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.
Apps Changing: No Updates? iOS music making bugs? Alternatives?
I have some odd things lately.
Some apps are acting like they have been updated or something but haven't?
I am not sure what is up but I am sure things seem pretty unstable in my iOS music world lately more than I otherwise expected if you asked me 4 years ago doing this "iPad" music.
I really hope that some central means of IAA communication and manipulation takes hold.
That is all.
I am not naming names of apps because don't like to play that shit.
On the reciprocal, I am also surprised to beta test apps but the apps get released or updates with things they never tested with me as a beta user?
All a bit frustrating.
Thank God for Novation Circuit, it has added a depth and fun to music making I really needed. ( I got it a minute ago but still find it invaluable as a fun creative tool).
Anyone use Reason?
How is that in comparison to Ableton? versus IOS DAW / creation aspects?
How you doin'?
Comments
I'm with ya. I'm trying very hard not to go back to Ableton Live.
I have the best improv performance rig because of iOS, the potential just blows my mind. It's all contained in one app, one session and works flawlessly. Because of bugs and compatibility issues though I cannot record the results using this setup!
Go back to the start of last year and I had the same setup/concept but slightly different routing and more instruments going on in the actual iPad and it worked! Audiobus 2 hosting it all and recording into Loopy HD. That was tedious as fuck but it worked.
I can't remember what update killed that setup for me but there was a good couple of months where I had to go back to making music with Ableton because my favourite apps were dead.
At the moment I'd send the BM3 guy a grand just to fix one bug!
@BroCoast which bug?
@BroCoast : Oh man.. I’m just considering getting into Ableton Live 10 Suite. And so many apps, Gadget, patterning can be exported directly , both audio AND midi (at least for Gadget). I’m just watching videos.. Is BM3 anything close to the Ableton sampler (as opposed so Simpler ) experience? How would you contrast the two?
Just occasional glitches in audio tracks and only in Song Mode. It's not a huge deal but I just prefer using Song Mode over Scene Mode for recording audio tracks.
BM3 and the Ableton Sampler offer a similar feature set and are both pretty fun to use but I prefer BM3 for that. BM3 is kind of unrivalled for the left hand controls (wheels, roll, beat repeat etc.)
Sample editing is much more enjoyable with BM3 and a pencil.
I really feel for music developers. “Occasional glitches” must strike fear into their hearts. So many variables could be involved... well I hope you nail it down with them.
Absolutely, it's hard to ever get it completely right in iOS. I'm just super grateful BM3 exists, it pushes the idea of making music on an iPad far beyond the novelty zone.
I’m 50/50 desktop and iOS now. A couple of years ago I’d almost reached 100% iOS.
My biggest issue is CPU availability on my Air 2. I was running LayR last night and it was hitting 90%. Synthscaper was just as bad, and when I tried sequencing them via AUM the sound just broke up. And I can just forget Moogs.
iOS pro’s: lots of amazing, innovative apps.
Cons: my iPad struggles to run them.
On the desktop I use Reason with Komplete plug-ins, and audio in from guitar and bass. The current version of Reason works perfectly for my requirements - the included instruments and fx are ok, but not as good as what I have in Komplete. What makes it special for me is the sequencing and audio editing.
Looking ahead I’ll get a faster iPad in a year or two, or when this one dies. I’ll then do more on the iPad, and export the audio for further editing on the desktop.
Aside from the iPad hardware though, any future software purchases will probably be geared towards desktop VST’s.
Thanks
Yep
AIR 2 dying for me CPU and storage actually....
It all started with iOS 11.......never been right since.
Hate to be conspiracy theory person but......damn
new update and seems like need new iPad.......
LOL
I will give a positive example for 1 actually
Yesterday SynthMaster actually appears and works correctly in AB2.
For no reason just boom.
First time in months.
All but the AB remote icon, but hey........
I only use IOS to capture a good idea, and when it happens>bang : straight over to DAW.
Then I have an idea on a, 28 inch screen, fine editing, hundreds of killer VST's, huge sample libraries on SSD, no stumbling around with a finger on glass.
I can also bring up a project many years down the track, and everything works.
Eg - someone hears a track you did 7 years ago, and wants to put it in a feature film, but they must have the stems so it can be remixed to particularly work in the film.
Try that on IOS: Job Over
We should be backing up our work constantly, so in the future some tracks, or parts of songs may get another life on albums, collaborations, film, video, theatre, installations, and at that point they surely will need further tweaking editing/mixing.
Attempt that on IOS: Nope
IOS is a super transient creative fun platform - get what you can out of it, move on.
