Which Android DAW has the best sounds?
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hyperscientist hyperscientist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=352722
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 74 posts since 2 Mar, 2015
I recently discovered DRC synth on Android and I was blown away with the sound quality, great presets and playability (strumming harp in chorder mode is something really special!).
And that brought back my interest in using my phone as a mobile DAW (when in bed, on a couch, train or park).
I quickly ordered Arturia MiniLab mk2 (don't have it yet) and started researching DAW software that would allow me to use DRC as a plugin… I found none…
So if I can't use that then I would like to pick a DAW with good workflow and great sounds, because I find working with mediocre ones unbearable - they kill my mood everytime.
These days it's hard to fl studio mobile (among others) has no demo and actually cost a significant money - I don't want to spend it just to never use it.
So, which DAW has the best sounds? Even if it meant buying additional sound packs.
And that brought back my interest in using my phone as a mobile DAW (when in bed, on a couch, train or park).
I quickly ordered Arturia MiniLab mk2 (don't have it yet) and started researching DAW software that would allow me to use DRC as a plugin… I found none…
So if I can't use that then I would like to pick a DAW with good workflow and great sounds, because I find working with mediocre ones unbearable - they kill my mood everytime.
These days it's hard to fl studio mobile (among others) has no demo and actually cost a significant money - I don't want to spend it just to never use it.
So, which DAW has the best sounds? Even if it meant buying additional sound packs.
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hyperscientist hyperscientist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=352722
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 74 posts since 2 Mar, 2015
So last two days I've spent trying apps.
I tried 3 DAWs so far: Caustic, G-Stomper and FL Studio Mobile 3. And one… sequencer? Nanoloop.
Interface
Caustic is by far the most usable, easy to pick up music app of them all. This is not even debatable. It has a brilliant interface that fits mobile phone screens very well.
G-Stomper is sort of similar, it is kind of like if you took Caustic and then put many many more features without considering if it will or will not hurt the UI in the process. I am afraid that this app reached the limits of mobile phone screen a while ago. But! It's not bad at all It's just that with Caustic after watching tutorial on YT once you will just know what's what, where to find what. With G-Stomper? No chance Too much menu diving.
FL Studio Mobile 3… I love the concept and this flat design feel so I'm sorry to say this but the interface must have been designed by total amateurs. It might be the most flexible DAW of the three I tried so far and most similar to Ableton Live or GarageBand that I know from desktop computer, but it feels like it was first UI for mobile devices that the designer ever worked on - he had good intentions, but in the end did a bad job. It isn't far from being really good and we definitely deserve a good DAW for Android, so there's hope it will mature. A significant UI upgrade is necessary however - just to clean this up.
Sound
All of them are between mediocre and bad (in general). I'm sorry
Caustic has some good sounds and of big variety, but they are buried DEEP between plenty of crap. And they often need to be processed with fx to become alive. When dry they all sound terribly weak.
G-Stomper is kind of fine I guess, possibly the best on average of the three. Nothing really excites me, but there is enough variety for all kinds of music. Not much to say really.
FLSM3 is surprisingly weak - there are good and bad sounds, but the biggest flaw is that they all sound the same, like if the soundset was designed to do one thing and one thing only. Disclaimer: I only spent 2h with this app as I wasn't happy with what I see and hear and so I refunded it.
Summary
Caustic is sort of must have It is Novation Circuit of mobile apps. Creating music with it requires very little brain power or learning curve. It is however a bit stale - from what I read the last update was in making for about 2 years as beta and then finally pushed as final. It seems like the author is a bit burned out. I wish FL Studio hired him G-Stomper and FL Studio is actively maintained and there are commercial sound packs which is always good. G-Stomper is probably capable of producing good sounding "real music", but it is a bit quirky at that and if I were to go quirky way then one may as well just settle on Caustic which feels more fun (although dated). It is entirely possible to hate how Caustic look and then G-Stomper will be the solution FL Studio… has least useful online community, has broken UI, but it is the closes thing to a "real DAW" that I tried so far. And afaik authors of FLS offer long time support and free updates, so I feel like you are not going to waste any money going this route - it will get better, more powerful, will have more synths and soundpacks - it is least limiting software of the three imho.
Oh, and Nanoloop… It is fun, great and has amazingly fun sampler but I am fed up with quirky, cryptic, old-school UIs for know
I tried 3 DAWs so far: Caustic, G-Stomper and FL Studio Mobile 3. And one… sequencer? Nanoloop.
Interface
Caustic is by far the most usable, easy to pick up music app of them all. This is not even debatable. It has a brilliant interface that fits mobile phone screens very well.
