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.
Does anyone actually use Amsterdam?
In gadget that is.
I am aware that it is used in many gadget demo tunes but I can’t imagine an actual use for it in a real composition.
Do you use it much?
If it were removed from future gadget versions would that impede you (let’s say, given the same sound set as a Bilbao/ Vancouver/ Alibaba set instead?)?
Comments
There are some samples in Amsterdam there that are not available to the other Gadgets...
If those samples were 'made available' to Vancouver, London, Bilbao, AbuDhabi & Receife there would be no need to use Amsterdam. One of my long standing wishes for a future Gadget update is that all sample-based Gadgets could use each others samples...
I’ve never used it beyond playing around with it for 10 minutes when I initially purchased gadget. I’ve yet to see a use/need for it in my compositions, especially now that there’s high quality samplers and drum machines in Gadget.
How’d you remember that gadget?! I forgot that one existed suffice it to say. After exploring it, it DOES have a nice collection of “impact kicks” for all your cheesy EDM desires. All it’s missing is a Pryda snare.
I use it. Hell, I could use anything. Just maybe not as intended.
This is the only gadget featuring headphones out. Its most useful feature
Abu Dhabi not Alibaba
I've used the impact kits once in awhile. There are some house/techno chords that I intend to use some day.
No. I never think to use it. The forgotten Gadget.
It's a neat little rompler, I like it. Maybe partly because of the gfx design, but I'm also drawn to things that are limiting. Together with automation and the effects, you can coax some really neat sounds out of it. I like challenges when it comes to sound design.
Never use it. Another thing, also don't get it why they called it Amsterdam? I associate Amsterdam with hippies, coffeeshops (cannabis) and red light district. So tripping and going wild. Any famous kind of music culture or bands that came from there?
Don't know about the music heritage (I would imagine there is) but Amsterdam is one of the great and cool cities. Like a grown-up Austin without the guns etc. Seriously considering living there one day...
I find it a little disappointing they didn't give us new Gadgets for the new Module IAPs. Why does Glasgow get all the presets? What's so special about the capital of Scotland? KAPro Orchestral ought to have been designated to Vienna or Prague or sth. People at Korg are losing focus. I'm a bit worried what Switch would mean for the future of development. A lot of UI factors need to be addressed.
TBH, apart from some of the impacts I hadn't delved deep into Amsterdam. This post prompted me too .. so thanks for that it's a great little tweakable gadget
The Ex, The Outsiders, Jan Akkerman, Claw Boys Claw, Bettie Serveert to name a few. Steim is a very interesting place for experimental electronic music. Also a bunch of great museums and the Royal Concertgebouw is a fantastic venue with an incredible history. There is more to us here than weed and hookers.
I was a little bit disappointed that they named such a meh gadget after my town though.
Never really use it.
Have occasionally reversed and slowed right down some of the samples.
For certain. It used to be more pronounced in the late 90s/early 00s though, but Amsterdam and Rotterdam were on opposite ends of house culture. Where Rotterdam used to be Hardcore capital of the world, Amsterdam was (is) on the other side of the spectrum with lots of indie labels specialized in mellow club-style electronica and house music. I'd say there's a pretty significant electronic music culture in Amsterdam (and in the Netherlands in general). Nearly every year DJ Mag's best DJ list is led by Dutchies
In fact, the "tripping and going wild" reputation is something that most Dutch people rather get rid of as it doesn't really attract the right kind of visitors to our wonderful city
Never heard of the names you came up with (will have a look). Great venues you have of course in every big town. I recall Paradiso in Amsterdam as a legendary place. Famous Dutch bands to me are Shocking Blue and Golden Earring and Rotterdam Hardcore and Gabber capital. Any suggestions for influential temporary electronic music acts form Amsterdam are welcome. I'm not really into DJ culture but I believe Armin van Buren and Tiesto are Dutch, but I'm not really into their style.
Thanks for the info and what I asked @VincentT out of curiosity: any suggestions from influential temporary electronic music from Amsterdam? To talk about a pretty significant electronic music culture is just to general for me, because you probably can say that from a lot of cities around the world.
fyi I was talking about the image of Amsterdam ("tripping and going wild") and when you start to name gadgets after cities you probablably take this kind of image into consideration. So when talking about an Amsterdam gadget I would expect some kind of ambient thing.
I'm not really into the scene anymore so i couldn't tell you that, i'm afraid. The bands i mentioned are more guitar-oriented. Most of the electronic stuff i was interested in came from The Hague (lots of electro such as I-F, Unit moebius and Legowelt) and Rotterdam (Speedy J, Machinefabriek)
Amsterdam (the Gadget) IS great for adding very quick FX sounds/booms/crashes to video work.
I was tempted to mention him, one of my favourites from the early 90s, on Warp records:
Oh man, that takes me back!
