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 Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

App for quickly making primarily loop-based electronica songs with lots of factory loops included?

13

Comments

  • @Mr_Beak said:
    Am I the only one who thinks nearly all the Blocs Wave and Launchpad loops sound roughly the same?

    The more I use BlocsWave the more this becomes apparent, I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. At first it seemed like the library was all over the place with variety but once you get to know a few packs well they all start having a definite "sameness"

    Im personally conflicted on how I feel about songs I made with all loops, made a few that I really like but am a little afraid Ill hear something similar. Lately Ive just been using the loops as added ingredients in other songs and thats working well.

  • @1nsomniak said:

    @Mr_Beak said:
    Am I the only one who thinks nearly all the Blocs Wave and Launchpad loops sound roughly the same?

    The more I use BlocsWave the more this becomes apparent, I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. At first it seemed like the library was all over the place with variety but once you get to know a few packs well they all start having a definite "sameness"

    Im personally conflicted on how I feel about songs I made with all loops, made a few that I really like but am a little afraid Ill hear something similar. Lately Ive just been using the loops as added ingredients in other songs and thats working well.

    I suspect that this is because everything is just a riff. There are no melodies. I think the idea of using the loops as “added ingredients” is the right one. That’s how I’m doing it too. :smile:

  • @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

  • @tja said:

    @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

    Anyything that records MIDI will be subject to PPQ.....PPQ is Pulses per Quarternote.....the more pulses the highr the resolution of your MIDI Recording...
    A simplified example would be...1 PPQ would mean you could only record notes that are quantised to quarter notes and a quarter note in length.....also any CC's recorded would also be quantised to quarter notes...
    2 PPQ means you could record 8th notes as well as quarter notes
    4 PPQ adds 16th notes to the mix....

    When working with 4/4 time the restriction with 48PPQ is less apparent with notes...and shows itself when you want smooth controller automation.

  • @echoopera can you control the pads in impc2 with the light pad?

  • @AndyPlankton said:

    @tja said:

    @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

    Anyything that records MIDI will be subject to PPQ.....PPQ is Pulses per Quarternote.....the more pulses the highr the resolution of your MIDI Recording...
    A simplified example would be...1 PPQ would mean you could only record notes that are quantised to quarter notes and a quarter note in length.....also any CC's recorded would also be quantised to quarter notes...
    2 PPQ means you could record 8th notes as well as quarter notes
    4 PPQ adds 16th notes to the mix....

    When working with 4/4 time the restriction with 48PPQ is less apparent with notes...and shows itself when you want smooth controller automation.

    Going off topic, but do you know anything about the hi res midi CC implementation with CC # 1-31 and their pairs in CC# 32-64? Not sure how it works, but just came across it while reading up on midi (to get a better grip on midifire). Do you know anything about this hi res controller stuff?

  • I really love Apple Loops and there is very good stuff included (plus you get a lot free Apple Loops everywhere, not sure how to import them into the iOS version).
    About PPQ....i guess DAW automation has anyway a lot higher resolution as midi ever could (up to sample accurate).

  • @CracklePot said:

    @AndyPlankton said:

    @tja said:

    @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

    Anyything that records MIDI will be subject to PPQ.....PPQ is Pulses per Quarternote.....the more pulses the highr the resolution of your MIDI Recording...
    A simplified example would be...1 PPQ would mean you could only record notes that are quantised to quarter notes and a quarter note in length.....also any CC's recorded would also be quantised to quarter notes...
    2 PPQ means you could record 8th notes as well as quarter notes
    4 PPQ adds 16th notes to the mix....

    When working with 4/4 time the restriction with 48PPQ is less apparent with notes...and shows itself when you want smooth controller automation.

    Going off topic, but do you know anything about the hi res midi CC implementation with CC # 1-31 and their pairs in CC# 32-64? Not sure how it works, but just came across it while reading up on midi (to get a better grip on midifire). Do you know anything about this hi res controller stuff?

    You mean like 14 bit midi (which would be then 16384 instead of just 128 steps/values).
    You can do that with 2 midi CC pair channels. Where the first is for the coarse and the second for the fine, 128 steps between the 128 steps each = 128 X 128 = 16384 values (like pitch always has).

  • edited April 2018

    @Cib said:

    @CracklePot said:

    @AndyPlankton said:

    @tja said:

    @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

    Anyything that records MIDI will be subject to PPQ.....PPQ is Pulses per Quarternote.....the more pulses the highr the resolution of your MIDI Recording...
    A simplified example would be...1 PPQ would mean you could only record notes that are quantised to quarter notes and a quarter note in length.....also any CC's recorded would also be quantised to quarter notes...
    2 PPQ means you could record 8th notes as well as quarter notes
    4 PPQ adds 16th notes to the mix....

