synthPond [iPhone, MaxMSP]

Originally developed for Mac synthPond is a spatial sequencer and generative audio toy for the iPhone inspired by the work of Toshio Iwai.

Unlike a normal sequencer where you place notes on a grid and a moving playhead plays them, in synthPond you place nodes in a field ie the pond. As the system is spatial, it’s easily graspable and very intuitive, but also very deep. While it’s easy for someone with no music knowledge to create a complex melody, synthpond is also suited for advanced musicians who are interested in generative musical composition.

Created by Zach Gage, a digital mixed media and installation artist currently residing in New York City, synthPond is gorgeous. Whether you are on a bus, waiting for the train or just at home, plugging in your headphones and having a play is pure joy. Your creations can be saved and later edited.

There are two major types of nodes; circular nodes release waves at certain intervals and hard-edged nodes that release waves when waves hit them. Moving these nodes about allows you to create complex and relaxing melodies. Additionally, because all the nodes are spatially organized, the audio generated can also be placed in a 3D space, occurring around the listener coming from the relative positions of each node. From wonderful menus to the actual ripple animations of sound hitting the nodes, synthPond provides a truly enjoyable environment to create melodies and perfect for the multitouch platform such as the iPhone.

You can see more of Zach’s wonderful work at his website here.

The latest version 2.5 brings OSC Support, allowing you to connect the app to a number of different application that support OCS such as MaxMSP, Processing, Reaktor and many more. To get you going, you can download the example MAX/MSP patch here.

In addition, a ‘lite’ version of the app is available if you would like to have a play (OSC Support not included). You can download it here.

We’ve added a few movies below showing a demo of synthPond’s capability as well as the most recent OSC integration with MAX/MSP. Make sure you also check out a number of composition examples from the synthPond’s community. Enjoy.

Platform: iPhone
Version: 2.5
Cost: $1.99
Developer: Zach Gage