Apps and Software Consultancy
Bit of a random one this time for the Kent & Sussex Montessori Centre:
It’s a complete 3D version of the Montessori Binomial cube to practice with along with theory presented through slides and videos:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/montessori-binomial-cube/id594056360
Aimed at parents and students, this app introduces the equipment and allows you to learn. It may be useful for children; however we have no evidence to confirm this.
Sketch Synth 1.4.0 Summer Update
The Summer updates are on their way, I’ve added a couple of the sample packs for Sketch Synth FX into Sketch Synth 3D, one into Sketch Sound 3D and a lite version of the sample pack into Sketch Synth 3D Lite. I’m actually really pleased with how they fit together, I thought it might be like two completely separate chunks; but in face it works well to use Sketch Synth FX as the sample slicer and then feed samples into Sketch Synth 3D, the clipboard is automatically imported; but you can use the audio copy and paste clipboard to have up to 12 different takes to import.
The main idea of bundling them together is to give some hint as to what Sketch Synth 2.0 is going to be like. I am planning to make it a separate product that will be part of the Sketch Synth 3D bundle as well (just like Sketch Synth FX is in this next update). This way Sketch Synth 3D becomes the bundle pack and existing customers don’t lose out, Sketch Sound 3D will be a bit lighter, gets bits and pieces but not the whole hog, and Sketch Synth 2 will be a new product as well as part of the bundles.
Calorie Counter 1.0.0 On the Way
Complete random app time, I needed a Calorie Counter and wanted to do it exactly the way I’m used to. So I made Calorie Counter, simple as. It does quick calorie entry using one of those rotating picker controls and stores everything in a .csv file that you can export.
It’s basically there to help curb my kebab addiction and help deal with the easy access to food that you get when working for yourself. Anyway, hope you like it, it’s free and should be with the world Mid July some time.
Sketch Synth FX v1.0.1 Update On The Way
Straight after releasing Sketch Synth FX a pretty major bug was found on the iPod Touch 4th Gen, and another when recording on the iPhone 4. This update aims to fix these problems. I’ve switch over to using a different library for recording and the results so far are much better, this sound quality feels better and layering sounds is nice and easy. This library also allows for level metering, for this version I didn’t upset the UI and just went for a minimal set of changes that would just get promised functionality working. In version 1.0.2 I want to address input level monitoring and a couple of UI changes. Currently recording length when using the microphone is restricted to about 5 seconds; but it doesn’t have to be that way, a quick UI change is all that is needed for that. Anyway, I’ve submitted the fixes to the app store, and hopefully it will be with you in about a week.
Sketch Synth FX 1.0.0 On the Way
After an intense flurry of work: Sketch Synth FX is finally on the way to the App Store. I’ve been thinking about how I can make the 2.0 update for Sketch Synth 3D / Sketch Sound 3D and thanks to a discussion with Zac at Zaxis I was able to put together a much simpler, altogether more App like offering.
Sketch Synth FX allows you to take samples, play them as loops and draw effects over the top, you kind of add effects like layers, and re record the sound, once you’ve finished the recording then the sound automatically starts playing in the clipboard and you can add more layers of effects until you’ve got it just perfect. The effects strength can be controlled using the bypass page, like everything else it is a 2D pad, in this case the global volume is on the y-axis and on the x-axis you can control the strength of all applied effects apart from pitch changes.
Sketch Synth FX will be available on the app store for the iPad to start with for $3, Sketch Synth 3D and Sketch Sound 3D users may want to hold out a few weeks before buying since I will supply a custom version with the next update. This is the direction I am travelling and I still don’t know what Sketch Synth 3D 2.0 is going to look like; but I want you guys to see whats going into it, the two will also work very well together since you will be able to transfer samples nicely with Audio Copy & Paste.
Sketch Synth 3D used in Gothic Assassins
Just found out about this one, Sketch Synth 3D is being used in the soundtrack to the new Gothic Assassins film screened at Lucerne, Vegas Independent and Venice film festivals: http://www.imdb.com/title/
Here’s one of the tracks from Gothic Assassins where Sketch Synth 3D is being used, it does the dark broody pads: http://soundcloud.com/gothic-assassins/nobody-dies-on-the-eve
Apps4idevices Competition
Fancy winning a Mac version and an iPad version of Sketch Synth 3D? We are running a competition with apps4idevices where you can do exactly that, all you need do is answer one simple question and then send the details to our technical support team. You can find the competition here:
http://apps4idevices.com/contest/
Orbital Guitar Plus 1.0.2 Released
The latest update is just about to be unleashed, this one contains quite a few new bits and pieces:
* 2 Finger Drag mode to rotate guitar
* New UI reduces CPU usage and speeds up playing
* Polyphonic mode allows for faster playing, extends on one voice per string by using empty strings when multiple notes are played on one string
* Samples have been changed to give more acoustic sounds
* Chord changes accessible whilst playing guitar
Orbital Guitar & Orbital Guitar Plus 1.0.1 On the Way
Orbital Guitar 1.0.1 is on it’s way through the app store process, whereas Orbital Guitar 1.0.0 came out last night, confusing everyone as to what the non-plus version was. Orbital Guitar Plus is the iPad version with more samples, higher res graphics and a recording option that allows for longer than 10s of recording time.
Version 1.0.1 of Orbital Guitar & Plus contains bug fixes that fix an off by one error in fret counting when rotating the fretboard, it also includes a new Monophonic voicing mode, you may be thinking why? The Monophonic voice mode works really well with chaotic distorted samples, if you have a nice acoustic guitar sound then a strum with one voice per string sounds nice, if you use a distorted sample like the built-in Nematode sample then it sounds pretty horrible if you strum chords, but dirty and jagged in Monophonic mode.
Sketch Synth 3D / Sketch Sound 3D version 1.2.1 on the way
Just submitted version 1.2.1 for review, found one or two bugs with the recording interface so this version quickly applies patches to those, it also sneaks in a few handy features:
Unfortunately for iPad users the code that allows recording from Mic failed, so thats been taken out temporarily, so you can only record directly from the application audio output; you can of course record from another application and then import using audio copy and audio paste.
