Any music-related app recommendations?

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David Cooper
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Tell us something.: I'm about to have a go at making wooden flutes based on a quena - I want to experiment with changing the hole sizes and locations to make one that's more comfortable to play. I just received an auger through the post today, and there are blown-down trees in the garden waiting to be repurposed, so I'll try to make a start on my first prototype at the weekend.

Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by David Cooper »

Having just acquired a smartphone, I'm beginning to get an idea of what I've been missing out on all this time, but the good stuff is hidden amongst a large pile of ad-riddled junk. What music-related apps have you found that you wouldn't want to do without on a new phone? I won't complain if you also mention a few non-music related apps in a second list, but the music-related ones are where our interests should overlap most closely, so that's the part that matters. (Feel free to mention music-related apps that can also be used on a PC or Mac and where a bigger screen improves their performance.) To set out the format for this, I'll put a starter list of a couple of things in both categories that have caught my eye so far. My list is for Android apps.

MUSIC-RELATED:-

SynprezFM - synthesiser with a wide range of voices enabling you to make professional-sounding music from the start. It instantly had me creating music that could be used as background music in science fiction films, and I'm going to use it to help a friend who makes AI films and who struggles to find suitable music to put on them. The keys are very small, so maybe there are bigger devices that the app would be better used on.

ORG 24 - a very capable organ with three notes pressed at once starting up an accompaniment and changing it every time you hit another three notes, so this gets you straight into producing attractive music. Maybe there are better ones, but this one impressed me after I was underwhelmed with piano apps. Again the keys are very small, but I was still able to play decent music on it.

NON-MUSIC-RELATED:-

Stellarium - I already have this on a PC and it's well known, but I include it here just because it helps establish the format for providing recommendations in this thread.

Monoposto - formula one game. I've never been interested in computer games and deleted all the ones that were pre-installed on the phone after giving them a quick go. I wanted to have a go at a driving game though as some of the skill you can gain there transfers to steering real race cars, and it's been a real insight into learning the different circuits from the driver's point of view, and particularly handling multi-apex corners - this will enable me to appreciate watching the real races a lot more, though I'll have to pay to unlock most of the tracks.

So, what am I missing?
Last edited by David Cooper on Wed Dec 06, 2023 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Tunborough »

I have these on my phone, although some of them don't get much use.

Musical (Instrument)-related apps:
- Instrument Tuner (Pro), by Gebauer Matthias
- TTtuner, by Sbodder
- Spectroid, by Carl Reinke
- Natural Metronome, by Single Minded Productions
- Oscilloscope, by XYZ-Apps
- Sound Meter HQ Pro, by Just4Fun Utilities

Years ago, there was a great app called Pitch Lab; sadly, it is no longer available.

For exploring the natural world:
- iNaturalist
- Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab (It includes sound identification, so I guess it is music-related. :wink:)
- BirdNET, by Stefan Kahl, for bird sound id with more control
- PlantNet Plant Identification
- Sky Map, by Sky Map Devs
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Moof »

Pleased to see another naturalist here!

But for music, I only use the following regularly:

Michael Eskin's ABC tool
http://michaeleskin.com/abctools/abctools.html

Amazing Slow-downer for learning tunes and playing along with recordings
https://www.ronimusic.com

RTTATuner for checking tuning whilst playing (might be iOS only)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rttatuner/id870470418

Soundbrenner metronome
https://www.soundbrenner.com/the-metronome-app/

Plus music streaming services, to find multiple versions of tunes I want to learn.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Nanohedron »

I hesitate to say this, but I've only got a tuner app. I don't have perfect pitch, but I do have strong relative pitch, so when I'm on my own I rely on the app to get the starter pitch I want (usually D), and from there I tune by ear (strings), occasionally checking in with the tuner app to see what's changed on the instrument's starter pitch during the process. Tuning will do that especially when bringing things in from way out of whack: tighten or loosen one course, and naturally the others will lose or gain at least some tension respectively, so corrections and counter-corrections must be made until everything's right, and using the app to monitor the starting pitch is a big help in keeping things in line. It's not that I'm a Luddite; having established the starter pitch, I need to "taste" the rest of the intervals for myself. I might as well use a tuning fork, right?

