Category: Palm OS Software

Capers applets… what’s going on?

So, in 2006 I posted a few times about the capers applets, and in fact the demos are available on the Palm Sounds site (click title).

I had hoped to be able to make the source code for capers available in case anyone did want to take the project forward. However, to date I’ve not had a response from the original developer, so I have to say that I don’t think it is going to happen now.

I’m sorry if I got anyone’s hope’s up. If things change I’ll let you know.

What does Palm Linux mean for audio?

So what does the new Palm Linux based OS mean for music making and audio applications? Will it mean that apps like Audacity will be easier to port over to the PDA? Will it mean easier development for new palm applications? Or, will it mean that existing apps will need to be re-written for another version of the OS meaning cost and time for developers but with little benefit?

Wrap around

Whilst I’d love it if there were more music applications for the palm platform than you could poke a stick at, there aren’t, but there are lots of supporting applications, or applications that wrap around your music if you like.

What do I mean by this? Well, applications that help you to make music whilst not actually doing any music making. Apps like chord finders or musical databases, or tuners, or spectrum analysers for that matter. There are lots and lots of these kind of applications, and I have reviewed some of them over time.

So, what’s your most useful non-music making music application?

MixPad 1.0 from miniMusic on sale for $19.95!

Introductory price only $19.95 US (Regularly $29.95) Buy Now, especially with this cool icon!

Some interesting Bhajis Illustrations

Hmm, interesting …

PiooPioo!

PiooPioo player is one of those applications that you almost forget you have around, but is a fantastically useful little application. Apart from being a great add-on application to Bhajis Loops allowing you to play song files without having to open them, it has that wonderful visualisation which I love.

I was using it today to play a whole bunch of tracks all in the same folder, really handy.

What would Bhajis Loops 2.0 have looked like?

This is one of those “what if” type posts about Bhajis Loops. What would it have looked like if it had got to a version 2.0? I can imagine lots of features that could have been added along the way, but I bet there’s an even longer list somewhere of all the feature requests from users.

Anyway, for what it is worth, here’s my list:

  • Audio support. Two channels (or more) of audio to go alongside the instruments.
  • Synth plug ins. Like an FM synth.
  • Bluetooth support. To sync multiple handhelds to the same clock.
  • Increased effect plug ins. What kind I’m not sure.
  • Ability to connect to a bluetooth keyboard (for input)

What would you have liked?

AxisPad: A real PDA instrument

Of all the applications I’ve looked at for PDAs I have to say that I think that AxisPad is the only true instrument.

If you think about it all the others are sequencers of one form or another, that allow you to take sounds or create sounds for use somewhere else, or in another application, but AxisPad is an instrument in itself. It is the only handheld music application that you actually play.

Now, that in itself makes it very unique, but it also makes me wonder what are the attributes of a PDA (or smartphone) instrument application. So, what makes a PDA music applcation an instrument?

Here’s my first stab at a list of those attributes:

  • It has to be playable, like a real instrument
  • To play it well will take time
  • It must have an interface that copes with expression in some form
  • It must be more than just recording or sequencing

For me AxisPad is the start of a new form of music application for handheld devices that is more than just making music on the go or arranging new tracks. It is about giving mobile musicians the ability to find new forms of expression in mobile music.

According to the miniMusic development calendar the next step for AxisPad will be the ability to record and export. I am really looking forward to having the ability to record performances and then export them to enhance and manipulate them, I think that opens up some interesting possibilities.

QOTD: Mobile music platforms?

Following on from the last post on this subject I had some more thoughts (especially after yesterday’s news about the new Palm OS) on the pros and cons on either side:

Palm OS (pros)

  • Simple clean interface
  • Good range of applications available (MiniMusic, Chocopoolp, Psytexx)
  • Hardware still being developed (Treos)

Palm OS (cons)

  • Current OS is old and out of date
  • Only a liimited number of true music applications available
  • Double headed development
  • Uncertainty over what the new OS will look like and support

Windows Mobile (pros)

  • OS and interface being developed
  • Relatively large number of applications available
  • Styletap platform allows use of palm apps such as Bhajis Loops and Microbe

Windows Mobile (cons)

  • Many developers no longer working in the mobile music space

Ok, now that surprised me as I expected to have lots more negative things to say about Windows Mobile, but when it came to it I couldn’t think of any really!

So, what do you think, which is best for mobile music, and how will Palm’s new departure impact mobile music making?

Palm’s new OS?

So Palm announce today that they have been working on their own new OS based on a linux kernel. This leaves me with lots of questions.

  • When will palm bring out new hardware and will it have the new OS on it?
  • How compatible will old apps be with the new OS?
  • Will the new OS give new musical possibilities?
  • Will a linux kernel mean it is easier to port existing linux music apps to the new palm OS?

I’m sure that more details will appear as the days go on, and I dare say that there will be lots of speculation on how this new OS will change the palm ecosystem.