May 09

That the iPhone and iPod touch has proven itself to be one super device, one only has to look at the current list of apps already released without the official SDK.

One other thing that baffled me some time ago (before i had my own iPhone) was the iBand. iBand is a group of people who make music only whit there iPhones and iPod touches.

But what would they have been without the developers from MooCow? MooCow is the guy (Mark Terry) almost solely responsible for all the music instruments they play on there devices.

Today MooCow Music has outperformed himself again and released the MooCowMusic Band app.
I already posted some news regarding this super app, you can read about it here and here.

I installed it an boy it’s great. You have 7 instruments and an audience generator to start with.

There’s also a metronome built in and you can record and playback the music you created.
Another great feature is the fact that you can create your own music instruments !

The list of things you can do with the app is very long and i will use the developers notes to describe it correct.

Features

  • Play and record multiple instruments
    • Drums, bass, guitars, keyboards can all be played and recorded into one song from the same application.
    • There are no limits on the instrument interface, enabling not only standard instruments but also unusual, outlandish, or completely novel instruments to be created and played.
    • MooCowMusic:Band can be expanded with future instrument packs and user-created instruments.
    • Multitouch – press up to five keys at once for complex chords.
    • Animation shows keys being pressed, strings being struck, etc.
  • User-definable instruments
    • All instruments in MooCowMusic:Band are defined as simple text files, making it easy to create your own instruments to use within the application. As long as you can edit a text file, create or find some sound samples, and create a graphic backdrop, then you can design and build your own instrument. Alternatively you can import instruments that other people have created for you by simply copying them to the application Instruments folder.
  • Recording and Playback
    • Any instrument can be recorded, or overdubbed onto a previous recording. The only limitation is note polyphony.
    • Each instrument has an overlayed panel at the top of the screen containing all the common controls for recording and choosing an instrument.
    • Via a settings menu, the user can erase any mistakes by erasing select instruments from the mix, or even the last few notes recorded.
    • After erasing, the user can go back and overdub replacement notes onto the track.
  • Metronome
    • To aid in timing, a metronome is available which can be enabled or disabled during recording.
    • The metronome tempo is configurable, as is the number of beats per bar.
  • Advanced audio engine
    • Mono or stereo samples. 14.1Khz 16Bit.
    • Multisampled instruments, with each key triggering a separate sample.
    • Samples stop when you lift your finger, allowing more expression.
    • Configurable Attack stage of playback allows samples to fade in gradually.
    • Configurable Release stage of playback allows samples to fade out when you release the note.
    • Samples can be defined to loop for as long as the key is pressed.
    • Each instrument can be indepenently panned and its volume set, to position it in the mix.
    • Each instrument can be muted.
    • Each instrument can be soloed (mute all other instruments and just allow this one to play).
    • Play along to your MP3s.

1) Let’s locate band in the installer. you will need to install Band first and then install the Instrument Pack 1.

2) Let’s start the app and look at the instruments first.

3) Tap the play instruments button to get started.
4) Let me first walk you through the buttons on the top.

Rec = to record your song
Play = playback your song
Setup= setup the instruments
Prev = previous instrument
Next = next instrument
Mute = mute this instrument
Solo = only play music from this instrument

5) Now let’s have a look at all the current instruments that are available.

Rock Kit

The funky Drummer

The bassist

The grand piano

The 12 Bar Blues

The Scratch table

The Dance (drum machine)

And the audience

6) Let’s have a look at splash Screen. You can go to the setup screen here, which gives you some options.

– Recorder (let’s you manage your previous notes)
– Instrument let’s you set :
– The global volume
– The volume and pan per instrument
– The latency
-The metronome
– Let’s you set the volume and the tempo

The loading and saving of your songs ins’t yet possible but in a future release it will.

I know what you are thinking now, how can i add my custom sounds.
that’s easy, connect with your favorite sftp program and browse to the directory /var/mobile/Media/MooCowMusic/Band/Instruments and upload your custom .wav files.

A video of the app in action :

This little app is available in the Installer.app through the modmyifone packaging source, see our sources page.

Enjoy

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3 Responses to “MoocowMusic band released!”

  1. spartan Says:

    hey i have an ipod touch but i cant find it on installer and i have the source. i only find the instruments. :cry: can someone please send me the files for it to download manually please upload them or something. THANK YOU

  2. crebou Says:

    for me too.
    Only the instruments pack 1 on the installer :???:
    If someone can make a package for a manually install, thanks :)

  3. Syntax Era Says:

    SIX MORE INSTRUMENTS FOR BAND…

    Including:

    Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
    Bit Slider
    Michael Jackson Mash Up
    iPhish – Phish Comeback Instrument
    Clouse Encounter of the 3rd Kind
    Aphex Twin / AMEN Drum Kit

    All can be downloaded off my repo:

    http://www.myREPOspace.com/repo/syntaxera

    For YouTube Demos of a few of the Instruments… http://www.YouTube.com/iPhoneScale

    ENJOY!

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