Fl Studio Mobile Vs Garageband Ipad
Developer(s) | Image-Line |
---|---|
Initial release | 21 June 2011; 8 years ago |
Stable release | 3.2.14 / 4 March 2019; 13 months ago |
Operating system | Android 3.2, iOS 8, Windows Phone 8.1 |
Available in | English |
Type | Digital Audio Workstation |
License | Proprietary |
Website | image-line.com/flstudiomobile |
Among other things, I have had difficulty finding instruments in GarageBand that sound the way I want them to (note, I'm not talking about the final song, I mean the instrument itself). I learned that GarageBand is actually not all that common, and one of the more popular applications is FL Studio, which I know next to nothing about. I have been using Image-Line Fruity Loops from version 2.3 I think it was, since I went to a music school in 2003. Our music tutors also taught us how to use Reason and Ableton Live, but I have quickly got into FL. Hey mate i produce primarily on mobile. I began with fl studio mobile on my samsung tablet but after a while found it very limiting. I eventually bought an ipad pro so that i could use garageband and found it so much better just overall more fun to use. Mar 14, 2018 Our picks for the best iPad DAW include WaveMachine Labs Auria Pro, Xewton Music Studio, Image Line FL Studio Mobile, Steinberg Cubasis 2, and Apple GarageBand.
FL Studio Mobile is a digital audio workstation available for Android, iOS and Windows UWP.
The program allows for the creation of complete multi-track music projects, which can then be exported in WAV, MP3 and MIDI formats, to work with other digital audio workstations, or in .FLM project format to be opened in FL Studio 10.0.5 [1] or later. Various features include a step sequencer, piano roll, keyboard, drum pad, track editor, effects, and 133 sampled instruments including synths and drum kits.[2][3] Instruments can also be added as .zip or .instr files.[4]
Release[edit]
On June 21, 2011,[5]Image-Line released FL Studio Mobile and FL Studio Mobile HD, versions of their Windowsdigital audio workstationFL Studio. FL Studio Mobile was designed by Artua[6] and developed in cooperation with the makers of Music Studio.[7][8] Image-Line released the program at an introductory price of $15.99 ($19.99 for the HD version),[9][10][11] and both versions are available for download at the App Store.[2] In November/December 2016 Image-Line released FL Studio Mobile 3 on the Android (Google Play Store) then iOS (Apple App Store) and finally Windows (Windows App Store). FL Studio Mobile 3 was a completely new application developed in-house at Image-Line, replacing the existing FL Studio Mobile 2, Artua developed version. The price was revised downward to $14.99 USD.
FL Studio Mobile 1.0 is compatible with devices that operate iOS 3.1.3 or later,[12] specifically all iPhones and iPod touch models.[1]iPad 1 and iPad 2[13] can run either FL Studio Mobile or FL Studio Mobile HD, and the HD version requires iOS 4.2 or later.[7][1][14] The iPhone 4 version includes Retina Display support.[7][15]
Features[edit]
- Track editor
The program has a track editor mode that supports 99 layered tracks.[3][15] Features include adding, duplicating, and deleting tracks, changing the track's instruments, setting song signature and tempo, an effect bus setting, a pan knob, a volume fader, and mute and solo buttons.[7][13]
- Piano roll editor
The piano roll editor[15] allows for manually drawing notes, selecting multiple notes by dragging a rectangle, changing the length of multiple notes at once, setting note volume, and moving, duplicating, and quantizing notes.[7][13]
- Step sequencer
The step sequencer allows for recording one measure of a melody or beat at a time, then turning it into a loop. It allows for the creation of multiple sounds in one instrument track, and adjusting the pitch and velocity of each individual step.[7][13]
- Keyboard and drum pad
The keyboard feature is both resizable and stackable,[15] allowing for 5 simultaneous touches, and 10 touches on the iPad. It has 3 key label modes, fullscreen support, melody and loop recording, two device orientations, and a fully configurable metronome.[7][13] Pitch-bend and velocity can be applied to notes entered with the keyboard, drum pads or the piano-roll editor.[16][17] The non-HD version is compatible with the AkaiSynthStation 25, a plug-in piano keyboard for iPhone and iPod touch.[15]
- Instruments
Version 1.0 comes built in with 133 sampled instruments,[15][16] which cover musical styles such as classical, jazz, rock, electronic, and others. There are synths and drum kits included, as well as Slicex Loops. Pitchbend can be controlled with device tilt.[7][13][15]iOS, and therefore FL Studio Mobile, does not support VSTplugins.[2][3] As of version 1.1, user instruments can be created using .instr and .zip files.[4]
