Review: Studio.HD for iPad.

The capability of recording CD-quality sound has spawned numerous multitrack digital audio recorders for the iPad. Studio.HD adds a different spin to this category of apps: It has a workflow like GarageBand, but it's even easier to use.

The Lego of studio apps.

Studio.HD is a cross between GarageBand and LoopTastic (also by Sound Trends.) It's not a linear recorder like Multitrack DAW, but a loop recorder. These loops can easily be snapped into place on a beat timeline, shortened (and lengthened) by pulling ends, copied, pasted and duplicated between projects. The current version can only record 32 measures at a time, which comes out to be about a minute or a verse and chorus. This forces you to record song parts instead of full songs, but it allows Studio.HD to record and process in RAM for faster function. If you're like me and can't make it through a whole take of a song without flubbing, recording snippets can turn out to be quite an improvement in your workflow.

Loopsalot.

900 loops are available free. About a brazillion other loops are $2 each from the app's built-in loop store. But don't get the idea that Studio.HD is just a gimmick to get you to buy loops. I don't use any of the included loops. Tape my beak shut and call me Daffy, but I'll forgo all the amazing professionally done loops you can just snap in place. I prefer to make my own loops and snippets to work with and there's a variety of ways to do this:

• Record loops realtime on your iPad with your own voice or instruments With a USB mic like the Samson Go Mic or USB audio converter like the iMic connected through the iPad Camera Connector Kit, you can mic or use line in for any kind of audio.
• Add pre-recorded files TwistedWave can open audio from email or through file sharing. If something is recorded as a file, you can probably get it into Studio.HD by opening it in TwistedWave. If you're sneaky you can add your GarageBand loops this way. There's a free desktop app that imports .loop files (which Studio.HD reads), but I've found it easier to bring them in via TwistedWave.
• Paste from supported iPad sound apps Studio.HD can paste in sounds via both the Sonoma Wireworks and Intua pasteboards. (Sonoma's AudioCopy/AudioPaste can easily move multiple tracks into Studio.HD.) Together these systems total over 100 compatible apps. I use loop-centric apps like Bassline and MoDrum to create my loops and paste them in. For best match, set the tempo in these apps to your Studio.HD song tempo. They're automatically stretched or shrunk loops to fit the beat structure, but there can be some quality loss in the process.

The loop workflow.

It should be pointed out that Studio.HD is not a digital audio workstation or editor. Every chunk of audio snaps to measures, making it necessary to work within the beat structure. You can record a loop and drag in the ends to tighten it, but you can only trim or move to within a 1/16th of a beat. So using the metronome or beat loops is a necessary foundation for your songs in Studio.HD.

Arrangements made simple.

Working with loops actually gives you a quick way to try out ideas and arrangements. By recording all your verses and choruses separately, you can drag vocal parts around the timeline to hear how they work out. If you think about it, popular song structure is designed in sections like this. By rearranging choruses, verses, bridges and solos, you can actually do simple, solid arranging.

I find that Studio.HD can really aid in composing too. I often have stray chord progressions in my head and lay these down in Studio.HD. Dragging out the loop and adding a simple beat gives me a basic track to write lyrics too. Then I can replace these scratch tracks with more refined loops as I go. What starts as a simple idea can become a full-fledged demo with the whole evolution happening in Studio.HD.

Laying down the loop.

Recording in Studio.HD is stupidly simple. At the start of the song, just press record. You hear a four-beat count off and you're rolling. If you have Studio.HD set to the Loop mode, after 32 bars (or whatever you have the orange loop range set to) it automatically records a second layer and then a third. This gives you a quick way to record three-part harmony or layered guitar.

The difference between layers and tracks.

Studio.HD has eight tracks, each with three layers. The layers are stacked as one mono track and then processed through effects, pan and volume. This isn't a 24-track app, but layers can be useful for overlapping recordings, creating harmonies, making doubled guitar solos or building percussion tracks from three different loops.

Automate your moves.

If you use GarageBand's track automation, you'll love Studio.HD. Basically it records your live movements controlling effect parameters. This gives you for real-time automation of all effects, pans and fades. You can "play" your effects in beat, pan alternate lines in a vocal or fade loops in and out. It's like having extra sets of fingers to critically control each effect.

What it sounds like.

Candy Store Blues was a hasty demo recorded with Studio.HD on iPad using the Camera Connector Kit, Go Mic and iMic and well as bass and drums pasted in from other iPad apps There are more details on this recording on my music page.

My Take.

Though initially Studio.HD will seem to be suited for techno, it's a pop power-tool as well. The Lego-like structure of the timeline lets you quickly snap songs into place with a huge library of professionally-done loops or audio snippets that you record. Studio.HD is really easy to use and mixes down to CD-quality AIF files right on your iPad. For those hoping for GarageBand for iPad, this is pretty much it, maybe better. It's a lot of recording app for $9.99.

J. Kevin Wolfe

http://WolfeWithAnE.com

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Tips

• If recording loops in another app like Improvox and importing into Studio.HD, you need to keep on beat. If the app doesn't have a metronome, can always get a free one for your iPhone and listen to it with one earbud while recording into your iPad. This keeps your recordings within the beat structure so they paste nicely into Studio.HD. Metronome and Musebook are two good choices.
• If recording loops in other apps, It's usually best to skip the delay and reverb. Otherwise they could wind up sounding cut off at the end. These effects can be added in mixdown in Studio.HD. You will want to add effects not available in Studio.HD, like chorus, phasing and distortion before you bring them in.
• If you let Studio.HD stretch or shrink loops beyond a reasonable length, your loops will start to sound mechanical and maybe even comical. One cool trick is that you can speed up the tempo of your voice without increasing pitch, so it won't sound like a chipmunk. You can also do blistering solos this way.
• When you start working with loops there's a tendency to just drag rhythm loops out to full song length, which can sound monotonous. Sensible use of loops allows you to remove them or change them out during parts of a song. This creates variations and subtlety that can bring a song alive.

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Notes: Buying through the above links helps support this site. The list of apps that are compatible with Intua and Sonoma Wireworks pasteboards grows regularly and allows for top-quality audio transfer across iPad apps. ©2010 J. Kevin Wolfe

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