iLEP is an interesting concept from a developer we know and love, Oliver Greschke (Elastic Drums, Elastic FX). With iLEP Oliver joined the team later to finish off the app development, but even so it’s a significant credential in my view.
The idea of iLEP is also quite intriguing. It sounds to me like it’s somewhere between instrument and effect, which is in itself a good place to be. The background to iLEP is worth understanding before we delve into the detail of what it actually does.
iLEP (Live Electronic Patch) is the result of many years of collaboration between composers and software engineers with the aim of creating a live-electronic instrument that shows its strongest musical performance in conjunction with an acoustic musical instrument and is especially suitable for use in concerts.
The first version of LEP was developed in Max-MSP by Wolfgang Heiniger and Thomas Kessler and later further developed by Thomas Seelig. Thomas Seelig then redesigned the original version and ported it for the iOS operating system to make the app runable on the iPad and thus accessible to a wide range of applications.
To make it clearer, you probably need a feature list and then to see the videos to get a view on what it actually does.
FEATURES
- Modular effect app with various routing and modulation options
- 6 different effects: 2x ring modulator, 2x filter (low, high, band), 2x pitch shifter, 2 delay, degrade, reverb, which can be precisely controlled graphically and by direct parameter input
- 16*16 patch-possibilities to route audio through different effects, like in a modular system
- Possible sound sources: Microphone/line in, sampler and pitch tracker, various test signals (sine, noise, sample)
- Various effect parameters can be modulated to different degrees (min… max) by a modulation source (e.g. Midi Express pedal): Excellent for live applications!
- An additional effect parameter can be modulated by midi notes
- Save, import, export and edit your own cue effect configurations
- Different cues can be combined to a set
- Import and management of own samples and entire sample libraries assigned to a set
- Import of midi files for modulation purposes
- Possibility to automatically run through different cues (presets) with time control using the “Autocue” function
- Possibility to quickly launch cues (presets) via Midi Bank and Midi program messages
- Stereo 3-way input equalizer (high shelf, peak notch, low shelf) to adjust input signals
- Master limiter at the end of the signal chain
- Audio bus and IAA capable (effect node)
I’d like to see how people start to use this and develop performance capabilities around its use. It feels like iLEP has a lot of power behind it, and also like it might take time and energy invested in it to get the maximum out of it.
iLEP costs $9.99 on the app store now