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 Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Ex OP-1 user looking for iOS app advice

Greetings everyone,

I was lurking for two days and I think you guys are able to help me. :)

I just got a iPad Pro 10.5 and I am looking forward to have some music making fun with it (techno). I need some help as there are just too many apps and techs and I don't want to spend too much money on outdated stuff or apps that have been replaced by newer versions/tech. Eg, I am not interested in apps that are not optimized for iOS 11 or the iPad or don't receive updates any more (except when they are confirmed to run well on iOS 11 and the new iPad pro and are unique and worth a look anyway)!

I had an OP-1 and I am looking for something similar awesome to play with on my iPad. So some synths and samplers, sequencers (the more the better), some FX and some thing to put it all together. I already have two drum machines (Elastic Drums and fluxpad) which I like a lot.

So yeah, basically some simple, decent, current, future proof apps (synths, samplers, fx, sequencers, mixer).

Or just let me know what you think that I should try (eg, AUM and Odessa etc).

Thank you so much!

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Comments

  • Start with Gadget.

    There's dozens of great synths on iOS, but Gadget provides a very nice integrated workflow that allows you to get going and produce stuff very quickly. Garageband is also similarly very good.

    After that, well, the list gets quite long. BM3 will be recommended, within a couple of posts of this one. There's some great synths, like Zeeon, Model 15, Mood.

  • Essential utility starter pack is Audiobus, AudioShare and Aum, life is easier once you have these.

    It's a good time to get both Moog Synths for a bargain! As you mention techno so the sugarbytes apps are well worth picking up. Egoist, Cyclop and Turnado will be very useful. ElasticDrums with sample import expansion (it might be still half price?) should cover your drums, you chose wisely there.

    The Korg lineup is very hard to ignore, especially the newer synths which work inside Korg Gadget.

    Finally Samplr doesn't get updates but I can't not recommend it, works perfectly and still one of my favourites!

    It's easy to go crazy in the beginning with so many choices so take a look at some videos demos before hitting the buy button, most apps have videos from thesoundtestroom

  • edited November 2017

    @BlueGreenSpiral said:
    Essential utility starter pack is Audiobus, AudioShare and Aum, life is easier once you have these.

    It's a good time to get both Moog Synths for a bargain! As you mention techno so the sugarbytes apps are well worth picking up. Egoist, Cyclop and Turnado will be very useful. ElasticDrums with sample import expansion (it might be still half price?) should cover your drums, you chose wisely there.

    The Korg lineup is very hard to ignore, especially the newer synths which work inside Korg Gadget.

    You're are probably going to want an acid machine, troublemaker is the one to get, has been on my wish list for a while now.

    Finally Samplr doesn't get updates but I can't not recommend it, works perfectly and still one of my favourites!

    It's easy to go crazy in the beginning with so many choices so take a look at some videos demos before hitting the buy button, most apps have videos from thesoundtestroom

    Oops I haven't had enough coffee since I'm talking to myself instead of editing my reply..

  • werkbench maybe ?
    and patterning.

  • Techno you say .. gotta be gadget.

  • @richardyot said:
    Start with Gadget.

    There's dozens of great synths on iOS, but Gadget provides a very nice integrated workflow that allows you to get going and produce stuff very quickly. Garageband is also similarly very good.

    After that, well, the list gets quite long. BM3 will be recommended, within a couple of posts of this one. There's some great synths, like Zeeon, Model 15, Mood.

    Yah Gadget is fun for getting hooked on tapping on glass (plus there is a 'layering melody sampler' coming) then BM3 is a nice step up and depending on your sound preference Gadget may feed right into it still. Not sure what iOS life would be like jumping straight into BM3 but I use it (with the above AU synths) almost exclusively now.

