GarageBand in your Pocket: Closer to Reality?
Just over a month ago someone at The Apple Blog wondered whether GarageBand would be retooled into a mini version for the iPhone (and now, the iPod Touch).
I think a basic 4-track recorder is do-able at CD quality, and 2-track at higher sampling rates. Obviously there isn’t CPU power to run virtual instruments and effects; nor is there enough storage space for the Apple Loops library. I imagine a basic click track or extremely simple pattern-based drum machine would be do-able, though.
The multi-touch interface would be well-suited to moving and manipulating audio clips (trimming start and end times, basic crossfades, setting loop points).
I’m sure that a range of dock-connector-based breakout boxes are possible, ranging from simple cables to a full 4-input, 2-output device with XLR mic inputs and phantom power, and maybe a supplementary battery pack for mobile recording.
Though the mockup above is just good old GarageBand cut down to fit on the iPod screen, I imagine you’d have to reinvent the interface almost completely to take advantage of multitouch and make the best use of the small real estate - i imagine more gesture-based commands, tapping a track to edit its parameters, double-tapping to edit a clip, drag to loop, etc.
September 5, 2007 2:23 PM
