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.
Anyone using Korg Nanokontrol with their IPad?
I'd be interested to know if they are as programmable as mpk mini in terms of what midi messages controls send. i.e. momentary/toggle, program change etc. Is it worth getting? If so version 1 or 2? Much difference between them? Thanks in advance.
Comments
I don't use it a lot but I have a version 1 unit and it only sends continuous controllers 0 - 41 on channel 1. Sliders and faders are continuous ,buttons are toggle (0/127) and transports are momentary. I don't know if there is any editor for this - maybe for version 2 ?
I am pretty sure with the korg software it is fairly customizable. I will check it out when I get home.
I have the first one. It works well, the editor program for Mac /PC is good so you can customize what the buttons, sliders, and knobs do for each I the four scenes in the controller. Tabeltop reponded to transport controls for me.
1: editing is a PC/Mac program
2: 3 of the 4 patches are pre-coded DAW controls, such as Hui, and are not editable
3: Hui however works well with Auria, at least for tracks 1 - 8
4: Korg nicely published their Sysex dump protocol and format for the series, and I have found I can use MidiToolbox to capture a newly edited patch, and to load up any of those so captured when needed. Not instantaneous, but still useful.
5: I have also seen very effective use of the nanoKONTROL2 to control an 8 track LoopyHD performance, but have not had much luck getting the mappings from the performer.
6: and if all else fails, and you are not trrying to control a port-promiscuous-only App, there is always MidiBridge, and possibly FrEWI, to map on the spot when using the editor is not an option.
Cheers guys. @dwarman, yes I know there's midi mapping apps but they are yet another app to add to the pile. I like akai mpk/lpd8 series because they talk directly to the apps and the mac/PC editor is well easy and effective.
@dwarman said:
I'd like to see that if it's a video or something. Controlling loopy is my primary use for it. Can't share MIDI setups directly but here's how I have mine set up:
This is a little convoluted but it works for me after using it a bit (plus labels)
Channel 8 is another sorta meta channel:
Then, channels 2-7 map directly to what you'd imagine for tracks 1-6 in Loopy — solo, mute, record, volume and pan. With the exception of channel 2's mute button which mutes the active track. I actually rarely use these bits while recording but it is nice after I get something going to be able to tweak the volume/pan of at least 1-6 directly.
It may sound weird that I have 2-7 mapped to tracks 1-6 in Loopy but the edge channels are easy to spot/grab and they get used a lot more.
I wish the NanoKontrol 2 had more than one CC preset or the ability to change the MIDI channel directly on the the device (which you can apparently do with the original NanoKontrol). Then you could mix 12 tracks in loopy pretty seemlessly (or 8 totally seemlessly). Plus, when I use it with my MIDI foot pedal, a lot of the above is redundant. Would be great to switch the setup in those cases.
@supadom In addition to only having a single CC 'scene', also note that while the v2 has considerably more buttons, it has eight groups vs nine groups on the original. For mixing purposes, the 9th channel is handy as a fixed 'master' channel.
I use a NanoKontrol 2 for my stuff, and it's great. You can see it in action here:
There's some wankery in the beginning, but it at least shows how useful a NanoKontrol can be for looping. You can completely customize everything in the editor, including which buttons latch and are momentary. Super value for what you'd want it to do.
Good point about the toggle vs latch. It is handy. You can actually set the buttons to send different values for off and on. http://i.korg.com/uploads/Support/nanoKONTROL2_PG_E1_634479709631760000.pdf
PS. No, you can't send Program Change messages. You can send CCs and notes only.
Cheers guys. Do you know if mk1 is much less able than the second edition? They're going on ebay for much cheaper.
From personal experience as well as what I've found (perhaps better said, not found) on the web the original Nanokontrol is useless except for Korg apps. I may replace mine at some point with the second generation, especially since there's a mode that works well with Auria apparently.
I tried a Samson MF8 a month ago, which appears to have a smarter design than the Nanokontrol. My unit was defective and I returned it. So far there are no reviews out there and only 1 rating on amazon, none on thomann, b&h, or sweetwater.
with iphone 5s over usb adapter it seems doesnt work....???!!! any experience?
While searching for info on nanokontrol my old (2014) thread popped up. I'm still trying to replace my beatstep (endless encoders grrrrr.) but can't find anything compact enough.