  • First of all, you won't find an OP-1 replacement on iOS, so don't expect anything similar.
    Given the accessibility and fun that the OP-1 can offer, I'd personally prefer a one-in-all solution over multiple apps.
    Which one is the best for you highly depends on your workflow preferences.
    I'd really like to recommend Modstep but it can neither sample audio directly, nor import multiple samples from AudioShare at once (except you're at home, have a fast internet connection and don't mind to share your samples with Dropbox so you can make use of that 3-step process).
    What remains and is usable enough for my taste
    (All these apps can sample and have an included synthesis engine too):

    Pattern-based workflow support:

    • Beatmaker 3 (powerful but a bit on the expensive side)
    • Garageband
    • Korg Gadget (price reduced to $20 from time to time)
    • Arturia iSpark (Strong focus on drums but can do melody too)

    Linear timeline only:

    • NanoStudio 1 (V2 should arrive in the next months)
    • Cubasis 2 (price reduced to $25 from time to time)
  • like others have said, start with gadget, alone... and then see what you are missing. i have bought way too many things i don't use. you can produce complete tracks and upload to the web straight from gadget. once you get into the flow you can look into integrating other pieces.

  • Buy Gadget, delete this URL from your history, come back in a year and let us know how it feels to still have money.

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    Buy Gadget, delete this URL from your history, come back in a year and let us know how it feels to still have money.

    Probably the best advice!
    Gadget with the nanokey studio would be a great way to start out.

    There is recent thread on free apps which has some good recommendations

  • Oh, to begin again.

    There are so many possibilities in iOS that it really comes down to personal workflow. There’s no ‘right’ way of doing things. The apps to get are the ones that you’ll actually use, and rather inconveniently, nobody can tell you which ones those ones will be! It’s a journey.

    Saying that, I do agree that AudioShare, Audiobus and AUM are essentials. They make everything fit together.

    Gadget is popular for a reason, but it gets expensive (IAPs) and I actually don’t use it very much myself. It might be all you need, or it might sit there, glaring at you. Korg have half price sales a few times a year, so be aware of that. Do you need it today? There are lots of sales all over the place in iOS land and Black Friday’s coming up.

    BeatMaker 3 is another one-stop shop. A cracking sampler and a deep, impressive app. Again, it might be all you need. If you click with it, you’re sorted.

    If you prefer a more conventional DAW, I find Cubasis is very user friendly. The general consensus seems to be that Auria Pro is a deeper and higher-quality DAW (especially with it’s expensive and amazing FabFilter plugins), but it can be more difficult for some to get along with.

    Samplr is too good to ignore. Buy buy buy.

    Oh, I love Egoist but maybe you’d never touch it.

    Blocs Wave is a good one. It’s especially good if you keep making loops in different apps and want to use them as part of something more. I like to fit loops together in Blocs, then build things in Cubasis.

    Sequencers are getting better all the time. The newly-released Quantum and Xequence are both excellent and well-supported, and they complement each other well I think. Patterning’s worth a mention here too.

    It’s a rabbit hole. I’m not mentioning synths as that’s another rabbit hole (but I’d jump on Model 15 while it’s still on sale).

    This will be expensive and exciting.

    Good luck to you :)

  • I’d still love to see something more op-1 on iPad. Imagine the reel to reel function as an au

  • Although its not a very popular app,
    Fingerbeat is similar to the OP1 in many ways. It is purely sample based, but has the same hands on approach and a tapestyle recorder that provides a workflow that reminds me if the OP1

  • The new Flynth synthesizer comes close to that aesthetic:

    https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/flynth/id1509714513

    Plus it “can do pretty lot”. Hard to argue with that.

  • DAW: Cubasis 3 if you need audio tracks or NanoStudio 2 if you don’t.

    Mixing/Mastering effects: ToneBoosters (cheaper than FabFilter and arguably just as good from what I hear).

    Synths: BLEASS Alpha, Shockwave, and Lagrange are my favorites.

    Drums: EG Pulse is an excellent drum sampler. Ruismaker Noir is a fantastic drum synth.

    Favorite effects: FAC Phazer, Panstation2, and BitMaestro

    Groovebox: Pure Acid, a fantastic 303 emulator and sequencer with a drum machine built in.

    If you don’t want a traditional DAW workflow, you can also go for Xequence 2 + AUM (AudioBus in the middle is often preferred but not necessary). This more closely mirrors a modular workflow.

    I don’t personally use Drambo but my understanding is that it’s the closest to a one-stop-shop you can get, but it’s also very much a hobbyist machine.

  • @Philandering_Bastard said:
    The new Flynth synthesizer comes close to that aesthetic:

    https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/flynth/id1509714513

    Plus it “can do pretty lot”. Hard to argue with that.

