Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Recommend me a midi keyboard?
Looking for either a 49 or 61 key midi keyboard with weighted or at least semi weighted keys, budget no greater than £150 - any recommendations would be appreciated, thanks.
Comments
Samson Graphite 49 key, semi-weighted. It's $210 here, which is about your budget I think. Excellent MIDI implementation, also has aftertouch and 4 keyboard zones/splits. Good controls set, 8 faders + master, 8 knobs, 16 buttons, transport control, 4 drumpads. Faders and knobs have two banks, the 4 drumpads also have 2 banks separately selectable. Presets include DAW automation controls for 15 different DAWs and 16 user configurables. Works well with the iPad, does not need a powered hub. Shows up there as a CoreMIDI port for each zone + DAW control port in, and external MIDI output + DAW control output CM out ports. Auria recognized the correct pair without prompting.
I like mine. Ignore the low star rating on Amazon. I went by Craig Anderton's recommendation, I trust him, and I was not disappointed. I agonized for weeks over comparisons including the Novation, Akai, M-Audio, and others. The comprehensive control configuration capabilities on the Graphite and Craigs' review were what decided me. Every knob/slider/button has all its characteristics independently configurable from the keyboard, no PC editor erequired, which makes it usable even with Apps that do not implement MIDI learn. It's a nice LCD UI too.
Thanks @dwarman - much appreciated
There's also Samson Carbon 49 for $100. Also works with iPad without a powered hub and even has an iPad slot to stand it up kinda like SynthStation49.
I've heard that these Samson keyboard's are not very semi-weighted though. I wonder how it actually compares to the action on something like M-Audio Axiom 49 which has a very nice semi-weighted feel.
I've got the Carbon 49. I tried it and the M-Audio Axiom 49 side by side. I thought they felt very similar, but I liked the Carbon better because of the Ipad slot. I actually don't use the slot very often, but it really like my Carbon 49.
Cool, do you think the slot would still work if the ipad has a case or is it really tight fitting?
Too tight for any case I know of, it's a good snug fit with no case. (There are little rubber feet that steady the Ipad in the slot. They just set in the corners of the slot loose. I wanted mine to stay in the slot when I didn't have the ipad in there, so I glued them in with Elmer's school glue. In case in changed my mind, I could wash the slot and it wouldn't be permanently glued.)
What about this one? Will it work with iOS daws? I.e. Cubasis? With the faders, transport controls and all?
Forgot the link... http://www.nektartech.com/Impact-LX49
It should, though I can't speak to the MIDI mapping in Cubasis. At the bottom it says, "Class compliant (no driver needed)".
I was psyched to discover after calling (local call) that the nektar tech Impact lx line is iOS compatible- I had one shipping to me already (checked out action and knobs at a local shop) and bought it with only laptop in mind. There's a midi mapping group on their user forums, wonder if anyone's done mapping for iOS daws
Definitely like to hear of your experiences with the Nektar stuff. The Panorama line looks pretty amazing.
Actually, I think it looks kinda gaudy. I mean the feature set and layout look amazing.
I can report in a couple days. The Impact stylie is more minimalist than the Panoramas. The feel of keys and knobs in Impact is lovely. The price point is entry level compared to panorama, but the thing is pretty elegant and solid. That's the showroom stuff, which with reports about easy mapping for Live and Bitwig, made me order one
What I should do once I get it is send it to my kid who can put it through it's paces and write it up
Hi, I have the Nektar LX49. So far I am really enjoying it. I am mostly using it with a user script and Ableton but it works fine with the CCK and IOS apps. If you want custom mappings, it lacks a PC/OSX client to map parameters AFAIK so it might be a bit tedious if you want to do a lot of customisation but it is fine for IOS apps with midi-learn. Far better than my nephew's Oxygen mark 3 or my Akai MPK mini.
Thank you both. I'm with you @littlewoodg, I really like the minimalist style of the impacts—I just want the features of the Panoramas.
so @Littlewoodg, did you get to try it out? And @kewtips, sounds promising.
I'm mostly curious how the Nektar keybed compares to the M Audio Axion Air and/or the Roland A500 Pro.
@Jakersjaw
I didn't even open the box- shipped it straight to my son. I'll get the report and pass it on here...
@Littlewoodg, fair enough. I'll be awaiting his thoughts on it then
@Littlewoodg, so did your son try it out yet?