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.
Lack of AUDIOBUS & LINK = Not Serious App?
I find myself snubbing my nose at any sequence, drum, or rhythmic type app that doesn't have LINK. I am not sure if it is justified or not.
It just seems like a standard now.
For instance, Synergy just updated and I said "cool" and look thinking to see LINK and would BUY the app, but, NOPE. Scratches head.
They removed Wist and that's it.
LINK is a ring standard for ios music making these days. I wish all developers would get it.
And throw Audiobus in there. It is down right silly for a music app NOT to be on Audiobus.
I can't figure out why a developer would not do both these days. The markets show the power of LINK and Audiobus for selling apps. Isn't this common sense?
Or am I totally off base?
Comments
Think it just depends on the goals of dev/company vs hours in the day vs difficulty in retrofitting a given app to support either of the above. That's on the dev side. On the user side I reckon it depends on whether or not a given music maker does what you want well enough that you're willing to forgo the conveniences offered by LINK and AB. Just because we can magically wire all these apps together doesn't mean that's the only way or reason someone might want to use it. No one is complaining that the Circuit or Volca series lack LINK or AB support, you know? Can you imagine someone saying "No LINK? Get that mint-condition vintage TR-808 out of here!!"
I can tell you from my own perspective that, much as I enjoy using LINK, I'd much rather a time based app have MIDI clock support.
Garageband will be better with full implementation of both but without those it's still a great app.
Also export to Ableton could be a must for lots of users but totally unnecessary for some others.
True True.
For me, I guess its using multiple IOS devices, that make it such a luxury.
Honestly, I understand the niche of it as well. I feel that the next generation of "PJ's" performance jockeys who 1/2 DJ and 1/2 make music on the spot this is a very helpful component.
I hear you.
Forever, I made due with out it, but after using it.'
Its guess its like a line of blow.
Once you know the feeling, well you know how the rest goes..........................
I can definitely understand those being requirements for how one wants to work (Lala only uses apps that support state saving, for instance) but their exclusion != 'not serious app'.
I have a friend who loves women's feet. Doesn't do anything for me, but there you are.
Probably agree to disagree.
"IF" I were a music app developer, I would think that my goal was to make money and to make an app that reaches the greatest amount of people for making the most possible music. AKA: Market Share w/ a good bottom line and online reputation.
It would seem to me not having Audiobus and/or LINK would be of great significance or value and likely have profound effect on both the sales and the overall reputation of the app.
I am sure their are some statistics that would back that up.
So, I guess excluding making a profit and being a popular app in music making communities online, I guess your opinion would be more fitting.
I guess "success" = serious app.
Success is surely a personal preference. But not in market based system. Those rules apply.
I abandoned my old iPad 2 for a year or so as I'd pretty much given up trying to make music on it. Then Audiobus and Gadget turned up and changed everything. Now there's IAA, AUM, Link, MIDI sync and Audioshare and my music making universe is nearly perfect.
For me, AB and/or IAA, Link and/or MIDI, and Audioshare compatibility are essential requirements.
Occasionally I'll jump in and buy an app without the above but it's never the same, and promises of adding 'Audiobus real soon!!' rarely materialise.
I have no issues with apps that want to be their own self-contained little world. Is it fun to use and am I happy with the results is all I care about. Those features are definitely nice to have, but I wouldn't NOT get an app that was lacking them if I was interested in it.
I guess for me I look at this.
I have several hundred music apps like most of all of you.
How many non-Audiobus apps do you use regularly?
I can count on one hand.
1- iMPC
2- Hook
3- Z-Mors Modular
4-WR 6000
Literally, 4 out of hundreds.
To me, that says volumes of how Audiobus and too degree lately LINK matter in the SERIOUS USAGE.
Probably should have worded it like that because that is really now that I think about it, what I meant.
Still though, how many non Audiobus apps do you use regularly to make music with an IOS device?
Maybe I am wrong and there are all these amazing apps that people use outside Audiobus or even IAA.
How many people rely strictly on IAA?
Not me here either. I admire and use Audiobus Remote as a integral part of my workflow.
Just asking.
Since I did not realize about all these Non Audiobus music apps burning up the charts. I don't see them on the Apple charts either so maybe I can get into this huge loop I am missing.
LINK should be more common. As for Audiobus though, the easy workaround is simply have audio export.
I think you ask and answer this with your list:
Although I have them, I don't seriously use any of these, not because of their ins and outs but because they don't float my boat. Those that do get used, irrespective. From where I put on my trousers you have floppy logic in this post, but each to their own etc.
What apps do you use that you use that workaround?
I prefer apps that start/stop/sync to clock though Ableton Link is a very good workaround given the lack of iOS clock standards. In addition some way to route sound be it AB, IAA or iOS AUv3 support is crucial to my workflow. Though I rarely use AB, I purchase all their apps for without AB iOS music making would be miles behind where is now. AB is the crucible. This forum is an invaluable resource as is the AB app portal. Brilliant work @Sebastian et al
As long as an app has good export options I'm happy.
