App Music:

Musical Apps on Android

the (dismal) state of android as a music creation platform from a musicians point of view

Matthias Krebs 09. april 2013

Agenda
1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Making Music on iOS vs. Making Music on Android

Overview: Android Music Making Apps Hardware and Software APIs Built In Sensors The (Dismal) State of Android as a Music Platform Android Musicians Additional
get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013

Matthias Krebs

/ 2

About
Matthias Krebs is a musician, music educator, physicist and opera singer. For many years now, he has participated in several theater productions as a sound artist and composer. Since 2006 he has been focused on electroacoustic music, synthesizers and net music. In 2010 he founded the DigiEnsemble Berlin at the UdK Berlin Career College. It is currently the first professional music ensemble that regularly performs mobile music on stage. Further, Krebs delves into the field of app music (music making with apps) in his blog as well as in several music article publications and in his current dissertation.

by Cora-Mae Gregorschewski

Matthias Krebs

/ 3

www.digiensemble.com
Professional musicians with diverse musical backgrounds got together trying out how to turn daily mobile devices into instruments. They perform their music live on stage.

BMW Welt, Munich 2013

Gewandhaus, Leipzig 2012

Currently, they predominantly use apple devices. Nevertheless, they are experimenting with different mobile platforms. With this they aim at finding ways of using all of these daily devices as music creation tools. www.youtube.com/digiensemble
Matthias Krebs

/ 4

Vision
My aim is to find ways of enabling practically everybody to use daily devices as musical instruments.

My Mobile Devices mobile devices running iOS: some iPods, iPads and iPad mini mobile devices running Android: Nexus 7: 4.2.2 Samsung Galaxy S2: 4.1.2 mobile devices running Windows 8: Acer ICONA | W700
Matthias Krebs

/ 5

Invitation: Join a five-day workshop on mobile music making!

App music: Mobile Music Making Matthias Krebs

date: July 29th-August 2nd 2013 place: UdK Berlin, Bundesallee 1-12 fee: 400 (from June 10th 2013: 420 ) No. of participants: 12 to 15 language: English application deadline: July 1st 2013 The summer school will be a composition and sound workshop, in which participants will try out perspectives and the potentials of app music. A range of different sounds and musical compositions will be developed in groups and discussed. Results of the interactive creative activities will be presented in a public performance. The workshop addresses interested parties as well as musicians, sound artists and music technologists, who like the idea of making music with digital sensor controlled devices (smartphones and tablets) and who are seeking for an interactive exchange with others on new musical forms. At the same time, the workshop addresses composers and creative individuals (from the field of marketing/media production), who are keen on creating film material and background music for media productions. More Info
Matthias Krebs

/ 6

Comparing

MAKING MUSIC ON IOS VS. MAKING MUSIC ON ANDROID

get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 7

Making Music on iOS vs. Making Music on Android

iOS + more music making apps (~2000) Android - less music making apps (~150)

+ more musical APIs (core midi, core audio, - support for MIDI and USB-audio is not audiobus, virtual midi, audio copy etc.) implemented in android + more external add-ons (yamaha, tascam, - its starting (k&m, ikmultimedia) akai, k&m, ikmultimedia and many more) + latency (around 6.6ms (128 samples) to 26.8ms (1024 samples)) + more developers for musical apps and some bigger companies like korg, moog, yamaha etc. + more apps utilize many different kinds of built in sensors - more expensive devices and add-ons
Matthias Krebs

- latency (around 30ms to 200ms) is not utilisable for real-time music making - its starting

- not many developers have yet experimented with built in sensors + wider distribution of android devices
/ 8

Overview

ANDROID MUSIC MAKING APPS

get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 9

Android Music Apps

music apps for consumption, sharing and having fun for a little while Music Player Apps / Radios Musical Fun Apps / Generative Music Apps / Music Games
music making/creation with musical apps (app music) Soundtoys / Virtual Instruments Experimental Apps / App Instruments Musical Tools / Utilities Beatmakers / Drum Machines / Virtual Studios Audio Capture / Looper / Sequencer / Multitrack / Effects MIDI / OSC / Controllers Djing / Remix Synthesizers
Matthias Krebs

/ 10

Music Player

PlayerPro Music Player by BlastOn LLC | 3,95 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tbig.playerpro

SoundCloud by SoundCloud | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.soundcloud.android SoundHound by SoundHound Inc | 4,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melodis.midomiMusicIdentifier TuneIn Radio Pro by TuneIn | 3,84 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=radiotime.player Shazam Encore Musik by Shazam Entertainment Limited | 4,79 Spotify by Spotify Ltd. | free Google Play Music by Google Inc. | free

