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Tag: iPhone synth apps

  • Review: Get Your Drone On With Mononoke for iOS

    Review: Get Your Drone On With Mononoke for iOS

    Bram Bos remains one of the leading lights of iOS synth and effect app development. We’ve reviewed much of his work in the past, including Ruismaker Noir, Kosmonaut, and the incredible Rozeta Sequencer Suite, among many others. They all feature great interfaces, support the AUv3 plugin format, and belong in the library of any iOS musician focused on electronic and experimental music.

    Mononoke is one of his latest joints; a drone synth perfect for conjuring travels along those lost highways of yore. A great sound and intuitive bespoke interface make it easy to build evolving sonic causeways suitable for many musical applications. We’ve been using it quite a bit lately, so I better finish this review!

    Mononoke for iOS Features

    • Expressive Drone Synthesizer for the iOS Platform
    • Two Independent Synth Engines with Feedback Routing Between Both
    • 8 Voice Polyphony – 4 Voices Per Synth
    • Interface Features Synth Controls and Unique Performance Pads
    • Performance Pads Have Hold Buttons and Support MPE and MIDI I/O
    • Universal App With AUv3 Support and Standalone Mode
    • Available at the App Store for $8.99

    If you are searching for inspiration to power your experimental music projects, look no further than Mononoke. Its high-end features, functionality, and modern sonics are at home in the app collection of the forward-thinking musician. Let’s take a closer look.

    Another Great Bram Bos Synth Interface

    Mononoke’s user interface and control scheme are deceptively simple but quite powerful. The app features two main screens. One handles the synth controls, while the other features the performance pads and other related functionality. Of course, as a UI design expert, Bram crafted yet another elegant interface; one familiar to users of his other music apps. Additionally, expect a straightforward preset management system like his other apps.

    Mononoke Synth Screen
    The Mononoke synth screen in action. Screenshot by author.

    The twin synth engines sport what looks like a standard array of controls, but this apparent simplicity belies the complexity of the internal routing, wherein Mononoke’s magic lies. Knobs exist for controlling waveform shape, tremolo, and vibrato, with separate rate controls for each parameter. There’s also a LFO switch selecting either a sine wave or pulse. Simple AHR envelopes, low-pass filters, and a unique effects engine focused on warmth and ambience round out this section.

    The Performance Pads and Feedback Lie at The Heart of Mononoke

    Mononoke’s performance pads reside with the synth’s feedback controls on the second screen. The performance pads are where the app’s sonics truly shine. They are tunable, but also operate in an unquantized free oscillator mode using the switch to the right of the screen. Each pad supports aftertouch on the Y-axis, and pitch bend on the X-axis. Like other iOS virtual keyboards – Animoog for instance – velocity is determined by the location of the first tap. Pressing towards the top allows for a higher velocity. This intuitive approach is somewhat similar to the MPE standard.

    Mononoke Pad Screen
    The pads help you build expressive drones in Mononoke. Screenshot by author.

    Note the app also supports MIDI MPE controllers for extra performance functionality. Still, the embedded pads themselves offer a unique amount of control; just play with them to get a feel for the sonic possibilities. Ultimately, don’t expect to get an optimized sound when triggering Mononoke using a sequencer – the internal pads or an MPE controller is essential.  

    The pads and the synth’s feedback architecture combine to provide Mononoke’s special sauce. Again, experimentation followed by empirical analysis rewards the user.

    Use the six knobs on this screen to control the amount of feedback. The feedback engine leverages phase modulation between voices. Each synth section of Mononoke contains 4 voices, with the three knobs cross-feeding either each individual voice into the adjacent voice, each pair into the other pair, or the entire section into its counterpart. A wide range of sounds are possible, with the switch between Growl and Warp adding to the fun. Remember what we just said about experimentation!

    Note you are able to record Mononoke’s MIDI output data – including MPE – when it’s running within an AUv3 host app like AUM. Of course, the app needs to support MPE to receive that data format.

    Ghost Traffic Travels Along Route 66

    In the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, I am working up a live set of Church of Hed and Quarkspace material along with other surprises. One of the Church of Hed pieces I am going to perform is Hooker Cut from Rivers of Asphalt. As this album is essentially a travelogue along today’s Route 66, I figured Mononoke would be perfect for conjuring up some “ghost traffic” to help me flesh out the sound in what is a more minimalist version of the studio track.  