    Installed, thanks

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    Buy Gadget, delete this URL from your history, come back in a year and let us know how it feels to still have money.

    +1

  • @DMfan said:

    @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    Buy Gadget, delete this URL from your history, come back in a year and let us know how it feels to still have money.

    +1

    Hehehe.

    The choice of Gadget might be debatable (there are other all-in-one options... well not so many 😅)

    But this is a very very wise idea!

    :-)

  • edited July 2020

    Pavlov! Gr16!

  • @Maarten said:
    Although its not a very popular app,
    Fingerbeat is similar to the OP1 in many ways. It is purely sample based, but has the same hands on approach and a tapestyle recorder that provides a workflow that reminds me if the OP1

    Yeah. Actually pretty popular aming those who use it (4.5 on the store) and offers a lot of interesting bits and bobs, just takes a little initial muscle memory bending of the ordinary mind etc.

  • Traditionally I always thought it was Samplr that lured people from their OP-1s to iOSland. That was more like 5 years ago though. But there has always been something about the tactile, immediate, and “innovation through limitation” approach that does seem to suit them both!

  • Caustic is a good place to start. It is cheap and easy to get into. It as all you need to get started. A daw with many synths and effects.

    It is all integrated like gadget but way cheaper and does not have in app purchase. Gadget is great but can get expensive very fast.

  • erik makes cool op like synths. they are colorful fun and just remind me of when i had op1
    here’s strng and shape... but he’s got more!

  • @reasOne said:
    erik makes cool op like synths. they are colorful fun and just remind me of when i had op1

    Ever miss it?

  • edited July 2020

    @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @reasOne said:
    erik makes cool op like synths. they are colorful fun and just remind me of when i had op1

    Ever miss it?

    sometimes now that i know more about synthesis i feel like i could do better with it... i got it while making sample based music but got bored with that..and started playing with the op synths and was like hmmm there has to be better synths out there than this... the op is just too limited so i sold it for my ipad pro...id say i miss the actual op as a little jam machine but i never liked the workflow so wouldn’t get it again..ios just has so much more to offer with less hassle

  • @reasOne said:

    @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @reasOne said:
    erik makes cool op like synths. they are colorful fun and just remind me of when i had op1

    Ever miss it?

    sometimes now that i know more about synthesis i feel like i could do better with it... i got it while making sample based music but got bored with that..and started playing with the op synths and was like hmmm there has to be better synths out there than this... the op is just too limited so i sold it for my ipad pro...id say i miss the actual op as a little jam machine but i never liked the workflow so wouldn’t get it again..ios just has so much more to offer with less hassle

    Interesting. Thanks for the response. I'd say from your workflow comments you made the right choice for you :)

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @reasOne said:

    @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @reasOne said:
    erik makes cool op like synths. they are colorful fun and just remind me of when i had op1

    Ever miss it?

    sometimes now that i know more about synthesis i feel like i could do better with it... i got it while making sample based music but got bored with that..and started playing with the op synths and was like hmmm there has to be better synths out there than this... the op is just too limited so i sold it for my ipad pro...id say i miss the actual op as a little jam machine but i never liked the workflow so wouldn’t get it again..ios just has so much more to offer with less hassle

    Interesting. Thanks for the response. I'd say from your workflow comments you made the right choice for you :)

    i think so, for the price i def have a lot more now than the op1 can offer... how about you do you use one?

  • edited July 2020

    All Sugar Bytes and some Klevgrand plugins remind me most of Teenage Engineering’s playful interfaces. Factory and Aparillo can probably cover most/all the sounds of Op-1 (and then some)
    Coupled with Nanostudio 2 and Enso, You’ve got beast mode OP-1

  • If you miss the radio, Ström and Streemur can fill in.

  • edited July 2020

    I think the point of the OP-1 is the way everything in it works together. You can get a radio, a tape, a synth, and a sampler, either as hardware or as iPad apps, but they’re not integrated.

    With this in mind, Gadget is a good suggestion, but I’d pick GarageBand. It has everything you need, and most of it is very immediate. You have to tap some things too many times, and there are some questionable UI decisions, but it’s great.

    These days I prefer Cubasis as an iOS DAW, but it’s hard to beat GarageBand for an all-in-one, immediate and accessible solution.

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