Audio Geek Zine

This is a guest post from Geoffrey Granka of  Fresh Produce Productions. Find him online at  www.freshaudio.ca and @gmgranka on twitter.

It’s not all just Tpain-ing vocals and Shrek Kart on the App Store. Here are five music apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch worth checking out.

McDSP Retro Recorder

McDSP, who have long been known for their awesome Pro Tools plug-ins, have taken the next step and created a iPhone recorder. This time, instead of emulating Pultecs, they’re replicating the aesthetics of a cassette recorder. McDSP’s retro recorder comes with a highly appealing GUI and their gimmicky sounding “ALX” (Audio Level eXtension). ALX promises to add clean gain to the recordings, “capture detail”, and record at higher bit-depths and sample rates than previous recorders.

Cost $2.99

Blue FiRE

Designed as the software component to Blue’s Mikey (an external stereo iPod/Phone microphone), the Blue FiRE software also works without, although in Mono. The software allows for recordings in multiple formats, and basic shuttling through the sound file.

Cost – Free

Bloom

Brian Eno is a weird guy. As if being an electronic music pioneer,  co-producing most of U2’s catalog, and writing the Windows 95 start-up music wasn’t enough, he had to get in on the iPhone app game too. Bloom is an instrument that could be called a Theremin based on contact instead of proximity. Apart from being an innovative way to make music, it doesn’t even sound half bad. It has been recorded on a legitimate record already, on LIGHTS’ debut album.

Cost – $3.99

Ocarina

Everyone who grew up with Legend of Zelda on N64 knows what an ocarina is, but rarely still has it ever been considered cool. What makes this app interesting is it’s use of the iPod/Phones on-board microphone as a control device instead of just a microphone. Blowing into the mic controls the stop and start of notes, while touching dots on the screen approximate holding down the holes on an actual instrument. Vibrato is controlled by the tilt of the device, and you can even change the scales.

Cost – $0.99

ProRemote & Cubase IC

ProRemote is an app that allows the user to control up to 32 channels of their DAW using the iPhone. It’s basically like having a control surface in your pocket. It works over WiFi, so the user can start and stop sessions with it, and even adjust their own headphone mix. It even works with Pro Tools. Steinberg offers a similar app for Cubase 5 users, it’s free!

ProRemote Cost – $99.99
ProRemote Light Cost – $35.99
Cubase iC Cost – Free

There are so many more great apps out there now. What are your favorites?