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.

Music notation app recommendations

I'm looking for some guidance what to buy for writing sheet music. There seem to be a lot of options out there but not many reviews or comparisons. I'm interested in something with support for the apple pencil because it seems like a great idea to be able to write stuff by hand the way you would with a pencil on a piece of paper. I bought and returned notion just before they released an update to support hand writing with Apple pencil... But I was too frustrated because I couldn't find any way to write proper bass harmonics. I see Symphony Pro 4 is 50% off until today but it doesn't seem to have pencil support and no sign of it being worked on. NotateMe is super expensive and I just don't know if it would suit my needs. I think it also doesn't support tablature which is a must. Then there's also Kawai's app but I don't think it can do tabs either. So what would you recommend and why?
PS: Happy new year everybody!

Comments

  • Notion has a handwriting in app purchase but I have not used it myself. I have read a review that it's quite useful.

  • Thanks! Does anybody else have a recommendation?

  • Notion is impressive, but I can't say I have mastered it. I'm sure other brethren will chime in. My own instinct is that there isn't the killer finished-article app today, but there will be (and my guess is that Notion has the best current chance of being so).

  • @Munibeast said:
    Thanks! Does anybody else have a recommendation?

    Symphonix Evolution is a notation app with AudioBus, but I don't think it has pencil support yet. I had been looking at this, but ended up grabbing Notion when it went on sale.

  • notion is the only serious contender.

  • edited January 2016

    This is one of those "tag @MusicInclusive" moments, he knows them all I think.

  • @hellquist said:
    This is one of those "tag @MusicInclusive" moments, he knows them all I think.

    Thanks, yes, I saw him commenting on fb about Symphony Pro.
    So @MusicInclusive, would you like to share your findings?

  • I didn't get a pencil yet because they're nowhere to be found around here yet. But I'm curious if it would be worth getting for notation.

  • edited January 2016

    I use Notion almost exclusively presently. Symphony Pro made great strides in the last release, but has not caught up with Notion. I find it clunky, whereas Notion is both super easy to use IMO (I still find Symphony Pro, shall we say, more confusing to find things in) and more powerful. Notion also has not crashed on me. Symphony has (in the past at least, and lost work as a result. I haven't spent that much time with the latest version to check it out, beyond trying it, finding it was updated, but still making the comparison that IMO Notion was (far) easier to use and going back to it immediately).

    I also have rendered compositions directly from Notion on the iPad using the Notion iPad instruments (LSO samples) with very acceptable results. I've included an example below.

    Symphony Pro however has some instruments Notion does not yet have (not even in the desktop version).

    I would love to see a way of writing three-staff organ parts in Notion, or recorder. Those instruments aren't available.

    I've played with the handwriting input in Notion, but, I'm far faster (since I've been doing it up until recently already), using the keyboard for note input, or direct placement. Pinch and zoom is your friend. I don't find any real advantage in using some kind of handwriting approach to note entry, so the lack of it until recently has not bothered me at all. I don't use such entry on the desktop in Sibelius, Notion, MuseScore or Finale, and don't miss it there either. I have Sibelius on a Wacom-based HP tablet as well, (a Wacom pen input interface screen is way better than any other kind of pen interface for accuracy, and of course has inherent palm rejection since it's pen-based entirely and not touch. Very natural feel, like using a pen on paper), but I still find it less natural than writing score with pen and paper and still find myself reverting to keyboard input.

    The other issue is the fact that each program that employs pen input expects a particular gestural combination in order to understand the notation properly. Getting that right each time takes away from (and time away from) the notation entry experience IMO and IME. That applies especially IME to e.g. placement of notes on ledger lines, distinguishing notes from rests, drawing ties and slurs accurately and so on - whatever the program.

    Symphonix Evolution has a really good MIDI implementation, but, IMO, a really clunky interface - only one staff for all note entry - i.e. you don't see a score all at once while you are entering notes, like you do in Symphony Pro and Notion. Symphony Pro IMO has a better full score side scrolling option than Notion, but that's not a big enough benefit to me. Notion's works fine, just jumpier than I would like. There is no direct MIDI out from either Notion or Symphony Pro.

