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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Reflections about a MIDI workflow

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Comments

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    So far, I tried such things:

    But I don't feel that this is right - and at least in part unnecessary.

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    To summarize, I seek the following:

    An AudioBus / AUM setup, that can

    1) Use an Instrument or Sequencer to
    2) send their MIDI both to an MIDI Recoder and an Synth, so that
    3) the Synth be heard while playing, and
    4) MIDI can be recorded in the Recorder, and
    5) optionally MIDI can also be written to AudioShare and finally
    6) Audio from the Synth which get´s MIDI from the Recoder be saved to AudioShare (this could be a separate setup)

    Possible?

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]

    @tja said:
    To summarize, I seek the following:

    An AudioBus / AUM setup, that can

    1) Use an Instrument or Sequencer to
    2) send their MIDI both to an MIDI Recoder and an Synth, so that
    3) the Synth be heard while playing, and
    4) MIDI can be recorded in the Recorder, and
    5) optionally MIDI can also be written to AudioShare and finally
    6) Audio from the Synth which get´s MIDI from the Recoder be saved to AudioShare (this could be a separate setup)

    Possible?

    AudioShare can only record audio. You can store MIDI or other files in AudioShare via open in.

    With either Audiobus 3 or AUM you can send MIDI to both a synth and to Cubasis to record its audio and the MIDI to separate tracks. You can send MIDI directly to a Cubasis audio and MIDI track without needing to use either Audiobus or AUM by hosting the synth in Cubasis. In any of these scenarios you'll be able to monitor the sound. Why do you want to include Audiobus or AUM in such a setup?

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    @InfoCheck For those reasons:

    Easy MIDI and Audio routing, saving setups and configurations / state saving, easy App switching and together with AUM, mixing and effects / filters and together with AudioShare, saving of Audio for further usage.

    And calling everything back with loading a configuration file.
    Great ;-)

    At least, this would be my idea....
    Also, there are Synths like Gadget, that cannot be loaded within Cubasis.

    Thanks for the information of AudioShare not being able to save incoming MIDI.

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]

    @tja said:
    @InfoCheck For those reasons:

    Easy MIDI and Audio routing, saving setups and configurations / state saving, easy App switching and together with AUM, mixing and effects / filters and together with AudioShare, saving of Audio for further usage.

    And calling everything back with loading a configuration file.
    Great ;-)

    At least, this would be my idea....
    Also, there are Synths like Gadget, that cannot be loaded within Cubasis.

    Thanks for the information of AudioShare not being able to save incoming MIDI.

    To capitalize on the strengths of each app:

    1. Startup Audiobus 3 first from a fresh power up of your iOS device.
    2. Depending upon your iOS device, the apps you're using, and the latency you want, set the latency in Audiobus 3.
    3. Setup MIDI routing in Audiobus 3 and send MIDI out to AUM and Cubasis MIDI track(s)
    4. Route MIDI within AUM as needed. You can control exposed AU MIDI parameters in AUM but not Audiobus 3.
    5. Do mixing and busing with audio routed from Audiobus 3.
    6. Route audio from AUM to Cubasis audio tracks(s)
    7. Use only AU apps or IAA apps with Audiobus 3 state saving.
    8. Use only AU apps or AUM file player and effects in AUM.
    9. If you hear crackles or pops with the audio, try using fewer apps or increasing the latency in the session.
    10. Save setup as preset in Audiobus 3 and project in Cubasis.

    When you want to work on the project again, startup Audiobus 3 and load the preset. If you want to use the MIDI tracks you recorded in Cubasis to control the apps rather than the MIDI from the Audiobus 3 setup, reroute your MIDI setup accordingly and save this as another Audiobus preset.

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    @InfoCheck, thank you very much!

    I read this several times to find my way and then tried the following.

    Using your numbers above:

    1) Did this
    2) Staying at default 256
    3) Started SoundPrism as Instrument in MIDI Input slot, added AUM, port 1 as MIDI Output and also Cubasis in the same line.

    Then I opened Cubasis and deleted other existing tracks and tested to play SoundPrism and record this in Cubasis - worked fined, of course.

