Question

I need to create a music sequencer for the iPad but have no experience yet on this platform. I have several questions about this subject, hopefully I can find some answers here.

• OpenFrameworks seems to be the way to go for this kind of things. I want my application to be able to play both synth sounds and samples. Are both of those things possible with oF? Any suggestions/alternatives?

• Does iOS have some sort of alternative to the android NDK? I don’t have any experience with Objective C but I do know some C++ and I would like to do as much as possible in that language. Is it possible to do the ‘heavy’ work in C++ and only do the views etc. in Objective C?

• Are there any free sample packs that I could use for my sounds? I’m only looking for basic instruments like guitar, bass, drums and maybe a piano.

Any other suggestions or tips you might have are welcome!

Answer 1

OpenFrameworks seems to be the way to go for this kind of things. I want my application to be able to play both synth sounds and samples. Are both of those things possible with oF? Any suggestions/alternatives?

As of iOS 5, you can use MusicSequence and MusicPlayer APIs for MIDI. Then you can use AUSampler for sample playback.

Does iOS have some sort of alternative to the android NDK? I don’t have any experience with Objective C but I do know some C++ and I would like to do as much as possible in that language. Is it possible to do the ‘heavy’ work in C++ and only do the views etc. in Objective C?

For realtime audio, ObjC is not an option. C++ and C are the common langs in this domain.

Are there any free sample packs that I could use for my sounds? I’m only looking for basic instruments like guitar, bass, drums and maybe a piano.

Yes. First, you should choose your sample/map format. Then see what the musicians recommend for free samples – http://www.kvraudio.com would be a good place to ask.