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
Thanks again, like the sound you’re getting in your vid.
I found the setting to turn off the global gate length which is good. I think SPA is going to be more useful for my needs though - it’s good to have a visual reference to what notes are playing, and easy access to edit them. I’ll play a bit more with Cells, but I think SPA would be a good investment.
No problem! I went back and forth with SPAU but since I do SO much with Rozeta and AUM (and now apeMatrix) I realized that having another tool for variety would help. I'm looking forward to making more interesting chordal parts and basslines with this once I get my head around it.
Loving this. Sequence mode is great. Wouldn’t mind having the option of a piano roll instead of just steps from root note. I do like cells but I really enjoy quickly editing sequences in SPA.
I notice in the vids there isn’t a full chromatic scale visible. I’ve seen you can change the values of what notes are used (+4 etc.), but can you have the full range of 12 notes if you need it? I presume it’d just mean a bit of scrolling?
Trying to use a few instances in Aum to sequence my hardware synths on different midi channels, and a couple sampler tracks in Gadget / GR-16. Is there any way to filter the midi channels, so e.g. 1st StepPoly is sequencing SH-01a on channel 1, 2nd sequencing ESQ-1 on channel 2, 3rd Gadget on channel 3 etc? Can't figure it out, is this a limitation of AUM or StepPolyArp?
Ah just read an earlier post saying that you would have to change the midi channel for each individual row in each instance? Not a great workaround as you could only use the template you saved with these settings, and not be able to switch presets etc. Surely there's a better way to send AU SPAs to a certain midi channel like you can in the standalone?
Ah right..,not ideal. Does that mean you’re limited to 7 notes, or can you dial in different notes on each row?
Bit of a weird setup, they could just add a scroll bar.
Yeah, echoing @Artefact2001 's sentiment, I am a HUGE fan of this developer, moreso because of ChordPolyPad, which is one of those apps that made me realize how iOS music could actually expand musical theory capabilities rather than just bastardizing it.
But I'm just not sure $15 for AU functionality that could have been built into the original app is a good decision for me. StepPolyArp already has a bit of a language of its own. It looks almost like a traditional piano roll sequencer with the interface, but it's actually sort of a niche approach to sequencing and composition. Of course, it can be made to do things much more varied and powerful than I have the knowledge or patience to accomplish.
But I HAVE the original app and this one doesn't seem to be functionally any different. AU is just a vehicle for getting apps to talk to one another. AudioBus actively policed people who attached an IAP charge for "unlocking" AudioBus functionality in pre-existing apps for that reason. As a one-off cost (and again, applied to a great developer and useful app like this one), we excuse it. But I'd be troubled if AU became the new standard (which is gradually happening), and there's precedent for having to re-buy all of the apps I've bought from 2013-17 to get said apps to function in a modern iOS workflow.
While waiting for Thesys and quantum to get AU versions this is as good as it gets
You're limited to the rows that show, but you can dial in any notes you want in those rows.
It's interesting how people are beginning to evaluate this arpeggiator based on its abilities as a step sequencer. It isn't a step sequencer, it's an arpeggiator that has some bonus step sequencer ability bolted on. Shows how much a simple AU format piano roll sequencer is hungered for.
Actually. It's name is StepPolyArp. So step sequencer is in the name itself lol. Maybe that's why people are putting so much emphasis on that ability. That being said I love the wierd hybrid thing it is to bits.
Understandable sentiment. But on the other hand, why expect developers to get no compensation at all for the considerable investment on their part to add this capability? What else in our lives do we expect to continually improve at no cost to ourselves? Looking at it from a developer's perspective, the motivation to add AU capability based only on the return on investment from new customers, is a lot less than if the potential market is that plus some percentage of existing customers.
Not trying to start an argument, just trying to add some perspective to make the pill easier to swallow.
Yeah I personally would repay for any of the apps I’ve had for a while to get them up and running in AU land. Im happy when I’ve already had my monies worth. The only problem I have is when apps suddenly disappear for a new version when I’ve just bought it. That’s pretty much why I never buy any apps now that are over a couple of years old.
Yeah it’s nice if some updates happen for free over the apps lifetime. After a certain length of an apps lifetime, devs need to resell to the masses and that usually means a new app version.
I’ve definitely become more selective what I buy. Luckily for me, I had the original version of this app for years so I really don’t mind buying it again to support future development. Especially as this app as an AU is so much more useful. Multiple instances of this app is where it shines.
Some apps I won’t buy again, especially if they got little use the first time around. Obviously just shooting the breeze and it’s fine that others feel differently. After all, we vote with our wallets anyway
Just hooked up Midi Designer Pro... And yeah, Bluetooth is a blast.
To be fair. A more pressing feature request is to let us enter precise values per step into the cc automation area. Just sliding up and down is extremely fiddly.
An octave is generally 7 notes though, so there are enough rows for an octave + a few in most cases. No?
Thanks. Just had another reply which says there’s a drum template giving the full range, so it should work.
I rarely find the 11 channels a limitation over the 32 steps. I usually use a scale that works for that section of music. The next 32 notes can be a different scale or whatever notes I want. I tend to just select a scale and then alter a few note values as needed.
The only time I seem to go above 7 notes mostly is when I’ve got a section that is linking two different scales.
I know we always by nature want more, but in my use scenarios, I’ve not needed more. Obviously many people will use it differently and probably push music way beyond my basic level
I’m desperate for it.
I love Rozeta, but trying to use Bassline or Cells for sequences is not as precise or straightforward as I’d like. Great for quick fun jamming, but I also want to do more controlled stuff.
Ive never clicked with BM3 or Modstep, so those are out for me. Thesys is just silly.
I love using AUM, and AU’s are nice and easy to work with.
Until Bram creates an AU step sequencer it looks like SPA is the best tool for the job.
Yeah I’m sure it’d work fine for me as it is, but it’s frustrating to know it has limitations before I dive in.
Not sure, good to know it’s got the full range at least though.
Seems a shame they haven’t added more lanes, in the screens I’ve seen there’s plenty of room.