God Bless Russian engineering. As of this summer, it’s the only ticket to and from our space station, via a capsule that Just Works. It gaves us the very first electronic instrument (thanks, Professor Theremin). And it gives us an insane music tracker slash production tool slash soft synth selection slash modular hosting environment that runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Palm, Windows Mobile (yes, you’re reading this list right), and now iOS and iPad.

Well, don’t just thank Russian engineering. Thank Alex Zolotov, who sends along his latest work. Highlights:

• Waveform drawing
• A drum synth
• Sample recording
• Side chain compression (top)
• iPad MIDI keyboard support (second from top)

Fortunately, if you’re not a mad scientist, we’ve got a lineup of videos that show you what all of this does and how to get started with this eminently affordable, insanely powerful tool. (Cue someone complaining in comments that they can’t read the interface, etc. Uh… well, you can’t have everything, eh? Bifocals?)

And in case you don’t believe this is a music tool, we even have some music created in it. (Actually creating digital music – interesting.)

Now, let’s Crash Adobe Flash(TM) with a bunch of videos:

More New Features

Where to Start

And yes, even where to start performing live on an iPhone / iPod touch:

More video tutorials:

SunVox Video Tutorials @ warmplace.ru Forum

Official SunVox page:
http://www.warmplace.ru/soft/sunvox/

Composer/sound designer Ben Long has a resume of work on dozens of games. Here on CDM, he shares the topic on which he recently addressed GDC China: mobile. If mobile game audio is going to rise to people’s expectations, it’ll have to get past rushed developers and hardware obstacles, including revisiting the whole mono/stereo debate. Ben lets us know his insider take on that landscape, and shares with us the process for designing sounds for virtual slots. Everyone, drone in C with the slot machines… -Ed.

When I tell people “I make music and sounds for video games,” it usually brings responses ranging from people saying “neat!” to blank stares. This is often followed by the person asking “how did you get into that?”  It’s a long story, but I usually say something along the lines of this: “I have musical ADD and video games was a perfect fit!”

For years, I slept on the floor with some makeshift “studio” crammed in the corner.  Working IT jobs during the day and live gigs at night for 10 years paved the way to working on games. My very first ‘studio’ consisted of the Roland VS-880, a digital 8-track with a 2-inch, non-backlit LCD screen.  Mixing on this was thing like brushing your teeth with a tree branch, but hey, it was digital, baby — and this was back when a CD burner was $600.

I got used to being surrounded by bleeding-edge technology and noticed that the game industry was leading the pack.  It wasn’t long before I had my first gig, creating pirate music with MIDI.

So, having worked in the game industry, where does the future lie, and how can someone be prepared to meet it? The answer is clearly mobile.

Mobile Gaming: Challenges and Opportunities

Mobile is by far the fastest-growing sector of the game industry. Never before in history have so many people been exposed to video games. Mobile developers have the ability to take huge “leaps of faith’ of which other developers would not dream. These creative choices can go horribly wrong, but in the case of games like Angry Birds, they can be hugely successful.

The growth of that market is buoyed by an explosion in hardware. New mobile devices appear almost weekly, each promising heightened user experience. Each one has its own set of limitations and capabilities for audio. It’s no surprise that consumers are expecting better audio in their mobile games. The explosion of music-based games has created an interesting phenomenon: people are listening more.

No longer can mobile game developers rely on the visual canvas alone; there is an empty void around the device that can be occupied with captivating content. If a game is performing well in the marketplace, chances are it sounds great. Making audio for games is difficult, but factor in a tiny, mono speaker with extreme hardware/OS limitations and things get hairy. Luckily, mobile phones have rapidly evolved and the days of developers requesting that I create a 4K MIDI score have disappeared. Nevertheless, creating audio content for today’s mobile gaming devices requires a unique skill set.

Today’s mobile games are typically developed at breakneck speeds. As a result, audio often becomes the last ingredient, as developers scramble just to get their game out. To save time, they sometimes buy music tracks or sound effects from an online store. With the right set of ears, this can work, but audio is usually “thrown in” without much thought or testing. Such practices prevent a good game from climbing the charts. There is a reason why film producers hire a composer, sound designer and audio engineer rather than buying canned content – they want the final product to take on a life of its own.

