Welcome to My Blog

In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we are continuing our tour of some of Logic’s most powerful in-house effects and tools. Delay FX are one of the most commonly used and versatile options in any producer/programmers arsenal, and Logic Pro X’s built-in Delay Designer happens to be one of our favorite options out there:

While there are many fantastic and comparable Delay FX plug-ins available for LPX, like the Waves Super-Tap plugs, we still find ourselves going back to Delay Designer time-and-time again because of its easy-to-use UI and highly-customizable possibilities.

Delay plug-ins come in many shapes and sizes, but you might consider Delay Designer a hybrid feedback/mutli-tap delay. It uses feedback emulation to offer everything from warm/ambient echoes, to harsh swells and over-the-top rings. But it also offers multi-tap echoes, which are essentially repeats or Taps of the dry signal you are applying the delay effect to. With Delay Designer, these Taps provide a much more precise and deliberate control over the echo pattern, allowing for very particular/custom-made rhythms. Things get even more interesting because the dual-mode filter, transposition, panning options and more, can all be applied on a per-Tap basis. This essentially means we can set the low and high pass filters (both with resonance control), tuning and panning, separately for each Tap or echo in our delay pattern, not to mention the additional feedback controls.

In order to build our own custom delay patterns, all we need is a basic understanding the UI and how to manipulate and edit our own patterns:

On the top left we have the Sync section. From here we can choose to sync the timeline on Delay Designer to the BPM of our Logic session. For our case today, let’s activate the sync button (highlights in red when activated) so our custom pattern locks to the tempo of our song. Below that button we have the grid and swing sections, feel free to set these to taste, but we will be able to change these at anytime while making our delay pattern.

Over on the top right we have the Master section and along the bottom is the Tap parameter bar, but first let’s dive into the Main display section in the middle:

From here we get a graphical representation of the Taps that make up our delay pattern, along with the various values for each of the built-in parameters mentioned above. Along the bottom of the LCD like display is the timeline where we can simply click to create Taps. You’ll notice this timeline like strip is set to the same grid value you chose in the Sync section. We can experiment with various rhythms placing as many taps as we wish until something is working.

Note: the Autozoom button on the top right of the Main display, will quickly snap the view of the timeline and Taps in to focus. You can also click and drag on the slightly brighter bar below the Autozoom button to navigate through your Taps manually (dragging up and down will zoom you in and out).

Along the top of the Main display there are 5 color-coated parameter View buttons. These allow us to choose which of the parameters to edit on the Main display. When Level is selected, our Taps effectively turn into blue faders and we can click and drag each of them to the desired volume. Just below the View buttons along the top of each Tap are the Toggle buttons that do something different for each of the 5 options. In the case of Level tab, they are basic mute switches. The same editing features apply to the Cutoff, Reso(nance), Transp(ose) and Pan tabs:

With the Cutoff parameter, dragging up from the bottom on each Tap alters the High Pass filter’s cutoff frequency and dragging from the top does the Low Pass cutoff frequency. In the Cutoff tab, the Toggle buttons allow you to bypass the filter completely or not for each tap. The Reso(nance), is very much like the Level option, except we are choosing the percentage of filter resonance for each Tap. The Reso Toggle buttons offer up some tonal options with a choice between a 6 or 12db slope for the resonance peak.

The Transp(ose) section allows us to tune each tap up or down an octave by semi-tones (hold shift while dragging for micro-tuning) and its Toggle buttons are simple bypass switches. The Pan section is also much like you would think allowing for stereo panning on each Tap, and the ability to flip the left and right channels with the Toggle buttons.

As if, after all that, the plug-in wasn’t living up to its name, there is still one more very important module on the Delay Designer UI to cover: Feedback. Even with nothing more than a simple activation switch, a pull down menu, and a level control, Delay Designer’s feedback can offer up some very warm ambience, lush harmonic smudges and more. Now one thing to keep in mind here is that after turning the Feedback module on (it will be highlighted red above the “Feedback” label) we don’t have a separate feedback level for each tap, but rather in succession. For example, if you had 4 taps total (A, B, C, D) setting the pull down menu to Tap A will apply feedback to just Tap A. Setting it to Tap B will apply the effect to A and B.  And Setting it to Tap C will effect Taps A, B and C etc.

