This week we boss a metronome around with only our voices, let a music app write our songs for us, and create beats and tunes like little children might. Yes, the only good new apps I’ve seen this week have all been music apps, so try to enjoy it.
Hey Metronome
Photo: AudioKit
Adjusting a metronome while you use your hands to play a musical instrument is so 2019. AudioKit’s Hey Metronome app lets you control the app by voice. Just like using Hey Siri to address your iPhone, you say Hey Metronome to get the app’s attention. Then you can control every parameter, from start and stop, to speed, to switching on triplets, and lots more.
Best of all, all the speech-recognition happens locally, on your iPhone or iPad, so your privacy remains intact.
Price: $0.99
Download: AudioKit Hey Metronome from the App Store (iOS)
Riffer
Photo: Riffer
Riffr just got a massive 2.0 update. It’s another music app, this time one which generates melodies for you. Load it inside your favorite audio unit host on Mac or iOS, and set it running. It will send its generated notes to any other instrument, via MIDI. There’s a lot of massaging you can do to the scales, rhythm, speed, and so on, in order to come up with something musical, and which fits into your own songs.
Price: $6.99
Download: Riffer from the App Store (iOS)
Playset
Photo: Playset
Yes, another music app. This one looks like a toy, but plays like a tool. Playset it a drum machine with a synth, all of which is controlled by an easy-to-use sequencer. You just pick your sounds, and either tap out beats and tunes on the keyboard and drum pads, or tap on the grid to set the positions of notes and drum beats.
It’s intuitive, and sounds great.
Price: $8.99
Download: Playset from the App Store (iOS)