    When working with 4/4 time the restriction with 48PPQ is less apparent with notes...and shows itself when you want smooth controller automation.

    Going off topic, but do you know anything about the hi res midi CC implementation with CC # 1-31 and their pairs in CC# 32-64? Not sure how it works, but just came across it while reading up on midi (to get a better grip on midifire). Do you know anything about this hi res controller stuff?

    You mean like 14 bit midi (which would be then 16384 instead of just 128 steps/values).
    You can do that with 2 midi CC pair channels. Where the first is for the coarse and the second for the fine, 128 steps between the 128 steps each = 128 X 128 = 16384 values (like pitch always has).

    It only increases the precision of the value, not time precision, correct? Like Y resolution is increased, but X resolution is fixed by the PPQ limitation. Am I understanding this correctly?

    I was wondering how to set up CCs to use the whole 14 bit precision. Do they map to both CC # pairs automatically?

  • edited April 2018

    @CracklePot said:

    @Cib said:

    @CracklePot said:

    @AndyPlankton said:

    @tja said:

    @realdawei said:

    @tja said:

    @SevenSystems said:
    @echoopera thanks, yeah that sounds about like what I'm after... I'm sticking with GarageBand for now, as I've now "discovered" a few "secrets" (like, how to get to the arranger :D) and try to keep my pulse below 300 while waiting for all the animations in it to finish :) (the worst offender is really switching between the arranger and an instrument (the "screen rolls around" one). Seriously, is there anybody in the world who does NOT find that annoying, especially as switching between arranger and instrument is something you need to do like 3 times per second?

    I massively hate Garageband - it may even be good and capable, but I just cannot handle it.

    I hated GB at first. I would have totally abandoned it, but I really wanted the increased MIDI resolution. Cubasis was/is limited to 48PPQ. Forced myself to invest in GarageBand and then it clicked. The design direction is fabulous. The interface is great for composing (other than the animations-which I hope will be able to be tamed at some point)

    Will going to read about PPQ.
    Is this limitation something that other DAWs beside Cubasis also have?

    Anyything that records MIDI will be subject to PPQ.....PPQ is Pulses per Quarternote.....the more pulses the highr the resolution of your MIDI Recording...
    A simplified example would be...1 PPQ would mean you could only record notes that are quantised to quarter notes and a quarter note in length.....also any CC's recorded would also be quantised to quarter notes...
    2 PPQ means you could record 8th notes as well as quarter notes
    4 PPQ adds 16th notes to the mix....

    When working with 4/4 time the restriction with 48PPQ is less apparent with notes...and shows itself when you want smooth controller automation.

    Going off topic, but do you know anything about the hi res midi CC implementation with CC # 1-31 and their pairs in CC# 32-64? Not sure how it works, but just came across it while reading up on midi (to get a better grip on midifire). Do you know anything about this hi res controller stuff?

    You mean like 14 bit midi (which would be then 16384 instead of just 128 steps/values).
    You can do that with 2 midi CC pair channels. Where the first is for the coarse and the second for the fine, 128 steps between the 128 steps each = 128 X 128 = 16384 values (like pitch always has).

    It only increases the precision of the value, not time precision, correct? Like Y resolution is increased, but X resolution is fixed by the PPQ limitation. Am I understanding this correctly?

    I was wondering how to set up CCs to use the whole 14 bit precision. Do they map to both CC # pairs automatically?

    Mhhhh yeah, time might be another thing. Because of that there is DAW automation which works up to sample accurate for automations (so in theory you could do automations every single sample) which is a lot faster than any midi ever could do. Midi is in general a very coarse thing.
    I´m not sure how iOS DAW´s handles this now.

  • edited April 2018

    @Cib MIDI on iOS has nanosecond resolution, i.e. more than sample-accurate, if implemented correctly :)

    But to be honest, I always quantize all controller data to 64th notes and I have yet to hear any “coarseness” that bothers me... but maybe my ears are not as fine or my music just sucks :D

  • @cib @SevenSystems
    Thanks for the info. You guys rock. B)

    Freakin’ nanoseconds! That is insane! :)

  • @SevenSystems said:
    @Cib MIDI on iOS has nanosecond resolution, i.e. more than sample-accurate, if implemented correctly :)

    But to be honest, I always quantize all controller data to 64th notes and I have yet to hear any “coarseness” that bothers me... but maybe my ears are not as fine or my music just sucks :D

    But could any software even reacts/update so fast on all parameters?

