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ReBirth for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

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Jimmy Chewbacca
ReBirth for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
The legendary techno-creation app for the desktop finally finds a mobile home. While the sound is identical to before, its new interface could be better.

When ReBirth was released by Propellerhead Software in the late 90s, it sparked a revolution in the world of software-based synthesis. Before ReBirth, synthesizing audio on a PC was more the realm of scientific tools like CSound which lacked the interface to make it truly usable for musicians.

ReBirth, which simulates two Roland TB-303 bass synthesizers, as well as the TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines, changed all that. Now producing quality electronica didn't depend on a studio filled with professional recording gear and vintage instruments.

Finally, after over 10 years, Rebirth goes mobile with an iPhone version of the venerable program. The sound quality and functionality are exactly like the original. In fact, the user interface is too much like the original, as the ReBirth for the iPhone fails to leverage some of the innovations of Apple's multi-touch interface.

Rebirth for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch Features

  • Two Simulated TB-303 Bassline Synthesizers
  • One Simulated TR-808 Drum Machine
  • One Simulated TR-909 Drum Machine
  • Time-based Effects
  • Five Mods from Original Desktop Software

Rebirth for the iPhone is still an innovative piece of software for a mobile device, and any iPhone owner with an interest in creating their own electronic music should check it out. It stands next to BeatMaker and Bloom on the list of the top iPhone music creation apps. But maybe Skywell Software will create even more innovative app for smartphones.

Making Electronica on an iPhone or iPad

When first starting a project ReBirth for the iPhone, the user is greeted with a screen that is a near copy of the desktop original. Two TB-303s are at the top with the TR-808 and TR-909 underneath the two bassline synths.

To the left are buttons to control pattern selection for each of the sound modules, while to the right are modules to control mixing and effects. A flyout menu at the bottom on the screen handles playback, project maintenance, and mod selection.

Like the touch pad on a MacBook, two-fingered scrolling is used to move around the screen, while pinches are used to zoom in to certain parts of interface. This use of multi-touch to control the user interface means that multiple sound parameters can't be tweaked simultaneously - a great disappointment.

Since first using ReBirth in 1998, this writer dreamed of being able to control the software with a multi-touch interface. The folks at Propellerhead Software really missed a chance to take ReBirth to next level by not adding multi-touch parameter control.

Since ReBirth tries to fit the entire interface on the iPhone's screen, constant scrolling and zooming are necessary to be able to clearly see the different knobs and buttons. The iPad is better suited for this kind of app, but no native iPad app is planned as of this writing.

A better interface approach would fit one sound module on the screen at a time, with buttons or a scrollable area used to switch between them. Obviously, this would have taken additional development horsepower.

ReBirth Mods on the iPhone

User-developed mods were one of the best features of the original ReBirth. Mods replace the samples of the two drum machines as well as the graphical skin of the user interface. The original software shipped with five mods which are all included in the iPhone version.

New mods will be made available in updates from Apple's App Store. This level of support is welcome, but the ability to import any mod into ReBirth for the iPhone would be a great enhancement.

ReBirth project files from the desktop edition are transferable into the iPhone version by first uploading them to Propellerhead's server and then downloading them to the iPhone. Unfortunately, no ability to export audio is in this version of ReBirth.

Even considering the lack of innovation in its interface, ReBirth for the iPhone is definitely worth a download for people curious about electronica production. Hopefully, future versions of the app better leverage the interface capabilities of Apple's touchscreen.

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