''Ocarina'' (2008) is an
app by
Smule
Smule is an American mobile app developer with headquarters in San Francisco. The company specializes in developing social music-making and collaboration applications for iOS, Android, and Web.
The company was founded in 2008 by Jeff Smith and ...
. It was followed by ''Ocarina 2'' (2012). Both apps were designed by
Ge Wang
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energy ...
.
Background
The app "lets users create their own 'music' by blowing into their
iDevice’s microphone and then creating different tones by holding fingers". Ocarina 2 features include dynamic harmony and a 'Whistle Mode'.
Critical reception
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...
rated it 7/10, though noted "There’s a thin line between “spirit stirring” and “annoying droning.”" Appstruck gave the app 5/5 stars, writing "Granted I have access to a wonderfully astute and adept guitar player (hello, boyfriend), I’ll still try to wear callouses on my fingers and learn to play a live acoustic, but on my own time, the Ocarina is a fun and pleasant-sounding instrument that allows even the talentless, the musically-deficient, to produce harmonious melodies all on their own." 10TopTenReviews said "Ocarina is a worthy addition to your
iPhone’s app library. It won’t be an application that you’ll quickly tire of like the simplified drums, piano and guitar apps littering the
App Store
An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the c ...
on iTunes. You can actually create and perform real music."
Macworld gave it 4.5/5, writing "If you'd like to help in the effort to make more accomplished Ocarina players, start by dropping the $1 necessary to pick up an Ocarina of your own. If you have even the slightest interest in making music with your iPhone, this is a must-have application."
QuickAppReview rated Ocarina 2 a 9/10, describing it as "innovative" and "authentic".
Ocarina 2
While the original version of the app let people create their own songs, the new, Ocarina 2, allows them to recreate well-known tunes. The app allows people to see how many notes they have played, how many "breath points" they have earned and what their progress looks like. Users who have mastered more than 100 songs can reach a Jedi status.
See also
*
List of music software
This is a list of software for creating, performing, learning, analyzing, researching, broadcasting and editing music. This article only includes software, not services. For streaming services such as iHeartRadio, Pandora, Prime Music, and Spotify, ...
References
{{reflist
External links
journal article on the design of the app
2012 software
Mobile music apps
Music software