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.
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Eventually watched it. Really nice! It taught me quite a bit about modular synthesis. Understood the basic idea, but Nikol did a great job at making these things stick, for me.
As Peter says, the same thing can be created in Pure Data. And since there are ways to bring Pd patches to iOS, it should be possible to create neat plucking synths for iOS.
Sounds to me like you’d enjoy Automatonism, @Littlewoodg. It’s basically an emulation of a modular synthesizer in a patch template for the Vanilla version of Pure Data (so it should work on iOS). Had tried Pd in diverse ways, over the years (even got started on Max, before it became Max/MSP and Max for Live). But Automatonism is really what pushed me over the learning hump. Not saying it transformed me in a Pure Data expert. But it’s been a real joy playing with all of these modules.
(As you might expect, Automatonism has a Karplus-Strong module that you can plug into just about anything…)
Sounds cool, just not my current focus.
Sure! Although, there’s no dearth of lovely sounds in all those iOS synths.
That part is great. Had played with Argon and Xenon, a while back, and hadn’t found a way to make them “sing”. Redshrike helped me get what iceWorks/iceGear is about. And LaPlace gets in the right spot, for me.
What you say about responsiveness is precisely my focus, these days. Using a wind controller, it’s really fun to have a synth respond to breath in a meaningful way. My WX-11 sends lip pressure as pitch bend but that can also work for expression if it’s routed to something else (haven’t found a way to do that in iceGear synths but it should work through the old MIDIflow). And my whole dream for a digital wind instrument is around responsiveness and expressiveness. What ROLI has been doing with both the Seaboard Rise and the Seaboard 5D app gets a long way there. Could really imagine playing with very responsive synths using complex interaction of breath, lip, and multiple finger pressure. Add 3D gestures to that (à la AC Sabre) and you get into something rather fun.
Neat! Had heard of ModStep but never got into it. Your demo really helps bring it to life. Less interested in DAWing, right now, but recording complex modulation patterns could be a nice way to get into that.
Cool thanks for this link, I just started circling in on pd a couple weeks ago.
And here’s a quick example of doing Karplus-Strong physical modelling in Automatonism.
Neat! As is often the case, zMors Modular is one of those tools which have been on my radar without realizing what power may lay beneath the surface. Assuming you can send any MIDI control to it, it could make for a neat instrument. With proper care.
Also nice to notice the Pd support. In context, it makes quite a bit of sense.
Did you get into it yourself?
Can you do this in Audulus?
I must own up and admit I've really not touched any iOS/macOS synth at all over the past year or more, due to another preoccupation soaking up all my time in front of a screen. I also think that when I do get back into using synths, I think I'm quite likely to try and adopt an approach of trying to use other people's patches for a change, rather than insisting on making my own patches only, and also to not try and use all the synths, but revel in ignorance and only be aware of a handful.
...
Been getting somewhat closer to this approach, but from the reverse angle. Touched a number of iOS/macOS synths over the past year or so, often starting with factory presets and exploring the “soundprint” of each of these synths. Part of this exploration is for my own musicking needs, but part of it relates to my academic work.
But there’s already been a point in my path where the number of available synths is just overwhelming. Still accumulating a few more (might even get the eagerly-awaited Ripplemaker from @brambos). But this forum and the usual sites (PalmSounds, MusicAppBlog, DiscChord, CDM, and AskAudio) are all helping me figure out that it’d be best to focus on a handful of synths and use them in a blissfully naïve way.
Having said that, the DIY approach to synthing has been a better cure for my Gear Acquisition Syndrome than the aspiration to “really just focus on a few (more) synths, promised”. The most promising path for me has been Sonic Pi, though it won’t ever run on iOS. Trying to switch some of that work to Pure Data (especially with Automatonism) and Axoloti. Hitting a few snags here and there but, if things go according to plan, most of my synthing needs could be filled with those, including through iOS support of Pd.
And then, there’s the whole JUCE universe. Can’t help but dream of building my ideal synth into an Open Source cross-platform app.
FingerFiddle is a physically modeled string synth on iOS.
The technology involved in creating a good PM synth is only as good as the controller used to encapsulate that expression.
That's quite a coincidence.
