverb is a breeze, especially when familiar with the concepts of reverberation. The interface is clear and user friendly.
The effect’s architecture includes three stages. A first stage includes a pre-delay and a gain control to tailor the input signal. The HP/LP filter also helps in this regard. You manipulate the room size and HF damping in the second stage – essentially the reverb itself. A cool mini X-Y pad provides a frequency shifter and waveshaper for additional real-time sonic manipulation. It’s fun!
Finally, the third stage provides a simple sidechain compressor to add an extra mindfreak to drum parts. A dry/wet control rounds out BLEASS reverb’s control scheme. Once again, peruse the presets for an idea of this plugin’s capabilities.
Considering its user-friendly price – only $2.99 at the App Store – BLEASS reverb belongs in the app library of any iOS musician. It provides a top quality reverb, and one that also works as a standalone app.
Beat Crafting with BLEASS groovebox
BLEASS groovebox is a fun drum machine app – with benefits – available for free, but with a host of professional features available as an in-app purchase. Surprisingly, groovebox doesn’t support the AUv3 format, but it does work with Audiobus, Ableton Link, and Inter-App Audio. In fact, a recent update lets you route each track into AUM or other hosts using IAA, provided you purchased the pro version.
In addition to crafting beats, groovebox also sports a monosynth for melodies and the ability to generate chords, adding to its functionality. Both synths include the usual array of filters, envelopes, and LFOs to tailor your sounds, which also are savable as presets. The app’s low CPU usage lets you layer multiple synth instances per track, limited by the horsepower of your iOS device.
The drum machine section lets you load up to six samples per track, with filters and a bitcrusher serving as the sonic mangler. You are able to load samples from iCloud or the iOS Files app. Neat!
Sadly, groovebox doesn’t support odd time signatures. Its 16-step sequencer needs to be truly variable, or even support polyrhythms. Understand that my musical tastes trend towards the weird and esoteric, so this might not be a problem for you. Check out the free version and see what you think.
The sequencer section does provide some cool groove manipulation functionality. Two effects sends and both Live and Song mode add to its flexibility. BLEASS groovebox features the same clean user interface concepts as its AUv3 effects family, and you can’t beat the price if you just want to put the sequencer through its paces.
I just hope for AUv3 support and the ability to use different time signatures in a future update. Needless to say, iOS musicians need to check out the full line of BLEASS music apps. Stay tuned for our upcoming review of BLEASS filter!
As more iOS music apps support the AUv3 plugin standard, I find myself turning again to the mobile platform for my beatmaking needs. Fred Anton Corvest is an indie app developer with a small family of effects apps supporting AUv3. They are a must-get for anyone doing serious music production on their iPad.
Each effect within Frederic’s collection works great on its own, but buying all four as a bundle just makes more sense. Let’s check them out!
FAC Chorus
FAC Chorus provides the functionality of a straightforward chorus pedal on your iPhone or iPad. In fact, the iPhone’s UI is oriented like an effects pedal, while the iPad version uses more of rackmount design. This same form factor applies to Fred’s other three effect apps.
FAC Chorus in action tweaking your beats. Screenshot by author.
The effect uses two separate internal delay lines with simulated BBD circuitry, giving it extra warmth suitable for guitars, synths, or beats. Since I primarily use my iPad as a beatmaker, it definitely works nicely in that regard. In the hardware realm, I typically pair my Arturia DrumBrute with a Hotone Skyline Chorus pedal, so it’s great having something similar on iOS.
Ultimately, if you are familiar with the functionality and controls of a hardware chorus pedal, the FAC version makes you feel right at home. There are a host of presets to help get you started, and a simple long button press on the preset name lets you save your changes to a new patch, as with the other FAC apps. It’s a simple virtual chorus pedal with great sound, and it supports the AUv3 plugin format. So there.
FAC Maxima
If you need a mastering plugin for your iPad musical project, FAC Maxima needs to be on your shortlist. This AUv3 plugin works well as either a compressor or limiter, while providing a useful real-time display of the audio waveform, providing valuable feedback on the impact of the effect. It’s also easy to use, especially if you are familiar with mastering processors.
