Shit Just Got Real...
From the original Analog Industries archive. Some links and images from that era no longer resolve.
TNR-i, the Tenori-On clone for iOS created by Yamaha (so it would stand to reason it’s pretty close) is now available in the US app store finally, a week after it appeared in Japan and the UK. You can grab it here. Note that I haven’t purchased this yet, and am in no way endorsing it. We get iTunes gift cards as a reward from one of our credit cards, and I’m waiting for this month’s to arrive so I don’t have to, like, pay real money for it. If you’ve purchased the app, please let us know the good, bad, and ugly. Does it work with CoreMidi, or is the only way to sync it with that stupid Game Center method they came up with? And does it work in Landscape mode? Those are my two main questions.
Slightly related, the Alesis IO Dock is now available for ordering, $199 at Amazon. I played with this a bit at NAMM, and assuming the shipping version is the same as the one I fucked with, it’s a solid little piece of kit, and turns the iPad from a cute but slightly annoying device to an actually useful musician’s tool in one fell blow.
Now, it is worth mentioning at this juncture that I have it on good authority that, unless you’re in any particular hurry, it might be a good idea to wait a couple months to make a purchasing decision vis-a-vis the IO Dock. I can’t say any more than that, but I think you can figure out what I’m getting at, without me beating you over the head with it.
36 comments
IO Dock: Finally be a good reason to pick up an iPad (maybe). For me, with this kind of widget, waiting is a no brainer. Biding my time in 3... 2... 1...
In conclusion, get an Alesis IO Dock, but DON'T get an Alesis IO Dock, if you know what I'm saying'.
That is almost entirely, but not completely, exactly what I didn't say.
-CR
I don't care about iPads. I don't want to argue about it. It's a thing that's as expensive as a laptop, but can't do as much as a laptop. And every single iPad forces you into Steve Jobs' walled garden.
The Alesis Dock looks all right, but a) it's Alesis, who I put barely above M-Audio and Behringer on the Scale Of Suck. b) It's a $200 breakout box. c) it connects to an iPad and I don't want or need an iPad.
If an iPad fell out of the sky in my lap, I might consider building a breakout according to Reed Ghazala's schematic. But last time I looked no iPad showers were forecast.
Forced into Steve Jobs walled garden is the plot of the book my wife is reading, that might even be the title. It looked kinda sexy. There's a slightly menacing, euro looking dude on the cover (possibly a pirate), and lots of moonlight.
bb
Looks like there are already some issues with this fine Alesis product.
http://touchproducer.com/?p=1571
As far as to what you can not say , would you lean more toward ....
A The no insert included debacle
B Monetary reduction
C competition
Personally was waiting for the EIE from Akai as it has 3 usb ins , midi i/o 4in 4 out 4 inserts same price etc .... Just have to wait and make sure it is class compliant ( though the current spec sheet states as so ) Though I will lose the video out ( I don't care ) I gain a lot more + I can hook up my MS20 usb and my MPK49 as well as send midi out to my tetra etc. !!!!
I can't quite see why they didn't include a usb input on the iPad ...seams like a no brainer as 90% of modern midi controllers are "mobile" and are usb only :? File that one on a a missed opportunity .
Walled garden, waaaa. At least it's pretty in here. Have you played with a Xoom? It's shit.
that should have been " I can't quite see why they didn't include a usb input on the iO Dock " not " on the iPad "
That's a whole other argument that I don't want to get in to .Though I can realistically see that change post iOS 5 hardware builds .
A product that works awesomely, but is restricted is better than an open product that doesn't work worth a damn. Hence, my iPad 2 sees two hours of use per day, while I watch my Android and WinPho7 friends complain endlessly about how big a piece of shit their devices are.
Additional: "I don't want to argue, but here is a list of why I think this thing sucks" is a terrible method to not start an argument. An iPad costs as much as a laptop, but does less? Absolutely! But it also does exactly what I want it to in a far more convenient and efficient manner than my neglected laptop does. ;)
Maybe someone can help me out here with this....are there any apps that are xox style sample players for drum one shots...think technobox...that you dont have to load the samples one by fucking one... you know with like handy < and > buttons to fly through a sample folder.. on the ipad that is.... Nerve does this fine on me lappy...
But er-1.... akai synth...touch OSC...korg doo-dads..tenori on... these things are making the $350 gen one ipads looking attractive...
just saw this.. does this mean it's now "full of techno"? ;)
http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2011/06/nineonine-tr-909-emulator-for-ipad.html
isn't rebirth on the ipad? surprised i haven't heard acid technipad orchestra yet
edit: oh yeah.. duh
http://rebirthapp.com/rebirth-for-ipad/
Boobs... I think Technobox shits on it...
