iPad 2

I'm glad that I didn't have to buy my iPad, that I got one for work, because now that the iPad 2 is coming out next week, I am going to have to start saving for real!

Su-Su-Studio!

This post is a nice book-end to my last post about ReBirth being released for the iPad. Alesis, makers of all sorts of music products, has just announced the new StudioDock Pro Audio Dock for the iPad at the 2011 NAMM Show! This ridiculous little piece of hardware is a beautifully designed dock for the iPad that adds a variety of input and output options that were sorely missed by musicians using the iPad for production and performance. According to Alesis' website:

The StudioDock is the first device that enables anyone with an iPad to create, produce, and perform music with virtually any pro audio gear or instruments. The StudioDock is a universal docking station specifically designed for the iPad, and it gives musicians, recording engineers, and music producers the connectivity they need to create and perform with iPad. Connect all your pro audio gear to virtually any app in the App Store with the StudioDock.

The device features two combination XLR and 1/4-inch inputs (each with its own gain control and switchable phantom power for condenser microphones), MIDI in, MIDI out, USB MIDI, 1/4-inch footswitch input, two 1/4-inch outs plus 1/4-inch headphone out, and video output. With this little dock, your iPad basically becomes a touch-screen recording studio, or touch-screen performance controller, or touch-screen instrument controller, or really whatever sort of touch-screen musical device you would like (assuming there is an app for that).

I can just see myself, up in the club, sippin' on some syzurp, jamming out some ReBirth through the PA, with my keyboard and guitar runnning through my iPad. Sounds like a good time to me. So far, there is no word on Alesis' site on pricing or release date, but I expect this right around the time the iPad 2 is released, so your guess is as good as mine!

Rebirthed

Well, they have gone and done it. Propellerhead Software has released ReBirth for the iPad. My favorite software synthesizer/drum machine/techno micro composer is now available on my favorite device. I have been rocking on ReBirth since the late 1990's, and now, what I used to spend hours sitting in front of my desktop machine plotting away at, I can carry around with me to any gig I want. Sure, it has been out for the iPhone/iPod touch for a while now, but with an entirely redesigned interface for the much more touchable iPad, it is finally the music making device I have always desired. It comes with all of the bells and whistles of the original software, the two 303's, the 808, the 909, plus all of the distortion, delay and other effects. It also has mod support and comes with five original user mods. This is the multi-touch, music production tool that I always dreamed of, and now it is here.