As 'good' I consider standard iOS features (ie. 'Open In...' or 'iCloudDrive/iOS Document Picker').
Apps that rely on 'iTunes File Sharing' for import & export disqualify big time for daily usage.
(I also stay away from AudioCopy.app as much as I possibly can).
Well you my friend are a long standing master of the file sharing systems and methods.
You probably should actually do a tutorial vid or thread.
Your ideas have gave me much info.
Here Here
@RustiK now that you mention it, most of the apps that have audio export also have Audiobus, hmm. I was gonna say Figure or Magellan.
Agree to disagree it is.
Speaking of Ableton Link, here's my latest list of compatibles:
2017.01.17 Ableton Link Enabled iOS Apps
Addictive Pro (VirSyn)
Afro Latin Drum Machine 4 (Luis Martinez)
Aleph Looper (Secret Base Design)
apeDelay (apeSoft)
apeFilter (apeSoft)
Aphera Music Instrument Suite (george woskob)
AudioBus (AudioBus Pty Ltd)
AudioEffX (VirSyn)
AUM (Kymatica)
Auxy Music Studio (Auxy)
BassLine (Markus Waldboth)
Beats | Keys (XME Inc.)
Beat-Machine (Primitive Digital Software)
BeatMaker 2 (INTUA)
Blocs Waves (Novation)
Brazilian Drum Machine (Luis Martinez)
Cross DJ Free (MIXVIBES)
Cross DJ Pro (MIXVIBES)
Cyclop iPad Edition (Sugar Bytes GmbH)
Dedalus - Delay Audio Mangler (Amazing Noises)
Different Drummer (Techne Media)
DJDJ Mixing app (Rodrigo Yanez)
DM1 for iPad (Fingerlab)
DM1 for iPhone (Fingerlab)
DM2 (Pascal Douillard)
dot Melody (Olympia Noise Co.)
DRC - Polyphonic Synthesizer (Imaginado Sociedade Unipessoa Lda)
DrumJam (Sonosaurus LLC)
DrumPerfect Pro (Marinus J.G. van de Molengraft)
DubFilter (Amazing Noises)
Effectrix (Sugar Bytes GmbH)
EGDR808 Drum Machine HD (Elliot Garage)
EGDR909 Drum Machine (Elliot Garage)
EGDR909 Drum Machine free (Elliot Garage)
Elastic Drums (O-G-SUS)
e-l-s-a (Erik Sigth)
Figure (Allihoopa)
fluXpad (MoMinstruments GbR)
Fugue Machine (Alexandernaut)
Funk Drummer (Luis Martinez)
Gadget (KORG INC)
Genome (White Noise Audio Software)
GliderVerb (Amazing Noises)
GlitchBreaks (Alex Matheu)
Group the Loop (Jack Marshall)
Hook for iPad (retronyms)
Hook for iPhone (retronyms)
iDensity (apeSoft)
iElectribe for iPad (KORG INC)
iElectribe for iPhone (KORG INC)
iKaossilator (KORG INC)
iMachine 2 (Native Instruments GmbH)
iMPC Pro (Retronyms)
Infinite Looper (Secret Base Design)
iPulsaret (apeSoft)
iSpark (Arturia/TempoRubato)
iVCS3 (apeSoft)
Jam Maestro - guitar pro tab sequencer (David Blake)
Jam Maestro Lite - guitar pro tab sequencer (David Blake)
Laplace (iceWorks, Inc.)
Launchpad (Novation)
Limiter (Amazing Noises)
Link to MIDI (Alexandernaut)
Looptunes (Sonicreef LLC)
LooptunesHD (Sonicreef LLC)
Loopy (A Tasty Pixel)
Loopy HD (A Tasty Pixel)
Lorentz (iceWorks, Inc.)
LP-5 (Markus Waldboth)
Magellan (Yonac Inc.)
Magellan jr (Yonac Inc.)
Medly - Music Maker (Medly Labs Inc)
Mersenne Melodic Percussion Synth (iceWorks, Inc.)
MIDI Link Sync (Coding Cod Ltd)
Moebius Lab (Amazing Noises)
Model 15 (Moog Music Inc.)
MoDrum (Markus Waldboth)
modstep (appBC)
Navichord (Denis Kutuzov)
Nice To Be Your Friend Synth (Secret Base Design)
Nils (Erik Sigth)
Ninja Jamm (Ninja Tune)
Patterning (Olympia Noise Co.)
Quantiloop (Stephan Marx)
Reactable mobile (Reactable Systems SL)
Redshrike Synthesizer (iceWorks, Inc.)
