Average hard drive space, iPhone 4S performance, & general questions
Hello, I'm a long time hardware MPC user. I've also had iMPC for a few months and looking at getting an upgrade to something a little more functional on iOS. As of right now my only iOS device is an iPhone 4s with about 5 GB available out of 16.
I'm wondering on average how much space on your iOS device are you guys using up for Beatmaker 2? With the app itself, and IIRC the included sounds how much space does all this take up?
I primarily make "Golden Era" sample based boom bap beats. So basically maybe a couple sliced 4 bar loops, a sliced 2 to 4 bar break beat, some bass, maybe a few sounds from kits thrown in. Basically something you can pull off on just an MPC, or sp1200, or any other traditional beat making machine. With beats made like this, about how much on average would my whole project sizes be with all files and samples and such?
Does the iPhone version have all the same features and functionality as the iPad version? If I get an iPad later on can I use the same app purchase, or do I specifically have to buy the iPad version as well?
Can beatmaker 2 access the folder where the samples I recorded in iMPC are and use them?
Lastly, what am I looking at performance wise on an iPhone 4s? Will the app run smoothly and such? I'm currently running iOS 7.0.4
I'm wondering on average how much space on your iOS device are you guys using up for Beatmaker 2? With the app itself, and IIRC the included sounds how much space does all this take up?
I primarily make "Golden Era" sample based boom bap beats. So basically maybe a couple sliced 4 bar loops, a sliced 2 to 4 bar break beat, some bass, maybe a few sounds from kits thrown in. Basically something you can pull off on just an MPC, or sp1200, or any other traditional beat making machine. With beats made like this, about how much on average would my whole project sizes be with all files and samples and such?
Does the iPhone version have all the same features and functionality as the iPad version? If I get an iPad later on can I use the same app purchase, or do I specifically have to buy the iPad version as well?
Can beatmaker 2 access the folder where the samples I recorded in iMPC are and use them?
Lastly, what am I looking at performance wise on an iPhone 4s? Will the app run smoothly and such? I'm currently running iOS 7.0.4
Comments
BM2 is a universal app, so if you get an iPad it will work on there too. The most space I've ever used with the app and samples etc is about 2.5 gb, but your usage may be more or less.
Search the audiobus forum for a way to get iMPC samples to use in BM2, and finally performance: I use an iphone 4 and an iPad 3. The performance of the iphone 4 is about 1/4th of what my iPad 3 delivers, so for most stuff you should be fine with the 4s.
I think you'll be happy with BM2!
Since it's universal, if I get an iPad I won't have to repurchase it, I just use the same account and just download the same app?
@alien_brain There isn't a single piece of software or hardware that doesn't have it's short comings. One thing I do know is that I'll be able to do a lot more on BM2 than iMPC, and iMPC is basically like using an MPC 60. It's still useable enough to make decent beats with.
You just have to compensate the short comings by doing stuff like choosing sounds that need very little manipulation, are dope enough as is, and things that are really close in BPM to begin with for layering samples and such. That's how the greats did it in the 80's and 90's.
I basically need BM2 for it's chopping and timestretch. If iMPC had those I'd be pretty happy with it.
I did this beat with just iMPC and uploaded it straight from the app.
I think one last question before I bite and actually go get an iTunes card and buy this.
When importing from iTunes I understand that BM2 converts your mp3's into WAV files on import. Do you have to import the whole song? Can you chop out the portions of the WAV you need into new samples and delete the whole song?
I don't think anyone would want to be limited if they don't have to be. In those years it was more about making due with what you have and thinking out the box.
@looper i import the whole songs then trim it down, then Save As. or save over the whole song. And i have only been importing or exporting via Dropbox now, its great.
I bought the app tonight and I'm very pleased. Considering this app more than competes with my MPC 1000 with JJOS, it was well worth the $20. Hmm lets do the math. I bought the MPC for about $700 on Ebay quite a long time ago. I also bought the JJOS which was about $40 I think. Bought a hard drive kit which I think was around $100, and bought a hard drive as well for $60. I also modded it with pad upgrade kit ($100) and super thick sensitive pads ($60). So $1060 vs. $20 You gotta be out your effing mind to sh!t on BM2 with all the functionality you get AND it's portable.
What does an MPC 500 go for? Maybe around $4-500? BM2 KILLS it. Seriously. Honestly, you can't go wrong with this app purchase.
I found it a bit buggy and it crashed, but with the auto save and saving frequently it wasn't a big deal. Heck, my hardware MPC has been buggy with the stock OS. My Logic Pro software has been buggy too!
I didn't find it difficult to learn the workflow and basic file management system. It's nice it even has a file system. iMPC doesn't. You have to manage your files in iTunes, or delete the app and start fresh.
Honestly, I'd recommend this app to any person that has ever used an MPC before.
As far as boom bap dying. hahaha Half of Jay Z's last album was production styled after the golden era Hip Hop period and those beats were made by one of the most popular and successful producers ever, Timbaland. Much of Eminem's beats have a strong boom bap foundation as well. Same with Kanye's. These are all top Hip Hop artists.
