Pro Music Apps Exploding On The iPad

Back in April, I talked about one of the apps that convinced me the iPad was worth getting and it was the Korg iElectribe [iTunes link].  It was $9.99 at the time (it's $19.99 now) so I grabbed it.  I still haven't used it to its fullest potential but it's an awesome app.  Check out this video comparing the real $500 professional gear with the iPad app:




Recently, professional apps and hardware for the iPad have been exploding.  Here's a rundown of my favorite:

ReBirth for iPad [iTunes link] - If you want to be a DJ and you have only $14.99 to spend on an iPad app this is the app you want.  It has some classic music gear from the 1980s:  two Roland TB-303s, a Roland TR-808, and a Roland TR-909.  The sounds from them are still constantly used on popular music today and they're fully functional in the ReBirth app.  Here's a video from the developer of the app:






There is also a ReBirth iPhone app [iTunes link] for $6.99.
Korg iMS-20 [iTunes link] - Here's another professional simulation of classic gear this time from the late 1970s and early 1980s.  It's a little more expensive than ReBirth at $15.99 but it has some distinct features.  While you can program your beats and bass lines like ReBirth, there's also a monophonic keyboard you can play from or there are a couple of Kaoss Pads which are configurable.  You can also plug in patches to get the exact sound you want.  Since I never used a real MS-20, I'm not too sure how that all works.  Here's a demo of the app:

Bluetooth AirTurn BT-105 for iPad - This is not an app but rather hardware that syncs with the iPad's Bluetooth technology.  I play drums at my church and I use the MusicReader app for the iPad.  However, since both hands are almost always being used, it's hard to turn the page with a tap or swipe.  The AirTurn BT-105 is a wireless solution that uses foot pedals to advance the page or go back a page.  It's ingenious.  On Friday, I got an e-mail from AirTurn, Inc. that the product was on sale.  A day later, I got an e-mail saying that the product is sold out and December 10 will be the next day it's available.  Here's a video on how it works:

Algoriddim, the company that makes the djay software for the Mac, is coming out with an iPad app.  I know this will be a bestseller when it comes out in the App Store:

Another app called Mixr is also slated to be released this year.
Perhaps with all of these apps and the upcoming iOS 4.2 update, which includies MIDI capability using the Apple Camera Connection Kit, we may all be a little closer to being the next iPad DJ.  Rana Sobhany is THE iPad DJ and you can check out her website here.