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.
MultiTrackStudio for iPad adds Matrix Sampler
http://www.multitrackstudio.com/ipad_whatsnew.php
And some other stuff
Comments
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/multitrackstudio-for-ipad/id776998585?mt=8
Wow! MultiTrackStudio is actually the most expensive single music app I've ever purchased (eclipsing the sale prices for Gadget and Auria). But it's hard to regret the purchase when you see work like this put into it. For a relatively new app, he has been working quite a bit on new features.
I needed more info on this and was away from my iPad. Found this on his forum:
http://www.multitrackstudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2108
http://www.multitrackstudio.com/multitrackstudio_ipad_matrixsampler.png
Here is the description:
"The Matrix Sampler can load up to 16 audio samples. They can be played using the Matrix onscreen keyboard for example.
A 4x4 matrix of cells appears on the left. On tapping one of the 16 cells the corresponding controls appear on the right. The Load button allows for loading samples. Several options are available:
Import an audio file from AudioShare, the General Pasteboard or iTunes File Sharing.
Paste data copied from audio or MIDI track editor.
Remove.
In addition you can copy from one cell to another using drag-and-drop. Samples can be up to 6 seconds in length. If you have longer samples you can consider slicing them into parts using a track editor, the parts can then be loaded in multiple cells using the paste option.
The text box next to the load button shows the name of the cell, and allows for changing it. The name appears in the cell itself if a sample is loaded.
Volume controls the volume of the sample. Semitones and Cents control the pitch. Stretch can be used to make the sample shorter or longer, so it matches the song tempo. The box accepts fractions, so you can type '120/80' instead of '1.5' to make a 120 BPM sample match your 80 BPM song for example. If Oneshot is engaged the sample will play all the way to the end regardless of note-off messages.
You can use the play button to playback the sample. This can come in handy while copying data from a tracks to cells, when there's not enough room for the matrix keyboard.
The Matrix Sampler supports the following MIDI messages:
Note On/Off
Volume (cont. 7)
Expression (cont. 11)
The cells are mapped to MIDI notes 36..51.
Giel Bremmers"
Christmas just came early! Is this part of the base MTS package, or do you need the IAP expansion to be able to use it?
Following up on this, two thoughts:
(1) As best I can tell, he added this to the basic version of the app - it does not appear to require the $19.99 expansion pack or any other IAP payment. Which is awesome and generous. (Though I may soon buy the IAP anyway)
(2) The amount of WORK you can do without leaving this app is amazing, and ever-growing. While it is a bit handcuffed to the issues with IAA, if IAA ever gets better, this thing will be one lean machine. This thing now has a full SoundFont player and drum machine/sampler without leaving the app.
That being said, I wonder if there are "kits" you can save for the samples, as it doesn't appear so at first glance. I will suggest that to him if that is not already in the app.
@StormJH1 said:
Nice. I'll bet the kit is saved automatically along with the session, like everything else. But ya, it would be nice to be able to save and load them separately.
I haven't purchased the IAP yet either, though I will do so now just as a way of showing my support for the great work they do.
This is great! MTS is catching up with the major ios daws very quickly. The main advantage of the developer is that he has a fully fledged desktop version of the app that has been around for years. He's been updating the app on a monthly basis since its release and is porting features from the desktop to the ipad version. MTS is a joy to work with: very well thought out, uncluttered and productive. It may be relatively expensive, but the price is a bargain considering what value you get for it.
@Maarten said:
Good point - the sampler was just added to the PCI version this month as well. Since he isn't only tied to the sales of the iPad app, he views the development of both as going hand in hand.
I haven't really "pushed" it yet, but I can't believe how smoothly MTS runs on my ancient ipad2.
The CPU draw is more akin to MTDAW or BM2, even though the feature list is starting to resemble Cubasis or Auria. But really, it's a unique, great DAW
That's really sweet. Starting to think I should have splurged on this instead of gadget.
Loading kits and sample decay time would be welcome.
How is this compare to Auria and Cubasis
@djjuniorpops said:
Good question. I don't think you have to "prefer" either one of those or MultiTrackStudio. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I actually bought Auria like 2 months before I got this, and I'm not at all disappointed in Auria, though it's bit too much for my iPad2 to comfortably handle.
The main difference with MTS is that it's from an indie developer, albeit a pretty sophisticated one. His name is Giel, and you can go join his website forum, ask questions, propose changes, and he'll probably even respond to you. Aesthetically, MTS's rack interface feels "professional", even if it isn't as polished as Auria or Cubasis. Then again, the lack of heavy graphics and display stuff might be part of what helps MTS run efficiently.
Feature-wise, it's probably more akin to Cubasis because it does MIDI and does it pretty well. Auria's strengths are more in editing, effects, and in the plug-ins it offers as IAP's. But MTS has a pretty good effects suite built into the app, and it's very IAA friendly, so you can use your own.
Since it's a somewhat direct port from a desktop version, the IAA slots function the way VST plug-ins work in a desktop DAW (like Reaper). You can also use the MIDI editor within the app to program sequences for the IAA app you are controlling. Even cooler (but which I haven't tried), the app can analyze simple audio or MIDI passages and convert it to MIDI data, which can then be edited.
The sample player is new, and it becomes immediately obvious some of the things you can do with that. But it also has a built-in SoundFont player, which means you could program anything from a bass line to a drum kit to a drum machine from an .sf2 file. The app has a piano roll editing for everything, and you can also record using keyboards or drum pads within the app. No, they're not the best touch controllers on iOS, but they're there for convenience, and you can tune it up using MIDI later.