Matthias Krebs

/ 11

Fun / Generative Music / Music Games

Musical Fun Apps Magic Piano by Smule | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smule.magicpiano AutoRap by Smule | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smule.autorap Generative Music Orbits - Generative Music by Bogdan Vera | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=processing.android.orbits Pulsate by Des Pudels Kern GmbH | 0,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.despudelskern.application.pulsate Music Games Cytus by Rayark Inc. | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rayark.Cytus.full Tap Tap Revenge 4 by Tapulous | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tapulous.taptaprevenge4
Matthias Krebs

/ 12

Soundtoys / Virtual Instruments

Musical Pro by Christopher Souvey | 3,05 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=souvey.musical.pro

iBone - Die Taschen-Posaune by Spoonjack, LLC | 1,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spoonjack.ibone Xylophon by AppBadger | 0,57 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appbadger.xylo Schlagzeug (Real Drum) by Rodrigo Kolb | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.rodrigokolb.realdrum Solo by Coding Caveman | 2,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codingcaveman.Solo

Matthias Krebs

/ 13

Experimental Apps / Instruments

Kosm by igorski.nl | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.igorski.kosm

Plasma Sound HD by RM Mobile | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rj.processing.plasmasoundhd NodeBeat by AffinityBlue | 1,56 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.AffinityBlue.NodeBeat OTOONE (synthesizer) by otoone_dev | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.otoone_dev.normal MorphWiz-Play by Wizdom Music | 1,49 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wizdommusic.morphwiz

Matthias Krebs

/ 14

Musical Tools / Utilities

Chord! (Gitarrenakkorde) by RabugenTom | 2,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rabugentom.chord

Cleartune - Chromatic Tuner by Bitcount ltd. | 2,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitcount.cleartune Fakebook - the Real Book by Skrivarna Software | 1,30 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skrivarna.fakebook.android Metronome: Tempo by Frozen Ape | 0,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.frozenape.tempo Tunable - Instrument Tuner by AffinityBlue | 1,51 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.affinityblue.tunable Chordbot Pro by Contrasonic AB | 4,38 iReal b Music Book-Play Along by Technimo LLC | 7,99 Guitar Pro by Arobas Music | 5,97
/ 15

Matthias Krebs

Beatmakers / Drum Machines / nTracker / Virtual Studios

G-Stomper - Drum Machine by planet-h.com | 4,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.planeth.gstomper

Electrum Drum Machine by niko twenty | 1,53 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=electrum2.drums Audiotool Sketch by Des Pudels Kern GmbH | 2,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.despudelskern.application.audiotoolsketch AUDIOID by AQ | 1,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.quet.android.audioid RD3 Groovebox by mikrosonic | 1,99 Nanoloop by oliver wittchow | 1,99 Reactable mobile by Reactable Systems S.L. | 8,26 SunVox by Alexander Zolotov | 3,79 Supreme MPA by BOOM BAPPZ | 4,49
/ 16

Matthias Krebs

Audio Capture / Looper / Sequencer / Multitrack / Effects

Audio Evolution Mobile by eXtream Software Development | 5,75 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.aemobile

USB Audio Recorder PRO by eXtream Software Development | 3,49 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbaudiorecorderpro J4T Multitrack Recorder by Jaytronix | 2,99 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jaytronix.multitracker LoopStack by Single Cell Software | 1,49 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.singlecellsoftware.loopstack Looper by RubberBigPepper | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=rubberbigpepper.Looper

Matthias Krebs

/ 17

MIDI / OSC /Controllers

TouchDAW by humatic | 4,75 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.humatic.tdaw

Wireless Mixer by Borce Trajkovski | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bti.wirelessMixer TouchOSC by hexler | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.hexler.touchosc Kontinuum Controller Pro by Archbits Software | 7,55 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.archbits.kc.pro USB MIDI Monitor by eXtream Software Development | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbmidimonitor

Matthias Krebs

/ 18

Djing / Remix

Reloop Loop-Sequencer by niko twenty | 1,53 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=Loop.ReLoop

SPC - Music Sketchpad 2 by mikrosonic | 4,49 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mikrosonic.SPC GrooveGrid by apps4use | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps4use.groovegrid MicroJam Musik-Sequenzer by Simon Dixon | 1,12 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.basementajax.microjam.house All-in-One Drum Pads by Dark Blood Studios | free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.darkbloodstudios.allinonedrumpads

Matthias Krebs

/ 19

Synthesizers

CAUSTIC Unlock Key by Single Cell Software | 6,49 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.singlecellsoftware.caustickey

MikroWave by igorski.nl | 0,69 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.igorski.mikrowave Jasuto modular synthesizer by Chris Wolfe | 3,63 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jasuto.droid Mini Synthesizer by Nick Copeland | 1,78 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=audio.bristol.minimoog Shapesynth by humbletune | free SpectrumGen by Alexander Zolotov | 0,76 Heat Synthesizer Pro BETA by Nils Schneider | 2,99