    I experimented with a synth patch, creating something that sounded like trucks and other vehicles traveling The Mother Road. The use of the X-axis pitch bends for a Doppler effect also added to the overall sound. Much experimentation between feedback and the pairing of notes also helped add depth.

    Mononoke performed beautifully. I used it within AUM to include additional effects. Some BLEASS reverb added a ghostly feel to the proceedings. FAC Maxima finalized the sound perfectly. I will update this review with a video recording of the track once the live set happens. Ultimately, if you need a unique drone synth app in your iOS musician arsenal, Mononoke needs to be on your shortlist. Bram Bos continues to make Apple’s mobile platform a perfect option for the modern experimental musician.

  • Review: miRack Brings the Eurorack Modular Synth to the iPad

    Review: miRack Brings the Eurorack Modular Synth to the iPad

    VCV Rack garners a lot of praise in the software synth world for essentially being a virtual Eurorack modular synth. It lets users fill their own “racks” with hosts of virtual modules made by the top Eurorack companies. It’s a great way to test drive patches from your own modular hardware rack while also sounding great on its own.

    miRack-image
    A robust sample patch included with miRack. Screenshot by author.

    At this time, there were no plans to publish an iOS version, so Vitaly Pronkin of mifki Limited introduced miRack. Essentially a fork of the VCV project, miRack is now its own entity with many of same Eurorack manufacturers supporting the iOS version with their own modules. In the end, miRack is a virtual Eurorack synth for your iPad.

    miRack for iOS Features

    • Virtual Eurorack Synth for the iPad
    • Over 500 Modules Made by Top Eurorack Companies
    • More Modules Added Regularly
    • Great Sound and User Interface
    • Support for Audiobus, IAA, and Core MIDI
    • Requires iOS 11.0 and Later
    • Available at the App Store for $9.99

    If you are curious about the world of Eurorack, miRack serves as the perfect learning tool. Its great sound lets you use its patches as part of your larger electronic music projects. A robust and active community means you’ll never run of inspiration for new patch ideas. Let’s take a closer look.

    miRack Features an Easy to Use Interface

    On the iPad, miRack essentially looks like a tablet version of VCV Rack. In short, it’s a virtual Eurorack toolbox. Upon starting a patch, you see an empty rack except for an audio out module. Simply click on the plus sign at the top of the screen to begin adding modules. Other controls at the top include a link for accessing your patch library, a CPU usage indicator, buttons to turn on Move and High Precision modes, a play/pause button, and the traditional wrench for accessing miRack’s settings. It’s simple!

    The module browser effectively segregates modules by either manufacturer (“Packs”) or type/function (“Tags”). The types of modules should be familiar to any synthesis veteran – modular or not. If you are new to Eurorack modular synthesis, perusing the Basics pack is a good place to start. Once you add a few modules, a simple finger swipe from output to input (or vice-versa) port patches things up.

    It’s easy to slide modules around as necessary. Use the Lock Modules feature to prevent accidental moving. There’s also a Zoom feature for deep diving into complex modules with tons of controls. This is pretty much a requirement with patches with a large amount of modules. You are also able to hide a patch’s cables if necessary. A two-finger swipe serves to scroll about a large patch when zoomed-in.

    The collection of included sample patches provides a good idea of what’s possible with miRack. There’s also a robust online community to help you get started on your own creations. Check out the vast array of miRack tutorials on YouTube and other sources.

    Excellent Eurorack Sonics From miRack

    Thankfully, miRack also features excellent sound. As such, patches are usable in your own music projects. Of course, the sound quality isn’t quite up to the real hardware, let alone the tactile feel of real controls. However, this is really no different than other software synths, including VCV Rack itself.

    Make sure you own a recent iOS device, however. The first version of the app I tried on my 5th generation iPad suffered from audio clipping, even with simple patches. Upon recent updates, that problem disappeared. There’s also a buffer setting to ensure the best possible audio performance. The included CPU meter helps you track how much computing horsepower a patch is using.

    Vitaly Pronkin releases regular updates, so it’s reasonable to expect miRack to be well-supported in the future. The app currently supports Audiobus, IAA, and Core MIDI, and hopefully AUv3 compatibility is coming down the pike. Additionally, new modules are regularly added to the miRack collection. While there are other excellent modular synth apps on the iOS platform, miRack ranks at the top as a true simulation of a Eurorack setup. The ability to use virtual versions of actual hardware modules makes this app a winner. Priced at only $9.99 at the App Store, miRack earns a highest recommendation from us at TabMuse. Pick it up and start exploring the wonderful world of Eurorack.