And that is the bulk of it. With a basic understanding of the Main display, Sync and Feedback sections we are able to able easily create custom-made echoes and delay patterns. But we’ve also put together a few suggestions on how to make your Delay Designing a little faster, along with some alternate methods for creating patterns:

The Tap parameter bar along the bottom of the UI is basically another way to do everything above. We can select which tap to edit in the middle with each of the available parameters on either side. For some this may be a more organized way to edit pattern FX, but for me personally I prefer the graphical representation of the pattern in the Main display. But even if you don’t use it, it can be a handy way to quickly take a glance at a particular Tap’s filter and pan settings, for example.

Copy and Paste Taps. Simply highlight a Tap on the Main display by clicking it, then hold Option while dragging it to a new position to double it. In fact, we can Shift click, or click and drag the background of the main display, in order to select and copy multiple Taps or even entire motifs.

Sweeping parameter changes. Hold Command and then click and drag across the Taps in the Main display to create flourishes of parameter value changes across a series of Taps.

WARNING: the following step will likely erase the current pattern you have up.

Perform your own Tap pattern by hand. Using those Start and Last Tap buttons below the Sync section we can click or perform our own patterns in with a mouse or hardware control. Simply click the Start button to begin recording your pattern, and then click the Last Tap button on the last hit of your pattern to stop the recording process.

In fact, we can easily map both of these buttons to our hardware controllers if performing them with a MIDI controller interests you. You can learn all about mapping your MIDI controller to functions in Logic right here.

Copying and Pasting sound parameters from Tap-to-Tap and more. Right-clicking (or Control clicking) any Tap in the Main display will bring up some secondary functions, including the ability to copy the entire set of parameters from one Tap to another. We also have the ability to delete Taps or even speed their particular delay times up by a factor of two or slow them down in half. All of these options offer some particularly interesting experimentation possibilities, along with a host of convenient features for quickly altering a pattern.

If you have any interesting tips or pointers for using Delay Designer be sure to drop them in the comments below. And as usual, we will try to answer all the questions sent our way.

The Logic Pros is a regular series exploring all of the most interesting gadgets and software for making music on your Mac/iOS devices. If there is any gear you would like us to take a closer hands-on look at, let us know in the comments section below or shoot us an email.

More The Logic Pros:

• Getting the most out of Logic’s built-in MIDI Arpeggiator
• Creating custom-made, tempo flexible Apple Loops
• Routing 101 – creating multi-track FX Sends and Submix groups
• Kontrol S-series keyboards give you Komplete control of NI’s world-class instrument library
• A look at Logic’s new heavy weight sample manipulation synth Alchemy
• Moog Sub 37 is one of the best hardware synths for the money
• iPad/Mac synths still can’t quite capture the experience of this $1,000 Moog
• How-to connect MIDI controllers wirelessly over Bluetooth to iOS or Mac w/ puc+
• Time compression and pitch correction with Logic’s built-in Flex tools
• Automate tedious MIDI edits into a single-click with Logic’s Transform feature
• How to use MIDI hardware synthesizers in Logic w/ External Instrument plug-in
• How to create custom sampler instruments using any audio file with EXS24
• How to create Retro Synth patches with custom wavetables and multi-voice stacking
• How to customize Logic’s Drummer, beat-by-beat
• 6 powerful new features you may have missed in Logic 10.1
• How to control anything in Logic using your hardware MIDI controller
• How to create multi-layered synth patches & drum sounds with Track Stacks
• Turning iPad into a virtual pedalboard using Logic Remote
• TE’s new pocket-sized synths & how to sync them up with your Mac

Filed under:
How-To, Tips and Tricks Tagged: cutoff, Delay Designer, Echo, filter, Logic Pro X, LPX, multi-tap delay, Plug-ins, Reso, resonance, the logic pros, Transp, UI

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of Tips and Tricks,
How-To, and UI.

What do you think? Discuss “The Logic Pros: Creating precise multi-tap delay/echo patterns with Delay Designer” with our community.

Apple today has shared three new advertisements for iPhone 6s to its YouTube channel. These new ads come just days after the company debuted seven new ads for Apple Watch. Today’s new iPhone 6s ads are called “The Camera,” “Crush,” and “Flip a Coin,” each highlighting a specific feature of the device.

“Crush” is a fifteen second ad spot that stars Jamie Foxx. Foxx appeared in Apple’s last wave of iPhone 6s ads highlighting Apple Music and 3D Touch. In today’s ad, Foxx is getting dressed in front a mirror and uses the “Hey Siri” functionality of iPhone 6s to ask how he looks.

