Audanika has developed several trippy music applications that turn your iPad or iPhone into a synth and MIDI powerhouse. The coolest part is that even without musical training or ability, you are still likely to be able to bang out a better than passable melody just by selecting a few random tiles in the app, and it's engrossing and fun to try! Read on to learn how the new SoundPrism Electro Mini ($2.99) brings more synth magic to your iPhone!
We have reviewed SoundPrism before, and now Audanika has recently released Electro Mini for iPhone with a few noteworthy new features! The idea is very much like the original SoundPrism. It works better than can be explained in the screenshots (see video below). I am primarily a guitar player, though I have poked around on the keys for years. I have enough technique to mostly just embarrass myself, and the hardest part is coordinating left and right hand on all those keys. ALL THOSE DARN KEYS!
SoundPrism alleviates the pesky detail of hitting a certain selection of keys with two hands by automagically clustering the note selections into a serenely tuned chord around the tile you select. A spot on the rolling multidimensional keys will instantly map the correct accompanying notes. You can use the bass keys for emphasis and set a cadence and it's really easy to get the knack. With the advent of the Electro version for iPad, a sliding controller allows you to manually control the low-pass filter effects provided in the app. Other improvements in the interface make it a bit more flexible than the originals and you can also integrate with Mac or PC audio tools as it supports Core MIDI as in other versions.
Electro Mini is insanely cool, but one complaint I have is that if you want to record or mix in tracks, you need other apps for that, such as the $4.99 Audiobus app. It would be nice to have a few backing beats and a simple record feature built in already. The help feature is well done, but I think it could use a few examples of each feature in action for music newbs.
Pros
- Superior synth sounds
- Intuitive interface for easy music creation
Cons
Not many, but could use a simple record feature and better examples of some features
Final Verdict
SoundPrism has been endorsed by Jordan Rudess, legendary virtuoso keyboardist for Dream Theater. It remains one of our favorite music apps as well, and the new Electro Mini version is worth having on your iPhone!
iPhone Life Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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