Music-makers rejoice! iPad music studio Korg Gadget is coming to Mac
Over 30 gadgets! Four-way split-screen! No ‘instantly make duff songs good’ feature, sadly.
Korg Gadget? Sounds like some weird old synth from 1987.
Actually, it’s more like about 30 weird synths, fused to a superb songwriter/arrangement system, and squirted into your iPad or iPhone. It’s an app that’s enabled musicians to be gleefully creative anywhere, using some of the best sounds around, and freed them from slaving away in front of their Macs. Well, until now.
Until now? Has Korg Gadget disappeared, like Kraftwerk’s ability to make a new song?
Topical. But no, Korg Gadget for iOS is still here, but the app is now also going to be released for Mac, thereby meaning loads of Korg Gadget fans will once again be slaving in front of their Macs. At least for some of the time. Do you see?
Righto. But hang on. If you’re already writing your next (imaginary) chart-topper on your iPad, why bother with a Mac version?
Loads of reasons. The macOS take on Gadget has a four-up split-screen view, so you can simultaneously view your gadget, its piano roll, the mixer, and your song arrangement. It bundles the gadgets that were part of other iOS releases, like iM1 and ARP ODYSSEi. You get new gadgets, two of which finally enable audio recording and importing. (Zurich’s a general purpose one, and Rosario’s for guitars.) And all the gadgets are also available as plug-ins for the likes of Logic. (The suitably named Gadget Plug-In Collection supports AU, VST, AAX, and NKS.)
That all sounds great, but I threw my Mac in a skip earlier, so what’s in it for me?
Assuming your iPad didn’t join it, Korg Gadget 3, an update that will bring the new audio-recording gadgets to iOS. (We’re also hoping AU support will arrive, which would enable gadgets to integrate with GarageBand, but that might be a wish too far.)
Also, if you can fish your Mac out from between old fridges and VHS tapes, you’ll find Korg Gadget adds seamless communication between devices by way of iCloud. In other words, start your audio masterpiece on your iPhone, flesh it out on your iPad, finish it on your Mac, and then fling it at another app for mastering. Job done.
Sounds great. Let’s just hope it’s not too spendy.
Well, this is a pro-level app and it’s priced accordingly. Korg has previously said the macOS version of Korg Gadget will set you back $299 on release, although it’ll for a limited time be $199. But who knows? Perhaps it’ll be a bit more of a bargain before its release on the 28th.
If not, you’d best start writing your next EP to pay for it.
Already on it. Got a good rhyme for ‘Please send me two-hundred and ninety-nine bucks‘ – or is that a bit too on the nose?
Craig Grannell
Contributor 
