Music based
* = worth a further look
** = definitely very useful/use it a lot
App: Music Journal
What it does: Stores notes and targets for individual music practice, plays audio files to practice along to. Displays statistics and logs practice time used.
Learning Implementation: For individual practice in conjunction with instrumental players.
Recommendation: A bit clunky and the mp3 files often don't play. Might work with some students if they were inclined to use it but most would find it a bit of an extra chore. Evernote might be easier to use as a straight log
App:Tabs HD
What it does: Fetches and displays lead sheets.
Learning Implementation: fast selection of material to play in rehearsal times (it is a requirement that students select pieces themselves)
Recommendation: The database is small and they expect you to pay for anything decent - might as well just download them from Safari and paste them into a songbook in Evernote.
*App: Spotify
What it does: Streams music legally
Learning Implementation: great for fast and on the fly learning examples and creation of quick playlists of learning examples.
Recommendation: The future of music/media distribution, nice that all my stuff is on there as well as some of the students and we get paid a few cents each time it is played.
*App: Soundcloud
What it does: Allows students to post large music files of any type to cloud storage with a decent GUI for embedding into other sites, collaborating in remote multitrack sessions.
Learning Implementation: We are able to easily find tracks students are working upon and play them. They can allow feedback on their tracks to be written against time-points on the tracks for improvements and formative assessment. Tracks can be public, private or shared (like Youtube for just music)
Recommendation: Invaluable tool for the modern musician.
**App: Amplitube
What it does: models amplifiers and effects with an array of mic'ing options and cabinets. Uses an interface to produce a startlingly good tone from guitars and basses.
Learning Implementation: you can dial in expensive rigs that artists such as Hendrix and Slash used to get close to emulating classic sounds and learn how to use equipment and sounds that we can't afford the classic gear prices for.
Recommendation: Can be costly if you get carried away - only get the gear you really need! I have used this in festival situations when it is difficult to carry lots of heavy gear around - an invaluable tool. Brilliant to get the sounds you want in a practice when you don't want to set up lots of gear.
*App: IK Sample Tank
What it does: this emulates a top class sampler and library of sounds.
Learning Implementation: We are able to model expensive keyboards and fly in contemporary sounds on pad triggers to create styles such as Hip Hop, Grime and R&B. Able to use this as an extra instrument in the room.
Recommendation: Very good and simple to use. Uses a lot of memory on the ipad so difficult to keep on there all the time.
**App: Rebirth
What it does: emulates a classic Roland 808 and 909 drum machines and two bass synths. A complete production package.
Learning Implementation: teaching about classic sequencing and electro styles (+ many others) of music that can only be achieved this way. Can have two player mode and use it in a real performance - will sync midi wirelessly.
Recommendation: very cost effective way of getting hundreds of pounds worth of classic instruments into the classroom and giving the students the experience of using them. Great compositional tool for certain styles.
**App: iElectribe
What it does: Emulates the full musical instrument that is used by bands such as the Gorillaz to sequence and perform and manipulate sounds live.
Learning Implementation: Can sync to other instruments wirelessly(*?) useful composition tool for learning about performance sequencing.
Recommendation: A powerful performance tool. A student had one a couple of years ago that cost £800, he used it to great effect in live performances. This ap cost £15 and has the same functionality.
App: Groove Maker
What it does: Real time Dj performance tool
Learning Implementation: able to learn about DJ skills and integrating different techniques into live mixing
Recommendation: Great free tool that is a good way in for DJ live performance
*App: iGrand Piano
What it does: Superb piano sounds controlled by the ipad midi interface
Learning Implementation: able to access top notch performance piano sounds to upgrade our live keyboard sounds.
Recommendation: great for a pianist with a good controller keyboard who wants really realistic piano sounds.
**App: Launchkey
What it does: models the novation synthesiser
Learning Implementation: nice visual synthesiser that looks good when projected and is easy to teach synthesis from. Plays in background, so we have set the arpeggiator off and then played along in sync with other tools. Modular emulates a classic moog in a similar way with graphical patch cables! - also great for projecting and teaching synthesis (Modular is bit hard to see though on an ipad screen only).
Recommendation: A great performance and learning tool.
**App: LaunchPad
What it does: emulates the Ableton pad controller and is preloaded with sample libraries
Learning Implementation: quick and easy way to load samples and loops and play along
Recommendation: we have used this to set up core beats for a band to play along with and then fly in one hit samples, very useful - also syncs well with launchkey.
App: SheetRack Lite
What it does: Downloads and displays sheet music - moves the score in time to the player.
Learning Implementation: Good for the traditional player, A level students in particular.
Recommendation: really needs to be used with a good ipad clip holder to be effective, not as good as Scorecerer as you need to buy all the music even if you already have it.
**App: Scorecerer Lite
What it does: displays and annotates scores
Learning Implementation: annotation a good facility, and the ability to add your own scores. Needs to sync with Scorecerer desktop on a host computer to load scores from (this has an added cost implication if you want to create your own -but we can do this in logic and import as pdfs) It is very easy to do. Option to reduce down to a lead sheet is fantastic. You can change the page with a bluetooth midi pedal. CAN CHANGE THE COLOUR OF THE SCORE FOR DYSLEXIA
Recommendation: May be good for an orchestral player who needs a lot of music and needs to turn the page with their foot. May be a godsend for a dyslexic musician - needs investigation.
App: Tonara
What it does: displays scores and flips the page when it hears you playing - marker follows what you are playing on the score.
