Using iPhone Applications for Composing

Hi all,

I have a question for anyone who wishes to answer.

Do you have an iPhone, or similar device capable of installing applications, specifically musical based? Such as BeatMaker, Ocarina or Band for the iPhone.

If yes, have you ever, and would you use them in any of your compositions? I realize they may not suit your preferred style of writing, but especially Ocarina generates a very nice sound, similar to a flute.

Can you see works being written for such devices and/or software?

I haven't ever written for an iPhone "instrument" and don't actually plan to, but who knows, I'm not strictly opposed to it at all.

I have however used an iPhone very indirectly in a performance of a Cage piece I did with a couple of other students, to start a computer program remotely, which controlled several big tape recorders that were placed around the room, and which were turned on and off automatically. It can be very nice for installations or performances of live-electronic music like that, but it's not too reliable, since it depends on WLAN connections. But the apps that turn it into remote controllers for your computers are still nice.

I'd love if there was a simple app for the iPhone that simply allowed you to write down notes on a staff in a simple way, as little musical sketches. But I haven't seen one yet.

Thanks for the quick respond!

I agree with you with having say, Sibelius Mobile or something along those lines. Just to write idea's down, that could then sync back to your Mac/PC.

The iPhone can be very useful as a remote, and now with more applications allowing remote desktop views, there's even more control over a computer.

I have a MacBook pro. It's wonderful.

I hate Apple. I also hate phones that do things other than make phone calls and send text messages. So I think it would be a bad idea. It would be like taking everything that's frustrating with Finale and/or Sibelious and squeezing it into an absurdly small screen with buttons that are too hard to press.

BUT, if you're talking about using it as an instrument, that's not that bad of an idea...

~Kal

Obviously trying to press Finale into an iPhone would fail. But that's not the point of it. You won't use an iPhone to create professional scores, but for little sketches, so it would have to be an entirely different type of program, that doesn't focus on appearance or complex scores, but simply can write down simple rhythms, chords, pitch sequences, and verbal annotations with a quick and simple interface. But of course it would be quite a challenge to design such an interface effectively.

Wouldn't a general note-taking program with contextual handwriting recognition do the same thing?

Don't they have that?

That's true, but I'd actually even prefer it without the handwriting recognition - it would just mess up too much and annoy me. Better just a simple drawing program. The problem is, that to my knowledge the iPhone doesn't work with any "pens", but just with your fingers, which are a bit too big and unprecise for small notes.

There are styli you can buy for the iPhone.

That's true, but I'd actually even prefer it without the handwriting recognition - it would just mess up too much and annoy me. Better just a simple drawing program. The problem is, that to my knowledge the iPhone doesn't work with any "pens", but just with your fingers, which are a bit too big and unprecise for small notes.

For just sketching quick ideas, I can imagine a interface displaying a configurable staff (time, key, clef, etc.) and containing a one-octave keyboard (obviously with the ability to change octaves). Another box would select note duration, and notes could be entered using the keyboard. This wouldn't require too much accuracy with your fingers...sketches could be saved and exported as MIDIs.

I think a Sibelius or Finale branded product would do very well in the mobile market!

I have this program on my palm centro called "lemon edit" which is kind of the same idea but one can't view the notes on a staff or export MIDI. I just use it for pitch reference when I'm out and about.

All this said, I'd still prefer cracking open my Moleskine to write ideas down. :whistling: