Android Tablets are NOT for Music/Recording :(

[Newah]

I really want a tablet for Christmas and my first choice was a Nexus 10. Little too expensive for my parents to get me though, so I'd gladly settle for the Nexus 7. Then my friend told me about all the stuff he can do with recording, mixing, and making his own songs on his iPad. I just told him, "Ah I bet there's apps for that stuff on Android too."

Well there aren't. I searched and looked, nothing huge and comparable to Garage Band. I even made a forum topic here twice, but no one had any idea and I got no replies. On top of that, Android's audio latency isn't even decent compared to iOS. Makes it hard for music programs like that to work.

So because programs like Garage Band is a main reason I'm considering a tablet (That and a simple fast internet browser along with games/apps), It makes me sad that I have to get an iPad for that kind of stuff.

I'm getting an iPhone 5 soon, just because its a simpler and larger ecosystem of apps/accessories/community (which I prefer in a 24/7 use phone). BUT, I really wanted an Android tablet, because all of the extra things Android does makes a tablet better IMO.

I know I could just get Garage band on my iPhone, but its so much better on a tablet size screen.

Anyone see recording/mixing software apps coming to android that compare to Garage Band and other programs on iOS?

 

[Digital Controller]

Trust me you are not alone, there are a lot of people trying to mix songs on Android but find it increasingly difficult because of android's lack of apps/functionality.

Quite frankly, Android needs to get with it and do these things, because they are missing out on a large market of musicians.

I did bump into this on the internet: The Ultimate Android App Guide for Musicians | Android.AppStorm

Hope this helps!

 

[Newah]

Only thing that looks decent is Uloops Studio Pro. Still, hundreds of apps for iOS. Only other plus to having an iPad is not having to buy extra apps for Android and iOS if Im going to have an iPhone 5. Definitely don't need a full size iPad either.

 

[Digital Controller]

Only thing that looks decent is Uloops Studio Pro. Still, hundreds of apps for iOS. Only other plus to having an iPad is not having to buy extra apps for Android and iOS if Im going to have an iPhone 5. Definitely don't need a full size iPad either.

Well then get the iPad mini, we aren't going to bash you for wanting an Apple, regardless if we are an Android forum, we want you to be happy with your device, regardless of what it is.

Honestly if you depend on music mixing/recording, i really can't blame you for wanting to go to Apple.

 

[Newah]

its not that im worried you'll all bash me, its that I really know that android is more advanced. I really wanted a tablet with Android, but I guess it'll end up working out cheaper anyways in the long run. $430 for a 32GB here we come -.-

 

[SkyJackpot]

Search for "Pocket band lite" in the Google Play store

Description

Cloud-based social music studio Make music with your friends! Build high quality tracks as a sequence of loops, mixing synths, drums, audio recordings, analog modulators and arpeggiators. Apply Fx to channels and export to mp3 or ringtones. Also publish, play and collaborate in our community.

Cloud-based technology: performs the audio rendering process in a remote service.

REQUIRES A SOLID DATA CONNECTION

List of Features: ———————

• 12-channels mixer with effects, 3-band parametric equalizer and automated PAN/VOL for each track. • Channel FX: delay, flanger, chorus, reverb, phaser, distortion, compressor and others. • Mastering Toolbox.

DEVICES • Polyphonic synthesizer: 125 instruments. Automated VCF Cutoff, VCF Res and LFO. • Drum Machine: 35 drumkits (17 components with independent volume, pitch, pan and reverb). • Recorder: Use built-in mic for live audio recording. • Modulator: Analog-like modular synthesizer patched up as an interesting oscillation lab. • Arpeggiator: Make interesting music pattern with a full parameterizable algorithm. • Sampler: make custom synth instruments recording your own sounds

COMMUNITY • Remix songs from the community, share your work with others with a few clicks using a CreativeCommons license. • Collaborate with other musicians around the world. • Vote and comment tracks, receive feedback from other artists.

Permissions details: ———————• Your Google accounts: Suggests your current gmail account in the registration form. We don't use this address unless you confirm it.

• Network communication: Upload and download sounds from our servers.

