The world of mobile devices, smartphones, tablets, etc … has advanced a lot. There are huge number of models, capabilities, screen sizes, but only two operating systems for these devices in many applications and capabilities (IOS and Android), not to mention Windows Mobile, though this limited to phones and tablets Microsoft.
The music, as we all know, has been linked to innovation, both in instruments as new technologies at the forefront in the use of all these developments and devices.
They are tools that can help us in our work, but the truth is that if I’m watching a sunset, traveling quietly, the last thing I would crave is to write music
As discussed above, there are two operating systems for these elements that dominate the market, iOS and Android, pulling the first distinct advantage in the use of resources of the devices for use with applications that require the use of audio in real time.
Although gradually the Android system progresses, today the clear winner is iOS.
You could make a classification of existing applications to work with audio, composition, etc … according to a close. This might be:
- Applications to control devices such as Lemur, TouchOSC, etc. Using the touching screen you can control other devices such as synthesizers, workstation, or DAW sequencers, mixers, etc.
– Applications to transform or edit sounds by applying effects such as Flux of guitarist Adrian Belew, Final Touch (mastering), etc.
– Applications to generate sounds, and virtual synthesizers, drum machines, etc. Having a wide range of possibilities.
– Applications sequencing and score editing, as Cubasis (Cubase little brother ), Garage Band (the same wiht Logic), etc .
But all of these applications are truly effective and efficient ?, are they helping us for our purposes ?, Can we do anything serious with them? Or simply are they selling sand castles in the sky?
Everything depends on the requirements we have and where we want to go with these applications. One of the major limitations of these devices (apart from the screen and battery life) is connectivity. In most cases with a single communication port a little can be done, although it has significantly improved the number of devices which can be connected. In the 1st group of applications they are really effective and make its function properly, facilitating tasks such as the live music for both musicians and sound technicians or engineers, having tools that can handle tables mixing and monitor from anywhere in the room. Or for musicians, putting your fingertips touch control on a variety of devices easier to use.
In the second group there are many applications. Some kind of simply toys and other real “Swiss army knives”, making these devices operate as genuine effects processors, facilitating parameter control, especially in the tablet. Thanks to the size of their screens, they work better than displays that use the hardware equipment.
In the third group and given the high number of applications occurs as in the group of processors, there are applications with sounds and functionality comparable to those of her sisters computer, although in some cases it will be the only application that we can run due to high workload for processors of mobile devices. Although every day they surprise us with better performance, this remains a serious handicap for these applications.
In the last group we have sequencers, these take the cake, offering at the same time sound generation (virtual synthesizers, drum machines), signal processing in real time, multitrack audio recording, etc … almost the same opportunities as their elders, but still limiting process of mobile devices and the amount of features offered a small obstacle brothers, but does not have to be limited, it is more, just it makes us more creative in using the resources at our disposal.
But back to the question, are they selling castles in the sky ? Certainly all this is very suggestive and decorated with Bohemian images as being able to make music anywhere, when we are watching a sunset and a melody comes to mind at our disposal tools that allow us to capture those moments … But I do not see it so clearly. They are tools that can help us in our work, but the truth is that if I’m watching a sunset, traveling quietly, the last thing I would crave is to write music as I’m off. Surely there will be someone who believes otherwise, but when I write music, I write music. When I’m traveling I travel. And if I’m with friends, I’m having fun with firedns. I think everything has its time, but equally effective. So yes, if the muses come to visit, better they catch us working with something to wind them.
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