Created with the Unity gaming engine, the free Kuno music phone application functions as a colorful and expansive sequencer. It enables people to touch squares on the sequencer with the fingers to produce random tones and patterns. In this respect, the learning curve for using this app is simple and mostly effective. Kuno comes with a basic tutorial briefly defining the features of the app, which users can access on the lower right-hand corner by pressing the "=" button through the "Information" button (represented by "i"). The feature are arranged in two columns on the far-left and right sides, with the sequencer situated in the center:

Left Column:

LPF: Adjusts the "Low-Pass Filter" by tilting the smartphone screen left or right

Play/Pause: Starts or stops the musical pattern in the sequencer

Scale Selector (four options): Changes the musical scale of the sequencer

Attack Slider: Adjusts the time for the "Attack" envelope


Right Column:

Tempo Display: Shows the tempo of the pattern in the sequencer

Tempo Selector: Changes the speed of the pattern in the sequencer

Waveform Selector (four options): Changes the type of synthesized waveform oscillator

Release Slider: Adjusts the time for the "Release" envelope

Delete (represented by a trash can symbol): deletes patterns and layers in the sequencer 


This list of features does not suggest that Kuno works without problems. Like most free music apps, this one has limited features. To unlock the "LPF," as well as all options for the "Scale Selector" and "Waveform Selector," users are given two choices. Either watch advertisements in their entirety to use for a limited time, or pay $0.99 each to keep these features. It also costs an extra $0.99 to remove all advertisements in Kuno. One aspect that I find odd about unlocking these features is how the app randomly picks which features to open and lock: either depending on what the program or users choose. This means that people who use Kuno will most likely not get the same features twice. 

Concening the scales and waveform in the selector features, the app does not clearly define which types of scales the app includes (diatonic, chromatic, whole-tone, twelve-tone, etc.), nor which kind of waveform (sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, or pulse). Instead, Kuno groups these visually by color (orange, light-blue, green, and magenta) and beat duration in squares. Perhaps, it is possible that the developers were trying to create this app by addressing Synesthesia, or the extrasensory association of musical or other aspects through color.

Other problems with Kuno stem from its awkward aspect ratio. Like the ARPIO app that I reviewed earlier this month, people must use Kuno horizontally with both hands and thumbs. The top and bottom parts of the screen are also truncated. Although it is possible for people to play higher and lower tones in the sequencer, the highest and lowest rows are oddly cut in half. Additionally, Unity advertises Kuno as a "musical toy" rather than as an instrument. This toy also does not offer recording capabilities. People must use an external recording app on their smartphone in order to achieve this goal. If the app is left alone after several minutes of inactivity, it will time itself out, reduce the brightness of the screen and notify users until they are ready to keep using the app.     

Kuno gives people options for "Liking" the app on Facebook, as well as rating the app and recommending it on Twitter. Given everything that I have discussed about the Kuno app, is it worth trying out and keeping? I think so. Yes, sitting through advertisements or paying $0.99 to unlock more content may be a bit annoying, and people cannot record directly from the app. These are small sacrifices, though, and it is worth using in the end.

I used Kuno and other programs to create this: bit.ly/2QKjmbk    

Kuno is available for free (with in-app purchases)  via Google Play on Android smartphones.   

Created by musician, electrical engineer and  music software designer Alexander Randon (AKA, alexandernaut), the ARPIO smartphone application is a  fun and intriguing approach to incorporating music technology. Randon describes ARPIO in the app tutorial as "... a new musical instrument designed to play arpeggios." In doing this, he has concocted a tool that enables musicians and composers to use a plethora of musical possibilities. ARPIO requires both hands and thumbs and should be held horizontally so that users can properly take advantage of all that the app has to offer.

The great thing about ARPIO stems from how easy it is for people to use. it does not address the complexities of computer coding in electronic music, nor ask for MIDI plug-ins. Randon includes a detailed tutorial in the "Information" section, complete with pictures, arrows, highlighted areas, and the definition of the word arpeggio to help newcomers to the app figure out how to perform on ARPIO. I like this approach because he neither over-explains the processes of using the app, nor does he frame the 15-step tutorial in a manner condescending to the audience. From here, users can learn to harness the significant aspects of ARPIO:

Speed- adjusted vertically by moving the thumbs up and down from bottom (slow) to top (fast)

Pitch- adjusted horizontally by moving the thumbs from left to right to change notes

Dynamics- adjusts the volume by tilting the phone forward and back

Pitchbend- created by tilting the phone left and right

Vibrato- created by shaking the phone from left to right... my personal favorite 

The ARPIO app also features two vertical rows with differently sized dots for determining key, scale and note values. Large dots represent common note rates (1/4. 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32), while small dots represent complex note rates (1/6, 1/12, 1/24, 1/48). ARPIO does allow for different scales and patterns, which can be accessed in the upper left-hand corner of the app. However, that aspect also leads to some of its slight problems. The free version comes equipped with two patterns: "Minor Lead" and "C Major Triads." Getting the other patterns (as well as acquiring the ability to access the "Settings" to change tempo, key, scale, and octave) must be achieved by purchasing a complete "Advanced Upgrade" for $2.99. It is also possible for people to purchase separate app upgrades (four in all) for $0.99 each at the "Store" section of the app. These prices are actually reasonable when one considers that other music applications on Google Play charge  a bit more. ARPIO additionally has the tendency to use up a lot of battery life over a certain period of time. I say this because, when I tinkered with the app for awhile, I would often receive notifications about it on my smartphone.   

It also deserves mention that people who use ARPIO can contact Alexander Randon via social media platforms or e-mail through the app if they have questions, comments, or if they want to know about his other music software products. I did, however, encounter a problem with the "Twitter" button in the "Contact" section. Pressing the "Twitter" button causes ARPIO to crash, prompting a warning from Google Play (on Android smartphones) to either reopen the app or close it. I tried this process about three or four times and got the same result. I am not really sure why this kept happening. Perhaps, the ARPIO app contains a glitch that needs fixing. 

Should people download ARPIO to their smartphone? Yes: specifically, if they are musicians or composers who want to gain some experience with electronic music without the difficult coding techniques. The app does have a few issues with battery life and defective contact links. However, given what ARPIO offers for free, it deserves some attention as a tool for people to experiment with new music.         

To see a demonstration of how ARPIO works, check out this link on the Aleandernaut YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFgvGX0f-KY&t=1s

ARPIO is avalaible for free (with in-app purchases) on Google Play on Android and on Apple iOS under the name "Arpeggionome."