Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Developer, iPhone, App Store
Leaf Trombone out now in the App Store
I've been down on the fine folks at Smule in the past -- I've said that their app Ocarina seems kind of silly (even if people have created some pretty awesome stuff with it and other less annoying music apps). And about the only thing they could have done to make it up to me was to develop some sort of super massively multiplayer music app, some app in which you could play a tune and have it sent all around the world. So I guess I have to call off my pretend grudge against them once and for all, because that's exactly what they did: Leaf Trombone: World Stage is in the App Store right now.
This is, of course, the app with the strange name that we saw at Apple's iPhone 3.0 demo. It features a Chinese leaf-type instrument that sounds, as you can hear above, like a trombone. But the World Stage part is the most interesting -- Smule has set up a way to share the songs you play in the app with people around the world, and the people who hear your work can send back short messages and emotes to say how they felt. It's an interesting idea -- kind of combines what they were trying to do with Zephyr into a more Ocarina-like app.
At just 99 cents, there will undoubtedly be lots of musicians out there picking it up. And while the video above is... cute... we're sure there'll be some even better stuff to listen to soon.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Boyo said 9:12AM on 4-16-2009
Unless you want The Jefferson's TV theme song, sung by uber-white nerds stuck in your head all day; DO NOT PLAY THE ABOVE VIDEO.
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billcantfart said 9:57AM on 4-16-2009
I used to like these guys, but lately they've been starting to annoy me.
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tom said 1:37PM on 4-16-2009
There's fun and throwback, and then there's twee and overly-sugary. This video definitely falls in the latter category...clearly these guys have some talent, I wish they wouldn't try so hard to be quirky.
Paul said 11:22AM on 4-16-2009
Check out this other youtube trombone performance by an iphone app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGqFk2cEoYc
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WhatChrisLikes said 12:14PM on 4-16-2009
Harsh comments on the video. I thought it was pretty good. And in contrast to billcantfart, I think they're finally starting to hit their stride.
Either way, the trombone app looks fun enough for $.99
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Sabon said 1:31PM on 4-16-2009
"I've been down on the fine folks at Smule in the past -- I've said that their app Ocarina seems kind of silly ..."
Really? YOU are calling THEM silly. Really? REALLY?
Personally I enjoy your posts but you shouldn't point fingers. Four of them are pointing back at you. lol
I enjoy playing the Ocarina and just wish that you could go up and down the scale more than 12 notes and I can't play some songs on it.
I mostly like to play songs on it with my ex-sister in law around. She works at Microsoft and you know how they are about Apple products. Especially ones that are soooo much better than and cooler than theirs.
They even have to resort to fake people, people that are actors, to have them fake buying a laptop and saying the PC is better. Cheaper yes. But cheaper in the context of less quality, not just less money.
Anyway, I bought Ocarina and really like it. I just bought Leaf Trombone and have bought the guitar app (different company) and have fun with that too. I suck, but I have fun with it.
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badweasel said 1:38PM on 4-16-2009
I liken it to playing the kazoo. A funny instrument but not a serious one. I wouldn't buy a kazoo trio on iTunes. I like the Jefferson's theme song, which they sort of ruin.
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Goran said 9:32PM on 4-16-2009
It's a nice app. The composing tool is pretty straightforward, too. Now if there were only more jazz&blues fans in the LT audience... ;)
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