BeatHawk Reviews

by Jazzbot

I have been making beats/songs in GarageBand and had been getting to the point where I was running out of sounds when I found out about using other Apps as Audio Unit Extensions via GarageBand. After buying BeatHawk, I quickly realized that the way it is set up with pads renders usability of instruments useless. You can basically only set up 16 pads/sounds and that’s it. If I am missing something, I would love be told and shown different.

Also, it’s disappointing and misleading that it comes with a small amount of instruments and yet plenty of instrument/sound packs to purchase. The UI needs substantial improvement along with its interactivity with GarageBand. With lots of improvements, I’d be happy to change my rating. That or just let GarageBand add your sounds to their library.

by DataBANG

V2.2.9(1)

Full functioning Sample player with piano roll, sequencer and song editor. It does what's promised and the sounds are good enough with some nice IAPs (occasionally on sale) like strings, choirs, India and Asia sound packs that i think are unique compared to SampleTank. The interface is adequate but a little "stiff" feeling with a slightly cumbersome with page sized backgrounds and button sprites, not dynamically drawn, but I rely on those features elsewhere.

HOWEVER....
On my iPhone X the keys triggering fails often on the piano pad styled layout requiring double taps, it's definitely software issue (perhaps not updated for iPhoneX screen ). Until this issue is fixed on the iPhone, jamming is impossible to rely on and composing as you record your key presses isn't a pleasant experience and therefore can't recommend.

On my iPad Air2, it works as expected.

by LazarusLives!

This is really not what I thought it’d be. After leaving BeatHawk for just a few seconds it reloads. Integration with DAWs is not intuitive. The double touching in the sound explorer, like someone else mentioned, is very annoying.

I do like the ability to record sounds directly in BeatHawk then edit them in the same window. Unfortunately, the bad outweigh the good for me right now. Hopefully, this changes soon.

by Theartofyoga

It’s a great app with some of the nicest sounding sample packs for sale on iOS . There is just one glaring issue with BeatHawk , the piano roll is a laggy mess in AUV3 at least on my iPad Pro 10.5, it’s been like this forever. Try to move a note on the piano roll and random notes appear. I wish the piano roll was closer to NanoStudio 2s design which is flawless execution. I’ve spent more on BeatHawk than any other music app, so I would expect the bugs to eventually be worked out. Haven’t yet.

by Mr Soville

I love the heck out of BeatHawk but it would better if you all add more pad banks like an A B C D and also could you add a mixer with faders & pans. Also, accessing the instruments should be better as well as far as being able to play them with my midi keyboard as I demo through the instruments. Loading pads with drums the way you have it is great but as far as the instruments go, I’m not a fan of the loading instruments im same fashion as the pads for drums. If you all could add those features as updates, I know I wouldn’t use anything else. The sequencer is a killer and very easy to learn and it’s an absolute beast because I’m able to get ideas out very quick with this app !!! Overall, you guys did an amazing on with BeatHawk!

by Beatbeast91

There already enough good sounds I promise let’s get mixer give us new features not more sounds y’all I love the sound of
U v i all the rest my music apps were on back burner till beat maker 3. But beat hawk is a great app y’all. Lot people don’t know about BeatHawk I told my brother law he just got it He say man I wish I would have gotten it long time ago

by D_W_H_2

I have only for stars because I believe nothing in this world is truly perfect and we all can get better from time to time out doing ourselves by improving achieving what we never thought we could. That being said, I think BeatHawk is on of the best out there. The sound library’s are phenomenal with both richness and quality samples. Going through the sounds made me feel like a child at a candy shop. I’m so excited for all the amazing music I will be making using this instrument. I was glad that the interface is very simple and easy to learn and a master. Lastly, I’m so excited for all the future updates and a new instrument preset packs this app will add to there already massive library. A musician/composer/writer/singer, can never have enough sounds and presets to utilize. Always remember that. You can never have enough sounds. 😉

Keep of the great work this app team. I truly appreciate what you all do and all of your hard work. Thanks 🙏🏾

by Hi Fi Cary

I will give you 5 stars for auto save. Its that important. I have Cubasis and its more practical of a program. Guess I am spoiled because it autosaves and so with this app i lost what i was working on too many times because i am not used to hitting the save button . At least you could put it where its visible so we dont forget.
On the positive side, this is otherwise a user friendly app . Are you really honestly creating music when you use the provided or purchased backing riffs etc. ? Sorry, I know many programs and apps do that and it is apparently accepted generally. Of course it does make things easy.