I stopped by the Mega Lo Guitar Mart out in the suburbs yesterday when after picking up a 1x1 MIDI at a local lesser evil guitar chain (Daddy's Junky) for the very purpose of piping some MIDI in/out of the iPad. Anyway, they had a couple of these on the shelf. I didn't open the box or anything, but I have to say I was sorely tempted to take it home. The box makes it look really solid and useful. ;-)
I had the good sense to ask myself, do I really, really need this? Do I really need this *right now*? I honestly thought to myself, 'Well, if it's a good product 1 of 2 things will happen. a. It will stay in production or b. It will stay in production and get an upgrade. If it's crap, I just saved myself a bunch of money letting other people find that out. Let me wait a few months, and if it solves a problem I'm actually having, not one I can possibly think I might have if I really apply myself, then I can look at buying one.'
I'm feeling a lot more confident in my hunch right along now. Cheers.
After thinking about it for a day or so, I'm with Puffer re the IO Dock (and iPad). What would it do for me that my current stash of gear (and other sundry devices) don't do already? .
Don't answer that, rhetorical question....
i'm with chaircrusher. touchpads are highly over rated as instrument/gear controllers. I have no desire for one, except as possibly a portable interwebs reader. and it damn sure wouldn't be one that has an iName.
I got an iPad 2 about two months ago. I was unsure if I would use it very much but my curiosity was so high that I wanted to check it out. Two months in I can say without a doubt that this is the future of computing and I am selling my laptop ASAP. People who hate Apple are just those who hate all things that are beautiful and functional. Yes, Apple products are more expensive but the experience is far superior and things work the way they should.
@ultramike,
I've had the exact opposite experience as you. I wanted one so bad that I eventually convinced myself to buy one. Though I've picked up most of the music apps for it, I'm having trouble working them into my musical workflow. Aside from music, I find it doesn't do anything my laptop and phone can't do, while at the same time replaces neither.
I hate to say it, but it seems the iPads main purpose has become checking imdb to find out what else that actor has been in while watching a movie with my wife.
i'd love an ipad as a touch controller at some point. would be nice for automation.. you know. that app that mirrors your computer.. mirror the DAW or use it for the meta surface in audiomulch or the various morhping things in other apps.
I'm with CR on the subject of Apple v. MS, mostly agnostic. I use PCs for my work and music simply because it's what I could afford when I was investing in hardware/software, and there's no way I can justify a new Mac when I can buy a quad-core Win laptop for well under a grand and not have to re-buy a lot of software. But I've used Mac on tons of freelance jobs, and think for users it's a great OS. And I think the iPad is super nifty. Indeed bought mostly for reading/browsing and it all kinds of whips the laptop for these duties. The twitter client is pretty excellent. No way would I replace my laptop and/or desktop with one. Coding, rendering, pixel level design? Ugh.
The music apps can be cool --tho' I'm being very judicious in what I get. I don't want a ton of software I barely use (I'm looking at you, me 8 years ago). But a non-standard MIDI controller it's pretty slick. I've just started to explore this, but that is why I'm interested in further incorporating this into my 'live' rig. Not much interest in audio in/out at this point, but who knows? So, yeah, just for MIDI at this point I'm good with a 1x1 USB + CCK. When I get my invite for next year's Glastonbury Fest I can reconsider.
I'm actually more or less with DGillespie. I'm hoping one of these upcoming Docks will make it more useful, but as far as making music is concerned, other than the odd novelty here and there, I haven't found a "MUST USE IPAD" scenario since I owned it (and I got one on day-of-release.)
I've had some good times playing games, but honestly, a Tempest machine costs a third as much, and while not as portable, is about a hundred times more fun.
-CR
Doesnt seem to be available in the canadian application store yet. Sucks, I have been wanting to try this out for a while.
I'm actually more or less with Puffer. I don't particularly like Apple and use Macs only because (some of) AD's customers use them. OTOH I use my iPad several times a day, typically. For quickly looking at something online it's faster and more convenient than a laptop. Reading PDFs--something I do rather frequently--is far more comfortable with an iPad than with anything else. Yes, it's useless for typing and yes, one can buy a pretty nice laptop for the same price, so yes, it's more of a luxury item than a laptop. It's kind of a different animal than a laptop, though.
I haven't bought TNR-i yet because 1) I'd first like to know whether it can transmit MIDI, 2) as much as I was wildly enthusiastic about the Tenori-on when it was announced, there seems to be something of a sameness to all of the demo videos of it I've seen. Sooner or later I'll probably cave in to temptation, however.
--Adam
i LOVE my tenori-on...though now i fear it might have been a better idea to wait for this app and have an ipod...*confused*...this is a pretty cool demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0vFvGvIgVU
Recent reviews in the iTunes store suggest that TNR-i lacks MIDI output and the ability to edit the synth voices. Those are pretty serious drawbacks IMHO.
--Adam
No sample slots would be bad enough, but no midi-out?! This looks more like a teaser for the real thing then...
My wife seems to be stealing more and more of my music time so I think an Ipad would be good to use on the shitter to make some boing tschok boom bap.
