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.
ipad models memory comparison
So with the reports that the latest generation might suffer from memory issues, I thought it would be an idea to try and carry out some controlled tests of various iPad models, so that we can get some data to make comparisons. That way we can take some of the guesswork and anecdotal evidence out of the equation and get a better idea of the actual facts. If as many people as possible also carry out the test across the widest possible range of devices this will make it more accurate and representative.
The minimum requirement for carrying out the test is a 99c app called cmemory pro:
https://itunes.apple.com/ua/app/cmemory-pro/id670599355
There is also a free version of the app for those who don't want to spend the 99c 
- I haven't tried it though so I'm not 100% sure it has the same features.
Secondly, for those that have Auria, we can also use Auria's memory measurement which is a useful indicator of real-world use with a hungry app loaded.
In order to make the test consistent please follow the steps exactly, so that we are all working under the same conditions. If you don't have Auria, simply follow the same steps, but skip the Auria part
List your device and OS version, comparing iOS 7 to previous iOS versions should be pretty interesting.
1) Close all open applications by double tapping the home button and swiping up (or pre-iOS 7 press hold and delete from the list of open apps).
2) Open Auria, and create a new blank project. Then exit Auria by double tapping and swiping to remove it from the background apps.
3) Reboot your iPad
4) Open cmemory and make a note of the available memory: this is measurement 1
5) Exit cmemory by double tapping and swiping up to remove it from the background apps list
6) Open Auria and make a note of the available memory: this is measurement 2
7) Exit Auria and remove it from the background apps
8) Open cmemory again and this time do a deep refresh
9) Make a note of the available memory: this is measurement 3
10) Exit cmemory and remove it from the background apps
11) Open Auria again and make a note of the available memory: this is measurement 4
Comments
Bear in mind that the results are likely to vary a little each time you perform the test, so allow some margin of error.
My results are:
iPad 2 running 7.0.4:
measurement 1, cmemory first run: 154 meg available
measurement 2, Auria first run: 106 meg available
measurement 3, cmemory deep refresh: 207 meg available
measurement 4, Auria after deep refresh: 165 meg available
iPad 4 running 7.0.4:
measurement 1, cmemory first run: 509 meg available
measurement 2, Auria first run: 455 meg available
measurement 3, cmemory deep refresh: 554 meg available
measurement 4, Auria after deep refresh: 528 meg available
Good idea...and good job.
One question I'm thinking about is if some apps can work doing that's called "RAM disk". I mean, when it has no more RAM they can reserve some HD space to store any kind of data.
@fjcblanco Beatmaker does this.
Now back to our regularly scheduled thread. :-)
cool post!! i like to also add another app called battery saver.. free and helped extend my ipad battery life by 2 extra hours.
are there any other good usefull apps?
"So with the reports that the latest generation might suffer from memory issues" - can you tell me the source of this? Do you have a link I could check out? Thanks
did you guys buy the free version or paid version of cmemory.. are there any differences?
there is also an icleaner which is similar to idelete...
@boone51: there have been a few complaints on this forum, as well as the Anadtech review which claimed that in an all 64 bit environment the Air had 20-30% lees RAM available.
I have no axe to grind, that is precisely why I thought actual numbers would be really useful so that we can see any potential differences for ourselves. All we need is for someone who owns the Air to perform the test, and we can see what the data says.
Personally I am pretty certain that the Air won't be that different to the 4th gen in terms of RAM, but since I don't have one at hand I can't test it myself.
But it would also be useful more generally to compare how each model performs memory-wise. For example I have seen claims that the retina screen eats a lot of RAM therefore making the difference between the iPad 2 and the iPad 3/4 insignificant - well my test certainly puts that argument to bed, the 4th gen has considerably more available memory than the 2.
I'll throw in my measurements from my ipad 4 on iOS 7.0.3:
measurement 1, cmemory first run: 555 meg available
measurement 2, Auria first run: 470 meg available
measurement 3, cmemory deep refresh: 560 meg available
measurement 4, Auria after deep refresh: 506 meg available
Fairly consistent with the first test.
I have a Air. I'll do it now.
OK, here are my results. They're absolutely all over the place, so I'm not sure what they tell you, but here they are anyway;
First test first run: 470
First test second run: 550
Second test first run: 419
Second test second run: 350
Third test first run: 415
Third test second run: 485
Fourth test first run: 385
Fourth test second run: 540
I assume you wanted me to record "free memory" setting, as I didn't see anything labeled "available memory". Maybe that's a difference in the free version as I wasn't going to pay for an app to run these tests. If someone wants to gift it to me, I'll try with the other one. The app is obviously going to impact this test. I also didn't understand the second step at all really. Whats the point of opening and closing an app before a reboot that's going to completely flush the memory? It feels like steps for the sake of steps. Also, the part of the test where it says "close cmemory, now open auria and make not of available memory" didn't make much sense to me. How can I make note of available memory when I just closed the memory app? Again, I don't even know if I'm reading the right value because "available" memory wasn't listed anywhere in the app I used.
The point of the second step is to make sure that when you launch Auria after rebooting it is loading a blank project. Because otherwise people might launch Auria with one of their own projects loaded which would obviously have a big impact on the amount of RAM that Auria will be using. The only way to ensure a level playing field is for everyone to load a blank project, since that would be a consistent yardstick.
As for making a note of the available memory once you launch Auria, that's easy, Auria has a memory meter available which will tell you how much free RAM you have
Thanks for posting your results though, and it would seem that from what you are getting that on the whole the RAM fears with the Air are unfounded.