Pounding your brain with FAC Maxima. Screenshot by author.
Maxima is perfect for my iPad use-case of beatmaking. It gets added as the last effect on the master channel, in a similar manner as the venerable TC Electronic Finalizer in our studio. It gives those stereo beats power and heft before overdubs are added in a desktop DAW.
The plugin also works well when used on individual tracks. Frederic even recommends it for keeping vocal levels under control in DJ or spoken work applications. Check out the included presets for inspiration.
FAC Transient
FAC Transient is one of the more esoteric effects in the Corvestian bundle. At its heart, it’s another dynamics processor, but one giving you an extra level of control over the attack and sustain portions of an envelope. When tweaked in the right fashion, it offers a unique, almost tonal effect when used with a drum beat.
FAC Transient is a useful beat-tweaking AUv3 plugin and more. Screenshot by author.
The plugin uses three envelopes, one each for the input, attack, and sustain circuits. You also gain control over the length of each phase. Ultimately, you are able to use an instance on each track in your mix for a superior level of sonic sculpting power.
While there are a copious number of presets to give you a better idea of Transient’s possibilities, frankly it’s better just to jump right in and start tweaking. At least, I’ve found it to be a rewarding approach during my beatmaking applications. Those of you who use iOS for full studio productions benefit from the added mixing control made possible by Transient. In short, you need this plugin.
FAC Envolver
Unique among Frederic Corvest’s plugins is FAC Envolver. Able to function as both an audio and/or a MIDI effect, this plugin provides many uses within any iOS music project. On the MIDI side, an envelope follower generates data (Notes, CC, etc.) based on the input signal. It also includes a noise gate and “trance” gate to effect the incoming audio signal.
FAC Envolver is a powerful and unique AUv3 plugin. Screenshot by author.
A somewhat complex user interface – at least compared to the other FAC plugins – remains easy to tweak. You are able set the generated MIDI note or CC data based on the input, with various parameters also influencing the result. A convenient stereo waveform display provides feedback in a similar manner as Maxima. As a stereo effect, Envolver includes two separate parameter sets – one for each mono channel.
When used in tandem with the audio gates, it’s possible to get a trance-like feel to your project. Beware, young intrepid traveler, as sometimes stray generated MIDI notes will play on your synth plugins. Well, this happened to me in Beatmaker 3, and it took me around 15 minutes to figure out the source. Oops!
Ultimately, understanding how the parameters work together is essential to get the most out of Envolver. Once again, the included presets provide enough to get you started, but get in there and tweak away to create some wild mixes and even generative compositions. I expect to dive even deeper into Envolver in the future.
If you are serious about producing music on your iOS device, the FAC bundle belongs in your collection. It offers everything from a great chorus and mastering processor, to the otherworldly possibilities of Envolver and Transient. All four effects are easy to use, support AUv3, sound great, and are simply fun. What’s not to like?
Bram Bos has done it again. Known for an ever expanding line of iOS music apps, his latest joint, Ruismaker Noir, takes iOS beatmaking in a new direction. An intuitive and innovative user interface combines with great sonics to reward experimentation, all while giving your beats a modern sheen.
Ruismaker Noir belongs in the app collection of every forward-looking iOS musician. Its AUv3 support makes it easy to add effects to mindfreak your rhythmic creations. It’s definitely one of the best iOS music apps of 2018.
22nd Century Beatmaking on Your iPad or iPhone
Noir is truly a groundbreaking beatmaker. Like the rest of Bram Bos’s app collection, the user interface is striking. Sure, familiar elements, like a sequencer and synthesizer dominate, but the dark color scheme definitely fits the style of the app’s sound.
Ruismaker Noir in action in a bouncy 9/8. Screenshot by author.
A few strategic finger swipes are all that’s necessary to begin a beat. An intuitive interface makes this process rewarding – the vertical axis controls pitch while the horizontal one controls velocity. Embrace trial and error with an empirical mindset, yo.
