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.
Beatwave 2 out! (Audiobus supported)
Tried the free stuff. Sounds good, and seems like a pretty capable little thing. There's a Pro IAP upgrade that contains everything, and smaller IAPs if you don't need all the stuff. Fun app, so far!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beatwave/id363718254?mt=8
"It's been completely redesigned from the ground up and includes:
Stunning new UI
Effects
iOS7 compatibility
New instruments
New sharing functionality
Audiobus support
Now up to 4 patterns per grid
New controls for grid speed and octaves
Improved tone and scale controls
Improved workflows for saving and loading patterns
Huge number of other tweaks and details
Comments
Nifty - a bit like Xynthesizr.
@Brain said:
Well, the pattern based sequencer is (another similar-ish one is Yamaha TNR-i), and it also have a similar randomization thing going on for the sequencer. There's no synth engine inside though, it's all samples, and lots of effects available. Haven't seen any MIDI anywhere yet, but I've only briefly messed around with it, so might be something hiding in there
Many small gestures here and there inside that might be easy to miss (when tapping on an instrument to get to the instrument categories, swipe the small category bar to reveal more categories, another is the 4 patterns, swipe up or down to reveal copy/paste, etc), seems like the tutorial is a work in progress.
If anyone else is interested I was able to import my own samples into the app via iFunBox. I was only able to get it to work by replacing the instruments downloaded after the installation (IAPs) and had to edit the meta files so that Beatwave recognized the new files correctly. Lots of fun though, loving this, cool app
Odd that there are over 13,000 ratings, but no reviews on the store page. And the 3 star average has me wondering.
The original app was pretty ordinary which might explain the 3 star ratings. This is a pretty thorough update @telecharge
Yes almost a new app and most features are free (some good sounds and effects here though). The interface is one of the nicest I've seen, reminds me of iMPC Pro. Getting some really great results from this. Great job dev(s)
Thanks, guys. I'll check it out.
@telecharge said:
People always say that - the reviews reset after every update. You can see the old reviews if you click on all instead of "current version". Apple hides the old reviews because they might reference flaws in an app that no longer exist after the update.
That's only within iTunes, correct? Thanks for the tip.
Liking it.
@DarbyA said:
Interesting. And cool also. I think YOU need to make a quick vid showing the slow amongst us your beneath the hood skillz etc.
@JohnnyGoodyear said:
You are awesome Mister Goodyear but I'm no superhero at this and taking care of someone with cancer right now, really can't do a video here sorry!! But I would be happy to answer any questions
So far I've done four instruments. Each time I have to replace files in a folder of one of the IAP instruments, which is a shame because many of them are very good. After that it is a matter of editing the meta file. I've been able to change the name to my new instrument and then I edit the ADSR rules for it. I've noticed that it seems to need to be the original meta file, if I mix and match Beatwave doesn't recognize it. Also it is important to make sure that the files are numbered correctly, "Instrument Name-1" to "Instrument Name-16" for 16 wav files and these files and their range need to be correctly defined in the meta file. Does that help?
Happy to answer if I can, others on this forum will know lots more than I do. It can be done
Edit: Also my device isn't jailbroken, it works without.
@DarbyA
My name is Johnny. I'm an appaholic. And I appreciate your answer.
You have given me plenty to think about, but I also have plenty to fiddle with already having -of course- bought the Pro set etc. Some nice sounds.
I think this is a more-than-fun piece of work. It is likely that I may sometimes find apps that hit my own sweet-spot when someone else may find them too simple or limited. Probably true for all of us to some degree or another (wherever we may find our place on the bat).
I like melodies and this is already somewhere I find it easy to take the sound in my head and hear it played back at me. Truth be told I bought the Tenori last year, and even printed out the manual, but never got anywhere close to making it work for me rather than (it felt) me working for it. Still have hopes, but I'm obviously not quite ready. Yet.
Thanks for your explanation. I look forward to trying out samples once I wear out those extant in the app.
I'm not of a religious bent, but I wish you grace with caring for someone who's ill. It's some of the noblest service there is; whatever your denomination or calling might be.
JG
Thanks very much Johnny. We are all connected and going through the same things, I've learned a lot from her.
This app really has a lot going for it. I know it's hard to lose the on-board sounds but HQ samples really make this into a beast. Everything is in tune, scales and everything else are working correctly (portamento is especially good w/strings).
@ChrisG said:
Thanks for this. I also came across undo/redo if you swipe the patterns to the left on the grid tab.
Also in the grid tab, you can have it auto cycle through up to four patterns per group per instrument.
I dunno if I'll get the IAPs but it's fun (I had removed it a while ago) and there are some really lovely bits of design and interaction. Visually, the grid may be my least favorite part actually!
@syrupcore @ChrisG Thanks for sharing your 'discoveries'. I am still perplexed with the groups etc to some degree, but getting there.
Anyone else having trouble with the 'Open in'? Completely unresponsive for me over here...records fine through the trusty 'bus however.
Groups allow you to save the patterns, instruments, and effects into a group, which is handy for working it as a part...intro, verse, bridge, etc.
I haven't tried open in yet. What file type are you using?
Thanks for the groups outline. Understand the concept it's the implementation that confuses me. A bit like girls.
I was just trying to open a 'recording' from the 'Share' panel. 'Soundcloud' and 'Mail' options seem to work just fine, but 'Open In' is dead to me. Wasn't aware of a file type option.
Will keep banging on the thing with a rock until all is revealed. No, that didn't work with the girls either.
Just click the + to save a snapshot! then modify it and hit + again to save another snapshot. After that you can just select a group to trigger it. If you flick up on a group name, you can rename it. It's a pretty slick way to flesh out an entire song.
I'm seeing the same unresponsiveness with the open in feature. I did send myself an email, and saw it sent a link, rather than an audio or midi file, as I expected. I would think it mixes down to an audio file for soundcloud though, but I haven't tested that.
Here's the link, if anyone is interested...
http://beatwave.co/recording/w9
Does anyone know if the tempo can be adjusted?
Disregard...I found it.
Thanks Mr. Junkie! Good insight. I have several hours of making a living in front of me, but look forward to making a mess of this all later on....
I really like this. The random probability thing is really cool. It's kinda like Xynthesiser with four instruments with mutes and patterns. Top stuff:-)
Great app. Has anyone found a way to turn off the global reverb or a way to auto-cycle through the groups?
Every once in awhile, you get an app that looks like a toy, or too dumbed down to make music with, and it turns out to be actually pretty useful. This might be such an app. I have no problem trying out a freemium app, but didn't expect much. I actually got to work pretty quickly with some simple groove box patterns.
I guess the one thing I didn't like is that you have to guess (right?) if you use the Beata preset for percussion...it was trial and error to figure out what was a bass drum, snare, etc. Of course, you could use percussion from another app and just use it like Xynthesizer. It's not nearly as good as that app, but has some of the same generative principles.
@StormJH1 said:
Beatwave has been around since 2010, Xynthesizer arrived about 3 years after. Hard to compare a synth to a sampler. I really like being able to run four instances simultaneously and if a few kinks were ironed out it would work great as a sketch pad
@StormJH1 said:
Yep but there is a setting to allow you to hear a note as soon as you touch a grid position.
@DarbyA said:
I don't know of a way to auto cycle through the groups but each pattern can have up to four grids which do auto cycle.
Thanks @Syrupcore, maybe they'll add it in. There are reviews with people refering to the app as a fun game lol, so maybe I'm just approaching it the wrong way. Tap tap tap
May not be a technical 10 to some, but it draws me into wanting to make things and that's always the most valuable design-feature for me.