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.

Farewell hardware full ios plunge

Had a few awesome days with ios synth programing, mesmerized with the possibilites.
Selling all harware today, have you taken this plunge? Results?

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Comments

  • What hardware are you selling? I wouldn't sell my Mother 32 just cause I have a model15 iOS app.

    But I completely understand being taken in with iOS possibilities

  • That thought had crossed my mind but low and behold I got an UNO Synth on the last trip to the local music store.
    Just waiting to IK to release the editor so I can fully exploit it. Also planning to dig out some old hardware from the closet, MC-303 is out next when I have enough room on my desk....
    (Everything will work nicely with the iPad with together connected to the UR-242).

    Somehow the old tracker habits crawl out when hardware sits on the desk, need to sample it and see what can be done with the samples etc. etc.

  • Yep, depends on what you’re selling...
    Really interesting possibilities indeed, but also very time consuming if you want to make very advanced setup...not much making music during this time...

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  • I could probably go 'full on iOS' if I could do 4 way split-screen on a 15" iPad or something like that.
    (For example run full Cubasis in one corner of the screen, Gadget in another corner, a synth on another and maybe ApeMatrix, AUM or AB3 in another corner).

    That's one of the reason I like 'sampling hardware' since I can have one app full-screen and tweak the hardware at the same time. With 4 way split-screen that would work just like that.

    Oh well, Maybe iOS15 or something will give us that...

  • @breilly said:
    Had a few awesome days with ios synth programing, mesmerized with the possibilites.
    Selling all harware today, have you taken this plunge? Results?

    To me iOS is just another piece of hardware to integrate with the rest of my hardware.

  • @mAxjUlien said:

    Having had it for awhile, what’s the verdict?

    Too early to 'judge'. Will wait at least until the UNO Editor is out so I can access all features of the unit.

    There are some WTF moments to be had, like no way to 'Init' a patch (needs the editor) and some factory presets use modulation parameters that can not be accessed from the front panel (again needs the editor) so it's a 'surprise' depending preset that used as the starting point.

    The editor however looks like a knock-out so I'm looking forward to it!(It will run on iPad, iPhone and Mac & PC).

    Also find a 'clean' USB-Powerbrick when not running on batteries.
    Tried a few and the classic 5W iPhone charger causes the least amount of 'noise' on par with using batteries.

    On the design I do wish there was an option for 'back light' when using the unit in the dark, again the editor will solve this issue too. Meaning I could just tuck away the unit and use the iPad to manage it :D

    The biggest WTF is the fact that in the current firmware (1.02) there is a bug that doesn't allow one to turn off 'Soft Midi Thru' meaning everything coming in to the unit via midi in gets sent to midi out directly causing severe midi-loop back (especially when playing legato) when both In & Out are connected to a sequencer which is needed if one wants to record knob movements. Also USB doesn't have Midi-Out yet. All these will be fixed in the next firmware update though...

    It does feel that the unit was 'rushed out' without proper Quality Assurance and Testing...

    Also it's made of plastic and needs a bit of 'bending'(at least my unit and the one in the store) to sit flush in the Then again I had to 'bend' my Electribe 2 to stop it from wiggling on the desk and it's made of metal :D

    Also, what if any synth would you compare the sounds too?

    Have not done any direct comparisons to apps yet but it sounds like it's own thing for sure!
    (Which can be 'good or bad' there's the classic 'analog oscillator leakage' where the unit is never really fully 'silent' even when envelopes are fully closed. It's at a very low level though and can only be heard after extreme amplification of the output from the device). It takes time to get used to after 'ultra clean' iOS apps hahaha.

    I plan on keeping the IK forum busy with suggestions, have yet not received a reply but hey, it's week end after all :)

  • Having tactile control over apps is a very good idea. I would hang on to at least one keyboard/synth that sends midi. Foot controllers are a great companion for iOS devices, Bluetooth midi connection is smoother than butter nowadays. So many options, good luck finding your happy place!

  • @Samu said:

    @mAxjUlien said:

    Having had it for awhile, what’s the verdict?

    Too early to 'judge'. Will wait at least until the UNO Editor is out so I can access all features of the unit.

    There are some WTF moments to be had, like no way to 'Init' a patch (needs the editor) and some factory presets use modulation parameters that can not be accessed from the front panel (again needs the editor) so it's a 'surprise' depending preset that used as the starting point.

    The editor however looks like a knock-out so I'm looking forward to it!(It will run on iPad, iPhone and Mac & PC).

    Also find a 'clean' USB-Powerbrick when not running on batteries.
    Tried a few and the classic 5W iPhone charger causes the least amount of 'noise' on par with using batteries.

    On the design I do wish there was an option for 'back light' when using the unit in the dark, again the editor will solve this issue too. Meaning I could just tuck away the unit and use the iPad to manage it :D

    The biggest WTF is the fact that in the current firmware (1.02) there is a bug that doesn't allow one to turn off 'Soft Midi Thru' meaning everything coming in to the unit via midi in gets sent to midi out directly causing severe midi-loop back (especially when playing legato) when both In & Out are connected to a sequencer which is needed if one wants to record knob movements. Also USB doesn't have Midi-Out yet. All these will be fixed in the next firmware update though...

    It does feel that the unit was 'rushed out' without proper Quality Assurance and Testing...

    Also it's made of plastic and needs a bit of 'bending'(at least my unit and the one in the store) to sit flush in the Then again I had to 'bend' my Electribe 2 to stop it from wiggling on the desk and it's made of metal :D

    Also, what if any synth would you compare the sounds too?

