Without being able to play an actual instrument, such as Piano or Keyboards, Guitar or Drums, there are still many ways to make music electronically, and the iPad as a platform for unleashing this creativity is no exception.  There are new music creation apps being added for the iPad nearly every day, as well as those already existing for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

In this mini-series of posts we will take a look at a few of the main non-Keyboard Synths, Loop and Drum Pad apps that have caught our attention and, importantly, have been written especially for the iPad or have their own re-worked version for the iPad.

First up, a very faithful simulation of an awesome piece of beatmaker hardware:

KORG iELECTRIBEGorgeous to look at and very detailed in its execution, Korg's digital recreation of its own classic hardware the ELECTRIBE•R also includes a few features from some of the more advanced Korg beatmakers the ELECTRIBE•SX and ELECTRIBE•MX, and even the inclusion of the Vacuum Tube animation in the window at the top, the Tubes  react as the real ones would, a really nice UI touch.

Korg calls this app a 'virtual analog beatbox' and they say that while it is fun to use it 'is no toy'.  Everything has been brought over from the ELECTRIBE•R, the 'entire sound engine and sequencer' and nearly all the functionality you would expect is present here, including features such as:

• 16 step sequencer
• Four part percussion synthesizer (enhanced by cross modulation)
• Four part PCM synthesizer
• Accent function
• Virtual Valve Force Tube modelling (for that analogue warmth, controlled by a Tube Gain knob)
• 64 pattern presets get started straight away with these presets covering those on the ELECTRIBE•R plus new ones created especially for iELECTRIBE
• 8 master effect types some brought over from the SX/MX hardware including the super-grungy Decimator, nice!
• Advanced Motion Sequencing: allows live 'tweaking' to be memorised and replayed in your sequence. This improves on the original hardware which was limited in the number of parts it could memorise and incorporate into the sequence, but the iPad app has no limitation, Korg claims it can memorise 'all the parameters for each and every part', allowing some pretty complex patterns to be created.

Sequences you create can be saved in the app, called up later and amended or enhanced, but unfortunately there is no export option at the moment for DAW sync, which means that your creations stay on the iPad and cannot be incorporated into your desktop based music software, at the moment.  This may be added, but there is no word on that happening just yet from Korg, although a lot of the iTunes reviews and Korg forum posts are asking for this functionality.

Overall though this app is amazing value for money when you think about what is included here.  We have no doubt that, with a certain amount of skill and practice, this app could be used for a live performance, and with the portability of the iPad this could take your performances places the more bulky real life hardware couldn't.  Plus you can check your e-mail, browse the web, and show off your photos on the same device, try doing that with your hardware beatmaker!

iECLECTRIBE will normally be $19.99, but until 30th June Korg are selling it for $9.99 (just £5.99) and we think this is a great price for what is 'virtually' an excellent recreation of a couple of hundred dollars worth of hardware.  Have a look at the videos below and check it out in the app store if it pushes your buttons.

An in-depth look at the app compared to the real hardware