Duh! I thought Amsterdam was one of theose Gadgets I hadn’t bought, then I took a look inside Gadget. I felt rather foolish knowing it came with the original purchase. So, obvisouly I’ve never used it. Kinda some cool sounds, especially when reversed, maybe I’ll have a play around with it now that it’s been brought to my attention.
As to the city: @JohnnyGoodyear really nailed the description, at least for me and from my limited experince there.
@VincentT — Jan Akkerman, Yes! He is certainly one of the best guitarists, for me, ever! I’m a big Focus fan.
They were a great band. Such a shame they couldn't get along. It was over far too soon.
The Ex are awesome. Saw them perform once in S.F. at a record store. Really like the album Srabbling at the Lock, the one with Tom Cora.
They were fantastic. i have seen them many times. My favourite albums are Mudbird Shivers en Pokkeherrie. There is a great film about them on Youtube about their improvised tour through Ethiopia, together with jazz drummer Han Bennink. They visited a music school out there that had a lot of enthousiastic kids but almost no gear. So they simply left their backline and instruments behind. Their friends from Chumbawamba bought them new gear after that. I just love that story.
That story has made my day much brighter. So awesome.
Hear hear. We wouldn't even have iOS music if it wasn't for Steim and their pioneer work in electronic music, tangible interfaces and mobile music.
Amsterdam definitely deserves a big shiny spot on the music map just for that alone.
It's also a beautiful green cosmopolitan city with lots of culture, impeccable infrastructure and it's a cycling heaven. I could easily live there.
This said, the gadget itself is pretty underwhelming. I used it once and gave up after 10 minutes. Maybe it has some hidden gems I haven't spotted? Maybe I should give it another chance.
It’s supposed to be like one of those 4 track tapes to do some super lo-fi stuff with chords and the faders, I think
I use the reggae / dub samples it has, also some reversed/slowed orchestra chords with some dirt and roll the faders up and down like I can pretend to be Trent Reznor’s noise man or something.
There really is something to be said about simplicity in design, which is kinda what the gadgets all do in their own way. Once you start doing ‘unlimited things’ it’s easy to get carried away and lost in the thick of thin things.
Like any guitar master would do, there also something to be said making the sounds you want come out of an instrument instead of always having’the Best’. The sound quality on the Amsterdam is good too, just limited in function.
It also looks badass full screen on my 12.9 in and is fun for parties lol. All that said, I completely understand everyone’s point here and I felt like it was filler trash for the first month or so I had the app haha
I like Amsterdam in gadget although it is quite limited.
For anyone visiting the Netherlands I feel it would be a shame to spend all of your time there as Utrecht, The Hague, Nijmegen, Groningen and other places are more friendly, cheaper and less crowded. Rotterdam is also worth visiting for the various crazy buildings.
I somehow never visited STEIM but they do lots of great stuff and there is a Sonology course in The Hague that sounds really amazing.
As has been mentioned there are lots of great electronic musicians from the Netherlands.
Staatseinde, Funckarma, Cosmic Force, Dexter, Rude 66, Drvg Cvltvre, TLR are some artists that haven't been mentioned. I think Legowelt probably qualifies as an honorary Dutch citizen by now!
Clone records and the 030303 label put out some very good stuff and intergalactic fm is a great internet radio station(s) run by I-F that has been broadcasting 24/7 for a long long long time.
I have been recommended The Ex by several people so must check out some stuff. I still listen to a Dutch band from the 90s called The Nightblooms that never got much recognition, John Peel was a fan and people that appreciate My Bloody Valentine etc would likely enjoy their debut album.
Eh. My one short experience of Amsterdam was expensive. I drove there with the family for a quick sightseeing visit. Parked by a canal on a nice street with moderate amounts of people walking around. Failed to see the parking ticket machine tucked away discretely down the block. Returned to a wheel lock. Something like $200 for the ticket, $150 for the guy to come take the wheel lock off. Two hours to square that away. Oddly, I noticed that the door was also ajar and that the family was really getting messy with all their junk in the car. I pushed the door closed and went to grab a quick bite to eat half a block away before pushing on. Returned to the door ajar again 30 minutes later? Ahh the car had been broken into twice in as many hours. The thieves leave the door ajar to let each other know the car’s already been done. $200 or so of stuff stolen plus $400 to fix the car door and lock. $250 of books from the English book store that the wife and kid burned up any sight seeing time we had in.
I’m sure it’s a great place. Just remember to take everything with you and leave the glove box etc open as a courtesy to the thieves so they don’t have to waste time on your car. Oh and watch out for the stealth parking machines.
As for Amsterdam the Gadget. I’m with Samu in wishing all the Gadgets could share samples. I did actually use it on a track once I think.
Like I said, Austin without the guns.