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.
Amplitube to Amp and to Loopy
I have an iPad Pro, running Amplitube into Loopy HD (monitor 'on') with Audiobus 3. I’m using a simple iRig (headphone jack, 1-in, 2-out) and just bringing the mix back to the line-in on my amp.
I’m wondering if someone can help me with creating a slightly more sophisticated setup.
I’d like to run a complete effects loop from my guitar amp’s effect send into Amplitube and back to the amp’s effect return, and simultaneously send the output of Amplitube to Loopy HD with monitor ‘off’.
Then, I would send the output of Loopy HD on a separate stereo output.
If this is possible, I realize I would need to get an interface with multiple outs (been looking at the Zoom U-44, but open to suggestions).
Is this possible?
Thanks.
Comments
So if I understand correctly, you want to plug your guitar into Amplitube and send it to line out as well as Loopy. The line out goes into your amp and gets processed by the effects loop. Where does this go from here? To the amp speakers?
Ok, back to Loopy. Loopy is receiving input from your guitar through Amplitube, but has nothing to do with the amp or effects loop. You are recording loops in Loopy and outputting the looped audio, but not the live guitar/Amplitube signal. So where does the Loopy output go? To the amp as well? Does it need to be in the effect loop path too?
You are going to need an audio device with multiple outputs, at least two discreet stereo outs you can assign separately in Audiobus. For input, you should look for a device that has multiple selections for the guitar input, such as “1, 2, or 1+2.” That way your inputs in Audiobus will have separate mixer channels and assignable outputs. If you try to bring a single guitar input multiple times into Audiobus, they all combine onto one mixer channel.
If you do mono output, you can probably use a simple stereo out device and use it as dual mono. Same with a simple stereo input, you could run it dual mono. With just the iRig mono cable, you are kinda stuck.
Yes this is correct. The guitar signal is coming from the effects send output from the guitar amp.
The line out goes into the effects return of the amp which is hardwired to the amp speakers.
The Loopy output will come back to the amp’s line-in input. I do not want the Loopy output to use any of the amp’s built-in effects, which it will not when coming into the line-in input.
I guess my question really is, how do I route this in Audiobus? Currently, I choose AmpliTube as an input, with Loopy as output. I was hoping I could just choose AmpliTube as another input and choose my hardware output as the second output. However, AmpliTube is ‘grayed-out’ after choosing it once. I’m thinking that means that I can’t choose AmpliTube more than once in Audiobus. But, I don’t know if this would change if I had an interface with more output options.
short answer, yes totally possible. If you are using stereo effects in Amplitube, you'll want an interface like the Zoom U-44. output 1+2 for amplitube and outputs 3+4 for Loopy. Otherwise yes the L + R "dual mono" option would work in Audiobus.
Also, is the Loopy output going straight to house? or back to your amp? If it is a separate stereo feed to house, you would have to run a routing app in Audiobus to allow the 4 channel routing. Audiobus inherently only outputs to channels 1+2 with no option to re-direct. Apps like MiMix or AUM can be in the Audiobus "output" slot and can redirect the different lanes of Audiobus.
I'm probably missing some details, but that should help get you in the right direction.
Thank you both for the responses.
Hmtx, I think what I’m missing here is the other apps like MiMix or AUM. I know nothing about these, but I will look into them.
Thanks.
You should put iRig in the input slot and Amplitube in the effects slot. In the next track, you can input your iRig again, but like I mentioned earlier, you will only get one output track/mixer channel.
When you get a new audio device with at least stereo input with L and R selectable separately, you will get a discreet output/mixer channel for each.
Also, make sure you check what @Hmtx suggested. He gives great advice.
Thanks CracklePot.
At the risk of being annoying, could you type out the routings I should use in Audiobus once I get an adequate interface?
To get AmpliTube into Loopy:
Hardware Input >> AmpliTube >> Loopy
But, what routing will send AmpliTube back to the amp? Will AmpliTube not be ‘grayed-out’ as it is now after having chosen it once?