There is a new instrument called PA3 Derailer by Physical Audio which is a physically modelled network of bars and connections, you can design your own network to create new instruments, and is MPE compatible.
https://www.physicalaudio.co.uk/PA3
Yes. Start with multiple delays and adjustable feedback loops (a bit like programming a synth VCF to generate tones from the resonance peak).
Shorter delay length means higher tone, more feedback means longer tone.
Feedback adjustment is very sensitive - a bit too much will give you uncontrollable chaos
AnalogKit is even better imho because there are fantastic creations in the user library.
GeoShred also has several physical modeling synths.
Interesting! Didn't know that.
My dream is Chromaphone for iOS
(It partly exists as the "Plonk" Eurorack module already)
Rings a bell.
Had watched this demo.
Not really my kind of thing, but the performance itself is quite neat.
My iOS dreams tend to change regularly. Still think we need MainStage on iOS, including Sculpture. But what would be just plain awesome is if we could easily create AUv3 plugins from some of the existing systems like Max, Reaktor, Pd, ChucK, Faust, etc.
Reaktor is a special case. Its User Library is such a treasure trove that it’s almost intimidating. Chet Singer’s instruments allow for the kind of exploration of physical modelling which suits my needs (as a wind player).
), partly because my workflows are in constant flux and it’s been important for me to explore diverse possibilities. But my nagging feeling is that it’d be a gamechanger if Native Instruments were to somehow make Reaktor into a kind of plugin IDE. Create an ensemble in Reaktor, including the UI, and export it to AUv3 for iOS and macOS, LV2 for Raspbian/Ubuntu, VST for Windows/macOS…
Haven’t used Reaktor ensembles that much in my musicking (@oat_phipps
Sure, this might sound exceedingly strange to a lot of people. But isn’t that the point about dreams?
Would tend to agree, despite that (cryptic to me) comment by @u0421793. As @mdpa mentioned MPE support in PA3 Derailer, it can bring up an important point about the input side of the physical model. Sure, you could go all IRCAM on this, and have a very complex system which allows you to create amazing sounds with a lot of effort. But making these things playable requires quite a good integration with the controller side of things. A ROLI Seaboard would make a lot of sense for PA3 Derailer, which sounds like a keyboardist’s dream. Thanks in part to Ottawa’s Ed Eagan, the Haken Continuum can fit really well in other forms of physical modelling, including on iOS. The GeoShred physical models mentioned by @InfoCheck fit that “guitaristic” model of expression afforded moForte apps. The clarinet and cello models in EigenD fit remarkably well with the Eigenharp line for which they were carefully adapted. There are probably ways to make a physical modelling synth which would really fit the ROLI Lightpad.
Which actually brings me back to my dreams of plugin development. It’s becoming easier to use MPE with Reaktor ensembles. JUCE (perhaps because of ROLI’s involvement) is adding some features to ease MPE integration. Max7 already affords pretty decent MPE-savvy patches and one might hope that Max8 could be MPEtastic (despite Ableton’s stubborn refusal to “get with the program”). Several of my dreams for softsynths on iOS and macOS revolve around MPE support. In Korg Gadget, Xfer Serum, AIR Hybrid… Not holding my breath on those, especially not with anything from InMusic Brands. But MPE would go a long way to modernize those softsynths.
Still, MPE isn’t really enough. It’s mostly a stopgap solution. The other part of MIDI’s future, MIDI-CI, will probably do more to make physical models as playable as possible. A key example for MIDI-CI is about organ drawbars.
Easy to imagine how that’d work with physical models.
So… My dreams for physical modelling on iOS tend to spread to other dreams. Most of those have to do with my background as a sax player. It’s not really about creating realistic instrumental sounds but it’s about expanding the sonic possibilities of instrumental sounds in electronic contexts. Especially when it comes to the kinds of sounds which originate in woodwinds (duduk, uillean pipes, Jazz flute, xaphoon, tinwhistle, ney, sax…). Idiophones aren’t really my thing, even when they’re really well modelled. Even not that interested in modelled brass sounds. But give me a decent woodwind synth and things start falling into place.
@Enkerli you might want to create a new thread on the MIDI-CI spec. In some ways it seems to extend MIDI using more of a layered network protocol like OSC or document types used in designing web pages like HTML. With increasingly more powerful small computing devices which can network with each other, it does seem like the time is ripe for coming up with a MIDI spec that can utilize this functionality. As we’ve seen with MIDI MPE, I think Apple will be on board with this as it will allow them to use one of their strengths which is hardware integration and partnering with other companies to create a seamless environment for the user (this is their goal at least) with iOS and MacOS devices playing a central role along with the app developers who build on top of this musical infrastructure.