• Storage: Write files to SD card, that way we avoid exhausting internal memory.

• Hardware controls: record audio. Uses the mic with the recorder device. control vibrator used by the metronome while recording audio.

• Phone calls: read phone state and identity. We store a hash of your phone internal ID to prevent creating several accounts from the same device. Also we save the brand and model of your phone for debugging. No personal information is stored except username, password and email.

• System tools modify global system settings: change system ringtone and alarm. prevent phone from sleeping: some tablets (for example archos5) required this to start.

Search for "SPC Music Sketch Pad demo"

Description

Mix, record, play and perform your own music with the SPC – Music Sketchpad 2! Mix, record, play and perform your own electronic music with the SPC – Music Sketchpad 2!

It’s the Android app for sampling, sequencing and beat programming on your phone or tablet.

Start producing now: Play loops and sequences with the 16-pad multi-touch enabled main screen and program your own sequences and drum grooves by setting steps and notes.

Upload and manipulate your own loops and sounds or use and mix the ones included in the app or provided for download on mikrosonic's website. Tweak the sounds with the sampler and effects like reverb, phaser and distortion. Record any sound with your device’s built-in microphone.

Optimized for phones and 7- to 10-inch tablets.

If you already use mikrosonic’s popular RD3 HD – Groovebox, loops you’ve created and exported there can also be instantly available to work into your music!

Use the SPC – Music Sketchpad to:

Perform live - 16-pad screen mixes loops and sequences - Remix your tracks in real-time - Import your own samples/loops in the WAV format up to 24-bit 96 kHz - Recording of performances in exportable WAV format - Comes with 2 pre-programmed scenes - Additional scenes for download at the mikrosonic website - Pad play options: Loop, One Shot and direct sample play - Three pad start options: Instant, Next Beat, Next Bar - Tap Tempo

Program your own beats and grooves - Full featured drum machine - Flexible sequencer - Step sequencer for each of the 16 pads - Every step sequencer with up to 64 steps - Individual velocity/accent settings for each step - Different step lengths from 1/4 to 1/32

Scribble your musical ideas - 16 tracks with up to 4 variations - Keyboard for melodic composition - Sound library with one-shot samples

Record sounds and loops - Record your voice, instrument or any other sound directly with your device's built-in microphone - Record one-shot samples with trigger function - Record loops in sync with quantization and overdub function - Use the recordings instantly in your performance

Edit your sounds - Waveform display - Gain, pan and tuning knobs - Envelope control with attack and decay - Reverse, normalize and cut function - Up to 16 steps volume and pan envelope for loops - Slicer for recombining loop elements - All actions in real-time

Add effects - Reverb, delay, phaser, filter and distortion - Freely assignable to each pad - Real-time controllable effects - X/Y control field for each effect - 4 effect sends - Chaining of 2 effects

Technical Features - Multi-touch control - Optimized for phones and 7- to 10-inch tablets - Special rack view in portrait mode for 10-inch tablets - OpenSL integration for lower latency - Direct integration of RD3 HD - Groovebox loops - Integrated browser for loading WAV files from your SD card - SoundCloud Sharing Kit integration - File sharing capability - App2SD

Full version features: - Ad-free - Save your scenes and recordings - Live session recording and export

System Requirements: - Android 2.2 or higher - screen resolution 800

 

[Newah]

those are nice but they just aren't the same. With garage band it has virtual everything, along with tens of pianos/synths, guitars/bass, and violins/cellos.

Driving me insane. I really cant stand using an OS so simple as iOS on a tablet, but I guess it's the apps that count in the end.. right? I really do prefer android's OS even then.

 

[Omar Days]

Yeah for music producing, apple is light years ahead of Android unfortunately.

Look on the bright side though, you won't have to pay twice for apps with your iPhone and iPad, like you would if you got an Android tablet.

 

[KENNECTED]

Yeah for music producing, apple is light years ahead of Android unfortunately.

Look on the bright side though, you won't have to pay twice for apps with your iPhone and iPad, like you would if you got an Android tablet.

Pay twice? Why would a person pay twice for an app? Please explain.

