Exciting new things to do with Logic Pro for iPadOS 17. (scratch, updating)

Following up on my first article for the Logic Pro for iPad Users group, on Facebook, here, in this article, I’ll detail some notions I’ve come across, through years of maintaining interest in topics ranging from the obvious - music creation and audio recording, for example, to more recent developments and prospects for the future of our digital and mobile lives - topics such as IoT and edge technology, in incorporating musical creativity in new and largely unexplored reaches in to people’s lives. In doing so, we’ll examine some of the existing hardware devices and software platforms that exist, currently in the summer of 2023, and I’ll offer my best estimations, or experiences, in working with, or, for studying, these extended-use case scenarios, which offer the creative minds of music-making, on Logic Pro, exciting and stimulating new horizons to explore, all within hands’ reach, on our iPadOS devices.

First of all, I’m composing this article, as Apple’s annual WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) 2023 is taking place (June 5th-9th). Yesterday, at the outset of the conference, we got some exciting peeks at brand-new hardware technology (VisionOS and updates to existing laptop and desktop hardware), which I won’t get in to, at the time being; here, for our purposes, I’ll detail some of the highlights, features-wise, which make the new iPadOS 17 a rich environment to perform some distinct and unique purpose-fulfillments in the development workflow, and how these tablet-specialties, as I’ll call them, figure in to creativity and professionalism for us, as musicians, and for iPadOS - our chosen platform for concentrating on certain aspects of development. 

Keep in mind - 

This article will cover a lot of ground, for newcomers to the audio and MIDI world hosted on Apple’s mobile iOS and iPadOS platforms - both largely similar and comparable to one another, yet, given some extended use-case scenarios, for either one - some things become distinctly advantageous, when considering Apple’s tablet designs, for the sake of becoming reinvested in digital audio workstations (i.e.Logic Pro, for iPadOS). 

Aside from the obvious advantages of having a truly responsive multitouch display as the workspace, as well as the user interaction workflow environment, there are several advantages to starting off with a new, and updating app installation iPadOS audio environment, where the general third-party plugin and instrument apps are known as AUv3 (Audio Unit version 3) and IAA (Inter-App Audio) - these are the largest standards established, as far as iOS / iPadOS audio is concerned; although, given the boutique-ish (somewhat) form of app development, given years of having established a reputation and user base, amongst App Store audio buffs, as far as generalized audio files needs, per se - a few of these small-purposed apps bear the weight of acts taken for granted, in coming from a desktop pro audio workflow environment. Here they are (there’s only a few, or several, heh heh 🤯😳): 

AudioCopy

In fashioning an abstraction of a complete newcomer’s (to iPadOS pro audio, that is), standpoint, imaginably, people would approach the performance and session considerations, depending on the types of background and skill sets that the user has. Something that isn’t immediately considered, perhaps, is translating audio files over, from audio that’s already been recorded - this is, for example, well understood, as master tracks, taken from session recording microphones - one track, each, to every microphone. So, there would be a kick drum track, perhaps some more drum tracks, a vocal track, guitar and bass amp tracks, etc. So, if you’re able to get these tracks, per se, in to your iCloud account, and or download them in to the Files app, using your on-device (iPad built-in hard drive space) storage, there are still a huge amount of apps, completely aside from Logic Pro, or Files, or… anything else available, off hand, which a person could use to take these raw audio files (specifically audio, we’re dealing with, here - standard formats, such as .wav and .mp3 files) - in short, there’s no other app, amongst everything else out there, that will allow a user to copy an audio file, from one portion of on-device or iCloud storage, in to some of these other apps, for portability, duplication, workflow progression, within some other plugin or filter app, for example. You’ll need AudioCopy for this purpose.

AudioShare

This is the other, companion, and, otherwise, indispensable app, which allows you to fulfill the obvious “receiving” end of the audio file management process - the thing being, is that other apps, as well as the iPadOS built-in app environment, as far as the Files app goes - since everything, essentially, is done within an app, here, in iPadOS. If there is no app for it, then it might just be that the user “just clicked” on something, or perhaps the user is just swiping around, exploring. There’s no extended file management capability, or specialization, for working with audio files, except for these standard and necessary apps, such as AudioShare. This app allows users to share audio files both locally - on-device, and within the iPadOS Files environment, which includes access to cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive, Adobe Creative Cloud, etc.), on-device storage, plugged-in storage, etc. AudioShare is the app that will let you complete the copy-and-paste functionality, so to speak, as well as that it is also built in, somewhat as a standard, for higher-level functionality considerations within many audio plugins, filters, and instruments, as far as your file “push” and “pull” drop-down pop-up menus would be concerned - comparable to “Save As” on desktop environments. In this case, in iPadOS, the user would encounter a pop-up window, with various options, as far as where to save the file to, yet, if it were an audio file, the user would be significantly limited, as far as choices, as to destination apps, if the user didn’t have this app. There’s no way around it.

