App Aims: Releasing Your Inner Virtuoso

Reviewer’s Comments
The developers at Smule have created another innovative app using sonic waves and the various capabilities of the iPhone. (NOTE: This app is intended to work only on the iPhone. It is possible to use mic’d headphones on an iPod touch but it’s difficult to maintain a stable note.) Ocarina is a full-featured wind instrument. It has four “holes” on the main screen which you cover to create different notes while blowing gently into the mic. Tilt the iPhone from side to side and change the pitch, tilt it forward like you’re bowing and add vibrato. In the settings panel you can name your ocarina and adjust the sounds, fingering and breath colors and share your own melodies as you play. Like Sonic Lighter, Ocarina has a social network aspect. Tap the globe icon and you can see and hear music being played in real time all over the world. You can even mark your favorite players.

Smule offers a well developed website that explains the modes and root pitches, provides a wide variety of free sheet music as well as offering a forum for users to exchange ideas, ask questions and post their own sheet music. They have a video tutorial on how to use Ocarina and other videos to show you what is possible with the instrument as well as an online score generator to develop your own sheet music.

The missing elements are a volume adjustment and the ability to record your own melodies. Smule has proven to be very responsive to their users and perhaps will address these things in future versions.

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 on iTunes. You can actually create and perform real music.

Check out our iPhone 3G review, music and movie download reviews as well as our other App reviews to help you get the most out of your iPhone.