From Polychord creator Greg Wieber comes Menace – an experimental synth oddity with a refreshingly stark design. From the moment it’s triggered Menace goes off the rails – detuning and going out of phase as you slide your finger over the touch area. A single touch controls thirty voices – drag left and right to change their pitch; drag down to increase the chaos.
Features:
+ 30 Saw or Square oscillators
+ Chaos control
+ Attack / Release envelope control
+ Ladder and Acid filter with Cutoff / Resonance control
+ Hectic live waveform visualizer
+ Freeform or quantized note input mode
+ MIDI input
+ Audiobus
LayR is a massively polyphonic, multi-timbral synthesizer for iOS devices, optimized for modern 64 bit CPUs and capable of delivering up to 256 voices of rich, multi-layered and textured sounds.
LayR’s primary sound components are called Performances where a Performance is a set of Instruments and each Instrument is a set of Layers and each Layer is a complete synthesizer. A performance can consist of any number of instruments each with its own MIDI channel and crossfading keyboard span. Each Instrument can consist of any number of Layers to a maximum of 128.
Each Layer has a dual oscillator that can morph with modulation between two shapes and phase states, two rich and warm state variable filters, a wave folder and a mixing section to blend oscillators and filters in any serial/parallel combination.
For modulation (frequency, amplitude and phase) there are two Low Frequency Oscillators ranging from DC to audio frequency switchable to optionally follow keyboard pitch and restart phase when a note is started. Two loopable ADSR envelopes ranging from fractions of a second to over 100 seconds, an amplitude ADSR and a random number generator with a smoothing filter. With stereo delay, reverb and EQ on the output section LayR excels at not only emulating normal analog synth sounds but also at creating massive pads and huge spacy ambient textures with extremely long evolution cycles.
Focused at keyboard players looking for a mobile synth that can be reliably used live on stage LayR is equally at home in the studio. An extensive selection of usable instrument and performance presets are included which can be loaded using MIDI bank select and program change messages in the same manner as hardware synths.
LayR sports almost unparalled and extremely flexible MIDI control. Every parameter in the synth engine can be assigned to any MIDI Control Change number and parameters spread across multiple Layers can be grouped and controlled by a single MIDI cc with assignable range and direction.
There is also an 8 track, 16 step Arpeggio Sequencer which can be used to create all sorts of exciting polyrhythmic looped patterns or even ambient generative music. Each track can have it’s own speed, playback mode and length.
On top of all that LayR has a MIDI Controller Mixer that can be used during performance to control the synth engine in real time and can also transmit MIDI cc’s from LayR’s output port to other destinations.
Full IAA, Audiobus, Audio Unit and Link compatibility means LayR can be used with all hosts and other music apps on iOS and desktop DAWs.
Changes:
– Macro Control Panel: A new panel that lets you change assigned synth parameters globally across an entire performance.
– Link Assign Panel now has an extra section for assigning Layer parameters to Macro controls.
– You can now assign any MIDI controller to Instrument Volume Sliders. ( defaults to cc 7 ).
– Load Preset panel now updates it’s selection if a MIDI bank or program change is received while it’s visible.
– New option in settings: Don’t Start Voices When Volume is Zero: Prevents voices being started if Instrument or Layer volumes are zero.
– New option in settings: “Multi Out: FX Only in Stereo Output”, converts the IAA Stereo Mix output to an effects return if any of the 8 aux audio outputs are in use.
– Dials will now always show at least 1 degree of coloured arc unless their value is equal to zero.
– Increased fall time for peak hold metering in master strip.
– Updated PDF manual.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Quanta is US$7.99 until Sept. 1st!!!
Audio Damage Quanta for iPad is a six-voice granular synthesizer for iOS11+ in both standalone (with Inter-App Audio) and AudioUnit V3 formats. Quanta for iPad is fully compatible with the full version of Quanta for macOS and Windows; visit audiodamage.com for a PDF manual, audio samples, and video demonstrations.
Quanta will work on any iPad that can run iOS 11, but keep in mind that it is a feature-heavy desktop quality synthesizer, and would prefer a 2017/2018 iPad, or an iPad Pro. If you’re experiencing CPU issues on lower-end machines with the standalone, try changing the main display to FEG or FLFO, which don’t require redrawing and which will be significantly lower in CPU usage.
>> Multi-Format Sample Loader
Quanta can load AIFF, WAV, Broadcast WAV, FLAC, MP3, and Ogg in any sample rate, bit depth, and channel configuration.
>> Grain Engine
Up to 100 simultaneous grains per voice, of up to 1 second long, with control over grain rate, pitch, direction, shape, length, panning, source position, and level.
>> Sidecar Oscillator
Continuously variable wave shape, with pulse width modulation, and independent control over pitch (separate from grain engine.) Can be injected directly into grain engine.
>> Noise Source
Noise source features a “color” control that affects tonal characteristics of the noise. Can be injected directly into grain engine.
>> Dual Multi-Mode Filters
Filters can be used in serial or parallel modes, and include lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and notch in 2-pole and 4-pole configurations.
