Reactable Systems Reactable Mobile (for iPad)

Reactable Mobile ($9.99) offers a new way of making music on your iPad. It's so foreign in design from other recording tools that accomplishing even basic things, like starting and stopping playback, aren't immediately clear. But spend the time to learn what's going on with this iPad app, and you'll find yourself with a unique, powerful tool for composing ambient and electronic music in real-time?and one that's really only possible on a tablet.

Origins, Tables, and Objects
Reactable Mobile is based on the original Reactable, a hands-on table-based synthesizer with a translucent blue surface. With the real thing, which costs somewhere north of $20,000 depending on current exchange rates, you place objects on the surface, and the table inherits the properties of the object to generate sound. Objects can also hook up with each other for more complex relationships. The iPad version mimics this design. I normally don't like to link to videos, but this clip demonstrate how the hardware table works; it's worth a look.

Once you think of the iPad app version in this same context, the interface begins to make sense. I had an easier time of it when starting a new table, rather than loading one of the existing tables first. Here's a basic overview: The blue circle is the table, upon which you create and place objects. You can pinch zoom the table in and out for a clearer view.

Tap the bottom bar, and a long series of icons appear, some in color and some in black and white. These are objects that you can drag onto the table. Start by dragging one of the objects (such as one of the four Loop objects, or SamplePlay or Oscillator), and then double-tap it to modify the sound it's making. I found it helpful to orient myself by dragging one of the loop objects onto the table to get some basic beats going first. You can hook up other objects (like a delay effect) to modify each sound further. The more you change the patterns and parameters within each object, the more complex and varied the resulting sound gets.

Recording, Live Use, and Conclusions
Reactable's use as a live DJ tool is phenomenal. Once you're done adding objects, you've got a live performance space in which you can manipulate sounds in real-time over looped beats, opening and closing filters, varying volumes, and evolving individual instruments as the song continues. At any point, you can tap the plus icon on the top left and choosing Start or Stop Recording to capture the performance and save it as a file?ready to be played back standalone, shared to a SoundCloud account, or imported into a different recording program for further manipulation.

All told, Reactable is incredibly powerful and moving, but it's also polarizing. It either speaks to you or it doesn't. If you want to compose music with regular acoustic or electronic instruments, or you just prefer a more traditional recording environment, stick with Apple GarageBand ($4.99, 4 stars), Blip Interactive NanoStudio ($19.99, 3.5 stars), or Image Line FL Studio Mobile HD ($19.99, 3.5 stars). But if you've got 10 bucks and want to try writing and playing electronic music in a brand new way, Reactable Mobile is an inspired choice.

More iPad App Reviews:
??? Moog Music Animoog (for iPad)
??? Reactable Systems Reactable Mobile (for iPad)
??? Image Line FL Studio Mobile HD (for iPad)
??? IK Multimedia SampleTank (for iPad)
??? Blip Interactive NanoStudio (for iPad)
?? more

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