IK Multimedia has long been known for their music software.  I have used their Amplitube plug-in for countless recordings and I even have their new Amplitube Metal plug-in for Pro Tools.

The GrooveMaker from IK Multimedia is a simple yet intuitive groove based music arrangement application for your iPhone or iPod Touch.  There’s actually whole series of these music applications, each based off of a corresponding genre or sub-genre of music.  From trance, to drum and bass and hip-hop, each app is set up the same way with different samples thrown in to match the genre.

The GrooveMaker will be very familiar to anyone who has worked in music production but is also easy enough to learn on the fly that even a novice can enjoy this app.  I got to review the Hip-Hop version and I was really impressed with the  layout of the app and how flowing the touch controls reacted.

The app is used horizontally and has several screens to navigate through.  The main screen is the arrangement screen and is where most of the action happens.  From there other sub-screens include various settings options, a help screen, and more.

It sounds the best through headphones or powered speakers, but never sounded all that bad when used without.  All the samples and loops were of high quality and loaded quickly once the song was on board.

While not as in depth as BeatMaker, it is only half the price ($10) and only takes up 20Mb’s of space.  I would have like to see some more precise editing functions but the simple design and intuitive effectiveness really shines through in this app.  There’s even an included tutorial to show you the ropes and how to send your mixes as WAV files to your computer.

This app will really appeal to those who love all things hip-hop and want an arrangement program that’s simple and easy to pick up.  It will be great for impromptu freestyle sessions as well as for some demo type recording scenarios.  Even those not sure about audio production and arrangement don’t have to break the bank to test the waters.

Pros:

• Intuitive layout
• Quality samples and loops
• Great for beginners

Cons:

• Could have more editing functions
• No “actual” beat making