Top 5 Apps for Music Production on Android of 2012
Best 5 Apps for Music Production on Android of 2012
ChordBot Pro
ChordBot is a free offering in the Google Play Store, and the app does what its name implies: It makes it easy to create and record chord progressions. The app offers just about every combination of chord and composition style, and programming is as simple as clicking on a chord and then choosing its duration.
Although ChordBot does take away some of the tedium of playing through different chords and looking for the right sound, its interface does leave something to be desired. There’s no interval setting, and the information density is poor. The inclusion of a sequencer might correct this, but for now there’s a lot of tapping through menus.
Current Version – 2.0
Android Requirement – 2.2+
Avg. Rating – 4.7/5
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Electrum Drum Machine/Sampler
Electrum bills itself as a drum machine, but in terms of features it brings much more. It has full-fledged sampler capabilities built right into it, making it easier to build a song from the ground up. It’s not the best solution for those looking for live instrumentation, but it will satisfy a large chunk of hip-hop heads who want a portable solution.
The app’s layout makes things very easy to manage, with eight pads shown at once and a multi-step sequencer toward the bottom. We didn’t have any complaints with latency and being able to load our own samples was nice. However, the maximum number of steps is sixteen – making it hard to program anything too intricate.
Current Version – 4.6.2
Android Requirement – 1.5+
Avg. Rating – 4.4/5
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PocketBand Lite
Although FL Studio has been promised for Android, it still has yet to be delivered. Fortunately, PocketBand provides a nice alternative. Like FL Studio, it offers a full multi-track sequencer, access to different instruments and drum kits, and some other very nifty features.
Truthfully, PocketBand is the real deal. The user interface is easy to understand, even for the novice, and it brings a new dimension to music production with some of its community-based features. If you’re producing music on Android, PocketBand is a must-have.
Current Version – 3.5.0
Android Requirement – 1.6+
Avg. Rating – 4.4/5
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MyPiano
Although the approach of many apps listed here is to offer an all-inclusive solution, sometimes it’s best to just go back to basics. That’s where MyPiano comes in. The app offers little more than a piano for users to jam away on, but sometimes that’s the perfect recipe for inspiration. With multiple instruments to choose from and support for MIDI controllers, the app is great as a sketchpad.
Sure, it probably wouldn’t hurt to have a few more bells and whistles, but MyPiano’s beauty is its simplicity. MyPiano is excellent at what it does and has a user interface that even a child could use.
Current Version – 3.4
Android Requirement – 2.1+
Avg. Rating – 4.4/5
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The Booth Rap Studio Pro
If you veer more towards wanting to record vocals than music, then The Booth is what you’re looking for. With a large library of beats available to rap over, the app lets MCs hone their skills on their tablet or smartphone. Even better is the fact that producers can upload new beats to the app, making the ecosystem complete.
Essentially, producers and rappers can collaborate anonymously, allowing each side of the spectrum to fine-tune its craft. It’s a slick app, and it’s been updated to match the Holo stylings of Android 4.0 and later. If you’re a rapper or a producer, this might be the app that you’re looking for.
Current Version – 1.8.5
Android Requirement – 2.2+
Avg. Rating – 4.3/5
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