For decades, iMacs and MacBooks have been the staple brand in Multimedia Firms, Recording Studios and Film Studios due to Apple’s superior proprietary programs. But starting 5/23, Apple brings their two most acclaimed pro apps for creatives to iPadOS, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro.
Redesigned for the iPad with all touch interfaces, Apple is ready to arm the iPad with desktop-level creative tools that will almost certainly elevate their tablet to a must have in any Film or Music Studio.
First up is Final Cut Pro, a non-linear Video Editor that has been used to make some of world best video content. From Movies, Documentaries, Music Videos and more, you can create pro-level content all from your iPad.
Logic Pro, a professional music studio containing everything you can think of to create high quality music compositions and songs – is finally ready for the mobile masses. What’s so intriguing about this is, Logic Pro is the reason so many people have came to the conclusion that MacBooks and iMacs are must have staples of recording studios round the world.
Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro will be available Tuesday May 23rd – for a subscription. While the first month is free, both apps will cost $4.99 a month/$49 a year. For more details clink the link above.
Vimage is an interesting app. It’s not exactly a video editor, but the types of edits it allows you to make to photos add video like motion to pictures in a unique way.
Make your images pop with motion editing in Vimage.
Vimage give you the ability to add 3D animation to photos.
Cinematography is Vimage’s forte, combining complex effects like animating the sky or movement to water in your images, allowing you to create truly stunning visuals in the process.
Click above image for up to 75% off 4th of July sale
THE DEAL OF ALL CLOUD STORAGE DEALS HAS ARRIVED.
pCloud is a relative newcomer in the cloud storage market that has apps for every major platform, including Linux. It offers up to 10GB of free storage, and is also the only provider on this list that offers a lifetime subscription for a one-time purchase!
Security is at the forefront of pClouds feature set, with TLS/SSL encryption which is applied the moment you transfer a file from your device to pClouds servers. But the built-in security can be hardened with the Cloud Crypto add-on.
pCloud Crypto, is client-side encryption which no-one – not even pCloud – will have the keys for file-decryption. Set a password for your Crypto folder and you are the Supreme gatekeeper to what your place in it.
Integrated Media Previewing
All of your media – from music, videos, documents and photos are within reach as if they were on your devices internal storage, with advanced previewing and playback.
Mobile Apps
Mobile Apps for Android and iPhone ensure that your content is available to your from anywhere, anytime!
Branded Links
There are a few features that are kept back for the Premium and Premium Plus users. The most notable being the ability to share BRANDED LINKS. Thats’s right, links to file that you share with the public can be branded with a unique look and feel – down to the logo, and custom message to greet the recipient. It’s truly a standout feature that we even use here at Labfreq to share content with our readers.
Backups from other popular services
One-click backups from third-party services like Google Photos, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Facebook!
pCloud’s new 10TB Custom Plan is
Click Image above for access to pCloud 10TB Lifetime plan
There are a lot of power players in the Cloud Storage game, many that can afford to throw hundreds of millions – if not billions – into ad budgets to popularize their services over a start-up that might be in business solely to provide cloud storage as a service – like Dropbox or iCloud. But you would be mistaken for assuming those services are better simply because they are better marketed and are more readily assessable due to them being integrated into your devices. I’m happy to reveal that is not the case in this instance, as deep pockets, a large product lineup, and a large workforce work against Big Tech in this case. pCloud is one hell of a standout option in a sea of myriad, redundant choices.
On its 4th version, FL Studio Mobile 4 has finally come into it’s own from under it’s desktop sibling. The linear-timeline based mobile-first DAW is not a stripped down version of FL Studio, but an companion app that stands on its own very well.
UserInterface
Whereas the x86-based FL Studio for Mac and PC can be very overwhelming by it’s multi-windowed, complex user interface – FL Studio Mobile is 100% scalable, with flat vector-friendly graphics opposed to the desktops bitmapped GUI. This makes for a very modern, if simplistic look and feel – similar to Ableton Live.
The GUI contains control aspects that slide out from the bottom (Drum Pads or Keyboard), right (selected instrument or effect) and left (Track Controls) edges of the screen. It’s a well arranged interface, with enough depth to satisfy the most demanding audio professional.
Drum PadsKeyboardMixer ViewTimeline View
Instrumentsand Effects
Many of the desktop VSTs and effects from Image-Line’s collection is present. DirectWave – allows you to use presets saved from the desktops version; Slicer, is a stripped-down version of sample chopping Slicex; Transient Bass, along with GMS (Groove Machine) are two of the newer synths included. SuperSaw and Minisynth are the two exclusives to FL Mobile, with the legendary pattern based Drum Track – (which FL Studio is popular for) rounding out the Instruments.
