KVR Audio

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:03 pm

I recently had the opportunity to evaluate the new Changeling Sequencer iPad app and I'm really impressed, so here are my first impressions.

Dev site: http://changelingapp.wordpress.com/
App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/ke/app/changeli ... d506664262

It's a great sequencer for quickly composing tunes (geared mostly but definitely not towards piano compositions) and learning more about the various modes. In addition to playing notes in key and in the proper mode, it also has a very robust chord voicing engine too, with options for changing how the chords are voiced.

But what I really like it about is the interface which is functional and super clean, and really easy to navigate. The circular sequencer in the middle in particular is something I can see being emulated by a lot of other apps in the future -- it makes it easy to see the patterns you're recording and makes it easy to navigate between patterns. It's got a 16 track MIDI sequencer (so far you can't specify the MIDI channel for each of the tracks: it's mapped Track 1->Channel 1, Track 2->Channel two, etc., but apparently a future update will allow you to map your own MIDI channels) with an on-board SoundFont player (which sounds pretty good in its own right), although the CoreMIDI implementation, particularly with MIDIBridge for apps like SampleTank, works fantastic too.

I also like that I can export the MIDI files of my compositions for use in another sequencer or notation app. Since I've used it so far mainly for piano compositions, I can print out the music and then learn how to actually play it!

Here's a short video by IOS music to kind of give you an overview of what the app is all about:

Anyway, if you like Classical music, Jazz (particularly the modal Jazz of Miles Davis or McCoy Tyner in the 1950s and 1960s), or the piano music you hear in Japanese RPGs (Yoko Shimomura), this will definitely let you work out your own compositions. It's worth picking up for the lesson in great interface design alone. But I can see myself spending a lot of time with this, just digging into it. I'll post some music (and maybe even my first ever disembodied hands iPad video) once I spend some more time with it.

J.C · Post by **J.C** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:36 pm

WOW, what a review!

Gonnna give it a try, thanks for the feedback.

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:17 pm

If you have interest in Jazz or Classical piano composition, it's very useful and a lot of fun (within 20 minutes of firing it up I'd noodled-out a pretty cool-sounding Satie-esque piece).

If your main interest is electronic music, it may still be useful, just not as gratifying as it is for piano lovers

The dev is very responsive, by the way, and open to new feature requests (the aforementioned selectable MIDI channels, possible future audio export from the SoundFont engine in addition to the current MIDI export), which is always a good thing!

BMoore · Post by **BMoore** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 6:38 pm

Great. Another "I got this app for free for writing a review" review.

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:23 pm

Insaniac wrote:Great. Another "I got this app for free for writing a review" review.

Pretty much, but I wasn't expecting the comp code and it's definitely worth the cost of a venti skim-milk carmel latte: it hasn't crashed on me, it does what it says, the interface is slick, and it's getting me back into composition again.

UncleAge · Post by **UncleAge** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 7:47 pm

In the App Store, under the bullet points it states "Also, it's really awesome to connect Changeling via the 16 midi channels to your DAW, and then use that as a sound module."

Near the end of the manual it states, "1. Switch between internal sound and midi mode."

So, just how is the connection with a DAW handled? The only info I've been able to glean is that I can make a midi file and transfer it to my computer somehow. What I'd like to know is whether the app handles virtual midi connections. Anyone tried this yet?

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:04 pm

It shows up in MIDIBridge as its own CoreMIDI port and it automatically connected to NLog, even without MIDIBridge. I had to use MIDIBridge to get it to connect to SampleTank iOS, but I have to do that in most cases. Were there any apps or specific routing you had in mind?

UncleAge · Post by **UncleAge** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:04 pm

I haven't used MIDIbridge so I don't know it's capabilities. I'll have to do some research.

The only app I use to drive my DAW on my iMac so far is SoundPrism. I make a network and virtual port on the iMac side and then connect to it via settings on the ipad side. I have no idea if the CoreMidi on the ipad provides similar functionality. But it looks like I'm about to find out

UncleAge · Post by **UncleAge** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:05 pm

What I forgot to say is that I am looking to drive the DAW on my iMac not a another app inside the ipad. This would make it pretty painless to transfer the midi.

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:48 pm

UncleAge wrote:What I forgot to say is that I am looking to drive the DAW on my iMac not a another app inside the ipad. This would make it pretty painless to transfer the midi.

Ah, okay. I think this should work. I have a MIDI keyboard that I plug into my iPad with light-up keys (Ion Piano Apprentice: don't ask, I got a deal) and when I play the virtual keys on Changeling Sequencer, the corresponding keys on the physical MIDI keyboard I have attached light up, so I know MIDI is getting out of the Sequencer and out of the iPad. I haven't hooked my iPad up to my PC DAW (Reaper) yet, but I can try that this weekend to be sure.

UncleAge · Post by **UncleAge** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:49 pm

One more thing... I can't find an email address anywhere for this dev. So there's just a WordPress page?

UncleAge · Post by **UncleAge** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 9:54 pm

DrApostropheX wrote:the corresponding keys on the physical MIDI keyboard I have attached light up, so I know MIDI is getting out of the Sequencer and out of the iPad.

Thanks for the responses and the useful info.

I don't maintain a physical connection between the ipad & imac. I may need to look into that though. So far it's all been wireless. And I haven't done any type of sync or connection with itunes at all so far (which I'm sure I will need to do at some point if I want to transfer stuff).

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:50 pm

UncleAge wrote:
DrApostropheX wrote:the corresponding keys on the physical MIDI keyboard I have attached light up, so I know MIDI is getting out of the Sequencer and out of the iPad.
Thanks for the responses and the useful info.

I don't maintain a physical connection between the ipad & imac. I may need to look into that though. So far it's all been wireless. And I haven't done any type of sync or connection with itunes at all so far (which I'm sure I will need to do at some point if I want to transfer stuff).

Yeah, you definitely want to SYNC up every once in a while to backup your apps and data (unless you do that to iCloud) and to get any iOS updates that might come out (there haven't been any recently).

T van Dijk · Post by **T van Dijk** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:09 pm

Hi all,

Awesome review!

For the first 3 KVR members that are interested in trying out Changeling Sequencer I have reserved a promocode. You can find the e-mail adress on the about page of the mentioned wordpress site.

T.
- Developer of Changeling Sequencer

nonseq · Post by **nonseq** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:41 pm

Insaniac wrote:Great. Another "I got this app for free for writing a review" review.

Try this:
http://discchord.com/blog/2012/4/27/review-mashup.html