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.
How would you feel if Doug (thesoundtestroom) stopped doing videos…?
Most of us love Doug’s videos, and he loves doing them, but the problem is he is only making around $400 a month with his videos. And that’s not enough to live on.
Doug doesn’t want a handout, he doesn’t want dole money (or whatever they call it in the U.K.) - he wants to do good work and earn enough to pay for food and rent. Doug has been very open about how his health problems have stopped him from regular work (he even did a very frank video about it). And many of you will remember how sick he was a few years ago after he collapsed. Despite his health issues he has plugged on with thesoundtestroom, bringing us great, up-to-date videos on the latest music apps. Hundreds and hundreds of videos. Over a thousand videos.
So, let me ask you again: how would you feel if Doug stopped doing videos?
I have no inside info about what Doug’s plans are but I know he can’t live on air - nobody can.
We’ve seen great iOS sites like Palm Sounds and John Waldon’s “Music App Blog” fade away so it could always happen to thesoundtestroom - if Doug is unable to get enough support to keep it going.
Another question: would you be prepared to shout Doug a cup of coffee a month to keep the videos coming? Let’s call it $1 a month.
If the answer is “yes” then head over to https://www.patreon.com/thesoundtestroom and show your support.
There are no contracts to sign, you are not tied in for any period of time, you can cancel any time you want.
Like many of you I hate subscriptions. I don’t have cable TV, streaming music services or magazine subscriptions. The only thing I subscribe to is thesoundtestroom. The money goes out of my PayPal account each month and I never really notice. It is a small amount. But if Doug stopped doing his great videos… well, that is something I really would notice.
So, let me ask you again, how would you feel if Doug (thesoundtestroom) stopped doing videos…?
Don’t let it happen. Show your support: https://www.patreon.com/thesoundtestroom
Comments
I’m going to get some hate here.
Whilst Dougs videos are amongst the best you can get for IOS music tutorials, I strongly believe that it has dominated his life, so much so, that he has made this his sole income.
To rely on hand-outs is worrying. I get that he loves music making and all things electronic, but there will never be a stable income from good-will alone.
I would suggest both Doug and wifey get part-time work, or even full time if that’s all that’s going, just to put food on the table and keep the roof over head.
Apart from the select few that actually make decent money from music making and performing etc. This should just be a hobby. It’s not enough to cause depression and illness.
There are millions of Youtubers that upload tutorials and will do it free unfortunately, and people being what they are, will always opt for free, or do without.
But I hope he can find a stable financial solution and keep making excellent videos.
I really would miss Doug´s videos since there isn´t much for iOS.
I even would like he could expand it. Those videos are great since we have no demos on iOS but mostly they are not real reviews deeper tutorials or a and stuff like this. It´s more a kind of promotion (at least it feels often so).
Not that it´s not a good way but we need kind of Dan Worrall tutorials in iOS too.
Maybe this way he also could get more income trough it. Of course it´s a lot of work to get such a thing done.
But like other blogs and iOS reviews shows that there isn´t much money to make and Doug and a few others are the last still do it.
Beeing myself in situation where i had close to nothing and had to give up all my dreams i feel with him. I recovered but i know it can happen anytime again. It´s always a bad thing to focus on one thing which might not have a good future. I hope all goes well for Doug but it might be a hard way and unstable income is a danger thing.
I would miss Doug's videos.
What I like is that he's creating and maintaining a community connection. I think a lot (probably most) of the folks on this forum have taken some level of benefit from one or more of his videos. Further, I'll bet one or more of his videos have resulted in app purchases for many here. That alone is reason to show Doug some support, in my opinion.
I don't have any inside information on his day-to-day living situation, what he is or isn't capable of, or how he manages his finances. What I know is that he's a kind and likable fellow who does things that benefit me directly, and that, combined with a modicum of compassion, was enough justification for me to become a Patreon.
I truly wish the best for Doug and his family, most especially as we enter the crazy holiday season.
If the people here and elsewhere who enjoy Doug’s videos stepped up to support him, this thread would not exist.
Those who don’t appreciate what he does or believe he should do it for free aren’t the people who owe Doug anything in my opinion.
To clarify, I am firmly in the enjoy and support Doug’s work camp.
My understanding is Doug cannot work a normal job for health reasons and here in England the easiest jobs to get are ridiculously long warehouse shifts at crazy late night hours
Not even a lot that here in Cornwall
I have no idea how much money one can make with YouTube videos but, apparently, Doug makes some. How do we know what the limit is? iOS music-making is a bit of a niche. It depends on demand for info being met. So the question of this thread is relevant. If Doug stops, who could fill that void?
