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.

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

How to route app output to specific multichannel interface audio channels

I'd like to specify which audio channels I want specific iPad apps to output on. I have the iPad connected to a iConnectAudio4+, which is configured for 6 channels of audio in from the iPad.

In my setup, I use Garage Band to play pads, as well as StompBox for acoustic guitar effects, and Loopcommunity's Prime app for playing backtracks. I also have a Looptimus MIDI foot controller connected to the iConnectAudio4+ to trigger elements in the iPad apps.

Loopcommunity's Prime has in-app capability to select which audio channels I want each track to output on, and it works great. I can see channel 1 - 6 in this app, and it routes as expected when I make the choices.

Garage Band only outputs on channels 1 and 2, with no option to change it.

StompBox also outputs on channels 1 and 2, with no option to change it.

So I searched for an app which could intercept the audio from Garage Band and StompBox, and allow me to assign audio output channels to send them each out on.

Based on what I've read, I've tried Studiomux, Audiobus, and the Audiobus multi-channel feature, but I can't seem to figure out how to route specific app audio output to specific channel numbers. This is for a live stage setup as well, so I want to do this without requiring a PC or a Mac to be connected.

As an example: I have an acoustic guitar plugged into the iConnectAudio, and it's signal is routed to iPad input channel 1. I'd like to send the acoustic guitar signal to the ipad on channel one, modify it with Stompbox's reverb effects, then send it back to the iConnectAudio on channels 3 and 4.

So in Audiobus, when I tap the input box, I see "System Audio Input", and next to it is a small blue "i" in a circle. If I press that icon, I can choose input channel 1, 2, or stereo (1&2). So I choose channel 1. but when I tap the "Output" box in Audiobus, I see the "System Audio Output" selection, but there is no "i" in a blue circle next to it; which I would expect to see so I could choose which output channel(s) to use. If I just choose the default "System Audio Output" setting, it works to send the acoustic audio back to the iConnectAudio4+, but sends it out on the iPad CH1 and CH2.

Any help in choosing which channels to send the app audio to would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • Audiobus only currently allows choosing multi-inputs , not outputs at moment .
    Maybe forthcoming AB3 will change this .
    In the meantime , this is one reason why AUM or MiMix are popular as they allows multi out routing .

  • Thanks Wally. What is AUM and MiMix? Is AUM Audiomux? If so, I couldn't find it in the appstore. I figures Studiomux replaced it, which is why I tried that.

  • No, AUM - audio mixer by Kymatica .

  • Ahh, gotcha. I ended up getting MiMix, and I think I've figured it out ... although I seem to have run into a different issue now.

    I have Audiobus configured to use CH2 in, which has the acoustic connected, and output to MiMix (nothing in effects). Then in MiMix, I configured strip 1 to output to CH3 and CH4. This works great, and I'm getting the acoustic guitar out on CH 3 and CH4 of the iConnectAudio4+ unit.

    The issue now is, when I add Stompbox into the EFFECTS box in Audiobus, it stops the signal from flowing and has the Zzzzz floating out of it, even though Stompbox is open and working.

    Is there something specific I need to configure in Audiobus to get Stompbox to work with it? It's listed as one of the supporting apps. Or maybe I missed an iPad settings item somewhere to enable this?

    Thanks again for your help

  • Just re-tap StompBox again I think , ZZz is common on AB , might be related to the order ofopening other audio host apps . If it wont reload , try another fx just to check rest is working .

  • Ok, thanks. I did try opening Stompbox 1st, as well as having Audiobus launch it directly. Both result in the ZZzz with "tap to launch" being displayed.

    I don't have any other effects apps installed right now, any suggestions on a good one which is compatible? Something for acoustic guitar (reverb, chorus, delay, etc ...)

    Also, it appears Garage Band can't be used as an input. Any suggestions for a good pad simulator which can be used as an instrument?