 

[Omar Days]

Pay twice? Why would a person pay twice for an app? Please explain.

The OP wanted an android tablet, and is going to soon own an iphone. I meant pay twice if he had a paid app on his iphone and wanted the same app on his android tablet he'd have to buy it again. Whereas if he were to get an ipad, he wouldnt.

And yes i do know that you dont have to buy apps again between different android devices on the same gmail account either, before anyone says anything

 

[Newah]

I really hope Google proceeds to tackle this. It's the very ONE last thing Android can't pull out of its sleeve: A huge, complete, and wide assortment of quality apps in hundreds of departments.

Well that and build quality. It is still a mystery to me why Google still uses plastic in its devices. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I've heard that holding an iPad mini feels like an otherworldly slate of technology.

 

[mikedt]

The OP wanted an android tablet, and is going to soon own an iphone. I meant pay twice if he had a paid app on his iphone and wanted the same app on his android tablet he'd have to buy it again. Whereas if he were to get an ipad, he wouldnt.

Actually he would be paying for another app, because the iPad specific version of say GarageBand is different to the iPhone version(it's designed for the larger screen), and is a separate iTunes Store purchase. Unless he wanted to run the iPhone/iPod Touch version on the iPad.

Same thing applies to Android phones and tablets as well. Tablet specific versions of apps are different to the phone ones, because they're designed for the larger screens.

 

[Digital Controller]

The OP wanted an android tablet, and is going to soon own an iphone. I meant pay twice if he had a paid app on his iphone and wanted the same app on his android tablet he'd have to buy it again. Whereas if he were to get an ipad, he wouldnt.

And yes i do know that you dont have to buy apps again between different android devices on the same gmail account either, before anyone says anything

My Mom recently bought an iPad and has an Android device. I told her to politely message some Developers of said apps that she paid for on the Android and ask to get it on Apple for free, and some Developers are nice about it and ask for the code that she got when she bought it then email her the code for the Apple store, just try, i mean the worst thing you can get is a no

 

[SkyJackpot]

those are nice but they just aren't the same. With garage band it has virtual everything, along with tens of pianos/synths, guitars/bass, and violins/cellos.

Well I would understand if you skimmed over the text because the list & features did come up to be a wall of text, but 1 of the details includes this - "DEVICES

 

[SkyJackpot]

Well that and build quality. It is still a mystery to me why Google still uses plastic in its devices

Well not plastic, actually a material called polycarbonate

"Polycarbonate is one of those strange "premium materials" because it's not always apparent by sight and touch that it is higher quality. With glass and metal, we know automatically that we're dealing with premium materials. But, polycarbonate can look and feel just like regular plastic, even though it is far stronger and more durable."

While your statement about build quality is interesting considering recent news which we probably all know about concerning iPhone, I prefer to stay on topic & see what the real differences in these music apps are

 

[mikedt]

I really hope Google proceeds to tackle this. It's the very ONE last thing Android can't pull out of its sleeve: A huge, complete, and wide assortment of quality apps in hundreds of departments.

Well that and build quality. It is still a mystery to me why Google still uses plastic in its devices.

As opposed to anodized aluminium?

iPhone 5.

I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I've heard that holding an iPad mini feels like an otherworldly slate of technology.

I believe it's anodized aluminum though, same with the new iPod Touch. To be totally frank, I think tough plastic(polycarbonate or polypropylene) is going to stay looking good in the rough and tumbles the real world, better than anodized aluminium. You don't have to be so precious with it.

My Lenovo phone is polycarbonate, feels totally solid. It's not in a case or anything, and it's been in my pockets with coins and things, not a mark on it. I think an iPhone 5 would be looking pretty well dinged-up by now. I had a first gen iPod Touch, had a beautiful aluminium back when it came out the box. However it didn't stay looking beautiful for long though.

Now if Apple would use titanium to construct its hand-held products from, instead of using a soft metal like aluminium, that would be a different batter. Aluminium is fine for an iMac or Mac Mini though, because those are not so likely to be carried around, dinged and scratched. Aluminum Macbooks are ok as well, because you're usually putting them in a bag when carrying them.