Matthias Krebs

/ 20

Musical Collaboration: PocketBand Pro | 7,71

Publish, play and collaborate in the PocketBand community. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlrqST-AMV0

Matthias Krebs

/ 21

On Any Device: SunVox | 3,79

SunVox is a small, fast and powerful modular synthesizer with pattern-based sequencer (tracker). It is a tool for those people who like to compose music wherever they are, whenever they wish. On any device. SunVox is available for Android, Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Palm OS and iOS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEdXXKk1hRI
Matthias Krebs

/ 22

Workstation: FL Studio Mobile by Image-Line | 14,95

FL Studio Mobile is a new powerful music creation tool for Android. You can even load the FL Studio Mobile projects into the 'FL Studio Desktop PC' version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTFVS7ZQfLE

Matthias Krebs

/ 23

Summary

Music apps for android are available for a wide spectrum of musical usage.
The following apps are particularly suitable for musicians: Musical Tools and Utilities, Beatmaker, Djing/Remix-Apps and Controller. Neither instrumental nor synthesizer apps are yet advanced enough for making music in real time because of the high latency.

All in all, android music apps are not as functional, comprehensive and efficient as music apps for iOS.

Matthias Krebs

/ 24

Opportunities

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE APIS

get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 25

Multitasking with Android Music Apps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViZnrj5O4SA

Matthias Krebs

/ 26

External Add-ons - ikmultimedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQXUMc0BuL4

Matthias Krebs

/ 27

USB Audio Recording for Android

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrRex_mlHw8

http://www.androidaudiorecording.com/record-from-a-usb-microphone-or-audiointerface-with-your-android-phone-or-tablet/
Matthias Krebs

/ 28

Effects on an Android Device: J4T on Nexus 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfqUR9wU0KQ

Matthias Krebs

/ 29

Using a MIDI Controller with Caustic 2.1 on Android

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx-DiAEHM0w

Matthias Krebs

/ 30

Controlling VirtualDJ Pro Using TouchOSC for Android

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVt96KhY8z8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.hexler.touchosc
Matthias Krebs

/ 31

Midi Control over Bluetooth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfKyGcM1szE

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=al.android.emc2
Matthias Krebs

/ 32

To Control It

SENSORS
get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 33

Sensors in Android Devices

Interesting for music making: Gyro Sensors Accelerometer Geomagnetic Sensors Touchscreen Microphone Camera Gesture Sensor

Matthias Krebs

/ 34

Built In Sensors
Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zwiener.wimu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k--3GxrQXU https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innoventions.sensorkinetics https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=imoblife.androidsensorbox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.term.SensorDV

Sensor music player android app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zgui.musicshaker http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMKDs_4gcc

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MarksThinkTank.WaveControlPro

Matthias Krebs

/ 35

OTOONE is a Musical Instrument Using the Gyroscope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L6ZMIz5y0o

Matthias Krebs

/ 36

Real Time Music Making

LATENCY ISSUE
get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 37

Demo: Android Jelly Bean Latency vs iOS iPad Core Audio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eE7NtK4jX8

Matthias Krebs

/ 38

Discussions: Latency

Matthias Krebs

/ 39

Sonoma Wire Works Develops Low Latency Solution for Android

Is this the dawn of Android music production?

http://www.sonomawireworks.com/pr/android-low-latency-audio-solution.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OXeHwErQsE

Matthias Krebs

/ 40

Discussions: Some Links Regarding to the Latency Issue

read the comments too! http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/04/03/fl-studio-mobile-for-android-sneak-peak
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/07/13/are-your-ready-to-take-android-seriously-as-a-music-platform

http://geardiary.com/2012/02/21/the-dismal-state-of-android-as-a-music-production-solution/ http://www.palmsounds.net/2011/09/android-32-synth-real-time-hdmi-out.html http://www.sonomawireworks.com/news/2013-01.php http://www.palmsounds.net/2013/03/an-interview-with-doug-wright-sonomas.html http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/27/3122302/audio-latency-finally-addressed-in-jelly-bean http://createdigitalmusic.com/2012/07/android-audio-improvements-will-appear-first-on-galaxy-nexus http://www.palmsounds.net/2013/01/pd-for-android-now-has-low-latency.html http://sseyod.blogspot.com/2011/12/android-how-to-reduce-audio-latency.html http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14842803/low-latency-audio-playback-on-android

Matthias Krebs

/ 41

The Main Question

WHY ARE THERE SO FEW ANDROID MUSIC APPS?

get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 42

Are Your Ready to Take Android Seriously as a Music Platform?

NO!

fragmentation It's not just the latency that kills audio apps on Android. It's fragmentation and having to test on 40+ different devices.
market And of course the chicken and egg problem of there not being a market, since Android still sucks revenue-wise compared to iOS.