Or is this where I will need one of the other Apps that Hmtx suggested?
I think I have thought of a solution using your iRig, so you don’t have to rush to get an Audio Device. But you would need AUM and Audiobus, but AUM is only $19 and cheap compared to most Audio Devices. Probably more useful, too.
Let me test it out first, then I will post detailed instructions on how to set it up. Hang tight.
Ok. Here’s what I got goin’. I have mic selected as input. You would use your iRig for input. This goes into Tonestack for me in the effect slot, you run Amplitube instead. I assume you want Amplitube on both the Loopy signal and the Amp FX loop signal, so I put the Buss Send after Tonestack in my example. If you want dry guitar going to your Amp FX loop, put the Bus Send before Amplitube. You can easily rearrange FX order in AUM. At the output of Track1, I select IAA/Audiobus for the output.
For Track 2, I select Buss Send A to receive the audio from Track 1. I put a panning node on this track and pan it hard left. In the output I just have HeadphoneL selected, but you would select the iRig L output. If you can select L or R for the iRig output, the panning node isn’t needed. But if you can only select the stereo iRig out then the panning node will isolate the audio to the Left channel for you.
I will come back to Track 3.
So next up is Audiobus. In here, select AUM as the input to receive the audio from AUM’s Track 1. Send this to Loopy. Then in Track 2 in Audiobus, bring Loopy master out back in through the input. The output of Audiobus Track 2 gets sent back to AUM Track 3.
Finally, back in AUM, input Audiobus Track 2 on AUM Track 3. Add a panning node if you need it and pan it full Right. Select iRig output R for the output of AUM Track 3. You can also use the Audiobus toolbar in AUM to control Loopy.
So if you turn off input monitoring in Loopy, you won’t hear your guitar in the Right channel until you record a loop. Then you will hear the loop playback in the Right channel. You need a stereo splitter adapter to separate the R and L output channels. Plug the Left channel with your Amplitube guitar signal into your amp FX loop return. Plug the Right channel output with Loopy into your amp Line In. The iRig input cable is plugged into the amp FX loop send, and the guitar is plugged into the main guitar input on the amp.
I looked up the Amplitube app, and it has IAA support so it should be fine in AUM. What I am not sure of is if it can run in the FX slot in AUM and Audiobus. If it can only load in the input slot, it’s fine to do that instead and it shouldn’t make a difference. Also, back when creating the Buss Send in AUM, it will be created with the Send level at about 50%. Crank it up to 100% if your non-Loopy guitar signal seems weak.
If you need more help, don’t hesitate to ask. If my instructions seem off, they may be, but ask and I will see if I wrote something wrong. This was a hard one to imagine and explain, so I hope it is all clear and correct.
Its simple, get an audio interface, put send/output of fx loop to in of interface and out of interface to return/input of fx loop.
CracklePot, thank you so much! I’m at work now, so I won’t be able to try this out until later, maybe even tomorrow.
However, I’m following what you are saying, and it looks like it should work. This is exactly what I was looking for!
I’ll keep you updated on the progress. Thanks for your time!
You’re welcome. I think you should ba all good until you want a stereo signal out if Loopy. Then you will need the better audio device, I think. I would love to hear how the iRig solution works out for you when you try it out.
CracklePot, you did it! Very cool!!!
I dug up some splitter cables and hooked it up. AmpliTube can run in the FX slot, so I was able to mimic exactly what you have in your screenshots.
This is super sweet because I do not need another interface (until I get greedy and expand this operation with vocals). This not only saves me a couple hundy $ right now, but I'm also currently using the lightning connector for the bus-powered Looptimus pedal to control Loopy, so I don't have to mess with that part of the equation either.
Two mono outs is all I really need right now anyway.
You are the man! Thanks for the time and the very helpful screenshots. You saved me potentially hours of time fiddling around with AUM as it is a brand-new UI for me.
Peace!
@dflip Super stoked to have helped you out and saved you some money (for the time being
) . If any probs creep up, or you need any assistance plotting a way forward, you know where to find me. 