    Have not done any direct comparisons to apps yet but it sounds like it's own thing for sure!
    (Which can be 'good or bad' there's the classic 'analog oscillator leakage' where the unit is never really fully 'silent' even when envelopes are fully closed. It's at a very low level though and can only be heard after extreme amplification of the output from the device). It takes time to get used to after 'ultra clean' iOS apps hahaha.

    I plan on keeping the IK forum busy with suggestions, have yet not received a reply but hey, it's week end after all :)

    Testers, that's the user today, mostly gone are the days of in-house testing even with hardware.

  • You’d have to pry my hardware from my cold, dead hands. But I’d also say the same about my iPad so maybe I’m just a hoarder.

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  • @DCJ said:
    You’d have to pry my hardware from my cold, dead hands. But I’d also say the same about my iPad so maybe I’m just a hoarder.

    Same here I'm taking mine to my tomb ;)

  • I would keep your very favourites- I still have my KP3’s and my Roland TB-3. I am very happy to have made the switch though- I still can’t quite believe that you can buy virtually any synth/ sequencer/ effects/ sampler etc etc for less than the price of even the postage of a hardware version. There is so much choice. It is almost too good to be true. Sometimes it’s like a kid lost in a sweet shop though and you end up getting nothing done as a consequence. For the price of one hardware synth you can have the equivalent of a grotto rammed to the roof. Not only that- say goodbye to your mountain of assorted cables and connectors, and say hello to that new found space you have in your house.

  • @mAxjUlien said:
    Thanks for the thorough review @Samu

    I think I’ll hold off to see how the editor and firmware polish what seems like a great product to be.

    It's a fun little unit for sure. Since most 'control' is digital(Envelopes & LFO) a pitch-envelope is on my list of features even though I do doubt we'll see one. At least there's support for for pitch-bend :)

    There's plenty of room for 'secondary functions' for the knobs. Currently only the osc row uses secondary functions so at least 12 more parameters could easily be mapped to the knobs. Other places for secondary functions would be alt + one of the black keys, only 4 are used at the moment...

    I do hope IK will keep on improving the units firmware and adding more control to the unit itself to avoid having to have it hooked up to another device...

    The editor is supposed to be out before the end of this month so maybe next week or so :)

  • I’ll probably go no-hardware too eventually.

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  • @mAxjUlien said:

    @Samu said:
    The editor is supposed to be out before the end of this month so maybe next week or so :)

    That soon. Hopefully they maintain that level of support for some time. I’ve been binging on small mobile hardware synths after going completely iOS for the past 2 years. There’s just too much going on in sound design, portability and software to handicap oneself past whatever disposable income available.

    That's true... We are quite spoiled with all the apps available on iOS and even sampling digitally on iOS is a viable option but the lack of properly being able to see multiple apps at once on iOS is driving me bonkers.

    With Fullscreen AUv3's and AUv3's in general and 'Self Contained' apps such as Gadget it's doable.
    But as mentioned in a few posts above proper split-screen functionality in iOS without 'specially written apps' would be a game-changer especially on say a 15" iPad. We could stack multiple instances of AUv3's on the screen while still keeping a DAW running without distractions. Or run Gadget, Cubasis and BM3 at the same time while still having room for additional apps...

  • Playing and tweaking my Sub37 vs Model 15 or Model D on iOS are two different worlds.
    It's not about being able to reproduce the sound on iOS, it's much more about the feeling I get when getting to grips with the Sub37. iOS is no replacement for that experience.
    Apart from that, I do like tweaking and playing thor on top ;)

  • edited August 2018

    @knewspeak said:

    @breilly said:
    Had a few awesome days with ios synth programing, mesmerized with the possibilites.
    Selling all harware today, have you taken this plunge? Results?

    To me iOS is just another piece of hardware to integrate with the rest of my hardware.

    I love that an iPads lil compact self can be my sequencer, drum machines, and synths. But that’s all better with some Pads and keys to play them. And knobs mapped to filters, modulations, etc.

    Definitely love that I can program some of it in minimal portable form, but real performance, that’s harder, need natural way to control velocity and of course more note accuracy.

    And that’s just the iPad part of the music. Mainly a singer and guitar player, that’s the real gear pile.

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  • edited August 2018
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  • I’d never go software only. Guitars, basses, old analogue synths, drum kits, cement mixers - you can’t properly replicate that stuff with an app or a VST.

    Nothing’s off the list here - if it makes an interesting noise, and more importantly it’s cheap, it’s in.

  • edited August 2018

    @MonzoPro said:
    cement mixers....

    Nice.
    I sampled a washer dryer set once.

  • @Multicellular said:

    @MonzoPro said:
    cement mixers....

    Nice.
    I sampled a washer dryer set once.

  • edited August 2018

    I'm actually heading the opposite direction. Hardware is just fun cause of the tactile experience. Having too much options can also make your work suffer.

  • @Multicellular said:

    @MonzoPro said:
    cement mixers....

    Nice.
    I sampled a washer dryer set once.

    Omg are you Diego stocco ? D:

  • I think the moral of the story here is that everybody wants to know what you have for sale, so lets have it?

  • edited August 2018

    @Samu said:

    “That's one of the reason I like 'sampling hardware' since I can have one app full-screen and tweak the hardware at the same time. “...
    Exactly .. With my Korg Kross 2 I can sample or audio record a loop from a closed system like Garage Band and just fly it into something else, via wav file into another sampler, Auria, etc.

  • You may regret not keeping an item or two. I did...

  • @crony said:
    Yep, depends on what you’re selling...
    Really interesting possibilities indeed, but also very time consuming if you want to make very advanced setup...not much making music during this time...

    Yup, and then you fly.....
    ........................................until next iOS update!

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