Since its conception, the iPad has always had the potential to be a great mobile controller.  This potential is finally coming to fruition, thanks to companies like Liine who are converting their legendary hardware into an iOS format.

The Lemur is a welcomed addition to the world of iOS.  It draws on a lot of traits that make the hardware so popular. Any software or hardware that can be controlled by MIDI/OSC can be controlled by Lemur. This makes it an extremely powerful tool for DJ’s, producers, and engineers a like.

Lemur has core MIDI support and can even let you control up to 8 computers at one time.  Template creation and sharing are also valuable assets to this program.

With this app you have the ability to control anything you want – so long as it’s MIDI/ OSC compliant.  The thing that catches us off guard is the $50 price tag, which makes it one of the most expensive music apps we’ve come across.  While it may be an app of great detail, there are a lot of other controller apps that only cost a fraction of the price.

Be sure to do your research and make sure this is a ‘must have’ before you drop the big bucks!

GarageBand for iOS 1.2 comes as a welcomed addition to the evolutionary chain of Apple’s music apps.  Rightfully so, it’s packed with some cool new features.  For starters, we now have a MIDI editor!  It’s about time! It’s fair to say that MIDI editing should have been available since the apps conception, but Apple seemed to get it right this time in a good way.

Another cool feature is the ability to merge tracks together to consolidate and save space.  You can bounce up to 8 tracks at a time if need be.  You’ll also get some extra Smart Instruments and a much easier way of exporting and sharing your musical works with other people.

Jam Session takes sketching musical ideas to a whole new level.  This allows up to 4 iOS devices running GarageBand 1.2, to sync to a central host, making it a great tool for bands.

If you don’t already own GarageBand, you’ll definitely want to get it now!

Glitch Machine is a unique sound generator for your iPad.  It makes use of a waveform display and  programmable code (RPN), which can be altered via the calculator layout.  RPN code-lovers will probably feel like their eating chocolate sundaes in Heaven while playing with this app.  The rest of us, however, will be stuck pressing random buttons until we create a sound we like.

It’s worth noting that there’s a certain amount of ambiguity that stems from more obscure forms of sound creation. Often times you’re left scratching your head trying to create something decent, but other times, that lack of know-how makes you rely on your creative prowess more, which can take you some unexpected places.

In regards to Glitch Machine, this is as much of a strength as it is a weakness.  Many people will find the idea of entering in code to create sound uninspiring.  Others will love it.

Either way, the app is capable of creating some cool quirky sounds even if you don’t know what you’re doing.

For a few dollars, Glitch Machine, is an app worth looking at.

The TC-11 is a multi-touch synthesizer for the iPad.  It takes an unconventional approach to sound creation and delivers some interesting results.  Sound is expressed by touch relationships (distance, angle, timing). Simply touch, slide, and drag your fingers across the screen.  It also makes use of the gyroscope and accelerometer built into your iPad.  Things like tilting or shaking your iPad can have a unique effect on your sound as well.

The strength of the TC-11 is its complex routing options – which are fully programmable.  The possibilities seem endless.  You can set up any number of effects, filters, and mods to respond to your touch or movement in a specific way.  The result is a very expressive sound.

It comes with 64 patches, which isn’t exactly a truck load, but you can create an unlimited number of patches yourself.  It’s also easy to share them.

The TC-11 is capable of producing some extremely interesting sounds, but also carries a hefty price tag ($30).  If you’re an electronic producer that likes to take sound creation to new places, then this could just be the app you’re looking for.

TouchOSC is an app that turns your iPad into a modular control surface.  It uses Open Sound Control (OSC) to communicate with compatible DAW’s and software via WIFI.

Setting up the app can be a bit tricky, but they do have some documentation and installation help available.  Once installed, you have complete control over the program you’re communicating with.    For example, when synced to a DAW, you can adjust track levels, inserts and effects, pan information and much more.

