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.

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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Advantages of all AU

I am debating moving to an all AU workflow.

What would be the main advantages of this setup?

My concern with IAA is being stuck with say for example a recorded drums that I would need to record again if I wanted to change a parameter that was not available to be tweaked after it is payed down in my DAW?!

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Comments

  • I’ve battled with the drum conundrum for an age now.

    The closest I’ve got to a solution now uses IAA drum machines and then record the midi into BM3. This approach lets me use the helpful solutions like Funk Drummer and get a bass line done at the same time in iBassest. This works well enough, but is at the start a nightmare to set up. Once set up and the midi is recorded ok (sometimes things just don’t go smoothly), I can then put my own choice of drum sounds in the pads. This then gives me a seperate mixer channel for all the drum sounds.

    Main problems you would encounter:

    You can’t just hook up a drum AU or standard BM3 kit, as the midi notes dont correspond to the pads correctly. You need to either move the midi, or the sounds.

    Sometimes the midi from the IAAs just doesn’t record. This is due to many reasons, such as certain midi parameters changing when reloading the apps. So, sometimes things get a bit head scratchy!

    The problem I’ve found with an all AU approach is actually set up too. It should be easier, but isn’t. You will need to use one incidence of the AU for each sound so that each sound has its own mixer track. Then setting up or playing the midi notes in means more set up or using something like AUM connected to a DAW, which brings the setup back to having the same workflow disconnect as using IAA.

    Yes, you could just use the DAWs own midi note inputs, but again to have seperate mixer channels means separating the input or using a midi app like Rozeta, which again requires initial set up time.

    At this time, I would say that there is no idea drum set up on iOS that does not require some setup each time you start a new project. Yes, you can make a template, but this means that the template is always needed initially and you may not always start a project off that way.

    Sorry for ranting on, I’m just amazed sometimes that my old DAWs from the Middle Ages used to make some of these things much easier. iOS music making still suffers from a great disconnect between devices, inputs, sharing, midi etc etc. Sometimes things go well. Other times I wished IOS had been started off with greater fluidity in mind :p

  • Just to add, when Rozeta works properly in BM3 again, this will make some of the above easier :)

  • For me the advantage is being able to use all kinds of synths and effects but without having to swap back and forth between apps. Staying in the one 'environment' helps with focus and productivity.

    You can also save, close and re-open a project, and all of your outside apps will be set up as they were before; no fussing around to get it all set up again. (Of course, that's provided none of the AUv3s are buggy. For example I've found Beathawk-as-AUv3 to be unreliable in this way, in the past.)

    For the moment, Gadget is still the best environment for me, in terms of being able to just open up a project and work on it with no fussing. But I expect that Nanostudio 2 + AUv3s may soon supplant it. (Again, provided the AUv3s are actually dependable.)

    What's your workflow currently, if it's not all-AUv3?

  • Just to add, once Rozeta works properly in BM3 again, this will be a reasonable all AU setup, just would like some of the features of Funk Drummer built into BM3 to make my non drummerness be less of a problem lol

  • I think on iPads it a better workflow. If you work with an iPhone i find AUv3 not really better since i also have to switch a lot and even have to go trough a lot more scrolling and whatever to set something up.
    Also it´s still very unstable in Audiobus for me since there is always an app which won´t play well.
    So i guess a 12.9" i Pad is of course best for this.

  • Have you tried Audio Evolution with multiple instances of Poison-202?

  • edited October 2018

    @Cib said:
    I think on iPads it a better workflow. If you work with an iPhone i find AUv3 not really better since i also have to switch a lot and even have to go trough a lot more scrolling and whatever to set something up.
    Also it´s still very unstable in Audiobus for me since there is always an app which won´t play well.
    So i guess a 12.9" i Pad is of course best for this.

    I use more and more AU only setup on iPhone 7 Plus with almost no issues except with some buggy AU, but I usually just don’t use those ones. On iPhone apeMatrix and AUM works perfectly with AU. Choosing the right DAW is also important, there is not lot of choice, and the only one which is perfectly stable here with AU is GarageBand. But this one don’t fit everyone’s workflow, and don’t do AU midi except if you use some workaround with AB, ApeM, MF adapter and midi clock, there is some app switching to do, but with AB presets and switching toolbar it’s manageable. Audio Evolution Mobile could be an alternative or also upcoming StageLight.

  • Best way to use drum AU in bm3 is to sample from it. Playing the sounds from plugin is just a waste of CPU resources

  • I don’t understand where the sort of ‘central script’ of the project is supposed to be. If there isn’t a technological one, I suppose it is pencil and paper, then. All my experiments with lashing together apps have thus far resulted in loss of parts of projects because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be saving and from where, and when, before I exit from everything as my train gets to the station.

