SunrizerXS synth » iOS Musician

Archive for SunrizerXS synth

Sean | March 26, 2013

Use BeatMaker 2 MIDI Editor and MIDI Learn Functionality to Control iOS Synthesizer Apps

If you use your iPad to produce complete tracks, using MIDI to control synthesizers instead of recording them and import the recordings to a DAW app allows you to not only change the notes they play, but lets you to control the knobs and sliders in the synth throughout you track. This provides for a much more productive (and VST like) workflow as you won’t have to rerecord synths if you change any of their settings or try and record the knob/slider changes yourself – but you’ll still be able to process the synth in a DAW app thanks to Audiobus. Here’s a tutorial on how to use BeatMaker 2‘s MIDI editor and MIDI learn functionality to control a synthesizer app…

Open Audiobus and select BeatMaker 2 for the output and a synth with MIDI learn for the input. So far I’ve tested this process so far with Magellan, Magellan Jr, Sunrizer, Sunrizer XS, and Arctic Keys. (If you discover of any other synth apps that can do this, please leave a comment below!)
First, in BM2 add a keyboard sampler track. When prompted to load in a sample set, select “Empty Preset” – we’ll just be using BM2′s sample synth as a MIDI controller.
Tap on the MIDI options in for the keyboard sampler you just created:
and set the MIDI input and output channels are the same:
In BeatMaker 2 open the ‘MIDI Setup’ menu (tap the home button in the upper left, settings icon, and ‘MIDI Setup’):
Make sure that the synth you’re using is turned on under input and output.
If you’re using Magellan, go to the preferences tab, open the MIDI learn menu, tap the ‘MIDI Destination’ you want to assign, then tap ‘Learn.’
If you’re using Sunrizer, tap the ‘Learn’ button and then the knob/slider you wish to control:
Switch back to the BM2 and open the sample synth settings:
Twist one of the knobs in the the BM2 sample synth (since we’re only using BM2 as a MIDI controller it doesn’t matter which one – but be sure to make a mental note of the one you assign).
Now if you switch back to Magellan, the MIDI CC number for the knob you turned in BM2 will be shown in the CC Map!
Switch back to BM2 and open up the MIDI editor. Select the parameter from the edit menu that you assigned to the knob in Magellan, and draw in some MIDI:
Note: You may want to narrow the grid size to 1/96 instead of the default 1/16, to get more of a smooth control over the synths knobs.

Woohoo! Now BM2 is controlling Magellan’s knobs via virtual MIDI!

If you found this tutorial useful, help support the iOS Musician Blog by purchasing featured apps (you intend on buying) via the links on the site!

BeatMaker 2 on the
Magellan on the
Magellan Jr on the
Sunrizer for iPad on the
Sunrizer XS on the
Arctic Keys on the

Category: app tutorials, Apps as VSTs, Arctic Keys, Audiobus, BeatMaker 2, Magellan, sunrizer synth, SunrizerXS synth, Workflow |

Sean | September 9, 2012

No comments

New iOS Musician YouTube Video: BeatMaker 2 sending MIDI to Sunrizer and MoDrum Clock Syncing with BeatMaker 2

Here’s a complete walkthrough of Virtual MIDI in BeatMaker!

Here’s a tutorial / demo of BeatMaker 2 sending MIDI to Sunrizer synth (VMP list), and MoDrum Clock Syncing (list) with BeatMaker 2. I thought this was a pretty significant use of music apps because it allowed three apps to work together at the same time. I usually find myself only using one app at a time, or maybe copying from app a to app b, but this was almost like Sunrizer and MoDrum were VSTs in BeatMaker. Audiobus could take this idea even further, fingers crossed!

BeatMaker 2 (iOS universal) is

MoDrum (iOS universal) on the
Sunrizer synth for iPad on the
SunrizerXS synth for iPhone on the

Category: BeatMaker 2, iOS Musician YouTube videos, MIDI, modrum, sunrizer synth, SunrizerXS synth, video |

Sean | August 16, 2012

30 comments

Walk through: BeatMaker 2 controlling other synth apps with Virtual MIDI

Check out this Core MIDI Clock Sync + Virtual MIDI video walk through!

Virtual MIDI in BeatMaker 2 is a little bit more confusing than in other apps, so I thought I’d make a walk through to clear up any confusion. Virtual MIDI has opened up iOS music making to several interesting and useful possibilities. You can record synths that don’t have MIDI sequencers, experiment with new synths for your track using a sequencing app like BM2, or make an entire song using sounds from several different apps at once by controlling them all with Genome MIDI Sequencer. This tutorial should contain everything you need to know to get BeatMaker 2 controlling other Virtual MIDI apps.