In Living Mono: Starting with the Hardware

When Apple released the iPhone 3, they heralded the new features – including “enhanced mono”. Soon after release, this descriptive term was deleted from the specs. (Am I the only one that noticed the quick removal of that term from their description?) Technically, the iPhone/iPad speakers are not true stereo, but mono. The silky high frequencies make up for it, though – you can lay the device down and enjoy what you are hearing.

Of course, when using headphones you hear everything across the sonic spectrum. One challenge of creating audio content for mobile is taking into account the possibility of headphone usage. The iPad allows for a bit more mid-range frequency content, so I considered this when working with Backflip Studios on their new game “Backflip Slots.”

Developing Backflip Slots

Typically, a mobile game will have a looping background ambience, background music, dialogue and UI/gameplay sounds. For the menu ambience in Backflip Slots, I visited a casino here in Colorado and brought along my Zoom H4 handheld recorder to capture the casino soundscape. Luckily, security didn’t ask any questions as I entered the building with this strange little device. After finding my way to the rows of slots machines, I sat in the middle and started playing. This location gave me a nicely-balanced ambience, so I placed the recorder on the seat next to me and started experimenting with different configurations. All this was done without headphones, so I had to use my best judgement and just go for it.

The funny thing about casinos is that every slot machine plays their jingles in the key of C. The result is a hypnotizing cacophony that keeps the players hooked. I have actually played live gigs at casinos before and been instructed to keep every song in the key of C. This is surreal, much like playing alongside a choir of robots!

Since “Backflip Slots” was getting a more traditional look, we needed the sound to follow suit. For the reel spin, I went for a looping mechanical sound with a subtle friction texture. To achieve this, I combined the sound of a tractor engine with factory machinery samples from my own sound library. The two sounds were then mixed together and combined with elements from Native Instruments’ Sonic Fiction.

Seamless looping is commonplace in games but often brings technical challenges. That can detract from the creative focus, but it’s a necessary evil, given the technical limitations of the hardware platforms. The reel landing sounds needed more of a chunky ‘click’ feel that would not be too overbearing.

Each bonus spin-character icon has an animated sequence in which they come to life and jump off the screen. These actions received everything from an 8-bit flamethrower to the sound of a samurai sword being unsheathed. One of the keys to creating sonic appeal is subtlety and this can require extensive testing. Game sounds should not grate on the nerves even after being heard hundreds of times. This usually entails experimenting with volume, EQ and pitch shifting in the studio. The end result should always be a pleasant listening experience for the development team and ultimately, the player.

The win sequences were also in sharp contrast to the reel spins and button presses. Win animations explode on the screen with coins raining down on top of an animated logo. Add pulsating lasers and lightning strikes and you now have some serious eye candy! These received a good amount of ‘bling’ on the sonic end and went through extensive revisions before completion. Even when being piled on top of each other, each audio file must be audible and clean. Since the game featured all of their IP (Paper Toss, NinJump, Graffiti Ball, etc), I took the existing sounds from other games and remixed them to work within Slots. In the case of “NinJump”, I blended the hiyaahh with a gong cymbal for the combo win. Some of the combinations are buried deep in the game and will only be heard by the top players.

It’s always a blast working with Backflip on these games so stay tuned for some big suprises in 2011.

About the Author

Ben Long is a composer, sound designer and founder of NoiseBuffet. He recently spoke at GDC China on the subject of “creating audio content for mobile games” Ben’s sonic signature can be heard on over 40 games, including the forthcoming release of LodeRunner Mobile. In addition to games, his music is aired on every major TV network and was recently used in the Stevie Wonder Biography on A&E. Ben is a lifelong gamer and has been featured in three game design textbooks. Learn more about game audio and his new ebook at gameaudio101.com.

SunVox, the quirky and cool modular music creation software, already runs on a ton of platforms. Starting now, most of those platforms can run the tool for free. (The one exception: iPhone/iPad.)

That means you get a rich music creation environment that can run on everything from an ancient PDA to a desktop computer, complete with FM, virtual analog, and sample-based synths, effects, modular routing, musical arrangement, and even tracker-level detailed editing, all for free. SunVox works on Mac, Windows, and Linux, plus mobile platforms Palm, Windows Mobile, and iPhone. In fact, it’s an ideal choice to resurrect one of the now-nearly-worthless yet still-very-powerful used PDA devices. Seriously: hit auction and used sites or ask someone for a device, or perhaps search your own closet, and you have an extra music-making device that costs you nothing. (I’ve heard some arguments about the iPad and value, and ditto $300 or $400 netbooks, but I’d like to see the iPad or new netbook compete with $20 or free.)

