Laying down tracks on the go with an iPhone and a browser

November 16th, 2009

Back in the day, the multitrack tool of choice for bedroom Springsteens was an analog four-track recorder from companies like Tascam. But with the advent of cheap laptops and powerful digital tools like ProTools, Logic, and Garageband, even the cheapest guitar slinger moved his workstation to the computer.

The new solutions were a huge step forward for home studio enthusiasts, but new digital recording tools are going beyond the computer—into the pocket and onto the Web. The increasing power of smartphones means that musicians can now carry a complete digital scratch pad in their pockets, while moving the recording application to the Web allows simple collaboration with anyone from around the world, lowers the cost of entry, and provides access to a mixing console from any computer on the planet.