Description: dPocket Studio is a non-destructive recording and mixing environment for Android that allows you to record and mix two tracks together. Included in the app are 20 royalty free samples for you to mix with and you can always load your own MP3s from your device’s storage or SD card. It supports 16 bit, 8kHz – 192kHz audio recording and processing, and when you’ve put together your latest track, you can simply upload to Google Drive or email it to friends. You can mixdown all your tracks to WAV files, and everything is stored on your SDcard in the ‘dPocket’ folder. Ideally this app aims to help artists experiment with sound and instruments to find that new sound that they’ve been looking. The WAV file can be taken to recording studios for further processing and fine tuning, with the goal for artists of any genre or create a new genre and make the next big hit.
How it Works: In order to get started creating your new tracks, you’ll need to download dPocket Studio from the Play Store, and you’ll be greeted with a blank canvas of sorts.
Just select the first track then hit the record button to start playing around with it, but remember that you only have 1:00 to record in the free version.
When mixing your tracks together, you can adjust the speed and volume of the individual tracks in the mix.
You can even change the pitch of songs as you mix them.
Opinion: dPocket Studio has a good amount of features on offer for budding artists and those that want to try out mixing on the go will benefit from the free version of the app and if you want to go further with it, you can always pay for the pro version of the app. Being able to mix up to 10 different tracks at the same time is fairly advanced and you can also trim and add effects to your tracks. One big disappointment with the app however, is the UI, it’s just a mess and it’s pretty difficult to actually get to grips with how the app works, which is a shame as there’s some powerful editing tools underneath its rough exterior. If you’re looking to get the most out of dPocket Studio, there are some excellent video tutorials found on YouTube, like this one.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – While it’s supposedly quite intensive, the app ran fine on a number of different devices without any slowdowns.
- Features (4/5) – A good array of editing tools that are available whenever and wherever, dPocket Studio will appeal to younger artists and the free version could really help new artists get to grips with these essential tools.
- Theme (3/5) – Those familiar with mixing tools and recording software shouldn’t find the UI too difficult to use, but the low resolution graphics need some work to make better use of extra space on tablets and newer smartphones.
- Overall (3.5/5) – With a more modern looking interface, dPocket Studio would be a much better app and it’d be a great alternative to others out there. Still, it offers budding artists some excellent tools to get started with.
Pros
- Mixing up to 10 tracks together is an advanced type of feature you might not find elsewhere.
- Free samples are included and you can easily load MP3s from your device to mix with as well.
- Recordings are good and of a high quality as well.
- Budding artists will be able to get some advanced features for a fair price, and the free version is good as well.
Cons
- Only MP3 and WAV formats are supported, with WAV files growing to be quite large.
- Mixdowns are limited to 5 minutes and dual-core devices and 7 minutes on quad-core ones, with SFX Modifiers facing the same limitation.
Conclusion: With the ability to mix 10 tracks together, adjust levels and upload them to the cloud, dPocket Studio has a lot to offer users looking for something simple to get into mixing with. However, the interface really lets things down here and feels very dated, if this one flaw was fixed then this would be instantly more usable and appealing. Still, if you can get passed all that, then you’ll find an app that offers some advanced features outside of the studio wherever you might be. dPocket Studio is also available from iTunes as well.