If you’ve been following the various escapades of light audio recording, particularly the ones outside the apartment, you’ll know I use two DAW apps. Today, we’ll look at why I bounce between both. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… it’s BandLab Vs Audio Evolution!
Say hi to BandLab
While I reviewed BandLab some time ago, that focused on the in-browser version.
The app is part of BandLab Technologies, a Singaporean conglomerate with a portfolio of various music-related brands: gear, magazine, retail, and of course tech.
BandLab incorporates a lot of things, and besides being a DAW, incorporates collaborative and social elements.
Say hi to Audio Evolution Mobile
Audio Evolution Mobile is made by a company called eXstreamsd.
And that is the extent of the information about them. I can’t find any information about when they started or who’s behind it. They have a Facebook and Twitter with release updates, but that’s it. However, their Twitter tells us they’re based on The Netherlands.
BandLab Vs Audio Evolution Mobile
Firstly, let’s take a quick look at the things they have in common.
- They allow multitrack recording of your compositions
- Both have their own VSTs for you to use
- Both work with audio and MIDI
Obviously, I could go into depth about each one. But, I’m stuck for time, so here’s a table that should cover off most things.
| BandLab app | Audio Evolution Mobile | |
| Cost | Free | US$7.99 |
| Use offline? | No | Yes |
| Audio interface compatibility | Seems to work with anything | Can be fussy, especially with ones that don’t use the phone’s headphone jack |
| Latency issues | Pain in the bum | None – autocorrects pretty well |
| User interface | Meh | Meh |
| Exporting samples? | Unnecessary – syncs in the cloud, so you can continue editing, mixing and mastering on your computers, which is easier | Upload samples to Google Drive, then download to computer, then import to BandLab – essentially much more of a faff |
| Recording limitations? | 12 tracks, each a max of six minutes | None that I can see |
| Impact on device storage | App size: 688MB – but, samples are stored on the cloud, not on your device | App size: 59.58MB – but, everything you record is stored on your device |
| Anything else? | You can’t take a level before recording – you have to start recording, see what the wave form looks like, and hope for the best | Because it’s more akin to a traditional DAW, you arm the track, take a level, and you can see the level right the way through as you’re recording |
BandLab Vs Audio Evolution Mobile: conclusion
In conclusion, the table above highlights some of the pros and cons of each app. And should help show why I bounce between both.
Essentially, I use Audio Evolution Pro when I know there won’t be WiFi where I’m recording. For example, the subway, or a parking lot.
But, while Audio Evolution Pro feels like it’s a DAW trying to be an app, BandLab feels like an app trying to be a DAW.
Despite describing the user interface of both apps as “meh,” I think both development teams have done as well as they could trying to cram that much into a phone-sized interface.
Perhaps in the context of usually doing things on a “full size” computer, doing the same things on a phone feels excessively fiddly. However, let’s not pretend that I could do any better. So maybe “meh” is a bit unfair.
And ultimately, it doesn’t matter, as long as I get my recording done.
For now, I don’t see any reason why I won’t continue to bounce between both.
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