  • I’m in the process of figuring this out. I have an iPad and iPhone so I’m trying to put together a setup which works universally and allows you to easily.

    For drums I’ve started using audiolayer. It saves presets and samples to iCloud so you can pick up where you left off. I’m using Audio Evolution for the daw, and you can just use a normal midi instrument track, or the drum sequencer tracks are designed to use Soundfonts so you just have to map the drum samples to the right keys.

    So far it seems cpu light enough to have multiple instances of audiolayer on separate tracks.

    BeatHawk or Vatanator would be a better fit but I can’t get them to work reliably.

  • I am also looking for an all iPhone setup. And have also chosen Audio Evolution as the DAW. I think I will do with Zeeon as my synth of choice even if cpu heavy.

    As for drums I think I will use Ruismaker FM until Drambo is released.

  • I’ll usually setup seekbeats in aum and record 2-3 minutes with slider fuckery and then edit out the best parts in auria which then go to gadget zurich or my octatrack. Or even the file player in aum.

  • I'm really only using AU for FX. Not being able to map my controller makes it a non option for synths. Drums on iOS I have made my bed with BM3 and samples.

  • @vpich said:
    I’ll usually setup seekbeats in aum and record 2-3 minutes with slider fuckery and then edit out the best parts in auria which then go to gadget zurich or my octatrack. Or even the file player in aum.

    Great idea.

  • I nearly always use an all AU workflow when possible. The only problem for me at the moment is the lack of sequencers as AU but we do have some options. But this will improve.

    For drums I usually use Audiolayer as well, I hope we get more AU parameters soon. But it gives the most broad range of sounds as you build a library. the current drum AU options are a bit lacking.

  • edited October 2018

    @ExAsperis99 said:

    @vpich said:
    I’ll usually setup seekbeats in aum and record 2-3 minutes with slider fuckery and then edit out the best parts in auria which then go to gadget zurich or my octatrack. Or even the file player in aum.

    Great idea.

    Yup. That's my Sunday morning sorted...

    EDIT: .....or it was....went to Seekbeats and can't get it to run. Weird. Reinstalled. Rebooted. Nothing. App opens fine, but nothing happens when pushing play. Can add notes etc, but no sound, no movement. Thought it MUST be me (headphones connected, dolt?), but works fine on my Air, just not on this 12.9/latest. The mystery of computers.

  • edited October 2018

    I will usally do my initial beats in GR-16, iMaschine or Elastic Beats, I personally have found them to be the quickest way to get down a rhythmic idea, allowing me to move on to whatever melodic idea I have while the juices are still flowing.

    GR-16 is definitely the most versatile if you're working on ios exclusively, imho; it has pretty much every output option you could want; single file, stems for single parts or for chains, midi, even Ableton sets.

    iMaschine and Elastic Drums I will generally export as loops if I just want to get an idea down, and then drop those into cubasis (or AEM if I only have my phone with me.)

    Once I have the song arrangment more of less finalized, I will often bring in Patterning, DM1, Ruismaker etc, either to replace the original beats or occasionally add to them.
    That being said, at least half the time I end up getting attached to the original parts and will just make some minor adjustments to them.

    For GR-16, it is super easy to change a specific part or instrument and export only the things that you need, make a submix, amd add effects to individual tracks and/or the whole kit.

    For iMaschine stuff I will either export loops of grouped parts or I will export to Maschine hosted in Ableton (which I know is not an option for a lot of people.)

    Of course, this is all done with a focus on linear songwriting, and isn't well suited for those who want to do things live or like to tweak things as they go.

  • edited October 2018

    The main AU advantages for me are being able to have all my apps directly loaded in a single DAW, BM3, the potential for multiple instances and automation recording and playback. It's like VST and VSTi plugins on my old Windows box running Emagic Logic Audio. Sweet!

  • edited October 2018

    @u0421793 said:
    I don’t understand where the sort of ‘central script’ of the project is supposed to be. If there isn’t a technological one, I suppose it is pencil and paper, then. All my experiments with lashing together apps have thus far resulted in loss of parts of projects because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be saving and from where, and when, before I exit from everything as my train gets to the station.

    I used to have this problem often myself, almost anytime I open an AB preset from my early attempts with non-DAW projects, there will be an app or AU that will be missing or won't be the final version.

