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.
Comments
Technically, it's not any different. Integrated/purpose-built counts though. Will be interested to see how smoothly it handles stuff like swapping out layers/partials.
Exactly that.
Sometimes I get a feeling people are going "all-AU" for a fetish of being able to say they are going AU only.
When it comes to LayR, it isn't needed. It is the first app built in a way that it doesn't matter if it's AU or not any more. I think that is pretty unique.
True enough, there is probably nothing we can do in LayR that we can't emulate by loading 100's of AU's in AUM instead. But with LayR I don't have to. Less "moving parts". I load one app, and it can handle most of things I throw at it (just to clarify, I'm talking about synths now, not samplers, effects or DAW's etc). Then I can complement that with special apps for a particular purpose. I honestly think LayR will become my main instrument, and that I'll start it up as habitually as I start up MidiFlow and AUM. Not my only instrument. But definitely one of the main ones.
Also I love the way everything is reachable/assignable (and group-able) also via midi, in LayR. Very cleverly done. You can tell it is a musician who has built an instrument/tool to be used, in almost every little detail of if. The quality and how it is put together is amazing, IMHO.
As for adding them to a sound it should be a simple "load", scroll for the one you want, tap it, and it gets added to that instrument. You can also create various layers as pre-made "states" and morph in between them, obviously controllable via midi. Very cool.
That's me out, unfortunately I can't justify twenty quid for another iPad synth, however good it is.
+1
Think i will get lost in all the settings and menus using these type of synts. Maybe if it supports lots of presets ill bite.
The file interface seemed to be the least developed, graphically anyway. With an app the uses layering-as-synthesis, making it easy to categorize stuff would be a boon.
The keymap/zone editor in the press kit screenshot linked above looks boss.
Linked controls are looking good but already know I'm going to want it to be possible to have inverse relationships on those links. For example, bringing up the AMP on a layer brings down the AMP on another. Or some of the niceties of iWavestation for transient sound+sustained sound type time based layering (ala D50 or M1)... At this point, it looks like it's missing ENV Delay which would be really helpful (critical?) for that sort of stuff. Sweet that it has two looping envelopes and envelope copy/paste though.
Anyone know what "AB" means in on the lower left of the "Oscillator Noise Mix" dial?
Probably referring to the morphing between oscillator A and B
Oh, duh. Right, thanks. Think it's even simpler than that: It just means that off/full left == regular OSC A and B output. 12 O'clock would be 50% A+B, 50% noise, etc.
I hear you. That might not be there yet. Right now there are 127 bank slots, each containing 127 preset spots. It is easy enough to save things in empty slots, and in previously empty bank folders, but being able to naming them would obviously help. Also categories/tags usually are helpful in other apps when filtering out say "bass" or "pads" etc.
When you load "performances" (over on the master strip) it loads all instruments (with their layers) connected to that "performance". This means you can literally create a performance per song and have all (well) your instruments in that song loaded.
When you load "layers" on the instruments (on the left hand side) you can load building blocks, so it is pretty close to "there" when it comes to flexibility...but no tagging/categories. Each "performance" and each "layer" has a "notes" area though, which is helpful for a short description of what it is you are about to load.
It IS boss! I can't believe no one has done it like that before. And you have a zone editor for each layer, which can have faded ins/outs too, so you can create really evolving sounds depending on how/where you play on your keys.
Already there, that is how you can set it up (easily) already. Inverting a control is as easy as clicking "invert range" on one of the two targets using the same controller, and they will then go in opposite directions.
Correction: long pressing the names of banks/presets allows us to rename them, so that sorted that I guess. That means you can create (or re-name) folders for your categories, which should make it quite tidy anyways.
No way for me to judge a synth in this short time
Especially not a more complex one.
I still would prefer to pay more but have time to really dive in if it's the right thing.
I bought so many "awesome" apps but after some playing they are nothing special or new compared to what is there or what i get even free somewhere.
These days i don't buy via impulse anymore (well, very seldom).
The keyzone/split looks great indeed and looks similar like in famous workstations/synths.
It's time for iOS apps to deliver this.
Would be awesome if i could also crossfade via modwheel or other midi cc (it seems a unique feature of Omnisphere for performence).
The whole layout looks good so far.
I did try as a proof of concept, how far I could get using multiple instances of Addictive Pro as an AU in AUM with arps on each use... And I didn't get very far before my Air 2's CPU capped out. So, if this indeed is a more efficient approach to layering synths with arps, that's certainly unique and a strong selling point.
At $20' I'll likely not bite at launch as others have mentioned. Will hold off and let other early adopters take it to through paces and wait for good demo videos.
