JimAudio Groove Rider 2 is a new groovebox app for iPads with built-in synthesizers, a sampler with resampling, FXs, and a clip launcher.
The day is here. JimAudio has released Groove Rider 2 groovebox on the Apple AppStore. You can purchase it now for $34,99, and it runs on iPads.
Article From January 14, 2025
Grooveboxes have been in fashion for many years. They are available from the big players (Roland, Korg, Yamaha, etc.) and smaller companies such as hardware all-rounders. Yes, they make music production on the go possible. Grooveboxes are available not only on standalone hardware devices but also on iPads.
In recent years, many have also come to iOS. A well-known and popular one is the Groove Rider GR-16 app from JimAudio, released in 2017. After eight years, Jim Audio today announced Groove Rider 2, a big next generation of its groovebox for iOS.
Jim Audio GrooveRider 2
Groove Rider 2 is a new groovebox app for iPad and the successor of the Groove Rider GR-16 app. The new version overhauls the entire feature set of the GR-16 and takes it into 2025. This starts right at the beginning with the instruments.
Whereas the GR-16 had one layer per part (channel), in Jim Audio Groove Raider 2, you can have up to three sound source layers. In the drums, you can even have up to 16 layers. Speaking of sound, you have various synthesizers and a sampler available.
Unlike GR-16, the built-in sampler supports stereo samples with up to 32-bit depth and up to 5 minutes long. Plus, it has real-time beat time stretching (warp) and slicing options. You can manipulate your sounds with a filter, modulation (envelope, LFO), and effects.
Additionally, it includes a specialized sample editor that allows you to crop and refine your sources. You can also resample anything you hear and make edits directly within the editor. For multi-samples, it also offers a Sound Font 2 (sf2) sample bank player with the ability to use custom banks.
On the synthesis side, it hosts a new 2-oscillator Synthesizer with over 280 preset programs, sync, FM, and ring. A new highlight of the app is a brand-new wavetable Synthesizer with user wavetable support (Serum .wav files). Both synthesizers share the same signal chain features, including a filter, modulation (modulation, LFO), and FXs.
That’s not all. Users of the excellent JimAudio Poison-202 and Pure Acid Synthesizer app can integrate them inside Groove Rider 2 as modules without loading them as an AUv3 plugin. This is similar to the concept in Korg Gadget 3.
And yes, you read it right. It also comes with AUv3 support, giving you even more virtual instruments. A feature not available in GR-16.
Drums And Effects
As mentioned, you can layer up to 16 drum sounds per channel. Unfortunately, JimAudio Groove Rider 2 does not have drum synthesis of a pity, so it will rely on sample playback. Alternatively, you can load an AUv3 drum synth.
Groove Rider 2 also features a plethora of effects. You can route up to 3 insert FXs to a part: chorus, delay, reverb, shimmer, pitch shifter, flanger, phasers, distortion & saturators, EQ, filters, slicers, sidechain compressor and gate, limiter, maximize, and more.
Alternatively, you can also host your favorite AUv3 effects plugins.
Recording, Composing & Arranging
Regarding recording and composing, JimAudio Groove Rider 2 focuses on two areas. On the one hand, Groove Rider 2 offers an Ableton Live clip-based grid with 16 x16 clips filled with loops. Here, you can start and stop patterns and compose tracks on the fly.
Plus, you can also use the grid for live performances. Crossfade between your patterns in a DJ style with onscreen crossfader and EQ controls.
Conversely, Groove Rider 2 includes a timeline-based song mode editor with a DAW-like workflow and automation. Many of these tweaks are done in the dedicated note editor with a scale lock mode, slices, quantize, automation editor, trigger conditions, and more.
Further, you can find a mixer where you can mix your tracks with individual channel strips, solo/mute functions, EQs, and real-time effects.
According to JimAudio, Groove Rider 2 comes with a convenient sample and a preset browser with preset previews that are packed with factory content. Handy, you can import your previously created patterns in Groove Rider GR-16 in version 2.
It also supports Ableton Link, AUv3, AudioBus, Inter-App Audio, Core Midi, Virtual Midi In/Out, Bluetooth Midi
First Impression
I am not a beta tester, but this looks like a mighty groovebox for iPads. I have been a user of the Groove Rider GR-16 app since day 1, and they are night and day in comparison. From the pictures, I like the design of the app. A killer feature for me is the ability to host JimAudio’s apps in the new GR-2. Looking forward to the first video.
Jim Audio Groove Rider 2 will be available on February 1, 2025, for $29,99 and run on iPads. You can pre-order it now on the Apple App Store.
More information here: AppStore
Jim Audio apps are top notch, excellent stability and sound great. I’ve been using Pure Acid to sample bass lines into my Tracker for years now. Poison 202 is also a long time favorite of mine.
This is instant buy. I love 1st version of GR-16 already and the successor looks amazing. I cannot wait to buy it on day one again.
Is this article written by ChatGPT? There are multiple typos and lots of the sentences are stilted or don’t add any value to understanding what is new about GR2. I’m not trying to be rude, but as honest feedback, I am not going to read Synthanatomy (usually a great source) in the future if this kind of AI/non-professional writing is going to be normalized.
Oh it looks like your are a English grammar specialist. Well, this is not ChatGPT. Of course ChatGPT algorithms don’t have grammar typos. It’s written by me a human being that makes errors. My brain plays a unbalanced game every day between four languages that I know: Luxembourgish, German, English and French.
Writing and thinking as a a native English speaker who probably only knows and needs one language, is much easier than someone who can speak four and also thinks that way in life because I read and write all four almost every day. This is not a literature club and errors are there. I try to do my best every day.
There are enough other media that just copy and paste information from press releases every day. If you prefer that, go for it. Nobody is stopping you.
And what is new about GR-2? The entire article is a news with the main new features. It’s a complete overhaul of the app more it’s a complete new app. 3 instrument layers instad of 1 (GR-16), new worklow, new instruments…
You do a great job, and you don’t get nearly enough love for it. This is my favorite site for synth stuff. I don’t know how you put up with all the bratty commenters.
On topic, I wish this ran on iPhone too, but that’s asking a lot. Jim Audio rocks.
ayoooooo , Synth Anatomy crashed out hehe. The whole iS IT aI?! question is getting stale though. so what if he did use AI? there plenty of things to cover and I surmount artificial intelligence could assist.
if you follow the site intensively, you know that i’m not an AI fan 😉
Interesting new iteration. Love the GR1. But there lacks of feature informations
– Multisampling possible?
– Audio Recording while playing ?
– Midi remote capabilities
– stem export again?
– Ableton Live Export again?
Call me crazy, but have you considered clicking on the link to the app store, where you can find all information and in doubt the possibility to contact the developer?
Unfortunately, the app description in the App Store is even more limited. And why should I contact the developer when he’s not able to write down all important features that matters for musicians?
These are reasonable questions about a new app that isn’t released yet and limited information about it exists yet. Don’t be crazy.
Yup no brainer, I am still in love with the aciiiiiiiid app.
Awesome apps like these are what make most grooveboxes absolutely obsolete. Looks like a real powerhouse and more than just an iteration imho. With all that DAW / plugin hosting – jazz I really find it hard to justify buying a MC-101, Seqtrak or the absolute troll-devices from TE.
This looks amazing. He does such nice graphic design on his apps
Superb app! It really does make hardware groove boxes look under powered and limited.