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.
Recommendation for a portable speaker
Morning all. I was on the verge of buying a portable guitar amp (Yamaha THR10) for practising guitar in the lounge, but a demo in a music shop yesterday put me off (it's fairly quiet and there's a huge volume imbalance going from clean to distortion.) I have Tonestack, Bias, Jamup & loads of effects apps on my iPad so it seems crazy not to use that to play into a good speaker/monitor... except it's really hard to demo that kind of thing! I did try a Line6 Amplifi 75 but wasn't really blown away by the sound - the 150 would be too big I think. The iRig iLoud gets good reviews on Amazon UK - has anyone tried it? Does anyone out there have a good speaker/monitor they would recommend? It doesn't have to be battery operated but needs a line-in and needs to be smaller/lighter than a standard guitar combo so I can move it around easily!
Many thanks for any suggestions...
Comments
I too have been looking for something similar in the way of a portable stereo speaker for iOS production. The iLoud seems best bang for the buck so far but surely thre are other good affordable choices?
Mackie Free Play?
Hello,
Hard to find but sounds great :
A cab: (not so portable indeed...)
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/crate-gt112sl-1x12-guitar-cabinet#productDetail
And this amp (that I'm selling actually, very portable, direct link to the add
)
http://fr.audiofanzine.com/tete-d-ampli-guitare-a-transistors/crate/PowerBlock/petites-annonces/i.961002.html
Good things with this : modularity...I would recommend to get the amp, then you go testing cabs to find what's best for you. The Crate Powerblock is a classic OMHO, it will last for ever no matter what version bluetooth to come, just big real guitar sound !
I love my iLoud when it comes to having a portable system I can throw in my bag.
@Deb - thanks for the suggestion, I haven't heard of that before but it looks ideal - if I can get past the looks!! A review of the Mackie led me off to look at the Marshall Stanmore, which I would love, except that many, many reviews on the Apple website claim the Bluetooth and/or speaker part dies after a short time - what a shame, it looks lovely!
@Durwin99, I'm curious about what turned you off the THR10. I've had mine for a couple of years now and will not give it up. I tend to use it as my go-to amp for practicing and as my electric and bass guitar interface with my Mac. I use it less frequently for bass practicing.
I do have one complaint about it: the USB is not class compliant.
@miguelmarcos , I didn't get much time to play around with it, but basically, when on the clean setting (or whatever the first is on the dial) it was very quiet, so I turned the guitar up to 10, and had the gain about 2 or 3 and master + guitar dials around 9 (assuming max on those dials was 10); when I switched to Lead or higher (Brit Hi/Modern) the volume was ridiculously louder - just lifting my hands off the strings made me wince. I don't know if the presets for Clean/Crunch/Lead etc are adjustable, so maybe someone had messed around with the amp already? The sales guy just said that's how it was...
TBH, I am waiting for the THR100HD head to be available (apparently Christmas time if they fix the issues with the defect they found) - hoping it's as good as early reports suggest! It won't solve my portable dilemma but means I'm not necessarily that concerned about getting the THR10 at this point...
http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_mpa40bt.htm
please read the ratings to learn more.
@Durwin99 the patch editor does allow you to write gain and master levels to the memory. It might have been that but that demo model had to have been hooked up to a computer by somebody.
I just did a round robin with mine which are at factory default and the levels are the same (setting aside the effect of crunch and distortion). No wacky spikes in volume.
The THR100D does look cool. Did you see the sweetwater video?
Unfortunately the need for 8(yup 8) D cells for power is cost prohibitive.
@miguelmarcos - I think someone must have hooked the THR10 up to a computer, because the difference in volume between patches was just plain silly; I thought it was odd! Are you happy with the overall volume & sound ? I thought the volume ok (on lead etc) but lacking in bass - understandable given the speaker size I guess. Yes I saw the THR100 Sweetwater vid, it was the review in Guitarist magazine (UK) that switched me on to it - they also have a YouTube review up. If it really is a revolution in terms of digital vs tube, then I'm interested! I was saving for a tube amp (like a Mesa Rectoverb or MkV:25) but having never owned one, am concerned about playing at low volume & still getting the 'sound'!
@owi - thank you, that's another product I wasn't aware of! I'm off to find some reviews but it looks very good. I prefer the look of it, more like a studio speaker (certainly around the back) plus it seems to have a built-in battery and takes a standard power lead - the Mackie is extra for the L-Ion battery (yep, 8 D-cells too awkward @Tritonman) and the stand, and the power supply is an external brick. However the Behringer is definitely a mono speaker, not sure how it will sound used as a Bluetooth music box... which is a useful functionality.
Not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet but for use with iOS guitar fx/amp simulators a high fidelity amp/speaker is required. As opposed to a guitar amp. The amp simulator is already doing the job of pretending to be an amp.
Thanks @supadom, I should have stated that but yes, I'm looking for a full-range amp not a guitar amp.
Some good suggestions in here, I also came across the Roland Cube Street EX and I think that may be the best fit for me as I could use it for a variety of instruments I'm planning to learn (keyboard, bass) as well as my acoustic & electric (via iOS)... No Bluetooth and pushing the "portable" definition but a good range of inputs on it.
I don't have one myself but I have heard a few people make very positive remarks about minirig speakers.
My iRig iLoud arrived a couple of weeks ago and it works well. Plenty of oomph and a pretty decent sound. Internal battery is lasts well. Latency over Bluetooth isn't great, but that can be overcome with the wired connection. Some music apps (including Audiobus and Cubasis) don't seem to work over Bluetooth, but others (eg Launchpad app) do.
No Problem...and yes! It's ugly...It has a rechargeable battery pack as an accessory too... I recently picked up a Brand New JBL EON 610 with Bluetooth EQ...it's not bad for the price...but it's not great either...I had to help JBL fix the iOS app...it works well now...