    I gave NotateMe a try - at least the free version - and it had all the same pen input issues I've noted (pardon the pun :smile: ) above. Too much messing around having to get the form and shape exactly right for it to be recognized - and the same with placement on ledger lines esp. (although I hear it had got a bit better at that).

    So, for the most professional approach with the best ease of use IMO, Notion all the way. Is it perfect? No, but in the Notion User group on FB we are in touch with the Presonus rep who is in direct contact with the Notion team and Presonus are a very responsive company generally to user input via the forums / feedback pages as well. So, plenty of hope for any desired improvements.

    Oh, and, I also use Notion on the desktop as I mentioned above. Seamless 2-way project transfer between the two, although in the desktop version of course you can use desktop VST libraries, such as VSL etc. and of course those don't "back translate" onto the iPad. Also, the desktop version gives you more control over the stereo field width, EQ, etc. and that doesn't back translate onto the iPad either, but I mean in terms of the general score and notation. It's possible to work on a score on the iPad - move it to the desktop - move it back again to the iPad - before rendering. Very very nice.

    You also have MusicXML, PDF, MIDI export as well as a MIDI, MusicXML import options.

  • Oh, and tablature in Notion. Yes. If you choose a guitar part, you get simultaneous tablature / staff entry. Very nice.

  • edited January 2016

    Thank you, @MusicInclusive, that was more than I could have hoped for! I guess I'll give notion another go then. It's too bad I asked for a refund having bought it on a sale...

  • edited January 2016

    You are welcome @Munibeast . If you do go with Notion, join us on the Notion Users FB group too. I'm sure there'll be many questions - as there always are for all of us - and sharing that knowledge together helps us to understand the limitations and areas of competence of the different apps we use :+1: All to the good. You never know - you might come up with a feature request that the Presonus team will add next time too! :smile:

  • Thank you, @MusicInclusive, for your wonderful input on notation apps. I also really enjoyed your music composition up above.

    Just bought Notion for my iPad and now will grab Notion for my Mac.

    Thanks again for your time!

  • I have been using Notion for a couple of years now. Like anything, you have to stick with it. MusicInclusive shared the point about zoom with me not that long ago, and it was like a whole new world opened up.

    I am also doubtful that I would use a pen. Keyboard, and the virtual fretboard in notion, are very good.

    I will write all my parts out in notion. I have done drums, too, with the different drums on different staffs. This allows me to export as midi. It imports very nicely into Auria Pro, where I can assign new instruments, or drive plugins, or play/record the parts live if I want to. I have of course just started to do this, because Auria Pro made it possible, and it's the bomb. I also find Notion very stable. I have had my complaints about it in the past, but I have to say, that as of now, it's a damned fine piece of software.

  • Glad it was helpful @Kikoblu :-)

    Check for sales on the additional desktop Notion sample sets too - sometimes some very good deals.

  • Oh, the other thing I forgot to mention, is that in desktop Notion you can also export the whole track as a Presonus Capture file and open all the stems one per track in Studio One. That's very neat if you want to fine tune the mix, manually adjust levels etc.

  • I see that Notion has many not-so-good reviews in the app store, while Symphony Pro has very good ones.

    For Notion people complain about crashes and missing features and things like problems with multiple lines of lyrics ...

    I just bought Symphony Pro and have the impression that it may be better than Notion ... now

  • I have symphony pro..crashes a lot on me

  • How well does Logic Pro X handle notation compared to a dedicated app like Notion for desktop? Been learning to read music and looking to practice writing through one of the score editors .. I have notion for iOS, thinking about getting the desktop counterpart, unless Logic works for me just as well.

  • Symphony Pro on sale currently. $14.99. ($19.99).

  • I like notion and use both versions (desktop and iOS). I got the desktop version for 80 dollars which was a steal.

Sign In or Register to comment.