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.
Ios synths geared toward 8 knob controllers
Any recommendations? Something with controllers in mind and 8 knobs per page and auto focus when switching pages? Surprised no ones made a kind of suite app like Op1's synth collection aimed at 8 knob controllers with 8 params per page and a bunch of different synth types. Or have they?
Comments
I was gonna suggest Launchkey but it doesn’t appear to be in the App Store any longer.
Sorry for the redundant post.
But this is what it looked like...
I'm just thinking aloud here, but wouldn't any app with Midi Learn capabilities also work in this situation? If so, that could allow you to expand your search a bit to find more apps that accomplish your goals:
Search for:
About 8 knobs: zeeon. Made for that.
Really? With the mod slots I think it would require more to really unleash it. I guess that goes for most others as well for me, considering Cutoff/Resonance/EG + 8 more knobs for amp and filter envelopes. For Zeeon, I’d also want control of at least 4 mod slots and LFO rates. I think that synth would take 16 for me.
Mood is probably the synth I need the fewest knobs for.
Enjoying the Synthmaster player, knobs and sliders and very easy midi learn...
Thanks for the suggestions
I have zeeon and agree it's easy enough to midi learn params and use controller scenes to cover all bases. But I was thinking something more along the lines of a synth that had been designed specifically for 8 knob controllers. Seems to be the most common type of controller people use.
A synth/sampler that didn't even have named tweak params. Just 8 knobs that did the same kind of combined under the hood voodoo that op1 synth params/knobs do and just use your ears. Not your typical subtractive or additive layout. Which usually calls for at LEAST 16 params and calls for switching controller scenes and the knobs not being laid out in basic straight rows in the app, which would be easy to instantly reach for without having to do mental 'which physical knob corresponds to the one I want to tweak' arithmetic etc
Basically an op1 inspired UI but with 8 knobs instead of 4. Would flow so much better in terms of feeling like a purpose built instrument/hardware. Surprised there aren't a few of these out there..
I feel you going to struggle to find something so prescribed.
Your 2 likely choices are to get mobuplatt and build one yourself or buy an old Casio keyboard and Circuit bend it.
Even then I doubt you get the results you're after.
Actually you do have a third option but it might require quite a bit of cerebral work. I've noticed that Magellan synth let's you assign one midi command to multiple parameters. This way you could custom design what you want those 8 knobs to do. I'm not a big fan of the sound but might work for you.
Sunrizer and Zeeon have the knob that will morph between 2 scenes which I thought also might be helpful with what you're trying to do.
Well, there's also Brussels and Miami but I haven't counted the knobage.
Massive is geared towards this kind of 8 knobs approach via macros but those can get as magic as you program them wisely so it really doesn’t make any difference with BM3 macros or any other macro knob you could program with lemur or mididesigner
Same thing on circuit.
It's a good idea.
Think maybe some are missing the initial request. Consider an Elektron synth with its 8 (or 10) knobs. When you go between the synth 'pages' like OSC, FLT, ENV, FX, etc, the same 8 knobs "just work".
I think this dream synth app would have a similarly paged/tabbed UI and max 8 controls per page (or 8 main controls at least). You'd MIDI learn the first page and the same 8 knobs would work on any 'active' page. The trade off being you couldn't change, say, the filter cutoff with your controller while looking at the OSC or AMP page.
Some apps do support this notion of 'the active' view so you don't need a 500 knob controller (quantum, ruismakers) but I can't think of any synths off hand and nothing specifically geared to the super common 8 slider controller set up.
So if I get your ideas right, you want the same set of knobs work on every UI page.
Let me add a few details here that I consider necessary in order to make this useful at all.
An example request to an iOS synth developer could be:
1. Build a synth with a sound engine control UI split into pages with max. 8 controls per page.
2. Controls that are switches or selectors can always be controlled with a knob too (Cc values of 0..127 will be mapped to ON/OFF or selected items)
3. Absolute and Relative MIDI controllers are supported (switchable in the app's settings) to allow controllers with both analog pots and digital encoders sending increments/decrements instead of absolute CC values from 0-127
4. Relative controller support will allow for direct adjustment of every parameter. This is the only setup that really makes sense because (cheaper) MIDI controllers wih analog pots will always jump to a totally different value, so whenever you switch pages, you'd have to match the 8 knob positions to the current settings on the screen in order to not destroy but rather fine-tune the sound. This is something we've taken for granted with good digital hardware synths or groove boxes like the elektron stuff, but that's still rare in the iOS world. (I even doubt that every developer really knows what Relative MIDI CCs are all about)
It all comes down to adding more intelligence to an app that can be controlled by MIDI controller equipment. There are many hardware controllers that support relative and absolute control modes, multiple CC setup pages to match the on-screen set of controls and some even offer displays that describe each knob's current function.
Much of that could be done inside the app indeed, so I think this is something that good synthesizer apps should include.
Yes @syrupcore I get it, but the ‘just work’ bit probably took someone a good few weeks to perfect. Circuit in that respect is a mess, I don’t think the same knob does the same thing on any patch. Aids creativity but drives me bonkers!
Yeh I think @syrupcore gets where I was coming from and @rs2000 makes some valid points (though I personally wouldn't want/need buttons to be knob activated... I'm fine with just hitting screen for those.. Same as I hit buttons on op1/octatrack/analog four etc).