The way the monophonic synth blends the tonal bass notes with the more percussive ones makes you think there are separate drum and bass synths. This architectural approach gives the rhythms created in Ruismaker Noir a unique flavor. Of course, the sequencer provides enough flexibility for odd time signatures and other interesting polyrhythmic patterns.
Note that its low CPU footprint makes it easy to spawn multiple instances within one container app, like Beatmaker 3. Using one instance for bass and another for percussion is only one obvious use-case.
A Dark and Gritty Synthesizer Engine
Remember, the app is called Ruismaker Noir. Thus, it makes perfect sense for the app’s synth engine to bring a gritty feel to the proceedings. Well, Noir’s VCF does include a grit knob. Tweak it, grasshopper. The same rule applies to the bit driver knob; it’s a combination of a bit crusher and overdrive.
Simple control of the envelope slope for the three oscillators (2 VCOs and noise) facilitates the creation of drum sounds. The Drop knob serves as a pitch envelope in a similar manner. Ring modulation, cross-ring modulation, and FM are all part of this unique synth engine.
The bipolar pitch and velocity modulators are an essential part of Noir’s synth engine. It responds to data from either the internal sequencer or an external one. This effect is obvious when creating beats using the Noir sequencer.
Drop, FM, Noise, Cutoff, VCO balance, and the overall level are all controllable in this fashion. Note that all of Noir’s parameters are controllable using an external source when used as a plugin.
Ruismaker Noir Preset Management
The app includes a host of presets to give you a better idea of what’s possible with Noir. Of course, it’s better simply to dive in and experiment. Exporting and managing both user and factory presets is simple.
What’s left? In addition to its intuitive feel, the Noir sequencer also includes Bram’s typical mangling functionality. Shuffle, Random, and Mutate are all in there. I prefer the subtle randomness of the Mutate function. The sequencer also sends MIDI output data when used as an AUv3 plugin.
Bram’s gone and done it again. Ruismaker Noir ranks at the pinnacle of iOS beatmaking apps. Its ease of use and simplicity mask the depth of the internal synth engine.
I am currently working on orchestrating the next Church of Hed album, but Noir is inspiring enough to distract me into beatmaking work. This is one reason we give it our highest recommendation.
The folks at KV331 did it again. This time out, they successfully ported their desktop synth plugin – SynthMaster One – to the iOS platform. Any sonic differences between the two are barely noticeable, if at all. iPad synth aficionados need to add SynthMaster One iOS to their shortlist.
SynthMaster One iOS Features
Semi-Modular Architecture with 2 OSC, 2 Subs, 2 Filters, 4 Envelopes and More
Wavetable Synthesis with Large Wavetable Library and User Import
16-Step Sequencer/Arpeggiator supports those Weirdo Time Signatures
On release, SynthMaster One establishes itself as one of the top synths on the iOS platform. The desktop version is an award-winner, thus it is reasonable to expect a similar reception from iPad musicians. Read on to find out more about this top notch synth app.
SynthMaster One iOS is Essentially Identical to the Desktop Version
The fact SynthMaster One iOS sports an identical feature set as its desktop older brother reveals the quality of this app. Any differences are only minor. The mobile version supports 16 voices compared to 32 on the desktop. There are also 300 fewer presets on the iOS app. That’s it!
SynthMaster One sports an intuitive interface. Screenshot by author.
I had difficulty finding any audio differences between the two apps in my studio. We give much kudos to the team at KV331 for a great job porting SynthMaster One to the resource-constrained environment of the iPad. Other synth (and effect) plugin developers need to look at the iOS platform to port their wares. As always, revenue is the prime driver when making that decision.
An Intuitive iOS Synth App Interface
Just like the desktop version, SynthMaster One iOS features an easy to use interface. Anyone familiar with subtractive synthesis simply needs to dive right in. In a similar manner as SynthMaster One Desktop, the iPad app fits everything onto one screen.
SynthMaster One iOS with the modulation matrix and sequencer displayed. Screenshot by author.