  • @CracklePot or in host time units... I have to look it up to be totally sure, but it’s certainly high enough to be inaudible... and Xequence stores times at 192 PPQ, so 768th notes... but I’m sure @Cib can still hear the choppiness ;) ;) ;)

  • edited April 2018

    @SevenSystems said:
    @CracklePot or in host time units... I have to look it up to be totally sure, but it’s certainly high enough to be inaudible... and Xequence stores times at 192 PPQ, so 768th notes... but I’m sure @Cib can still hear the choppiness ;) ;) ;)

    :D Sure ;)
    Nah´But i experienced that sample accurate timings can be very important if you automate things like bypass/unbypass a filter at certain points where it can sounds wrong if it´s just a few ms too late.
    So it´s not about the speed itself but also about the exact right timing.
    But in general i think iOS can do all things about midi and automation like macOS?

  • @Cib they use the same APIs for exchanging virtual MIDI, yes... I think the timing resolution (host clock) is different, but so high on both that it doesn't matter.

  • @SevenSystems said:
    @Cib they use the same APIs for exchanging virtual MIDI, yes... I think the timing resolution (host clock) is different, but so high on both that it doesn't matter.

    I wonder why it should be different. So it depends on the host mainly?

  • Indeed, thank´s for your lessons SevenSystems......old man can still learn :)
    I just saw that Logic f.e. offers up to 1/3840-note resolution for MIDI events.....i didn´t know that until now.
    :D

  • @Cib yes, although the timebase_info or whatever it's called might actually be the same for iOS and macOS, haven't checked... the important thing to know is that when both the sender and receiver apps are correctly implemented, then virtual MIDI isn't even realtime at all. i.e., the sender app keeps sending tiny "MIDI files" (say, three per second, each 1/3 second long) to the receiver, and the receiver app then can render those 1/3 seconds of audio in advance, without any jitter whatsoever because it doesn't depend on any sort of realtime timer. But not all apps do this correctly (I think I've mentioned this in another thread somewhere (somehow someday 🎶))

  • launchpad!

  • I find the title of this thread horrifying. No offence but it sounds like a fast route to over saturating a scene that works really well when kept sort of low key. I kind of wish people would slow down a bit -- maybe dance for a few months, get to know the historical drift of certain genres -- instead of just buying a sound pack. I remember when I would go to parties and dance all night. In the corner sat my bag with my equipment and some really solid music I wanted to share. But I never got the chance because there was always 4 dudes up at the front, lost in coke wanting to be the DJ, playing crappy music...

    Just my thoughts...Just my thoughts...

  • Well i figured out how to use BeatMaker3 for the same sort of workflow as i was experiencing in iMPC Pro 2, Cubasis and GarageBand.

    Just set the Audio & Midi Settings to Route all Midi to Selected Pad (OMNI) and your external controller will be the key input for the selected pad. Sweeeet.

  • @futureaztec please read the entire original post. This is not about being creative. All my published productions are entirely loop- and arpeggiator-free. This is for creating meaningless “elevator music” in the most economical way possible. :)

  • I read the original post. I stand by my statement :p

  • @futureaztec said:
    I read the original post. I stand by my statement :p

    Me, too. Odesi is chock full of generic EDM building block loops. Sounded perfect for meaningless background game music that few minutes I checked it out before rejecting it. ;)

  • Everyone chill.

    Go and make some music. o:) <3

  • @echoopera said:
    Everyone chill.

    Go and make some music. o:) <3

    Chill? I recommend an app that I didn’t like, twice. I actually think it would suit the intended purpose here, too. I would say that’s pretty chill. :#

  • edited April 2018

    @futureaztec said:
    I find the title of this thread horrifying. No offence but it sounds like a fast route to over saturating a scene that works really well when kept sort of low key. I kind of wish people would slow down a bit -- maybe dance for a few months, get to know the historical drift of certain genres -- instead of just buying a sound pack. I remember when I would go to parties and dance all night. In the corner sat my bag with my equipment and some really solid music I wanted to share. But I never got the chance because there was always 4 dudes up at the front, lost in coke wanting to be the DJ, playing crappy music...

    Just my thoughts...Just my thoughts...

    Saturating a scene? This is background music for a video game.

    Slow down a bit, read a few posts, enjoy the rich legacy of the thread haha. ;)

  • edited April 2018

    So this thread was about iOS solutions for quickly creating loops without too much fuss right? I just want to make sure i understood the question.

    o:)

  • @echoopera said:
    So this thread was about iOS solutions for quickly creating loops without too much fuss right? I just want to make sure i understood the question.

    o:)

    Sigh.

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