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.
recording process ... getting my ducks in a row
Hi all. Most of my recording in the past, has been done either in a 4 track, or a digital standalone or itb. Now, I'm looking to just run some stuff by you folk who are doing the ios-to-the-box way (for further processing or mixdown).
So, I record into ipad DAW (say Gadget, Cubasis). Then...
1) Export track by track onto a .wav?
2) Load wav file into DAW, in my case Reason?
3) Align tracks manually? Or will rendering tracks to wav make them all the same length (silences included?)?
Or, do I mix in ios and then send to complete song mix to computer DAW in full? I guess this is less desireable as you can then only add master effects?
I have read that you should "strip" effects from "stems" before rendering files for export. Yes? No?
What do you all do? I appreciate insight into your process(es). Thanks as always!
Comments
I have yet to finish a full song, but I use BeatMaker 2 on my iPhone and you can export tracks individually, and they are all the same length. No worries about having to line everything up afterwards. I then mix in AUM and that is where I add effects. I also master in Lurssen. But exporting to Reason should be no problem.
Thanks mjcouche. Others?
Not a process, but I would look at your goals for ios daws, and computer daws. Using the most full featured ios daw, only to export your project to a computer daw, presumably because the features are better, doesn't make a lot of sense. If you are mixing on the computer, I would use the ios daw that has the best/easiest export to your computer daw of choice, other features be damned, and just use it as a tape machine.
I'm quite happy to use garage band, because you can directly open the projects in Logic.
If you are going to use Reason, then yes, you'll have to bounce track by track (I believe Cubasis can do this, otherwise you just solo each track, bounce, and repeat). Bouncing the tracks will keep them all the same length, so no manual adjustments will be needed.
That is your choice, depending on if you are more comfortable mixing on desktop or if you have better tools available there than on iOS. But iOS is perfectly viable, and Cubasis can produce a pretty quality mix. I can't help but recommend the Fabfilters in Auria Pro (and now steadily coming out in AUv3 versions, so wait just a bit if that sounds enticing. The first one, Pro-Q2 was just released. And they are the highest quality mixing tools you'll find on iOS). But Cubasis is ample if you choose to mix on iOS.
And you're right about the master fx being your only option once bouncing from Cubasis. So if you have effects on your desktop/laptop that you like better than the iOS ones, it's probably best to export stems and load them one by one into Reason.
I don't worry too much about the effects being on the stems, as long as I make sure that's what I want the finished sound to be like. A delay, chorus, for example. I do ALWAYS keep the reverbs off when bouncing stems, though, since they're usually last in the fx chain and it's really easy to overjudge a reverb, especially in combo with others, and end up with a mix of mud.
I just capture parts on the iPad by whatever fits the job.
For guitar/vocal using Multitrack-DAW, either full takes or with punch in/out sections to develope variations, melodies, overdubs. It is an extremely simple (but efficient) environement with absolutely no distraction. Love it.
Improvised synth parts or soundscapes are often captured by the recording function of the respective app.
More complex setups (multiple apps) are captured in AUM.
All snippets/tracks are collected in Audioshare, zipped and transferred to the desktop
(directly via Audioshare's WebDAV Server or to a Synologie NAS)
Edit/arrangement is entirely done on desktop - a LOT of snipping and moving is my style.
For that reason I choose SAW Studio on Windoze, again few distractions and relaxed work (it's a part of the creative process).
Thanks all!
ok, reviving my old thread with more thoughts and questions.
I have several hardware synths and modules. I'd love to sequence them together and record the results if I can get my head around it. It's all just midi right? hehe
1) So, for instance, i have a Korg Volca beats playing a pattern. I could just record out into the iPad if I wanted to. Or I could have midi in say BM3 controlling the Volca? Now things start to get a bit fiddly. Do I need AUM for this? Or another app...
2) Or I could do what others do and use the iPad as a tape machine and join it all together in a computer DAW (Reason).
or I could just go on buying more apps and enjoying that.
or I could just go on talking to myself.
Things do in fact get fiddly if you have to manage your setup on a single surface.
BM3 (or whatever sequencer) plus AUM for routing and channel recording plus a couple of FX apps is already over the top. Screen switching non-fun.
As mentioned: if it comes to precise track/snippet arrangement (imho) no IOS DAW shines. Endless pinch zooming and swiping - unless you strictly work on fixed grids only, then scale doesn't matter that much and things will snap to each other.
Instead of buying new apps you may consider some outdated iPad(s) for tasks like midi and sample playback (which have relatively low CPU load). That way you have instant access to your main apps.
