It’s 2023–you’re favourite iOS MPE synths for Linnstrument?

[jsterne]

Hi everyone—this would have been a good topic for this morning’s call but here we are.

Im looking for MPE iOS synths that are good to program. My experience is that with MPE, fairly simple sounds with natural finger modular are really fantastic.

I value a good interface for building sounds and easy Linnstrument integration. Not all “MPE” synths work great with Linnstrument. Don’t care a lot about presets as I never use them. I realize you might value different things.

I’m enjoying Spectrum — an MPE version of Mutable Instruments Plaits. Especially the basic wave folder and harmonic oscillator / additive patches, as well as modulating noise with my fingers.

Audio Damage Quanta is super fun as a granular synth and is easy to set up for MPE. Perhaps too many options for most.

Mononoke is weird but fun and more controllable than the Lyra 8. Though the Lyra 8 up is pretty cool.

MIDI tape recorder is great for my hardware synths (did I mention I prefer hardware?)

I really wish v3bm was MPE. I love Bitwig’s organ.

[John the Savage]

One of the great frustrations of my life is that Animoog Z is trapped inside the iPad.



Cheers!

[jsterne]

Do you work with presets or build your own sounds, and if it’s the latter, do you use their prefab wavetables and then treat them like oscillators or assemble your own? I have enjoyed messing with it but I can’t get my head around how I would build sounds that I want.

Also, how would you “set it free” to hardware form?

[jcub]

One of the great frustrations of my life is that Animoog Z is trapped inside the iPad.



Cheers!

I shared your frustration but then they released a Mac OS version. I use Animoog Z on my MacBook (looks like it it Mac OS only but they also list a VST wrapper). The three Moog iOS apps are my favorite MPE synths on iOS and all three are also available on Mac OS.

[John the Savage]

Do you work with presets or build your own sounds, and if it’s the latter, do you use their prefab wavetables and then treat them like oscillators or assemble your own? I have enjoyed messing with it but I can’t get my head around how I would build sounds that I want.

Also, how would you “set it free” to hardware form?

No matter the synth, drum machine, or sampler, I always and only build my own sounds.

With regards to Animoog, I prefer to design my own wavetables using the built-in "timbres". I don't bother with the 3D aspect, as I find it unnecessary for objective sound design. My usual approach is to create a 2D wavetable that increases (from left-to-right, bottom-to-top) in timbral richness and harmonic complexity, such that I can easily traverse it or "orbit" around it in a measured and logical way. Of course, the timbres I choose hinge entirely on what I'm looking to accomplish.

As for how I might "set it free" in hardware form, I honestly don't know. I guess there's a slim possibility that it might find its way into the MPC, now that inMusic has acquired Moog. That kind of interface works well for my needs. I'm not interested in using a desktop computer or laptop onstage though, so that's out.

Mostly, I'm just dreaming. It's the best MPE synth on the market, as far as I'm concerned. No surprise there, considering Geert developed it alongside the LinnStrument.

I have to say, there isn't a day goes by that I don't wish someone would design hardware around Animoog (the ultimate synth) and Patterning 2 (the ultimate drum machine). What amazing machines they would be.

Cheers!

[John the Savage]

The three Moog iOS apps are my favorite MPE synths on iOS ...

I also own all three, and wholeheartedly agree... Great synths.

Cheers!

[Tj Shredder]

I have to say, there isn't a day goes by that I don't wish someone would design hardware around Animoog (the ultimate synth) and Patterning 2 (the ultimate drum machine). What amazing machines they would be.

I own such a hardware. Its called iPad and its size makes it the perfect tool for being on the road with limited space… I can even control it with knobs and my LinnStrument…

[John the Savage]

Funny, TJ... But somehow I think you know what I mean.

Cheers!

[Equiton]

I have to say, there isn't a day goes by that I don't wish someone would design hardware around Animoog (the ultimate synth) and Patterning 2 (the ultimate drum machine). What amazing machines they would be.

