How to make a track in Tabletop, part 4 (including thirdparty 'Tabletop Ready' devices and the in app device store)

After using the three main software instruments that come free with Tabletop, I went to the device store and saw the Akai iMPC.  I'd heard good things about it and the specs looked great, and at $6.99, it was cheaper than any other MPC.

The iMPC comes with 1200+ samples, plus you can load your own and record your own in app.  It is a stand alone app, as well as, a Tabletop Ready app.  http://retronyms.com/devices.html

The iMPC is fairly user friendly.  You don't have to access a menu to change drum kits, just turn the jog wheel.  The pads can be individually selected and edited.  I choose the 'Kalimba' kit.

It feels like an MPC and I can work quickly and intuitively on it.  Sampling is simple, changing pitch, etc.  It works well with many external controllers and there a a few specifically made for it.  (I will get into the Akai iMPC in a future column, covering stand alone, controllers, performance, and other features.)

I hit play, access the mixer from the Tabletop, turn up the other tracks and hit record.  I tap out a pattern on the virtual pads on my touchscreen.  I zoom out, solo the iMPC on the mixer, zoom out, select the session menu, and upload to soundcloud. 

How to make a track in Tabletop, part 1

Tabletop is more than just a beat making or recording app, in a lot of ways, it is an environment.  Imagine having a big card table and loads of equipment and unlimited cabling.  Samplers, keyboards, drum machines, sequencers, effects, recorders, splitters, mergers, and more.  There is also an in app store for add-ons, more instruments, effects, and utilities from and third parties.  (I got the Akai iMPC.  I heard good reviews and the features looked great.  I really like it.  I will cover it in a future post.  $6.99 well spent.)

Getting started making a song in Tabletop is easy.  When you start the app you can choose a genre based template or a blank table.  

The blank template comes equipped with the audio out device, called 'mr o', and the mixer device plugged into it.

The empty space on the virtual table, around the mixer is there for you to drag and drop devices from the menu opened when you tap on the keyboard icon at the top right of the screen.  

This menu pops up:

At the top of the list of choices is 'my device/device store'.   I will start this track with some of the built in devices, then add a third party Tabletop Ready device that can be purchased from the device store or app store.  

The first instrument I will drag onto the tabletop is the Gridlok sampler.

Tap on the Gridlok device to zoom in and operate.

Load a group of sounds for the pads by pressing the load button in the box right under the "gridlok" logo.

I chose the 'Eastern Swag' kit.  You can change individual patches in the kit, save your own kits, and load your own samples.

Next I clicked the 'wrench' icon in the top right of the screen to see the session settings.

It defaults to 120 BPM when you start, so I tapped in a new tempo.

Now I was ready to record a basic looping drum beat.  Tabletop defaults to a two-bar loop.  You can sequence longer and more complex tunes, perform on the instruments, mixers, and effects live, and record audio of it all, but I will start this track with the default two bars and load one sample player running into a mixer running into an output device that sends sound to your speakers or headphones.  

I tap the click button at the top for a count in and metronome, tap out a simple beat on the iPad touchscreen, and hit stop.  I tap the zoom out button in the top left of the display.  After zooming, I tap the session button at the top left and choose 'share on soundcloud'.  I name the track, Tabletop_ex1_gridlok <<<---link 

and upload it to my soundcloud site www.soundcloud.com/zen_oasis. 

Get some recording software

If you just want to go ahead and get started, search for a free d.a.w. for your os.

D.A.W. stands for digital audio workstation, a kind of program that acts as a virtual music studio, able to record instruments and voices, blend them together, add creative effects, and much more.  A couple of good d.a.w. programs for different operating systems:

freeware

Audacity for Mac and Windows

Audiostar for iOS

Songwriter's Pad Recording Studio for iOS

Free unlimited trial

Reaper for Mac and Windows

I know a lot of people that started with Audacity and some of them still use it all the time. Reaper has a ton of features and is a very widely used, even in the professional world.  If you own a Mac made in the last ten years you probably have Garage Band already installed (most iPad owners do, too).  I will cover these audio production applications and many more in future posts.

A good place to start

If you already have a computer, tablet, or smartphone, 440software is a great place to look for free music production applications and plug-ins.  You can search by type of device and operating system (computer or phone, winows or mac os), type of software (recording, musical instrument, effects), and whether the software costs money or is free.