G-Stomper is sort of similar, it is kind of like if you took Caustic and then put many many more features without considering if it will or will not hurt the UI in the process. I am afraid that this app reached the limits of mobile phone screen a while ago. But! It's not bad at all It's just that with Caustic after watching tutorial on YT once you will just know what's what, where to find what. With G-Stomper? No chance Too much menu diving.
FL Studio Mobile 3… I love the concept and this flat design feel so I'm sorry to say this but the interface must have been designed by total amateurs. It might be the most flexible DAW of the three I tried so far and most similar to Ableton Live or GarageBand that I know from desktop computer, but it feels like it was first UI for mobile devices that the designer ever worked on - he had good intentions, but in the end did a bad job. It isn't far from being really good and we definitely deserve a good DAW for Android, so there's hope it will mature. A significant UI upgrade is necessary however - just to clean this up.
Sound
All of them are between mediocre and bad (in general). I'm sorry
Caustic has some good sounds and of big variety, but they are buried DEEP between plenty of crap. And they often need to be processed with fx to become alive. When dry they all sound terribly weak.
G-Stomper is kind of fine I guess, possibly the best on average of the three. Nothing really excites me, but there is enough variety for all kinds of music. Not much to say really.
FLSM3 is surprisingly weak - there are good and bad sounds, but the biggest flaw is that they all sound the same, like if the soundset was designed to do one thing and one thing only. Disclaimer: I only spent 2h with this app as I wasn't happy with what I see and hear and so I refunded it.
Summary
Caustic is sort of must have It is Novation Circuit of mobile apps. Creating music with it requires very little brain power or learning curve. It is however a bit stale - from what I read the last update was in making for about 2 years as beta and then finally pushed as final. It seems like the author is a bit burned out. I wish FL Studio hired him G-Stomper and FL Studio is actively maintained and there are commercial sound packs which is always good. G-Stomper is probably capable of producing good sounding "real music", but it is a bit quirky at that and if I were to go quirky way then one may as well just settle on Caustic which feels more fun (although dated). It is entirely possible to hate how Caustic look and then G-Stomper will be the solution FL Studio… has least useful online community, has broken UI, but it is the closes thing to a "real DAW" that I tried so far. And afaik authors of FLS offer long time support and free updates, so I feel like you are not going to waste any money going this route - it will get better, more powerful, will have more synths and soundpacks - it is least limiting software of the three imho.
Oh, and Nanoloop… It is fun, great and has amazingly fun sampler but I am fed up with quirky, cryptic, old-school UIs for know
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hyperscientist hyperscientist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=352722
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 74 posts since 2 Mar, 2015
One more thing… I also VERY briefly tried Audio Evolution Mobile and Stagelight. It's just that I disliked them immediately at first sight, so I didn't want to dive any further - I know I wouldn't like them. There's also SunVox which I'm sure is great but lack of MIDI controllers support is just a stone-wall NO for me - I actually like to play instruments - don't like midi roll style input much.
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hyperscientist hyperscientist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=352722
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 74 posts since 2 Mar, 2015
To summarise: For my needs I left DRC and Electro-Harmonix Mini-Synthesizer which are both awesome. Sadly there is no way to use these sounds inside any DAW on Android. As my DAW I choose Caustic - I will have to deal with crappy sounds quality And when I'll seek inspiration I will have Nanoloop, Remixlive and Music Maker to play with.
Sadly it seems like there is no way to record DRC and EH mini-synth. Am I right? It feels like I would need to output the sound with a headphone OUT and maybe I could immediately feed it back to mic IN… Maybe then some DAW could record such performance in the background for arranging?
Do you have better ideas? Let me know
Sadly it seems like there is no way to record DRC and EH mini-synth. Am I right? It feels like I would need to output the sound with a headphone OUT and maybe I could immediately feed it back to mic IN… Maybe then some DAW could record such performance in the background for arranging?
Do you have better ideas? Let me know
- KVRian
- 1052 posts since 2 Dec, 2010 from Belgium, EU.
FWIW here is what is coming out of FL Studio Mobile ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtrWcK4nJOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmBa-cBedgM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvyVXTvLFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXK5MO4G8cQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgy-1RBECKE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAh_j93QxY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faux4EQOYi4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYEfLAxXmfc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtrWcK4nJOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmBa-cBedgM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvyVXTvLFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXK5MO4G8cQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgy-1RBECKE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAh_j93QxY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faux4EQOYi4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYEfLAxXmfc
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hyperscientist hyperscientist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=352722
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 74 posts since 2 Mar, 2015
Hello Image-Line and thank you for the reply First, I'm really sorry for the words I chose to criticise what I consider weaker points of the app - I am a software developer myself and it's not like I always produce 10/10 quality (not by a mile!) and I understand how many variables affect final product.Image-Line wrote:FWIW here is what is coming out of FL Studio Mobile ...
