Kruchkov Mike is a 30 years old blogger with a passion for music. He lives in Moscow, Russia, but travels a lot around Europe and Asia. In this interview he talks about his love for music, apps, and the ins and out of the music industry.
Voicu Mihnea Simandan: Music is your passions. How did it all start?
Kruchkov Mike: I started to learn to play the piano when I was eight years old, but later I switched to guitar and played in a rock band. After my university years, it was difficult to find time to play in a band so I started to make music on my computer. And after I’ve seen iPad music apps I fell in love with this new way of music production. I’m traveling a lot and I like that with an iPad I can make music literally anywhere: in the hotel, on the plane, sitting on the balcony at my home, or laying on the beach.
VMS: You give unbiased reviews of different music apps on your blog ipadmusic.com. How important is it for emerging musicians to be able to use these kinds of applications?
KM: iPad music apps are a great way to start making music because there are many apps that simplified the music making process. You don’t need to know complex music theory to start. And what is also great is that iPad music apps are the most affordable way to make music – there are many free apps, and even the paid apps are not expensive. Especially if you compare the prices of iOS apps and Desktop software.
VMS: What makes a good music app? What are some of its most important features?
KM: Just two things: simplicity and integration with other music apps. As the iPad is a mobile device that has a smaller screen than laptops, apps should have simplified user interfaces which are adapted to the touch screens. We’ve seen some apps imported from desktops directly and they didn’t work well. Developers that were able to rethink how apps should behave on smaller screens and integrated touch controls now have a loyal user base.
VMS: There are so many apps out there, with prices ranging from almost free to tens of dollars, that it might be quite difficult for someone new to the business to choose the best one for his/her needs. What apps would you recommend for an amateur musician who wants to try his/her hand at making music?
KM: I recommend everyone to start with GarageBand. It is an app made by Apple and it is so easy to play with. There are also the so-called Smart Instruments – Smart Drums, Smart Strings, Keys, Guitar and Bass. And with any of the smart instruments you can start making music even if you don’t have any idea how to play real drums or the guitar. I’ve seen really good sounding music made with GarageBand. And it costs just 5$. Another great app to start with is the one-dollar Figure app by Propellerhead. It is for those who want to make electronic music in just minutes. (We’ve just launched a new project to help people start making music with iOS apps.)
VMS: In comparison, what apps do professional musicians use?
KM: The really good ones are called DAWs (digital audio workstations); they are powerful music production studio apps. Professionals use music apps to make three major things: sketch music ideas and find new ideas, use the iPad as a music instrument (synth or sampler), and control desktop apps; some musicians switch completely to iOS. For sketching purposes, there’s the cool iMaschine app. You can create a beat and export it to the NI Maschine desktop software. Also, Figure is nice for sketching.
If you want to do sound design and use the iPad as sound source, iOS is like paradise. There are unique apps like Animoog (by Moog), Waldorf Nave, and WaveGenerator that don’t have analogs in desktop software.
VMS: Your other website iOSMusic.com teaches people how to make music with iOS. Why iOS?
KM: By creating iOS, Apple took many good things from MacOS, such as Virtual Midi and Core Audio that allow to record and playback audio without noticeable latency. Other platforms (like Android) just don’t have this technology in the core of the system and, for developers, it is much harder to create professional grade music apps.
VMS: You claim that no musical theory knowledge is necessary to be able to use these apps. Is it then just talent that’s needed?
KM: You know, many people think they don’t have talent to make music. But they didn’t even try. And what can be easier than downloading a few music apps and trying them out? I think the most important thing is desire. Also, look how people used to learn to play music before. To create something that sounded more or less good you needed to spend a few years learning guitar or piano or another instrument. Now, with iOS apps, this has been simplified. Most of the apps will help you find what notes sound good together.
VMS: With the advent of so many ways to promote and sell your product, do you think it’s possible for Indy musicians to make a name of themselves even if they don’t have a big record company behind them?
KM: Well, with the rise of social networks you can make some buzz without the help of any labels or record companies. But, if you want serious promotion and to make money by selling music, start sending your music to the labels. If you make good music, it is not so difficult as some might think to get noticed by music labels.
VMS: What are some of the promotional tools a musician can use to find listeners?
KM: Start with Soundcloud. There you can find many groups where you can submit your music. Find the groups that match your style and be active. Also post your music everywhere you can: on music forums, on the Facebook, etc. There’re also special sites where you can submit your tracks.
VMS: Where do you see the music app industry in 5 to 10 years?
KM: I think it will be much closer to the desktop music software. I mean, you will be able to do everything you can do now on the desktop but with better control (touch) and better user interfaces. Also there’s a huge potential in cloud-based software for music. That can be a great combination: usability of iOS apps with the power of cloud computing to make complex audio processing.
August 3, 2013
