Kudos for MTS for iPad

[KenHardy]

For the people who have read my posts frequently slammin Giel Bremmer and the "MTS for iPad" program' I want to now personally acknowledge and thank Giel and MTS for the major improvements and updates. They have made it a thoroughly useful, reliable, easy to use and extremely competitive multitrack recording app for the iPad. My out-of-state musical collaborator uses a sophisticated and expensive mini-Mac based software program called Digital Performer in his pro level studio, while I exclusively use MTS and my iPad Air (eschewing my much more complex Sonar-based laptop studio, as well as my older multitrack analog equipment completely). For months we've been individually and collectively writing, arranging, recording, and swapping our .wav, .aiff. .mp3, and .m4a files via DropBox and e-mail (we each have considerable experience in both analog and digital music production). To my great surprise, almost everything we are currently producing is being finally mixed down and mastered by me (mostly from my bed), using just my iPad, studio-quality headset, and the MTS app, rather than doing it laboriously in my colleagues pro-level studio. This is mainly because of the simplicity of the MTS user interface, its incredibly clean effect loops, and the extraordinarily high quality sound we are able to quickly and easily produce using MTS as opposed to Digital Performer. For a while I was actually thinking about switching to Cubasis, but now I just can't see any real benefit to it. Nor do I have any interest in the complex learning curve associated with that app having become very comfortable with MTS. I have never lost any work using it, have never had a crash, and can import and export loops, tracks and full mixes with impunity, completely independent of any iTune syncs (using AudioShare). In my "semi-retirement", I am finally having the time of my life writing, recording, sharing, posting, and producing studio quality music thanks to this inexpensive, but extremely versitle multitrackstudio app and my iPad, creating a full studio that occupies little more than half the second tier of my keyboard rack. Thanks Giel. You've responded nicely to suggestions from this open (and sometimes highly critical) user forum, and in the process have raised your MTS for iPad App to the highest of standards.
Ken Hardy, MD, PhD

[Support]

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see in MultitrackStudio for iPad.


Giel Bremmers

[KenHardy]

One useful suggestion would be to change the default action on the track view button so that each track opens into the fully zoomed OUT view, rather than the fully zoomed In view. When working with multitrack recording, multiple related tracks are often opened simultaneously for audio viewing and comparing. The current default mode opens each track into the fully zoomed in view, blocking the view of audio in all other tracks. While full zoom is occasionally useful for editing, having to manually zoom Out every track which is opened really slows down multitrack recording. If the track view simply defaulted to the zoom out view each time a track was opened, multiple tracks could be easily opened, moved around, and closed for simple audio viewing purposes without blocking each other's view with an unwanted full zoom view. Of course, for intensive editing purposes, any opened track could then be zoomed in and/or out as needed. But most of the time the full zoom view is not needed at all....so it shouldn't be the default view when a track is opened. This would be a very helpful fix, and probably simple to implement.
Thanks,
Ken

[Support]

One useful suggestion would be to change the default action on the track view button so that each track opens into the fully zoomed OUT view, rather than the fully zoomed In view.

I see you point. Not sure what to do about it yet though. The audio editors have a generous height indeed, but MIDI editors do need this size, especially the piano roll.


Giel Bremmers

[KenHardy]

I see your point also. Would it be possible for audio track to default to the zoomed out view, while MIDI tracks would default to the zoomed in view.....best of both worlds.

[maarten]

I noticed that on Mac and windows, a lot of functions of the editors are accessed by holding ctrl or alt and left clicking. Wouldn't it be possible to create a "ctrl" knob on the bottom of the app that gives acces to extra functions like minimizing or maximizing the editor window when pressing the track panel that opens up the editor in the iPad verison of MTS. For example, when you now touch the track panel in a track, the track opens up the editor to its maximum height. My idea is that the editor would open to its minimum height when you touch the track panel while holding down the special "ctrl" button at the same time.

The addtion of one or more a "ctrl" knobs that work in tandem with making a normal selection in the audio editor would also be a nice way to incorporate functions like stretch and warp in the ipad version of MTS; hint, hint

[Support]

Thanks for the suggestions.

How about this:
- The first track editor that gets opened always goes full size, just like it does now.
- If you open more editors the new ones will have the same height as the ones that are already open. If you plan on opening multiple tracks you've probably made the first editor smaller already, so the new ones will be smaller too.


Giel Bremmers

[maarten]

Hi Giel,

That would be a nice way to solve "the problem" in my opinion. Final verdict of the jury?

[KenHardy]

From my standpoint, the initial default should still be the minimal zoom view. Simple viewing, organizing and comparing of individual track audio waveforms during multitrack recording is going to precede individual editing under zoom, which will be done later. Manual zooming and detailed editing of any single track can be easily accomplished after multiple rough tracks are laid down. The default zoom just gets in the way of multitrack views when laying down multiple instruments. And I think the idea of adding a "CTRL - View" option for opening any track to full zoom is brilliant!! Solves all problems and accommodates all recording/editing scenarios. KH

[Littlewoodg]

Could be a set of view Preferences in the Studio menu, "Open all Tracks minimized", "Open Audio Tracks minimized" and "Open MIDI tracks minimized"...I only minimize MIDI tracks when I've finished a section, and I use Audio tracks chiefly for wav clips rather than live recording, so I wave edit mostly minimized (in and out really, to find cut points) and Midi edit maximized...

[KenHardy]

Now that's a great idea! Clearly landscape on the MTS work page is limited. Adding a CTRL or ALt button will gobble up more space and lend itself to accidental touch activation (and possible CPU over-usage?). By building a user "Zoom View" preference into the STUDIO tab, the user could quickly choose whatever view default works best for the individual group type of tracks (Audio vs Midi) being edited within a song. Space on the work screen would not be compromised, accidental touch activation would be obviated, and zoom overview could be easily eliminated or activated throughout an entire multitrack song. This idea gets my vote.
Importantly, however, the feedback from multiple uses on this topic does indeed support the notion that the current track zoom default issue would benefit from an update.