- Effects
Version 1.0 comes with 5 real-time effects,[15] including reverb, delay to create echo, equalizer, amp simulator with two overdrive types, and filter with resonance and optional tilt control. There is also a limiter for song volume.[7][13] Effects can be turned on or off on an individual channel or applied to an entire project.[16]
Importing, exporting[edit]
Version 1.0 doesn't support importing samples,[16] though Image-Line has announced that future updates will incorporate the feature.[2][14] The program supports iTunes file sharing, and audio can be exported in WAV[7][13] and MIDI formats so they can be worked on in other digital audio workstations.[7][13][15] Projects can be saved in .FLM format and then loaded onto Microsoft Windows to be opened with FL Studio version 10.0.5. or later.[7][1] This can be done either on a WindowsPC running FL studio natively, or an Apple computer using either Boot Camp or virtualization.[14][16]
Version history[edit]
Version | Release | FL Studio Mobile |
---|---|---|
1.0.0 | June 21, 2011 | For all iOS devices,[1] with HD for iPad and iPad 2. 133 preset instruments and five real-time effects included. Project files can be exported to be used in FL Studio.[13] |
1.0.5 | 2011 | For all iOS devices,[1] with HD for iPad and iPad 2. 133 preset instruments and five real-time effects included. Project files can be exported to be used in FL Studio.[13] |
1.1.0 | July 23, 2011 | Added ability to create user instruments from .instr and .zip files. Record button added to filter screen, and filter track editing added to bar editor. Using Sonoma AudioCopy, audio can be sent to other apps via Export.[4] |
1.2.0 | December 20, 2011 | Custom Instrument Button (on Instruments list). AudioPaste. Swing (in the Step Editor). SoundCloud export/upload. AAC (.m4a) export. All WAV formats now supported for sample import. Numerous bugfixes & performance enhancements. |
1.2.1 | January 6, 2012 | AudioPaste: an arbitrary sample name can be entered. In the SoundCloud popup window, the user name can be tapped to log out. Bug fixes. |
1.3.1 | June 21, 2014 | For all Android and iOS devices,[1] with HD for iPad and iPad 2. 133 preset instruments and five real-time effects included. Audio tracks and wave editor, along with MiniSynth plugin synthesizer. Background audio (playback while the app runs in the background). Projects (in .flm format) are compatible between Android and iOS, if audio tracks are present they are ignored. If instruments are not available the MIDI data is loaded and then a default instrument is used. Project files can be exported to desktop version of FL Studio.[13][18] |
Android 2.0 iOS 2.4 | September 2014 | For the Android version, Audio Tracks, Wave editor, and Audio Recording have been added. Many small tweaks, improvements, and bug fixes have been implemented. For the iOS devices,[1] with HD for iPad and iPad 2. 133 preset instruments and five real-time effects included. Audio tracks and wave editor, along with MiniSynth plugin synthesizer. Background audio (playback while the app runs in the background). Projects (in .flm format) are compatible between Android and iOS, if audio tracks are present they are ignored. If instruments are not available the MIDI data is loaded and the a default instrument is used. Project files can be exported to desktop version of FL Studio.[19] |
3.0 | December 2016 | Because of development issues between the IOS and Android versions, FL Mobile 3 was a complete ground-up rewrite that departs radically from previous versions. The update was a free update from the previous version with FL Mobile being able to load FLM 2 files, although the results might not be identical soundwise due to the architecture change.[20] |
FL Studio Mobile 3[edit]
FL Studio Mobile 3 was released on the Google Play Store on October 25, 2016. The iOS and Windows UWP versions were released two months later.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefghConneally, Tim (June 21, 2011). 'FL Studio breaks its 13-year Windows-only run, launches new iOS app'. Beta News. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcd'Get FL Studio Mobile'. Image-Line. June 21, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcO'Brien, Terrence (June 22, 2011). 'FL Studio Mobile lands on iOS, more indie rap albums to be produced while commuting'. EnGadget. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abc'FL Studio Mobile version 1.1'. Image-Line. July 23, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