Patch management and other utility functions lurk at the top of the screen. The meat of the synth architecture is housed below in an array of tabbed windows. Everything is clearly laid out and easy to follow. Oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs, routing, effects, sequencer, a modulation matrix, and the expandable virtual keyboard are all easily managed.
When tweaking many of the synthesizer controls, a graphical indication of the setting – in real time – magically appears in the center of interface. It returns to normal when complete. This provides another example of the usability of SynthMaster One.
Sliders, buttons, and switches are clearly displayed. If you are new to synthesis, the manual helps to explain some of the more esoteric concepts. Additionally, check out the iOS tutorial videos for additional insights into SynthMaster One’s functionality.
A Top Notch Synth Engine
If you read our review of the desktop version of SynthMaster One, you understand the care KV331 took in giving the app many of the same characteristics of a hardware synthesizer. For example, support for free oscillators and drift simulate some of the unique behavior of a vintage piece of gear. Each oscillator also gets its own suboscillator, making it easy to create those synth patches of doom.
Support for both wavetables and waveshaping algorithms is another welcome feature of SynthMaster One iOS. Waldorf Nave is one other iOS synth featuring wavetable architecture. This functionality, including the ability to import your own wavetables, also greatly adds to the sonic scope of the instrument.
The arpeggiator/sequencer is easy to use and supports odd time signatures. 11 different effect types add to the fun. Each synth patch has five effect slots. They are perfect for finishing off the perfect sounding preset.
Browse the 500 factory presets to get a feel for the possibilities with SynthMaster One. The patch browser uses an attribute-based identification system, making it easy to find something suitable for exploration. Some of the top sound designers in the business built patches for the instrument. Remember, your desktop patches are compatible with the iOS version!
Thankfully, SynthMaster One iOS supports the AUv3 plugin format. The app also handles Audiobus and Inter-App Audio, making it easy to use the synth in your current and future mobile music projects.
Since hitting the App Store, SynthMaster One iOS quickly rose to the top of the list of iOS synth apps. Its compatibility with the desktop version makes it easy to swap patches between the two platforms. If you are in the market for a top shelf iPad synth app, put it on your shortlist. KV331’s first mobile synth app is that good!
Editor’s Note: Jerry Kranitz is an aficionado of spacerock and psychedelic music, as evidenced by his work with Aural Innovations for nearly two decades. He is now focused on a new book: Cassette Culture: Homemade Music and the Creative Spirit in the Pre-Internet Age chronicling the underground cassette music scene. It’s scheduled for publication in 2019 by Vinyl-on-Demand. Yeah!
Church of Hed – Sandstoned. Cover photo by Dan Engelhardt.
Church of Hed is Quarkspace founding member Paul Williams’ solo project that he has immersed himself in since the mothership band ceased activities. Sandstoned is the new album and is what Williams describes as “a surrealistic window on an early 80s evening on the North Coast of Ohio. Psychedelic postcards sent forward in time.”
I’ve been following Williams’ music since first discovering Quarkspace in the mid-90s, and I’ll say right out of the chute that I think this is one of his best solo efforts. We’ve got bits of Quarkspace, the trademark Church of Hed beats and loops, a deep space inspired brand of prog rock, and an impressive sense of thematic development as well as a soundtrack vibe permeates throughout the set. The music is all Williams on an arsenal of synths, keys, drumming and loops, with guitar and bass assistance from Quarkspace alum Stan Lyon on five of the ten tracks.
The set opens with the title track, which combines floating space ambience, Berlin school electronica, cinematic classical prog and, of course, the electro beats that characterize all things Church of Hed. This is followed by Synth Cadence, a short drum and robotic grooves ditty. We then launch into intensely majestic space-symphonic prog territory with 1AM at the Dean Road Bridge, which blends a fully orchestrated sound with shades of Quarkspace. Dig that looming Mellotron sound, piano, pounding timpani, and eerie effects.