The Patreon system exists for a reason, and that's what I use. Maybe if a producer keeps at it long enough, they can get the numbers up. It's a big world out there with millions watching YouTube. It only takes a small percentage. Some of us can afford to invest a little money to encourage the kind of content we want to see, and those small investments must add up.
We see this sort of advice for people in need all the time. "Get a job." That advice doesn't help, except maybe to provide justification for not helping. I'm sure Doug knows better than I do what his situation is. He's working. Hopefully enough people benefitting from it will have the desire and means to compensate him for it.
Wow $400 a month? I barely make more than that at my crappy job. Ok so maybe we both need a "career" change
JangoMango wrote: "To rely on hand-outs is worrying. I get that he loves music making and all things electronic, but there will never be a stable income from good-will alone."
I don't think you get it - it is not "a hand out".
When you buy a newspaper it is not a hand out. When you buy a CD it is not a hand out. When you buy a concert ticket it is not a hand out. You are paying for content. Same when you become a Patreon. It is not a hand out - you are paying for content.
Doug is at that tough point of trying to get the numbers of subscribers up enough to make it viable.
Every business has this problem. Shops, resaurants, cinemas etc all need to get a certain number of customers to break even and make the enterprise viable.
Again, I would encourage anyone who enjoys his videos and wants to see them continue to become a soundtestroom supporter - it is $1 a month (that's 25 cents a week) and you can opt out at any time.
Show your support: https://www.patreon.com/thesoundtestroom
I remember the lull in thesoundtestroom output not so long ago, Doug was sorely missed.
I'm happy (and privileged) to support such enthusiasm and love for music making.
I'm a patreon and have just increased by plea. However, would not the most karma-istic way of adding to this be for us to unite in creating an "album" (guess that is playlist or bandcamp release by todays standards) where we contribute songs to and the proceeds go to TSTR? I wish Clif from Apptronica was still online (but he is pursuing other things in life these days) to coordinate something like that, so today I don't know who would/could administrate such a thing, but it would, in my mind, make sense if Doug's teachings and review came back to him like that as well. No? Good/bad idea?
TheVimFuego wrote: " I remember the lull in thesoundtestroom output not so long ago, Doug was sorely missed. "
Yeah - that was a bad period. Doug's vids save me a lot of $$$s because they help me decide what apps to buy and what not to buy. That's worth $1 a month to me.
Maybe Doug could make tutorial videos for groove3, or something. Or, make some basic overview videos for free, then offer a premium subscription service, of his own, for the in-depth stuff. There's also, udemy and skillshare and a number of other places he could become an instructor, sharing his knowledge for a fee.
Just some thoughts.
I've been using iPads as part of my music production for less than 1 year
In this time, I have watched countless videos from Doug which helped me get started with adding iOS apps into my music production workflow, and now have been helping me decide which new apps I am interested in.
I cannot imagine my iOS adventures without his videos.
As of this morning, I am now a proud Patron of Doug Woods. ✊
Same here. Sir Doug is an IOS legend and every single app I’ve bought I’ve waited till he puts the link up to support his work. I would sorely miss his videos but hopefully there’s some way he could do something on the side to earn some more. I’ve heard of people process TV purchases from their home for those tv programs where they ask people to call 1800 numbers wonder if something like that from home could help him too but then again that’s here in USA wonder how it works there in the UK.
@Junebug said:
It may be a good thing for both Doug and the guys from Sonic State when they would work together. Sonic State does have his residence in Bath, not that far away from Cornwall.
Sonic State does merely hardware synths and Doug merely iOS synths. So they could complement each other well.
I cannot help but think, as others here have alluded in one fashion or another, we would all be better served with a more connected and remunerated infrastructure for IOS music (reviews, apps, this forum). Sure, I’m a Patreon, but I think there is a better way. Any ideas? Doug’s situation makes me ponder this. He’s essentially giving exposture to (and helping sell) apps, but people look on this as a kind of free service. We take it for granted that Doug is going to do a video of the latest and greatest.
Badly. Is this a rhetorical question?
I know I kind of saw it that way until I watched his video this morning, then I realized I didn't want to do a one time donation but should do Patreon because it's paying him for his work, which he clearly illustrated it is although it's work he loves, and paying him for that work when I watch a lot of his videos was the right thing to do. Better than a cable TV subscription (which I don't have!). Plus, I've grown to love the intros with the rolled R's...