A synth/sampler (or any app) that basically didn't try to replicate the ui of a super knobby piece of hardware and instead worked more toward the hardware that most people are using to control this stuff. Op1 is the obvious jump point. Could have -
-8 knobs per screen
-4 screens per synth (buttons along top...'sound', 'envelopes', 'modulation', 'effects') - 8 different synths/sampler types in the suite (8 buttons along bottom to select different the synth type).
Thats obviously just a very rough/initial suggestion for layout but with support for endless encoders/pot pickup and midi auto mapping for all pages so they use the same 8 knobs.. Would be quite a breath of fresh air in terms of feeling optimal for use with most controllers and almost like purpose built hardware.
Could even also have two totally different apps with an 'optimised for controllers with 4 knobs' version too.. Would just mean even more amalgamated values per knob/macro.
Would be quite interesting to see what devs did with something like this as the 'make of break' element would be what they chose to make the knobs do. Would be a glimpse in to their imagination with their own tastes in sound design etc instead of the standard, 'well here are all the params, go for it!'..
Having crazy stuff combined within those 8 knobs could be very interesting if the devs went crazy with it
A few organelle patches spring instantly to mind...
Bm3 macros currently can get pretty bad for audio glitching when used with au
And programming macros in bm3 or with lemur etc kind of defeats the ‘instant/streamined’ workflow thing that’s at the heart of the suggestion;) Programming macros would be more akin to setting up the Performance knobs on an Analog Four (quite tedious), not the general ‘here are the knobs - here are the functions’ Analog four or op1 etc knob/function relationship. Which is more like the area that id love to see some more apps streamline specifically for controllers...
A good alternative to cheap control-surfaces could be an old digital mixing desk. I have a Fostex VM200 from 1999 with 9 motorized faders, 12 encoder knobs and a couple of buttons.
It has a large backlit displas, which shows the position of the encoders accordingly to the current setup-page.
There are 2 effect, 4 aux and the master-pages. It's a 16 Track mixer with two banks with 8 faders for each. I've read that one can get such mixers in good condition for about 100 bucks. The unit is built like a tank and all faders are working perfectly.
The mixer works in Logic fllawlessly - I can use 16 Track in the main page - when I change from fader 1-8 to 9-16 they move to the last position they where set.
Due to the encoders and the display different banks are also not a problem.
The only drawback is, that one can only assign arround 120 faders/encoders - so it is not possible to use all pages - but 120 faders/knobs is a lot imo.
I tried already to assign faders to AUM, but it works only one way - mixer to AUM. It seems, AUM doesnt send fader-movements back to the Fostex. When I move a Fader in Logic the physical Fader from the Fostex moves accordingly. Perhaps someone has a clue, if AUM transimits fader-movements in some way. Perhaps my setup is simpy not correct.
Thing is that it’s not really about cost
Most controllers just dont have more than 8 knobs. Especially when combined with keys and portable in size.
And visually, apps scatter the params around the screen. Not always easy/instant to remember what physical knob corresponds to the param you want to tweak.
Simple UI grid or row of 8 knobs would be much more in visual sync with controllers knobs layouts than all the apps that have 50 params thrown around the screen. Not saying that ALL apps should be like this, I like those super knobby apps too, just saying that it’s an app design concept that I’m surprised we don’t see more often..
Yup 8 params aren't much. But 8 macros is potentially anything the dev wants it to be
Could throw all kinds of interesting process/routing combinations under the hood. plus separate pages for env/lfo/fx.
Op1 has only 4 main params per synth engine. And there is a ton of sculpting possible across those engines. 8 params would be twice as interesting. Elektrons have only 10 param per page. So it's definitely not a concept limited to performance use....
Not sure how post it notes works on an 8 knobs controller for a synth with 60 params? And also provides any kind of visual correspondance/trigger for layout?
That's a really good idea and a valid point about most controllers only having 8 knobs. I often struggle to midimap mine in efficient ways because of the UI mismatch. The page-based design you're proposing would be very useful.
Just saw your edit @Max23 I think we're looking from totally different angles. Yeah you wouldn't be able to tweak multiple pages at same time. That would be the compromise. But would be nice for some apps to have that as the compromise instead of controller integration and not feeling like an instrument being the compromise. Variety = spice of life
All standalone hardware works the way I'm suggesting. Such a better interface/experience when everything is clear for visual correspondence and the instrument is based on the physical hardware that's used to control it..
And no reason why a well designed 8 knobs 'macros' synth/sampler couldn't also be great even when just played via screen/without a controller with 8 knobs.. The controller integration would just be a huge bonus.
Like I said, I'm not suggesting ALL apps should be this way. Just that it seems like something that has been almost totally overlooked as an option.. Devs seem to just go the 'masses of knobs' route. Which isn't necessarily the only route available to make an interesting synth/sampler and seems a shame considering how many people have 8 knob controllers..
But you're saying you don't wish for a similarly refined software/hardware integration workflow experience from some intentionally designed iPad apps via the controllers many of us already have? You're confusing me...
Once you’ve got it all up and running we’ll be very keen to watch a video where you walk us through the ins and outs (pun) of it. That would make for a great service to the IOS music community
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Bait..
Yep +1 on this.