The $150 Drum App for iOS

[alphacat]

Different Drummer - The $150 Drum App

Two weeks ago Different Drummer was released with a $300 price-tag. There was some amusement about this throughout the week that followed, but I didn't report on it because I had talked to the developer. He had said that this was a placeholder price, trying to hold on to the name on iTunes. They didn't feel it was really ready, and were just keeping the app at a crazy price to discourage people from buying. At the time I was told that, "It will be priced in the range of serious musical software and drum machines because it's just that unique."

Today it was updated with MIDI features and the price was lowered to $150, so I guess this is it. That price is still high for an app, but it is in-line with VSTs and other computer-based music apps. I'm trying to reserve judgement, and have requested a promo-code for review.

iTunes Description:
Different Drummer is your secret weapon in the quest for innovative beats that make sense. Using patent pending Cyclophone Technology, Different Drummer taps into the primal source of all drumming—waves. Wave motion propels almost everything you can imagine and it's the perfect controller for drumming too. Different Drummer puts out 8 tracks of drum beats which are remarkably lifelike at times and out of this world at others. To see Different Drummer in action please go to www.technemedia.com

What's new in 1.01:
Various bug fixes
MIDI Sync send
MIDI Out, Start, Stop
More drum sounds
UI Refinements



Buy Different Drummer on iTunes: $149.99

There is no video available at this time. You won't actually "see Different Drummer in action" on their website just yet, though it now says that a video will be coming soon.

I'm in the wrong fucking racket.

Who wants to start an iOS dev team with me to port HAM VST over to iOS?

[AxeD]

So you're supposed to use the device's sound engine?
Wouldn't it always be crap then?

[alphacat]

No, actually: iOS got audio down pretty well from the get-go. iPhones might be a little laggy if you push 'em hard enough but iPads can handle audio with power to spare in most instances. This is not true of Android or Windows mobile devices though.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

still.... 150 squid for a fucking app. thats outrageous

[alphacat]

Yeah, right?! It's totally insane. Without going into the politics of app pricing which has already been debated before, I mean... all I have to say is that I'm reserving final judgement til I hear what it can do, but... yeah.

However, he'll have to move far fewer units to break even probably... like if ten people buy it it'll cover the initial investment or something.

[AxeD]

I'd say 99% of audio engineers wouldn't recommend routing your signal through some apple handheld device though

I was gonna write some story about consumer equipment audio quality but fuck it. I won't be doing any producing
with stuff like this anyway, that's for sure

[alphacat]

You'd be surprised man. Routing it through - as in built-in mic or miniplug jack? No, that'd never be a good idea for pro audio. But with pure digital signal via camera-connection audio kit?

Like I said...

You'd be surprised man.

[AxeD]

Oh I figured it would be like a portable thing.
But you mean like connecting it to an external dac via usb?

That would work, as the device would just be handling data and not doing any audio processing.

[alphacat]

Sound examples up... admittedly different and kind of interesting, but still...

Soundcloud

Soundcloud

[Sexual_Chocolate]

definitely not $150 of app interesting.

[kohler]

Of course not. Do they really expect to sell this app with 2 mediocre examples? This developer is delusional.

[bassinine]

So basically, it's $150 sample pack with a basic ass sequencer to use them on your iPhone.

pass.

[Techne]

I assure you two things: I am not delusional and this is not a "basic ass sequencer" which I have no idea how you concluded that. It's the opposite. Just because an app is relatively high priced doesn't make it a pointless app to the few who use it. I've seen some folks say "well for that kind of money I could buy tons of other apps," and to them I reply that's like someone buying a Tesla and saying to them: "Do you know how many cans of Spaghettios you could have bought with that?" Access to an endless supply of innovative rhythms is worth plenty...not to say we won't have a sale some day

[AxeD]

Think I'll request a promo code for review aswel.

[kohler]

I still don't get it. Does it use samples or physical modeling/synthesis for the drums? To me the demos just sound like acoustic samples + polyrhythms (some straight, some non-repeating polys).

[bassinine]

I assure you two things: I am not delusional and this is not a "basic ass sequencer" which I have no idea how you concluded that. It's the opposite. Just because an app is relatively high priced doesn't make it a pointless app to the few who use it. I've seen some folks say "well for that kind of money I could buy tons of other apps," and to them I reply that's like someone buying a Tesla and saying to them: "Do you know how many cans of Spaghettios you could have bought with that?" Access to an endless supply of innovative rhythms is worth plenty...not to say we won't have a sale some day

first things first: you apparently are delusional if you think that is anything but a "basic ass sequencer." also, you're apparently delusional because i never told anyone that uses this app that is is 'pointless.' and then you started talking about spaghettios and cars. wtf mang.

who the fuck is going to use this to actually sequence out full drum tracks? no one that has a daw, that's who.

it's a $150 sample pack. because, that's the only thing you're paying for that you can't get elsewhere for free. HOWEVER, if you want to buy it, buy it - i don't give a fuck.

and by the way, i see that you said "we." big up if you're part of the dev team.

[Techne]

bassline -- I doubt you are a qualified psychologist but if you are go restudy the definition of delusional since its meaning seems lost on you. Last time I checked a basic ass sequencer didn't have a specialized wave generator for: notes, rests, ties and dynamics that generate real-time new music, not just what you plink in. You actually don't understand this software in the least and that's fine but don't pretend you do. Also, if I'm so delusional then why is there a famous (and brilliant) electronic musician using this software in the studio right now? Why isn't he just using a basic ass sequencer instead? Probably because he has an open mind and cares more about the music then making a disparaging point about an innovative approach on a forum. Just guessing. BTW, this isn't a sequencer at all—it only allows you to create 'sequences' of wave sets (352 real-time parameters that control 8 drums).

[bassinine]

Last time I checked a basic ass sequencer didn't have a specialized wave generator for: notes, rests, ties and dynamics that generate real-time new music, not just what you plink in.

i'm not sure if you realize, but i kinda know my shit, and i know this statement is meaningless. and if you think it's not, you don't know how synthesis works.

no point in disputing the rest of what you said. because it's just a giant ramble on how i'm delusional and don't 'understand' the software. and while this is true, perhaps - you, sir, don't know shit about synthesis. that leaves us at a stalemate.

by the way, hit me up if you ever need someone to do a little marketing and PR work for you all. i promise i'll be better at it than you.

[alphacat]

[sigh]

You know, I was suspending my skepticism in this whole exchange despite lots of incongruities: why port this to iOS when (if it's really that revolutionary) most musicians might prefer it as VST/AU or a standalone. Fair enough though...

...then I heard the demos and while some of 'em were interesting and definitely unique sounding for algorithmically generated pattern stuff - still didn't see why the app would merit that price tag. Was R&D for this insanely expensive?

Despite all this, I suspended final judgement...

Until now.

_____________



I just opened my Soundcloud account to see an unsolicited message from a user with zero history/friends/sounds. This person appears to be real or based on a real woman living in NJ, but the fact that it's obviously and somewhat disingenuously shilling for this app raises all kinds of red flags.



So, Techné: please clarify - are you also Valeriya Tuz?

[alphacat]

OHAI...

On sale for only $124.99 right now!

But honestly, I wouldn't mind giving it a test drive... just not at that price point.