    You really have to make sure that all presets are named and/or dated, and that you save everything in it's final state, whether that is the version that you bounced down, or just where you left your idea/experiment.

    If I am using an app that doesn't have state saving/easily made presets, I have gotten into the habit of making an ios note with the name and date, although I recently have been trying to include apeMatrix every time; not only do you get the amazing LFO automations, but there is a note attached to each preset.

  • edited October 2018

    It’s AU or bust these days. Biggest downside is many apps dont comply, leaving you with less tools, especially drum/percussion apps. The workflow is just SO much better.

  • For me IAA is only for ‘in the moment’ stuff that either gets recorded as audio or midi then unloaded.

    The only IAA I make an exception for is Effectrix where I save the project the same as the BM3 session and label the bank accordingly. Part of this is because I figure it will be an AU soon and I can then do the happy dance while I update the IAA version with the AU. Then the only IAA I have left will just be sample fodder for BM3. Whoot!

  • Audiobus with Xequence and Au3 is my main workflow right now
    I always had issues with Beathawk in some DAWs but now works great in AB3 with state saving or I use reslice with sample drum loops
    Ruismaker a lot too.
    I tend to always go for a AU first nowadays
    IAA must die, there can only be one! Haha.

  • edited October 2018

    But developers are not all on board yet and still make standalone/IAA apps which must result in less usage and less sales at the end of the day? I really hope Apple makes developing AU easier to encourage developers to add AU by default. There will always be some people who prefer standalone for the more in depth apps but the majority here and on FB seem to be moving to AU. Also, AU doesn’t have to be the end of standalone. Look at SugarBytes approach, you can run their apps standalone or as an AU in any host. Perfect!

    Just imagine having that option for Gestrument Pro, GR-16, iBassist and all the Lumbeat drum apps, Seek Beats, EFX, Elastic Drums, Drum Session, Quantum!!! I get quite dizzy when I think about it... 😵

  • Just imagine having that option for Gestrument Pro, GR-16, iBassist and all the Lumbeat drum apps, Seek Beats, EFX, Elastic Drums, Drum Session, Quantum!!! I get quite dizzy when I think about it... 😵

    Most of these are unlikely to get AU though based on what I’ve inferred from their developers commentary.

    So world-class AU drums will have to come from next gen developers. I doubt it will be too much longer.

  • @realdawei said:

    Just imagine having that option for Gestrument Pro, GR-16, iBassist and all the Lumbeat drum apps, Seek Beats, EFX, Elastic Drums, Drum Session, Quantum!!! I get quite dizzy when I think about it... 😵

    Most of these are unlikely to get AU though based on what I’ve inferred from their developers commentary.

    So world-class AU drums will have to come from next gen developers. I doubt it will be too much longer.

    I don’t think it’s old school vs new school developers or anything like that. I think it’s just harder to code for AU compatibility currently abs there’s probably more documentation for IAA. Early days still.

  • @gusgranite said:

    @realdawei said:

    Just imagine having that option for Gestrument Pro, GR-16, iBassist and all the Lumbeat drum apps, Seek Beats, EFX, Elastic Drums, Drum Session, Quantum!!! I get quite dizzy when I think about it... 😵

    Most of these are unlikely to get AU though based on what I’ve inferred from their developers commentary.

    So world-class AU drums will have to come from next gen developers. I doubt it will be too much longer.

    I don’t think it’s old school vs new school developers or anything like that. I think it’s just harder to code for AU compatibility currently abs there’s probably more documentation for IAA. Early days still.

    I’d still go with old school vs new school. Their prerogative though. I’ve seen the new AU’s and am no longer concerned about bringing the past forward 🤩

  • The other thing I don’t understand about doing it with lots of separate apps, strung together – it seems to be impossible to work on more than one song in the same time period.

  • @u0421793 said:
    The other thing I don’t understand about doing it with lots of separate apps, strung together – it seems to be impossible to work on more than one song in the same time period.

    How so?

    I'm pretty much a one app at a time guy but these days it has improved a lot.

  • @u0421793 said:
    The other thing I don’t understand about doing it with lots of separate apps, strung together – it seems to be impossible to work on more than one song in the same time period.

    Probably because there’s historically been more focus around jamming or live. Which is fair enough but it shouldn’t define or limit the scope of what’s possible on iOS.

  • wimwim
    edited October 2018

    @u0421793 said:
    The other thing I don’t understand about doing it with lots of separate apps, strung together – it seems to be impossible to work on more than one song in the same time period.

    Hummm? I don’t understand why you would say this. I always have multiple projects developing in parallel. I must be misunderstanding you?

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