We are three computer-science students who are developing a music making app for the Android platform as a course project. The main focus of the project is to explore interface ideas that takes advantage of the unique features of smartphones. The app will also be designed with regard to the limitations that a small screen size imposes.

We would very much like to know what features are asked for by musicians. So we have prepared a short survey that we're hoping to get some answers on. If you're interested in participating, please answer the questions below. (Copy-paste the questionaire into a new post and add your answers.)

You can also disregard the questionaire and just post your opinions and experiences on the subject.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------

Questionaire:

Note that all questions are about making music on a stand-alone app on a smartphone, not music production in general. However, you can answer the questions even if you haven't used any smarphone music production app. If you want to elaborate on any answere, you're welcome to do so.


Which general type of interface do you prefer:
(A) Mostly resembles traditional hardware devices. (Think Reason or Caustic.)
(B) Mostly adapts concepts from computer music making software. (Think Cubase, Logic.)
(C) Solutions specifically constructed for a smartphone but that may feel less familiar.
(D) Something else (Describe)

Do you prefer interface with:
(A) High contrast color scheme, functional
(B) Aesthetically pleasing

Do you prefer interface with:
(A) Information in form of text
(B) Information in form of symbols

When making melodic sequences (baseline, lead, chord progression), would you mostly:
(A) Record it in real-time (on virtual keyboard or similar)
(B) Enter notes manually into sequencer

When creating your music, do you prefer:
(A) To have full control over recorded notes and chords.
(B) To have the app ”help you out” (Think apps like Bloom, Flourish, Figure)

Do you prefer:
(A) Many features and options, sometimes confusing
(B) Few features and options, intuitive


Have you previously used any smartphone app for making music? (Yes/No)

If Yes, please answer the following questions (Marked with *):

*Which app do you have most experience with? (Name of app)

*In what way do you think the interface of that app could be improved? (Describe)

*For what purpose did you mostly use the app?
(Trying out ideas / midi controller / live performance / timekiller / other)

*If you used a virtual piano keyboard in the app to record note sequences, how well did you think it worked (Scale of 1 to 10. Also add comment if you want.)


Do you have additional comments? Great! Please add them here.


Thank you for participating! You're awesome!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------

PS.
For those who takes the survey:
If you're interested in getting a copy of the finished app, or maybe would like to try it out during development, send us a PM. (The app will be limited in features since we only have a short time for development.)

Have the audio latency issues inherent with the OS been rectified yet?.. That has been the principal reason for a lack of music apps on the Android platform to date and why IOS has taken such a massive lead in this area.

Without that rather fundamental issue being addressed then the questions in your survey are rather academic..



good luck



--------------------
MBP 17", PC 100(Nubus Protools) Motu 896, X-Station, Logic9, Reason6, Korg legacy, ACE, Alchemy, Emax II, E-Synth, Evolver MEK, Waldorf Pulse and Blofeld, AS Telemark, AS Leipzig-S

Quote Team DeNiM:

---

The app will also be designed with regard to the limitations that a small screen size imposes

---

If you intend to do anything with it beyond coursework I should design the interface with an eye on larger devices like the Kindle etc., because that's probably where the main market is. I can't really imagine using a phone to do anything very useful in a music-making context.

Quote Team DeNiM:

---

(A) Information in form of text
(B) Information in form of symbols

---

I'd go for symbols as it makes it easier to adapt to different languages. Have you chosen any specific development platform like Moai or whatever...?

Hi, the main problem you will encounter will be screen resolution/size. Too many devices and therefore there will have to be visual compromises. iPhone..no probs as they are all the same (ish) . Dave

--------------------
My head hurts!

Quote Chevytraveller:

---

Have the audio latency issues inherent with the OS been rectified yet?.. That has been the principal reason for a lack of music apps on the Android platform to date and why IOS has taken such a massive lead in this area.

Without that rather fundamental issue being addressed then the questions in your survey are rather academic..

---

Good point. And no it has not. But apparantly there have been some improvement in 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Initial tests indicate that it will work but it won't work great.

Quote Team DeNiM:

---

Good point. And no it has not. But apparantly there have been some improvement in 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Initial tests indicate that it will work but it won't work great.

---

Hmmm.. it's kinda like asking people what paint they'd like on a car that doesn't work then..

