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.

App for (external) FX effects

edited September 2013 in General App Discussion

Hi,
I have a Lexicon external effects processor. It seems there is no App allows to use external gear in the effects-slot of audiobus.

Could you recommend any FX App (mainly for good reverb & echo)? I would like to use FX on the iPad on small live gigs while recording to Loopy HD.

Thank you for your information.

Best regards,
JR

Comments

  • I think you have to use apps like Cubasis, Auria, Meteor, Beatmaker 2, etc to use outboard effects. You would need to either record the effects live while recording the track in, or take a pre-recorded audio track and output the dry recorded audio to the effects unit and then re-record the audio with the effects.

    Either way, I haven't checked to see which of these apps work in the effects slot, and I'm not sure if it would work that way, because I don't know of any apps that pass the audio through that way. I think they just have to be recorded (from the output slot). I agree that it would be a nice option though, and I believe that the ability is there if someone designs an app for it. :-)

  • He said he was recording into Loopy HD.

  • Whoops, missed that...

  • "Use external gear in the effects slot of Audiobus. " That would be like routing Animoog input out of the iPad to a reverb pedal on the floor, routing it back into the iPad and recording it into Loopy HD. You are correct that this can't be done in Audiobus.

    The alternative is to use an app as your digital effects unit, in the effects slot of Audiobus. PaulB gave some good recommendations. The full app list is here http://audiob.us/apps/?capability=filter

  • The only other possibility that I can think of would involve two iOS devices.

  • hmm, I wonder if it's technically not possible or if no one has done it yet. I'd pay for an 'insert' app that did nothing but route in and out of my ipad via the effects slot in AB! I reckon it would have to allow me to choose inputs and outputs on my interface.

  • If you have or can pop for a multi channel Audio I/O it is possible though tweaky using Auria.

    Synth in Input to an AB track in Auria to a sub group mapped (in the output matrix) to an output pair other than Main in the interface, send that through the external effects box back into an input pair, again probably better other than 1&2, and you can map that to another track in Auria again using its input matrix. You may want to keep the Effects slot empty for this. Putting anything there for some reason hides everything in Input slots from Auria.

    Keep your speakers muted and your headphones on the table while you are setting up your routing. Avoid loops other than the one through the effects box.

    I'm partial to FocusRite Scarlett devices, but there are others.

    I guess you can also temporarily patch a standard stereo IO too, but the danger of inadvertent feedback loops is much greater. You also cannot leave it set up that way. The good news in this setup is that Auria is capable of recognizing headphones in the iPad headphone jack and feeding that a monitor mix while sending your feedback audio out of the main pair.

  • edited September 2013

    What if you try this:

    Audiobus input: any synth.
    Output: JamUp Pro which has an output select option. Choose headphones. Connect headphone output to an effects pedal.

    Send the pedal output back into iPad via a dock connector audio interface. Record audio in Loopy (not routed thru Audiobus. So that Loopy won't capture the clean synth) and final output will go out of the audio interface to PA...

    It might be worth a try.

  • @Htmx - much simpler and catches Loopy, which I forgot.

    Does Jam Up Pro also see headphones as an additional output selection? I'll have to try that.

    Let us know how it all goes.

  • Personally, I think it just hasn't been done yet. DAWs can do this stuff sortof....See this:

    http://www.musicappblog.com/cubasis-video-tutorial/

    It's for Cubasis, but should work for most DAWs. This is the current way that this can be done. However, I think that someone just needs to create an effects app that also has an input and output.

  • edited September 2013

    @Hmtx Good thinking! This is also proof of concept that it can be done! What we need, is the developer of the AUFX to add an effect that does this. :-)

  • edited September 2013

    My idea would only work if iOS will let Audiobus send audio out to headphones and allow non-Audiobussed-Loopy to capture use of the dock connected audio device... sketchy workaround.

    @dwarman's idea sounds more legit if you have $50 for Auria

  • Both good ideas, thank you. I've used external gear in Auria directly but not while on the bus. The sub trick should let me actually capture in real time.

    Still, AUFX: IO or AUFX: BYO wouldn't go unpurchased in my itunes account. ;)

  • Somebody else can give it a try... I'm away from my * cough * studio

  • I think your idea should work. But also am away ...

    AudioBus does not seem to care if any App plugged in anywhere also can pick up or drive live external Audio. Also Audio ins and outs are implicitly shared by the OS, there is no capturing. Which can be either a blessing or a curse, depending. Why I prefer the Auria solution for safety (Auria LE is $25 btw).

    The trick using Jam Up Pro in the filter slot will also let you record both wet and dry tracks at the same time. May be handy.

  • Thanks for all the support guys, but my idea doesn't work with my Scarlett 2i2. When I plug in the 2i2, iOS disables the iPad headphone jack. So I can select headphone output in JamUp pro, but it sends to the 2i2 output.

    I think the Auria solution would still work if you have an interface with 4 or more audio outputs. But then Loopy is out of the question.

    So... It all comes back to waiting for inter-app audio. :-)

  • hmmm. The 18i20 does show the headphone jack as a separate output when something is plugged in to it, and it works that way too. I use that feature at work on occasion. I'll check if the 18i6 does this or not. I have one at home.

  • OK, here's the scoop:

    The headphone jack as an addiional output only works with the 18i20. With the 18i6 plugging in a headset shuts off the 6 outputs to the 18i6 and connects only to the headphone jack.

    Jam Up Pro can only select speaker or headphone jack and does not see the other 18i6 outputs.

    Auria can definitely route any sub or aux to any of the three pairs of outs on the 18i6.

  • I have also tested the Jam Up Pro / Loopy scenario. Unable to separate out a specific track to the output for external effects.

    Look like the only bet is to:

    • Auria in the Input slot
    • Loopy in the Output slot
    • Auria tracks created for the live input and the Lexicon input
    • Route the live input to Sub 1, select Sub 1 output matrix to the second pair of outputs in Auria's output matrix
    • route inputs 3,4 to the second track which mixes down to the Main output to Audiobus
    • externally connect the 18i6 main output to the Lexicon input, and the Lexicon output to 18i6 inputs 3,4
    • Loopy will record the Auria Main output
    • still leaves the Filter slot for fun say Turnado, Echo Pad, AUFX:reverb or dub,
    • which of course you can use instead of the Lexicon and avoid the external rewiring - you'll probably be wanting the Focurite Main out for feeding the PA anyway.
    • Plus Auria has a bunch of nice effects in its own right, including proper EQ controuring your live instrument
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