Boom Bap is the foundation of Hip Hop. It will die if Hip Hop dies, and that ain't happening anytime soon.
I read one of alien's other re-re-re-re edits, and yes all I want to do is go digging for samples, build my knowledge base of incredible forgotten about music samples and loops, and chop and retrigger other people's music. That's how I like my Hip Hop beats, so that's how I make them. I have gained all the features I wanted out of an app by buying BM2, so I'm good.
Anyways, this is the first lil beat I did with BM2 to figure out how it works. I just uploaded the exported wav straight to soundcloud.
I'll get into the more deeper advanced features and look up tips and tricks as well as read the manual a little later.
@alien just trolls around here bashing the app for some reason, pay no mind..
I dunno I think someone needs meds here. Quick!
Edit: Oh for christ sake I just found your sound cloud https://soundcloud.com/alien_brain
After this I'm done with you. You think your better cause you use canned drums and lame synth sounds and video game sounding BS? You think your better cause your shit is at higher BPM's? It easier to make that bullshit than it is to find and work with say jazz fusion samples by far. A lot of your beats just use sped up breaks and you don't chop or even glitch them that much or even that well for your intended style. Anyone can use a sped up break and wommmp wommmp woooommp synth bass. It's like the easiest shit to do when it comes to electronic music.
I just realized you're just a bitter dude who is trying to lash out at anything and anyone cause you suck. It's not your gear/apps that's the issue. It's you!
Lastly, if you ever bought real gear you would know you could pay thousands of dollars for equipment from some of the biggest names in the biz and still run into the exact same issues as you do with these apps. You think intua's turnaround time for big fixes is bad, or how they stopped updating old apps is bad? Try putting up with worse scenarios when you spend thousands of dollars on gear like the real professionals do. Those guys know what equipment related headaches really are.
Get some perspective and stop being so butt hurt about $.99 - $20 apps
Peace!
Right on Looper knew you would love BM, with that first beat you posted. Any one coming from the MPC will love it.
'Alchemist is the current best hip hop sample based producer IMO "
Good Choice, I would say Kev Brown
I like BM2 a lot so far. I have to delve into the more advanced features. Today I was just setting up the Cyber Duck and Dropbox. It's incredible to have that kind of file management.
Coming from primarily just using an MPC this app really is amazing to me. I never thought I would have something like this in a portable format let alone my phone. After knowing what real gear costs and what you have to put up with when you work with them....$20 is a steal. Straight up!
Like I said before, your complaints about the software not being perfect....go to the forums of any big name gear maker and you will see the same complaints.
I call the stuff besides basic beatmaking features the more advanced features. So basically stuff like mixer/fx automation.
In the first place MOST of the music we sample is very rare and was never "successful" to begin with. A lot of people wouldn't know many artists even existed if it wasn't for Hip Hop. A lot of artists had renewed interest in their music from new generations of people because of Hip Hop. Did you also know that when a song gets sampled and is successful people will go out and buy the original and discover that persons music?
Wouldn't you like it if you made some music that never took off in the first place, someone sampled it 30 years later, made a hit, now people are finally looking into your music and you as an artist?
David Axelrod made a few eccentric jazz albums in the late 60's and early 70's. His albums barely sold in their time. 30 year later they were discovered by Hip Hop producers including Dr Dre and Axelrod made a ton of money off those sample clearances. Got renewed interest in his music, was able to release a new album and even put out a DVD of a new live concert where an orchestra played those same old songs that most people didn't even know existed.
I leave you with as this well:
Good artists copy, great artists steal - Pablo Picasso (One of the greatest artists ever)
However with Hip Hop, those loops are taken out of context and new songs are made. It's up to the producer on how he manipulates the sample. I've completely re-arreanged loops myself and in the process not only changing the melody but the time signature, pitch, and tempo as well. It's not the same song at all when I was done with it. Even adding new drums and basslines, synth parts etc. is still creating and adding on to the creativity that was already inherent in the original music to begin with.
Sometimes those loops at 1-4 bars or even more are the only thing on those whole albums that are even any good. It still takes a creative mind and really good ear for music to find those parts re-work them and turn them into something really dope.
And really if it was all so easy and didn't take skill, and good musical sense than anyone with an MPC or these apps should technically be able to make good music since they are stealing. If you listen to most people trying to make music on these things....the music isn't good at all. So really, it's not like sampling really gives much to those without any talent.
"Coming from primarily just using an MPC this app really is amazing to me. I never thought I would have something like this in a portable format let alone my phone. After knowing what real gear costs and what you have to put up with when you work with them....$20 is a steal. Straight up!"
exactly! iPad kill all the old hardware for me, its the future, got embrace it.
Looper you might get Audiobus app. if you don't have it, great for fx, mixing and a whole lot of other shit. Oh and Audioshare (a must have) and the dropbox app.
http://intua.net/forums/discussion/3899/bm2-ipad-memory-optimization-tips-for-new-and-old-ipads#Item_1