One of the great things about mobile devices like the iPhone is that not only does it save us from having to carry around endless gadgets, but it also allows us to be creative during times we didn’t think was possible. The items below, such as the tuner or on-the-go piano save you the hassle of finding and bringing along your tuner or jamming out that new idea while riding shotgun on a road trip. Whatever the occasion may be, the iPhone/iPod/iPad applications below will increase the productivity of any musician or songwriter looking to accompany the fast pace life of a 21st century musician.
CLEARTUNE
Far too many times musicians find themselves at a buddy’s house ready to jam, and they hand them a warped old guitar with strings that haven’t been tuned in ages. If you don’t have a tuner in your back pocket, an easy solution to this problem is to download a tuner application to your iPhone. It works like a charm and will have you jamming in no time.
FOURTRACK
FourTrack is an app that puts multitrack recording on your iPhone. The app records at the CD quality of true 160bit, 44.1kHz quality and is easy to use.
BAND
If you are looking to jam out some ideas on your iPhone or just fiddle around, Band offers multiple instruments, including a bass, drums, piano, guitar, and more. Each sound is great quality and is fun to play.
BEATMAKER
Beatmaker allows for more complex construction of your song ideas. It has live pattern recording and arranging, but has a step sequencer as well, which allows for more intricate creations. To share your work, you can export your songs to an audio or midi file. Beatmaker also has a generous sound library, but if you are not satisfied, you are able to record your own sounds.
The iPhone and now the iPadoffers a quick and affordable solution for figuring out your songs while on the go or just sitting around on the couch. Check out these apps and start creating.