Music Studio

Music Studio is for people who want a full music-making app on a phone or tablet without leaving the familiar DAW shape behind. By our assessment, its main strength is breadth: multitrack recording, piano roll editing, virtual instruments and effects give it more room than a toy sequencer or a simple loop app. The downside is that that breadth also makes it feel busy, with more taps and more setup than a stripped-down sketchpad. In practice it reads as a pocket studio, where arranging and editing matter as much as tapping out notes. Against lighter mobile music apps, it aims at more complete composition work, though it will still not feel as roomy as a desktop program. Music Studio is best for people who already think in tracks and MIDI blocks, and less attractive if the only goal is a quick beat. The interface asks for a little patience, but it gives back proper editing on a small screen.