Double Decker app for iPhone and iPad
Developer: Secret Base Design
First release : 15 May 2014
App size: 36.96 Mb
Were going to be focusing on development for Aleph Looper and Infinite Looper, and have decided to make this app free. Enjoy!
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The best MIDI controller is the one that you have with you. Double Decker transforms an ordinary Bluetooth keyboard into a sophisticated MIDI controller, giving you a much bigger playing surface, while still being portable. The app is designed to work with US/English keyboards; the key arrangement for other languages may not be compatible.
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** There are a few important limitations to be aware of! We would recommend reading the in-depth review of the app on Music App Blog, which gives a good overview of the features and limitations.
http://www.musicappblog.com/double-decker-review/
On iOS, an app can only receive keystrokes from a QWERTY keyboard when it is in the foreground. For this reason, Double Decker must be in the foreground to work; this is a limitation of iOS, and there is no way that we can work around it. The app is designed to send MIDI notes to other apps (running in the background), or MIDI to apps running in the foreground on other devices.
The iOS operating system only makes key press information available to apps, and not key release. For this reason, Double Decker cannot make a QWERTY keyboard operate like a typical (piano) keyboard.
Press a key on the Bluetooth keyboard to trigger a note. When you touch another key, the first note is silenced as the next note is played.
Tapping the space bar will silence all sounding notes. While it would obviously be better if lifting up on a key silenced a note, iOS does not provide this functionality for app developers.
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The app features a state-of-the-art Soundfont engine, advanced MIDI routing capability, support for Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth, and even Audiobus!
The keys are arranged with the two middle rows in a piano-style formation. Play a second instrument using the bottom row of keys, and two more instruments using the number keys and punctuation. Each key can be configured to trigger either a single note or a chord.
A second arrangement of the keyboard divides things into four grids, four-by-four each. This is great for finger drumming, and triggering samples and sequences.
Double Decker supports Soundfonts, opening up a world of different tones. The app also has full support for MIDI, giving almost unlimited sonic potential. Using the MIDI Learn feature in apps such as Loopy and Genome, you can start and stop recording, play synthesizers, and switch tracks, all with a Bluetooth keyboard.
If you have multiple iOS devices, you can link them together using the low latency connection provided by Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth. Run Double Decker in the foreground on one device to catch keystrokes, and then send MIDI to a second device, which can have a synthesizer or sequencer app in the foreground.
Key features of the app are the following:
* Innovative use of an external keyboard to trigger notes.
* Keyboard arranged into two groups, each with four different playing regions.
* Each region can be assigned a Soundfont patch, a set of MIDI destinations, or both.
* Soundfonts can be added using "open in" or iTunes file sharing.
* Each key in each region is configurable as either a note or a chord, with independent velocity control.
* Key configurations can be saved as presets, shared through email, or downloaded from the web.
* The app supports the Audiobus "input" slot.
* Built-in support as a Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth "A" endpoint.
Please visit the Secret Base Design web site for more information, Video demos, and links to reviews.
Latest reviews of Double Decker app for iPhone and iPad
This app is pretty useless in its current state. It sends note-on when pressing a key, but no note-off when releasing a key. The app assumes you have a us keyboard layout, which will leave you with swapped keys if you have another one, no chance to configure keynoard layout thoug. The app wont work woth iMini. No offline manual/help which is pretty lame.
I like this app. I got it on sale but I think its worth the full price of $3-4. i have a logitech thin BT keyboard and ipad mini retina. I tried this out with a couple synth apps and it works. I dont mind the foreground limitation but it would be good if it could recognize chords. However as an emergency back up when you dont have a keyboard with you, its a good option. Like if you just bought a new music app and want to play it a bit but dont have your controller with you, this will fill in. the different key layout options are nice and each has its own settings which is also nice. so you can map the "pads" to a drum app and the keyboard to a synth app. I think this is a pretty good app to have in ones iStudio arsenal.
I was reluctant to buy this app, even though it is only a couple of dollars, because I am used to a piano style midi controller. I dont write a lot so I didnt have a Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard on hand. I took a chance and got one of the ones that is also a nice case for my Mini Retina. I am very glad I did. Any limitations that using the keyboard rather than a traditional controller are just differences. Once you get used to them it is no big deal. Latency is great and hookup is quick and painless. I like to create on my lunch break and using this app and the QWERTY makes a huge difference in what I get done during that time. It is fully capable on all levels for my midi needs and more. Who knows. I might even write a book while I create my musical masterpiece. Thanks for this great app, and I hope you keep it alive.
This is the only piano/keyboard app I could find that actually supports Bluetooth keyboards, and it works great! The only issue is that I cant find any way to press more than one key at a time, but Im pretty sure thats an issue that lies in the way Apple chose to support keyboards and theres nothing the developers can do about it. So it gets 5 stars anyway, and its still well worth it for messing around and simple melodies!