I do like it's UI design though.
Yes, it's nice to be able to design your own Doctor Who theme from the ground up, but many more of us need a slew of presets to get us going in the right direction initially. I hope this is jammed with them because that's what would get my 20 dollars out....
Thanks for the info @hellquist
@JohnnyGoodyear I think they understand this, because they have this contest where you can put your name on any patch (or banks, if they're good enough) that you submit to them.
As they made a point in their presskit of "no in-app purchases," this suggests that they will be adding lots of presets through future free updates. So it will get better and better as time goes by.
I look forward to the first @thesoundtestroom video
By the way, did anybody mention that Living Memory Software previously created the Ostinator looper app?
http://www.livingmemorysoftware.com/ostinator.html
Right, I think I should probably do some expectation management here.
So, each "performance" can contain instruments, right? Each instrument can contain "layers". The total amount of layers is limited by your device (so 256 layers on an iPad pro). However, the arpeggiator is one per "performance". As it has 8 channels it can output to 8 instruments within/outside LayR, but still, there is one arp per "performance", even if that performance would have 128 layers split over 12 instruments.
Mathematically that (8) means just like 2 instances of Addictive Pro. If you get a third instance of Addictive Pro running you have more arps running (12). Neither of those 12 would have midi out though, so you wouldn't be able to drive anything but Addictive Pro with it, but more arps for sure than LayR.
LayR on the other hand could just as likely drive another arpeggiator on one of the channels...just saying...;)
Having had access to LayR for a couple of days now, my first thought was "that cheap?" so I guess it is all about where we start off from. I have spent far more on apps I have used absolutely less, and I predict LayR will become my main synth, for which I find it cheap given the amount of entertainment I will get out of it. This differs from everyone though, so not pointing fingers in any direction, just saying how I value my money vs usability vs entertainment.
There will be tutorials and videos coming, both from Living Memory Software, but I'm also thinking from more people like me who see the potential in this beast of an instrument.
Also I've been informed that there is quite likely going to be quite a few successive updates where more presets have been added based on both the dev doing them, but also of course, due to the preset competition (I'm guessing, but the promise of more updates with presets I quote).
Aye, love it. Stonking work. I'm actually surprised that something this good can come "out of the blue" (for me at least).
I have all the synths (well...). Some take a lot of work to get in to. Some I never actually get in to, and I mainly just load a preset: done. A thing I really appreciate with LayR is that not only is it simple and logical to create your own presets (and this is coming from a guy who isn't overly friendly with any of the modular synths), but if you don't want to, just loading a "performance" will give you the equivalent of the channel strip (vol, pan, midi ch etc) only. You don't have to look at anything more complex than that if you don't want to. But if you do want to tweak things, each of the layers (which in reality are synths) are just one pagers, logically made. Really simple, really effective. Great UI. I suspect that some will complain on a few controls being small (nested midi group assignment can be a small challenge to reach I guess), but all in all I find it really thought-through. And pretty.
So, you've had access and are thus a beta-tester? And likely won't need to buy it anyway? Not that it matters, but I tend to rate apps I didn't have to pay for as a beta tester, with higher value that if I have to actually buy them myself.
I get what you're saying about paying more for apps you barely use. I'm still holding hope that I'll actually get into using Audulus 3, but it's been gathering a lot of dust. I also paid full price for iWavestation based on all the forum hype, but that one rarely actually gets used either. Not that it's not worth the cost, but I've never quite figured out how to tame the mayhem on that one, and thus it never became a "go-to" for anything. Been revisiting it lately though.
I'm not saying LayR doesn't appear to be worth $20. But, it does appear to have a higher level of complexity and possibly a steep learning curve to get the most out of it... at least for a novice like me. It might also end up being more of a "niche" app and not do as much volume sales as some of the simpler apps with novice-friendly interfaces, so the price will likely need to be in that range to make the development hopefully pay off.
Apps like the new KRFT offer a huge amount of value for a large cross-section of the typical user base, so they can likely get away with a lower price-point and still make decent profit. LayR doesn't appear to be in that category, though it does appear to offer a great deal of potential varieties of sound and use.
Not really. I actually heard of LayR for the first time 3 days ago (which in itself is strange, I'm usually a lot more clued up, almost always "knowing someone who knows something" etc and I've beta tested a fair share on other apps.
As I read up on LayR, and subsequently watched the video, all the experiments I've been doing over the last year, fell into place when I realised the potential of LayR. I saw the note on their web site regarding "preset competition" so I sent them a couple of e-mails. I was given access mainly so they could get me out of their hair (hehe), and I've had access for 2 days now. I have had no influence on functionality or UI what-so-ever, and given the state it is in I can't think of much to improve (though we, the users, probably will find a few things as time/usage teaches us where gaps might be).