You can create custom layouts based on the software you’re controlling and it comes with additional layouts that are optimized for certain types of use (mixing, drum sequencing, etc.).

TouchOSC is a great app for getting more musical real estate out of your iPad.   Whether it be as an edition to your home studio or as a live performance tool for DJing, this is a great app worth owning.

SampleWiz is a unique sampling app for the iPad.  It offers three different sampling modes:

Classic – sample playback will speed up or slow down according to change in pitch.

Granular – adjust the grain size and speed while the range of notes maintain the same speed.

Modern – adjust formant and time to preserve the speed of a sample despite changes in pitch

Recording samples is extremely easy. The setup and workflow of SampleWiz makes multisampling a breeze too.  You can record samples through the built in mic or even import your own via iTunes file sharing.

The app also comes with a collection of synth sounds from Jordan Rudess’ personal collection.

Having trouble learning the app?  The onboard help screen breaks it all down for you.

If you’re looking for innovative methods of sampling and sound creation, then SampleWiz has what you’re looking for.  Be sure to check it out.

Meteor is a multi-track workstation for the the iPad.  It gives you the ability to record and mix up to 12 tracks.  It houses a rich collection of features like importing and exporting MIDI files, Pasteboard support,  sample importing, effects processing and more.

Meteor has a lot to offer, but with that comes a sizable price tag.  The basic app starts at $20.  To get the most out of it, you’ll want to purchase some of the key add-ons like the Virtual Instruments Bundle ($15) and the MIDI editor plug in ($8).  Throw in a couple of extra effects and that will put you up around the $50 mark.

To a serious music professional, spending $50 is next to nothing for a solid music production platform.  However, we’d consider it somewhat pricey for anybody outside of that scope.  It’s definitely well worth the money in the right situation.

BeatMaker 2 is a mobile music creation platform for the iPad.  It relies on a multi-track sequencer for pattern arrangement and song building.   Its sample editing and extensive sequencing capabilities make it quite the feature-laden program.

The sound library is decent and the drum pads respond to touch nicely.  You can bounce down WAV and MIDI files.  Network sharing is easy.  Save customized projects and kits.  Auto-save is a great feature as well.

When Intua released BeatMaker 1, they charged $20 for the app and basically never updated it.  This made a lot of customers upset when they released BeatMaker 2 and wanted to charge another $20 to upgrade.  If there’s any downside to this app, it might be a lack of customer satisfaction.

BeatMaker 2 currently cost $10, which isn’t a bad price for what the program has to offer.

Arpeggionome is an app specifically designed for music production on the iPad (no iPhone or iPod Touch versions).  As its name implies, it focuses purely on the nature of arpeggios and creating complex note progressions.

Arpeggionome revolves around an X / Y grid that can be used to specify pattern notes (X) and pattern speed (Y).  Manage up to 480 notes per second!

Choose a preset or create an arpeggio from scratch using parameters such as – Key & Scale, Octave Range, Control Range, and more.  You can also save your presets and patterns so they can be used at a later time.

Arpeggionome is a cool app with some decent sounds, but we would like to see a wider selection of presets and more features.  Some quality updates could really elevate this app to new heights.

If you’re looking for an iOS synth that focuses on arpeggios, then Arpeggionome is definitely what you’re looking for.

Piano Dust Buster is another musical app from the music-gaming guru Joy Tunes.  The idea behind Piano Dust Buster is simple – take any external piano or keyboard and use it to traverse through the app’s challenges.

As always, music-gaming apps are a great way to get your kids interested in learning music. The visual aspect of the game does a great job of keeping things fresh and exciting.  Your kids will find this app as entertaining as it is rewarding.

You can choose from a classy selection of songs and this catalog is constantly being updated.  Don’t have an old piano or keyboard laying around?  No problem.  Use the on-screen piano roll to play along.

Did I mention the app was FREE?  If  you’re looking for creative ways to get your kids excited about playing music, Piano Dust Buster is a great app worth checking out.