If you want to make techno, rap , game music this is it and fast !

by Izblessed

Great app and done right. Very responsive when contacted for app fixes and ideas. Would love to see some expansion to the sampler and more effects added for the sounds. Love to see where BeatHawk can continue to go and grow, maybe a built-in synth from your collection of products.

Update: seeing the piano roll is still a little difficult pending on the light situation. One more request would be to allow chords progressions built in options. Hopefully there is a big update on the way.

by Nut The Beatnut

This production app is great! For the most part fairly easy and has some great sounds .All the exp packs are high quality and priced nice. Only thing I would love on a update is to be able to load a drum kit that feels all 16 pads. Also I would pay a upgrade fee for audio tracks to lay vocals instead of stemming this to cubasis 3 or reason or cubase in my laptop . Thanks for all your hard work .

by A PIMP NAME SLICK BACK

This is the best drum machine app I’ve used in IOS. Whats really great about Beat Hawk is it is compatible as a Audio Unit in Cubasis 3. I haven’t found another one that can do this yet. They have a variety of sounds and expansion libraries. You can also port your own VST/ Virtual Instruments and samples into it. The user interface is very easy to understand. They should allow unlimited amount of pads per project, but if your tracking into Cubasis 3 you can work around it by creating new tracks in Cubasis. I’m excited to see Beat Hawk developers continue to grow in IOS.

by Klrxs

My favorite thing about BeatHawk is the abundance of sounds you can purchase. To be fair, they’re sometimes hit and miss (like samples of world instruments being too short, odd variations, or looping in weird spots). But in contrast to what is offered elsewhere, this app is a big winner.

This is especially crucial when you consider that this app has a lot of power as an audio unit. It gives you several variations of options for controlling embedded instruments. It also has a number of loops, sliced or stretched.

For what it currently offers, this app gets a 5, despite it still having a few shortcomings in my book.

a. I would like to see a this app solo option where I can load one sampler as an au instead of the whole dang program.

b. I would like to see a daytime mode. This thing is REALLY hard to use on a sunny day!!

c. I’d like to see an MPE mode. Similar to the solo option. Considering that this app has 16 lads (channels) you can load different sounds into. You should also be given the option to quickly and easily load a sound into all 16 channels and use it as an MPE device (bonus if it can record it all simultaneously for patterns !)

I have countless apps. For sounds like drums, world instruments and various other sounds, I have warmed up more and more towards this app as being a personal favorite.

by Sturgeon's Law

this app is nearly a DAW unto itself, and it’s songwriting structure w/ability to export stems is awesome. But these soundpacks sound SO good, and with AUv3 capabilities, it now serves as an awesome sound module.

So create in their MPC-styled environment, then export to your favorite iDAW, or just plug it in as needed to access the amazing sample sets in your iDAW - either way, you are set.

Also one of the best built-in global reverb/delay effects out there. Really makes the instruments shine. Top job, UVI!

by Hollywood Rook

UVI has always been one of my favorite vst/vsti developers. They always have top notch sounds, so I expected nothing less when I purchased this app. Ide be the 1st to admit this was a bit of a learning curve for me, because I’m used to DAW sequencer set up for studio sessions (Reaper and Cubase). I originally bought it to use as an AUv3 drum machine plugin to use in Garage Band and BM3. Which it does work in that way, but the more I played with it as a plug-in, the more I dove into it as a stand-alone workstation. I eventually started using it in the way as it was intended, and the more I became attached to it. It’s simple to use but it can get complex when you really start to create. Not to mention, it’s a sexy looking UI and has top notch quality sounds that compliment it nicely. Way to go UVI! Now we need the UVI Workstation for iPad.

by Malikh123

As someone who produces and has Korg, Beat maker 3, and Cubasis. BeatHawk has the best interface and is the easiest to work. For BeatHawk to only be 10 is amazing to me. I would give it 4.5 stars because importing your own samples is a bit of a hassle but I could just be doing it wrong. I can do it but individually and not in mass. If you make beats getting a rough idea with this is a breeze. And if you own cubasis THIS IS A MUSTTTTT. It brings to you almost everything from Beat maker 3 into cubasis thus making cubasis the ultimate app. Having the pads and sequencing is a dream for cubasis and BeatHawk makes it true, Just wow 9.99 is a steal for this.

by Bb1b1b1b1b1b1b1

--When this first came out I bought it and didn't like it, they refunded my money (Apple used to do this). Yesterday it was free so I thought what do I have to lose annd so with a much more experienced perspective to how to use the iPad and apps I found that this is great!
I've bought a few of the iap's and loved them all so for me this is fun, easy to use and opens up a lot of possibilites for my duo.
Thanks for making this free yesterday!!