SunVox

That said, if you do own an iPhone or iPod touch, SunVox is a no-brainer at US$4.99.

And developer Alex Zolotov tells CDM he’s submitting an iPad version of SunVox for Apple’s new platform, as well, plus working on new features. Stay tuned.

A traditional music score can fill reams of paper. But make music generative, and a tiny amount of musical DNA can breed musical events. How little DNA is needed? How about 140 character worth – enough to fit into a single Twitter post?

That’s what’s possible in Mixtikl 2, which dubs its Twitter musical “vectors” “tikls” – pronounced “tickles.” There are three platforms, each priced separately:

• Mac / Windows desktop + plug-ins (standalone version, VST plug-in for your favorite host, and even a plug-in for playing and customizing mixes right in your web browser). Cost: US$19.99.
• Windows Mobile: smartphones and PDAs (yep, an eBay purchase could be wise right now) for playing and customizing mixes. Cost: US$4.99.
• iPhone / iPod touch: Mobile generative playback and synthesis, pricing TBA. This version isn’t available this instant, but is expected for approval in the upcoming days.

There are numerous improvements, but it’s the “vector audio” concept that’s the most evocative in the new release. For examples of what works in Twitter, here are some links from the developers, including some holiday-themed picks: (Updated with new link; previous code was for RC1, not the final build)

Mixtikl 2 : the Tweet Music Maestro

Mixtikl actually binds together a range of musical materials, from pre-defined tunes and audio assets to generative files and custom mixes of the two. There are other powerful features, two including the Partikl multi-synth and a built in “network” effects system.

There’s more work to do for Intermorphic: right now, Mixtikl, as the name implies, is a mixer. If you’re interested in producing your own musical patterns, editing rules, and the like, these features will have to wait for an upcoming release. But right now, you do get a taste for some of what they’re working, and if you’re not yet interested in investing, 30-day trials are available.

Intermorphic Mixtikl 2 Announcement

And yes, you can bet this will get the attention of those in the know in the Tweetosphere. None other than British celeb geek Stephen Fry is playing around with it.

Musicians and composers have long dreamt of computers and mobiles playing music that changes on its own, rather than playing static, pre-determined scores. But to actually pull it off, you need a number of pieces. One solution for putting those pieces together is finally here, with desktop-to-mobile delivery and an interesting combination of a generative engine with synths and effects that can work in real time.

We’ve been following the work of Intermorphic for some time: this team, experienced in generative music (as popularized by the likes of Brian Eno), has been building a portfolio of software for music making using generative and other techniques. At long last, their anticipated Mixtikl V1 suite is here. The idea is to combine a set of complementary tools for making and delivering music on computers and mobiles, with a particular eye toward interactive, generative tools. The components of the suite:

• Partikl, the synth: Modular synth, DLS (DownLoadable Sound) MIDI playback, and effects “network,” Partikl works both on desktops and on mobile devices (currently PocketPC/PDA). There’s even a “particle generator.” Make tones, create modular synths and effects you can modulate live, or play back sample/loop content.
• Noatikl, the generative engine: Here’s the good bit. Based on the evolution of the same Koan system employed by Brian Eno, Noatikl is a scriptable “hyperinstrument” that can generative musical structures. Partikl is designed to work with it, so part of your musical structure can be modulating your synths, effects, and samples. The full Noatikl doesn’t run inside Mixtikl, but a runtime does, so it can play back generative structures instead of limiting you to static MIDI files and the like.
• Static content support: Even the most rigorous advocate of generative music will likely concede that some pre-determined content can be useful. So the suite supports static scores and audio files (OGG, WAV, AU, MIDI, MOD).
• Apps to use them together: Remixer, Performer, and Player let you combine these elements for live use.
• Packs: Tiklpak content  are generative packs that show off what the thing can do.
• Desktop support: Mac, Windows. And having the ability to use plug-ins means authoring should be much easier.
• Mobile support: Windows Mobile at launch (for almost any resolution currently available, even including Windows Mobile smartphones). Coming soon: Symbian, iPhone/iPod touch, and the multi-platform Antix Game Player (have to admit, hadn’t heard of that one).

