IPAD APP REVIEW
The main location display can be set to either real time (minutes, seconds, milliseconds), Sample Display (at 44100 samples/second), or bars/beats/divisions/ticks, and you can set a Metronome to sound during replay or record (or both) with a choice of time signature and tempo.
I haven’t yet mentioned MIDI, and that’s because there is none. It’s an audio only device but for many users that won’t be an issue and in any case you could easily import a backing drum track in as an audio file if required.
I spend a couple of hours with the Harmonicdog Multitrack app and found it very usable as a tracking and mix reviewing tool. It never crashed and the download and upload of audio files worked first time and every time.
I could easily imagine using this app with iPAD and a compact audio interface as a portable recording setup for doing demo band recordings and for home tracking use. The ability to record up to eight tracks simultaneously sets it apart from GarageBand and from most other iPAD recording apps currently on the market. The built in level control and metering facilities are easy to use and accurate. The editing facilities would be fine if you had to edit a song ‘on the road’, especially due to the ability to zoom in on the waveform displays. Overdubbing is also very easy and effective.
Best features : Up to eight tracks of simultaneous recording at 16bit, 44.1kHz; overdubbing is very well thought out and works well. Very easy to move mixes and individual tracks to and from a PC or MAC.
Weakest points : Pop up Solo and Mute buttons require two presses to operate. The context sensitive ‘hotbox’ is quite fiddly to use.
Rating : 8/10
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