    4) Now, i opened AUM, but there is still nothing configured in AUM - let´s continue with the next steps

    Currently, the Audio would be from Cubasis, when there is an instrument selected for the MIDI track - but of course, i want "No instrument" here.

    5) Still nothing configured to mix here ... nothing routed from AudioBus.

    I take this, that you assumed i would add some IAA or AU in Cubasis before - or already added an AU in AUM.

    So, i can only assume that those are the only places where i should add those Audio App, from what you say.

  • tjatja

    Before trying more, i need to say that i assumed to add Synths to AudioBus, at that point, not to Cubasis!

    Esp. as i cannot add Gadget here, where i can add Gadget to AudioBus - i did so before, but currently i cannot see it, strangely.

    So, i need to check first what happened to Gadget and where exactly i could add it ;-)

    And then i need to think about, if Cubasis as host to IAA or AU fulfills my needs.

    You wrote, that AU could be added to Cubasis or AUM, while you recommend to use IAA in Cubasis (at least when they support state saving).

    My question at this point would be, what exactly to do with AUM?

    Cubasis could host both AU and IAA.
    And AUM does not allow to save MIDI as a file in AudioShare.
    So, AUM would be needed only for things i cannot do in Cubasis already.

    Will write again ;-)

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    Gadget can be added as IAA in AUM!

    Why exactly did you recommend to run IAA mostly in Cubasis, but not AUM?

    I presume that this was because of state saving, which does Gadget not do anyway, so could be started in AUM.

    EDIT: After starting Gadget in AUM and setting "No Instrument" in Cubasis, the "DSP" in AUM shows 15 to 20 %

  • gonekrazy3000gonekrazy3000

    @tja said:
    Gadget can be added as IAA in AUM!

    Why exactly did you recommend to run IAA mostly in Cubasis, but not AUM?

    I presume that this was because of state saving, which does Gadget not do anyway, so could be started in AUM.

    I have always said modstep+Aum was the best combo. I regularly use gadget as an IAA even when I have other synths being used in Aum. All driven by modsteps midi. I mostly use gadget either as a single instrument or a layered instrument with all layers accepting midi on the same port.

  • tjatja

    @gonekrazy3000 said:
    I have always said modstep+Aum was the best combo. I regularly use gadget as an IAA even when I have other synths being used in Aum. All driven by modsteps midi. I mostly use gadget either as a single instrument or a layered instrument with all layers accepting midi on the same port.

    Yes, i use modstep and other sequencers and instruments.
    Cubasis is only used to record the MIDI ( i did not test Genomore or Infinite Looper for this, so far.

    The problem that i have with my current setup is, that i now need to point my Gadget track(s) to SoundPrism Pro - which means that i would need to change this, whenever i exchange my instrument or use a Sequencer like modstep instead.

    It seems, i was not very clear in what i realy want to try.

    I want to use different instruments and sequencers and always record the MIDI.
    But of course i want to easily be able to exchange instruments and sequencers, without having to reconfigure all other Apps.

    So something like this:

    "some" instrument or sequencer -> MIDI "Hub" + MIDI Recorder

    Then add any Synth and be able to exchange the instrument or sequencer without needing to reconfigure the Synth - just because 5 minutes later, i may exhange the Synth by another one.

    What i write is not very clear, i fear.

    Maybe i can draw something :D

    And maybe, this is just not possible.

    Currently, i just cannot get what is possible in AUM - will re-read the documention too.

  • gonekrazy3000gonekrazy3000
    edited August 2017

    @tja said:

    @gonekrazy3000 said:
    I have always said modstep+Aum was the best combo. I regularly use gadget as an IAA even when I have other synths being used in Aum. All driven by modsteps midi. I mostly use gadget either as a single instrument or a layered instrument with all layers accepting midi on the same port.

    Yes, i use modstep and other sequencers and instruments.
    Cubasis is only used to record the MIDI ( i did not test Genomore or Infinite Looper for this, so far.

    The problem that i have with my current setup is, that i now need to point my Gadget track(s) to SoundPrism Pro - which means that i would need to change this, whenever i exchange my instrument or use a Sequencer like modstep instead.