Mixtikl Download Page [Desktop, Mobile]

Press release

Pricing: US$9.99-29.99 for Mixtikl; Noatikl $79.99+; various bundles and limited-time coupons available – but you can get up and running with quite a lot for around ten bucks

It’s good to hear the iPhone is back on the list after some doubts from Intermorphic earlier this year. (Apple easing up on restrictions may have helped!) The Intermorphic crowd note that:

If you do get a chance to play with it, do try out some of the Noatikl generative items in the Tikpak Cinematic 120d, which is one of two Tiklpaks that comes embedded with Mixtikl. The generative items show up as red in the content list. As some of these also use Partikl to dynamically create the their sounds (they do a lot) and they also use FX, these ones can really slow up your device, as they do consume a fair amount of processing power.

There’s something appealing about being able to take a generative composition with you, whether it’s listening on the go or actually remixing or performing with it. So the mobile delivery thing is really important.

It’s taken some time to develop this, so it’ll likewise take some time for us to spend some time with Mixtikl. Stay tuned – and let us know if there’s anything you’d like us to specifically see.

As seen in September on Palm Sounds, though worth repeating here.

Griff Promo Movie from Daniel Webb on Vimeo.

Promos are good, but actually learning how to use the tool is often the best way to judge it musically. It’s well worth going through the whole walkthrough, as that should give you an idea of whether or not this way of working is your style:

Griff Walkthrough from Daniel Webb on Vimeo.

Head to the official Griff site for more:

planetgriff.com

And you know, while we’ve seen some apps come close, we really haven’t seen an iPhone app quite this comprehensive.

It’s easy enough to dismiss mobile music devices as toys, and I’d add, there’s really nothing wrong with toys. But the test – a personal one – is whether or not you can develop your musical ideas with them. Some of the deepest, most consistently satisfying tools for mobile devices are the ones that shrink down real production capabilities to a handheld size. Look closely at these apps, and you’ll see software that could easily have passed for “advanced” sequencers on computers fifteen years ago. (Indeed, I think arguably we’ve lost some usability with the complexity we’ve added since.)

While the iPhone phenomenon continues to grow, don’t write off Windows Mobile for music. Tony Stone sends a video showing off the piano roll-style sequencer in an app called AudioBox. It goes beautifully with the stylus – precision input that isn’t possible with your finger on the iPhone.

AudioBox Micro Composer is available at various online software stores. Here’s where Tony says he picked it up:

AudioBox Micro Composer @ ClickApps

AudioBox Product Page @ 4pockets [developer]

AudioBox has come up many times on Palm Sounds; see the interview with the developer

US$44.95, but for that you get the sequencer, an analog synth, a string pad synth, a samples, a drum machine, 16 channels of mixing, effects, editing capabilities, and “device automation” (not sure what that last one means). Part of the reason this is all possible is that developing for Windows Mobile is very much like developing for Windows – and unlike Google’s Android, you can write the apps in C/C++. If you’re not a developer, what that means it that you’re basically getting desktop-like apps.

Tony is worth checking out, too. He’s a Christian hip-hop artist, beatmaker and producer, and youth minister, and he’s promised some very interesting DIY projects coming soon. See his blog and MySpace page. We actually have a whole lot of readers making music in communities of faith, demonstrating that there’s a lot more diversity of musicians working with technology. It’s not at all limited to the view people have of the club or DJ scenes.

Side note: Microsoft should never have gotten rid of the Pocket PC moniker.

This site has always been about making music with computers and digital technology. Today, we increasingly have access to powerful computers in mobile form factors. But, despite the simple fact that all of these are ultimately computers, I’ve quickly learned that mobile music production is a divisive issue. Some of you are as passionate about hating mobile tech as others of you are about loving it, perhaps propelled by a strong uptick of iPhone hype and accompanying resentment. Don’t worry — I won’t be swayed too much by either group; I’m committed to computers in all forms, tiny and large, and accompanying digital synths. And analog synths. And, really, anything that makes sound.

That said, the survey results we did on mobile tech are very interesting. Story topics for CDM aren’t a popularity contest, but your responses do reveal a lot. (The best reading turns out to be the write-in portion.)

First up, here’s a look at what mobile platforms people own. I expect the survey is somewhat self-selecting (some of you in the “none of the above” category likely didn’t respond), but note how the game platforms dominate.

