Revolutionising Music
It’s time to empty out your gig bag; Guitar Toolkit has changed the game for guitarists. Guitar Toolkit incorporates the essentials for all guitarists in one simple to use app. Featuring a chromatic tuner, metronome, chords, scales & arpeggios, this app has been designed to ensure there are no faults with your set-up before taking the stage. Not only is it the perfect gigging tool, it also allows for guitarists to enhance their skills and refine their playing technique, ensuring that they reach their full potential.
GarageBand turns your iPhone/ iPad into a mini recording studio with a collection of ‘touch’ instruments. Using multi-touch gestures, you can manipulate various tones and sounds through a variety of instruments such as piano, drums and even guitar. Perhaps its best feature though is the compatibility with electric guitars. If you have the right adaptors, you can plug in your guitar to play through classic amps and stompbox effects, giving you an effects library at your fingertips. With up to 32 tracks supported, you can rely on your mobile device to record your next demo.
*Only available on Apple iOS
Struggling to afford a synthesizer? There is an app that will save you thousands! Created by one of the most influential companies in music, Animoog, powered by the new Anisotropic Synth Engine (ASE), is Moog Music’s first professional polyphonic synthesizer designed exclusively for the iPad. With an intuitive interface, you can control modulation, pitch shifting, tones and filters all with finger gestures. With a library of sampled sounds from Moog analog synths, it’s time to start sampling some tracks.
*Only available on Apple iOS
If there is one thing that bothers me, it’s discovering a new band on the radio only to not hear their name and then be searching for weeks to try and find them. Shazam has solved this issue with their incredible sound detection software. Why do you need to know about other bands? Well Shazam will come in handy when you hear your next song’s inspiration on the radio. With Shazam, you can check out the song lyrics, and you can find the band’s discography too. Who knows, maybe you will discover your next supporting act?
Have you ever forgotten that really sweet riff you wrote the night before because you didn’t take note? Song Keeper allows you to notate, record and share your song ideas without having to worry about getting a pen and paper. With the ability to record two tracks in one session, you can capture drums and guitar, or leads and rhythm, and then share your genius ideas to other members in your band.
Your Personal Assistant
I know we all wish we had a manger that could take care of our every need, someone who we rely on to organise our busy schedule. But let’s face it; it’s not in our budget (yet). Let technology handle the dirty work for you! As a musician, you need to be well organised in order to achieve your goals, and it can be overwhelming at times trying to juggle your own project with your personal life and perhaps another job. Let’s take a look at a few apps that are designed to keep you organised.
Google have become a lot more than just a search engine. They now have a range of apps that have been specifically designed to create a more efficient lifestyle. Google Docs is your best friend when it comes to note taking. Is your band collectively writing the album? Then start up a Google Doc. Each band member can sign into their account, and contribute at the same time to one doc. This can become a very powerful tool in writing processes if band members live far away, or even interstate.
Your band can’t truly operate properly until all members are on the same page. With a motto of “be less busy”, Slack is an app truly designed to keep teams working in the same space, and for teams who need to communicate regularly throughout the day. Yes, this app was originally designed for businesses, however your band needs to function like a small business in order to gain success. With this app, you can keep all band members on track with band management issues, and you can also use it to work together on your next big project.
Are you overwhelmed with organising your band’s touring schedule? Well there is an app for that too. Master Tour is designed to organise your itinerary, travel, production, accounting and more in one application. With the app, you can work on or offline and share critical information with your crew in real-time, allowing for your national tour to run smoothly. There is of course a downside, to access all features you do need to pay for a subscription, but if you are in a band that tours quite frequently; this app is a lifesaver.
Social Media management is also a critical aspect of band persona, and one that should always remain a high priority to ensure your band continues to grow. However, managing multiple accounts over several social media platforms can become a major headache. Thankfully, Hoot Suite was invented to bring all of your social media accounts all to one easily manageable interface. With Hoot Suite, you can intergrade your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ account – or any other social media platform your band may use (some exclusions do apply) – into one account and manage them from a simple interface. You can schedule posts, engage with audiences and even analyse your growth through their analytics. There are different services plans, however their free plan incorporates all of the necessary features that your band needs.