@Durwin99 from your description it does sound like somebody messed around with it. There's nothing remotely wacky about volume levels in the presets. The editor software, by the way, is really good, allowing lots of finesse to set up custom presets.
Bass is not going to be great with such small speakers, of course. It does a decent job in a pinch, but an outstanding job via the audio interface.
On electric or acoustic with pickup, it's just gorgeous. Yamaha has achieved outstanding depth between the two speakers, especially amazing when you apply reverb, chorus, delay. I used to use it to watch movies (with audio cable) on my iPad.
Volume-wise it's got much more power than you need. Since it's made to lie on a desk surface it's comfortable to work with. Very portable, too, if that's important.
My beef remains that it's not USB compliant.
They get good reviews, but I had to send mine back for a refund as the sound quality was awful (tried it with a range of devices). Even the feet were stuck on incorrectly.
Glad I didn't get one now! I have got a JamBox which is ok for watching films but I wouldn't trust it for making music. Love the portability of it too.
They're nice chunky things, and good battery life but I had a buzz going on with mine. The mono thing was a bit weird too - don't think I'd get a single speaker again. At the moment I go through my stereo computer speaker system.
I have a THR10, which can run off batteries, but is a gas-guzzler, and ideally should be run off the wall adapter. I also have a Blackstar Fly 3, which is a $60 1x3" speaker mini amp. That thing excels running off batteries, and can last around 10-20 hours depending on use. (You can buy an adapter for it). We had a power outage in July, so i plugged in my iPad apps to the aux input, and it sounded pretty good! In fact, for near field room-level practicing, there are a lot of decent portable speakers that sound pretty good through the 1/8" jack.
Sounds like you want something bigger/louder, however. Not sure how loud you want, but there are lot of studio monitor options that could handle iPad apps for guitar, but also for all instruments. For example, this Mackie CR3 set would work:
http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-CR-CR3-Reference-Multimedia/dp/B00KVEIY4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446581394&sr=8-1&keywords=mackie+cr3
...and then you just hook up with a balanced or unbalanced cable, like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Stereo-Breakout-10-Feet/dp/B005HGM1D6/ref=pd_sim_267_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=412VZ82OQIL&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR160%2C160&refRID=0QP60722CPXEW8J2J7W6
I picked this set because you have the two monitors that can work without a mixer. Many studio monitors may require you to go to a mixer first if you want to split to two separate speakers. (Or you can just get a single 5" or 8" monitor and use it like a guitar amp, as I did before).
I'm doing my head in trying to work out what I want / need ! I have a Blackstar ID:60 for regular guitar stuff but it's a bit awkward to move around when I just want to play in another room. I also have a Denon Envaya Bluetooth portable speaker which is pretty much the same size as the iLoud, so I don't think that would be a big step up for me - it's ok playing clean through it but sounds rough with heavier tones. I don't think the Roland Cube EX is going to be "musical" enough; the Mackie Freeplay may be ok but it's ugly and has an external power brick!
I've decided that battery power isn't necessary, so that's opened a whole load of (too many) other options for me, besides, devices with batteries are likely to die within a few years depending on the design. I've got quite excited about using a PA speaker, something like Yamaha's DBR10, although it's quite big, it's similar size to the Roland Cube EX and can sit on the floor. I can plug an iPad (amps, fx) & iPhone (music, backing) straight into it with no problem, later on buy a mixer for more complex setups & EQ - and it should sound great with my Line6 Pod HD floor unit and maybe even some e-drums. And, it's cheaper than both the Mackie and Roland units.
@StormJH1 - I also like the idea of using a studio monitor(s), I was planning to get some at a later date but can't justify the price right now for what I want (Genelec or Neumann) - I like your suggestions, those Mackies are cheap for what they are (even in the UK)! See, now I need to go and research that option now!!!
for it's tiny size, the Sony X3 has been working great. I have two, now I just need to get the cables set up for stereo.
This is in a different (smaller) category from the above suggestions, total power is only 20W.
Anyone here who uses a Soundlink Mini II? The size is really tempting...
We have two Soundlink Minis at home (the older and the current model). For realtime music production purposes you have to use a cable (because of Bluetooth latency). I use it for my iPad and for my Electribe 2. Of course, the stereo image is very small and behind the scenes there are some psychoacousticial algorithms working. It's not a solution for final mixes, but for mobile usage with music apps or small gear, the Soundlink makes a lot of fun and is absolutely recommendable. It's worth every cent. Der Bass ist das Brett (gemessen an der Größe des Lautsprechers).
You might look into the Fender Mustang amp series also.
Thanks,sounds good to me.Exactly what i'm looking for maybe.I forgot to add that i'm aware of BT latency and would use such speaker with a plugged cable anyway.Also,i would use it for electronic music and not for guitars etc.
I'm considering this one or the first iLoud but the Bose being smaller,cheaper and...probably lower bass?It doesn't have to sound (very) neutral,i still have good Monitors and headphones for mixing purposes.
I love my soundlink mini II, it's really powerful for the size. The bass is quite strong I think. It's obviously not very honest but most things sound good on it. A lot depends on where you place it. Some of the sound comes out of the back, which means if you're near a wall or similar surface it can get really powerful especially on the bass. I have my favourite places in each room.
I use a Marshall Stanmore as a portable-ish speaker. Has good overall sound. It has Marshall written on it. I use it with a cable when I do music, but it obviously can do the Bluetooth connectivity thing if you just want to listen to your Spotify and similar too. I wouldn't toss it into a back-pack, but I have taken it with me when going places.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marshall-M-ACCS-00166-Stanmore-Speaker-Black/dp/B00I9VFKKC