Modstep iPad Sequencer Gets Big Update

AppBC has updated Modstep iPad MIDI sequencer to version 1.1.

Modstep 1.1 adds support for Audio Units, a new Plugin Browser, Arrangement features, Global Scale, MIDI import and export, Audiobus destination support for up to eight channels, Master FX Chain and many other enhancements and bug fixes.

Modstep is designed to let you create music and jam using your iPad and your favorite IAA Apps, Audio Units, Mac and PC software and MIDI hardware.

Here are the details:

New Features:

  • Audio Unit support: use AU instruments and effects in modstep
  • new Plugin-Browser: Drag and drop internal Instruments, AUs or IAAs to any of the Tracks.
  • new Plugin-Chain per Track:: combine Internal Instruments, Audio Units and IAAs and add unlimited Insert FX per Track
  • new MIDI – IO-Section per Track allows quick & easy setup of MIDI Port & Channel routings for each track.
  • added Master FX Chain
  • new Settings-Popups for Clips, Scenes & Tracks – available via Long-Tap.
  • Global Scale: use one Scale throughout all Tracks in your Session (optional per track)
  • Clips now show a preview of the notes inside their current Pattern.
  • Patterns now show a preview of their notes.
  • when deleting a Clip you will now have to confirm the deletion by tapping twice.
  • added optional ‘Enter Clip Shortcut’ – if activated, all clips will show a button that allows to quickly open the clip in its related sequencer page.
  • added variable grid-size in Piano Roll (1/48 – 1bar)
  • studiomux is now able to send audio data to modstep (e.G. to mix or process through FX)
  • modstep can now receive audio via Audiobus (to mix / process)

Added Arrangement options:

  • Scene follow: Automatically starts the next scene after the current one finishes.
  • Scene Loops: set the Scene to loop X times (or unlimited) before the next one starts
  • Clip Loops: set the Clip to loop X times (or unlimited)
  • Scale per Scene: Change the Global Scale per Scene
  • Tempo per Scene: Change the tempo for each Scene

MIDI file import & export

  • new MIDI file browser in the main file-menu.
  • added MIDI indicators
  • AudioShare import for the Sampler
  • new global Keyboard with Pads and velocity to easily play all of your tracks onscreen.
  • Audiobus destination support
  • over 20 new MIDI Templates
  • added metronome
  • you may now decide which of the tracks should record audio.

Changes:

  • Notes entered in Drum and Melody mode are not shared anymore (when switching modes, the other modes notes will not play or be shown anymore)
  • Drum / Melody mode do not change the Piano Rolls touch-behaviour anymore.
  • added Draw-mode toggle to change the Piano Rolls touch-behaviour in either mode.

Bugfixes & improvements:

  • fixed occasional note drop-outs
  • improved timing of internal Sampler & Synth to be sample accurate
  • improved audio-recordings to be seamless loops
  • Export and Import of CCs, Chords and Pads works now
  • fixed panning bug in the Sampler.
  • Velocity in Piano Roll and Step Sequencer was fixed
  • CCs were blocked by selected CCs
  • several smaller bug- and crash-fixes as well as small usability enhancements.

Modstep is available in the App Store for US $14.99.

14 thoughts on “Modstep iPad Sequencer Gets Big Update

    1. It never crashed or froze on me. I only started using it since about a month ago though. and I use it on an ipad pro, so not sure if that makes a difference.

  1. happy to see the update but that’s a lot of new features for an app that was in dire need of consolidation first …
    only had a few minutes to test so far, and while melody / drum separation seems improved now, the melody / step sequence interaction seems still weird

    1. The melody(piano roll)/step sequence thing is weird in itself I would say, since usually you have one thing or another, but I have had no problems with it -once used to how things are visualized in the step sequencer (too subtly, actually), and working exclusively with monophonic sequences. At least is way better than to have an step sequencer running in Max4Live in Ableton. In that case there is no link at all between sequencer and pattern and you will loose your sequences if you do not take care of dumping each of them in another MIDI track.

      I would love to see some more features for the step sequencer, like “reverse” and “random step” modes. And an expanded view would help a lot.

  2. This is a fantastic update! The multiple GUI enhancements are brilliant, especially how the clips and scenes have more intricate visual feedback. Not a big surprise given the elegance of Touchable. 😉 We now have a keyboard – that also looks great and has clever visual feedback. There is so much “yes!” in this update it makes you wonder if they can keep up the pace. If so, modstep we’ll be even more amazing even a half year from now. I’ve not used this with hardware yet. My desire is (and with IOS really has always been) to create the live performance groovebox of my dreams – with drum sampler, several choices of synths, mixing and finalizing stage – all on the iPad. This update gets me 90% there. When Audio Units patch states can be saved with each project, AND presets can be changed via program change messages, then I am really where I want to be. Thanks so much to the Modstep developers for pushing this app forward!

    Btw, Modstep combined with AUM (which already has patch state saving) is basically already the setup I’m envisioning, but we don’t have a decent drum app in AU format yet.

  3. If this could sample external audio, not just interapp, it would be the best thing ever!
    Last night I tried mapping 8 random parametres from the Blofeld to the XY Pad, the result were wild, yet brilliant!

  4. Modstep is AWESOME! If they keep it up, they will be the Ableton live for IPAD…so good. This is coming from someone that has a lot of hardware synths, eurorack, etc….So for me it is awesome to be able to sketch ideas out and then come home and plug it in to my system, or even send the midi over to ableton live and start using my hardware synths. Not sure how people who use a lot of VST etc feel about it…..

  5. I use it since it came out (ipad 3 xDDDD) and it works so well amazing… I must say never thought how many power the ipad 3 still brings… But I will buy a Ipad pro 12,9 only for this app 😛

  6. does the sequencer do quintuplets?……. and what is everyones opinion of it as a stand alone sampling groovebox, also what would be the stand out sequencer tricks that you can do in this regard?

Leave a Reply to Berta Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *