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.

Using iPad or iPhone to send midi to the other....

What do I need to hook this up? Both have headphone jacks so that’s not an issue. And can any app that sends midi send it through this connection?

Comments

  • @db909 said:
    What do I need to hook this up? Both have headphone jacks so that’s not an issue. And can any app that sends midi send it through this connection?

    MIDI does not go through the headphone jack. Midi goes via USB (and CCK) or Bluetooth. If you have a Bluetooth enabled app it is possible you could send MIDI between the devices this way ? It is not something I have tried as I only have a single device.

  • edited October 2018

    @AndyPlankton said:

    @db909 said:
    What do I need to hook this up? Both have headphone jacks so that’s not an issue. And can any app that sends midi send it through this connection?

    MIDI does not go through the headphone jack. Midi goes via USB (and CCK) or Bluetooth. If you have a Bluetooth enabled app it is possible you could send MIDI between the devices this way ? It is not something I have tried as I only have a single device.

    Yeah I was wanting to do USB, haven’t gotten Bluetooth to work. Is there a single thing I can buy for that? Sorry for the noob question I haven’t had two devices before

  • edited October 2018

    @db909 said:

    @AndyPlankton said:

    @db909 said:
    What do I need to hook this up? Both have headphone jacks so that’s not an issue. And can any app that sends midi send it through this connection?

    MIDI does not go through the headphone jack. Midi goes via USB (and CCK) or Bluetooth. If you have a Bluetooth enabled app it is possible you could send MIDI between the devices this way ? It is not something I have tried as I only have a single device.

    Yeah I was wanting to do USB, haven’t gotten Bluetooth to work. Is there a single thing I can buy for that? Sorry for the noob question I haven’t had two devices before

    In theory, a CCK for each device and a USB cable between, (it's remotely possible you may just be able to use a Lightning cable between the devices, not sure I've ever seen a lightning to lightning cable though) not sure how they will react as it is connecting 2 USB hosts together (the iOS device is a USB host) as opposed to the more normal USB Device to USB Host. I'd wait for confirmation from someone who has made it work before splashing out. It would be all to easy to either waste money, or blow up the devices connecting the together in the wrong way :|

    Surely someone on here must have tried it ?

    Only having 1 device myself I have never tried BT MIDI either, my guess is that you need an app that will be the BT MIDI Receiver on one device..I think most of the BT enabled apps work like this. And then on the other device an app that will work as a controller and send MIDI OUT via BT MIDI....not sure if or what exists for that though :(

  • if you are on a wifi network, just connect with "network midi"
    Not all apps have bluetooth MIDI, but most have network MIDI.

    Network MIDI works on local wifi or local ethernet. Ethernet would require a lightning-to-ethernet adapter (x 2) and a router, but would be more stable for live/ stage performances.

  • edited October 2018

    The only single thing I know of is this one

    http://www.sevillasoft.com/articles.php?article_id=3

    You will still need 2 lightning to usb dongles though

    Midimittr works well to connect via BT midi

    Net result playing keys in changeling on iPad mini 1st edition plays sounds from sound tank on iPad Pro 12.9 1st edition

  • yeah, @BiancaNeve 's idea is the only option for USB connections. You have to have some sort of USB hardware that converts the MIDI between the two hosts.

    @AndyPlankton you can connect a slave iOS device to a master iOS device, with one lightning to USB adapter and a standard lightning cable. The problem is that iOS only shares photos/videos this way, not any of the class compliant MIDI/ audio. Thats why you need the adapter @BiancaNeve mentions.

  • @Hmtx said:
    yeah, @BiancaNeve 's idea is the only option for USB connections. You have to have some sort of USB hardware that converts the MIDI between the two hosts.

    @AndyPlankton you can connect a slave iOS device to a master iOS device, with one lightning to USB adapter and a standard lightning cable. The problem is that iOS only shares photos/videos this way, not any of the class compliant MIDI/ audio. Thats why you need the adapter @BiancaNeve mentions.

    Damn. I was hoping it would be a simple deal. Might be a bit too much for my needs

  • wimwim
    edited October 2018

    Apollo Midi does a great job of sending midi between devices using BlueTooth. Yes, you have to have it running on both devices, but it does work.

    Network Connection is available on all devices, but only actually works on certain apps. MidiFire can be used to enable it for anything, but adds complexity, and my experience has been unstable midi timing. I gave up on network midi.

    The best and most stable is a device like the iConnectAUDIO 4+, which handles everything in hardware.

  • @wim I thought that ethernet-based "network MIDI" should theoretically be just as reliable as the iConnect audio. The issues with timing over Network MIDI is only when its wifi, right? I would be interested to hear from anyone who has used both.

  • @Hmtx said:
    @wim I thought that ethernet-based "network MIDI" should theoretically be just as reliable as the iConnect audio. The issues with timing over Network MIDI is only when its wifi, right? I would be interested to hear from anyone who has used both.

    I’ve been tempted to get a USB Ethernet adapter to try it out but haven’t seen the need. In theory the timing should be good. But as I mentioned, few apps can actually work over the Network Connection, even though it shows up. MidiFire and MidiDesigner Pro can be used to overcome this, but add complexity.

  • Midimux is good here - open it up, tap the + sign to create a Virtual MIDI Port (16 Channels + OMNI) - you give the Port a “Local Name” which is seen by the device you created the Port with, your other devices will see the Virtual MIDI Port as the Name of your device. You can create multiple Ports if you’d like more channels etc.

  • I actually thought this was a thing people did often but i see now it’s not so easy. Hmm

  • @db909 said:
    I actually thought this was a thing people did often but i see now it’s not so easy. Hmm

    It is rarely needed, if you need to trigger a synth it is easier to just open it in a host that supports Ableton Link and sequence on the iPad the synth is on.

  • Apollo Midi is easy.

  • edited October 2018

    @Turntablist said:

    @db909 said:
    I actually thought this was a thing people did often but i see now it’s not so easy. Hmm

    It is rarely needed, if you need to trigger a synth it is easier to just open it in a host that supports Ableton Link and sequence on the iPad the synth is on.

    Yeah that makes sense. I don’t usually use hosts and standalone synths. I was wanting to play Sounprism on the iPad and have it sending midi to Gr-16 or KEW on the phone for the purposes of having both visible

  • @wim said:
    Apollo Midi is easy.

    I’ll look into that thank you

  • @db909 said:

    @wim said:
    Apollo Midi is easy.

    I’ll look into that thank you

    +1

  • I’ve always found it to be fairly simple. Bluetooth LE, or WiFi. Both work fine.

    The question is if you are trying to run lots of MIDI data, or if you need a real tight sync for sequences, that’s when you might need other more complicated set up.

  • wimwim
    edited October 2018

    I’m listening to a Ruismaker beat on my iPad that’s being driven by Rozeta on my iPhone via AudioBus and Apollo. Timing is pretty solid even with both apps running in the background (and I type on a bluetooth keyboard.) That’s just a light test though, ymmv.

    I believe AudioBus is intended to be able to send midi between devices from the midi tab. The option shows, but isn’t operational yet. Last I checked it was on @Michael’s todo list.

    That will be the simple answer at some point I hope.

    [edit] I just loaded up the midiflow keyboard on the iPhone to play Phasemaker on the iPad while the beat is still running. Latency is OK at least for my level of chops. Just for giggles I loaded up SPA on the iPad, routed it to the iPhone, then back to Phasemaker on the iPad. That worked too. The drum timing isn’t perfect, a beat lags a bit here or there when things get busy. But for light use, it’s workable.

  • Another vote for Apollo Midi

  • edited December 2018

    @db909 said:

    @Turntablist said:

    @db909 said:
    I actually thought this was a thing people did often but i see now it’s not so easy. Hmm

    It is rarely needed, if you need to trigger a synth it is easier to just open it in a host that supports Ableton Link and sequence on the iPad the synth is on.

    Yeah that makes sense. I don’t usually use hosts and standalone synths. I was wanting to play Sounprism on the iPad and have it sending midi to Gr-16 or KEW on the phone for the purposes of having both visible

    @db909
    heya, you probably figured out some other method by now, but i was surprised to see no mention of Aum being used for this. It has the ability to send and receive Midi using Blue Tooth and is super simple.

    On the controller unit, usually the iPhone or iPad Mini etc, go to settings and scroll to the bottom. You will see these options:

    Click on “advertise” and you’ll get this option to toggle on BT midi as a send from AUM.

  • Then on the other device, you can route it through AUM and most other DAW/Mixer/Matrix or often even to the synth itself if used in stand alone mode.

    I have a folder of controller apps that I use with Bluetooth Midi, more often with desktop DAW'S in all honesty, but even though you can easily control apps on the same device, there are plenty of times that I've found it useful.

    Using a device like Thumb Jam that is easier to use on an iPhone to control an app on an IPad for example. Or to control an app unavailable on iPhone, like Turnado. Or to split the CPU load so you can actually control 8 synths with Refractions. You get the idea.

    Anyway, hopefully this is helpful, if not for you, than maybe some future forum searcher or current forum lurker.

    It's yet another tool in our vast toolbox, so impossibly fun and seemingly impossible to properly organize. (More in the way iOS works than how you might sort your own library.)

    Right. Insomnia samaritan urges quashed for the moment, back to the recording studio. (On an iPad, in bed next to the sleeping missus.)

  • AC Central does a good job via bluetooth. It's easy to set up and free

    https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1220896148?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo=4

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