Having a smartphone on hand when recording an idea has become a habit for every musician in the 21st century. Because of its portability, a cell phone can be useful anywhere when inspiration strikes. That is, it doesn't matter if the idea came to you while commuting or while preparing a Christmas lunch, the device will be there to save the information. Now, are there apps for recording music on your cell phone with quality?
Because there are some challenges when it comes to capturing audio on a smartphone. Sometimes you might be frustrated with a recording that has low volume and intrusive background noise. Or a sentence that isn’t clear enough to understand days after recording. Smartphones also don’t have fantastic internal microphones, especially compared to those used in professional and (even) home studios.
For this reason, we have prepared five tips for apps to record music on your cell phone that can help you in your search for quality sound. Of course, none of these will replace advanced production software like Logic Pro or Ableton Live. But they are relatively solid for recording and refining your sketches before going to a professional studio. The list goes from the most basic to the most advanced app.
1.Easy Voice Recorder
As the name suggests, the EasyVoiceRecorder It's a music app for your phone for simple recordings. In other words: press the red button and it starts recording. It works well, for example, for recording lectures and interviews.
One cool feature for musicians is that the app exports mp3 files, so you can record an idea on guitar or piano and easily share it with friends. The software also enables additional gain on the microphone input, which improves audio capture.
Produced by Digipom, Easy Voice Recorder is exclusive to Android, but compatible with WearOS. The free version of the app contains ads.
2.Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder
Available only for Android, the Hi-Q It does the same job as Easy Voice, but with a few more features. It has microphone gain control, support for WAV, OGG, M4A and FLAC, and an audio sampling rate (the number of times per second that sound is recorded) of 44 Hz – a good rate for routine recordings.
The Pro version of Hi-Q costs R$13. In this paid version, you have support for direct recording to Dropbox and a Wi-Fi transfer function. Now, it is worth noting that, although the Hi-Q's capture is reasonable, the result will depend a lot on the microphone on your device.
3. Bandlab
Produced by the company of the same name that also makes the professional software Cakewalk Sonar, the Band Lab is a more advanced audio recording app with multitrack setup for bands, composers and arrangers. It has recording support for up to 12 instrument tracks and a series of audio samples for individual insertion, as well as a virtual tuner and looping tool.
If you just want to capture an idea or a raw song, this app might not be for you. But if you’re a singer or songwriter who likes to spice up your recordings with drum beats, instrument overlays, and additional vocals, BandLab might be a good bet. The app is available on Android and iOS and can also be used as a cloud collaboration platform (in fact, if you have a band, this is a great option).
4.Dolby On
O Dolby On is an app that stands out not only for its good audio capture, but for being able to record videos with optimized sound. Editing features include dynamic equalization, noise reduction, stereo amplification, insertion of fade-in and fade-out effects (gradual increase and decrease of the track) and even a regulator of “esses” (excessive sibilant sounds in the voice).
Dolby On's interface is simple, which makes it easy for musicians to quickly record a song or a passage. Unlike BandLab, however, you can't compose multiple tracks with it or adjust parameters within the audio presets. The app is available for iOS and Android.
5.FL Studio Mobile
Heir to the popular Fruity Loops, from the Belgian company Image-Line, the FL Studio is a good mobile app option for those who want to work with electronic music. With an intuitive interface, the app allows you to compose, mix and master complete songs with quality on your mobile phone. It also records and exports in different extensions and has a series of composition resources, such as amplifier simulators, sequencers and piano and drum programmers.
Although it is more complex to use than the music apps above, FL Studio has the advantage of offering professional quality on your phone without the complications of advanced software like ProTools and Logic Pro. It is an intermediate sound editing software that can be used by both amateurs and professionals. The app is only available in a paid version – R$18 on the Google Play Store and R$79,90 on the App Store.
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