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.
Starter apps with more versatility
Hello community,
I am a physicist who has worked both in electronics and in acoustics, and have recently had the opportunity to research some new physics that might be applicable to mixing (probably at the effects stage). While I play bass, I have never attempted to mix music.
Before I go down the road of research into effects, I'd like to have a core understanding of how the process works. Would anyone be willing to post a suggested list of starter apps, ie input, effects, and output, that would give me all the tools to say, recreate a Depeche Mode song? (I'm not saying I have the talent to literally recreate Depeche Mode, I'm just looking for the tools)
I guess I'm looking for the most versatility in a few apps, so I don't spend all my money on the learning process.
Thanks.
Comments
Hey Bagman,
As i'm a beginner myself i would recommend Sunrizer,an awesome affordable and easy programmable synth. Magellan as this can be used in the effect slot as it is an awesome synth as well with a sequencer. Garageband for recording and a plethora of instruments.And Audiobus for coupling it all.I think this would get you a good start for the least amount of money.Be aware though,once you get sucked into this rabbithole you'll end up an appoholic like the rest of us. Have fun!
As a beginner I would start with Garageband and Audiobus. For effects you would need to post what your looking for in effects. Dm1 maybe a good drum app fit for you. It's simple to use. There are some electronic kits included. I agree Sunrizer is good simple synth to start with and has great sounds.
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I agree that GB is a one stop shop that is easy to use and can teach you a lot.
My only concern about GB in the context of his original post is that since it's an all in one band-in-a-box, it does a lot for you behind the scenes and obfuscates the technical part of the recording process. Yes, it's versatile, but at the expense of the DIY aspect where you pick up how a synth works & how to program one, how to do insert and send FX, and so on.
What about another mature DAW like Meteor? It can do it all, is fairly well documented, and teaches the core concepts and principles of recording, mixing, effects, etc. I would recommend BeatMaker 2 except the interface is unintuitive and might get in the way of the learning process.
Nanostudio is excellent unless you want to record vocals. It gives you one of the best ios synths, an mpc style drum machine (with sampling available on the drum machine and synth) an intuitive and powerful sequencer, effects and automation. The NS forum is very active. I've learned more (with the minimum pain) from NS than any other app. It sounds great, too.
GB or
Input-
imini (think Depeche used one?) and funkbox or korg ielectribe for drums.
Effects-
echo pad and aufx
Output-
multitrack daw
Google videos first.search for Audiobus + app name or look on the Audiobus tumblr.
To learn about mixing via creating Depeche Mode type tunes: Nanostudio, hands down. Programmable synth, drum pads, sampling, mixer with sends and inserts, and the sort of fundamental effects (reverb, delay, EQ, compression, chorus ...). All in one tidy well thought out package. Can't imagine an easier environment on the iPad to learn all that stuff (in the way the OP requested).
I'm with @jesse_ohio on the GarangeBand suggestion. It's an incredible app for the money if you'd liked to write some songs (and I recommend it as a starter app often) but if you want to learn how to mix and understand the role synths and effects play in mixing, that's not the app. There's no mixer!
Other than that, you could buy audiobus, a few synths (sunrizer or imini and animoog or nave), a drum machine (dm1), a few effects (echo pad, aufx:reverb) and an output daw (cubasis for making music, auria for mixing music). After your wallet recovers, you can spend a ton of time learning a ton of apps. Meh, get Nanostudio and when you feel like you're missing something, add it. There are free Windows/Mac versions of Nanostudio available if you want to test it out first.
Sound advice (npi) from Mr @syrupcore ....+1 for all of his suggestions.
Syrupcore is right. Nanostudio might be the perfect way to go considering the Op's question. I put it in a map where it doesn't belong and hadn't opened it for months. Now i've played with it for 3 hours and discovered how much i've learned since. +1 for Nanostudio.
I have to join in here about Nanostudio. I dusted off my high school music experience (many years ago) using Nanostudio. Lots of thought went into the impecable design of this app, and it shows in how easy it is to use. I had no experience with audio recording, composing, synthesis or mixing, and this app made it painless - a lot of fun, actually! What you learn using Nanostudio can directly be used in other music apps, because the setup and workflow is modeled after real world recording practices.
The only downfall is that there are no audio tracks (vocals) per se, but there are workarounds. You can sample verses/phrases into the mpc and trigger them. The developer is working on the next generation of Nanostudio which will correct this.
When you are done with your project, you can render out seperate wav's for each track, and import them into Auria to add vocals and mixdown.
Not very easy to understand and program at first, but if you like Depeche Mode you'll fall in love with SunVox.