On Loopy, and the iPad

Update: Loopy HD is released!

Loopy hd iconIf you’ve been aware of the goings-on at camp A Tasty Pixel lately, you’ll be aware that Loopy HD is on its way.

This is the iPad-friendly version of Loopy, and it’ll be available on October 6.

In advance of the happy occasion, I thought I’d outline our Master Plan.

Once Loopy HD is out, there’ll be two versions of Loopy:

  • Loopy will remain at its low $2.99 price point, and will remain iPhone only.
  • Loopy HD will be available at a more iPad-esque price point, $7.99, and is targeted specifically at iPad users. However, Loopy HD will actually be a Universal app, so that iPad users can also use the app on their iPhone without having to purchase the app again.

Loopy HD will take advantage of that nice big screen, and will have a configurable number of tracks — 6, 9 or 12.

To cater for existing iPad owners who have already bought a copy of Loopy, Loopy HD will be available at a dramatically reduced price for launch, so you won’t have to pay full price — we’ll let you know via an in-app message from Loopy (and the usual channels) when it’s available.

Until then, I’m getting back to work!

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Featured Artist: Ian Ljungquist

There’s some very interesting things emerging from Loopy’s user base lately, and I thought I’d start writing about some artists who are using Loopy to great effect.

McKittrick by Breakable Plans

Ian Ljungquist sings in and writes for 4-piece Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Me You Us Them. Since discovering Loopy, Ian has begun a new experimental solo project entitled “Breakable Plans“, in which he explores the medium by creating loop-based music spontaneously and with whatever’s on hand at the time. In his words:

“I’ve always loved making loops. Creating loop-based music has been a passion of mine since I first discovered the extremely limited loop function on an old Line 6 Echo Pro delay rack unit.”

“I’ve been having so much fun with [Loopy] that I decided to turn it into a project in which I embrace, and even place emphasis on the limitations of the process. The idea behind “Breakable Plans” is that I just very casually and spontaneously record when I feel the urge, using only Loopy for iPhone, my voice, and whatever else is laying around.”

Ian’s unique deep-layering recording technique yields some fascinating results, lending a depth and scale to his “vocal electronic” productions that defy their humble iPhone-based origins.

Definitely someone to keep an eye on, Ian continues to post his creations on SoundCloud under the “Breakable Plans” moniker.

Right Where I’m Supposed To Be by Breakable Plans

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Loopy 2.0.1 coming soon, with noise gate/expander, more

Loopy 2.0.1 Screenshots
We just submitted Loopy 2.0.1 to the App Store!

Update: It’s now available!

The new version includes:

  • Full-featured noise gate/expander, with auto-calibration
  • Bigger panel and clock controls
  • Document support: Import loops from Mail and other apps
  • Play/pause button on main screen (great for breaks)
  • Option to add track to Loopy’s SoundCloud group when publishing
  • Many more improvements and bug-fixes

Expect it to land in a week or so. Now, off to work on the next version..

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Improvements coming to Loopy 2.0.1

Loopy 2.0.1 improvementsI’m hard at work on Loopy 2.0.1, which will include a few improvements:

  • A much bigger bottom display, with paged clock manipulation controls for easier access to the most-used functions
  • A play/restart button on the main loops screen
  • Clearer distinction between muted and unmuted tracks
  • The option to automatically begin overdubbing after first record
  • Import loops from Mail and other applications straight into a Loopy 2 session
  • Single sign-on for SoundCloud, including Facebook link support

Look out for it soon.

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Loopy 2 launch – now with real fruit pieces

Loopy 2
I’m very pleased to announce the launch of our new app, Loopy 2! It’s a pretty, easy-to-use but feature-packed looper for making music by layering looped recordings of singing, beatboxing or playing an instrument (or banging cutlery together).

It’s currently on sale for launch, so take a look! We’re very proud of it.

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Another, more complete, Loopy 2 demo, with singing and everything

Bear with me here – I’m a software developer, not a looper!

This is an early preview of Loopy 2 for iPhone (and soon iPad). Six tracks, simple touch controls. Tap a track to start recording, tap it again to stop. Tap in the middle to overdub, or elsewhere to mute the track. Drag one track onto another to merge instantly (not shown in this demo – another time!).

Inbuilt tempo settings (including live audio scaling, if you change the tempo mid-session), full stereo audio, volume and pan settings.

There’s plenty more, and I’ll demo them all in the weeks to come. Subscribe here, or over at loopyapp.com to stay tuned!

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