The list of Effects included are more extensive, with more than 20 effects included. The options are broad, ranging from the essentials like reverb, delay, EQ and compressors – to more advanced and creative ones like Autoduck, Spacer and Auto-Pitch.
Standout features
FL Studio Mobile’s standout features include a full automation for any parameters on a track’s timeline, instrument or effect. On iOS, you can use Audio Units and IAA-compatible apps within the DAW.
Importing samples from my Sound Library from pCloud
Perhaps the most useful, is the ability to import your own sounds and samples from outside the program. This allows for more advanced beatmakers, producers and musicians the ability to create a more custom sound of their own. Connect to external storage, or even import sounds uploaded to, Google Drive or OneDrive.
Lastly , the ability to purchase the complete Preset and Sample Libraries for each of the virtual instruments is possible – from the built-in store – giving access to many exclusive sounds from desktop counterparts of the built-in instruments.
FL Studio Sound Shop
Conclusion
FL Studio is a very powerful DAW, bringing advanced desktop level music production abilities to smartphones and tablets. There are few music making apps that can match the capabilities of this program, and those who are FL Studio users on desktop platforms looking for way to make music on the go will be doing themselves a disservice to overlook this app.
Steinberg, the company responsible for the concept of the Digital Audio Workstation and VST plug-in technology – has released the mobile version of its flagship product. Cubasis 3, is “a new app redesigned and developed from the ground up with all new code opposed to bringing an update of Cubasis 2”, according to the developer. Is it an all-new app, or simply an incremental update to the former version? Let’s find out.
Cubasis is a “Mobile Music Creation System” which gives you an unlimited amount of audio, MIDI, and Send tracks to produce original music. It has four main views: the default Arrangement view, the Media (Where all of your audio files, projects, presets reside), Keys/Pads, and Mixer view.
Arrangement (default) View
The arrangement view is where the recording, performing, editing and, you guessed it – Song Arrangement takes place. All of your beat imports, MIDI parts, vocal phrases, and audio takes go here – in the default view. Any MIDI performances are played in the Keys View.
Keys View
Keys View allows you to play your selected instruments and capture your performances. Cubasis has drum pads, that allow you to play percussive sounds and drum kits in a more traditional manner.
Pads View
Lastly, you have the Mixer View, which allows you to get your song mixes down to perfection. And even has the ability to achieve quality masters – if you’re up for the task.
Mixer View
Instruments and Effects
Cubasis has a nice collection of instruments and effects, many are mobile versions of Steinberg’s desktop VSTi and VSTfx Collection. MiniSampler, MicroSonic, Micrologue, and Classic Machines – the latter as an in-app purchase that comes with 12 drum machines.
MiniSampler
The MiniSampler allows you bring in custom sounds, and set start and end cue points to create you own samples from any audio file on your device;
Microsonic
MicroSonic is a mobile take on Steinberg’s Halion Sonic virtual instrument, which features its own sample library of real-world instruments…
Micrologue
Micrologue – the mobile version of Cubase’s resident synth Retrolouge, gives you a streamlined version of the desktop virtual instrument. It’s a Polyphonic Synthesizer with two Oscillators;
Classic Machines
And Classic Machines is a collection of the most used drum machines in modern music.
The internal effects cover all of the essentials, EQ, Reverb, Delay, Compressor, Chorus, etc. Each audio track you add to your session has a channel strip in one of the four effect slots by default. The Channel Strip combines a cut filter, noise gate, compressor, and saturator which can all be bypassed in the signal line individually. There is a similar plug-in, the Master Strip, which combines a Multiband Compressor, Stereo Imager, and Loudness Maximizer to help you bring your mix closer to a final master.
Then there are plug-ins for more creative purposes, like the Micrologue ARP, and Spin FX -which gives you Dubstep, Hip-Hop, and Trap DJ style transitions and drops at the press of a button.
Conclusion
Cubasis 3 is a near-identical replica of it’s motherDAW Cubase, from the UI to the UX – minus the pop-up and dropdown menus of the Desktop interface. Standing in place of those options is a touch-friendly MediaBay with drag and drop functionality, and access to Audio Units and IAA instrument and effect expansion if you’re on iOS, though the Android version is identical with the exception of the latter.