I am trying to put together presets though, because I can, and it is fun. I will not be able to make it in time for the initial launch in any case, but I will make a bunch of presets anyways (if nothing else as I need them), maybe a couple are good enough to be included in a future update, who knows?
First and foremost the dev is a musician, who has created an instrument he would like to use. This shines through in pretty much every aspect of the app. This will or will not appeal to other musicians, but I don't think casual fly-by users is the target audience, true enough.
For me though, I see LayR as a to-be-default replacement for a bunch of apps that I normally run at the same time (I have my midi keyboard configured to output on 13 separate channels depending on various controllers on it), and a very efficient replacement at that (again, less moving parts). All my testing has so far confirmed this too, as it is great for many types of sounds (bass, leads, keys, drones and oh-so-glorious evolving pads...and then the arp of course...) that cover the style of music I'm currently making. I just need to complement it with the odd app here and there in the future (natural pianos, drums etc which I don't like making synthesised presets for).
If BM3 is everything Samu implies it is, it sounds like a match made in heaven for LayR, and not much else would be needed for a very efficient and flexible set-up.
Could be interesting to set it up with a Seaboard Rise (or another MPE controller).
I've said this many times before because I figure I have to qualify the question... I'm not a musician. Some here can play various musical instruments, know sound/composition theory, can compose catchy tunes with compelling lyrics, and can sing.
I don't do any of those things, but I'm a huge fan of experimental fringe sound manipulation stuff. Some for the pleasure of soundscaping stuff to trigger the imagination. Some stuff that could go well as soundtrack for visuals.
Sometimes I play around with some composition too. Sometimes I get lucky and get something good. Often I end up with chaotic garbage. Though, my ratios of good to bad do seem to be slightly improving over the last few months.
I mention this because some of the iOS music app tools are really more targeted and designed for musicians making traditional songs and such. Some, are great malleable tools for experimentally sculpting and shaping sounds. Some are great tools to do both.
I do like to try and get some kind of rhythm and structure within the experimenting, but I mostly rely on beat-based apps and some generative tools to make that part somewhat easier with hopefully the ability to customize and personalize the composition.
What camp would you put LayR into? Mostly a musician's tool for song crafting? Or, a sound engineer's tool for bending the sounds into new realms?
If only I could do a cross-grade from iM1 and all the combi/multi/cards nonsense. This looks like the hydra of helpfulness I've been looking for.
For what it's worth, I've beta tested for a load of apps and received a promo code for maybe three of them.
Patch saving. ;-)
Time to save iTunes cash for this beast!
I've beta tested several and got codes on most I think... but decided that I tend to over-compensate for the code, ie. spend hours trying to get the word out.. on top of all the beta-testing feedback emails, incessant downloading and reinstalling, etc.... all for a free $5 app?
Would rather just pay for the app and not feel obligated for anything, unless it's an app I'm exceptionally thrilled with like I've done with Dhalang MG (paid for that one)
Still beta-test every now and then, but mostly only for apps I've already bought, really like, and want to possibly have an influence on it's development or get a peek at where the development is going.
@skiphunt Totally. The reason I don't ask for codes! And same re: testing new apps vs apps I already love and have some sort of interest in seeing flourish.
Bing, bing, bing.
I seem to have spent more time downloading endless (it's good, they're making progress!) versions of BH than actually playing music recently. I would resent it if I didn't believe in the app so much...
Hah, I almost dare not answer this as I might come off as an even more pretentious prick than I already am, but still, I think the question is a good one: I think LayR is ideally suited for a thinking musician who don't mind spending some time setting everything up in a way that there won't be surprises, and yet is flexible enough that you don't have to fiddle on the screen and instead can concentrate on playing your keyboard, which will be perfectly set-up as you've spent time making sure it is.
There is definitely enough in there for the pure sound-creators too. For me, who uses presets in Model 15 as I get lost when patching things, and I don't properly understand what each part does anyways, find LayR to be really straight-forward. The only reason I compare the two at all is because they are the apps that have given me the strongest "holy cow!" feeling when hearing their sounds. In LayR I can make them. I probably can if I put my mind to it in Model 15 too, but it don't come easily to me.
In LayR I love that I can save layers for future combinations (into performances) too, so I can create building blocks/library that will increase with time. It also makes it really easy to build variations of a good base sound, so the presets in LayR truly is your start lego kit.