Maybe you should look at developing something on IOS




--------------------
MBP 17", PC 100(Nubus Protools) Motu 896, X-Station, Logic9, Reason6, Korg legacy, ACE, Alchemy, Emax II, E-Synth, Evolver MEK, Waldorf Pulse and Blofeld, AS Telemark, AS Leipzig-S

Quote turbodave:

---

Hi, the main problem you will encounter will be screen resolution/size. Too many devices and therefore there will have to be visual compromises. iPhone..no probs as they are all the same (ish) . Dave

---

That's part of the challange. Can you design something that is scalable and useful even on a 240x320 display? We don't know yet.

Which general type of interface do you prefer:
(B) Mostly adapts concepts from computer music making software.

Do you prefer interface with:
(B) Aesthetically pleasing

Do you prefer interface with:
(B) Information in form of symbols [but with some kind of tooltip or help baloon available]

When making melodic sequences (baseline, lead, chord progression), would you mostly:
(B) Enter notes manually into sequencer
because of latency and other issues

When creating your music, do you prefer:
(A) To have full control over recorded notes and chords.

Do you prefer:
(B) Few features and options, intuitive


Have you previously used any smartphone app for making music? (Yes/No)
No. not for making serious music. just to memorise ideas

*For what purpose did you mostly use the app?
Trying out ideas

*If you used a virtual piano keyboard in the app to record note sequences, how well did you think it worked (Scale of 1 to 10. Also add comment if you want.)

3 or 4 [max]. I've got a piano app that let you play a one actave piano , reord the notes and save it as a MP3 i guess. very simple one, but can be useful both for memorising stuff and soft tuning instruments. but the latency is really a problem..

Regarding interface design and the problem with too many devices and resolution, with a smart programing the interface can be created as some kind of 'vector' so it can be resized and fit in any screen\resolution. 'Synth Maker' interface is one of the best examples.

Generally i think some kind of 'Re-Birth' [propellerheads] would be cool for a smart phone. you really don't need much further.


PS. I don't know if multi touch is possible on android phones. so that piano app was mono phonic. no chords. a big problem.

Quote BJG145:

---

If you intend to do anything with it beyond coursework I should design the interface with an eye on larger devices like the Kindle etc., because that's probably where the main market is. I can't really imagine using a phone to do anything very useful in a music-making context.

---

I think you're right. And it's not intended for market. It's more about identifying a problem domain and finding a solution. We target smaller devices specifically because they require a radically different approach than desktop apps.

Quote Chevytraveller:

---

Hmmm.. it's kinda like asking people what paint they'd like on a car that doesn't work then..

Maybe you should look at developing something on IOS

---

It works, it just has a busted windshield.
We think that the latency issues will eventually be resolved, so we dont see it as a wasted effort.

The latency issues make real-time stuff like playing virtual instruments impossible right now. It's much improved, but still useless in that respect. However, this doesn't prohibit the use of Android for recording applications where no foldback is required. Nor does it prohibit basic mixing applications. So my advice would be to focus on those areas first, and add more 'playable' elements like virtual instruments and guitar modeling later. My bet is that the moment the latency issues are sorted then you'll see a mass influx of Android applications ported from iOS. I know that IK Multimedia, for example, are ready and waiting for the right time!

There's currently an issue with hardware as well, in that there are so many different handsets and tablets around, many with different connectivity. The different form factors of Android devices also mean that there are fewer bespoke bits of hardware than for iOS devices, which can be docked in mixers, guitar effects boards, MIDI guitars and all sorts of things now.

However, what most Android hardware *does* possess right now is a USB port. So there's scope to develop better generic drivers for existing external USB hardware such as audio interfaces, USB music and video mics and so on. There's one driver that I've found but it's not great (maybe I've missed some). Combine development of a DAW-type software, or a multitrack recording app with something new on USB drivers and you could open a lot of doors in the Android audio world.

In terms of screen size, I think that's a bit of a red herring. You don't need everything to be scalable. But you probably do need to detect the device and at least know whether you're dealing with a phone, 7" or 10" tablet and adjust the layout accordingly. Bear in mind that with phones there's a trend towards larger handsets now, too (Samsung Galaxy SIII and Note for example).

Hope this helps, and good luck!

--------------------
SOS Reviews Editor

Yes, It was a fact point. Thank you for your useful information.

--------------------
http://www.balance4life.biz/