Refraktions (Joseph Snell)
Remixlive (MIXVIBES)
ReSlice (VirSyn)
Reverb FND (Amazing Noises)
RF-1 (Kai Aras)
Rock Drummer (Luis Martinez)
ROTOR Tangible Modular Synth (Reactable Systems SL)
RP-1 Dual Digital Delay (Kai Aras)
SeekBeats (Rodrigo Yanez)
shapesynth (Erik Sigth)
Skram (Liine)
Soft Drummer (Luis Martinez)
SoundPrism Link Edition (Audanika GmbH)
Sparkle - Advanced Cross-Synthesis (apeSoft)
StepPolyArp (Laurent Colson)
Stereosun DJ Pro (Stereosun)
Stria (apeSoft)
studiomux (AppBC)
SyncKontrol (KORG INC)
SynthMaster Player (KV331 Audio)
synthQ (Never Be Normal)
Takete Lite (Refined Stochastic Technology)
Takete (Refined Stochastic Technology)
TF7 Synth (Pier Lim)
The Metronome (Soundbrenner Limited)
ThumbJam (Sonosaurus LLC)
ToneStack (Yonac Inc.)
trigger seq (Alejandro Vazquez Davila)
Triggler: Sampler, Sequencer & Wave Synth (Christopher Hobson)
triqtraq -jam sequencer (Zaplin Music)
Troublemaker (Bram Bros)
Turnado (Sugar Bytes GmbH)
TweakyBeat (Rodrigo Yanez)
Vatanator (Georgi Georgiev)
Vatanator SX (Georgi Georgiev)
WOW (Sugar Bytes GmbH)
WR6000 (WEJAMM)
zMors Modular (mobile only)
zMors Synth (mobile only)
AL list 92
AB list 89
This list 125
I wouldn't describe any of my music apps as 'serious' but no Link or AB and I just don't bother, simply because it does not integrate with Blocs.
Korg Sync Kontrol per your VOLCA comment.
I was just made aware. So LINK is usable with Volcas.
Pretty cool I must say.
Especially since Maschine and Traktor are also getting LINK.
I love Link, especially in Drum apps or synths with syncable lfo or arp
I know who your friend is. Jules Winnifield.
https://nypdecider.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/pulpfiction.png
Totally agree. No Link = No Buy.
For me the easy work around for some of Link's functionality is if the IAA app has host app sync so that it will sync to the bpm of the host app and it's even better if it responds to the host app's transport controls too. I can then load the app into AUM and it will automatically follow the bpm in AUM. Since AUM has Link, any IAA app with host IAA sync will also respond to bpm changes via Link. There isn't a nice list of all IAA host sync apps nor one for ones that respond to host transport controls that I'm aware of. IAA host sync won't work when you want to bring in new apps on the beat like you can with Link rather than all of the apps starting when you press play or record in the IAA host app.
One app that I do enjoy for MIDI control quite a lot which does have Link but not IAA host sync is Fugue Machine. When I want to have Fugue Machine respond to AUM's transport controls, I disable Link in Fugue Machine, host Sector in AUM purely to control Fugue Machine via MIDI with Sector which is controlled by the host AUM.
So I see different levels of support and the more of these an app supports, the better:
How many apps meet all of the above criteria?
This all of course presumes that the apps brings something desirable to the table beyond the above features.
Or, as I recently tested with GarageBand: If you have an iConnectAudio device, an easy workaround is to loopback the apps audio through the iPad's input channels, and use "system audio" as the input into an AB chain.
In my iConnectAusdio4+, I took the iPad's CH1 and CH2 outputs (where GarageBand sends it's audio), and looped them back into the iPad's CH3 and CH4 inputs. Then set an AB chain up with "System Audio Input CH3 and CH4" as the chain's input. This pulled GarageBand output into AudioBus.
I would also add no Program Change, no midi implementation, no Link, no IAA = no buy.
Some developers seem to create iOS apps with little knowledge of the iOS app ecosystem or with little experience of creating music in the iOS app ecosystem. With the wealth of knowledge of users in this forum, I feel that we are probably edge cases in our understanding of app workflow compatibility and experience of inter app functionality frustrations!
I agree that no link or Audiobus (and increasingly AU3) means a pass, and it does amaze me that some (nice and responsive) devs find out about certain integrations through disussions on this and similar forums, but I do think that we take for granted the minutiae of knowledge shared and gained through years of labour and discussion in this ecosystem and in this community!
Great point. We're also a bit of a reverb chamber. We like music app interoperability and make music through that very magic. It's not the only way to use iOS to make music though.
Well, my workflow is kinda dependant on link and the ability to host the app on AUM(or at least ab and use through AUM that way). AU is also very important to me, not a must, but a lack of AU will definitely make me think twice about whether i should buy the app or pass. When using a separate synth i usually record them one by one to blocs, so its not a complete deal breaker to me. However on fxs, it usually is. Also i wouldnt get any recorder that doesent have ableton export, since i export the loops to ableton. Luckily blocs has it and im pretty happy about it. I just wish it had more than 8 loops running at the same time