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.
Thoughts on recent ipad upgrade
1 week ago I got a second hand iPad Air 2 as an upgrade to my trusty iPad Mini 2.
Besides the obvious performance and storage increase, there is one MAJOR difference that I did not fully appreciate would have as much effect as it has, I did think it would have a positive effect, but not as much as it has.
A lot of 'busy' apps are very fiddly to use, squinting to read tiny labels (even with reading glasses on), several attempts to hit the right point of a piano roll to do stuff, unable to play chords on screen due to keys being too close together. Some apps were very frustrating to use for these reasons.
Having the bigger screen on the Air 2 has made a lot of that disappear. I am finding a lot of apps far more pleasant to use with the bigger screen and far less frustrating, I think the main difference is that with the larger screen the 'landing' points for touch are larger so fit my fingers much better than they did on the smaller Mini 2 screen. I am even easily playing chords with on-screen keys...something that has eluded me in 99% of the apps I have previously tried.
My iOS music adventure is changed forever...it now feels more like making music again as opposed to the target practice session that it often became.
This also provides a reminder of the amazing work some devs do, making apps usable on the even smaller phone screen ! And also that just because an apps UI works well on a 'full size' iPad, doesn't automatically mean it will work well on the smaller Mini screen.
Comments
I wish it were possible to opt to use the iphone UI on the iPad mini.
Yeah that would be a neat option for those apps whose 'full size' UI doesn't translate to the Mini very well.
Does an app know it is on a Mini or does it just know the screen resolution/aspect ratio (which is the same on Mini and regular iPad) ?
I don’t know, but it must have some idea what device it’s on as there’s now several iphone aspect ratios and a couple of iPad screen ratios.
Yeah I’m finding problems with my Air2 as my eyes are getting worse and hate wearing my glasses. Would love the bigger iPad, but not sure I want to spend that much money on one lol
Glasses + over ear headphones is not a comfortable combination
The Air 2 is good for me at the moment as I'm used the the smaller Mini, still need the glasses but no longer struggling with accurate touch on small controls.
Yeah the really big one would be nice, but the cost
... If I were to spend that much, I'd probably buy a laptop instead.
That was my thought too, until the Mac Pro laptops started rising in price
Yeah I spent a long time deliberating what to get for my upgrade...was tossing between a dedicated multi-track,
new iPad + Multi I/O interface or Laptop...was swaying towards a Windows Laptop but then spotted the Air 2 going for the right price and jumped on it.
Not got the multi interface yet, that is my current deliberation
I’m deliberating between going multi cheap iPads or getting a hardware workstation to go with my iPad.
Multi cheap ipads may not work out quite so cheap if you want a CCK and interface for each
Yeah but do I really need them?
Let’s say I use each iPad as a stand alone instrument except for one that will be the ‘backing band’. I will play one or two iPads as ‘live’ instruments and just record the backing stuff in BM3.
As for needing the best quality of sound, that’s hardly important to myself. I really don’t need anything better than the sound coming out the headphone jack to my monitor speakers, so really I only need a little mixer!
Yes, very good point, if your happy with the headphone connector a little mixer is all you need. As long as all your apps have Link, and have stable Wifi Connection (and don't need External MIDI Clock) and you don't want MIDI I/O (or have Bluetooth MIDI), then you won't need the CCK's either.
Another option is to add one of the small mini synths to the setup. At least then it remains potable and I have some real knobs lol
Options..options..options LOL
If you don't mind plugging in a laptop from time to time to backup or transfer samples...then I can highly recommend circuit....the synths are very capable, and has an awesome step sequencer to boot....it's kinda like halfway between synth and workstation....and VERY portable and VERY playable...knowing you and your patch creation tendencies, you would also want the MIDI Synth Circuit editor app so you can fully program the synth.
The boutique range look good too, where you WILL have physical knobs for each function and won't need an app for programming patches, but some have complained about the controls being too small making accurate changes difficult.
Yeah I like the idea of the Circuit except the need for a laptop - although I will have to get a cheap windows laptop eventually even just for iPad app backup.
I know the Big Boys aren't cheap, but I have never spent better money on a piece of technology in terms of pleasure of use and for the very reasons you indicate above....
Did you have a standard or mini prior to your BigUn? Do you find you hit the wrong buttons less? I’m always just hitting the wrong buttons with my fat fingers on my Air2 lol
Glad to see the Air 2 made a difference. I've been on the Mini 2 since 2014 and I've run into the same issues as you, which is why I still haven't bought the iMS-20 and other apps. I'm considering an upgrade. But I'm not sure yet. I've been more focused on my hardware setup and my desktop environment. With tax returns coming, I'm itching to make another purchase. Speaking of Roland Boutiques, I've been thinking about buying the SE-02. The analog bug bit me again after I just did an overhaul on the x0xb0x I built 12 years ago. Anyone here own the SE-02?
I hate to say it, but you should check out these same apps on an iPad Pro 12.9" - it's glorious.
Funny you should say that. I wanted to shrink the apps to add more stuff onto the screen. Apps like Samplr felt just way too big to me.