The second ad shared today is called “The Camera” and is a one-minute clip. As you can guess by its name, the ad highlights all of the new camera features found on iPhone 6s, including front-facing Retina Flash and higher-quality selfies, 1080p slow-mo video, Live Photos, 4k video, and 3D Touch shortcuts.

“Flip a coin” also stars actor and musician Jamie Foxx and shows the star holding two movie scripts in his hand, trying to decide which film to choose. Foxx, unable to make a decision, then uses “Hey Siri” to ask the virtual assistant to flip a coin to help him decide.

Last week, Apple shared a single new iPhone 6s ad that focused on 3D Touch and also starred Jamie Foxx. The ad used the tagline “The only thing that’s changed is everything.”

View Apple’s new advertisements below:

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: ads, iPhone, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, Siri, video

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of iOS Devices, iPhone, and video.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple debuts three new iPhone 6s ads showcasing ‘Hey Siri’ and new camera features” with our community.

Developer Simon Gladman today demonstrated the use of the iPhone 6s display as a way to compare weights of an object, here denoted in a percentage of touch, on Apple’s 3D or Force Touch display.

The app called Plum-O-meter is currently a jailbreak option for tinkerers. I think it is unlikely that this will hit the Official App Store because it likely makes private API calls to acquire the data. However, it does show yet another device the iPhone can replace. Full video follows.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple Inc, AT&T, iPhone

For more news on AAPL Company, iPhone, and Apple Inc continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Video demonstrates using 3D touch screen iPhone 6s to weigh objects, opens up new use cases” with our community.

We’ve already seen the Disney and Pixar teams go hands-on with Apple’s upcoming iPad Pro and now Apple is showing the device off to people in other fields. Fraser Speirs, the head of Computing and IT at Cedars School of Excellence, says he attended  a preview event in London to try out the iPad Pro and spent about an hour with it. Speirs took to Twitter to voice some of his thoughts about the usefulness of iPad Pro in education and in general…

Regarding the Apple Pencil, Speirs said that it was “extremely impressive” and the “best iPad stylus” he has ever used with near-perfect palm rejection. He noted that there was no perceptible lag and that it offered a direct drawing a writing experience – huge for animation and note taking. Speirs said the Pencil was “weighty but not heavy” and very balanced, much like a quality pen.

When it comes to the size of the device, Speirs used an interesting analogy: “iPad Pro is more like carrying a binder where the Air is a document folder.” He noted that the overall size was bigger than he expected, making for a very wide and expansive work space. Due to the increased weight of the device, Speirs said that the most comfortable carrying position will most likely be forearm cradling.

Regarding the keyboard setup, Speirs said the Smart Keyboard is a “bit fiddly” and that while it’s a decent enough option, there’s a lot of material to “flip n’ fold,” likening it to a newspaper. The on-screen keyboard has been much enhanced, Speirs noted though, saying it’s definitely a step-up in power.

In terms of software, Speirs was very fond of the multitasking capabilities, saying “it’s like two iPads stuck together.” He also said it’s very enjoyable toward entirely on one half of the display, meaning there won’t be much switching in and out of the multitasking interface, which is huge for research and note taking in education. Speirs also noted that the general performance of the device was excellent and that even in some apps that weren’t yet optimized for the larger display there were no visual issues.

In terms of the device’s usefulness in education, a market that Apple definitely hopes to penetrate with iPad Pro, Speirs said the device has huge potential, especially for teachers. He said that while the device is too expensive in its current state for mass deployment to students, but it’s a “potentially awesome” device for teachers. Speirs explained that for kids growing up with iOS, the iPad Pro could be useful in a college environment, as well.

In the end, Speirs said that “If you’re the kind of person who uses Editorial, Keynote, Pythonista, Office, Adobe, Omni and Panic apps, you should look at iPad Pro.” He said that while content consumption on the device is great, the true selling point is its creativity and productivity features.

Hope this has been useful. I’m really enthusiastic for the iPad Pro, Pencil and new/enhanced apps. Not so sure about the Smart Keyboard.

—
Fraser Speirs (@fraserspeirs) October 23, 2015

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Education, iOS, iPad Pro, Smart Keyboard, Smart Pencil

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of iOS Devices, iOS, and iPad Pro.

What do you think? Discuss “Educator on iPad Pro: Huge potential, but pricey for students & Smart Keyboard disappoints” with our community.

