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.
Blocs wave : feedback
I'll try to be fair, I promise...
Ok, as I've seen so many cools video, a nice workflow, an easy way to edit live loops, i finally bought this app...
I've waited a long time to see Link working, and major bugs corrected.
The design is very clever, simple, fun, really it's cool.
The way you may load loops is now cool, with tags etc... (PLEASE MICHAEL make this improvement for Loopy !!!)
Timestretch on the fly, changing the tonality, so cool...
Now watch this simple test, 1 guitar, recorded live, with Bloc Waves, then same thing, compared to Loopy...
Sound is horrible (hearing a very bad timestretch typed sound) and more than that : it's just out of sync...
I'm not a perfect guitarist at all, and it might be good for synths looped, but for live performance instrument, it's just a no go.
Add that there's no midi implementation at all, and this app is useless for this purpose at least.
I'll might other tests to use as a sampler, as it is clearer than Loopy for that, but at the moment, I feel that this app is useless to ME (I can imagine that some people might do really nice things with it, and have fun, no problem at all)
Enjoy.
Comments
I, too, have had a bear of a time getting my own recorded loops to make sense in Blocs Wave. No amount of shifting left or right quite solves it.
Of course, consider the source. My middle name is User Error.
Hey @Crony, Did you record this into Blocs Wave via Audiobus after recording it in LoopyHD?
If so, we think we know what has happened. Feel free to contact us on [email protected] so we that we can confirm.
I have had no issue with the timing of my loops, recorded OP1 played in live via audio interface and Audiobus. My only issue is that slight delay in playback kicking in on the first loop which makes it poor for live looping / jamming in my opinion. Great for building up a loop database for future use mind you.
No, of course not, I've used the same workflow :
-Record directly into the app.
I really like better the way you can record into Blocs wave, selecting your input (more flexible than Loopy) select here the length and precount...
@ghostly606 I 100% agree for building a loop database, but then, must be exported into an other app, because lack of midi...Which is really too bad for a company that know for so long program change and midi standard...
Hey @crony. We'll take a quick look at this. We'll need to use the same source signal in both cases to be sure, as I think you've recorded separate parts in each case. The only initial suggestion I have is that there is some additional latency in your system somewhere that's effecting your timing when you play guitar. I also play so will give it a go tonight avec ma guitare ;-)
@Launchpadforios thanks, make it funky
Honestly, tested with 256, then 128 for latency, only loaded AB, AUM, Blocs wave, Loopy (and an other synth but not played, so no CPU) on a freshly rebooted Ipad pro...
I guess advanced functionalities on Loopy (like audio quantize, and 5 years tweaking on IOS might have a positive effect...)
I also noticed that the first app generating artifacts was Blocs wave, (while moving the volumes on individual pads, or when switching) while the Ipad is fully charged (effects, synths etc...)
But I'll make additional tests to see how it goes.
Maybe just Loopy and Blocs wave, without AUM, AB or anything, if it works fine in this case, that would point, I guess a big optimisation to do...
Good luck !
Loopy has some magic going on to quantize the recording to the BPM. Watch a recording just as it finishes rendering on screen and note how the whole track spins just slightly to reflect the optimization.
@crony I have a question regarding the panel view in Loopy HD in your video...what are the 4 groups of dots on the right underneath the mic panel? I don't typically work with a mic (just line audio), but am wondering if this is some sore of loop-layering/chaining? Also, how do you access said Micropone panel, or does it have something to do with your workflow through audiobus?
@dave_delongchamp These are just the inputs from my sound card : ICA4+.
So signal is directly taken from the converters of the sound card to the apps.
Not sure what's the exact road for the audio signal into apps, but my inputs are monitored into AUM, then from apps (Loopy and Blocs wave ) I can choose any entry of the soundcard.
@Launchpadforios I've given a bit of time, rebooting, to see if that might be my hardware, but I'm now sure it's not...
Did you test the recording yourself ?
I've also tested with an external synth, same results.
