Looptical is the complete music production solution for the iPad and iPhone. Record your musical ideas on the go, and mix them into a finished track there and then, or use them as the basis for a new project back at your studio.
A couple of short videos demonstrate Looptical on both iPad and iPhone.
Go to the Media tab above to listen to the demo tracks that ship with Looptical. Or visit the Tutorials tab to watch videos on various aspects of the app.
Play the Music
Use the 128 note piano keyboard to play and record music into a track. Add a solo with the Scale Keyboard, set to your choice of scale and key, merely by sliding a finger up and down the screen. Strum or pick your own palette of chords in the Chord Guitar. Turn on the Arpeggiator to turn a few held notes into a complete bassline. Add rhythm with Drum Pads, and fills and rolls with the Drum Roller. Record vocals or real guitars to accompany your sequenced tracks with the Audio Recorder.
From Riff to Full Song
Start the song-writing process by creating a few short loops, and then use the Loop Bank to manipulate them to intuitively build towards the final song. Remove unwanted notes by switching to Delete mode and playing over the top of them. Strip a loop into individual tracks and sections with the Event List, ready to combine in ever more complex ways. With Looptical, crafting a song is simple, even on a small screen.
Mix the Track
Up to 24 tracks can be added and mixed with Looptical's Mixer. Add up to five Insert effects to each track, and a single Send effect to send a variable amount of signal to the global Reverb. All mixer and effect parameters are automated and can be recorded directly into the song. Record a filter swell, fine adjustments to EQ, delay feedback, or power up an overdrive or bit-crusher mid-track. The filter effect offers a number of filter types (eg. Low pass, High Pass, Band Pass, Formant) with an XY pad or synced LFO.
Make Your Own Instruments
Making instruments in Looptical is easy. You can import samples from your desktop, or copy/paste them from another iOS app such as a synthesizer. Then assign the sample to a drum pad, or to a key on the keyboard: that's all it takes. For a wider-ranged sound you can assign pitched samples to additional keys and Looptical will intelligently fill in the gaps for you. Trim samples, and make perfectly looped sounds directly within the app. You can even record a riff, beat, or texture, export it to the pasteboard and then import that directly onto a pad or key. Share instruments with other Looptical users on our forum.
Add Vocals or Guitars
Record vocals with the iPad or iPhone built-in microphone and add your own effects with live monitoring. Overdub, or record in separate tracks and playback in sync with the sequencer. Plug in an iOS audio interface such as the Apogee Jam and use an external microphone to beef up your vocals. Connect a guitar and record via third-party guitar effects apps with Inter-App Audio or Audiobus.
Use an External Keyboard
Plug in an iOS-compatible MIDI keyboard (such as the Line 6 Mobile Keys) and you can break out of the virtual screen and compose using a full hardware piano keyboard. Play drum parts by assigning piano keys to each pad, or effortlessly noodle a solo by playing the Scale Piano from the major keys. Assign spare MIDI controllers such as Pan or Modulation to directly control automation parameters in Looptical insert effects.
Instruction Manual
A fully comprehensive instruction manual is provided within the application, and can additionally be viewed here before purchase.
iPhone Manual
iPad Manual
Ever hear an iPhone sing opera?
During the testing process, we wanted to see how far we could push Looptical away from the obvious 'sequenced beats' style of track. It turns out: quite far!
And finally: A dancing chicken