(edit) free memory and available memory are one and the same.
There are more things to take into consideration, like the number of processes running and what those processes are. cMemory can kill around 30-40 processes on iPad 2 freeing over 300mb in some cases. On the Air cMemory isn't working all that well at all, regardless of how aggressive you set it at etc (needs an Air update here I believe). Just so many things to take into consideration. The Air do have less RAM to work with in any situation, getting a precise % here is quite hard.
On a "positive" note, the 64bit version of Nave only used around 5% more RAM then the 32bit version the last I read anything from Rolf @ Tempo Rubato. So not alot more then the 32bit. But he's an iOS wizard, so who knows how it'll look when more and more devs switch to 64bit..
I wonder if cMemory needs to be updated to handle 64bit OS and CPU correctly.
It's really difficult for me to be anything less than blown away by what the Air can handle. It's just amazing that I can run so many FabFilters at once live in Auria on so many tracks. I'm coming from the iPad 2 and it just couldn't handle more than two at a time. I'm so far beyond that now. I realize that some of the folks running the 4 may already be used to this, but for me its a sea change. The other fun thing is running all those fab filters and then openning up Animoog in AB feeding into another track and just ROCK OUT on the pads, and it's all silky smooth. I've definitely stressed the Air beyond where I would typically reasonably use it, and it didn't flinch. Whatever the numbers come back and say, I'm a happy customer.
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I think the bottom line for me is can I do what I want to do with the device? How it accomplishes that is less important than a series of standardized tests which may or may not correlate with what I'm trying to do. Plus if you have poorly designed or buggy software it will limit you more than the hardware.
Just to clarify: I'm not looking for a problem or trying to find something wrong with the new devices - quite the opposite
Carrying out a reasonably controlled test seems a sensible way of getting actual data, rather than anecdotal evidence or blind opinion, because numbers are more reliable. And personally I believe that the numbers will probably indicate that the newer iPads are much the same as the previous generation RAM-wise (but with much more powerful CPU of course), but the best way to find out for sure is simply to test it.
Initially I thought,..Richard needs to get laid:)...but think its a good thing to do/know.
All any of us want is for our devices to work when we throw an app combo in their direction....we don't want it to go all meatloaf on us.
I didn't do the full test and wasn't offered the deep refresh.i turned on my device and got a reading of 479.
Don't have Auria, but cmemory is an eye opener, just running Safari in bkg can use half of the remaining available memory on a 4. Even though I religiously terminate any unessential apps manually before doing music, it looks like IAA can hide things from you, apps not visible in the multitasking window etc, so cmemory may come in handy for that, versus having to restart and re-kill an app that won't go away.
(By the way, off topic, but if this is the Richard Yot from the Modo tutorials, thanks for those.)
Right now has become free "iDelete temp file cleaner".
Sorry if this is "off-topic".
iPad Air, after killing all apps and rebooting, using the free version of cmemory:
measurement 1, cmemory first run: 442 meg available
measurement 2, Auria first run: 376 meg available
measurement 3, cmemory deep refresh: 443 meg available
measurement 4, Auria after deep refresh: 398 meg available
@Tarekith: interesting, thanks for posting
@smeeeth: that is indeed me
And yes, IAA is buggy as hell, apps that should not be running often still are, even after closing everything.
It sometimes takes more than one "deep refresh" with cmemory. Especially after running an Audiobus record session, it may take three or four cycles to get the maximum, which for me is about 680mb free on an iPad 4 running 7.04
I've been opening various apps in isolation after clearing the ram/processes with cmemory just to see the amount of ram they use just to start up and has been interesting. I'm not sure how it correlates to actual use but most synths average about 80/160mb at startup. Nave is a hog at over 200, Wavemapper is light at about 60mb. Audiobus is very light weight. Cubasis requires about 180 or more, so I can imagine if you are running several synths at once in IAA you would have to do some track freezing. At least cmemory reveals a little about what is going on with the ram under various scenarios.
Agreed, it's not possible to get consistent numbers anyway because there are too many variables. It looks like the iPad Air might have roughly a 100 meg disadvantage compared to the 4th gen, but considering that the Air is much faster CPU wise it's probably not a big deal.
With cmemory you can claw back a lot of RAM anyway so you can probably get more free RAM on an an aggressively optimised Air than on a non-optimised iPad 4.
And it's also very revealing to see the data that cmemory digs up: IAA apps not closing down properly for example, or how much memory Safari with a few tabs open can waste.
Ipad air with cmemory pro (ios 7.1.1) in aiplane mode
(cmemory crash on deep refresh > only quick refresh is possible)
Note : A least 50% of ram is always used by the system.
When i do a deep refresh, it can save 600-800Mb before crashing...and when i reload cmemory, i have 450-480Mo free.
When i do a quick refresh, before the end of the process, it can free up to 600Mo memory and instantly go back to 450-480Mo at the end of the process.
I wouldn't be surprised if they don't start monetising ram in their models like they do storage space
@boone51 said:
Whatever the test say I can tell you that I've had all iPads bar gen 1 and 3 and they were progressively more capable. IPad Air is definitely ahead of ipad 4 and so on. This is my experience running multiple hungry apps using audiobus at low buffer settings.
Oh yes it's a ferrari ^^
I made this test because i want to know how RAM work on ipad air.
it's like if RAM is compressed like on Mavericks
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/06/12/compressed-memory-in-os-x-109-mavericks-aims-to-free-ram-extend-battery-life