Apple is now faced with yet another class action lawsuit claiming that the company failed to properly educate or warn users over the potential for iOS 9’s Wi-Fi Assist to use substantial amounts of cellular data. The lawsuit arose after users complained that Wi-Fi Assist resulted in significant overages after going over their data allowance…

The suit — first uncovered by AI and filed in San Jose — states that because some users don’t understand how the feature works, it caused them to use more data than they were expecting. It’s alleged that costs resulting from Wi-Fi Assist exceed $5 million. The suit also claims that Apple’s explanation on the extra use of cellular data arrived too late.

Apple is accused specifically of negligent misrepresentation, violating California’s Unfair Competition Law and violating the False Advertising Law.

“Defendant’s above corrective action, however, still downplays the possible data overcharges a user could incur. Reasonable and average consumers use their iPhones for streaming of music, videos, and running various applications — all of which can use significant data. Defendant’s corrective statement does not disclose any basis for its conclusion that an average consumer would not see much increase in cellular usage.”

Wi-Fi Assist is a useful feature added to iOS 9 which automatically switches users to cellular data when Wi-Fi signal becomes to weak to be useful. But, in the case, it’s stated that the plaintiffs — William Scott Phillips and Suzanne Schmidt Phillips — incurred overages on their iPhone 5s units after they upgraded to iOS 9.

It’s not unusual for Apple to face controversy after device or software releases. In fact, it would be unusual if the company didn’t face a lawsuit of some kind for its products not working as expected. Whether that’s because they drop signal, bend a little too easily, or because kids spend too much money on in-app purchases.

For those wanting to check, you can toggle Wi-Fi Assist on/off by heading to Settings in your iPhone or iPad, then hitting ‘cellular’. You’ll find the Wi-Fi Assist option by scrolling right to the bottom.

Filed under: iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, cellular, iOS 9, iPad, iPhone, lawsuits, Wi-Fi Assist

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of iOS Devices, Apple, and iPhone.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple faces $5M class action suit over iOS 9 Wi-Fi Assist feature using too much data” with our community.

Earlier this week, Apple stated that it would be nearly impossible for it to access the data on a passcode-locked iOS device running iOS 8 or later. The company also noted, however, that even if it were possible, it would not feel comfortable doing so as to not tarnish the trust it shares with its customers. The Department of Justice has now dismissed that argument, saying that Apple should be required to unlock encrypted data because iOS is “licensed, not sold” to customers (via DailyDot).

“Apple designed, manufactured, and sold [the phone] that is the subject of the search warrant,” the government told U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein. “But that is only the beginning of Apple’s relationship to the phone and to this matter. Apple wrote and owns the software that runs the phone, and this software is thwarting the execution of the warrant.”

The specific case in which the U.S. government needs an iPhone unlocked relates to executing a search warrant on a suspect indicted for possession of methamphetamine. Apple argues that decrypting a phone in one case would set a precedent that would only burden the company in the future, taxing its resources, employees, software, and equipment. “This burden,” Apple said, “increases as the number of government requests increases.”

The DOJ, of course, rejected this argument, saying that Apple shows no attempt to quantify the burden of which it speaks, nor does it show any evidence.

Apple also argues that aiding government requests for user data would hurt its reputation to the public due to the level to which sensitivity to digital privacy has risen. The company says that this harm to its reputation to could have a lasting economic impact. Earlier this week, Tim Cook spoke out against software backdoors, again voicing Apple’s support for privacy for its customers

As you would expect, the DOJ also rejects this argument, again saying Apple provided no concrete evidence to support its claims.

The government rejected this argument, saying that Apple offered no concrete evidence that reputational concerns constituted an “undue burden” as defined by law.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Tagged: Apple, Government, legal, User Data

For more information about AAPL Company, Apple, and iOS continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “DOJ says Apple should be forced to unlock encrypted user data if asked by government” with our community.

Following CEO Tim Cook saying that the car industry is ripe for a major disruption, Re/code reports that Apple has hired Jonathan Cohen, Nvidia’s director of deep learning. While many only associate Nvidia with phone and computer chips, the company has recently been entering the car market, specifically in the form of autonomous vehicles.

Nvidia has recently started selling its chips to car manufacturers, who then use those chips to power cameras and radars that do the behind-the-scenes work of allowing a car to drive autonomously. The deep learning of the chips is a form of artificial intelligence that allows companies to train computers to process patterns from a large view of visual data, i.e. through a camera.

Jonathan Cohen has been the director of Nvidia’s deep learning since 2008. He documented his move to Apple on his LinkedIn page, noting that the transition occurred this month. Specifics on Cohen’s role at Apple are unclear, however, with his bio simply reading “Software at Apple.” Prior to his time at Nvidia, Cohen had a stint at Sony Pictures, working on simulation technology.