A thing i love about Sculpture is that it almost always create very organic sounds but also can sound like i would imagine acoustic instruments from another lifeform/planet.
There is NOTHING which morphs so nice between material as well. Something which does it better than any real instrument could maybe too.
I also agree that the controller can make a huge different. A combination of existing things might be the best, depending on the sound/tool. We have MPE, breath, gesture controls and touch screens beside the normal keyboard. Even trough face mimic (see GarageBand iOS). Then there are things like Leap Motion which could be take to a next level and can be more expressive as touch screens etc.
I just saw a video about a hardware tube synth from a guy at Musikmesse and he controlled it with a kind of self made breath input (reminds me of an alien saxophone).
He said he especially created it for tube synth lovers and breath/instruments to blow control play.
He said he also would customize and hand-made things for other situation, playing styles.
That reminds me that in software we often might try to control things in a weird way.
Imagine a saxophone player had to control his/her saxophone now with keys and foot pedals or so.
The other things is to have too many different kind of control and different size of keys, knobs etc. is that muscle memory is hard to train to get really good (beside you are a very very talented multi).
Even with it´s bugs and limitations i find the Seaboard Rise the best option yet since it has a "well known" layout and works almost good or very good with most kind of instruments. Add a breath controller and some pedals and also the right instrument (clever programmed algorithms/scripted) makes a huge different of course too.
A good example is for me the Bohemian Violin/Cello which is so clever scripted that you can juts play it without any automation, key switching etc. with just a few parameters like velocity, how fast you play etc. You also can choose a certain mood you want to play. Here an MPE controller is even not good to use.
There are also often situation where i played with MPE and it´s just all over the top and not controllable anymore in a musical way (if you are not Jordon Rudess or so). Then i remember what expressive things some people played with these old mono synths before that even thought about velocity and aftertouch. Perfect timing and a pitch bend wheel can be enough sometimes.
Before i totally drift away....back to PMS. I have some of them beside Sculpture like Chromaphone 2, Reaktor Prism (awesome as well), tried of course Pianoteq (but i still prefer sampled keys with character Pianoteq can´t create yet), some iOS things which are far away.
But Sculpture is always the thing which amaze me the most. Others are better in their special area like Pianoteq for Pianos (can´t wait for their Organteq) and Chromaphone for percussive things f.e. but Sculpture is just a beast in terms of what it can output for me. There is no better FX machine for organic noises (beside maybe record real samples...but even these are not so nice) and really outstanding timbre morphs between materials and a lot other stuff i never heard this way in the most modern PMS. I can´t get enough from these morphing arps it can create.
It´s also excellent for sampling since it really can create superb organic sounds which works excellent even if you stretch them very far.
The latest update was also interesting (like the high resolution mode).
Some sound are already in GarageBand iOS but a full maybe even 2.0 Sculpture on a 3D touch-screen with updated GUI could be really fun and a sound designers wet dream.
Indeed if there would be a TOP 5 of all musical/sound creating tools i ever used and which amaze me nearly every time i open them, Sculpture would be at the very top. I even wonder that you really don´t hear more about it and why there aren´t even much third party presets to find....maybe because it´s on of the hardest thing to program.
@Enkerli Audulus will have major updates over the next year or two so that will really enable the user community to create their own AU modules, expand its MIDI capabilities (including MPE), and be able to do sampling too. It’s conceivable that the Linux version of Audulus will be able to run headless on devices like the Rassbery Pi so that people can use this combination to make custom hardware synths, effect pedals, and/or MIDI controllers.
Sounds interesting. Building my very own hardware synth/instrument would be indeed something i put on my to do list before i die.
Audulus is too granular for me. I like modular synths, but I am baffled by Audulus. I have no desire to become an engineer; I just want to wiggle and blow.
The point I’ll try to make for iOS is that over the next year, Audulus will be able to run patches as AU. You will not need to create patches of your own, you’d simply load the desired patch in your favorite AU host app and connect MIDI to or from the patch; or use it as as an effect app.
Audulus is capable of creating all sorts of sequencers, effects, and synths. It has a search feature now so you can type in what sort of patch you’re looking for. Audulus 4 will have better and more complete MIDI plus sample processing.