That’s platforms you already own. But which are you interested in reading about? The margin on each device increases significantly. (Sony’s PSP doubles; Linux triples.) So that demonstrates that people are interested in learning about the larger landscape, and may be basing future purchase decisions on what’s available for music creation. (It also appeared that stronger support for PSP and Linux came from Europe than North America, possibly in part due to painfully-inflated costs for iPod touch and iPhone in that market.)

Zany Write-In Response

Okay, enough demographics. The best part of doing the poll was getting your write-in responses.
Google’s Android platform unsurprisingly got a number of write-in votes; GP2X got fewer, but I expect people just (rightfully) answered “Linux.” We did get some interesting responses, though:

Mobile device suggestions:

• Boss Micro BR
• Buddha Machine
• Graphing calculators (careful; with the readers here, you might get your wish
• Korg Kaossilator
• MPC 500
• Psion organizers
• “steam powered”
• Yamaha QY100
• Speak and Spell
• PlayStation 1 (that’s mobile?)
• Nokia N-gage (but now I know you’re joking)

And then there was the hater/lover argument:
“PLEASE GIVE THE IPHONE A REST! BORING YUPPIE TOY. soz for capitals.”
“Not all of us have tiny little girlie fingers!!!” (ouch!)
“The above statement should be “I really couldn’t care less.” As it happens, I am interested in all of them, so I really could care less.”
“mobile audio coverage is getting ridiculous”
“Just keep it to a minimum, guys =)” (Well, it is by definition miniature, right?)
“more iphone!!!! screw the haters”
“Everything. If there’s something new and interesting done with a C64, it could be worth going out to buy a setup.”
“every – f***ing – thing !”

At least someone said “whatever, it’s all good.” Sir, you may be alone in your calm attitude, but the editorial staff appreciates it. Meanwhile, I’ll be exercising my tiny girlie fingers over a variety of devices. (They give me uncanny accuracy in touch apps. So there.)

BeatMaker Update and Workflow

A new BeatMaker video (below)

One of the biggest objections — and a fair one — boils down to “but how do you use this in real life?” The “it’s a toy” argument is a legitimate one if it means you have software you play around with, but that you can’t use as an instrument effectively or work into your own music. (By that token, for instance, my toy piano is actually a valuable instrument.)

So it’s big news that, as many people had hoped, Intua’s BeatMaker has added MIDI export. That means you can assemble ideas and patterns on BeatMaker and bring them into your desktop music software of choice. I’m already hearing from people using this with Ableton Live. This isn’t a new feature — Windows Mobile and Palm apps have offered the same thing — but it’s a big part of the draw of these devices. BeatMaker also has an improved manual, more videos, and Bonjour support:

intua.net

Intua’s Mathieu also tells us “We’re working on the new BeatMaker killer-update now. Should be interesting !” Indeed.

For the record, that means some of the interesting workflow possibilities now available include the likes of:

• Building MIDI patterns and audio loops for use elsewhere (PSP Rhythm, PSP; BeatMaker, iPhone/iPod; many others)
• Building complete tracks using unusual synths (PSPSEQ, PSP)
• Working on drum patterns, with samples, in a round-trip with desktop software (iDrum, iPhone/iPod)
• Using your mobile device as a touch/stylus controller, etc. (DSMI, DS; various tools, iPhone/iPod)

All good stuff. Of course, by the same token, there are clear disadvantages of mobile devices — cramped screen space and controls, limited processing power, a lack of full-sized and full-fidelity audio I/O, and the like. But that’s why I’ve always felt conventional form factor computers aren’t really going anywhere. They work really well; these augment what they can do.

With all this talk of mobile music creation, it’s time to get a little scientific. Which mobile digital platforms do you actually own? Which do you want to read about on CDM? We have, of course, lots of interesting stuff happening with actual mobile computers – think UMPC, Eee, and OLPC – but then, those fit nicely with other computing platforms since that’s what they are. Other handheld game systems, PDAs, and phones require real, specific attention for musicians. And naturally, this is about making music on mobile systems, not necessarily playing Mario Kart.

We need to know what you think. Your feedback will help us direct the site. Don’t worry, we still love things that no one else does, so fear not if you’re in a more obscure category – though you will want to get your votes in.

This is also a chance to sign up for our soon-to-launch email list, which we’ll use for human-created, exclusive dispatches from team CDM in a form that makes sense for our overburdened inboxes. (It won’t duplicate anything else, and it won’t be too often, and it won’t be sold to anyone else – it’s just another way for me and the team to chat with you.)