Since there's a good reason to NOT archive on the workstation there's no difference between iDevice, PC or Mac to store your personal content.
It's not a big deal to integrate a NAS into an IOS workflow covering stems or even single tracks.
I don't need a desktop for processing power, but to organize project content, arrangement and cut-edit.
After 7 years on IOS someone could have done it right, and it still puzzles me why noone really tried ... considering all the effort that actually HAS been put in some DAW like apps.
There's no technical limit, as I found most building blocks I'd appreciate already existing - just spread over half a dozen apps...
Yep, if I think of the iPad as another instrument, rather than a platform, then I don't get hung up on its limitations and transient nature. I don't have fantastic synths such as Synthscaper and LayR on the desktop, so (when I can get them to run properly) I record them onto the desktop to add a bit of colour to what I'm doing on there. Low CPU stars such as Brambos and Audio Damage apps provide a bit of rhythm and idea building via jams in AUM. Maybe though I'll go back to creating more finished pieces on the iPad when I get a better one.
Exactly the same here. I was on a sweet spot with 10x. Immediately after updating battery life took a hit, the thing heats up all the time and have less CPU grunt available. And that's after switching off a whole load of features and services I was running before.
I still try from time to time to get some full iOS productions done but it´s close to impossible.
I can´t remember a stable Audiobus session i had in the last months for longer than 10-15 minutes.
Some of these apps stand out but the unstable workflow and that things take me 10 times longer compared to Logic and my macbook it´s more about 95% mac 5% iOS now (i was 100% iOS for some years).
Thank´t to Model D and new love in Zeeon and a few crossplatform tools like DRC it might be about 10% iOS at the moment.
But the the might be just a short push since it´s still a bit unstable if i try to connect more than 2-3 apps at the same time. Also a lot iOS apps lacks in workflow about preset management, integration to work better with other tools.
So i mainly use it like i would use a hardware synth/sampler. Just record it in to DAW of choice where everything glues together.
And even here the IDAM thing is buggy as hell so that i give up here also after 15 minutes mostly and just record a few sounds.
I might sample my favorite iOS sounds into (in my opinion the best sampler ever, even with an old GUI) EXS24.
Not sure if the Mainstage autosampler can do it with extern sources like the iPhone.
I mean i can create some EXS24 instruments and just import 4 of them into one Alchemy preset if i want.
Now i have all midi FX and other awesome FX i got as free update and whatever.
IOS is lightyears away but i also think i would never ever try to do a desktop or notebook like workflow on an iPhone or iPad again. It makes no sense for me and remind me how great iOS 5 and 6 were when i just used one app at a time and record that as audio in BM2 or used just NS1 as self contained tool.
At the moment GarageBand and Gadget might be the best option for me if i want to do 100% iOS music productions.
I had most DAW´s on my iPad like Cubasis and Auria but i used them not much and it ended it frustration.
Maybe it´s better now and when i look at the latest updates and i would buy an iPad again i would use maybe Cubasis for creating and Auria for mixing /mastering. But then i have it so much faster and easy already working in 5 year old notebook with the latest updates and nothing slowed down.
Next is the apps store is just a joke and even now more terrible to navigate and use like ever.
While iOS grows and comes close in some areas to desktops it also gets more unstable, confusing and annoying at the same time.
Best option for me personally would be to have my iOS apps just on my mac or stay with my current workflow to record single apps (or at best 2-3 layered) into Logic (if that works).
Of course the pure performance in terms of cpu and RAM is also a thing for me since my projects got bigger and bigger. While in theory these latest iOS devices are as fast as a medium speced some years old notebook in a practical use it doesn´t changed much while i can run 50+ instances of great synths on my old notebook plus a ton of FX and whatever.
Next is the plug n´play thing where iOS is brilliant just works for me also with single or self-contained apps.
Otherwise if i want to load a huge project, set-up or multi-layered instrument in a few seconds i need to go to my notebook as well.
Uh....that post was too long already, sorry.
but a reasonable summary of what did NOT happen in IOS land
More or less the same here, and I'm even into the most modest DAW approach thinkable.
It is nice to actually have real conversation about things.
For a while "certain" posters seem to be the only voices every time someone brought up an issue with "some" apps.
They quickly say
"It works great, never crashes, I run 25 apps at once"
But these people have also never posted a song here.
So, real talk to know I am not alone or my iPad is broke or I am not totally crazy......anyway...LOL
IOS 11 works great on my Air 2, better than 10 did, but i did a fresh install, never really needed 25 apps running together to make music, might be why it feels great to me.
