Weekly top iPad apps: Music making apps for live electronic music performers

The iPad has become an instant hit for music performers wanting to take their live sets to the next level. These applications will help you create, produce and perform music on your iPad.

KORG iELECTRIBE
Korg's iElectribe transforms the company's much-loved vintage analog synthesizer into a virtual music-making machine. Users can create a wide range of sounds and beats in minutes with the easy-to-use app. New features enable users to export rhythm patterns as CD-quality audio files and to record real-time full length performances.
Price: $9.99
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/korg-ielectribe/id363714043?mt=8

Pianist Pro
There are many cheaper piano apps in the store but Pianist Pro provides users with a range of innovative features that make it more compatible for live performances and music creation in the home studio. Pianist Pro comes with full recording, standard MIDI file export, and MIDI via OSC for wireless control of your DAW and hardware synths. The 88 virtual piano keys produce realistic piano sounds which can each be configured with soft and sustain pedals. The app is highly customizable with the choice of singer or dual keyboards, scrolling keyboard, adjustable key sizes, and lots of different instrument sounds. In addition, users can choose from a range of drum kits to accompany their piano playing.
Price: $9.99
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pianist-pro/id358857758?mt=8

StudioTrack
StudioTrack is a full-featured multitrack recording audio program that sits at the higher end of the iPad music application price scale. The app features eight-track recording, WiFi syncing, support for multiple songs, and compatibility with the internal mic and headphones. Users can re-arrange tracks, add sound effects and filters, limit the sound output for cleaner output mixing, bounce track mixes to make room for extra tracks, save the mix as a stereo file, paste audio from AudioCompy compatible apps and sync tracks to their computer via WiFi for later editing.
Price: $39.99
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/studiotrack/id362370888?mt=8

Looptastic HD
Looptastic HD is an application for creating and (re)mixing loop-based tracks. Users can mix and match more than 900 different loops included with the software as well as recording or importing their own samples. Track creation is made easy with the drag-and-drop loop editor. The app features nine touchpad-controlled effects and 12 real-time effects. Users can record and export their performances to their Mac or PC.
Price/ $14.99
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/looptastic-hd/id363971496?mt=8

Bleep!Box
Bleep!Box fuses a drum machine and a synthesizer into one convenient music-making app. The app works on both the iPhone and iPad with a specially designed interface for iPad. The app lets you tweak and modify bleeps, blips and clicks with real-time processing. Users can record up to ten different parts while altering parameters such as tempo, swing, pattern length, and FXs. There is a special live performance mode for those wanting to take the program on stage with them.
Price: $9.99
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bleep-box/id325451639?mt=8