Now let me elaborate a bit more on my critique: Please look at the UI with a fresh pair of eyes and you will surely notice that (for example) icons bringing up various panels are not as good as the rest of the app: they not only do not look refined but some of them even look mangled and broken! Most prominent example would be an "X" icon that isn't even properly centered within the circle. These buttons are not very easy to touch either (on a fairly large phone that I own) and location of various controls isn't obvious either.
And then look at Caustic - how natural it feels and works on small screens!
As for the sound quality… Owning hardware moog, software synths from u-he or orchestral samples from Spitfire Audio I am obviously spoiled and a bit unfair expecting that €20 app with packs costing single digits will provide quality that my multi-thousand euro setup does. Now I think of myself as a bit ridiculous
But despite all that I actually believe that FLS is the most capable DAW for Android and I would recommend it to anyone who want's to venture beyond simple "beat making" or "jamming" and into the realm of composing full tracks with their phones And the quality of sounds - what I cared about the most - while it isn't as good as DRC (I wish there was a way to route the sound into the FLS…) and not that great when compared to top desktop synths - it isn't falling behind other Android DAWs - it is for most purposes ahead of them as far as my impressions counts (although most of them focused on the same style of music - which videos above kind of prove).
In the end I bought it again and kept
- KVRian
- 1052 posts since 2 Dec, 2010 from Belgium, EU.
Critiques welcome, it's an important input to software development. However, I was responding to the 'FLSM3 is surprisingly weak' sound comment. We are proud of the quality of the synthesizers, FX and sample packs available with FL Studio Mobile 3. There is a lot of synthesis power under the hood of MiniSynth an GMS (additional purchase I know). A quick search of YouTube will reveal an explosion of amazing content being made with it.hyperscientist wrote:Now let me elaborate a bit more on my critique: Please look at the UI
In terms of added diversity, users can create their own sample based instruments using DirectWave on the PC. FL Studio 12.5 will provide a monolithic export format in addition to the .flminst.
Re the UI, I agree with your criticisms. The current design was made by one of the developers (and was really meant to be a temporary launch skin), we are going to overhaul it in a future update (hopefully 3.2), once the design had settled. One advantage FLM3 has over any other App, we know of, it will run on anything from a phone (Android, iOS & Windows) to an 8K screen (Windows, and later macOS). FLM is totally scalable and works with touch or mouse.
Anyhow, thanks for your support. FLM3 is still in the early stages of development, being about 6 months on the market. Plenty more to come.
Regards Scott
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- KVRian
- 653 posts since 13 May, 2017 from Virginia
When I go on vacation (as I'm about to do) I always go hunting for a new mobile daw. Last time I used FLM. I sort of agree about the menu travesing. When I demoed it I felt like it would be easier to use than Caustic, but I found it hard to navigate with fingers. I did think the sound quality was higher than Caustics too - Caustics age shows.
That said, I prefer caustic for its resampling feature. You can take a modular machine and resample it across keys for its pcm machine. This is huge and makes for great sounds easily. That said, I HATE caustics midi roll with a passion. I can't stand not being able to zoom as much as I want, or how its not laid out together like a traditional roll.
I'm going to try GStomper this time. I do wish more of these mobile daws had the ability to ingest sounds easily, like from Youtube or findsounds or some external source like radio and the teenage engieering synth. Just having sine waves and the same drum machine samples everywhere gets boring to play with regardless of mobile daw.
That said, I prefer caustic for its resampling feature. You can take a modular machine and resample it across keys for its pcm machine. This is huge and makes for great sounds easily. That said, I HATE caustics midi roll with a passion. I can't stand not being able to zoom as much as I want, or how its not laid out together like a traditional roll.
I'm going to try GStomper this time. I do wish more of these mobile daws had the ability to ingest sounds easily, like from Youtube or findsounds or some external source like radio and the teenage engieering synth. Just having sine waves and the same drum machine samples everywhere gets boring to play with regardless of mobile daw.
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musical android musical android https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=298141
- KVRist
- 251 posts since 5 Feb, 2013 from spain
On a tablet, G-Stomper has easy access to the menus in the bottom part. Making it less of menu diving.
It is also the most CPU intensive app (the developer worked a lot on the audio quality) of the three if using a lot of the synthesizer so some resampling may be in order to use in the main sample sequencer...
It is also the most CPU intensive app (the developer worked a lot on the audio quality) of the three if using a lot of the synthesizer so some resampling may be in order to use in the main sample sequencer...
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musical android musical android https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=298141
- KVRist
- 251 posts since 5 Feb, 2013 from spain
It may be that he is out...
Hoping that he will come back into action again...
It was a little bit strange as he was very close to finish a mastering app as well.
Hoping that he will come back into action again...
It was a little bit strange as he was very close to finish a mastering app as well.