Audiotool Is a Serious Web-Based Music Creator

by Terrence O'Brien on April 11, 2010 at 02:30 PM

Until now, most music Web apps have been little more than fun distractions, great for making noise, but not very good for serious music production. Audiotool changes that. While it probably won't lead you to ditch Ableton Live, Logic or even Garage Band, it does show how powerful Flash can be in the right hands.

Audiotool has a surprising amount of depth for something that exists in a browser window. In fact, digital music novices will likely be intimidated by the array of inputs, outputs, mixers, effects pedals, and drum machines at their disposal. Audiotool offers very little guidance for how to assemble a track. Visitors should know that in order to use the Moog-esque virtual synth, they will either have to use the note sequencer (hidden by default), or connect it to the Tenori-On-like Tonematrix module with virtual cables. Those widgets must then be connected, via another virtual cable to a mixer, that must then be connected to the Output Master -- the only module displayed when you launch Audiotool.

We spent some time getting familiar with Audiotool, and, while we weren't anywhere near composing this summer's radio anthem, we were able to compose a perfectly serviceable (if slightly cacophonous) electronic ditty. That task would have been much more difficult if we didn't have some experience with virtual synthesizers and recording equipment.

All of the modules are given original names, but are clearly modeled after classic equipment such as the TB-303 bass line synth, and TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines -- staples of electronic and hip-hop studios everywhere.

Here are a couple of basic tips for using Audiotool, and be sure to check out the gallery below to see our basic set up in action.

The Output Master will be the last item in your chain of equipment. It controls the overall volume.
You connect cables by clicking and dragging one connector to another. The "Note" jack goes to controllers like the Tonematrix, while the Output goes to Input jacks on effects and mixer modules.
Use either the Kobolt 16-channel mixer or the 4-channel Minimixer to tweak the levels of your various instruments before feeding them into the Output Master.
The sequencer is revealed by clicking on the icon that looks like a bunch of lines at the bottom of the window.
Adding and connecting modules is a simple drag and drop affair.
Zoom in and out with the zoom bar or mouse wheel.
Audiotool