No hate, just sadness that you think it’s so easy. I would hope that you and yours enjoy a long and healthy life, and never encounter an illness that prevents you from working or messes up your life.
But if you ever do, maybe you’ll think back, as you struggle to take your own advice.
I don’t want Doug to get a full time job. I want everyone who’s ever gotten anything out of his videos to at least do the $1 per month option on Patreon. We need what he does . I want him to have all day to research these things for us . Time that the rest of us don’t . I love what he does .
He is a treasure!
You misunderstand what I’m saying.
If.. I ever get to a stage where I couldn’t work due to illness, I would make sure the wife and kids are fine. I’m not too proud to claim Disability Living allowance etc.
I have worked hard all my life, brick-laying, building and plastering and have paid my dues to the taxman, so I would happily claim. That’s the way it works.
What I am saying is, Doug doesn’t need to go cap-in-hand to his viewers, there are benefits for those unable to work.
No, you misunderstand what Doug, and others, are saying. Due to the work he can do - the videos - and the small amount that accrues, benefits are not available. Doug has also been ‘assessed’ able to work, when the reality is that he cannot do so without deteriorating further.
It's the silent shafting of the poorest that's been going on for some time now. Since benefits have been slashed to the bone, and getting them made increasingly harder, many are forced into working poverty. Zero hours contracts and self-employment bring in less than most would have received with benefits, hence the rise in the use of food banks. And people with disabilities who really should be getting better support are being pushed to the limit.
And it will get worse. After Brexit, when all the overseas people doing the crappy jobs for crap money leave they'll be a massive worker shortage, which will no doubt be filled by those that will suddenly be deemed 'fit for work'. Arthritic pensioners and young people with mental health issues forced to pick turnips.
Of course everything would be fixed if the trillions siphoned away in tax havens by the rich was collected, but we'd need politicians with balls, and no conflicts of interest to get that done.
Talking of which, who's the elephant in the room benefitting most from Doug's work? And how much tax have they been paying recently?
This is true, I do get some Tax Credit and a small amount of Housing Benefit but these are available to everyone on low income as long as you are a legitimate business or employee.
What I can’t get is any kind of disability or sickness benefit, which is exactly what my Doctor And Consultant said I should be on because I can’t do anything that is physical for any period of time.
My body attacks my Pancreas, I have to take a drug called Mycophenolate for that, it’s an immuno-suppressant, they give it to transplant patient to stop organ rejection, which is what my body is trying to do to my Pancreas, trust me it’s a foul and horrible illness that they can't cure, it it flares up the pain is excruciating, My Pancreas has trouble doing its job so I'm diabetic, I have to inject insulin daily and take Gliclazide and Metformin for it too, I have Malignant Hypertension which is controlled by three other drugs. it has taken them three years to get the drug balance right, but it’s delicate, so trust me I have to be really careful what I eat and what I do.
Sometimes for no reason whatsoever I stand up and go very very dizzy, my blood sugars are never lower than 8 and usually hover around 10, two days ago, partly due to the stress they were at 16, this just makes me feel dreadful.
I also have Asthma which is very horrible too, I have three inhalers to deal with this, a new one called a Sea-Bri another Steroid one and a normal Ventalin one which I have carry with me.
Who would employ me anyway with all that, plus I'm 53
But you know, me and Jo love each other and we are the eternal optimists, and we are happy, despite all the other stuff, and we are proud to be a part of a community like this that actually really does care about its members.
Doug wrote: "What I can’t get is any kind of disability or sickness benefit, which is exactly what my Doctor And Consultant said I should be on because I can’t do anything that is physical for any period of time. "
That is awful. Why won't they take the word of your doctor? Surely your doc knows more about your medical condition than the govt. officials. Makes you think we're back in 1817, not 2017.
That's how it is these days. Earlier this year my friend had his housing benefit stopped, which meant he had an eviction notice, and was given a month to vacate his flat.
The darker side of his sense of humour found this immensly funny, while the reality terrified him - since he'd been given a few weeks to live courtesy of an inoperable brain tumour, was in a wheelchair unable to walk, and his eye was almost hanging out due to the swelling in his brain. Fit for work, apparently. Unfortunately he didn't live long enough to witness the 'clerical error' being acknowledged.
The system that should be there to support people doesn't care. It's sloppy. Sometimes it works, but when it doesn't it can have disasterous consequences.
The system is fucked. Someone should write a song about it.
Tears are just streaming down my face.
Tempting. But then we all know that politics and AB forum go together like pure potassium and water.