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 Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

How do you backup your iOS songs, patches, and system?

Just was wondering how the iOS musicians are backing up their work? Does the iTunes backup completely and reliably clone each apps data (like your songs in cubasis, user made patches in animoog, sequences in drum machines), or do you need a different method to get all that stuff?

To that end, can you back up your system? Everyone is terrified of updates, because you can't get previous versions of apps anywhere from the App Store, so if something breaks in an update, you're SOL until a developer fixes it, which could take months, or never.

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Comments

  • Why back anything up, isn't it more enjoyable and realistic for all your works to be ephemeral and unreproducable.

  • I use AudioShare, and have been assuming its now non-iTunes file system is baked up in 8.3, such that a restore with iOS installed will get everything back. Am I correct?

  • I use iTunes to clean up my pad by saving (copying) audio to desktop. copying Cubasis' arrangement folder (to desktop) saves all associated audio for each song. I've just recorded a video about this, which I hope to have edited and uploaded by the weekend.

    I don't often save patches to my desktop but using iTunes they are saved (to desktop) in the same way as audio.

  • I don't back anything up on the iPad except the final .wav mixdown, and I even delete the original multitrack file when I need the space back. Though it'd be a different matter if I was a pro.

  • I backup the whole thing to a computer (not iCloud). I also have a copy of my impaktor, samplr and loopy folders that I backup more frequently. No issues.

  • @Processaurus said:
    Just was wondering how the iOS musicians are backing up their work?....

    Thanks for bringing up this topic. I am pondering upgrading to a new iPad, and I would want all my data to be restored to the new iPad. In particular, the many un-mixed-down Cubasis projects. Also, Audioshare and Gadget have many files I would hate to lose.

    I am assuming that many other apps' IAPs can be restored by clicking Restore within the app. However, there are many third party synth presets that have been added to particular apps. I be be afraid to lose those extra presets.

    Say you backup to iCloud each night when plugged in and charging. When you purchase a new iPad, can you restore all extra data, IAPs and third party add-ons directly from iCloud? Or, do you have to backup to iTunes on a computer to guarantee that a full restore will work? I hope someone can answer this?

  • @supadom said:
    I backup the whole thing to a computer (not iCloud). I also have a copy of my impaktor, samplr and loopy folders that I backup more frequently. No issues.

    Same. Slightly different set of must backup apps but same. Definitely missing iFunBox though.

    For the non core apps, I gotta say, iCloud has been thus far 100% reliable after two or three rebuilds.

  • Here's a recent article from imore.com that walks you through restoring a device from an iCloud backup.

    http://www.imore.com/how-set-your-iphone-6s-and-iphone-6s-plus#slide4

    My last phone upgrade (4S to 5S), setup from an iCloud backup I made before heading out, was completed at an Apple store in about 20 minutes and everything in every app was preserved, as far as I can tell.

    Of course, that's back before I discovered music apps on iOS, those crazy reckless days of yore when I never hesitated to upgrade to the latest and greatest operating system. But still, to echo @syrupcore's comment, it was a 100% full restoration with no data loss I could find in any of my apps.

    You hate to assume things when multiple musical projects you may have spent hundreds of hours on, or that one batch of IR files you spent a whole week tracking down are on the line, but in similar practice, iCloud restoration created a complete carbon copy of my previous device on a new device, and in theory, should do the same as needed on an existing device.

    That's been my experience, FWIW. If at first you don't succeed, well, so much for skydiving ...

  • edited November 2015

    Thanks for the responses... I was hoping there was something like Time Machine, for ipads. Wasn't sure what gets saved when you use itunes on the computer to simply "back up" the ipad, they aren't specific. It would be great if it was a carbon copy of the system and app data, but I wouldn't assume it is, seems like it could easily be "some things".

    It sounds like some people don't back stuff up, some people back things up by hand (projects with big audio folders), when they feel the need (fine, but could be time consuming, and generates lots of duplicate files), and a couple people used iCloud (though I'm not sure if that includes big audio projects, or just small app data?). Thanks @eustressor for the article.

