Review: Rebirth for iPad - A Music Studio On Your iPad?
Overview
Rebirth for iPad is the newest evolution of Propellerhead's classic Rebirth software. Like its iPhone counterpart, Rebirth for iPad emulates the famous Roland TB-303 synthesizers alongside Roland's ever-popular 808 and 909 drum machines, but this iPad app is packed with considerably more features that make it more of a direct emulation of the original software than an upscaled version of the iPhone app. Rebirth for iPad can work as a mobile production studio, allowing users to make and share entire compositions with ease.
Features
The heart of Rebirth lies in its instrument emulation, but the Rebirth for iPad offers much more than an two synths and two sequencers, including a compressor, distortion, pattern-controlled filter; each of which can be assigned to individual instruments. Seven mods are also included, which alter the appearance of the interface and the sound of the drum machines (but not the synths).
Several songs are included as demos to help users learn how to use Rebirth for iPad, but an extensive online manual is available as well. Users can also access the already-huge repository of songs in the Rebirth Song Archive from within the app. To share your own music, users can upload their compositions to the Rebirth archive or facebook in either MP3 or Rebirth-format files.
The Good
With multitouch, Rebirth has been reborn like never before, allowing users to twist more knobs than they could with a mouse. Automations can also be recorded and layered, which immediately opens doors to creativity, as this is not something that could be done in real life.
Even record collectors will enjoy the sounds pumped out by Rebirth for iPad. Though not as rich and well-defined as the real instruments, these sounds are immediately tactile, responsive, and bass-heavy. With the added mods, Rebirth's sound pallet is expanded to just about every genre of electronic music that one could want to create with sequencers.
The Bad
As mentioned previously, the heart of Rebirth for iPad lies in its sequencer-based instruments, which must be programmed into patters and then into songs. Though Propellerhead has made copy-pasting elegant, this is not an app for beginning composers. Unlike a a DAW (digital audio workstation), there are no tracks to help visualize the separate elements of the composition. Those familiar with step-based sequencers may be able to skip the manual initally, but they may need it later, as Rebirth requires focus, attention, and knowledge of how to translate your thoughts into music.
The Verdict
Rebirth for iPad is mind-blowing for music nerds and tech geeks alike. Not only does it work as a complete mobile production studio capable of MP3 export, but it also contains some of the best usage of multitouch controls ever implemented. More tactile than its forefathers, Rebirth for iPad takes the classic software to a whole new level that makes it a must-have for serious musicians looking for their killer music app. If you really want to blow some minds, show this app to your Android-using friends and see how they react.