  • BTW maybe I should've mentioned whilst Mimix looks the more immediately understandable as a mixer , AUM is much deeper with its routing & midicontrol , hosts AU-X plugins & can record & playback Audiofiles .
    I mention this generally , & to explain why I don't know MiMix that well , as I now use AUM

  • Thanks, I appreciate the info. Right now, I'm just looking for a way to be able to select output channels, and don't have a need to record or playback from the iPad.

    These apps seem to be geared more towards DJs and such, and less towards a live musician. I'm a guitar player, and I'm looking to augment my setup with the ability to add effects to the acoustic, as well as trigger pads and play backtracks. My electric guitar rig is connected as well, but I have no need to route that audio through the iPad; just direct to the iCA4+.

    It seems the latency on all these apps interconnecting might pose a problem though. With the acoustic guitar coming in to Audiobus, then routing out to MiMix, the latency is apparent from my strum to the sound being heard from the studio monitors. Watching the meters on the iCA4+, the input is dead on, but the output from the iPad is significantly delayed. This is just straight through Audiobus and MiMix, without any effects.

    I have Audiobus set to the lowest (128 frames), but don't see an option in MiMix for latency control. I may be asking too much of the iPad Air in this case

  • I just looked & Stompbox was only updated 4 days ago , so dunno why not working .
    you havent mentioned your Ipad & ios versions , are they recent or legacy ? .

    Maybe try Tonestack GO or JamUp which both seems like free trial versions of their bigger apps. Dont get the IAPs , just use for testing I suggest .

  • Also , do you have Bluetooth enabled ? I dont think Audiobus likes Bluetooth !

  • It's an iPad Air, with iOS 10.2.1. Stompbox shows to have updated on Jan 30th, to ver 1.50. Maybe I should disable auto app updates, considering it could break a working setup.

    I did have bluetooth turned on, but have no need for it in this setup. So I turned it off ... thanks! This seems to have resolved the latency issue.

    Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. I can live with Stompbox (or whatever acoustic guitar effects I go with) outputting on CH1 and CH2, because that will blend the acoustic signal with my electric guitar's signal in the iCA4+, and that's fine for the FOH connection. I just need the pad output to be selectable.

    Thanks for the suggestions on the guitar effect apps, I'll check them out. Any good options for a synth (or pad) instrument, which can be triggered via MIDI, and play nice with Audiobus/MiMix?

  • edited February 2017

    Hundreds of synths on IOS , although if you were looking to replace Garageband maybe IK MultiMedia SampleTank would be better as a general purpose real & synth instrument pool . I believe it has 4 parts & is aimed at being used for live . IAPs may seem expensive but they have constant sales & bundles , so dont buy all but wait for offers .
    Not a fan of the company for their heavy corporate hype & PR , but I suppose they must be doing something right to have been so successful over years on IOS .

  • ^^ I dont have this app though , so not sure how audio routing would work .

  • That's great advice man, thanks! I downloaded Sample Tank 2 (Free) version, and loaded it up. It works great with the Looptimus MIDI controller, and showed up as an available input in Audiobus.

    So, I configured Audiobus with SampleTank as the input, left effect blank, and chose MiMix as the output. Then, I selected CH3 and CH4 for the output in MiMix, and I have the SampleTank instrument outputting on the iPad's CH3 and CH4 ... success!

    I even have an expression pedal connected to the Looptimus, which I mapped to the master volume in MiMix. It's working very well, and doesn't appear to be any noticeable latency.

    Now I just need to find a nice pad in SampleTank that I like. I did buy the Pad sounds for $5 or so, and am playing around with them. Garage Band has one called "Warming Waves" which works well for my purposes. Hopefully I find something similar in SampleTank.

    Thanks again, I really appreciate your input here!

  • Glad Mimix & SampleTank are working for you .
    Did you get Stompbox to work ?

  • No, it still shows the Zzzz. I've tried all manner of app opening sequence, and it's just not working. Maybe the update on Jan 30th broke something with the Audiobus compatibility?

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