It's hard to give advice without knowing someone's workflow. Just to consider:
And it's by far an easy thing to have a multitrack recording system ready to go on a keypress in just THAT moment you think 'wow... groovy'.
A common approach is to have the virtual tape track constantly and later snip out the good parts. Which means a lot of data... with cuts across multiple tracks.
But in any case: you have to get your feet wet, or this may never end.
AUM is a valuable tool, just as is Audiobus (in particular since it handles external inputs).
The volca gives you additional interactivity, AUM/Audiobus serve as your mixer and some BM3 or Apematrix for other stuff provide a large playground. Explore it
@Telefunky Thanks! If I may continue ...
Will Apematrix help me in integrating outside of ios land? In other words, midi sync of external gear? I've been trying to avoid AUM and ApeMatrix for now as I just can't get a handle on how they would help me. But, like you say, if I need to just bite-the-bullet to purchase in order to figure that out, I will.
My goals are to:
1) finish tunes (Gadget, BM3)
2) merge ios and external gear
3) take merged tunes, bits, loops, etc. into Reason
4) finish tunes in Reason.
@Telefunky ... just reread your post. So ... I could use AudioBus (which I have) to do what I have described above? Re: the external gear thing?
I see people raving about AUM. And ApeMatrix. Do all three of these accomplish what I might need - merging external midi data with internal (to ios) midi data?
One thing you might consider is neither AUM or ApeMatrix have a way of recording INCOMING midi. You'll need a DAW like Cubasis which is built to handle both bidirectional midi (recording and control) and audio. Or you can use dedicated program like Infinite Looper which will record only midi - for loops and song arrangement using only midi and built in sounds or controlling external synths. Another approach is Gadget, which will record and playback midi, but remember you are working in a program that is designed to be easy to use WITHIN its ecosystem ( I have no real experience integrating Gadget in a larger context).
Personally I find AUM's controls and features to be more readily apparent. ApeMatrix just takes some time to set up and grok. Once you do you get an extensive routing system with 3 pages of 10 patchbays (for audio midi and FX) from which you can route audio and midi signals between apps and hardware (AUM does hardware integration as well). I think if you have a more extensive (or large) setup where you mute and transition ApeMatrix is more comprehensive.
Audiobus, by itself, lies somewhere in the middle. It has a partner program AB Remote you might want to consider at especially if you have another iOS device (not required). You can rapidly switch between apps and use it to control apps start playback and with some their performance.
A DAW will already have extensive routing recording and playback already incorporated within it.
As a note, on iOS we had a situation where the first things created for the platform were stand-alone sound making programs. There was no way to playback multiple things at the same time, or in the background. Background audio and AUDIOBUS changed ALL of that, and as this small ecosystem gained steam, developers created larger programs like DAWs that tried to make the quilt of iOS routing simpler and more self contained.
@audiblevideo Thanks!! This ...
"One thing you might consider is neither AUM or ApeMatrix have a way of recording INCOMING midi. You'll need a DAW like Cubasis which is built to handle both bidirectional midi (recording and control) and audio. Or you can use dedicated program like Infinite Looper which will record only midi - for loops and song arrangement using only midi and built in sounds or controlling external synths. Another approach is Gadget, which will record and playback midi, but remember you are working in a program that is designed to be easy to use WITHIN its ecosystem ( I have no real experience integrating Gadget in a larger context)."
... set me straight. Phew. I do have Cubasis, but did not know I could record an incoming midi stream. Excellent info and now I have something more to go on.
I do see myself getting either or both of the other apps at some point.
Thanks you all for helping me along this path.
It’s Pretty easy really. YouTube is you friend. Jacob Haq or @thesoundtestroom will have enough covered.
I usually route a midi generating whatsis like NodeBeat into a channel in Audiobus which Cubasis will auto recognize and hit record.
Audiobus 3 supports multiple hardware in/outs (not directly available in Audiobus 2).
AUM had that feature from the beginning - and it's a great implementation of an interactive mixer/signal router. (no own experience yet with AB3)
I mentioned Apematrix for the simple fact that it can control several apps running in background mode - so you actually may tweak 2 synths without switching surfaces.
Well, I broke the crust on this setup last night. Success! Midi in, midi out from Cubasis to my Korg Minilogue. Piece of cake. Only thing that would’ve made it easier would have been a Bluetooth keyboard controller. hehe
Flushed with success I’m thinking more about the benefits of ApeMatrix to me. It seems irresistible ....
Thanks again for all of your input and encouragement.