More: http://evolver.fm/2012/05/23/developer-explains-why-android-sucks-for-some-audio-apps
Matthias Krebs

/ 43

Hope

That's definitely chicken and egg because decent music apps that work on Android could really start something big up... a snowball effect.. Did you hear that FL Studio Mobile is releasing on Android soon?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTFVS7ZQfLE
Matthias Krebs

/ 44

App Music: Mobile Music Making

ANDROID MUSICIANS
get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 45

Who Said iPhone OS, Android and Windows Mobile Don't Play Well Together?

http://blog.stef.be/phoneguitar
Matthias Krebs

/ 46

Jordan Rudess and his Musical App MorphWiz-Play for Android

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN1CYMENOr4

Matthias Krebs

/ 47

Musicians: Cool Music Apps for Android

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbQoq-HxIgA

Matthias Krebs

/ 48

Me (Matthias Krebs)
For me the iPad is a pioneer in touch-screen technology and is still superior to android mobile devices when it comes to audio and music creation. Not only are there more external add-ons supporting the iPad, it also has many more apps available, ranging from music players to the most professional, coming with a wide variety of applications: soundtoys, app instruments, effects, sequencers, control surfaces, musical tools, etc. Concerning mobile music making, there will probably be no way around iOS in the near further especially for making music together in groups or on stage. Nevertheless I am keeping an eye on music apps for Android. I frequently use Android for other purposes like communication or mobile media consumption. Because there are so many people with Android devices I will continue testing them and Im planning to use Android music apps in music making workshops and with the DigiEnsemble Berlin.
Matthias Krebs

/ 49

ADDITIONAL
get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013
Matthias Krebs

/ 50

14 things you should do to help the world of mobile music

http://www.palmsounds.net/2013/02/14-things-you-should-do-to-help-world.html
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Keep making music on mobile Share what you make on SoundCloud or wherever makes sense for you Tell everyone about mobile music making Tell people about the apps you love and why Think about gifting a mobile music app to someone who might enjoy playing Rate the apps you love in the app store and leave reviews If there's something you don't like about an app then give constructive criticism and don't just leave a bad review. Remember that developers can't respond to reviews on the app store If you like one of the excellent mobile music based blogs then buy your apps through that blog as that's how they make money. If you're so inclined, start your own blog about mobile music making and let people know If you can, then make videos of what you're doing and let everyone know that you've done them Tweet! Make your music in unusual places, just because you can Join the communities at developer's forums and get involved in the discussion Enjoy it!
/ 51

Matthias Krebs

get this slides: www.slideshare.net/matzerak/androidmusicmakingapps-2013

Sources

http://www.musicalandroid.com http://www.androidmusician.com http://createdigitalmusic.com/tag/android http://www.synthtopia.com/content/tag/android http://www.palmsounds.net/search/label/Android http://android.appstorm.net/category/roundups/music-roundups

Groups android music making on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112224065710281650914 android music making on Facebook (just started) https://www.facebook.com/groups/androidmusicmaking Many THX to: Louisa Livingstone, Sebastian Dittmann, Ashley Elsdon, Jeremy Mcgill, Andre Brown, Kicko Kim Nastasia Mohren and Jake Haskell (for helping me out with the translation)
Matthias Krebs

/ 52

Invitation: Join a five-day workshop on mobile music making!

App music: Mobile Music Making Matthias Krebs

date: July 29th-August 2nd 2013 place: UdK Berlin, Bundesallee 1-12 fee: 400 (from June 10th 2013: 420 ) No. of participants: 12 to 15 language: English application deadline: July 1st 2013 The summer school will be a composition and sound workshop, in which participants will try out perspectives and the potentials of app music. A range of different sounds and musical compositions will be developed in groups and discussed. Results of the interactive creative activities will be presented in a public performance. The workshop addresses interested parties as well as musicians, sound artists and music technologists, who like the idea of making music with digital sensor controlled devices (smartphones and tablets) and who are seeking for an interactive exchange with others on new musical forms. At the same time, the workshop addresses composers and creative individuals (from the field of marketing/media production), who are keen on creating film material and background music for media productions. More Info
Matthias Krebs

/ 53

THX for Listening.

Matthias Krebs research associate matthias.krebs@udk-berlin.de

Contacts: matthias.krebs@udk-berlin.de +49 177 7373939

www.facebook.com/matthiaskrebs www.gplus.to/matthiaskrebs www.twitter.com/matzerak www.slideshare.net/matzerak www.pinterest.com/matzerak
Matthias Krebs

www.matthiaskrebs.info (en) www.matthiaskrebs.de (de) www.appmusik.de Musikmachen mit Apps www.digimusiklernen.de Musiklernen mit digitalen Medien