Roland Sound Canvas app released for iOS

Roland's Sound Canvas modules were ubiquitous throughout the '90s, offering stock sounds that were often used by computer users with MIDI sequencers (software instruments were still glints in developers' eyes back then, remember).

Now - and like pretty much everything else, it seems - the Sound Canvas is returning as an iOS app. This GM-, GM2- and GS-compatible module also features a MIDI file player and effects, and offers a total of 1,600 tones and 63 drum sets.

It could be worth a look if you're feeling nostalgic, though it appears that, as things stand, there's no Audiobus support. Reviewers on the App Store are also noting that there are problems with the Inter-App Audio implementation, so its usefulness in your wider iOS music making setup could be limited at the moment.

Sound Canvas for iOS is available now for devices running iOS 8.1 and above from the Apple App Store. It's currently being sold for £10.99/$14.99, and you can find out more on the Roland website.

Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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