So, here goes – you’ll need to click through to the actual site to finish the survey, or head straight to:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/61300/yvwf9

Respond now; poll closes Monday 8/18

Photo credit: Yesrobot’s Game Boy rig, captured by Alícia

Some good news, some bad news for iPhone/iPod Touch owners. (For everyone who doesn’t care, we’ll be consolidating iPhone news from here on out so you can safely ignore it.)

Good news: iZotope’s mobile version of iDrum is here (seen above). It’s a nifty $5 toy, though some restrictions, including the lack of audio export, may keep it from being more than that.I Correction: you can exchange both samples and project files with the desktop iDrum, and use ringtone bounce (including, apparently, on iPod touch) to export audio. That could make this very useful as a mobile addition to your workflow.

I do also think it’s inspiring in the way that it uses touch interfaces, something that could bode well for what touch-enabled computer music apps might look like.

Better news: BtBx is a fun-looking US$3.99 beat machine with drum sounds and (at last!) real-time synthesizers from the creator of PSP Rhythm. Unfortunately, it doesn’t let you use your own samples, and it can’t quite stand up to the cooler PSP Rhythm – even if hacking a PSP is kind of a pain. But it is a good sign.

But bad news for Apple owners, good news for owners of other gadgets: the generative music studio Mixtikl will hit those platforms first because of Apple is tying its developers’ hands with technical and legal restrictions. It’s not a deal killer for everyone – we’ve seen developers write special client apps to get around file exchange issues, and obviously a number of developers aren’t concerned with legal terms because they’re releasing apps anyway. (Jobs is justifiably proud of their 60 million-download count.) But there’s no question that part of why the iPhone is more a mobile toy and less a mobile computer is in fine print and legalese, not silicon. That could be mobile carriers’ fault – but either way, it could also demonstrate that shrinking computers and not more powerful mobiles are the future for mobile music creation.

iDrum is In

iZotope have released their first app for iPhone, a mobile counterpart to the iDrum drum machine. (Thanks to Richard Lawler for the tip!)

iDrum for iPhone/iPod touch comes in two editions, each costing US$4.99 – a “Hip Hop” and “Club” version. (If you buy both, bizarrely, you get two apps; Richard speculates this may be due to how Apple sandboxes their apps.)

Good:

• An elegant interface, showing what touch-enabled apps in general can do
• Ring tone creation
• Some sound design names we enjoy (Goldbaby, Matt Simmers, Art Gillespie, Sable Gray)
• Round-trip work with the iDrum desktop app

Bad:

• Can’t export audio of your creations directly, but you can use the ringtone bounce
• Ring tone creation requires a sync app on the desktop

iZotope iDrum for iPhone and iPod Touch

Update/correction: I’m, fairly I think, called out by iDrum developer Art Gillespie on two points:

1. I missed the most important feature here, which is that the mobile iDrum works with round-trip co

mpatibility with the desktop iDrum. As Art points out in comments:

“you can do full round-trip editing of beats–including sending samples back and forth–with iDrum (desktop) for Windows/Mac.”

This obviously would fundamentally change the workflow of using the mobile app. If you’re not an iDrum user, you might stick to the rival drum machine for iPhone, Intua Beatmaker. But if you are an iDrum desktop fan, this could be a real killer app.

2. His experience with Apple developer relations has been positive, meaning me blurring the description of iDrum with some other criticisms of Apple’s platform and developer relations is unfair.

In my defense, there’s actually no explicit mention of the ability to share project files between desktop and mobile iDrum. So, let’s say that right now, as that’s very, very cool. (In fact, it’s cool enough that this is worthy of a separate aside!)

As for developer relations, I think that’s fair – and it’s absolutely in keeping with what we’ve been hearing. Some people are happy, some are unhappy, and some are simultaneously happy and unhappy. That’s what one would expect on any developer platform. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to point out some of the weaknesses alongside the strengths. It would be far easier to do so if Apple hadn’t placed an NDA over everything having to do with development, so that does mean I’m often ranting in the dark. But without violating an NDA, I think we can very safely say Art is happy, and there are a number of happy developers putting out great apps. There are other developers who are less happy, which has the side effect of ensuring we’ll have mobile apps on other platforms (and the jailbroken Apple platform) to look forward to, alongside these apps.

