Expanding Yamaha CP88 sounds with an iOS device.

[dickiefunk]

Hi,

 

I’m currently using a Yamaha CP88 as my main board for live gigs and think it is an excellent stage piano. I also have a YC61 as my second board and these two cover a large amount of my requirements. On occasions, I find myself requiring some more synth options or some additional voices that I don’t have on these keyboards so I’m looking to expand my sounds. 
I’m thinking something like Korg Module or IK Sampletank with their various expansions but I’m wondering what else is out there? Is there anything you would recommend above these? I have the AUM app so could go separate apps but don’t want things to get too complicated.
 

Quality of samples is the highest priority followed by ease of use. 
 

What would you recommend?
 

[Paul Woodward]

As you are using IOS over usb audio, any app will do the trick, really comes down to preference. Personally I like Korg Module, but you are limited to effectively ‘presets’ with very minimal tweaking. Really comes down to the sounds you need, but the new Nerd synth effectively gives you a Nord like synth set.

[hrestov]

Meh, Sampletank is quite old. 
 

what kind of sounds do you need?

My live setup is a Yamaha Cp73 + iPad (and sometimes a master). 
I use Camelot pro to manage the sound auv3 app, the internal sound of Cp and for sheet music. 
 

I use acoustic and electric pianos from Yamaha, and the other sounds from from iPad. iPad is still a little weak for large sample sounds, like orchestral, but with synths is really really good. I use:

- strings (korg module ka pro expansion, Gsi mini orchestra)

- section brass (bs 16i for soundfonts, in layer with im1)

- hammond vb3m

- synth lead, poly, pad: poison 202, tal uno, obx, apesoft mood

- 80’ s sounds: king of digital, still im1

- clavinet and transistor organ from Gsi. 
 

All these in auv3 format obviously, Sampletank isn t in auv3. 
 

Running only one app like module in the iPad and manually change the sounds with your finger for me isn’t very comfortable, I prefer to use and auv3 host like Camelot (or keystage). 

[ElmerJFudd]

For synth sounds why not pick a synth?  There are many and not expensive.  
 

Try Sunrizer from beepstreet for starters.  

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sunrizer-synth/id443663267

 

 

[ElmerJFudd]

Arturia iProphet 

 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iprophet-synthesizer/id898449685

 

 

[AnotherScott]

On 6/1/2024 at 8:58 PM, hrestov said:

Running only one app like module in the iPad and manually change the sounds with your finger for me isn’t very comfortable, I prefer to use and auv3 host like Camelot (or keystage). 

 

He would not have to change sounds with his finger. Korg Module lets you change sounds via standard MIDI Program Changes, which can be programmed into the CP88 "Live Set" patch selection buttons.

 

On 6/1/2024 at 9:10 PM, ElmerJFudd said:

For synth sounds why not pick a synth?  There are many and not expensive.  

 

Also as indicated in hrestov's post, sure, you can go with different apps for different sounds, which will give you greater flexibility, but OP is (at least for now) looking to do it all from within one app, for simplicity's sake. But then there's this...

 

On 6/1/2024 at 9:37 AM, dickiefunk said:

Quality of samples is the highest priority followed by ease of use. 

 

If ease of use favors getting all your sounds from one app, your higher priority of sound quality would tend to favor the opposite approach, since you can choose the apps you like best for each kind of sound.

 

For a single app to cover all bases, others that get mentioned are MKSensation Xtreme  and iM1 (that one albeit at the quality of a 30+ year old M1).

 

 

[J.F.N.]

Now we got Logic on the iPad, only waiting for Mainstage so all virtual instrument manufacturers will get a real incentive to open up their products for the iOS platform finally! They already have AU on ARM, and it's not rocket science to add iOS in XCode, so should be a breeze unless they're using a bunch of other 3rd party libraries too that are not available for iOS.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

The Moog Model D app is absolutely fantastic. When I went from using an iPad to using a MacBook with Mainstage for my virtual instrument needs, I needed both because I couldn't part with how great that app is (now I'm pretty sure there's a desktop version).

[dickiefunk]

Thanks guys. I own a few iOS apps already :-

 

Pianoteq 8

Pure Piano

Ravenscroft 275

GSi VB3m

GSi Cantoria

MOOG Model D

MOOG Model 15

King of FM

Sunrizer

Sugarbytes Cyclop

Regarding pianos, I personally prefer the CP’s built in Hamburg piano. The synths I have are already great but I would like high quality bread and butter sounds for covers at functions. I’m not totally against separate apps to use within AUM but if I could do all this within something like Korg Module this would be preferable and easier.

[counterpoint]

2 hours ago, dickiefunk said:

The synths I have are already great but I would like high quality bread and butter sounds for covers at functions.

What sounds do you think you are missing from the CP for this purpose?  Korg Module covers a lot of turf...much of it duplicated with what you already have in the CP, but there are some additional things in there.   Sound adjustment options are pretty limited though.  Also the organs are weak...but your VB3m app can cover that.  I think you can run either app in background and use MIDI channel assignments on the CP to route things to either the Kord Module or VB3m without a host app like Camelot if you aren't doing complex layering, etc.  I have both apps but haven't tried to do this yet so someone please correct me if you can't do this.  I think you can still get the basic Korg Module for free and then demo the various in-app plug-ins they have to see if anything in there might work for you before you commit to it.