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.
Recommend a guitar MIDI footpedal for iPad
I want a MIDI footswitch I can use for controlling looper apps on the iPad. Bluetooth is ok, usb preferred. I’d like it to have guitar-pedal-like switches, not big paddles. It should be available in Europe.
Comments
How many footswitches do you need? If you can manage with 3 plus an expression pedal input then the Logidy UM13 is a good choice. The config software is Mac OSX or Windows and some but not all of the UM13 functionality needs the software to be running. I've seen it available on Amazon UK so it should still be fairly easy to get hold of in Europe.
http://www.logidy.com/?pid=1
I'm currently using an Audiofront Midi Expression unit via usb. It's easy to configure because they now have an iOS app available for that purpose. The iOS app works great, and once configured the app does not need to be running. You can use any momentary footswitches of your choice with the ME devices; each input is TRS and it will allow 2x footswitches to be connected per input. The single input Midi Expression has one TRS input which allows 2x footswitches; the Quattro has four TRS inputs which allows for 8x footswitches. The Expression iO has three TRS inputs which allows for a total of 6x footswitches, and it also has 5pin din midi input / output ports. Any of the TRS inputs can also be used with an expression pedal.
http://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php
MIDI Expression Control app by Robert Jonkman
https://appsto.re/gb/_GmKhb.i
I've had no problem ordering from Audiofront in the UK and I seem to remember worldwide postage being free too.
Both of those look excellent. I already have a three-button Switch I could use with the MIDI Expression. Three buttons is enough.
I’ve seen the Logidy on Amazon US, but not elsewhere. If anyone knows where I can get one in the U.K. or Europe, let me know.
Great answer, thanks @rcf !
I have no experience with the ME iO midi version... hopefully you could use it via the 5 pin midi sockets, in addition to switches/exp pedals plugged into the TRS inputs.
Hey @rcf These look really interesting.
I'm looking for something to use as a sustain pedal for piano apps that will go beyond on/off killing sustain dead and would 'ease' the effect instead. Not even sure if that's possible and is likely more to do with the software.
Anyway, would be great to hear how you are using these.
Cheers for posting.
@SpookyZoo... not sure if that is possible tbh; Isn't midi sustain CC 64 just on or off anyway? I'm using the Midi Expression device in various ways; Quantiloop loop rec/playback; AUM channel muting, triggering fixed velocity bass drone notes in either iMini or Stria; one way (down) foot controlled pitch bending in iPulsaret etc, etc
Things I've yet to explore with these devices are: their ability to trigger velocity sensitive notes via a hi-hat pedal switch; mapping 2x CC parameters to one footswitch; the first using a short press and the second on a long press (300ms). Another example of this would be preset increment/decrement using one footswitch. Very easy to (re)configure with the iOS app.
Yeah it is but the effect is just not pleasing with current piano apps. A Piano sustain eases off and current apps have the sound killed on releases. I've been thinking of ways to combine it with an expression pedal to control an echo loop of sorts. Mad scientist stuff if I get the time to experiment.
Looks like these pedals can combine several messages.
Cheers for the use cases. I'll check out their videos soon too.
Btw, I sometimes use one of these plugged into the ME for my one way foot controlled downwards pitch shifting. A throttle pot, plunge pot or linear position sensor; it's basically a 5k pot with a spring return on its 10mm stroke. Works just like an expression pedal except it's very small and it springs back; I haven't mounted in a case yet ;-)