I suppose it sounds like a tedious thing, but I actually enjoy the by-ear tuning process, even with the problems posed by fretted instruments. The process of getting to the "land of beauty" is supremely satisfying for me. Playing, of course, is another matter.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Wanderer »

Tunepal -- hold it up, hit record, after a few seconds, it will analyze what it heard and try to figure out what traditional tune it was.
You can see someone using it here about 20 seconds into the video

https://youtu.be/tYvTaGkyyqU
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by daveboling »

Tunepal
I teleported home one night
With Ron and Sid and Meg.
Ron stole Meggie's heart away
And I got Sidney's leg.
-- Douglas Adams

'Bundinn er bátlaus maðu'.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Tunborough »

daveboling wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 7:39 amTunepal
The Google Play Store tells me that Tunepal is written for Android 7.0 "and up" but doesn't work on my Android 12 phone. Newer phones are running Android 13 or 14, so David is probably out of luck as far as Tunepal is concerned.
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Tell us something.: I'm about to have a go at making wooden flutes based on a quena - I want to experiment with changing the hole sizes and locations to make one that's more comfortable to play. I just received an auger through the post today, and there are blown-down trees in the garden waiting to be repurposed, so I'll try to make a start on my first prototype at the weekend.

Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by David Cooper »

Thanks for sharing those. I hadn't thought of nature-related apps, so I'll be taking a close look at those.
Tunborough wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:21 pm - Oscilloscope, by XYZ-Apps
I'd be interested to know what you use the oscilloscope for. Can you wire it up to anything?

(And yes, my phone has Android 13 on it.)

By the way, I found Spectroid and installed it on day one as I'm a linguist. On the PC I use Praat.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Tunborough »

David Cooper wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 12:18 pm
Tunborough wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:21 pm - Oscilloscope, by XYZ-Apps
I'd be interested to know what you use the oscilloscope for. Can you wire it up to anything?
I don't use it much, and haven't used it for anything practical at all. It shows only what the microphone picks up.
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David Cooper
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Tell us something.: I'm about to have a go at making wooden flutes based on a quena - I want to experiment with changing the hole sizes and locations to make one that's more comfortable to play. I just received an auger through the post today, and there are blown-down trees in the garden waiting to be repurposed, so I'll try to make a start on my first prototype at the weekend.

Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by David Cooper »

Tunborough wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 4:10 pm
David Cooper wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 12:18 pm
Tunborough wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:21 pm - Oscilloscope, by XYZ-Apps
I'd be interested to know what you use the oscilloscope for. Can you wire it up to anything?
I don't use it much, and haven't used it for anything practical at all. It shows only what the microphone picks up.
Ah, then you've just sold the idea to me nicely: anything that provides an alternative way to view sound is worth having.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Wanderer »

I'm using Android 13, and Tunepal works perfectly on my phone.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Moof »

Test post (having trouble!)

Ah, okay. Just a couple of words works fine.

Edited to add: but not more than a few words. Still can't post what I intended, as I've been getting a server error since yesterday.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Nanohedron »

Moof wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:35 pm Test post (having trouble!)

Ah, okay. Just a couple of words works fine.

Edited to add: but not more than a few words. Still can't post what I intended, as I've been getting a server error since yesterday.
We'll check the Board.
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David Cooper
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Tell us something.: I'm about to have a go at making wooden flutes based on a quena - I want to experiment with changing the hole sizes and locations to make one that's more comfortable to play. I just received an auger through the post today, and there are blown-down trees in the garden waiting to be repurposed, so I'll try to make a start on my first prototype at the weekend.

Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by David Cooper »

Wanderer wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 1:31 pm I'm using Android 13, and Tunepal works perfectly on my phone.
I'm getting a message saying "This app isn't available for your device because it was made for an older version of Android", so I can't try it. And it's definitely using Android 13.
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Re: Any music-related app recommendations?

Post by Moof »

Nanohedron wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 7:29 pm
Moof wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:35 pm Test post (having trouble!)

Ah, okay. Just a couple of words works fine.

Edited to add: but not more than a few words. Still can't post what I intended, as I've been getting a server error since yesterday.
We'll check the Board.
Thank you - still getting a server error for a two paragraph post.
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