Great post.
Well here is my thought that I have over and over again if I was a developer.
IS THIS SOMETHING PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT?
HAVE I DONE SURVEYS AND MARKET RESEARCH?
Too many times apps get "updates" with things almost no one really wanted or makes things not as productive.
I don't understand why people don't target actual market needs.
Who knows.
I almost laugh when I beta test for a few individuals or companies over the years who almost had animosity for me because I reported issues with the apps. I swear! LOL
I also have an Air2 on iOS11 that runs pretty good if I don’t push it too far. I had also wondered if a fresh iOS install would correct some of the problems these guys are having. Back with PCs, we never updated the OS, always did a wipe followed by a clean install, but I am not sure if it matters with iOS.
Also, I wanted to mention that I am happy you are still around sharing your vast knowledge with the forum. And also, I apologize for getting on your case in the past. I appreciate that you are willing to take time to help and advise the rest of us here. I hope you are enjoying the experience as much as I do.
@RUST( i )K you know about my heartbreak with @AmpifyxNovation (I had others but these didn’t worth the effort to shout out them) and yes it’s from iOS11 and glitchy live apps.
I still use BlocsWave, Garageband and (lately) BM3 but none of them for live gigging. I had purchase Mainstage and Traktor (the last version of Ableton I bought was 8.2.5) and jumped into loopyHD and docks selling my underused macmini (late 2012).
I found myself in the same situation and today I set a studio session for the next tuesday at friend’s studio... just to mixdown some BlocsWave instrumentals through Ablleton export. Others will be done in BM3 (different targets, different quality control level) and even I will be just fine with Launchpad export if it worked properly (maybe it does but I don’t want to try anymore)
I also started to purchase standalone hardware (korg microarranger as Mainstage substitute and basic rompler, Trigger Finger Pro to get external midi clock and wondering about some hardware samplers like Volca/Sp404/555 to left my iPad mini4 in the iTrack dock just for homework) and selling novation controllers.
If I get some revenue cash with my different bets (I’m building a multifaced strategy putting different efforts in different places to see how it goes) then maybe I will buy again a mac computer but probably a late 2012 (once again) if I can’t find deals on standalone machines (Mc909, Roland VS top studio) and v/blogging gets frustrating with the iPad paradigm.
Hope this real journey I’ve shared gives you some help. I’m not a professional of any kind but precisely for that reason it will be very difficult to justify buy again an overpriced Apple machine... which lately is defining iOS device too.
The possitive thing... less time in internet forums (not this one) and social networks (Fb, Instagram) aside steemit&Dtube/youtube which my focus ATM.
Bless!
I have been lucky enough to not have to do a full reinstall of Windows post 7 Pro, XP pro only really needed doing about once a year on a completely hammered 24/7 system, and never at all if you just created and installed XP Lite.
My MINI 2s i just updated them(they are better in 11) but the Air2 was getting a refresh anyway, so did it on the update.
Sorry, long post!!
In my case I started iOS music less than a year ago, in June. Before that, I’ve made a long several years music break, and have used Ableton Live on laptop/desktop for 6 years before that break. When I’ve come back to music creation, go iOS route was a possibility to have new inspiration. I hesitate a long time between an iPhone 7 Plus and an iPad. I needed also an iPhone for my IT business, for Wordpress editing/blogging and Dolibarr invoices, etc. An iPhone was also nice for my saxophone practice and recording. So I get the big 7.
Coming from DAW world, I immediately tried to reproduce that workflow. I buyed some apps, and was pretty disappointed by features limitations and bugs everywhere. So toyish!! I get refunds on almost everything and just kept GB for my sax practice, and justified the 7 Plus purchase for my IT business.
Then, I’ve done searches, experiments, chooses. GB was already problematic with AU, and is still today. Ableton Live DAW typical workflow needed to be forgotten at this moment. So I started to use new workflows in multiple stages, using only non bugged apps, or at least not too much ones. I’ve given live creation much more place in my production process.
AUM/AB3/Blocs Wave as a sound material creation hub, using Gadget, BeatHawk and various apps as sources.
Using Launchpad/KRFT/TouchOSC-AUM for creating song structures live, this improves musical skills a lot, create structure by ear and emotion is really great and something I really tried to keep from Ableton workflow.
Making sax overdubs on an already made structure with GarageBand and midi Link for syncing AUM as GB IAA input for recording processed signal directly, avoiding that way that crazy Apple issue with AU in GB.
Using AUM/AB3/Loopy to improvise sax on my creations triggered live by pedalboard. I love that thing!!
