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 reliable is the iPad for Guitarists when playing live?
As a Bass player, I've been persevering with iPads since my iPad 2 was new, convinced that iOS was the future. I've spent a lot and tried most apps from AUM and AB2/3 with all the effect apps to Guitar apps such as Tonestack, BIAS etc... I am now using an iPad Pro but I'm still unable to trust the iPad in a live setup as it randomly crashes. While messing around, it doesn't matter other than the annoyance of reloading the apps again but for playing a gig, I stick to my hardware pedal board as it never crashes or lets me down.
I have had great success recording with the iPad and use AuriaPro with Fabfilters. For that purpose, it is excellent. I can also see why keyboard players must love the iPad with so many options and great sounds and as an app addict, I have many of them but for guitar playing at a gig, it's hardware for me.
Am I alone on this? How are other Guitar players managing and do you trust the iPad in a "live" situation? If so, what apps do you use and trust or like me, do you play around, experiment and even record with the iPad setup but always gig with a pedal board?
Comments
For live stuff I still go to my old and road tested pedalboard effects.
I know I could do same stuff with iPad but to me, when on stage, sometimes sound guy or others walk around carelessly and an iPad can be way too fragile to leave around. I haven’t got a single crash ever with ToneStack so that’s great for starters.
I'd have a serious time putting a lot of faith in an ipad for live playing without an entirely separate chain set up next to it that I could switch to if something were to happen. That said, I wouldn't do any paid gig without 2 discrete chains set up, or at least available on hand.
I've just started to think about building up my ipad for live performances, but my live performances are really low key affairs where an unplugged board won't be a disaster. I would say if you have the hardware already that the iPad stays at home for practicing. I am only thinking about the iPad since I am cheap and it seemed like a way to get a ton of effects for very little money. However I still have $700 invested now... $400 for the iPad, $100 for interface, $100 for Blueboard pedals. I probably could have bought a proper amp and some pedals for that money!
My iPad guitar rig is rock solid. I trust it 100% for performing live. I'm using Behringer Fcb1010 stock pedal board, Alesis IO Dock 2. I keep it simple. Tonestack, Audiobus, and Master Record that stays on 100% of the time while I'm playing (secret weapon of killer guitar tone). I never change from those 3 apps because I get everything that I need from them.
Biggest problem that I had originally was lag while changing presets with an iPad 4. I upgraded to the latest iPad and that problem is now solved.
Physically I don't think my rig would be able to tolerate much abuse if I was on tour or something, but for band practice and one-off shows it's great. I've already had my iPad fall out of the Alesis dock once, and the holder that I use to fasten the Alesis to my mic stand is kind of flimsy.
I think you have the right idea here. I would try to simplify as much as possible , in order to have the iPad doing minimal extraneous processing. I would hope that would minimize on-stage or mid-set crashes. And as @TheoryNotes suggested, having a backup ready is also a great idea if you can swing it
I would also test my setup to an absurd degree before doing the real thing in front of an audience, just to have confidence that it’s not going to melt down on stage. Worrying about that, in the moment, would really kill the vibe.
I play live keyboards every week, and I’ve gone to an iPad only set up. My only rule: must be an AU.
Everything loaded in AUM, playing for hours at a time, never once crashed.
I've not used it live, but I would add that you should consider throwing it into airplane mode to prevent unwanted surprises.
Good to hear that it can be done. Seems the AU only rule is a Golden one.
I've developed an iOS app for critical real-time image recognition and machine control, and the golden rules for me are (from quite a bit of experience)
Great suggestions about DND and Airplane mode--but the biggest one is this: rehearse with your gear enough to be confident with it. I don't care what kind of gear I use--and iPad is no different--if I don't trust my gear by rehearsing with it thoroughly then it's not ready for live use. There's nothing that is inherently risky about an iPad in a live situation (outside of throwing it in a mosh pit or whatever) with the necessary precautions taken.
That's great to hear and thanks for the tip.
Has heat ever been an issue for anyone when using an iPad in a hot, crowded club? Or maybe outdoors in direct sunlight?
Heat = sweat. So if your hands are sweaty you definitely want a controller or MIDI foot pedal for making changes rather than trying to tap/swipe on the screen.
Don’t put any tablet or phone in direct sunlight for any length of time. It will overheat.
I agree also with the rehearsal suggestion. If an app continues to crash in the studio, then certainly don’t use it live. If it never crashes once, then I have confidence it won’t in a live situation. Test everything thoroughly and use th exact settings, power supplies, cables, etc while rehearsing that you plan to use live.