I own such a hardware. Its called iPad and its size makes it the perfect tool for being on the road with limited space… I can even control it with knobs and my LinnStrument…

Can ask what you use for the 'knobs' part? I was thinking of doing this but didn't know you can connect more than once midi device to an ios s/w synth.

[Tj Shredder]

Well, for a bigger set I always have my Mac incorporated, which is a great hardware as well. In Bitwig I can connect the iPad directly via the HW device and can send any Midi to it I want. I never connected more than my LinnStrument or my Sensel to the iPad directly, so I never came across that limitation. Wouldn‘t any USB hub allow to connect more than one?
I have a ton of controllers with knobs, for that purpose I would abuse actually my little Skulpt synth as controller. Its my one and only lonely hardware synth…

[LarsDaniel]

“ …but didn't know you can connect more than once midi device to an ios s/w synth.”

USB hub.
(And then if needed, use AUM that has the best midi routing matrix I have ever seen.)

[hesitz]

“ …but didn't know you can connect more than once midi device to an ios s/w synth.”

USB hub.
(And then if needed, use AUM that has the best midi routing matrix I have ever seen.)

And if you're connecting via Bluetooth (BLE MIDI) you don't even need a hub, no extra hardware at all is needed.

[5KW1RE]

Since December my main activity has been building a Loopy Pro project with my most usable MPE instruments.

This is approximately in order of preference, these are the 15 ios MPE synths I'm still using having tried a few others besides:

Tera Pro is far and away my favourite, it's just a brilliant synth and the mapping of MPE is splendid

Tal Uno LX has such a simple pre-mapped design of what MPE controls and it just works really well

Logic Pro's Sculpture, like you I really like Spectrum but I wish it was poly, so, Sculpture it is, haven't yet configured the Kira Q KQ Voices Loopback plugin to get it out of Logic and in to Loopy, so I haven't used it very much, but every time I do it just sounds brilliant.

Synthmaster 2 is solid, albeit there are bugs yet to be fixed in the UI when used as AUv3, and trying to adjust the MPE routings, but that frustration aside it's fantastic, I can actually persevere with awkward workarounds I found while in AUv3 , or instead more easily do patch designing in standalone and don't aim to tweak the settings while playing performing.

All the Bleass synths are brilliant.
Omega,
Megalit,
Voices,
Samplewiz 2

Swam (choose you poison, Cello, Viola, Flute, Clarinet etc)

Pianoteq, love the ep, the clav, vibes, and various pianos, admittedly really just note bending as far as MPE, but still

Tomofon, still wrapping my head around it, managed to get a couple of the voice ones to sound expressively great, it's really good, and not like anything else which I think matters

The Model D
and the Animoog

XinematiX is a runner up, CC 74 can be assigned to the rainbow which morphs between 3 library patches, some of the strings and woodwinds are great rompler sounds.

FRMS is a second runner up, it's remarkable but I don't actually use it that much in the end.

EDIT: my actual answer to your question in relation to designing/mapping would be the ones that have extensive control of what MPE does to what are Tera Pro, Synthmaster 2, Omega, Megalit, Voices, Samplewiz2, FRMS, Animoog, Tomofon.

[2pulse]

Moog Model 15 is one of the best sounding softsynths I’ve heard, and the MPE implementation is on-point. The the four-voice polyphony limit is the only thing preventing it from slaying every other iOS synth in existence.

Audio Damage Continua is another sound designer beast, however in my experience it’s quite buggy and all but two voices go dead after just a minute or two of MPE playing.

[John the Savage]

I tried to champion the Audio Damage apps for a while, but they really are buggy. It's disappointing, to be sure. Chris Randall is a brilliant fellow, and his app designs speak directly to creativity; but there seems to be a lack of cohesion or follow-through across platforms.

To that end, I don't envy the programmer's plight of chasing Apple's ever-changing protocols; but then, I suppose therein lies the reason why I bailed on the iPad rig in favour of an all-hardware setup.

Cheers!