We veer back into the cool grooving beats, piano and flowing streams of space synth action on Quarrydosing, before soaring back to Berlin (ed: Amherst?) with 2AM at Crownhill Cemetery, with its syncopations and cosmically haunting magic carpet ride drift. Williams injects lots of fun effects but also drones that create a tension between meditative space and anguished intensity. Field recordings conjure up imagery of someone perhaps prowling the cemetery in the wee hours of the morning.
I like the way the music zips between and combines heavy prog, space electronica and beats/loops. Dark Matter Sandstone has a flowing space melody that sails along with off-kilter dance grooves. Wallace Lane is another track with an aura of the old Quarkspace sound. But it’s a bit different due to the clattering percussive ensemble that crashes steadily along with a playful electronic melody. Cool and strange contrasts!
Most of the tracks are in the 2-5 minute range, but at nearly 11 minutes, 3AM at Hole in the Wall is by far the longest and is very much like an old Quarkspace epic. I love how the music dovetails between heavily majestic and theme developing prog rock and spacey meditative drift. The Prodigal Swanson (Jay Swanson was Quarkspace’s keyboardist) is a brief yet intensely frantic piece. And Sandstoned No. 2 closes the album with the most pounding dance floor grooves of the set, and an old sci-fi television soundtrack theme vibe.
I keep saying this but I’ll summarize by emphasizing that there’s a lot going on throughout this album, bringing together oddly contrasting elements that mesh, morph and blend beautifully. Williams is deep into heavy classic prog territory, yet there are plenty of seriously spacey elements, and it’s all very soundtrack/cinematic feeling throughout. Bravo Paul!
Interview with Church of Hed’s Paul Williams
JK: Describe the inspiration around the album and its title, Sandstoned. You mentioned something about a night out along the North Coast in the 1980s.
Yes. Sandstoned is essentially a collection of surrealistic postcards chronicling a weekend up in my home environs back in the day. Some of the places in the song titles should be familiar to many folks along that stretch of Northern Ohio’s Lake Erie coast. It’s a sufficiently vague concept that helped me tie together the album.
Musically, things are catchier for the most part. For some tracks, I focused more on beat creation, using the Arturia DrumBrute, Teenage Engineering PO-12, and other devices/software. In fact, the album started off even more beat-oriented. The three “AM” pieces were composed to provide more balance.
JK: On Brandenburg Heights, you only used hardware instruments during the recording. The Sandstoned gear list includes software synths and such. Why the change in approach?
Brandenburg Heights is the outlier in this case. For most albums I typically use a mixture of hardware and software gear. Brandenburg Heights Part 1 took form as a 20 minute Berlin School improvisation using a variety of hardware synced together. I took that as a sign to make the album software free other than using Pro Tools for recording.
There are just too many great synths available for the desktop and iOS platforms to restrict yourself to a hardware-only approach. Although, nothing beats the tactile feel of a Moog synth.
JK: You mentioned the iOS platform. Did you use the iPhone or iPad?
The iPad makes an appearance on a few tracks. The excellent SynthScaper provides the ambient vibe of the Lake Erie shore you hear during the title track. I also used Moog’s otherworldly Animoog, Model 15, and Model D apps, in addition to the Arturia iMini. Simply top notch sound from all.
The field music sounds you described from the Crownhill Cemetery piece involved a granular synth app called Borderlands. I wanted to use my own recordings of voices talking about the cemetery, but the mic on my iPad isn’t working. I don’t have an audio interface for it, so I ended up using some of the included sample libraries from the app. They worked great. Granular synthesis is quite cool.
Some iOS musicians use their iPad as a full DAW, creating excellent sounding productions while mobile. Since, I’ve got Pro Tools (soon to be Ableton Live) and a decently-appointed studio, I prefer to keep my recording on the PC and use the iPad as a sound source and a beatmaker. When a synth app takes advantage of a touchscreen interface, magic happens.
Additionally, a few top notch desktop synths and effects made an impact. PolyM is a great model of the Polymoog, providing creepy sonics throughout the album. Objeq Delay is used to great effect on the beat of Sandstoned No. 2. Crownhill Cemetery features Rob Papen’s Predator 2 on the arpeggiation.
