Impaktor is an amazing new app for iOS.  The video shows the app being used on an iPhone, but it’s also available for the iPad and iPod Touch.  Impaktor allows you to turn any flat surface into a percussion instrument. What’s surprising is how well it actually works.

It comes with over 90 presets and latency is a non-issue.  It has a 6 track recorder and some nice modulation parameters.  The Auto-Quantize feature makes you sound a lot better than you probably are.  It also supports audio copy/paste and allows you to export WAV files.

At $5, this app is an absolute steal.  Be sure to check out Impaktor when you can!

iTrack Solo provides iOS users with a high quality recording experience.  Essentially, it’s a two channel audio interface that connects to your iPad.  It’s also compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems, which allows you to get some extra bang for your buck.

The built-in preamp is where the quality comes from.  It’s the same preamp Focusrite uses in their Saffire and Scarlett interfaces.

Direct Monitoring is a neat function that helps you avoid any latency problems.  It allows your audio signal to bypass your iPad and run directly to your speakers or headphones while recording.

The outer casing is solid, and the unit as a whole, is well constructed.  iTrack Solo retails for about $159 (this could change based on the retailer).  If you’re looking for a high quality recording experience for iOS, then take a look at iTrack Solo.

StompBox is a digital effects unit for the iPad.  It comes with a whole slew of effects ranging from delay to pitch shifting.  You’ll also get 7 different types of distortion for creating those extra grimy tones.  The 4 track recorder is ideal for looping backing tracks and you can easily sort through presets using your feet (in the event that your hands aren’t available).

While StomBox is clearly geared toward acoustic and electric guitar, it’s also very effective for bass – delivering clean, bold tones. The user interface is easy on the eyes and responds to touch well.

There have been some instability issues, but we’re confident that 4Pockets (the developer) will iron out those wrinkles.  If you need some quality effects processors, this isn’t a bad way to go.

Voxkit is a MIDI drum controller for the iPad.  The thing that makes Voxkit different is the ability to trigger notes by sound.  You can assign a certain drum sound to trigger when you clap your hands, bang on a table, etc.

Let’s say for example, you are a drummer and you want to lay down a snare roll for your groove.  Assign your snare to be triggered when you tap your drum stick on a desk surface.  Then, record enable Voxkit and start tapping out your snare roll.  Voxkit will recognize it, translate it to MIDI data and add it to your existing groove.

Voxkit also has standard drum pads you can use, but its uniqueness lies in its ability to let you trigger notes in more abstract ways.  This is a cool app worth taking a look at – especially for the price ($1).  Be sure to check it out.

iMaschine is a beat making app developed by Native Instruments.  It’s an iOS emulation of Maschine, which is a popular groove production suite.  The app comes with 25 kits and over 400 individual samples.  Lay down beats using velocity sensitive drum pads and various effects.  You can also record your own samples directly within iMaschine. 

Expand your sound library with additional sound sets from the app store.  Import your own 16-bit WAV files through iTunes and export your mix as an audio file. Effects include: Delay, Chorus, Filter and Flanger

iMaschine primarily makes use of its drum pads, but there is a built-in keyboard for those who want it.  The stock sounds are good and if you own Maschine (the hardware controller and desktop software) you can import your iMaschine project sessions directly into it.

I would like to see a few more features from this app, but at $5 it is still a great buy.  I’m looking forward to more updates and new samples.

I first bought SampleTank (the desktop version) about 3 years ago.  It was a solid workstation back then, so I was excited to hear it was making its way into iOS.  After getting some experience with the app, what stood out the most are the quality of the sounds and the amount of sounds it comes with.  You’ll get 136 instruments with the opportunity to expand with additional purchases.  These expansions are reasonably priced at $4.99 and compliment the program nicely.

You can choose from over sixteen instrument categories, which is a rarity for an iOS workstation, and you also get hundreds of melodic and rhythmic templates to get help you get a groove started in any situation.  Export your work via iTunes or email.

The only considerable flaw in SampleTank is the 4 track recorder.  Four tracks doesn’t give you much to work with and the app alone cost $19.99.  Hopefully an update will bring us more tracks, but nonetheless, this is still a cool app worth checking out.  The quality of the sounds alone are worth the money.