Apple’s rumored self-driving electric car has been in the news a lot recently. Earlier this week, Ferrari chairman and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that he believes Apple is in fact working on a car. It’s also important to note that Apple’s Eddy Cue also holds a seat on Ferrari’s board and has for three years.

Apple is believed to be developing an electric vehicle under the codename Project Titan, with the company already testing the vehicle at a secret test track. Regarding the possibility of entering the car market, Tim Cook earlier this week said that the company’s focus is CarPlay, but teased: “We will see what we do in the future.”

Filed under: Apple Car Tagged: Apple, Apple Car, Autonomous car, Ferrari, Nvidia, Tesla

For more news on Apple, Apple Car, and Apple Car continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple poaches Nvidia deep learning exec for rumored self-driving car project” with our community.

I’ve written a pretty comprehensive guide to the best iPhone 6 battery cases, but up until this point, truly waterproof iPhone 6 battery cases have been rare. LifeProof’s Frē Power was first shown in January at CES, and Mophie’s Juice Pack H2Pro ($130) was announced in May, but only made it into stores after the iPhone 6s was announced.

Both of these cases promise military-spec drop protection, but they have different strengths: the power experts at Mophie promise better battery life, while the drop and waterproofing experts at Lifeproof promise better protection. H2Pro has a 2,750mAh battery versus Fre Power’s 2,600mAh battery, and Fre Power guarantees 2 meters of drop or water submersion survival, versus H2Pro’s 1.2 meter protection. Here’s what I found when testing the H2Pro…

Juice Pack H2Pro isn’t much bigger than a non-waterproof iPhone 6 battery case, thanks to the typical Mophie millimeter-conscious design I’ve come to appreciate in many prior Juice Pack cases. Roughly 6″ tall by 2.9″ wide by under 0.7″ thick at its largest points, H2Pro combines the ease of installation LifeProof has guaranteed in its waterproof cases — there’s a front frame and a back frame, nothing more — with the clean lines and soft curves of a typical Juice Pack. The iPhone 6’s side buttons and switch are covered, but totally usable thanks to nicely integrated protectors, while the phone’s ports are covered with pop-open rubber caps that need to be put back in place to guarantee a completely watertight seal.

Worth noting: I tested the Juice Pack H2Pro with the original iPhone 6. Since the iPhone 6s is a little larger than the 6, makers of tight, form-fitting cases aren’t necessarily guaranteeing that their products will fit the newer iPhone, and Mophie hasn’t made any assurances with the H2Pro. The sled inside the back frame is tight enough that the iPhone 6s might have an issue squeezing in.

You can choose from jet black, blue and white, pink and gray, or white and gray color schemes, each with clear plastic protectors on the screen, cameras, and LED flash. A Home Button cover continues to work with Touch ID fingerprint scans, and Mophie includes a second screen protector to enhance the screen performance of the iPhone 6 while inside or outside the case; it works reasonably well without the second piece of film. A cleaning cloth, micro-USB charging cable, and headphone port extender cable are also included, though ultra-thin 3.5mm headphone plugs (such as Apple’s) could work without the adapter.

I was partially surprised by how the iPhone 6 worked as a phone while inside H2Pro. It’s no shock that the speakers’ volume level is reduced somewhat by the watertight enclosure, such that speakerphone and handheld phone calls are both a little quieter than they would be with a bare iPhone 6. Compromised outgoing audio is fairly common in watertight cases. But having noticed some complaints online about muffled audio on the other side of calls — alleged problems with microphone pass-through — I tested specifically for this issue and asked my caller how I sounded on the other end. After a very brief period of audio level adjustment, she said, I sounded normal. So don’t expect sonic perfection, but by waterproof case standards, H2Pro does just fine.

Rated IP68 “against the invasion of dust, foreign objects and water immersion up to 1.2m for 30 minutes,” H2Pro also passed an indoor water submersion test on my side without any evident moisture intrusion. The case has a brightly colored O-ring on its rear frame’s inner edges, and not a drop of water made it past the O-ring into the case’s core, where the iPhone 6 rests against a Lightning connector for charging. I would feel very comfortable taking an iPhone 6 inside H2Pro to my favorite local testing spot, Niagara Falls, if the weather was a bit warmer than it is near the end of October.

