Is Android Dead?

[AnX]

what devices were they, never had that problem here

[kv331]

Well no matter how many it might have lost, it still isn’t really a viable music platform.

unfortunately,

there are 2 major issues on Android:

1. lack of low latency (Google claims they solved it, but don't know if that'd work on 100s of devices)
2. lack of infrastructure for plugins. On iOS we have inter-app audio, AUv3 plugins. What do we have on Android? NOTHING.

I seriously don't understand why on earth Google doesn't invest in these area

[CapnLockheed]

I'm not a 15 year old with an iPhone that thinks I'm now a producer.

No. You are "Capn Lockheed".

are you saying your real name is "chk071"?
are you an "android"?

HAHA!! Thanks Vurt...you rock dude....LOL!!

And thanks to all that took my op as seriously as I meant it. I'm pretty sure Google has not and likely will not properly address the latency and other audio setbacks. I'm not fooling myself into thinking 'droid will ever likely be a viable platform for full scale music production. It already does most of what I need it to.

As I said in my op all I really want is a very simple DAW for recording LIVE tracks. Latency, and lack of plugins are not so much of an issue for live tracking. I know this is possible because several of them already exist. I just don't like any of them. I shelled out for Evolution Mobile and uninstalled it the same day. Same thing with Fruity Loops which ,even on pc, is a toy IMHO, (sorry you Fruity guys...LOL!!) and N-Track.

I Presonus would port Capture or Steinberg would port Cubasis either would perfectly suit my needs.
Both have the ability to import their sessions into their bigger brothers Studio One and Cubase.
I know Steinie has pretty much been iOS only when it comes to mobile but Presonus has gotten their feet wet with their 'droid Studio One Remote control app which is the bomb....of course there's no audio involved there.

Oh well.....guess I'll have to stick with my current mini live multitrack rig. It's an ancient HP Mini laptop and Tascam US-800 interface. The whole thing fits in a tiny backpack. It's perfect for space challenged clubs or when stealth is required. I've got larger mobile rigs so I can do 8, 16, or 24 tracks but they're a wee bit more conspicuous.

[Calenberger]

I'm not a 15 year old with an iPhone that thinks I'm now a producer.

No. You are "Capn Lockheed".

are you saying your real name is "chk071"?
are you an "android"?

HAHA!! Thanks Vurt...you rock dude....LOL!!

I wish I would be a 15 year old with an iPhone...

[effebal]

Well no matter how many it might have lost, it still isn’t really a viable music platform.

unfortunately,

there are 2 major issues on Android:

1. lack of low latency (Google claims they solved it, but don't know if that'd work on 100s of devices)
2. lack of infrastructure for plugins. On iOS we have inter-app audio, AUv3 plugins. What do we have on Android? NOTHING.

I seriously don't understand why on earth Google doesn't invest in these area

There is an infrastructure build by N-Track software called AudioRoute Host with the aim of bringing app-to-app audio to the android world.
Anyway, I think that android is not attractive so big companies don't port their well known software like they do for iOS.
For sure this android disliking doesn't help improving the audio performances like latency and midi implementation.

Anyway there are interesting application out there, like flmobile, G-Stomper, drc poliphonic synt, deplike guitar amp, and the new Hexen modular eurorack rack synthesizer (that is simply amazing).

On android 9 midi works like a charm and sometime I play something using my master keyboard connected to a lenovo P2.

[kv331]

There is an infrastructure build by N-Track software called AudioRoute Host with the aim of bringing app-to-app audio to the android world.
Anyway, I think that android is not attractive so big companies don't port their well known software like they do for iOS.
For sure this android disliking doesn't help improving the audio performances like latency and midi implementation.

I'm talking about API/SDK/infrastructure developed by Google, not 3rd parties. So that it becomes a "Standard"

I guess we'll start Android development this summer, our "free" experiment with SynthMaster One taught us some lessons

[claudedefaren]

...

[SoundPorn]

I was thinking the same bcuz im a lifelong Android lover and it's a misconception really i was.just using my Akai mini to play the DRM synth on my phone, also been using the new Roland Zenbeats, FL Studio Mobile works fine on Android and also BandLab. Like those are 3 big time music software's. I record song memos with IK Medias EZ Voice. Really its on the developers i think they kno Apple users r more likely to waste money

[Calenberger]

It still smells funny...

[Forgotten]

I was thinking the same bcuz im a lifelong Android lover and it's a misconception really i was.just using my Akai mini to play the DRM synth on my phone, also been using the new Roland Zenbeats, FL Studio Mobile works fine on Android and also BandLab. Like those are 3 big time music software's. I record song memos with IK Medias EZ Voice. Really its on the developers i think they kno Apple users r more likely to waste money

If it was just an issue with developers being greedy it’s an enormous coincidence that all of them are doing it simultaneously and only with music apps...

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

It's not a matter of greed, it's not a matter of market share. It's a matter of one platform's realtime audio processing and supporting audio-related layers/tech being years ahead of the other. If we could have parity between iOS and Android music apps we would.

Attempts to create third party solutions (some of which we've helped work on with the manufacturers) have not been successful thus are now discontinued (like Samsung Professional Audio) and Google's "solution" is most definitely not universally operational, and frankly isn't technically yet a solution at all. That's not slamming them either, it is a challenging problem to be sure. However, they do seem to give the impression that the audio performance issue has been solved multiple times over the recent years which has become sort of a tease to both developers and users.

We do have some audio apps that people enjoy using on the platform, but we could have many more if more of the audio functionality caught up to iOS.

[kv331]

However, they do seem to give the impression that the audio performance issue has been solved multiple times over the recent years which has become sort of a tease to both developers and users.

We do have some audio apps that people enjoy using on the platform, but we could have many more if more of the audio functionality caught up to iOS.

Hi Peter, even if the solve latency issue to a certain degree (with their Oboe framework, etc), they are very reluctant in taking the lead for developing a plugin infrastructure. I met the guys at Google's audio team at NAMM, and exchanged emails with them a couple of times. When I asked about plugin infrastructure, they said that they have no plans for it and directed me to a third party framework

[kv331]

However, they do seem to give the impression that the audio performance issue has been solved multiple times over the recent years which has become sort of a tease to both developers and users.

We do have some audio apps that people enjoy using on the platform, but we could have many more if more of the audio functionality caught up to iOS.

Hi Peter, even if the solve latency issue to a certain degree (with their Oboe framework, etc), they are very reluctant in taking the lead for developing a plugin infrastructure. I met the guys at Google's audio team at NAMM, and exchanged emails with them a couple of times. When I asked about plugin infrastructure, they said that they have no plans for it and directed me to a third party framework

I hope Steinberg takes the lead on that front and bring VST to Android.

[jdoo]

Apple controls the iOS ecosystem. From hardware to what is permitted in software. Android, from the beginning has been open. Vendors are a lot less restricted in what and how they implement things in Android-land. In other words.. Apple specifically controls I/O on their devices and Android.. well — there is no formal control from soup to nuts.

Apple: 10ms audio latency — because they control the ecosystem. Android can only dream.

The (very nice - thanks for the link!) article mentioned above goes into a lot of other reasons why Android music apps suffer (sales in addition to performance), but at the end of the day... Android just doesn't have control of the I/O on all the licensee devices.

[vitocorleone123]

A: Apparently not quite.

Cubasis is coming to Android, so Steinberg has voted a tentative "not dead yet". Will anyone buy it, given the lack of an overall ecosystem? Hope so!