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.
What's your favorite midi keyboard for iOS synth apps?
I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks!
Comments
Korg micro key 37, though I own the old one which needs a powered hub, I like the feel of keys very much. Roland A-49 is my second favorite for the feel, controls, midi channel selection and iPad powered. My third is Novation launch key mini despite the springy key feel and lack of modwheel/pitchbend, it has midi channel selection for 8 knobs and keys and has 2 channel for 16 very responsive pads, fully powered by iPad.
After trying many different keyboards and pads in hope to someting good I returned to using iRig Keys and bought iRig Pads too... Ironically iRig Keys was the first keyboard I bought for my iPad
The keys on the Launchkey Mini were too small for me and there's no mod and pitch bend wheels. So I bought the Launchkey 25 last year. It's a decent controller all around. The keys are a bit springy like the Mini. But they get the job done.
I use, and I type that word "use" with the meaning of sparingly. this: Rock Band 3 Wireless Keyboard
I do mostly guitar and ipad screen keyboard playing. But I do like the price and feel of this keyboard.
For knobs and keys i love the Novation Remote SL37 (V1) because of the little screens over the knobs that you can label the knobs with, which makes it great for adapting to the many different apps in ios. I made a bunch of templates for Gadget and Thor. Quality feeling keys as well. It needs an adapter, or powered hub.
For knobless, I like the Icon ikeyboard 4 (37 keys as well), which has great feeeling keys, or the alesis q25 (25 keys), which is quite cheap and decent for the price. Either can be powered by the ipad.
Xkey 37 is really nice. Lots of customization and polyphonic after touch.
Very happy with the Microkey 37 Air. It's perfect for my purposes.
Korg Nanokey Studio. Wireless connection via Bluetooth, 8 knobs, 8 pads, KAOSS pad, Gadget integration, no need for USB-Lightning adapter , USB hub or cable. small, lightweight, $149
I use whatever I am working with in the studio - mostly a Fantom X 6 since that's connected via the Mac and thence via the iCM2/4+ or 4A+ to the iPads - but on the go, either an Xkey 25 USB or a Alesis QX49
IRig Keys PRO
Ikmultimedia do make good products.
Kirk Mikeokey AIR 61.. Gonna get NanoKontrol soon as I don't need the keys on nanoKey
Xkey 25 USB
Akai MPK Mini
I really like my Arturia MiniLab. Comes with some nice synths on the desktop as well. I picked up the Black Edition:
https://www.arturia.com/products/minilab-black/overview
I have the XKey 37 as my lead device for home now, but to be honest, I just haven't had the time to use it much (life and such). Despite the premium price, I opted for it because it has 5-pin DIN MIDI compatibility and has a super thin profile to slide under a bed, in a closet, whatever when I'm not using it.
The Akai MPK Mini 1 is the one I've used the most. The pads on it aren't the greatest, but it's the only device I have that actually has pads, and the keys are decent.
I have a Korg nanoKEY2, which was like $49.99, and I just keep that thing in my work laptop bag with the dongle, so it's always with me. It has serious limitations compared to a conventional keyboard, but it's super portable/durable, and man is it nice to have that with me versus trying to use a touchscreen if I just want to mess around with a quick idea on the go.
I bought a Minilab Black Edition from GC a few weeks ago. I liked it, but wanted something a bit smaller so I ended up returning it to get the Korg Nanokey Studio. I swapped the knobs for some Moog-like knobs that I picked up from Radio Shack. I still have the knobs and may eventually pick up another for home use.
200% the new korg microkey air!
Love the Keith McMillan K-Boards myself. Can bus power two using a normal USB hub from the ipad itself. Plus you can program each to run on a separate channel using a PC. So on my iPad I can run separate instruments on each. Their toggle function is fantastic for appregiators.
Loved the fast action on the iRig Keys Pro. Tried and returned quite a few other options with more onboard controls only to be unsatisfied with the stiffness of semi weighted actions. It was mildly frustrating during the shopping process how many reviews seemed to treat semi-weighted keys as necessarily good.
I wanted to love the much-recommended Samson Graphite, and I did like the aftertouch, but I'm not a piano player and the action just didn't work for me. (I also found the firmware buggy and prone to frequent crashes/freezes.)
Eventually got a Novation Launchkey 49 for my studio room. Lots of physical knobs and faders, and a fast synth action with a touch more solidity than the iRig. The keys are very slightly narrower but after a couple days I didn't notice. The drum pads are not great, but at this price range there are bound to be compromises eh? They're still slightly more useful than the Samson Graphite pads. Aside from an initial hassle updating the firmware to play nice with iOS it's been solid.
Honest. It IS a keyboard.
I had the Novation Launchkey 49. It was OK.
Then I upgraded to Akai MPK49 and really love it. I would not have paid retail price, but got a great deal on it for just $75 more than the Novation. Very smooth encoders and faders, great quality. Only downside is it requires a powered USB hub or plugged into a wall power adapter. Totally worth it.
OP1!
+1 pads, knobs, program change. I might be wrong but I don't think any other of the ultra portables sports program change transmission which is crucial for fast patch switching.
I’ve got a Yamaha VL-70m I’m about to sell.
i use a Akai MPK Mini 2 love it
Nobody's mentioned a LinnStrument... Does anyone here apart from Geert have one? @GeertBevin
For a mostly permanent same-spot installation, I really like my compact Alesis Q25.
For a playing-from-lap and other on-the-go mobility situations, my wireless CME XKey25 Air is Da Bizzniss!
My 0.02 cents.
Most people won’t have tried enough to have a “favourite” that is distinct from merely “the one I own”. I do have a question, though, and that is — would a Korg Volca be considered a nice keyboard, if it could have sent midi?
If you have ever tried more than one you are qualified to comment imho.
No.
Novation X-station. The controls are laid out like a synthesizer instead of like a mixer. Makes programming synths much quicker. Nice keyboard and an XY pad. No poly after touch though. Has actual midi ports plus works as a two channel bidirectional audio interface.
Yes. Just not as a 'general purpose' midi controller since it's easy to flub single notes. It's a great monophonic ribbon controller though, which some pay handsomely for.
that said, my Volca Keys got 5x more use once I mapped the X-Station controls to it.