Surface Builder

I use this app heavily for live performance. The only problem, is that when I export my surfaces to the Cloud and try to import them to my surface app under the same Apple account on a different iPad (with the same IOS version) the app imports the surface successfully, but when I launch it, it closes out the app immediately (making the imported surface of no value except on the iPad on which the surface was created). Very unfortunate. Otherwise, if you create and only use the surface on the iPad on which it was created, you are good. The Export/Import doesn’t work at this time. If it can be shared across iPads, this is a five star!!

This plugin is really impressive and deep! I was able to quickly create a complex control panel for my vintage synth. After a bit of a learning curve, I had over 30 on screen controls correcting controlling the synth. And the panel looked good! I ran into an issue when it was time to control the plug-in with my MIDI CC knob box. The problem is that when you map an on-screen control to an INCOMING MIDI CC number, it also sets the OUTPUT control number to the same number. My MIDI knob box has fixed controller numbers for the knobs. My synth (Sequential Circuits Six-Trak) and my CC knob box (keyfax phatboy) are both vintage pieces that don’t allow the CC numbers to be re-assigned. I was thinking this plug-in would be the “go between” between my knobs and my synth. Not only could I operate the synth from my iPad screen, but also from my knob box, while watching the changes on screen (so I thought). There IS a MIDI learn feature in the plug-in, but it’s deep in the edit menu for each separate control. And again it's just one setting, the input and output CC number has to be the same. They need to add a faster MIDI mapping function (outside of the edit mode) where you can enter a learn mode, wiggle each on-screen control and then turn a physical knob or fader on your MIDI contoller, all in rapid succession without entering an edit menu for each single control. In other words, once you’ve made your perfect control panel, you won’t be able to go through and quickly map your CC numbers like you can on most popular synth plugins (TAL U no, Model D, Synth One, etc) Let me know if I’m wrong, but there is no way to have an on-screen knob RESPOND to one MIDI CC number while TRANSMITTING a different CC number. (I’m not talking about the value but the controller number).

Incredibly flexible and highly functional. I’ve used another similar product that feels like an old Win95 application. Would *like* some flashier appearance options (But you *can* use a picture for backgrounds which is outstanding!) Easy to learn and a great complement to any hardware controller. One little bug though. Setting any control to send a cc127 and then saving the changed value resets the value to cc0. Set it to cc126 and it saves fine.