Also, have a plan B in case you do have a problem. Mine is an acoustic guitar, lol.
I best start brushing up on my beat boxing skills!
When I played keys for a while at church worship band, I used my iPad Air as main sound machine! Even bypassed the Motif XE’s Sound engine and used Cakewalk’s Z3TA Plus and Sunrizer as my main Synths!
Blew everyone at the sound coming thru the church mains!
As a guitar player, my pedalboard is pretty rock solid as I finally got my tone, but if I had only an iPad, I would definitely use ToneStack or Flying Haggis, oh man please fix FH!
I used my iPad Air as part of my bass rig for a while and never had an issue with crashing. However, I grew tired of dealing with issues with interfaces and went to a pedalboard setup that I enjoy using a lot and setup is a lot faster. I also moved from a 200 watt tc head with homemade 110 cabinet to a genz benz streamliner 900 and a 112 ear candy cabinet (which was given to me and needed a replacement speaker) and that is a sound everyone me has been quite happy with.
It shows a message when gets the hot point and disconnects itself. Learnt by the hard way.
I was iPad centric setup since iPad 3rd gen and iOS skeuomorphic (5?) with is202 dock. Being simple I can gig with it (and bought external fix units and controllers for that purpose). Now I’m mini4, iTrack dock and iOS11 and I don’t trust due to iOS mainly. I will not advice someone to take this route live anymore.
ATM I’m recycling old laptops (centrinos) to put one software in each one (also doing that with old iDevice) so one for Live5, one for Reason5 and one for mixxx with liveCd distro.
All for studio purposes (and maybe raves or experimental gigs without compromises) but for live gigging I will go full hardware route with the simplistic tool I discover. Maybe just a sampler or even a wav file player.
The good side of history is when I decided to grow my internet crowd first. My country is different and I’m not expecting get gigs for my kind of music and setup soon. The market for that is too small (and limited) so I will go for International market aka social networks (being YouTube the biggest) and just share and enjoy.
All my videos will be one take record so if something goes wrong I will retry until get it done. Also I will get finished tunes exporting all my songs from BlocsWave into Live5 and get there some automation and fx for lately wizibel and so.
Artist should get canvas model seriously almost to trace some kind of strategic plan instead try this, try that.
If I get income I could buy some dedicated hardware; if not who cares about live gigging?
First music, later crowd, finally tech.
Never the opposite or you will be inside a rat race against your happiness IMHO.
So you don’t have the uno chip installed in the fcb1010?
I used the iPad for rehearsals and a few gigs for about 2 years. It always worked, but there were just too many worries.
Would the iPad get broken?
Would the interface get broken?
Was the iPad charging?
Was the interface charging?
Do I have all the cables?
Will the house PA have enough inputs?
For me, there was just too much worry and too much set up and break down time when I used the iPad.
I haven't found the need for that when I play. I like to be able to change presets with different amp/effect combinations all at once.
I like that approach. Makes a lot of sense.
The guided access would prevent audiobus or multiple apps tho. Yes?
I don't think so, it just limits the possible user interactions with the device.
Of course, switching between apps would probably not work, even through Audiobus.
Sorry, but what is guided access?
I would go through an ios device and turn off all of the system sounds, so that you don't get alerts that it's president's day in the middle of your set. Or is that what "do not disturb" does?
Alarms will sound even in Do Not Disturb, and even in airplane mode, and with sound muted. So make sure those are disabled.
Small USB mixers like the Mackie BlackJack have an analog dry-through knob, which can be handy if the iPad amp sim goes down. At least you’ll be a knob-turn away from a dry signal, which is better than nothing.
Also, rebooting before a performance means you’re starting from scratch, which may help clear out any rogue processes running in the background.
It's a special mode which prevents any number of user interactions with the device (configurable), including switching between apps, using the hardware buttons, or even the touchscreen. Can be found in Settings -> General -> Accessibility, and activated in any app by triple-clicking the Home button. From our experience it also prevents any unwanted iOS system alarms and interruptions from occurring.
It's used a lot when people are using the iPad (or other ios device) as a communication device with a speech app such as proloquo or touch chat so that the person doesn't use other features rather than using it for communication. My wife is a speech therapist in a special Ed school and needs that sometimes for students who just want the iPad for games and youtube (which is not why their school district provided it!).
I'm off the iPad now for guitar and have gone pedals/amps. No regrets (except for maybe all of the money I've spent).
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@Coloobar Seems like you had a bit of an about face... what changed?