Bottom line is you don’t need to be an engineer, all you have to do is be able to find a patch you want to use and load it in like you would a preset in your other apps. The ability to use the app would then become a matter of how easy it is to find desirable patches rather than needing to learn how to program patches yourself.
Does this one work in MobMuPlat?
Would love to see Synful Orchestra on iOS...
https://www.synful.com/
https://www.synful.com/SynfulOrchestra.htm
…
Was told it should. Never tried it.
Was also overwhelmed by Audulus. Not quite sure why. Might have to do with the whole onboarding experience.
It’d be cool if it could allow to run patches as AU. In fact, part of my dream would be to have simplified plugins, running single patches, and switching easily between them. That way, it might be easier to organize the sounds you want to use in performance contexts.
In some ways, MainStage isn’t too far from that model. But, in my dreams, it’s quite a bit simpler than the whole MainStage, yet it maintains all the sonic possibilities.
While there are performance styles in which people constantly tweak patches, my thing is more about playing extensively with a patch once it’s ready. At that point, don’t really need knobs or buttons apart from those on my controller. Visualization can be useful but it’s also fun to play with your eyes closed.
Sounds something like this should be possible with the libPd apps (MobMuPlat and PdParty). Should probably improve my Pure Data skills.
Automatonism has made Pure Data accessible to synthesists who are uninterested in coding. It would be great if Audulus had a similar level of abstraction.
Nice way to put it.
Got two Leap Motion controllers. Got really excited about them and still have plans for them. But it’s a bit difficult to integrate them in a performance mode.
This one?
He uses a Yamaha WX5 to control the “suitcase” version.
While the overall sound has its unique charm, it’s not too difficult to emulate this with a softsynth (using breath control to modulate the cutoff frequency of a lowpass filter).
He also had a version hooked to a sequencer, in which case he uses full ADSR envelopes.
Yep. For 1200€.
http://www.chrtsynth.org/index.html
Recently ordered the MIDI Expression IO.
http://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php
Agreed. It’s been a topic on a wind controller forum, recently. Some woodwind players find it relatively easy to pick one wind controller over another, but it depends on several factors. Those controllers which are close to your original instrument can be more confusing than completely new instruments. In this case, there’s an advantage to something really new, including these:
http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/other-mpe-controllers.html
(My Eigenharp is a Pico, not an Alpha. Much smaller but quite a bit of fun.)
Tried the Seaboard Block, during an Apple Store workshop a few months ago, after spending some time with the Lightpad Block. While the Seaboard can be more familiar to keyboard players, it can feel quite weird. To soften a gross analogy used by someone else, we could say that it feels like massaging a seal. It might suit some people, after a while, but it sure requires a significant shift in your expectations. This is one where you need to be very adaptable in your playing style and have deep keyboarding skills.
During the same workshop, tried a Lightpad M. The improvements over the original Lightpad are quite important, especially in terms of responsiveness. The thing about the Lightpad is that you have to learn it as something completely new, which is more rewarding than learning a different take on a known instrument. It’s also remarkable in how multipurpose it is. You can use as a control surface, a drum machine, a video controller, a set of faders, etc. My performance technique still isn’t that good with it, but it’s quite rewarding. And the integration with softsynths tends to be pretty good.
Really wish ROLI were to make a wind controller. Given Roland Lamb’s inspiration from Jazz wind players, it wouldn’t be that surprising. Breath control is one of these things which can offer more than you’d imagine.
Interesting. These are the VirHarmonic ones? The demos are intriguing but it’s hard to tell how fun it’d be to play.
True. But MPE isn’t really about using all these controls at once. It’s about polyphonic expressiveness.
Fair point. Been a bit fuzzy on the details, apart from the aforementioned drawbar organs. Could be an opportunity to learn more.
Interesting analogy. There have been multiple discussions about OSC not being meant to replace MIDI. But maybe MIDI-CI will cause a significant shift in the industry, if people get on board.
Now that you put it this way, it does make quite a bit of sense. Don’t know how active Apple people have been in creating this spec, but it does sound like it could work well for Logic, MainStage, and GarageBand. Don’t think Apple will ever create its own musicking devices (unless they buy ROLI, which sounds unlikely). But they can do quite a bit to help the whole ecosystem.