>> Flexible Envelope Generator (FEG) x 4
The four FEGs are arbitrary function generators, with up to 99 steps, curve and step level control, arbitrary loop points, and host tempo sync.
>> Flexible Low-Frequency Oscillator (FLFO) x 2
The pair of FLFOs utilize four controls (phase, shape, skew, and warp) to access a virtually limitless palette of waveforms, and feature host tempo sync and retrigger.
>> Sample And Hold
The S&H mod source can sample noise (random) or any of the other mod sources, at either a user-defined rate or a musical division.
>> Modulation Matrix
Every mod and MIDI source can be easily and simply assigned to any destination using the quick-access bi-polar modulation matrix. Touch a destination on the UI and the matrix automatically scrolls to the correct row.
>> Tuning Tables And Global Tuning Offset
Re-tune Quanta to new intonations and temperaments using the open-source and easy-to-use TUN file format. A global tuning offset (default to A=440) allows you to easily retune the entire synth to match a different A frequency without using a tuning table.
>> MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression)
Quanta understands both “legacy” MIDI and MPE. Use your Linnstrument, Roli controller, Haken Continuum, or Madrona Labs Soundplane (among others) to directly access per-note pressure, pitch bend, and modulation.
>> Per-Instance Settings
Quanta utilizes a per-instance customization method: set MPE mode, aftertouch smoothing, pitch bend range override, tuning table, and global tuning offset for each instance in your AUv3 host.
>> Factory Presets
Quanta comes with a substantial collection of factory content, including Designer Presets from Marcus Fisher, Joseph Fraioli, Chris Carter, and Richard Devine.
>> Cross-Platform Preset Format
Quanta utilizes an XML-based preset manager, and stores the sample within the preset for easy asset management. Work between multiple systems without troubles, make a preset on your desktop machine and paste it to the iOS version with Handoff or vice-versa, easily share your creations with your friends, or make a preset bundle to sell, no asset management required.
>> Fully Resizable Retina GUI
Quanta’s vector-based GUI is resolution-agnostic, and displays the same on every system and resolution. Easily resize the UI (per instance) to match your visual needs, from postage stamp to poster-sized.
FabFilter Pro-Q 2 is now available as an audio unit for the iPad!! This is a transparent, high-quality equalizer plug-in for mixing and mastering purposes, with up to 24 bands and a gorgeous interface for easy and precise editing. With its unique Natural Phase mode, it matches both the magnitude and phase response of analog EQ’ing perfectly. Innovative features like Spectrum Grab and EQ Match together with its intelligent interactive EQ display make Pro-Q 2 an absolute joy to use.
The Pro-Q 2 app filters the microphone input and plays it back in real-time. To use Pro-Q 2 as a plug-in, you need an AUv3-compatible host app like Auria, AUM or Cubasis. Pro-Q 2 will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins in the host app.
Key features:
– Highest possible sound quality
– Gorgeous Retina interface with large interactive EQ display, multi-band selection and editing for maximum ease of use and efficiency
– Up to 24 EQ bands
– Operates in zero latency mode, linear phase mode with adjustable latency or the unique Natural Phase mode
– Filter shapes: Bell, Notch, High/Low Shelf, High/Low Cut, Band Pass, Tilt Shelf
– Universal filter slope support for all filter types, up to 96 dB/oct
– Spectrum Grab: just grab and adjust a peak in the real-time spectrum analyzer right away!
– EQ Match feature to automatically match the spectrum of another track
– Optional Gain-Q interaction
– Each band can operate on the stereo signals or on the left or right channels independently for per-channel EQ-ing
– Built-in spectrum analyzer with Pre-EQ, Post-EQ and SC modes, adjustable range, speed, resolution, tilt and freeze
– Auto Gain and Gain Scale
– Mid/side mode where you can EQ the mid and side signals separately
– Optional piano roll display to quantize EQ frequencies to musical notes
– Different display ranges: 3 dB and 6 dB ranges for mastering, 12 dB and 30 dB for mixing
– Intelligent solo mode makes it easy to find problem frequencies and hear the effect of a band
– Phase Invert option to change polarity
– Large output level meter with peak level readout
– Undo/redo and A/B comparison
iPad Loops is an iOS music production blog dedicated to exposing the best iPad apps musicians, producers, and Djs. This is not a database of every app. It is, however, one of useful recommendations from someone with many years in music production. I try to update it on a daily basis (ok sometimes every two days) and I do my best to post useful apps only. My name is Jason Donnelly (Dj Puzzle).
You might know me from my royalty free loop packs and sound design. Some of the apps that contain my sounds are Synth One, EG Segments, Hammerhead, Retronyms AudioCopy, Audio Evolution Mobile, LP-5, iPRO.DJSAMPLER, Looptastic. My work is published by Roland, Antares, Magix, Soundtrack Loops, Sample Logic, Acoustica, Loopmasters and many more. Subscribe to our RSS feed below to get updated when new apps are posted.
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