Set up and settings

First, open up BeatMaker 2 and another Virtual MIDI app of your choosing. In BM2 you’ll want to create a blank keyboard sampler track. To do this, click the add instrument button, and select keyboard sampler (or drum machine). The app will prompt you to load an instrument, click the X in the upper left corner and the track will be created with no sounds loaded. This is exactly what you want because you’ll be using the sounds from other apps. Make as many tracks as synth apps you’ll be using, and assign each a MIDI channel…

Tap MIDI…

Assign a MIDI channel for this specific track to send MIDI through:

BeatMaker 2 MIDI track settings Virtual MIDI - iOS Musician

Here, I have no MIDI channel going into the track but have it sending MIDI out on channel 2.

From this menu, you can also set up a CC to control stuff like volume or pan or save/load a MIDI configuration if you want to load it to a different track/project.

Next we need to tell BM2 to actually send out the MIDI to other apps.

Go to the main menu and tap on the ‘i‘ in the upper right corner:

Hit MIDI setup,

and plug in these settings:

This page is the command center for MIDI coming in and out of BM2. If you wanted to control BM2 with another app – say, Slide Control, which doesn’t generate any sound on it’s own – you’d need to turn it on in the inputs column. If you want the MIDI being played in BM2 to control another synth app, you’d need to turn on said synth in the outputs column. Here, I’m recording Cassini Synth for iPhone (using Cassini’s built in audio recorder) with the MIDI being played in BM2. Using sequencing apps with Virtual MIDI ports like BeatMaker 2 or Genome is a great way to get that perfect recording in synth apps that don’t have a sequencer.

After you’ve set that up, go back to the synth(s) you want to send the MIDI to and make sure audio background is turned on in it’s settings. This will tell the application to continue generating sound after you leave the app (press the home button or double tap the home button and switch apps).

Background audio in Cassini synth for iPhone:

Background audio in SunrizerXS synth for iPhone:

MIDI Channels

There are 16 MIDI channels. Channels are used to send MIDI data to certain destination (in our case, a synth app) so that you don’t end up sending the notes generated in one place to two places by accident. If you want to trigger multiple apps at the same time, set each track in BeatMaker to a different MIDI channel.

Troubleshooting: OMNI mode sends all of the MIDI notes generated on any channel (1-16), to every channel. If OMNI mode is on in BeatMaker or some random synth app, you might run into sound issues (this has happened to me before with Sunrizer, but not Cassini), if something doesn’t sound right try turning off OMNI mode and setting up a specific channel.

If you’re looking for more apps with Virtual MIDI, check out my regularly updated list!

SunrizerXS synth for iPhone on the

Sunrizer synth for iPad on the

Cassini for iPhone Cassini for iPad

Category: app tutorials, BeatMaker 2, CASSINI Synth, Cassini Synth for iPad, MIDI, sunrizer synth, SunrizerXS synth, synthesizers, Virtual MIDI |

Sean | June 14, 2012

No comments

New Sunsine Audio preset pack for Sunrizer synth

More presets from Sunsine Audio! I absolutely love what these guys are doing. Companies making mobile synthesizers is one thing, but companies making presets for those synthesizers really shows the potential and seriousness of iOS as a music making platform…

Sinerise Vol 2 – 128 New Sunrizer Presets

The second installment in the Sinerise series from Sunsine Audio for Sunrizer Synth contains 128 new presets. Following in the steps of our bestselling Sinerise Vol 1, Vol 2 doubles the fun, providing 128 new, original and 100% royalty-free presets. Improves upon the first set in every way including better leveling between presets, more usable Mod Wheel transformations, and twice as many sounds!

Massive basses, creamy pads, acid-style glides, cutting leads, arpeggios, stabs, hits and much more! Unleash the hidden power of Sunrizer and start composing immediately by expanding your library of sounds now! Every preset can be transformed with the Mod Wheel and all are labeled with our initials (S.A.) for easy recognition. Includes easy installation instructions.

Compatible with both iPad (Sunrizer) and iPhone (Sunrizer XS) with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

Format:

- *Requires Sunrizer synthesizer for IPad or Sunrizer XS for IPhone, IPad*
- 1 .srb File
- Contains 1 Bank of 128 presets
- Includes installation instructions

Price: $4.99
Available at – www.sunsineaudio.com

Sunrizer synth for iPad on the

Sunrizer XS synth for iPhone

Follow Sunsine Audio: @sunsineaudio, official site

Category: app audio demos, sunrizer synth, SunrizerXS synth, Sunsine Audio, synthesizers |

Sean | May 12, 2012

3 comments