    It seems, i was not very clear in what i realy want to try.

    I want to use different instruments and sequencers and always record the MIDI.
    But of course i want to easily be able to exchange instruments and sequencers, without having to reconfigure all other Apps.

    So something like this:

    "some" instrument or sequencer -> MIDI "Hub" + MIDI Recorder

    Then add any Synth and be able to exchange the instrument or sequencer without needing to reconfigure the Synth - just because 5 minutes later, i may exhange the Synth by another one.

    What i write is not very clear, i fear.

    Maybe i can draw something :D

    And maybe, this is just not possible.

    Currently, i just cannot get what is possible in AUM - will re-read the documention too.

    In my case the hub for midi is modstep. And the hub for all my synths is Aum. Even gadget is driven purely by modstep. Sequencer apps like zmors modular, midisteps, fugue machine, steppolyarp etc send midi to Modstep for recording before they get sent to the synth in Aum. So I'm actually doing something quite similar to what you request. Regarding swapping synths in AUM. You can have multiple Aum layers listening to the same midi port. So instead of replacing an IAA or Au just make a new layer listening to the same midi port. Mute/unmute to test different synths.

    Thanks to mf adapter and the new Audiobus 3 support you can send midi even between layers in modstep. So can do connections like modstep chords=>step poly arp=>modstep(for recording arp midi)=>Aum layer 1&2.

    Using ableton link all the midi is perfectly recorded on time.

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    Thanks again, @gonekrazy3000

    The problems i have with this are:

    1) I cannot realy use modstep as MIDI recorder

    This is because modstep is clip based and does not record into the next clip. Also it does not autoexpand ...
    Cubasis can do this, and others wrote that Genome or Infinite Looper may be valid as MIDI recorders as well.
    I very much like ambient sounds and would possible perform some long stuff to be recored.

    I would use modstep as my main sequencer for things i created (nor performed) , so far - but pointing the MIDI to Cubasis (Genome, IL) and somethow into varying Synths (which may be hosted in AUM).

    2) Having multiple Layers in AUM

    This is because doing to requires to actually start those Synths, right - and this may very well lead to problems with memory, CPU, crackling sounds, and so on ...

    So, i think it would be better to exchange them.

    3) Running things in AUM removes the fantasic possibility of the AudioBus sidebar :-(

    Having said that, could you possibly post one of your AudioBus and AUM configuration files?

    I am apparently a very slow thinker and maybe this would help me to understand what you say.

  • tjatja

    I mixed things that @InfoCheck and @gonekrazy3000 wrote with my own ideas and came up with this:

    AudioBus MIDI: Instrument (SoundPrism Pro) send MIDI to both AUM (Port 1) and MIDI Recorder (Cubasis).

    This is not a real problem, as then i can easily get a new track for each instrument or sequencer that i record in Cubasis.

    Therefor, AudioBus Audio just contains AUM and Cubasis.

    AUM: Synth (Gadget) with MIDI routing from IAA Port 1 to Gadget Virtual (and Gadget getting MIDI on Gadget Virtual and Channel 1)

    This seems to work, so far.

    I am going to save the setups and then add / exchange instruments / sequencers and Synths ... hopefully it works :-)

  • tjatja
    edited August 2017

    First test worked fine:

    I exchanged SP Pro by SP Electro and both Gadget and Cubasis work!

    Cubasis changed MIDI In to SP Electro by virtue of AudioBus.

    And Gadget just continues to work without any change!

    Great ...

    So, i can now just play around and when i get something i like, i can add Cubasis recording MIDI to save this for further work.

    I will continue on this :-)

    Thanks, both to you!

  • gonekrazy3000gonekrazy3000

    @tja said:
    First test worked fine:

    I exchanged SP Pro by SP Electro and both Gadget and Cubasis work!

    Cubasis changed MIDI In to SP Electro by virtue of AudioBus.

    And Gadget just continues to work without any change!

    Great ...

    So, i can now just play around and when i get something i like, i can add Cubasis recording MIDI to save this for further work.

    I will continue on this :-)

    Thanks, both to you!

    Glad you found something that works for you :)

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