Three Top IPhone Apps for Musicians

The iPhone and iPad, with their multi-touch interfaces, are home to many fun musical apps. Some simulate real-world instruments, while others sport pro-quality studio functionality, especially for the techno and electronica genres. This article looks at three of the top iPhone music apps.

An Electronica Studio on a iPhone with BeatMaker

BeatMaker, developed by Intua, allows users to create their own electronica beats. It features a pro-quality set of loop creation tools that rivals many desktop music applications. Users can even import their own samples into the software. Projects can be exported to either audio or MIDI for studio and online use.

BeatMaker's interface is detailed but usable. A fly-out menu at the bottom of the screen contains the transport functionality for the sequencer. Another fly-out menu at the top allows switching between screens.

The "Pads" screen is where most of the fun takes place, as beats are entered in real-time using 16 pads arrayed like a real drum machine. The "Sequencer" screen allows for a more detailed level of beat-tweaking. There is also an "Effects" screen with delay, EQ, and bit-crushing tools that alter the sound.

The app comes with a nice collection of sounds and beats to get the fledgling techno producer started. BeatMaker is priced high for an iPhone app, but its pro-level of functionality is worth the cost for interested electronic musicians.

Brian Eno's Bloom: Musical Art for the iPhone

Bloom, developed by ambient musician Brian Eno, along with generative music expert Peter Chilvers, is a mash-up of a music app with a piece of art. With or without input from the user, Bloom creates ambient music using peaceful samples of bell-tones while animated graphics display on the screen.

The iPhone's multi-touch interface is expertly used, as intervals and chords are triggered with multiple finger taps. Bloom sports many different "moods" which change the music's key as well as the color of the graphics being displayed.

Bloom is a perfect app for ambient musicians, as well as fans of ambient music. It is also easy for non-musicians to use, actually getting a taste for making their own music. This app truly is a work of art.

iShred: the iPhone's Top Virtual Guitar App

Guitarists looking to rock out on their iPhone need look no farther than iShred. Developed by Frontier Design Group, this app features stunningly good sound quality and a whole "floor" worth of virtual effects and stomp boxes.

The iShred screen has a set of ten buttons used for chords, as well as six strings for playing. Both strumming and picking are easily accomplished with finger tapping or swipes. The response time is incredible; hammer-ons and fast-shredding are dependent only on the user's finger speed.

iShred comes with a nice collection of songs with the chord buttons pre-programmed. Any user, regardless of their musical ability, will be playing "Smoke on the Water" within a few minutes of downloading the app. It's a worthy addition to anyone's iPhone app library, even if they aren't a guitar player.

These three top music apps prove that the iPhone, with its multi-touch interface, is perfect for a whole new world of virtual music apps. Considering the additional screen real estate of the iPad, expect more quality music apps to hit the App Store over the next year.