Requirements: G3 or faster Mac, Mac OS X 10.1 or later
Wanna make music but don’t want to drop a dime on some fancy shmancy audio recording program? This may be the ticket. This free, multitrack audio recorder and editor lets you record audio, edit waveforms, mix tracks together, apply sound effects, and export your music as a WAV, AIFF, or MP3 file. It features a built-in amplitude envelope editor; a gain and pan control for every track; a customizable spectrogram mode; a frequency analysis window; bass boost, wahwah, and noise removal filters; and supports VST plug-ins too.
Requirements: G3 or faster Mac, Mac OS X 10.1.3 or later (10.2 recommended)
March to the beat of you own personal drummer—and this one won’t polish off your 6-pack, cop an attitude, or play out of time (unless you want it to). This virtual drum machine lets you create music without the need for a real drummer or expensive sound module. Set it to replicate the feel of a human drummer, make it stick rigidly on precise time, or let it pound away freely on some experimental piece. The app includes customizable settings to specify standard or intricate rhythms, supports tempo and time changes, features modifiable drum kits and percussion instruments, and more.
iPiano 2.0.2—Shareware Trial
Chris Corbell, http://www.machotshot.com
Requirements: G3 or faster Mac, Mac OS X 10.2.4 or later
Here’s an easy way to make music on your Mac without using a single real instrument. This app not only turns your keyboard into a synthesizer to sequence sounds, control other music apps, or just play it like a bizarrely keyed piano, it also functions as a multitrack recorder. Choose any of QuickTime’s built-in instruments from the interface, choose a track to record it onto, press record, and play. It even comes with tempo and key signature settings and a metronome to keep your recordings in time, and supports MIDI.
M-Beat 1.26—Donationware
The Little App Factory, mat@thelittleappfactory.com, http://www.thelittleappfactory.com
Requirements: G3 or faster Mac, Mac OS X 10.1 or later, iTunes 2.0.3 or later
Control iTunes without bringing the big behemoth-of-an-app front and center on your desktop. M-Beat lets you control just about all aspects of iTunes from your OS X menubar. Control song play, add a floating window to view song info, scroll track names, sync your iPod, and customize anything that it offers.
Requirements: 500MHz G3 or faster Mac, Mac OS 9.x or OS X 10.2 or later, 128MB RAM
If you remember the original Moog analog synthesizers of yesteryear—or even if you don’t—Arturia’s Moog Modular V will amaze you with its accurate reproduction of the rich analog sound. This virtual synth features nine oscillators, three filter slots, two LFOs, six envelopes, VCAs, mixers, triggers, step sequencer, and more to create your own unique sounds. Works as a standalone synth or as a plug-in for any VST, RTAS, or HTDM host program.