I bought korg nano pad but there's just x y pad and I'd ideally need more knobage for some fx control.
I've looked at launch control cuteness that I used to have but the pads are far from ideal (jelly wobble type) despite looking very sexy in all those fruity colours. I don't actually use pads for drumming but controlling loop actions in loopy but they've got to trigger reliably.
Any ideas welcome. I doubt it as I've been at it for a while now.
Behringer x touch mini caught my eye too but those tiny buttons...and again, endless encoders. No mac editor either!
Two and a half years later, at least now we have Drambo finally supporting both the Beatstep and the old KORG Nanokontrol 1 very well.
I wasn't even sure if the NK1 was class compliant but it is, and it can even be powered by the iPad. If you configure mute and solo on the NK1 to act as toggle buttons and set them as momentary (!) inside Drambo, the NK1 buttons actually mirror the mute and solo status reliably with the illuminated buttons.
Four scenes allow for 36 channels of control with a total of 36 faders, 36 knobs and 72 buttons but the NK1 seems a bit stupid in that it doesn't memorize the solo and mute LED status in scenes so I'll be using it just with its 9 channels.
Transport control can also be mapped reliably.
Yes, NK1 is a sweetshop option for Drambo. Super cheap second hand. Just watch out for the usb socket, it isn’t built for abuse. It fell off on one of mine so I was forced to put some reinforcement epoxy around my other unit. Other than that, poor man’s gold.
Hello,
I’m using this in my iPad keyboards rig. No problems at all (with exception of Program Change messages).
Just an FYI I have NanoKontrol 2 and Nanokeys 2. I bought an USB splitter cable and have BOTH Korg units getting power from my iPad and working fine.
It is also super flexible in terms of midi channels. Each channel strip can send on a separate midi channel. I had some scenes mapped to circuit’s parameters and it worked very well.
Thanks for the info, in fact I was right about to try that! 😃
Does that USB splitter contain USB hub functionality??
@rs2000 I’m not sure about USB hub functionality. It looks like a splitter cable, one male USB connection on one end splitting into two cables with female USB connections on each of those ends.
Could you please post a product link?
If it allows using two USB devices simultaneously then there must be some micro hub inside because you can't just connect two USB data lines
@rs2000 Oh, I hear ya.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S8XC8PK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@Sawiton Cool, thanks, seems to be a hub indeed
I’ve been using NanoKontrol 1 for a while now and love it but it cannot be made to receive MIDI to light up leds and such.
~~So I bought the v2 of nanokontrol and I see that when connecting the cycle button flashes a few times and then the only led that ever comes on is the white one that indicates power.
There’s no leds when buttons are pressed whether in momentary or toggle mode.
I’m going to read the manual but I have a feeling that it detects lower power from the iPad and enters some kind of low power mode that excludes all the leds. I hope I’m wrong but when plugged into my MacBook Pro it does light up.
~~
Scrap that.
It seems that when led mode is set to external it stays dark until it receives any MIDI information.
When led mode is set to internal it functions the same as mk l.
I hope now that the internal led mode doesn’t mean that it blocks any MIDI coming in to light up buttons.
I’d love to hear if anyone is using it with bi directional MIDI.
I use the original nanoKontrol. I works well but I have not found how to use the multiple Scenes. I wish I did It would give me 3x more controls.
I love the nanoKontrol. It is one of 3 MIDI controllers I use in a semi permanent/mobile setup. The editing software on Mac is not the best but you can edit anything and everything. I highly recommend it. I only wish they had an iPad version of the editor.
When you open the editor there's 4 'tabs" in the top left. Each tab is a scene and has a separate set of user programmable values.
The scenes are switched on the controller via the scene button that just scrolls through them which is indicated by the red led that moves every time you press the scene button.
I've just tried sending midi to NK 2 in external led mode but I'm not getting anything.
Probably user error though.
UPDATE
Got it working. Turns out Loopy octaves are shifted. I've changed the octave in the Loopy Pro midi receiver settings and it is working no. Result!
Sweet setup. We’re talking about the non-studio varieties. Although it would be interesting to know whether NanoKontrol studio responds to received MIDI with its LEDs.
This is mine. At times I feel it is all I ever need.