What Steinberg has given the masses is the ability to have a Digital Audio Workstation with an interface customized for touchscreens, that’s just as useful and fully-featured as a Studio One or Pro Tools – without all of the excessive bloat and fat. It runs on the iPhone, iPad, and all but the cheapest budget Androids. It’s a nearly indispensable tool for a music producer or mix engineer with a modern smartphone and a very low bar-to-entry for aspiring artists and beatmakers. If you are a creative who likes the idea of being able to lay down an idea asap, from anywhere – that can be transferred to the “Studio” if need be – you might want to give Cubasis 3 a close look.
Audio Evolution Mobile is one of the newer DAWs on the rise, with versions for Android and iOS. Developed by ExtremeSD, it’s a linear multitrack audio and MIDI recording program.
Audio Evolution Mobile iPad Pro Screenshot
The Android version doesn’t stray far from the iOS version, with the only real difference is the ability to use other apps like VSTs/VSTis using (AUs) Audio Unit and (IIA) Inter App Audio technology on iOS.
On an iPad/iPad Pro, Audio Evolution could be used to replace a laptop in a home studio setup, provided you had an interface with the right inputs and outs. And you’re willing to invest in third party plug-in apps. You can listen to how Audio Evolution Mobile sounds for yourself in our Video below:
Conclusion
Audio Evolution Mobile is a very useful DAW, it comes in handy when you’re away from a traditional studio set-up and mixtape artists will find it indispensable. But seek more out of it other than it’s superb audio recording features, like MIDI music production and it disappoints. This is even more obvious on Android than iOS, at least you can expand your options with other compatible apps and plug-ins on the latter. AE Mobile can get you by as you primary DAW, as long as you prepare to take up it’s slack with additional software.
Musicians,Engineers,Producers and Arrangers who take the leap to iOSland – ditching their desktop studio setups in favor of their iPads only to feel short handed afterwards. Not because of a lack of quality in the apps on offer, often due iOS’s weak file management system (whole other topic) to the lack of Apps that use similar workflows (UI,Macros,Shortcuts,etc.) from software like Avid Pro Tools, Cuckos Reaper, and Apple Logic Pro X. WaveMachine Labs strive to remedy us a solution with their iPad exclusive – Auria Pro.
Auria Pro is a Digital Audio Workstation for iOS (iPad),with MIDI Sequencing, real-time audio Warping and the ability to record up to 24-input recording (with compatible audio interfaces.) The SSL-styled mixer has flexible routing capabilities, and each track is armed with a Channel Strip that has four plug-in slots for Audio Units and Inter-App Audio enabled effects and instruments.
Wavemachine Labs built Auria Pro a few exclusive instruments, with the Lyra Sampler handling the majority of the sound library for the DAW. They also partnered with plug-in mainstay Fabfilter, who lended their Twin 2 and One synths;throwing a few effects like Pro-Q2 EQ, Timeless 2 and Volcano into the mix.
Auria Pro is one of the DAW on the iOS platform that plays it safe, keeping tradition by sharing a similar workflow with it’s desktop counterparts and shying away from the more cutting-edge or unique apps on the platform. Which is not really a bad thing at all if you’re accustomed to working in a big studio environment and want something more suited for traditional tracking of real world instruments, mixing and mastering. Just don’t expect the world if your intent is to produce electronic music like Dubstep or Hip-Hop, as the weak point of Auria Pro is in it’s MIDI and composing tools. If you’re in a band or a music director of a church choir and want to record with your iPad, Auria Pro may become your best friend.
KORG. One of the most recognizable brands in synthesis and biggest electronic instrument manufacturers, is one who’s name speaks for itself. The company has been creating keyboards and electronic organs since 1962. They created their first synthesizer, the miniKORG – in 1973. They are most known today for their music workstations like the M1 (1998) and Triton (1999-2004), which helped shape the sound of several modern music genres today.
This goes to say, when a company of this magnitude chooses to parlay decades of expertise in synthesis into music production software – musicians from all walks of life should take notice. Enter Korg Gadget 2.
Initially developed for the iPad and iPhone,Korg Gadget 2 is a music production DAW with a collection of gadgets that span from synthesizers and samplers, from drum machines and guitar amps, to audio recording gadgets to acoustic drum modules to ROMplers. And that’s before you get to the add-ons purchased and instrument unlocks. Their are 39 Gadgets in total. THIRTY-NINE.
Unlike traditional linear DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), Gadget 2 uses a tracker styled UI where your sequences play from top to bottom. This may or may not appeal to users at first glance, but the workflow is easy to adjust to in a session or two. The Mixer View is an icon away, which integrates with the Arrangement View a’la Ableton or Logic, giving Korg Gadget a pop-up window-free workflow. From the Mixer View you can insert up to five effects onto each track/Gadget, which are only limited by the power of your device.