That being the case, that’s it, as far as stuff like that goes.

Now, we can explore common-use case scenario plugins, instruments, and apps.

Brusfri - noise-cancelling of an audio signal (microphone input, for example)

One of the most common pro audio use case scenarios is handling the signal-to-noise ratio of every recorded audio track. If you’re hot on microphones for your iPadOS device to connect to, you can jump to that section here (Title Link). There are somewhat limited, cheap-y, to moderately professional-grade quality mic’ing solutions available, depending on which model iPad device you’re working with, what connectivity, therefore, it uses - although, these days, … hmm… 🤔 actually- make sure to not try this out, for yourself - don’t go on a mean search and research binge dive, out in to the internet, to figure out as much, on your own - I’ll update folks when things change, but I really ought to make this clear - there’s not much of a really suitable Bluetooth microphone device hookup capability for iPadOS audio monitoring and recording - meaning, specifically, you cannot “be” the recording artist, “and” hear yourself, at the same time, with Bluetooth, specifically. Sure, there’s a lot of cool little bitsy hardware earbuds, and stuff, that are available, but keep in mind - Logic Pro for iPadOS was just released yesterday, and better solutions will arrive, over time, but a different authority manages the standards, development, and production of those hardware and communication / connectivity things. If you’re trying to get in to manufacturing hardware - let’s face it: some folks just can’t help but check out the scene, when it comes to that sort of thing 🤯😬🤷. I used to do that sort of thing, also.

Brusfri, the app, would easily cancel out so many considerations that a user would have, aside from obtaining any wired microphone that the user could get to rationally connect to their iPad, for their pro audio workspace environment to really have its basic, essential functionality - iPad and microphone, that is, connected by a wire. It’s not so old or useless an idea this point, to be sure. 

What Brusfri does, essentially, is exactly what, for example, a good Mastering / Channel Strip Compressor/Limiter would do, with a fairly simple layout, and premise - here, the basis is: run the audio input feed, or audio track, that’s already been recorded, and click the “ear” thing. It’ll cancel out an appreciable amount of background noise. In semi-pro audio, on mobile, at this point, obtaining a “modest” and “noisy” (crappy, even, or not “ideal”) recording is fairly standard. Brusfri largely makes that circumstance largely seem to fade away, and the audio input feed, or audio recording, will instantly sound much cleaner and much more usable. This is one of the indispensable, reliably developed and produced, audio plugin AUv3 apps out there, to include in your audio workflow signal chain.

Updating…

June 21, 2023 - some inspiration to throw together some kits (or, you could wait for me to do it, and upload some patches) - a 1.99 GB library of Future Bass Samples, MIDI templates, and more, featuring great sounds to use as starting points in your signal chain, to create Chill Trap and Future Bass tracks. It’ll be our latest group project.

Here’s the Google Drive link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ZDFTC544O1q9ybk2PUrnUfJdVPWHaAq/view?usp=drivesdk

The neat-o iPigeon.institute homemade instrument of the day (updating).

As an aspiring mobile device-driven music box designer, from various standpoints of development: nature’s form of the instrument (whistles, clicks, pops, bird sounds, and resonant bodies of materials, such as metal, wood, etc.), digital design of the emulated instrument (physical modeling, synthesized sounds, audio recordings, key mappings, and transpositions), as well as the delivery of the app, in a usable form, of some standard such as MIDI, 

I have, on one hand, a lot of free space to work with, given that any individual component would reasonably simulate some sort of more complex mechanical form and instrument structure, for example, my first novelty device:

The Can Drum Bellows Clicks-Flourisher - runs on tar!

Long-time readers of mine know that I’m big in to tar. What a fortunate discovery, to have happened upon this hand-crafted (post-manufacture and consumer use of this recyclable product - an aluminum can) bellows device - a sequential flourish-clicker, if you will, with features of a miniature steel drum; on one hand, percussive, as the form of the instrument was crafted by my own musician’s take on suitable design, for a makeshift tobacco pipe, whereas - as a pipe, for that matter, the instrument is played with the breath. It goes well, with a popping sound, perhaps, as a flourish moment, in a musical idea, whereas the tar, from smoking the aluminum can pipe, with tobacco; then smeared (the tar) across the numerous holes in the can’s smoking bowl section, whereby the can, suitably designed, mind you, would blow out, with a bellows thrust and force design concept, in mind, with both flutish and percussive effects being achieved, in one simple blow. 

It’s a simple thing to construct, yet it takes a musician’s skill and finesse, along with some entrained tonal fine-motor muscle tuning, which goes in to the crushing of the can - perhaps even a newcomer could construct the panels of the body of the instrument well enough; it’s just that this is particularly a musical instrument consideration. The holes are poked through, slightly, with a safety pin, or needle, perhaps, and the blowing happens through the drinking mouthpiece, otherwise, visually, the “top” of the can. 

