CAUSTIC 3

It’s rare that we find an app so complete in its own right that we cannot help but gape at the convenience provided by our mobile devices. Caustic 3 is a miracle app that provides the user with all the tools needed for making music that only a high-tech studio could offer: and it all fits in the palm of your hand. That might sound exciting and intimidating at the same time, but you would be surprised at how nifty the app will seem once you start to get a hang of it. All you need then is some creativity.

User Interface

Caustic 3 is a platform for creating music that lets you make your own beats and patterns with the help of numerous synthesisers and samplers. The UI of the app seems no different from the advanced music- making software used by professionals. That said, it will seem daunting for a newbie, but with a little messing around and a few minutes of tutorials, you should be able to create a basic track. Just like with any other top-notch software that have a ton to offer, this app needs a little getting used to, but trust us when we say that it is easier than it looks. A little effort is all that’s needed.

The UI is organised in a vertical display to go with modern Android device screens. The screen will display multiple racks and sliders that you can flip through with a piano roll below each rack to input the notes and progress on your pattern. There are a lot of sliders, knobs and other options; play with them for a while and everything will fall into place. And the problem with having so many options is that even in the biggest handheld displays, the UI might seem a little congested; the makers seems to have decided to give the users everything they could, regardless of how pretty the UI might look.

Features

Caustic 3 is basically a whole music studio cramped into your mobile device, so expect it to contain all the effects, synthesisers, racks, equalisers, mixers and various other features anyone would ever need to produce a hit track. It has built-in synthesisers and sound presets—more specifically, 14 different machines with 16 types of effects, with up to two effects per channel. You can also apply all sorts of effects, from reverb and to delay to snazzier additions. Users can also load their own samples and import them.

Pros:

Extremely loaded with features for creating studio-quality music tracks.

External keyboards are also compatible with the software.

Runs very smoothly on even some of the older Android devices.

Even the free version will put other similar paid apps to shame.

Cons:

Beginners might shy away from using the app as it is extremely complicated for casual enthusiasts.

You cannot save and export your created track unless you purchase the full version.

Verdict

If you are a music enthusiast who does not mind spending an hour or two working on your music, then this app is made just for you.

9 out of 10

Groove Mixer

Android/free

Groove Mixer is a much simpler app that allows music makers to create their own tracks with ease and without much hassle. The app simplicity defined: even if you just noodle around with it, you might eventually end up with a decent track, but you do need to have at least a little bit of musical knowledge. Groove Mixer is aimed at both the most casual of music lovers as well as the more hardcore crowd. The app makes the crafting process as simple as possible. The app is basically a drum machine/synthesiser with a large variety of patterns and composition options.

User Interface

The UI on this app is neat and simple. After you are done downloading  the app, you are presented with a screen with a list of patterns; the notes are already in pattern and sequence so there is not much actual you can do to actually create a horrible track. Simply begin by adding sounds to the pattern and choose the preferred beat. Repeat the process and combine different sounds and adjust the settings to your preference, and voila, you have your track ready. You can choose to make it a little more sophisticated if want to by playing with all the features on offer. Finally, you can export your music as a WAV file or send it to soundcloud.

Features

Groove Mixer features an 8-channel step sequencer, a flawless pattern/channel mixer and the ability to import samples from your SD card, which can come in very handy. It comes with samples from synthesising machines that were released earlier, like the TR-808, TR-909 and Linn; these are some great tools to get you started. You can adjust the BPM (beats per minute) from 40 - 200 BPM, and it can be done across 8-channels and more. There are already enough samples for you to begin with, and an option of adding more through web access. If you are into dubstep and RnB, then this is the app for you.

Pros:

Very simple and neat UI.

Easy to use and get creative with for beginners.

Option to directly upload the file onto soundcloud.

Cons:

Very limited for more advanced users.

We experienced repeated crashes so it is advised that you save your progress manually.

Verdict

The app is aimed at casual music lovers and also for the beginners who want to get into advanced music- making. The app is not overwhelming, so it delivers what it promises. It’s simple and easy to use, yet there are ways to get creative and add sophistication, depending on who uses it.

7.5 out of 10