From a battery performance perspective, H2Pro is solid. I was able to more than completely refill the iPhone 6 with H2Pro’s integrated 2,750mAh battery, achieving a 109% total recharge. That involved bringing a completely dead iPhone 6 up to 100%, then an additional 9% when the device was partially discharged. This is better than the “100% extra battery” Mophie promises, and in line with what I’d expect from a battery of this capacity given the performance of other iPhone 6 battery cases. My only small charging-related gripe is the two-button power/remaining power indicator system: neither button is labeled, so you need to learn which activates the case’s battery, versus which shows you the remaining power using four white LED lights.

Would I recommend H2Pro? Well, it does what it promises to do: it’s waterproof and delivers (more than) a complete battery recharge to the iPhone 6 inside. Additionally, it’s easy to open and close, which I don’t take for granted with waterproof iPhone cases. Expect to compromise a little on sonic performance once your iPhone’s sealed in, but that’s no huge surprise given how most waterproof cases work, nor is the price, which includes a waterproofing premium over Mophie’s otherwise comparably-equipped Juice Pack Air. If you really need to combine these features in a single case, there aren’t many other options; lower pricing, bigger drop and waterproof guarantees, and a little less battery life might swing you to LifeProof’s Frē Power, instead.

More From This Author

Check out more of my editorials, How-To guides, and reviews for 9to5Mac here! I’ve covered a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users. In addition to my popular guide to the best Apple Watch docks and stands, I’ve recently discussed how to safely prepare and wipe your iPhone for resale or trade-in, and how to get the best iPhone trade-in price to help buy an iPhone 6s, amongst many other topics.

Filed under: Reviews Tagged: 2750maH, battery case, iPhone 6, juice pack, Juice Pack H2Pro, Mophie

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of iPhone 6, Reviews, and battery case.

What do you think? Discuss “Review: Mophie’s Juice Pack H2Pro is a truly waterproof iPhone 6 case with 110% extra battery life” with our community.

Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine at Code Conference via Re/code

Pandora is announcing its Q2 2015 financial results today and as expected blamed the launch of Apple Music in June for low growth in listeners and an overall loss vs last quarter. While the company confirmed that it did indeed witness lower than normal growth numbers for the quarter, it described the overall impact of Apple Music as “muted”:

…we expected some short‐term impact to our audience  growth as listeners tried this highly‐promoted new service. I am pleased to say that, given the scale of press and consumer attention on this launch, the impact on our active users and listening hours was muted

Pandora officially reported 78.1 million monthly active users, an increase of 2% from last year, while its total listener hours increased 3% from last year to 5.14B. The company pointed out that the numbers mark an overall increase from the year ago quarter, but it also represents around 1 million fewer listeners since the previous quarter and launch of Apple Music.

The company previously warned investors that it would likely notice a drop in audience growth due to the launch of Apple’s new service during its Q2 earnings call.

Despite a clear impact from Apple Music, today the company’s CEO and president Brian McAndrews noted that the June 30th Apple Music launch impact was on par with what the company “experienced during the launch of Apple’s radio service in 2013,” seemingly downplaying the overall success of the service and any potential loss of market share to Apple.

Earlier this week Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the first official Apple Music numbers confirming the service has gained 6.5 million paid subscribers and 15 million total subscribers since its launch on June 30th. Apple is offering a 3 month free trial, which is one of the reasons Pandora expected to take a hit on its listener numbers. For the earliest adopters of the service free trials ran out on September 30, but it’s likely Apple will convert more users that were late to sign-up for the service in the months to come as more free trials expire.

Apple is also yet to launch the Android version of Apple Music, which it confirmed is on the way and just today leaked in some screenshots from an early beta.

Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: active listeners, Apple Music, audience, growth, loss, muted, Pandora, Q2 2015, subscribers

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of Apple Music, Apple Music, and Pandora.

What do you think? Discuss “Pandora blames Apple Music launch for low listener growth, but says impact was ‘muted’” with our community.

Horologists, it is said, are very different from casual watch users. They actively collect watches, protect them, and care about small design and functional details in ways average people would shrug off. Apple designed the Apple Watch to appeal to everyone, but it proudly chased horologists with both software features (customizable faces/complications) and industrial design elements, winning the attention of some serious collectors in the process.