It works with CoreMIDI. I don't think you can change the channel configuration or anything fancy, but if you plug in the Camera Connection Kit and a USB interface it sends note outs (layers 1-16 send on channels 1-16). If you use Audio MIDI Setup on a Mac and have the Tenori-On app running, your device appears and you can connect to it, and it works over WiFi.
I use my iPad a lot, love it. I love my hardware Tenori-On too and wrote a lot of music on it. I wonder if that's related somehow? I know some people didn't think much of the original T-O for the same reasons people don't like the iPad (toy, limited, underpowered for the price, etc), reasons I understand and don't disagree with, but that don't prevent me from using and enjoying them.
@no op: thanks for the report--that's good to hear re MIDI. If you have any other observations comparing the TNR-i to the original, I'd be happy to hear them.
Your points re the similarities in perceptions of the Tenori-on and the iPad are good ones. The iPad may lack the generality of a laptop, but it makes up for it in portability and immediacy. It doesn't replace a laptop; it's a different thing. A Tenori-on may lack the generality of a workstation keyboard, but it's a different thing.
--Adam
The differences between the original and the app are mostly squishy ones about mood and feel. The feature list and software interface are nearly identical.
The thing I loved about the original was using it as a focused music sketchbook. I would sit down with it two or three times a day for ten or fifteen minutes, every day, and write a new little song. No distractions, no pressure, just play around for a while and see what came out, and save it. Then I could go do something else. After a couple months of that I had a lot of sketches and a good number of them were worth developing further. It also just felt great to be making new music every day.
The iPad version isn't as focused, when you sit down with the Tenori-On app on your iPad, you hear a beep that says you got email so you go check that real quick, and that email has an interesting link so you go check that, and... you get the idea.
You also aren't as invested when you load the app up, it's just another app, if things aren't panning out you know you can just come back later (you don't). Whereas when you pick up the Tenori-On you're making a little commitment to Make Some Music and play with it until you've thrown together something worth saving. The nice thing about that commitment was it never felt intimidating, because the Tenori-On felt like playing around. So on the one hand when you use the device you do end up finishing sketches and Making Music, but on the other you aren't intimidated that they have to be the greatest thing ever so you actually do pick it up on a whim and Create Things two or three times a day without it being a big deal. It's a nice sweet spot, with the end result being lots and lots of new song ideas.
The other big thing that feels different would be the interface. Which is weird because it's an exact rip, but it doesn't quite translate between the two devices. The original was designed with push-able buttons and LED-buttons in mind, and once you get used to it, it feels right. (That actually isn't completely true because I was never quite happy with how/when the LED-buttons triggered, it was never quite exactly when I wanted them to, unlike satisfying keyboard keys.) Not having that tactile feedback, even though it wasn't perfect, is noticeable. This is true of a lot of iPad music apps.
Beyond the tactile part, like I said they just lifted the interface straight from the original hardware, and it's not ideal for the iPad. It feels natural on the device, they were limited with what they could do with buttons and LEDs and designed it with that in mind. On the iPad though you just end up wondering why you have to do everything the hard way. You have a big touchscreen that can display anything, why force you to do these weird button press combinations that make no intuitive sense here?
When they do deviate from the original and put up a bigger menu, it also doesn't feel right. It's just a stock Apple iPad interface menu, and it's a little jarring... it reminds you that you're not holding a Tenori-On, it's just another app. Again, a squishy touchy-feely type thing. But one of the strengths of the original T-O was that it just felt right, and one of the strengths of the iPad is that at its best it also just looks and feels right. Somehow combining the two lost that.
In summary: the limitations of the original felt right, and had some songwriting benefits. All those same limitations all carry over, but somehow don't always feel right. Since the device is (for me) all about mood and feel and definitely not at all about specs, this is kind of a bummer.
I'm focusing on the differences though, and I loved the original. The app is still worth the $20! I mean, only twenty freakin' bucks! It does MIDI! Worth it for bounce mode alone. I paid over a grand for the hardware when it came out.
It's also possible I am finding faults with the app because I paid so much for the original, and want it to still be worth something since I didn't sell it a month ago. Or, I'm just so used to the feel of the original that any change is bad.
Thanks for that good write up!!
@ no op...excellent insights, and you're really describing well the whole hardware vs. the world of apps and plugins difference. I've been wanting to play around with the TenoriOn for quite a while, and naturally thought buying this app would be a great way to get my feet wet. Alas, you're out of luck if you only have an iPhone running ViOS...
@no op -- what they said; thanks a bunch for the excellent write-up. It makes me want to play with a real Tenori-on.
--Adam
@no op -- what they said; thanks a bunch for the excellent write-up. It makes me want to play with a real Tenori-on.
--Adam
Here is a reason one might choose to like TNRi
- it lets you do up to 4 player music jams live over the net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mUhAm4CuVQ
As a Tenori on hardware user, I have done several videos about it, going into a lot of detail.
So far, I am quite pleased with TNRi
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