In this episode, we will be diving into what you as a musician can do with the iPad. Jonathan Block has been recording and releasing music for over 30 years. We discuss how his process has changed over the years and dive deep into what his workflows are for creating music on the iPad.
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Chapter Markers
00:00:00: Opening
00:01:29: Apple Podcasts and Patreon
00:02:13: Jonathan Block
00:03:32: Your process before the iPad?
00:08:43: USB-C?
00:13:24: Bluetooth MIDI?
00:16:51: MIDI Saxophone
00:17:37: Jerry Goldsmith
00:18:15: Craig Leon
00:19:29: Your process for creating music on the iPad?
00:24:46: AU Audio Units
00:27:31: ApeMatrix
00:29:10: Cubasis 3
00:30:49: Gauss Field Looper
00:31:55: GarageBand
00:34:38: Logic
00:35:11: Moog
00:35:36: Cubasis 3
00:39:45: Screen recording?
00:41:43: Cubasis 3 – Versions?
00:43:56: Cubasis 3’s Interface
00:47:04: Apple Pencil
00:49:47: Tablet mode
00:50:35: Favorite Stands?
00:52:25: Translating Digital Knobs to Physical Ones?
00:59:21: Performing on just the iPad?
01:01:06: iPad Screen Size
01:02:53: Pedals
01:04:34: MIDI Controllers
01:07:19: AudioKit
01:11:48: Eventide Effects
01:16:03: iReal Pro
01:22:55: Non-Music Things
01:24:58: Personal use
01:25:52: RNI Films
01:26:26: YouTube
01:26:39: Star Maps
01:27:17: Lossless Music?
01:29:25: Where can people find your music?
01:31:33: Closing
01:32:06: Detour by Jonathan Block
YouTube Version of the Podcast
Links and Show Notes
Jonathan Block:
SynthBlock
YouTube – Ambient iPad
BandCamp
External Hardware:
- Mellotron M4000D Mini
- Korg Nano Keys 2 and Micro Keys Air controllers
- Anker USB-C hub
Music apps:
- apeMatrix
- Garageband
- Cubasis 3
- Moog Model D and Model 15
- Klevgr Hillman
- Fingerlab Mellowsound
- IceGear synths (Kronecker, Mersenne, Laplace)
- Bram Bos synths, drum machines and sequencer apps (Gauss Field Looper, Mononoke, Ripplemaker, Ruismaker, Kosmonaut, Rozeta)
- AudioKit Pro apps (AR-909, Digitalism 2000, House Mark I, Synth One)
- Eventide Effects (Blackhole, MicroPitch, Spring, QVox)
- iReal Pro (jazz sheet music app)
- Axon 2
- Fugue Machine
- FAC Chorus
- FAC Phazer
Non-Music Apps
- Files
- Notes
- iMovie
- YouTube Studio
- RNI Films
- Pages
- Amazon
- News
- Wikipedia
Music workflows:
- When just using synths/effects on the iPad:
Korg MIDI controller>Anker USB-C hub>2021 iPad Pro>DAW (apeMatrix, Garageband or Cubasis 3) >synth and effects apps>native iPad screen recording>iMovie>export to Photos - When also using an external synth:
Hardware synth>Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface>Anker USB-C hub>2021 iPad Pro>DAW (apeMatrix, Garageband or Cubasis 3)>synth and effects apps>native iPad screen recording>iMovie>export to Photos - When recording external instruments:
Guitar/bass/vocals>Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 interface>Anker USB-C hub>2021 iPad Pro>DAW (Garageband or Cubasis 3) with AUv3 effects>native iPad screen recording>iMovie>export to Photos
(For all of these workflows, if I need just the audio, I will extract it from the video using AudioConvert)
iPad Pros 