BtBx (“BeatBox”), From PSP Rhythm’s Creator

Louis Iturzaeta and Billy, the talented developers of the way-awesome PSP Rhythm on Sony’s gaming handheld, has launched their first iPhone / iPod Touch app, using a modified version of their RHYTHM engine.

The good:

• Real-time synths, with some great, acid-style sounds
• Fairly impressive features in a compact space
• Pattern-auto save, online docs
• Real-time sound modification via their engine

The bad:

• No custom samples
• No audio export
• Kinda silly-looking interface (I prefer PSP Rhythm’s look – but Louie promises there’s a new skin coming soon)

At this absurdly low price, I can’t complain. Don’t let the baby toy interface fool you: the underlying sound engine means this could be a seriously fun soundmaker.

That said, I have to say, I’d choose the PSP app over this. I’ll add a major caveat, though: hacking a PSP is a pain. (More on that soon. Short version: buy a used unit on which someone has done the hard work for you.) It’s too bad Sony doesn’t have some outlet for homebrew developers like this to sell through the Sony PSP store. I think they could do great, iPhone-killing work.

Full specs from Billy:

Hey Peter and team, the drum machine/synthesizer BtBx that Billy and I (from PSP Rhythm) created is now available in the app store!

Below is are the features/specs of the app. It was written with a modified version of our RHYTHM audio engine. Our plan is to create a synth application and a full studio application as well as release "Lite" versions of each app.

BtBx is available for $3.99 and the "Lite" version will be available for $0.99 when it is released.
-Louie

http://www.pureprofitcorp.com/btbx
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=287398151&mt=8

BtBx ("BeatBox") is a music sequencer for the iPhone or iPod Touch.
BtBx gives you instant access to the world of electronic music with big drum sounds and acid-style synthesizers.

Features:

• 8 drum sounds
• 2 instrument sounds
• 2 real-time synthesizers
• 16 step drum machine style sequencer
• 16 patterns
• Keyboard with +/- 3 Octave Range
• Realtime Mutes
• Tempo Adjustment (40-240 BPM)
• Low Pass Filter with cutoff frequency and filter resonance
• Auto-saves patterns so no data is lost
• Instruction manual is built into the application

BtBx utilizes a custom audio engine and sequencer which enables you to:

• Program song melodies with any sound
• Play any drum or instrument sound forward or in reverse on any pattern step
• Modify a Low Pass Filter on each sound (12 total LFPs running at the same time!)
• Add accent notes on the synthesizers
• Add Distortion to any sound
• Add Delay to any sound

BtBx Product Page

Mixtikl Bails on Apple for Now

One of the most exciting upcoming iPhone apps is delayed for the forseeable future. That’s Apple’s loss, but a gain for Windows Mobile and Symbian as they gain the developers’ focus. The tool is Mixtikl, a mobile edition of an innovative music creation platform with:

• a generative music engine
• synths and samplers
• effects network

Is the problem that the iPhone isn’t powerful enough? Absolutely not. The problem is what happens after you add in other restrictions. Bottom line:

We were (and still are) very excited by the potential of our software running on these Apple devices, and we love Apple products and all our other software products run on Mac OS X (and Windows XP of course).

So, we have decided not to press ahead with development until Apple can:

• relax a number of (as we see it) overly restrictive terms in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement
• allow apps to share/exchange data/files between themselves and an attached PC/Mac

The developers can’t talk about specifics because of the NDA covering the agreement, but they do point back to some of the issues I’ve discussed here.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the road for Mixtikl, necessarily. If Apple could relax or even better clarify the terms of their agreement, this app could be back. But this further illustrates the problems with the NDA. It’ll be even harder for developers to share these restrictions with one another, and for those issues to be addressed, if no one can even talk about it.

We have some wonderful mobile toys at the moment, but I do look forward to the day when cool mobile platforms don’t come with gag orders attached (cough, Apple) or require elaborate hacking (ahem, DS and PSP) just to use. Windows Mobile and Symbian remain valid and should have better hardware behind them soon. As for Linux platforms, basically, we’re just waiting for more to actually ship.

It’s well worth reading the full story:

Mixtikl for iPhone / iPod touch – Intermorphic postpones development for now

Mixtikl Product Page

Previously:

Generative iPod? Deep Modular, Generative Music System Bound for iPhone, Phones, Windows, Mac