iOS Studio Hub Launched By Retronyms

Retronyms, creator of iOS music production apps like the iMPC drum machine, has just launched Hook & Wej. It’s a software / hardware studio for your iOS device that includes a live looping app for mashups and mixing (the Hook software) and a Midi-over-Bluetooth dock that has onboard LED lights and charging capabilities (the Wej hardware).

Hook is a live electronic music performance app for the iPhone and iPad that arranges audio loops and samples on a grid, allowing you to trigger them through touch. You can even transition between any number of these loops using Hook’s multitouch “smart crossfader”. It’s also got a sampler onboard that lets you edit audio and create your own music loops from other pieces of audio on your iOS device.

Wej acts as a stand and hub for your iPad or iPhone. It features wireless Midi-over-Bluetooth connectivity for up to two iOS devices, along with two USB ports for hooking up Midi controllers like keyboards and drum pads. What this means is you can connect your controllers to Wej, and you’ll be able to use them with music apps on your iOS device without the need for extra dongles or cables (those pricey Lightning to USB adapters comes to mind). It also features a non-skid surface for your iPad or iPhone, a charging port, and 48 LEDs for putting on a light show while performing.

We heard about Wej a while back, and now that it’s finally here it looks promising: there are a ton of iOS studio and production apps, but full-on interfaces are few, let alone interfaces that offer a wireless solution. Hook & Wej looks like a cool portable production and performance combo, and the ability to hook up your existing keyboards and controllers makes it an even more enticing package. We’ll let you know what we think about it when we get our hands on a review unit.

Check out the promo video below.

Promo Video

• Hook is available now and costs US$12.99 for iPad, and is free for iPhone. Wej is available now for US$149. Check the Retronyms site for more details.

Do you make music on iOS? What do you think about this package? Is it something you’d want to be the centrepiece of your home production set-up? Let us know below.