You can't sample properly with Blocs Wave, this is a lie. Or my Ipad pro is broken. I'll reboot it next month so will see that, but I guess it's not broken only for Blocs Wave...
Tried with an Ipad 4, not same internal routing, but looks like it, and seems the problem does not happen here...So Ipad Pro related issue ????
I can confirm that we have submitted a fix for this to Apple today. Should be released pretty soon. Thanks for all the invaluable feedback.
V7 live now !
@crony did this update fix your issue ?
@Launchpadforios
An option that would be great for exporting pads would be a 'super high quality pitchshift/timestretch' algorithm, since it doesn't need to be done in real-time anyway.
@Launchpadforios
I am enjoying the recently added ability to save a 'set' and move on to a second, copying and pasting as desired between them and then switching back and forth (you know there's a 'but' coming, right
), but is or could there any way to have the first set be in one key and the second saved in something else....?
You can trick blocs wave by falsifying the key info for a sample. I don't do this however, I take the extra step of loading a section into the LP app, and then change key in blocs, and export to LP again in the new key.
Blocs Wave is awesome!! Remember the first app opened sets the master resolution. To prevent undesired warping or garbling of sound open BW first.
@gonekrazy3000 at the moment, I've given up using this app, so I don't know, but might be...
I guess I'll use it more as a "in between" production process, but I can't integrate it into my live.
EDIT : I also changed some stuffs with my sound card, that might be also the problem ! (to be fair...)
Yep. Makes sense Mister Plankton. I don't use this much but when I do I export the pieces in one key to AP and then change/export again. Would just be nice if you could use their different sections etc. I must say that if there's one thing Blocs has done which I think of a TON with others apps it's the ability to output a set number of bars/loops so easily to AS etc.
...but is or could there any way to have the first set be in one key and the second saved in something else....?
>
Not yet, but this has been requested multiple times, and Novation are keen to develop the product in ways that continue to engage customers. So, watch this space.
I remember hearing an update was on the way with the ability to use user content only in the discover browser. Does anyone know if we can do this yet? Would be a very welcome addition
I admit that I do not use this app anymore... When I first bought it, it seemed to me that the simple (but completly essential to me) function to slip-wrap (or slip-roll) the loop (allowing some resynch) would be introduced soon... After many updates, it is still not here and I start to think it will never happen... Too bad for, this functionnality would have made me use this app every day and would have save me a lot of time in my workflow...
PS : it seems to me that this functionnality was also asked by other users...
Yah when I first started using Blocs the lack of slip-wrap was somewhat of a deal breaker for me. Once I used Link to Midi and synced hardware to it then the problem is solved, (at least when a midi interface is available). Of course that still wouldn't help for live playing though. I am pretty sure it is coming. They had an initial wave of impressive updates and the packs keep flowing so I assume another juicy update awaits.
The more we talk about there only being a limited number of app-buyers for most music-making apps, the more packs seem the answer. It's so easy to click-up another $1.99 without too much thought, which I've done for a lot of the Blocs packs even though I don't use this app much. I guess the issue is if your product isn't 'buy these extra loops' conducive, what can you offer as add-ons?
Yah Blocs is such an easy impulse. the whole, 'hey, hear this in your track now!' apeal is huge. in the end I don't really use much pack content as actual audio in my tracks but I do use it as idea sketches and replace the content after.
as far as what other apps can do it really comes down to the app of course but the lesson from blocs is pretty compelling, instant sexy preview of integration into your current track, oh and don't skimp on the artwork, and release once a week... Err, thats a commitment really.
Indeed, Novation are leading the pack by a) listening to what customers request and delivering when possible, and 2) keeping the pot boiling.
Can imagine having something like Melodyne incorporated into Blocs Wave...
MMMmmmmm, pitch per slice ala Egoist would be a total game changer.
Ouch... Totally forgot about these SugarBytes products.. Thanks... Off to the App Store..
Edit... Fun fun fun..