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.
Comments
I think this discussion will evolve. Patterning is, at its base, a SEQUENCER. It can play its drum samples, but it can drive melodic synths as well. I don’t recall the outright dismissal of Quantum for not being an AU plug-in. Wasn’t a problem with Xequence. I guess I’m missing something?
What is so problematic about having another sequencer running alongside BM3 or Cubasis? Or even sending eight channels of audio or midi into those environments? Is it the lack of state-saving? The app-switching that is the dealbreaker?
I’m not trying to kick up dust; I honestly don’t get it.
It’s just the evolution and forward momentum of the technology. One day I expect all iOS sequencers will be AU sequencers just like on desktop. It doesn’t mean you can’t have them as standalone as well, that’s always a good way to use them. SugarBytes knows this as they say in their recent update.
For me it’s the statesaving is the main issue. Also app switching is not good workflow especially when recording, it’s too much for the cpu and causes glitches.
When iOS removes ram restrictions for AUs it will be a good thing too for even more deeper Audio units.
I would use Quantum a lot more if it was an AU sequencer. I also didn’t buy Xequence because it’s not an AU. So it’s a big factor for me now in app purchasing decisions.
Yeah it’s not a war, it’s just choices. AU has some issues still, but it’s early days. Now I’m not a betting man, but if I was, IAA wouldn’t be my choice to put any further development into. As I’ve already said, Patterning was and still is a great app, it just doesn’t work well within the new AU dominated context. With this in mind it’s just not worth investing in it.
Now people may say “if it’s not for you, why comment” - well it’s just myself (and some others) letting devs know what we want to spend our money on - the idea of Patterning with its circular sequencer, but not in its IAA only form.
Agree that IAA is often a rather unreliable way of working. When most things iOS music making go wrong, it’s usually an IAA fudging things up (in my experience).
Just to add: yep many of us said the same thing with Quantum too
While I think points of view have been made, it’s probably worth carrying on the basic AU vs IAA (also needs to include hosted vs non hosted) discussion elsewhere if people really don’t understand why lack of AU is such a big issue to some of us
Love Patterning but no AU = no buy - AU hosting could be an option?
“AU has some issues still, but it’s early days”
I’m glad someone said this because I’m one of those that think AUs are great but still have quite a ways to go. I do like the AU workflow better but having to quit and restart hosts to free up RAM is a pain and until faster CPUs and more RAM are available it’s still not ideal compared to desktop music making.
My way of working with ios music apps isn't typical i suppose. I have only ever had a 16gig iPad, i never use it for recording audio due to storage limitations, & use my iPad as part of a larger desktop/hardware environment. All audio goes out via Aum/AB - Studiomux, and into Ableton for processing, so AU just isn't as pressing a need as i guess it must be for many others. More like icing on the cake for me. Of course if an app didn't have IAA or AB3, i would be in pretty much the same camp as the people who have no use for an app without AU. We saw that recently with the Strange agency app Soup, which had no connectivity at all. I could have taken the audio out via the headphone socket, but it would have been to much hassle for what it does, so i declined on that one.
Although i hope, there are enough of us still not married to AU for devs to be bothered to develop for, if i were Olympia Noise Co, i would be more than a little dis-heartened right now........
My same request for Beathawk and gadget is to allow au’s to be used inside of it since they are great at what they do and are sequencers. Au is the way the truth and the life when it comes to iOS. It’s all about work flow now and not switching windows searching for an app that gets lost in the shuffle. People will buy either way but why not just implement it all and let the user decide how they want to use it.
I remember my first venture into hardware and my then major annoyance with the cheaper units getting rid of multiple audio outputs. Imaging my surprise when I came to iOS land and found most drum machines at the time had just stereo outs - software and only stereo outs! I discussed this at every drum or multi layer synth app that came out with just stereo out! It’s the same for me with lack of AU for drum machines.
Let me explain a little. I’ve always had a love / hate relationship with drum machines and groove boxes. They are so useful for live use, yet often so limiting for when you want to record the results. All of a sudden, you found that the process of using those machines just didn’t work well when recording to separate tracks. That’s kind of where I’m at with IAA drum apps - they work in a similar way to those drum machines of old. While they are finally putting multiple outputs on many apps, the problems of them fitting into a hosted recording environment still exist.
While I can still see many scenarios for the use of IAA drum apps, I can see more advantages to an AU hosted sequencer and sound set approach. With small footprint hosts such as AUM or AudioBus, instant recall with no ghosting and variable window AU size, I can’t see many disadvantages over stand alone app use.
We could take it over here maybe...
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/23242/water-will-flow-my-thoughts-on-au
This should be a party thread! I'm wondering how many people will actually be able to resist once it pops up on the AppStore?
@BlueGreenSpiral Yes let’s not forget to celebrate that fact. Patterning is one of the best Drum and Melodic sequencers on iOS. And Patterning 2 is a huge gift to those of us who love it.
A great many thanks to @benkamen for creating such magical tools for us mere mortals.
Good plan
Depends for me on a combo of:
1) Prevailing mood
2) Is it a pay fortnight?
3) How much do I feel like just supporting the genius behind the v1 app
4) What Doug’s vid uncovers
5) How much red I’ve consumed
Mostly 5.
AU support up front and I’d preorder no wucking furries.
Hmmmm... more I think about it... seems like Patterning should become a full on groove-box and just host AUs and AU FX... what a twist! Don’t just be the nail... be the hammer!
What is red? Is that wine you’re talking or is that a new slang, or better yet, a new alcohol?
The bull perhaps? Ooohh... redbull and red wine...
Red wine I’m guessing. That’s my number 5 too, especially on a dull Friday night.
No AU, but I don’t care.
I will still enjoy this.
AU elitists are gonna miss out, at least for a while.
That’s a shame.
Really, the only interface deficiency that is cumbersome for me is no Landscape mode.
But even that doesn’t stop me.
I’m too old to be using new slang (anyone from the UK remember the Brass Eye “Cake” drug thing?) so it is the wine of which I am talking.
Just checking, I’m intrigued by new slang after I finally got the concept of ‘fam’ last week. That might just be American slang though (is slang working towards globalization?). Either way, I hate it.
What about FOMS. We see a lot of that these days.
What’s FOMS??!?
I want to get the pre-order but at the moment I don't have an iPad. Is there another way to purchase it without buying it directly on an iPad? (I hate that Apple removed the app store from iTunes!!!)
Touché on quite a deep level. Having a laugh at myself now.
No Landscape mode!!!!!? You crazy fool! That way madness lies!
Patterning has landscape mode.
No, I meant apps with no landscape mode chap my hide.
No AU, no biggie.