    @supadom said:
    I backup the whole thing to a computer (not iCloud).

    How?

  • edited November 2015

    When you open iTunes while your ipad is plugged you main iTunes page for the device has backup section. Icloud backup is ticked by default. Just tick to 'backup to this conputer'. It will ask you if you want to backup apps, click yes and that should be it. This way you also have IPA files of all your apps. I think it also keeps the older versions of apps but I'm not sure. Anyway it is also good, oonce your backup is done, to copy IPAs of your favourite apps to another location. This is in case at some point in the future you find a new version is buggy you can install an older one.

  • The Ipa files can be found in music /iTunes / media / mobile applications if I remember well

  • @supadom said:
    When you open iTunes while your ipad is plugged you main iTunes page for the device has backup section. Icloud backup is ticked by default. Just tick to 'backup to this conputer'. It will ask you if you want to backup apps, click yes and that should be it. This way you also have IPA files of all your apps. I think it also keeps the older versions of apps but I'm not sure. Anyway it is also good, oonce your backup is done, to copy IPAs of your favourite apps to another location. This is in case at some point in the future you find a new version is buggy you can install an older one.

    My iPad has turned into a bit of a cluttered mess and so I want to start again from scratch with a blank slate and cut down to only a few music apps installed. But, I want to keep a copy of things as they are now, just in case.

    Using the method above, if I were to restore, would everything associated with a given app be stored in the .ipa, or would I lose things like synth patches?

  • I have 2 x iPad Air 2's and restored the second one from the back up made with the first one therefore I'm pretty sure you'll get everything back. I'd say do it at your own risk but as far as I can tell it saves absolutely everything other than IAPs which you'll need to restore within the app. You'l also need to set up your email and fill out the code from your payment card. Other than that it should all be set (including background).

    As I said earlier I'd save the documents folder of the apps you're particularly fond off to a safe location if I were you.

    I use this method because I just don't understand/trust iCloud. I used to backup via iCloud until it lost all of my Beatmaker 2 projects a while back. Ever since the current method has been reliable for me.

  • @supadom

    Thanks. I probably won't need most of the stuff I've accumulated, but it's nice to know its there somewhere if necessary.

  • @supadom said:
    The Ipa files can be found in music /iTunes / media / mobile applications if I remember well

    Thanks for taking the time to outline your process. That's exactly what I was looking for.

    I wonder, does iTunes delete the old backup and IPA files when it makes a new one, was that why you were manually copying the files out of that folder? Or just a precaution?

    I'm uneasy trusting the iTunes backup, as well, without knowing what it is doing. I did it for the first time yesterday and it acted like it was done in minutes, when I know there is 13gb of stuff on there.

  • I don't really know @Processaurus but I presume it does. The reason I'm finding different versions in that folder is probably because I backed up other iPads on that computer. Saving previous versions elsewhere is definitely a good practice for those apps that are essential to you.

    I have several versions of audiobus, loopy and samplr. It seems silly but I often had to go back to previous versions after buggy updates. One can never be too careful ;)

  • I would backup my iOS songs, movies, pictures with iPhone Transfer, but I am not sure whether it can help to backup iOS patches and system, can anyone provide any help?

  • As for me, I would choose to a third part tool to backup my iDevices. You can follow my steps to backup your music on your iOS devices:
    After downloading the program on your PC, install and launch it.
    Connect your iOS Devices via USB cable.
    Click "To iTunes" on the bottom of the interface.
    Click "Start" syncing music, playlists, movies, iTunes U, podcast, TV Shows, music videos, ebook, and so on.
    https://recovery-android.com/iphone-backup/iphone-files.html

  • edited September 2016

    iTunes is really hard to use on PCs. I prefer using free apps like iTools or FoneTrans for data backup. The backup option is flexible. You can backup the files you care about instead of complete backup.