Moreso than most of the best Apple Watch docks and stands I’ve covered, Sena’s new Leather Watch Case ($80) is really a horologist’s accessory, not made for the average Apple Watch user. It’s a bespoke leather box designed to do little more than hold the Apple Watch inside, primarily for travel but alternately as a nightstand or desktop dock. Like many of Sena’s other luxurious leather products, you may not find it in a local store, and it may specifically appeal to a narrow niche of people with a lot of spare money. But it’s undeniably well-made — the product of judicious use of black grain leather, a gunmetal accent ring, and hidden magnets. Read on for the details…

Roughly 3″ tall and 3.6″ in diameter, the Leather Watch Case arrives as a set of five pieces: an oversized, thick fabric drawstring bag, a large leather-covered lid, a small leather-covered base, a gunmetal plastic cord manager, and a velvet lined center platform. All of the parts look as luxe as one would expect given the asking price — as fancy as a tuxedo, though understated, and my review sample’s grain was much finer than the version shown on Sena’s site. Similarly, a Sena logo embossed on the front is almost invisible unless light hits it just the right way.

To assemble the Case, you wind a self-supplied Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable around the cord manager, place the velvet platform around and behind Apple’s charging puck, then place the plastic assembly inside the base with the USB cord sticking out. This enables you to connect the cord to a wall power adapter or computer; you can also tuck the cord into the base for storage during travel.

The three aforementioned pieces can be used alone to create an Apple Watch charging dock, or you can add the fourth piece, turning the lid upside down and placing the base inside of it. This elevates the Watch roughly 3″ above a flat surface, around an inch higher than some of the Apple Watch docks I’ve tested, and a nice height for seeing the screen in Nightstand Mode.

Functionally, the only particularly cool surprise in the Leather Watch Case is the stealthy use of magnets in the gunmetal cord manager. They keep all three of the bottom pieces together when the lid is off, and also keep the lid on tightly enough that you’ll need to deliberately separate it from the base. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t feel comfortable tossing a premium (and scuffable) leather case into a backpack or suitcase without protection, but that’s why the drawstring bag is included.

One thing that’s arguably missing from the Leather Watch Case is a battery. Given Nomad’s work on the Pod (reviewed here) and upcoming Pod Pro, this oversized circular form factor strikes me as making a lot of sense for something that doubles as an on-the-go charging dock and travel case. But while the battery-laden Pods are made from hardened metal and not cases, the Leather Watch Case is soft and has no integrated charging ability. It’s inevitable that some company will put the two concepts together in a (more expensive) do-it-all travel battery case for Apple Watch.

As it is, Sena’s Leather Watch Case is pretty much the definition of a luxury product: something most people won’t need, but with enough frills that some people will be willing to buy in anyway. Beyond the horology crowd, it has appeal as a sub-$100 gift for an Apple Watch-loving spouse who already has the Watch and band of their dreams. The Leather Watch Case is currently available at a discounted preorder price of only $70, which will rise to $80 when Sena starts shipping units out in mid-November.

More From This Author

Check out more of my editorials, How-To guides, and reviews for 9to5Mac here! I’ve covered a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users. In addition to my popular guide to the best Apple Watch docks and stands, I’ve recently discussed how to safely prepare and wipe your iPhone for resale or trade-in, and how to get the best iPhone trade-in price to help buy an iPhone 6s, amongst many other topics.

Filed under: Apple Watch, Reviews Tagged: Apple watch, Leather Watch Case, Sena, Sena Cases

Continue reading more about Apple watch, Apple Watch, and Reviews at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Review: Sena’s Leather Watch Case gives horologists a luxe platform for the Apple Watch” with our community.

New screenshots of what is reportedly the beta version of Apple Music for Android have been published, providing what may be a first look at Apple’s first second foray into app development on Google’s competing mobile platform.

The screenshots, included below, show most of the features users would expect, such as Beats 1 availability and the “For Me” recommendations page. Apple Music Connect, the social network for musicians built into the service, is also included.

Aside from radio streaming, Apple Music for Android includes support for browsing and playing the full Apple Music catalog. Interestingly, Apple has opted to provide some new features that aren’t supported on iOS, such as the ability to change the size of the cache used to store offline music.

In bringing its software to Android, Apple has taken a slightly different approach from Google’s own iOS apps. While Google’s apps attempt to mimic the company’s Material Design principles—even going so far as to include custom-made toggle switches and other elements—Apple relies on UI elements built into Android rather than attempting to recreate the iOS versions of them. The main navigation has even been moved from an iOS-like tab bar to a more Android-friendly slide-out sidebar.

Despite this, the company hasn’t managed to stick completely to Google’s design guidelines and has injected some of its own style into the app. For example, the For Me page almost identically mirrors its iOS counterpart.