Sonically, iOS is as good as desktop world. Apps are not as professional but cheaper with similar great sound. Audio damage plugs as good as Ableton internal effects, Gadget is as versatile IMO as Reason, synths like Zeeon or Model D sounds so great.
And all those iOS specific apps are so great with touchscreen: Reslice is a killer slicer, iFretless bass, ThumbJam, Figure open new ways to do things.
Only thing that miss is Spectrasonics Trilogy/Trillian killer basses, even if Gadget Madrid is pretty good.
This is what I like on iOS. It forces you to be creative with limitations. And after my long music break, I was surprised that desktop music prod has seen almost no evolution, where iOS apps was so innovative.
I’ve got lot of inspiration trying to do things differently, much more with live processes approch. Thanks to GB bugs, I learned a lot.
I don’t like anymore taking my 14 inches Lenovo 440P, needing pluging charger and a mouse, which push me to install myself where I don’t want to be. Using my iPhone is so much freedom, little form factor not a such issue for me even if I’m in minority, I’m much more creative as I always have it with me. It’s also a challenge and I like that. Even if I plan to buy an iPad 2018 just for using BM3 and Cubasis, to be more creative and efficient on more complex projects.
Concerning Apple, they miss a huge thing with their unstable iOS platform, consumer AppStore concept, false iPad Pro line... for sure. But I love all those apps, they’re like candy to me, and hardware is good. My 7 is as powerful as my i5 Lenovo. My first desktop had an Athlon XP 1200 lol with 256 mb ram, Windows 98 buggy as hell, Cubase VST 5.1 with first Halion. We should not forget those idevices are also wonderful considering where we are coming from.
Serious music stuff can be for sure produced on iPads and iPhones!!
@Janosax good post describing your workflow. I do think some musicians expecting a laptop/desktop DAW experience on iOS set themselves up for failure as iOS isn’t there yet.
For me, I have little interest in the traditional multitrack grid DAW approach and tend to have setups more in line with yours where there’s an emphasis on more of a live/playing approach. By the same token, because iOS does evolve so quickly, it’s likely to be problematic for a live public performance where you need a high level of reliability and consistency.
Since my focus is more on musical exploration, the bumps on the iOS road have been offset by access to many inventive apps and approaches which have facilitated what I enjoy doing.
For those who require more reliability, organization, and consistency, iOS still has room for significant improvement.
Some people seem to want to push their device to the limit, but keep going over the limit and killing their flow with glitches and crashes. I take the opposite approach and try to tax my device as little as possible if I can’t afford to have any screw ups.
I think trying to run too many things live is a problematic workflow. Pre-rendering less important elements can help. Really anything that doesn’t require live playing or tweaking can be pre-rendered audio, even long, generative elements.
To me DAW approach has to do more with mathematical half brain, live approach with emotional half brain (can’t remember which one is left or right!!). Music has to be emotional, maths are only a factor involved in structuration. Using Cubase on desktop, I had difficulties to finish any song, Ableton changed that with session view. There are several good options on iOS to do that, so I really agree with your statement of leaving DAW to use live creation, it’s really a nice thing which iOS facilitates.
I render everything too, creating sound materials with AUM or Blocs wave. Having a crackle or two during production stage is not a such big deal if not recorded, having things rendered to audio allow for really stable live performance and is the way to go on iOS I agree. I usually only keep some AU fxs non rendered to tweak them live with Touch OSC or KRFT. I tend to use AUM for almost everything, it’s so stable and sound perfect with its 32 bits engine.
Interesting post. But i totally would disagree that there is no innovation in the desktop world.
Even in the last few years there is a lot more going on as in IOS where beside AUv3 and better audio engines everything remains the same.
So it depends on the point of view and what tools we use/want too.
I have waned a bit from IOS land lately and brought out my old hardware (MPC, MV) and also purchased an SP404. My workflow never really totally relied on AB or AU or IAA, but I still needed for certain things like sampling. I have found myself more using "allinone" solutions like Gadget, IMPC Pro or BM2, (I haven't fully made the transition to BM3 as I still rely on my phone a lot). What I have found by using a more hardware approach is that IOS is brilliant as an instrument / generator for hardware, without have all the hassle / instability of trying to route audio sources internally which doesn't work consistently enough for me at the moment. Also apps with Ableton export are very much my preference now if I need to polish something up. Looking forward to getting my hands on the PO-33 KO later in the week too.
Sounds you have found optimal balance between the iOS, desktop, and hardware workflows. You are in a really good spot.