Learning Implementation: Playing statistics - good for individual practice
Recommendation: Can only get 10 downloadable scores each week -mostly classical piano pieces- cost implications if you want to import anything you really need. Can import your own pdf score though from dropbox or the web. Can use a bluetooth pedal for this.
App: Score Creator
What it does: Simple ipad music score creator
Learning Implementation: great for projecting up on a screen and dragging in the notes you are talking about in music theory then playing them!
Recommendation: Great for theory lessons - works best if you blow it up a bit as it is a bit hard to see. iWrite Music free is much simpler and easier to use.
*App: iWrite Music Free
What it does: Simple ipad music score creator
Learning Implementation: great for projecting up on a screen and dragging in the notes you are talking about in music theory then playing them!
Recommendation: Great for theory lessons - much easier to use than score creator
App: iRig Midi
What it does: stores and dumps midi information
Learning Implementation: May have an application, but seems limited and outdated in its functionality.
Recommendation: an unnecessary freebie with the interface
*App: Bandm8
What it does: Interesting way of managing multiple band resources, set lists and other band related information.
Learning Implementation: Experimenting the use for myself as I am in multiple bands - it may be useful to keep track of everything. I may experiment with keeping track of the student bands with this ap next year. Students may find it useful for managing their major projects and learning about band management in the sound and music industry.
Recommendation: Worth further experimentation. Once set up, may be a useful one stop tool for the students to create and store major project evidence.
*App: Vocal Live
What it does: With the microphone interface you can model your voice, change it with effects and provide multiple part harmonies.
Learning Implementation: Exciting way to learn about vocal harmonies - by dialing them in. We demonstrated it on an open evening and the results were impressive. Will take a lot of getting used to to use live regularly as the effect of singing with an invisible choir is quite un-nerving.
Recommendation: This need further exploration. I am interested in the possibilities for our one singer who is unable to accompany herself with an instrument due to dyspraxia and how she could use this to extend the facility of her voice.
**App: SPL Meter
What it does: accurately measure the sound pressure levels in the room
Learning Implementation: teaching students about safe practice levels. Setting up live gigs. Health and safety tool.
Recommendation: Essential - we should always use it to protect hearing.
App: BPM
What it does: taps a tempo to work out its beats per minute
Learning Implementation: essential for learning about setting the correct tempo
Recommendation: Large and easy to see, bit jittery and has annoying adverts: might be better ones out there
*App: Music Tutor Free
What it does: trains recognition of notes on a staff or keyboard to a timed and difficulty setting.
Learning Implementation: great way for lower level students to improve their basic theory. Projects up well as a good starter. Can get on own phones to top up basic recognition.
Recommendation: Good Starter for a basic level.
Ap: Music Theory
What it does: Music theory trainer
Learning Implementation: need to pay to unlock it £2.99. Card based simple program.
Recommendation: ** musictheory.net is better and you can access it through Safari for free.
*App: Session Band/session band Jazz2
What it does: provides a backing group ( of real sampled musicians) that follows various styles as easily programmed by the soloist or singer.
Learning Implementation: I demonstrated this in improvisation and students were impressed at how this would enable them to develop their skills.
Recommendation: I wish I had found this sooner, as recommended by Mikii from media, it is an invaluable tool for learning improvisation and songwriting ideas. Well priced for what it does.
**App: Music Inc
What it does: A game made by the Musicians Union and Aardman to emulate managing a recording/music company
Learning Implementation: Addictive. The students played it but absorbed all the real world issues such as the impact of piracy and how to manage an artist effectively and budget a business. They then went on to produce effective critical comments in their sound and music industry assignments and produced their own effective business plans.
Recommendation: Playing a game and working, fantastic!
*App:Better Ears
What it does: slows down tracks to practice along to
Learning Implementation: I haven't tried this one yet but our Guitar teacher has been using it and recommending it to students - ear and theory training App recommended by our Guitar Tutor Better Ears
Recommendation: one to try next.
App: Garage Band
What it does: A useful studio on an ipad
Learning Implementation: not as much functionality as logic but useful in a mobile location.
Recommendation: Very handy to have but not a substitute for logic, a little dumbed down and frustrating.
*App: Musyc
What it does: create graphical scores and play them!
Learning Implementation: A whole new way of thinking about music that references early twentieth century ideas but takes them to a level they could never have dreamed of. A fantastic starter to provoke new ways of thinking about music. May be of interest to physical scientists due to the laws and orbital gravities utelised.
Recommendation: Try this one and you will be hooked.
Control
**App: Mackie Master Fader
What it does: remotely controls the mackie DL1608 hardware mixer.
Learning Implementation: can prepare mixes before the event and save snapshots of each student group before the gig. Does what the new Yamaha mixer does in the theatre at a fraction of the cost. Great for sharing with other students as can mix on ten ipads at once all learning how to do it
Recommendation: great tool for adding extra dimensions to live sound and a better professional process (see write-up above). Behringer may be undercutting the product with the X18
**App: DAW Control
What it does: Full remote mixing and control of Logic
Learning Implementation: can control the recording studio remotely from anywhere in C block! This means that students can record themselves without anyone needed to drive the control room - more productive. Can use the faders to add real time automation on mixdown.
Recommendation: Adds a whole new dimension to recording sessions - no session should be without it!
See comments on Scorcerer comparing it to Unrealbook on the home page and use with the pageflip firefly
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