The images appear to be legitimate and match up with the design Apple teased during the Apple Music announcement at WWDC this year. Not every feature of the app is shown off in the screenshots below, but you can get a feel for how the app will look and behave from the gallery below.

Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: Android, Apple Music

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of Android, Apple Music, and Apple Music.

What do you think? Discuss “New screenshots purportedly show Apple Music for Android ahead of release” with our community.

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest model) 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,080 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Save up to 70% on Twelve South Apple Accessories: BookBook for iPad Air $45 shipped (Orig. $80), more

App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Mailman ($4 value)

Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Logitech Performance Mouse MX $45, SanDisk 64GB Flash Memory Card for MacBook Air $44, more

• Games/Apps: GOW Xbox One bundle w/ Destiny Legendary $349, Flick Kick Football free, more
• Gift Cards up to 20% off: JCPenney, Sports Authority, GameStop, Outback Steakhouse, more
• Amazon Gold Box – FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro $959 shipped (Orig. $1,349)
• LEGO Deals: Architecture Big Ben $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), Cargo Heliplane $9, more

More deals still alive:

iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi 16GB in Silver or Space Gray: $230 shipped (Reg. $269)

Get a 64GB Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 for less than Apple charges for 16GB: $490 shipped (Reg. $599)

proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39 ($375 value)

• Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped
• Netflix November Preview: Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Seven Deadly Sins, Aziz Ansari, more
• Logitech K480 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard $35 shipped (Reg. $50)
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface + Sennheiser HD600 + Condenser Mic $400 shipped ($655 value)
• TP-Link Archer C7 802.11ac Router + DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $130 shipped ($155+ value)
• Get ready for Halloween with Best Buy’s $5 horror Blu-ray sale: The Silence of the Lambs, Mad Max, more
• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ built-in LCD display: $329 shipped (Reg. $400)
• VIZIO 2.1 Sound Stand w/ subwoofer & remote $100 shipped (Orig. $250)
• Bluetooth Sport Earbuds w/ Prime shipping: Aukey Around-Neck $17 (Reg. $30), more
• Timbuk2 40% off Sale: Dashboard MacBook Messenger Bag from $59 (Orig. $109), more
• KMASHI 10,000mAh Battery $9 (Reg. $14), 6-Ft. Braided MFi Lightning Cable $8.50, more
• Media: Spider-Man Blu-ray Trilogy $14 (Reg. $32), $1 HD movie rentals, more
• Bluetooth Speakers: Mpow Armor Waterproof $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $36)
• 2.1-Ch. Home Audio: LG Soundbar 120W (refurb) $65 (Orig. $149)
• Acer Chromebook 1.50GHz/4GB/16GB SSD: $249 shipped (Reg. $279)
• Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts
• Ticket To Ride goes free on iPhone for the first time in years (Reg. $2)
• 50% off Fashion Sales: PUMA – Down Jacket $75 (Orig. $150), more
• Samsung Smart 4K HDTVs: 40-inch $550 (Reg. $700+), 50-inch $699 (Reg. $1,000+)
• Jawbone UP Move Activity Tracker: $20 w/ in-store pickup (Reg. $50)
• Display your iPhone 6/s w/ this Mpow Car Air Vent Mount $5 shipped (Reg. $9)
• Adjustable iPad mount for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

New products & more:

The MiniBrew launches on Indiegogo as an iPhone-connected way to make your own beer

Bird of Prey’s prone-style bicycle puts the rider facedown while riding

• Garmin drops the bulk and adds color with its new Forerunner wearables
• D-Link’s latest surveillance cameras go wide-angle with “less distortion” than the competition
• Libratone introduces multi-room audio alongside two new colorful ZIPP speakers
• Guitar Hero Live lands on iOS with a new mobile instrument bundle
• Gold is Best: This one-off Macintosh is a must see with its walnut enclosure and shiny keyboard
• This mini Segway hopes to take-off with its affordable price tag and compact design
• You’ll have to hurry to grab one of these limited edition Fallout 4 Xbox One controllers

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, App of the Week, Best Buy, Black Friday, Daily Deals, Dr. Panda’s Mailman, free apps, Gold Box, Retina MacBook Pro, Twelve South, video games

For more news on Tips and Tricks, 9to5Toys, and Daily Deals continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “9to5Toys Lunch Break: 13” Retina MacBook Pro $1,080, Twelve South accessories up to 70% off, App of the Week, more” with our community.