Of course, I run anything from the iPad or PC through analog delays and other effects when recording. This helps them fit better in the mix. Always remember delay is the antidote for anger.
JK: As I’ve noticed in the past with Church of Hed, you seem to easily merge different styles of music into something unique. Does it come naturally?
Yes. I listen to and am influenced by so many different musical forms, and that definitely gets reflected in Church of Hed. Too many bands doing work in niche genres seem to focus on regurgitating stylistic markers, which is fine. Fans of these niches tend to appreciate it.
I am on a quest for innovative sounds and song structures, but am always trying to find a good melody or riff. The latter is ultimately the most important. Genre labels are unfortunately more of a marketing term than anything, which adds to the hassle of self promotion.
JK: It’s nice to see Stan Lyon as a guest on Sandstoned. The most recent Church of Hed albums before the new album were truly “solo” projects.
Indeed. Dink reached out last year and came down for a weekend to work on Sandstoned tracks. He provided some energetic bass lines, in addition to freakier bits using his eBow on bass and guitar. It definitely added to the sonic scope of the album.
He also recorded with me a few weeks ago. We worked on some future Church of Hed albums, as well as another venerable project we’ll keep nameless for now (well, at least until the end of the interview). He hopes to come down at least twice a year.
Darren Gough from Quarkspace is expected later this summer. Hopefully he is able to make it – the family man abides. Chet is still in California, and we still haven’t been able to get hold of Jay.
JK: Speaking of Jay, I assume he’s the Prodigal Swanson? Why that track, since the playing doesn’t really sound like him?
Yes, Jay is that Prodigal Swanson. We all miss him and hope he is doing well. Darren and I regularly reach out to him to no avail. We aren’t giving up! (Sorry Jay!)
People forget Jay is an incandescent synth lead player. He tends to be remembered for his piano playing, but he slays on lead, especially on Drop and Spacefolds 7 after Dave Wexler left. There was more space to solo, since Stan takes an ambient approach on guitar, and many of the leads from those albums that get attributed to Stan are really Jay.
The Prodigal Swanson track is my attempted “tribute” to his synth lead skills. I heard a rumor he’s more fluid than Jeff Beck.
JK: What’s coming up for Church of Hed? Are there any projects to report?
I am working on The Father Road, the sequel to Rivers of Asphalt, slated for release sometime next year – hopefully. Stan is planning on playing bass for most of it, so I need to put together demos of the pieces he isn’t on currently. We’ve recorded a few of the motifs used throughout this transcontinental journey along the Lincoln Highway.
After that is Cycle, which is the “seasonal” larger work I’ve been threatening for a while. The Autumn Shrine and Cold White Universe title tracks are being enhanced and two new pieces for spring and summer are in the works. I know a musical project based on the seasons is a pretty big cliché, but so what. I can’t help what comes out. It’s gonna be cool!
The Fourth Hour is another project in the pipeline. It features a more psychedelic Berlin School style, with a lot of improv in that loop-based structure. Stan is helping with that one as well.
I may revisit the unreleased Quarkspace album as well; putting it out in its current unfinished form. The instrumentals and improvs have always been complete; the hangup always involved the vocal songs. This would be a digital only release. I make no promises that it gets released, as Church of Hed remains the priority, short of Chet, Jay, and Darren showing up on my doorstep together!
Nevertheless, we stay busy! Thanks for your questions and your kind words on Sandstoned. Off to the next project!
We love Objeq Delay on the desktop; it’s perfect for otherworldly beatmaking and sound design. Now AAS brings a version of the effect to the iOS platform. Enter AAS Objeq – providing the same unique physical modeled resonator effects as its big brother, but this time without the delay.
AAS Objeq Features
Three Physical-Modeled Resonators (Plate, Beam, Drumhead)
Sonic Mangling of Beats recorded in a DAW or Live through the iPad/iPhone Mic
AU Compatible Plugin
Intuitive User Interface
Full Control of Pitch, Tone, Decay, Position, and Mix
AAS Objeq offers iOS musicians the ability to add some sonic flavor to their beats. It easily fits right into your DAW’s effect chain – provided it supports the AU plugin format. Objeq gives you pro-level results at a nice price typical of an iOS music app.