If you're a fan of Caustic (or even just the idea behind Caustic), MTS is hard not to like. It's almost like fan service created by a guy who likes to make music using free (or sometimes paid) resources like .sf2 and .wav samples, and combining that with AudioBus/IAA functionality. If you're used to loops and sliding things around on one giant visual grid, it can be a bit of an adjustment. But it has endless functionality and possibilities.
One word comes to mind with MTS... efficiency. It has no more or no less than it needs to be a fully functional DAW. There's no extraneous visuals, graphics, windows to open and close. The code must also be very efficient for the whole thing to fit in less than 20 megs including all the instruments. It's also very efficient with regards to system resources, making it a very friendly DAW when it comes to using lots of other apps with it at the same time. Once you get to know how it works the simplicity makes for a very efficient workflow. If I want to record a quick track "just to see how it sounds", it takes mere minutes to set it up, hit record, and get the result. Not an hour like some other programs and apps I've used.
The IAP is worth it for the pitch shifting feature alone. I have to go along with all the positive comments above. This replaced Cubasis for me midi-wise some time ago and I have had no real issues with either AB or IAA. Less in fact than with other DAWs.
Got a chance to play with the Matrix Sampler last night. It has time stretch and pitch adjustment, but is otherwise pretty bare bones - not that it purports to be anything more than that. AudioShare integration worked nicely (love the apps that bring up the giant export button within AudioShare), and programming beats works as well as expected given the excellent MIDI editor.
However, I did not find any way to save a "preset" or "kit". (Still need to check on the app's forums). It likely saves within a project, similar to how NanoStudio would handle it. For a free update, however, this is still something I could see using a fair amount.
UPDATE: Dev confirmed that it's on his "list" of future improvements. And when this guy says it's on the list, it actually means you may see it in the not-so-distant future.
Is there anyway to store sample presets or "Kits" that you create from your own samples?
"Not yet. It's on the list!
Giel Bremmers"
The Matrix Sampler is a crazy tool:
Its connected to the full power of both midi and audio track editors in app.
Record or import a WAV, chop it up, choplab style, copy paste each piece onto a different pad.
This is also possible from a midi track- slices of IAA or AB instrument's tracks can be rendered from midi to audio and copy pasted onto pads as well- any voice you can program on an out board instrument can become a cell on the matrix.
Draw one midi event on a Tera midi track, copy paste to a cell, change the Tera patch, copy paste on a second cell, over and over Without bothering to actually lay down a WAV recording u can program 16 different sounds and lay em out lickety split. Using midi this way also allows one access to automation parameters
If they need tweaks, render the slice to an audio track and tweak away
@Littlewoodg said:
Wow, I hadn't even considered all of this! Note there is a 6-second limit for samples. But MTS would really benefit from a demo video or dozen showing all of the things you can do just with the features of the app itself.
@Littlewoodg said:
What you're describing sounds awesome. I work with Live in this way a lot.
How processor intensive is MTS? I love the FX in Auria, but it's a pig on my iPad 4.
MTS is very light on CPU, as was said above, it's more like MT Daw in terms of use of resources, than Auria, Cubasis, or BM2.
The onboard effects are pretty great too by the way, as is the IAA effects implememtation
@Littlewoodg said:
dang. how have I slept on this app? I just read the manual and the MTS website for the iPad version, and it looks like what I've been looking for as an excellent alternative to Cubasis and Auria...
@papertiger said:
There are a few reasons for that. One, it was a "soft roll-out" when he released it. It did not support AB/IAA upon release, as these features were added a few weeks later. Screenshots of the app aren't going to do it much justice, because it purposefully looks like some of the PC software of the 1990's. And he's continued to add more features in the months since.
It would have been easy to dismiss this app at $30 on release - it's getting harder to do so now. I think it's becoming my favorite DAW. Auria might have that distinction, except that I feel like I can only use about 30% of its potential.
Just reading this old thread...
Hey, I just figured out that presumably you can use the 'expression' (cc11) to control the decay (and attack) of samples (actually this assumes you are playing monophonically - but there we are).
Reduce the expression down to 0 before the sample has finished in order to fade it out (or do the reverse at the start to fade it in slowly).
It's something anyway...
Can someone help me out, I just reinstalled this to do the Zero Reverb demo and I want to check out the Matrix and Sf player, er where are they, how do you load them and how do you use IAA instruments,
long-press on the first effects slot of the track that you want to apply the effect to... The default is usually labeled 'MTSi' on a midi track... that's the button that you want to long-press on..
I was confused too the other day, and after fiddling for some time I found it :
Its a long press on the button on the right of your midi track, where your instrument is loaded
short press only open the "edit" mode
hope it helps
Yep... That got me for a whole evening when I first bought MTS. It's a LONG PRESS on the effects slot.
How anyone is supposed to know that is beyond me... I could obviously see it in the manual either. I had to watch it in a video I found!
Apart from that it's great!
The double tap on the track play button for practice mode was something I didn't spot for a while! Including.. changing order of tracks by dragging track out to the right first...plus many others I'm sure. Although I do think it's a candidate for having an overlay help mode.
What's even less intuitive to me is that in order to record midi of a specific channel, you have to set the midi channel using the same button as above. What in the world does an effect slot (output) have to do with recording midi (input)? Took me forever to figure that out.
I loudly agree
Yeah that got it, I should collect all this stuff and make a video, you should all compile some sort of tip list, I'll buy the Pro Upgrade and then I can make a demo telling everyone all the tips and tricks and stuff
Yeah the pro upgrade is definitely worth it, now even better since all the fx now have stock presets
Doug (@thesoundtestroom) that's a great idea. This thread below is basically that list:
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/6293/multitrackstudio-tips-tricks-updates-last-update-v-2-4-1-on-11-09-15#latest