Propellerhead CEO Ernst Nathorst-Böös On Why They Don’t Make Figure For Android

Mac Pro Video has published an interesting interview with Propellerhead CEO Ernst Nathorst-Böös.

In the interview, he explains why Propellerhead isn’t putting their new Figure app out on Android:

There are some issues with the Android platform that we need to research and understand more about. One of them is that Android phones are all different, they’re not all exactly the same. You need to do a lot more testing and compatibility work than on iOS.

Apple’s iOS is an incredible platform for developers like us because we know that every iPhone and iPod Touch is exactly the same for every user. With Android we’re back into the territory we were in with computers: PCs with different sound cards, etc. It’s not that we don’t like the Android platform, but it’s just not as easy to develop for.

Nathorst-Böös’s comments echo the feedback we’ve had from indie developers – the diversity of devices on Android is a double-edged sword.

Nathorst-Böös also hinted at Propellerhead’s future plans for the iPad:

Figure for iPhone was a good way to start because it forced us to think differently. The iPad is munch closer to a computer than an iPhone is, and we really wanted to bring a new take on mobile music making, so it was a conscious decision to start with the iPhone.

What do you think of Propellerhead’s stance?

Jordan Rudess Brings MorphWiz Play To Android

YouTube Preview Image

MorphWiz, the brain child of Dream Theater keyboardist, Jordan Rudess, and developer, Kevin Chartier, has been brought to Android as a preset synth, MorphWiz Play.

MorphWiz-Play takes the deep synthesis and immersive visuals of MorphWiz and packages it into 30 presets, programmed by Jordan Rudess.

“Our goal was to create an instrument that would allow the seamless morphing of the audio and visual domain while delivering a seamless musical experience,” explains Rudess. “I believe the multitouch platform opens up a whole new world of creation for electronic musical instruments. MorphWiz features a totally unique pitch control system that is still uncharted territory in today’s musical instrument world. This is the heart of MorphWiz.”

MorphWiz play is priced at $1.99.

Audio On Android Needs To Be Fixed

Android audio programmingDeveloper Victor Lazzarini, writing on The Audio Programming Blog, shared his thoughts on why audio on the Android platform needs to be fixed:

As some of us have discovered very quickly, audio latency on Android is high.

There have been some efforts showing that given the right software support, lower latencies are possible. The crucial point however is this: do we want to develop for a custom system?

The answer, as far as I am concerned is no. In my view, we need to use the OS as-is, off-the-shelf. Customized systems, rooted devices, etc., might be good for playing around, but it is not a productive way to go. Eventually, we would like the user down the street to be able to run our apps on her/is device.

Latency, in this context, is a measure of the delay between a user taking an action and hearing the results. This doesn’t really matter for apps like music players, but can make music production apps unusable.

Latency on Android is currently a show-stopper for many types of music production apps, and this has been a thorn in developers sides for years. In  2011, developers were complaining about the fact that audio latency on some Android devices is  20 times the latency on comparable iOS devices. And from a developers perspective, Android audio is going nowhere fast.

Maybe Google just wants people to have Google’s applications and ads on their phones. Or maybe music and audio apps don’t rank high on their priorities.

But, for now, the state of audio in the Android OS means that the potential of Android devices for music and audio apps is going untapped.

“There is enough in Android to make it a very good platform for what we do, we only need the latency issue addressed,” notes Lazzarini. “Hopefully, they are hearing this loud and clear.”

iPad 3, Seline HD, Omni TR & AudioTool Sketch On Sonic Touch

YouTube Preview Image

Speculation about the iPad 3, Seline HD, Omni TR and AudioTool Sketch for Android are the topics on the latest episode of Sonic Touch, featuring Gaz Williams and Nick Batt of Sonic State.

Why Is Android Going Nowhere Fast As An Audio Platform?

android audio

There’s an interesting rant at the Some Audio Guy blog about the state of audio on Android devices:

In playing around with the Yeti Pro I recently reviewed, I got curious about what else I might be able to do with this USB wunder-mic.

Both the Nexus and the Galaxy Tab both powered the mic. Unfortunately, neither phone nor tablet knew what to DO with a USB mic, and that’s where I was stopped short of my dream mobile recording rig.

There’s exactly ZERO software to support external mics on Android. None. Zilch. Nada.

It’s time Android. It’s time. If I can use my tablet as a live view monitor and control surface for my Canon 7D, It’s long past time for me to be able to connect a USB mic to my tablet and record my voice over.

Meanwhile, IOS, especially on the iPad, has become a new platform for musicians – with 48-track recorders, dozens of software synths, high-end control apps and more. And this is despite the fact that Android is the more popular OS for smartphones.

Continue reading

Etherial Dialpad Synthesizer For Android, With HDMI Output

YouTube Preview Image

Android Music Software: Here’s another quick demo of a tablet synth for Android, Etherial Dialpad synthesizer.

The demo makes use of the app’s realtime HDMI video ouput.

Dialpad has been around for a while and is available for free in the Android Market.

via FSK1138

FL Studio Mobile Coming To Android – Just Don’t Ask When

FL Studio Mobile for Android coming - just don't ask when.

Image Line confirms that the new FL Studio Mobile is coming to Android devices – just don’t ask when:

One of the most asked questions today: What about Android OS?

It’s on the roadmap, stop nagging!

We have a development team working on a low-latency Android audio-engine and there are many screen resolutions and device specifications to consider, it’s not as simple as you may think :)

The screenshot below shows that FL Studio Mobile Android development has started, however, please do NOT expect a release version in the near future. We still have a long way to go.

The development of music apps for Android is off to a slow start, compared to iOS, so FL Studio Mobile for Android is likely to find a ready audience when it does appear.

 

Android DJ App DJStudio

Android Music Software is starting to catch up with iPhone music apps.

DJStudio is a new DJ app for the Android mobile phone platform.

Features:

  • Graphical UI compatible with medium and large screens
  • Real time waveform display
  • Peaks dectection
  • Automatique BPM detection
  • Twin deck on the same screen
  • Ability to choose your musics from your SDCard
  • Search forward and backward
  • Real time BPM control on the WAV files
  • Real time picth control on the WAV files
  • CUE function
  • Loop function and ability to save the “in” and “out” positions
  • Embedded effects samples such as horn, scratch effects, tape spinback, and more…
  • Crossfading

If you’ve used DJStudio – leave a comment with your thoughts!

Turn Your Music Into Ringtones For Google Android Phones

YouTube Preview Image

Most musicians haven’t taken ringtones very seriously, either as a promotional tool or as a new platform for music. 

I think this is a mistake. New phones have all sorts of multimedia capabilities, but their built-in ringtones are usually horrible. 

If you’re not making ringtones for the iPhone yet, check out our tutorial on making ringtones with Garageband. And check out the video review of Ringdroid, an ringtone generator for Android phones. 

Android is a new phone platform spearheaded by Google. While it’s not as well-known as the iPhone, it looks like it could develop into a strong competitor to the iPhone. If it does, it’s going to be another important platform for musicians to think about.