An Easy Way to mangle your iOS Beats
The promo verbiage for Objeq focuses on using it to effect live beat creation, by playing with your hands on a surface near the iPad or iPhone mic. This is a similar manner as an older iOS app, Impaktor. I prefer to use Objeq as an effect in Beatmaker 3. It also works with any DAW compatible with the AU plugin format.
AAS Objeq in action on the iPad. Screenshot by author.
Objeq’s user interface is straightforward, especially if you are familiar with Objeq Delay, which we reviewed last year. Naturally, the iOS version sports simpler functionality, with an intuitive touchscreen friendly interface to match. Essentially you get to select the material for the resonator (Plate, Beam, or Drumhead), while controlling a variety of parameters for each, including pitch, tone, decay, position, and mix.
If you ever get confused, a help screen provides a quick overview of the functionality of each parameter. Objeq is really simple to use, so it warrants experimentation to discover which settings work best for your beatmaking or sound design scenario. Taps and finger slides are pretty much all you need to use the app.
Putting AAS Objeq to work in the iPad Studio
As mentioned earlier, the desktop Objeq Delay effect works great for beat mangling, so this approach made sense for the iOS version of Objeq. I fired up Bram Bos’s Ruismaker as a drum machine using Rozeta Rhythm the Euclidean drum sequencer from Bram’s highly regarded, Rozeta Sequencer Suite plugin collection reviewed here. Indeed, the beatmaking went well.
Copious coolness is achieved through the real-time tweaking of Objeq’s pitch parameter. This is the case with all three resonant materials. Dial-in the specific sound you need with the decay and position parameters. As noted earlier, experimentation definitely pays off.
While some of the additional functionality of the full desktop version of Objeq Delay is missed, Objeq’s support for the AU plugin format lessens that impact. For example, simply add a different delay app to the effects chain for a similar effect as the original.
The bottom line remains simple. If you want to take your iOS beatmaking to another level, AAS Objeq belongs on your music app shortlist. Its full range of physically modeled sonics definitely adds some life to iPad beats, sounds, and more. We give it our full recommendation.
If you are searching for an iPad music app suitable for creating rich and unique ambient drones look no further than SynthScaper. An innovative user interface combines with top notch sound quality to make the creation of these sonic atmospheres rewarding and fun. In addition to the spaced-out ambience, this app also offers somewhat traditional instrument simulations with an interesting twist or two.
SynthScaper for the iPad Features
Three Oscillators with Three Layers Each
Six Voices in Each Oscillator Layer
Six Envelope Generators and LFOs
Discrete Arpeggiator for Each Oscillator
Each Layer has its Own HPF, LPF, Level, and Balance Controls
A Very Cool “Spatial” Mixer
Flexible Virtual Keyboard plus Support for Two MIDI Controllers
A simple glance at SynthScaper’s feature set hints at its massive sound along with the architectural flexibility to foster new kinds of alien planetscapes. When also considering Ripplemaker, there’s no denying the iOS synth world now offers two top notch apps for designing ambient drones. Developed by Igor Vasiliev, known for SoundScaper and other iOS music apps, it is easy to recommend SynthScaper.
Real-Time Drones for the Revolution
SynthScaper’s user interface is largely dominated by the Spatial Mixer at the upper middle of the screen. Three circular “orbs” represent the three oscillators, with nifty radial sliders for controlling the overall level of each oscillator as well as the two effect sends. Drag the orbs around the mixer for to move each oscillator around the sound space, while the current waveform is displayed in real-time using a cool oscilloscope-like display. That latter feature can be disabled on resource challenged devices
SynthScaper’s Spatial Mixer in action. Screenshot by author.
This interface innovation facilitates the real-time manipulation of drones; one of the biggest selling-points of the app for me. You are also able to mute oscillators, hold notes, and add even new ones to a drone using the virtual keyboard or an external controller. A meter at the bottom screen displays the overall level of the patch.