by Adamsbrew

Definitely one of my favorite music making apps, and I have most of them :) The IAP music packs are top notch as well, worth every penny. After browsing the manual for just a few minutes & watching the soundtestroom tutorial videos, I feel like I have a solid grasp of how it works. Its an extremely efficient and logical workflow , easy to get your head around & very inspirational. I consider this app an essential app in the pantheon of iOS music making brilliance. Elite.

by 2nd Gear Standups

Seeing it live on the Sound Test Room is what brought me here. Like you, I wasn’t sure about BeatHawk (no update for a year as of 7/20 :/ ) and read most of the reviews. After an afternoon of learning the UI, experimenting, and creating - I recommend it, enough so that I am writing a review.

I’m glad I spent the 5 bucks because I’ve been bobbing (bopping?) my head for hours having fun making music. It puts me into a DJ-type groove and it’s hard to stop playing.

Why I like this app: inserting samples by controlling pitch and gate at the same time makes it easy to experiment and add elements to a pattern; the layout and workflow make sense, good UX; it’s AUV3.

by Terry Bradford Aka"Mr.fingers"

I am a studio owner who uses a lot a different software to record professionally. I also use a lot of UVI stuff. When I can’t get in the studio I normally take my little iPad or iPhone with me and I do a lot of creating using this app, once I get back to my recording studio it is at that time that I will bounce all of my tracks down to the DAW that I use. Trust me when I tell you there is no quality loss on those files when it comes to be mixed in my DAW! I think they should have named Beat hawk beat beast!!!😂😂😂❤️😎👍🏾👍🏾💯

by Futureconduit

I've been creating mobile electronic music for quite a long time, ever since the first Korg Trinity. Jump forward 20 years and mobile music has evolved tremendously and now we have the king of touchscreen tech in the iPad.

There are seemingly thousands of music-making apps available for the iPad. Some are fantastic, some are downright loathsome. Finding a high-quality, truly useful app is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Enter this app. Made by desktop software aficionados UVI, this app is a perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication. The sound engine is 2nd to none and its usability leaves most other apps in the dust. I'm blown away. Plus, being able to load this app as an AudioUnit in a more robust DAW like Cubasis is the icing on the cake. I’ve actually started using it as a go-to AU rompler as well.

The only downside I see is the amount of money I'm going to spend on IAP purchases 😂

by NimbusClouds

To the developers of this app. This is such an awesome app. The sample sounds are so impressive and the user face is amazing. I love the colors selected for BeatHawk. With all of this praise aside, I only give BeatHawk 2 stars for the simple reason of having to click on a sample TWO TIMES to open it. This may not bother anyone else but it frustrates the hell out of me and after about five minutes of this I switch over to Sample Tank by iMultimedia. On there and other apps I only need to press once before I can select BeatHawk and load it. I wanted this app to be my go to app but the double pressing really frustrates me to the point of wanting to throw my iPad Pro. PLEASE FIX THIS SO I CAN GIVE THIS THE FIVE STARS THAT IT DESERVES. I really would love a reply by developers here as to why you think pressing the sample twice to open it is right. I want to use this app so badly but the double touch is a killer for me so I’m using Sample Tank until you can fix all double touching. It would also be huge plus for rock lovers like me if you added more hard rock and heavy metal kits. A lot of these apps like yours always seem to cater more towards electronic, hip hop and pop. It’s not fair for us rock enthusiasts. It would be awesome if you could include some of those in your next update. Thanks. Waiting for your prompt reply. Please respond to me.

by Giomagical

Stability is great for a music making application. It’s not optimized for the display of iPhone 11 but it’s not a problem considering BeatHawk is more stable than 99 percent of apps that are optimized for iPhone 11. Amazing sounds, amazing quality. I hope BeatHawk continues to receive updates and support for years to come.

by Will.dstgd

Firstly, get BeatHawk. It is amazing and intuitive. Only 4 stars because there are just a few things missing, and I hope the developers see this.

1. Ability to change CC value of each pad. A lot of other apps have this, so I can work around it...but a lot of other apps have it, so I think you should too.

2. Multi out. If you could route each pad into a separate track, BeatHawk becomes essential for every iOS producer

3. Internal AU and IAA support for other apps...If I could assign Volt to a pad and throw Turnado on just that channel, this would be the best music app on the market