Best apps of October 2011: Animoog

Animoog 
(Developed by Moog Music Inc.)
Available for: iPad
Price: 99 cents

Close to half a century after inventor Robert Moog first unveiled the analog synthesizer bearing his name, his innovations continue to reshape the possibilities of electronic music. Animoog, the first professional polyphonic synthesizer designed exclusively for the iPad, brings the sonic breadth and scope of conventional Moog synths to the iOS touchscreen interface, enabling anyone to easily create the future sounds of yesterday today, at a fraction of the usual cost.

Powered by Moog Music's new Anisotropic Synth Engine, Animoog derives its expansive library of tones and timbres from the analog waveforms available across both vintage and contemporary Moog oscillators. Touch-enabled polyphonic modulation and pitch shifting features give users unprecedented control to fine-tune each note or chord to match what they hear in their head, while bells and whistles spanning from ping-pong delay to voice manipulation further expand the nearly infinite array of buzzes, beeps and burbles at users' fingertips.

Animoog is endless fun even if you've never learned to play "Chopsticks," let alone Chopin. But for skilled musicians it's a godsend, enabling users to record their performance, overdub new layers or play along live--iPad owners can also transfer recordings between Animoog and all other apps supporting Copy/Paste. Compared to the earliest Moog synthesizers, which were notoriously difficult operate and required hours simply to set up for a new sound, Animoog's responsiveness and seamlessness are nothing short of miraculous. It's out of this world.