A Rich Synthesizer Architecture
Each oscillator in SynthScaper includes three separate layers. Manage each oscillator using the menu (one for each) on the left side of the screen. You also control the filter, arpeggiator, and keyboard settings for each oscillator from this menu.
The oscillator settings screen is incredibly detailed. You are able to load either factory or your own samples for each layer, greatly adding to the app’s extensibility. A whole host of other settings to manage sample playback – including the six envelopes and LFOs – are also accessible.
SynthScaper features a rich synthesizer architecture. Screenshot by author.
In addition to controlling SynthScaper’s robust filters, the synth’s two effects channels are also managed from the filter parameters page. While this architectural-slash-interface style seems confusing at first, the additional flexibility is welcome after getting used to it. In a similar manner, the LFO and envelope settings are also accessible from each page where they are used.
Buttons to manage SynthScaper’s thorough keyboard mapping settings and an arpeggiator page are also available for each oscillator on the left menu. The menu on the right side provides access to the manual, settings and other utility functions – including file wrangling with Dropbox support. A small menu at the top of the screen handles patch (known as a “Scene”) management. Of course, there is a reverb – essential for quality droning activities.
SynthScaper just might be the best drone app on the iOS platform – and it does so much more – check out the Vox Continental scene. Excellent sound quality and a great interface, highlighted by the Spatial Mixer, make manipulating drones in real time a blast. I am currently putting the app through its paces on a couple tracks on an upcoming Church of Hed release.
Terry Riley’s “In C” is one of the musical hallmarks of the 20th Century, essentially ushering in — along with La Monte Young — the Minimalism movement; greatly influencing composers like Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, and others. Riley suggests using a group of around 35 musicians to adequately perform In C, but now all you need is yourself, your iPad, and an app.
In C Performer is a free iPad music app that lets you perform this minimalist classic while scaring both your cats as well as your significant other. It’s easy to pick up, and offers a wide array of internal sounds in addition to the ability to trigger external synths using MIDI. All of In C’s 53 musical phrases are in there!
In C Performer for the iPad Features
Perform Terry Riley’s In C for your Friends, Family, and Pets
All 53 Musical Phrases Included
Easy to Use Mixer-based Interface
Change In C’s Key, Instrumentation, Tempo — It’s up to You!
Use either Built-In Sounds for External Synths with MIDI
Developed by sonomatics, In C Performer supports iOS 7 and later. If you are curious about In C, what better way to learn it by diving right in using your iPad? The price is right!
Taking In C Performer for a Spin
In C Performer’s mixer-based interface is straight forward, with twelve “channels” used for selecting one of In C’s phrases, its sound, and its relative volume. Double tapping on faders groups them for controlling their level as a whole. A separate fader in the top right of the screen controls the level of “The Pulse” which plays eighth-notes in the performance’s key and tempo.
In C Performer’s interface is easy to pick up. Screenshot by Author.
Yes, I said key. If In C isn’t up your alley, maybe In C#, In E, or In A flat might be? The app lets you control the key and tempo of your performance.
In C Performer lets you modify the sound, octave, MIDI channel, and note for each musical phrase. Screenshot by Author.
Tapping underneath each fader brings up a dialog box that allows selection of the channel’s sound, octave, and MIDI channel. You are able to use either the internal sound bank or external synths with MIDI. A pan control would also be nice, but I’m not complaining considering this is a free app.
All 53 In C Phrases are in There!
Above the fader is a label that denotes the current phrase, along with a color-coded collection of blocks that light up in time with the music. Each tap on this area selects the next higher phrase. The phrase selection part of the app’s interface needs improvement; allowing the rapid selection of the phrase number with a slide gesture would help greatly, or maybe a pop-up dialog box would be more straight-forward. Once again — it’s a free app!
With the iOS musician scene still in kerfuffle mode with the iOS 8 upgrade causing issues with Audiobus and other apps, it is refreshing just to dive into a free iPad app and perform a Minimalism classic like In C. The app is a must download if you have any interest in Minimalism or modern classical music.