- ^'Download FL Studio Mobile for iPhone, iPad'. SoftPedia. June 20, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^'FL Studio Mobile design'. Artua. September 11, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ abcdefghijkl'FL Studio Mobile iPhone'. Image-Line. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^'Music Studio'. Xewton. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^Rossignol, Joe (June 22, 2011). 'FL Studio Mobile now available on the App Store'. iFans. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^Barribeau, Tim (June 21, 2011). 'FruityLoops Heads To iOS With FL Studio Mobile'. Everything is Cafe. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^Platers, Nick (June 21, 2011). 'FL Studio for iPad and iPhone is Out!'. Touch Producer. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^'FL Studio Mobile HD for iPad'. iTunes App Store. June 21, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcdefghijkl'FL Studio Mobile iPad (HD)'. Image-Line. June 20, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcKirn, Peter (June 21, 2011). 'FL Studio Mobile, Now Available on iPhone, iPad; Sampling, Android Support to Come'. Create Digital Music. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcdefghi'FL Studio Mobile'. Image-Line. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ abcdeParker, Nick (June 22, 2011). 'FL Studio Mobile HD: Addictive iPad Music Creation'. Evolver.fm. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^Carter, Joanne (June 21, 2011). 'FL Studio Mobile - New iOS Music Project App'. The App Whisperer. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^'KVR: Image Line updates FL Studio Mobile for Android to v1.3'. Kvraudio.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^'KVR: Image Line releases updates for FL Studio Mobile'. Kvraudio.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^'FL Studio Mobile 3 All Platforms'. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
External links[edit]
One of the most common questions I get as a music technologist is “When will I be able to use my iPad to replace my digital audio workstation?” For many of us, we may hold fast to ‘never’ as the answer. I’ll be honest, I love my Mac Pro. I love my decked out home studio. But after 2 weeks of restricting myself to working solely on my mobile device, I discovered something. I love my iPad, too. For those of you looking to be able to work on the road, or maybe even simply replace your home studio setup with an iOS device—the future is looking very bright.
I took a look at what are widely accepted to be the 5 most popular offerings in the field of iOS DAW recording today. I found that each had strengths that catered to different types of musicians, and I’m very excited to share with you what I’ve found. Paired up with a quality compatible audio interface, (and there are quite a few of those available these days), you can do some serious work on the iPad starting today! Here are 5 great apps to get you started in no particular order.
Auria
WaveMachine Labs developed Auria for the full-featured audio recording studio user in mind. You can work with 48 tracks of mono or stereo audio at 24bit/96kHz. You can even record a staggering 24 of those tracks simultaneously with a compatible USB audio interface. When using Auria to track, I was incredibly impressed with the amount of headroom there was for mixing and editing. This app didn’t just act like a DAW—in many ways, it sonically rivaled them.
Auria includes a full on mixer view as well as a standard DAW tracks view. Within that tracks view you have full editing features that were implemented in an extremely ergonomic and convenient way. I could see myself getting quite fast with this app over time. WaveMachine Labs has also included some classic effects from PSP. These effects include a full-on channel strip and are stackable 4 per track. A bunch of effects are included and you can also add more through in-app purchase. The PSP MasterStrip is even included, so you can take your project through the mixing stage all the way to mastering with some really great, industry-acclaimed effects.
As if all of these features weren’t enough, there is even MIDI sync support with standard Mackie MCU and HUI available for your control surfaces. If you’re looking to do straight up audio recording, you can’t go wrong with Auria. It’s got the features, it’s got the expandability, and it really has the headroom to make your mixes sound great.
Auria is currently on sale in the app store for $24.99
Web: http://auriaapp.com
Cubasis
Steinberg’s Cubase is a very popular desktop DAW, so it’s no surprise that they were one of the first companies to the market with a full-featured music production app for the iPad. Cubasis can also handle 24 inputs simultaneously, but they go so far as to claim unlimited audio and MIDI tracks depending on the device you are running it on.