Veterans of Digital Illustration software – Nottingham’s Serif , releases visual design software for a new era of computing. The Affinity Suite, which consists of Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher (now in beta) and Affinity Designer – the latter of which we’ll be focusing on in this review. Affinity Designer represents a new start for Serif, originally known for programs such as DrawPlus, PagePlus, WebPlus,etc – users of those legacy programs will not find anything familiar from those apps. Everything from the UI, toolkits and workflow is different – instead of a incremental updates hidden behind a redesign – Designer is built atop a new foundation from the ground up.
Illustration Rules the Nation
Affinity Designer is one of the edgier, future proof graphic design software programs available. This is largely do to the developers working closely with some of the world’s leading designers. It’s strength appears to lie in vector illustration at first glance, but a UI look around reveals powerful bitmap tools that revolve around innovative ‘Persona’ workflows – which I will go more in-depth about in the next section.
There is an iPad version of Affinity Designer, and while it doesn’t quite have the same layout as the desktop version – the tools and features are nearly identical.
The Persona Workflow
Unique to the Affinity Designer is the Persona workflow, enabling you switch between Pixel (Photo) and Vector tools with the click of a button.
The Vector Persona
The Pixel Persona
The Vector and Pixel Persona switches the features in your toolbox, and puts those exclusive to the two workflows front and center. Pen and Node Tools ,as well as Transparency and Fill buttons occupy the Vector Persona – while Freehand Lassos and Smudge Brushes for the Pixel Persona make light work of your bitmap tasks.
My Simpsons Character Draft
Conclusion
In the few months (for desktop,few weeks for iPad) that I have been testing the Affinity Suite and Designer in particular, I have come to the conclusion that there is a new group of contenders for the toolkit of choice by design professionals. Though a few standout imperfections like Apple Pencil/Stylus sensitivity being a bit numb and larger projects taking a bit too long to load,even on an iPad Pro (2018). Affinity Designer is one program with a toolkit that allows for it’s users to jot down results as quick (if not quicker) as the fastest alternatives in the market, while simultaneously offering as many pro trimmings as programs that set the industry standards. The secret sauce Serif discreetly applies lies in the clever tucking away of rarely used and pro features alike, only allowing the essentials to remain visible by default. The end result is a graphic design program that’s easy and fun to use while being just as powerful as more popular illustration tools. One to keep an eye out for.
Illustrator is probably the industry standard when it comes to Graphic Design, if for nothing else but seniority in the market. An overall great design package with many industry-leading features and innovative workflows that have been overshadowed recently by instability issues and unpopular subscription-based pricing.
One of the most complete Design software packages on the market, Designer Pro X offers graphic design, photo editing, desktop publishing, web authoring and animation into one complete package. It excels at graphic and photo design, but the web authoring and animation features leave a bit more to be desired and convolutes an otherwise sleek software experience. Great at what it does, but it cost twice as much as Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher combined.
Tons of updates to the UI, speed and workflow refinements, along with the addition of the SampleVerse instrument adds up to one superb version 4 update.
The Timeline View is where vocals are typically recorded, one-shots are added and your compositions are refined for the masses
Stagelight is a flexible music production program for Android, iOS, Windows and ChromeOS. It has a dark, but colorful UI/UX that offers two main views the Scene Builder View and Timeline View to create custom musical compositions of your own.
Combine your grooves, riffs, and refine your beats and melodies in the Scenebuilder View
New to the fourth version of Stagelight is Sampleverse , a sampler/synthesizer hybrid instrument. It features the cutting edge MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) technology from ROLI. This allows for 5D expression, which gives instruments the ability to bend pitch, slide between sounds, and add spontaneity to your music by achieving things only tedious automation tools could previously accomplish.
Sampleverse allows for automation and phasing of the Arpeggiator, Oscilliators, LFOs and more. Make custom out-of-this-world sounds no one has ever heard before.
Other instruments include Drum Machine, ElectroBass, ElectroPulse, ElectroComposer and VST/AU instruments and effects for PC and iOS.
The program is free to download and try for all platforms, with the option to upgrade broken down into platform tiers. The in-app store offers an arsenal of sounds and additional pro features.
Stagelight has an Ableton Live-type workflow, with it’s DJ-oriented session view, and the more traditional timeline view for when you want a more linear workflow. The Sound Library contains nice quality presets and samples along with the right amount of features for beginners and pro users alike.
