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iPhone music creation apps

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My Top 12 Music Creation Apps For the iPhone & iPad Part 1

Finding the best music apps in the iTunes store isn't really something you can do by looking at the top of the charts or the "what's hot" list. There's a lot of professional musicians creating real music on their iPhones and iPads and they're the ones that know what apps are best for making music. I'm an avid hobbyist in making music and I follow the professional musicians trends in what they're using to create music on their iDevices. I'm having a lot of fun and learning a lot about music along the way so I'd like to share with you what's hot in this 1st quarter of 2011 in the world of mobile music making.

Please note that I will use the term "iDevice" often, it's easier than writing iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad because most (but not all) of these apps work on all 3 "iDevices".

I have made each icon below a clickable link to the iTunes description so I don't go into a lot of detail on the apps. These are recommendations based on my experience with a lot of music apps and my association and conversations with some professional musicians who use these apps to create full length songs.

Table of Contents

  1. NanoStudio
  2. iSequence
  3. Xewton Music Studio
  4. MultiTrack DAW
  5. ThumbJam
  6. 50in1 Piano
  7. External Mics
  8. Part 2
  9. iPhone Cases on Amazon
  10. Would Love Your Feedback

NanoStudio

NanoStudio is probably on every mobile musicians iPhone, it's like having GarageBand in your pocket. Simply stated, it's a complete recording studio, complete with synths, samplers, trigger pads and sequencer.
This is a great app for professional and amateur musicians alike. If you want to create a full length song without needing to use any external instruments (although you can if you wish), and you're willing to take the time to learn how to use NanoStudio .... then grab it now! There's plenty of documentation and YouTube video tutorials to help you on your way to making music. Another great thing is that it's very easy to import the finished piece onto your computer and then into iTunes.

iSequence

A lot like NanoStudio but still with enough differences that for me, I like it just as much as NanoStudio. Please click the icon for the link to the complete description and do a search in YouTube for the demo's of this app. If you're interested in either NanoStudio or iSequence and don't want to buy both then YouTube is your best friend because it's so much a matter of taste between users as to which one is better. I will point out 1 thing that may make a difference to you right off the bat .... NanoStudio is only available natively for the iPhone and iPod Touch, meaning if you use it on the iPad you have to upres the app by using the 2X button which pixelates the quality a bit. iSequence however is available in a both iPhone/iPod Touch app and a separate iPad native app.

Xewton Music Studio

Another music production studio for the iPhone/iPod Touch and a native app for the iPad. For someone wanting to check out mobile music production this app is available in a Free Lite Version ... a very good chance to try your hand in making a song.

MultiTrack DAW

DAW stands for Digital Work Station and until recently this meant it was music creation software on your computer. This app is one of my favorites for making live recordings and being able to lay down track on top of track. Break out the Ukulele, Guitar, Shakers, Drum, Spoons, Washboard or whatever noise makers you have and start laying down tracks any where you want. You can get yourself the camera connection kit for the iPad and plug in a USB mic if you wish or just use the internal mic ... it all sounds great and is loads of fun which is all that really matters .... right?

ThumbJam

This is a great app for instant gratification in playing music .... it's hard to make a bad sound, making it perfect for those of us that aren't musically trained. Don't get me wrong though .... this is a serious "instrument" in the hands of talented musicians. To me it's one of the top apps in fun, there's a lot of choices of instruments to play and learn, plus you can record your "masterpieces" and export them to your computer. The sample sounds of the instruments for this app are outstanding and all done just by touching, sliding, tilting and shaking of your iDevice.

50in1 Piano

Now we're talking keyboard piano playing nonstop fun! If you know how to play the piano then this app is going to knock your socks off. It has a lot of different sampled sounds including the piano :) and the best part is that it also comes with 100 beats that you can play along to! This app is great for keyboard players but if you don't know how to play the piano it also comes with lessons! It's only $1.99 for either the iPhone/iPad version or the iPad HD version so it's not a big gamble.
The best keyboard in a pocket I've found yet.

And yes ... you can record your tunes and export them to your computer to share with the world.

External Mics

To answer a recent question in the comments ... yes I do use an external mic with my iPad. If you have the Apple Camera Connection Kit then you have a USB interface. Just plug it into the dock connector port on your iPad, then attach your USB powered microphone. If you have an iPad and don't have the camera connection kit then you really might want to think about getting one.
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Part 2

Part 2 is now up but before you go you might want to check out some of my original iPhone cases I've designed. Click the iPhone case here and the link will take you to my iPhone 4cases (AT&T and Verizon). From there you could check out my store for other cases made for the iPhone 3G and iPad.

iPhone Cases on Amazon

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Would Love Your Feedback

Thank You!

  • joystickenvy Sep 20, 2011 @ 1:11 am | delete
    nice lens. i've done a little recording on my ipad and it's turned out better than I expected. do you use an external mic?
  • marlenedegrood Sep 20, 2011 @ 7:22 am | delete
    Thanks for your comment .... yes I do use an external mic. I've posted a link above.
  • LilleKriss Apr 10, 2011 @ 3:22 pm | delete
    This is so good thank you so much. I really like the information you are giving away.
  • JimDuke Feb 19, 2011 @ 11:20 am | delete
    This is pretty darn good! Thanks for the app primer; as a budding recording artist I need all the help I can get!
  • CrystalGillis Feb 16, 2011 @ 12:38 pm | delete
    This is a great lens, I recently got into making a little music on my PC, but I'll definitely have to check out these apps! I didn't realize there were so many!
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marlenedegrood

Just about everything in life interests me, each day I'm like a kid in the candy store, always looking at what life has to offer. When I see somethin... more »

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