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.
GarageBand recording quality?
Hello, I just picked up audiobus yesterday after tinkering with GarageBand over the last couple years, and am so happy I did. The possibilities are endless now!
I just had a question about recording quality in GarageBand. I have been bussing in animoog sounds to GarageBand, and when I play them back in GarageBand, there is a noticeable difference in quality. Is this because of the sample rate in GarageBand? Would using another DAW fix this issue?
Thanks a lot for the help!
Comments
@May1985 - Welcome to AudioBus and (I assume) to the forums!
Other people are more qualified to help than I on audio quality and sample rates, but maybe you can describe more precisely what the "quality" problems are? Are we talking about a compressed sound like a bad MP3? Is there a stuttering or crackling noise, like the app can't keep up? Or does it just sound less dynamic or loud to you?
One thing to keep in mind is your input/output levels. If you use Sound Recorder in GarageBand, watch the decibel gauge as you playback from Animoog. If it is spiking far to the right into the red, there will be clipping/distortion as the signal is too powerful. That's the most common thing that will degrade quality, and it needs to be monitored on every track. Lower the output in Animoog if that's the case.
Also, what model device are you using?
If you are somewhat new to iOS recording, like I was, Multi-Track DAW (referred to as "MT DAW" in these parts) is a very accessible DAW that feels like some of the basic freeware recorders you'd see on a PC. It is very light on the CPU, and I prefer it at times over GarageBand for that reason.
But generally speaking, if you are doing everything right, there shouldn't be a huge discernible difference in quality between GarageBand, MT DAW and even some of the more expensive DAW's. The "better" ones offer more mastering and effects options, but any passable DAW should be able to capture and playback sound through AudioBus.
Thanks so much for the welcome and quick response!
I'm using an iPad 2, newest iOS and all software is up to date.
The audio recorded into GarageBand is not clipping or distorting, and the waveform looks pretty good to me.
The difference in quality sounds like a compression of the frequency range and perhaps a more narrow stereo field.
I am using nice monitor headphones (beyerdynamic), so I can clearly hear the difference but it is not a HUGE difference. The GarageBand recorded version just sounds duller, less complex and interesting. I matched the volume from animoog to GarageBand to better compare the sounds, and there is a definite difference in sound quality.
Thanks for the help!
Check what effects you have on in GarageBand.
Yes, it could be effects that are on in the Audio Recorder (there are icons for dry, wet, etc. I think). But otherwise, there is no reason GarageBand would be degrading what you hear playing back directly in Animoog. It sounds like you are sophisticated enough to know what you are hearing - perhaps someone familiar with Animoog can talk about the settings in there, as well.
I think a point is trying to be made by the original poster. What is actually being claimed is that bussing of the signal between animoog and GarageBand is manipulated as it travels through. Am I wrong? Maybe. Wouldn't be the first time;)
If the above suggestions provided by Bootsy and StormJH1 give rise to no solution. Then...
If this is simply recording of animoog, try animoog's multitrack recorder, export the sound, import into GarageBand and see if you still notice the difference is sound. To test by numbers export the two signals to a desktop daw and use some scopes on them. Reaper has some great JS plugs included that will have you covered. Please report your findings.
Ps. How are you checking the waveform in GarageBand? It's not that resolute, but maybe I'm wrong again.
No, he's an AudioBus user of less than 24 hours, so rather than assuming that the app or its integration with Animoog is somehow flawed, we're ruling out out other possible causes of why the recorded sound may be different.
I've had problems in apps that haunted me for weeks before realizing there was a simple settings "switch" I needed to flip.
Anyway, WMWM's suggestions are worth a try now that we've ruled out other reasons why the end product sounded different.
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As May1985 is technically minded, I personally would like to see his results. Sorry, I must have missed the compression and narrowing "switch" in GarageBand and Animoog.
Please let us know your findings.
It's been a while since I used GB with AB, but is it possible that it's only recording into a mono track?
First of all, thank you all for your quick and thoughtful responses. Such a cool forum this is, looking forward to leaning a lot from hanging out here.
@thatsRayor, after listening a little bit more(and looking at the level monitoring bars), I can confirm that the recording of the animoog sound that I recorded was in mono. However, after restarting the applications, animoog through AB to GB recorded fine in stereo, and the sounds from animoog and GarageBand were identical.
Not sure why the track was first recorded in mono - I don't think there was an option to record in mono in the first place. Any ideas as to what would make that happen?
If I run into the issue again, I will remember to try to see what I did to make it happen.
Thanks!!
Bullseye @thatsRayor!
Funny what can happen when you monkey around with the settings, you can get your fingers singed...
Coincidently, mono is Spanish for monkey...
...and singe is French for monkey.
That should tell us all something...
"Spanish for monkey..." I didn't know that expression, but as spanish man, I'd like to know what it means (lol).
@May1985, you need Stereo Designer.
@fjcblanco said:
Just that the Spanish word for 'monkey' is 'mono'...
...but I suspect you know that.
Nope, but that's funny!