    Taking music for example. here is a nice tutorial: How to transfer iPhone Music to Mac

  • edited November 2016

    Of course use iTunes to sync data. Or, iCloud is also another way to backup your iphone.
    And , For iPhone or ipad users, if you want to transfer or backup data to pc or Mac computer, you can use direct data transfer tool, itunes doesn’t allow us to transfer the data directly, so when we want to backup or transfer these pics to pc, it can be a little bit complicated. Export music from iphone.

  • edited December 2016

    Another helpful tool for you to backup your iOS songs, and other types of files to computer by iPhone Data Transfer.

  • edited January 2017

    In addition to iTunes, here is another useful tool for you to backup your iOS songs, patches, and other types of files to computer. See the detailed tutorial on backup iPhone to computer.

  • ITunes is even more useless, these days, what with Apple preventing access to individual apps. So all I can do is backup the whole iPad to a Mac, hoping it includes everything, plus individual backup/export of works both whole and part to Dropbox folders, and separate HDD storage.

  • edited June 2017

    For what ? there are including 2 situation , one way is backup songs , i just like to transfer them to computer and save them on computer for backup them ,but for sync the songs to other phone , as i think , we still need to transfer songs to computer first ,like to transfer text to iPhone :http://www.android-rescuer.com/transfer-messages-from-android-to-iphone.html

  • With a 256 GB iPad, I don't have the space on my computer to back up anything. I do have external drives, and I can back up my songs to that, but not my iPad. I wish there was a way to just back up your apps.

    -Scarlet Jerry

  • When I go from iP4 to 5s and iPad3+Mac mini to mini4 (64gb) alone I bought a NAS to use it as replacement but finally I'm not using it so much since it was easiest to drop/forget about my old sample library and just start fresh on iPad. Some loopyHD projects were placed with some on-the-work samples were placed at Dropbox and AudioShare/Documents were the bridges.

    ATM with my actual works I have decided to go straightforward recording my beats as wave from direct playing with launchpad, after composing them in Blocswave. Later I will record lirycs over that in the same way without not so much editing ala mixtape.

    I'm also wondering the possibility to buy one of these lighting pendrives to load/download material from/to NAS and that's it. Keep'n it simple as possible :wink:

  • edited June 2017

    ITunes is such a pile of crap, but the only method Apple allow to back up an iPad. So, I back up regularly to my Mac, sometimes to my PC.

    Individual samples, song components, finished stuff, etc, etc, usually goes to Dropbox. Those folders are then themselves backed up to HDD's.

    I still lose the odd thing that I've forgotten to transfer, or misremembered the working title and accidentally deleted. But mostly, my back up system works well, with the double redundancy protecting against HDD failure.

    The one thing that concerns me is reliable backup of presets, since Apple took away the facility. Who knows, maybe this will return with IOS 11 File Manager?

  • Apple is a s..t

    :-D

  • ICloud. Worst case I just make some new ones.

  • You can manage which apps are backed up by going to Settings --> Your Name -->iCloud-->Storage-->Manage Storage. Important Rule here - only the device with the apps can be used to select which are updated i.e. you can't select which apps to back up in iCloud on your Mac for your iPad backup.

    On the Mac - Open iTunes then Click: iTunes-->Preferences-->Devices. Now if you highlight your Backup, then Right Click you'll see options to Delete/Archive/Show in Finder. Archiving a backup is the way to go if you don't want subsequent backups to overwrite the new ones.

    By Clicking Show in Finder you can now go to the backup file. Note, none of the iPA's are in here - but if you want to restore from a particular Backup - you can always access it from iTunes like Above, or Copy the Entire Folder to a new location.

    ipa's are located at: Computer-->Users-->"Your Name"-->Music-->iTunes-->iTunes Media.
    Here is where you can peel off and restore an original app. Just be sure the computer you've backed up to is Authorized to your Account, same goes for the one you're restoring from. These are also overwritten with Backups - so you'll want to think about disabling automatic backups, and new app downloads.

    Few other tidbits - iCloud and iTunes backups are different in their contents - so too is backing up from iTunes on the desktop. On the Desktop, encrypted backups are "Off" by default, whereas on iOS they are always on. These contain your keychain, and some other info (and of course are encrypted).

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