OMGuitar is a cool guitar synthesizer for your iPad.  It comes with 3 electric guitars, 3 acoustic guitars, and 10 on-board effects.  Some of the effects include Distortion, Compression, Reverb, Delay, Wah Wah, Vowel Filter and EQ.  You also get access to hundreds of chords with a ‘quick chord’ section on the UI that allows you to load up several chords for instant access.

The interface is fairly easy to navigate through and I’m big fan of the ‘picking’ section.  Strumming through chords is a little weird at first and I would like a better performance response from the app in this area, but it still works well enough.

OMGuitar shines brightest in the quality of its guitar sounds.  The synth engine behind this software is designed with ‘artificial intelligence’, which attempts to recognize your playing style (on the fly) and appropriate the sound accordingly to give it character and depth.

The biggest issue with this app lies in the developers’ a lack of updates which is where OMGuitar doesn’t match its competitors.  We need updates with new guitar sounds, new effects, upgrades and more bells and whistles.  Hopefully Amidio, Inc. will recognize this and kick it in gear.

With that being said, this is still a solid app worth the money ($6.99).  It’s nice that Amidio Inc. put so much attention in the quality of the sound.  Being able to record and export your grooves make this a mobile tool for any musician.

Ratatap Drums is a free beat making app for your iPad.  It boasts 10 drum kits and lots of great sounds.  I recommend upgrading to Ratatap Pro via in app purchase for $2, which will give you the ability to edit drum size, appearance, and location.  You can also add reverb, and tuning to your drum sounds in the Pro version.

The developers (Mode Of Expression, LLC) boast the fastest touch-response time of any app to date.  I can’t tell you whether or not that’s true, but I can tell you that the app responds to touch extremely well – something that is very important in any drumming application.

All of the drums are velocity and position sensitive, which means the sound they generate correlates to where you the hit the drum and how hard you hit it. Multi-track recording and looping are also vital components this app possesses.

Ratatap Drums is great, in fact, it’s one of the best iOS drumming apps available.  Customer support is solid and for $1.99 (the Pro version) Ratatap is a steal.  Updates bring the promise of new sounds, which gives you even more to look forward to.  Hopefully we’ll see some more Hip Hop kits in the future to come.

Rockmate is a unique audio scratchpad that allows several people to play the app’s  on board instruments at the same time.  This means I can play the keys, you can hop on the drums and Freddy can play some rhythm guitar for us all at once.   Try wrapping your head around an iPad rock band that only uses 1 iPad…

Rockmate is the only iOS software (that I’ve came across) to incorporate a functional platform for multiple users.  Being able to work with a fellow music maker on a project has never been so easy and I would say this app is great for touring rock bands.

FingerLab (the developers) boast up to four players at once, but expect some tight quarters.  While the app is meant to handle several players, the iPad is not.  You can do two players at a time fairly comfortably though.  If you’re in a band that tours a lot you could make good use of this app in generating song ideas.  You might not spend a lot of time huddled around playing the app together, but it’s the type of thing I could see passing around the van while on the road.

Rockmate is easy on the eyes, responds well to touch, and gives you the ability to record.  It’s also on sale until December 21st for $.99 making it an absolute steal.

NanoStudio became known for its success on the iPhone as being one of the best music making apps in 2010, but the iPad makes even better use of this software because of a bigger screen.  There are a lot of reasons why this feature-laden program is a special one.  First and foremost, the depth of NanoStudio, makes it one of the most complete iOS production app’s available.

It comes with a decent catalog of processors and sounds and gives you the ability to work with a maximum of 16 tracks if you purchase the app store upgrade.  You can import your own samples and manipulate them.  You’ll get a sequencer, a mixer, a performance drum pad, a synth engine, a piano roll and extensive exporting capabilities.  Export final mixes or tracked out elements directly to your computer using Nanosync.  The app supports MIDI, allows you upload your work directly to Sound Cloud, has undo/redo options, and an intuitive audio copy and paste feature.

If you don’t own this app and you’re serious about making music on your iPad you need to get it.  It’s impressive and worth the $15 price tag.  I also recommend you purchase the 16 track upgrade.  Ten extra tracks go a long way.