Cubasis is absolutely packed with features, and the visual aesthetic makes Cubase users feel right at home. In addition to recording audio, you also can record MIDI tracks with a nice built in library of virtual instruments. There’s Micro Sonic and Micrologue for both sample-based sounds and synthesizer sounds, as well as a selection of drum loops to choose from for laying down quick grooves. Cubasis features a store as well, and you can purchase additional effects there to really trick out your mix.
If all of that wasn’t enough to get you excited, there’s an included sample editor and key editor. I plugged in my xKey 37 and was able to craft a song from scratch very quickly. I was also pleased to find that you could export your song directly to Cubase for your desktop computer and continue to work in a more high-powered environment.
All of those features are really cool, but what had me most excited was the fact that Cubasis absolutely has the inter-app audio feature of iOS MASTERED. They’ve implemented it better than anyone else as far as I can tell. If you have other synth apps or samplers installed such as MorphWiz, Animoog, or Geosynth, they actually show up in Cubasis as virtual instruments—just like on your desktop DAW! So you don’t have to go over to them, get a sound going and just ‘hope and pray’ that when you switch back to Cubasis it can somehow get the audio from that app—any other audio app that supports inter-app audio will show up in Cubasis as a selectable virtual instrument. That really amazed me and I couldn’t get enough of playing with that feature.
Cubasis is available in the app store for $49.99
Web: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/mobile_apps/cubasis.html
GarageBand
GarageBand is easily the most common ‘household name’ in iOS recording simply because it is Apple’s first party offering. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its strengths, though! A diverse loop library consisting of a variety of instruments makes it really easy to put together a sketch or outline of a tune in minutes.
The included virtual instruments represent a nice selection of the scaled-back EXS sampler instruments of GarageBand for Mac. Really, just about any standard sound you might need can be found in GarageBand. It’s limited to only recording one track at a time right now, so it may not fill the DAW-on-the-go spot you were looking to fill, but if you need to quickly sketch out a song on the fly, it’s probably the easiest to use of all the choices out there.
Now we just have to wait for Logic for iPad! (fingers crossed!)
GarageBand is free for qualifying newer iOS 8 compatible devices, and $4.99 for legacy devices.
Web: https://www.apple.com/ios/garageband/
FL Studio HD
Fruity Loops has come a long way since it’s original concept as a beat-creation station on the PC. Now a full-fledged DAW for the PC, (and with HOARDS of Mac users absolutely clamoring for it’s appearance on the Mac,) it has spawned a younger brother on the iPad. FL Studio HD is a respectable offering on iOS and has a lot of neat things that make it fun to use. It’s a MIDI sequencer, so there are no audio tracks to speak of, but at the fast rate iOS developers update their apps we can hope that audio is not far away!
The interface is designed for quick, quick, SUPER quick navigation. The buttons and touch areas are all quite large, and there are tabs up at the top of the screen that allow you to quickly jump from view to view. Rather than put too much in any one screen, the folks at Image-Line have opted to make the controls much larger (something you may appreciate with a smaller device like the iPad) and split the screen up with navigation tabs.
The sound set for FL Studio is wonderfully diverse, and they have an excellent organization paradigm. Again, since the sounds are all on their own page, you’ll find them easy to navigate and find. You can enhance your sound libraries with in-app purchases (of course), but FL Studio really comes with quite the selection of instruments right ‘out of the box’. The interface even morphs as you select instruments to drum pads for percussion instruments and keyboards for all other virtual instruments. There is even a waveform sample editor that allows you to record audio, cut it up, and loop it to be used in your projects.
You’ve got MIDI editing via a piano roll, a plethora of built in effects, And of course, it wouldn’t be Fruity Loops without a full-featured step sequencer—don’t worry, that’s included as well! I was truly impressed with how fast I was able to get around on Fruity Loops Studio HD. They did a great job of getting the technology ‘out of the way’ so that I could just make music quickly.
FL Studio Mobile HD is $19.99 on the app store.
How to setup numark mixtrack pro 2 with mixxx. Web: https://www.image-line.com/flstudiomobile/ipad.php