Try it for yourself! It’s really a cute instrument to pull off, to wow your friends, compatriots, and passersby, alike. Try it with a squeeze pop!

Hear the individual sounds of the instrument, freshly capped with tar, from tobacco!

Constructing Trap House Music - the bunchie. [resonance; sourcing audio samples; music production].

In the context of producing a quality audio sound design and music composition based on Trap House music, the percussive development and intelligence in placement and sequencing of a standard motivic idiom - based on what might appear to be seemingly simple, yet which the pros would attest to: a four-on-the-floor beat is one of the most difficult drum tracking and drum session gigs to play out. Not only is the beat quite obvious, and naked, in its simplicity, rendering mishaps and slip-ups most apparent and uncomforting, to the listener. It is a bold and challenging rhythm, requiring much timing, insightful progressive design, in choicing the splices of the beat, as it develops, and stands, on its own. Drums and bass are known as the backbone of a song. Moreover, the drums and the bass are aught to live off of each other, and for each other, oftentimes picking up slight syncopations and touches upon one another, as bass can also lead several lives; sometimes, a percussive element about it. 

Good and well-placed drums and percussive elements, within a track, are notoriously difficult to pull off, given stock virtual instrument patches on a beat-making sequencer machine, drum synth, etc. - in general. For one thing, drums and percussive elements are tunable instruments. A live percussive or drum set has some give to it, in that the live instrument can be malleable in its tuning, given the nuance of the performer and performance that is played out. Somewhat similarly, yet less organically, designed drum beats and sequences can be tuned, with individuality to the notes, when using MIDI, and, as well, in audio, although pitch-shifting or transposing audio supposes a bit more of destructive editing and computing resource. In addition, having to tune a drum sound individually is a very non-present tense mind-mode activity - I find that the creative process is easily abandoned, or that it becomes an ineffable debacle of becoming bored, or apathetic upon the subject, this being the creation of a fuckworthy track dance music piece. 

Somewhere (recently), along the way, “bunchie” got introduced to me. The semiotics of bunchie are obvious, in common usage in higher analytical standard American English: its bunch, it’s an active, present-tense descriptor, it describes a subject, or topic - it’s easily adapted to the comically [attempt] insulting, yet for me, over a short while in tossing “bunchie” around, in my head, and that it had floated by others, in the confines of my mind, and here and there, I’d let it leak out that bunchie had been developing in other people’s | smells, etc., | eww, umm. BunchieApHff way off calibration meter, on this one. Take some care towards others; few things, at this point in time, are truly as hermitic as we might appreciate, given that “no man is an island” happened long ago, in literature, and we live in a techno trap house bwopp-down dance-off, at least sometimes, and it’s a hard to live down and abandon pop and electro scene musical form, and it gives rise to more advanced, more chill, more future, more fancy, through its simple and rudimentary primitivistic design and demand - a promise of a relentless four-on-the-floor bass kick, and a BPM that can be extensible, modular, and transient, and with mixtapes online being a significant distributor of musical supervisory taste and disposition on aesthetics and preference, a lot of ground can be covered, and trap house beats commonly set the feature of much of what I consider to be well supervised mixes. 

The bunchie, though, simple and dumb as it might seem, is actually a resonance freedom declaration, of a departure from octaves and A=440 Hz common and standard music theory: it is the sound of our anything; here, in my case, for my bunchie, I chose the bunchie of my recyclables-collection bag, with bunches of smushed plastic bottles, cans and glass in it, as I jogged down the beach boardwalk earlier this afternoon. It is the resonance of me, myself; I bunched up and smushed the cans and bottles, and the glass containers are made at a standard size that suits our Imperial system standards, our measures of our selves, as human form, and for that sake, there are elements of individuality, as well as community, within a bunchie bag of recyclables being jogged out, spliced up, and sampled, for bunchie scrum, of drum tracking in a basic trap house music beat, as the aspiration and inspiration towards a banger track. 

The bunchie carry-alongs of an of on bum.

My other source audio comes from the Metro train’s sounds, as I can appreciate the hums, chugging, whistling, poofs, and struggle of the great force of weight being compelled, via locomotion, as it were, of a massive and deeply resonant source sound element. 

The sound of a bunchie tracking design, or for a build-up or break-down development or bridge element in a song is well, when it’s tuned | appropriately |, yet it can stand on its own, with a complementary tuning, unique to the song itself, given that it resonates, or develops well, within its own context and for the other elements of a completed music production piece, or song. 

Bunchie just happens, in life, sometimes. The dance floor gets bunchie. People get bunchie, too, all on their own, although a bit less distasteful, of the preferably notion, moving on, in life. At some point, I’ll compose a new track with my new bunchie beat-making concept, fresh in my mind. Hopefully you’ll become inspired, as well, to exercise your musical intelligence and resourcefulness, through the node of bunchie.