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.
Classifying and sorting DAWs, BeatBoxes and other „Boxes“ ...
Under the overwhelming amount of Apps, i often loose my way ...
As a first attempt to classify and sort my Apps, i created this:
With „Boxes“, i mean every App that is capable of producing a complete song without needing some additional DAW, but cannot host other IAA or AU Apps.
They are split into those that allow for Live- or File- MIDI-Out, so able to create a base that can be further developed in another App and those that do not allow this, and can maybe only handle MIDI-In, so could only be used like a Synth to create Audio.
And a DAW would be defined as a „Box“ that has both Live- and File-MIDI-In and -Out and also can host IAA and / or AU Apps.
AUM is not realy a DAW, i would say, as it requires other Apps like a Sequencer to be a full DAW.
Would you change any of my sorting`?
To explain what i am trying to do: I will add nodes with the Apps that i use together with those first Apps, just to document my different workflows or workflows that i should try.
For example, adding Instruments, Sequencer and Chord Apps which i use together or should try to use together, and so on. I have no concrete goal, just trying to sort Apps and thoughts 
Comments
I suggest not worrying about trying different workflows that don't occur to you naturally and just enjoy creating music via whatever app your intuition tells you is the most sensible at the time. You can do it. Otherwise you're more concerned with the things you have rather than the things you can make with them.
I think, such a mindmap will help me reaching that
There are so many way, that i just loose control and orientation.
I can then also document which ways i tried and note which worked better ... and document, if something is not obvious or has a hidden feature and so on.
So i assume that you have no bigger critique about this initial sorting?
Good work classifying the Apps by categories.
I would encourage you to continue by adding more categories will be nice. Maybe on multiple pages with Circles used to show connections across pages.
Sequencers
MIDi Generative/Automated Sequencers
Samplers
FX
Delay
Chorus
...
It would be nice to come up with a name for the "Plumbers":
AB3
AUM
ApeMatrix
*Many think of the Plumbers as their DAW because they "pipe up" a setup and create recordings. The cool think about pipe fitting is that you can connect things no one expected to be connected into a System.
You might have to add a CIRCLE for LFO controllers at some point. That's the new Hotness that make ApeFilter so much fun with AU Parameters being exposed for control "wave" input.
The mind map looks like a very elaborate way to avoid making music
Nothing wrong with the classifications, but classifying is not substitute for actual experience. Make a track using one app/DAW/box, then make another using another app/DAW/box and see which apps you enjoy more.
It's pointless having all those apps if you don't actually make music with them. Personally I only own about half the apps in that mind-map, partly because I don't buy every new app that comes out and concentrate on learning the ones I already have.
While this mindmapping may not be exactly very helpful in the music making process, I actually appreciate it. It gives a great overview over the available options and surely is quite helpful for beginners wading through the App Store jungle.
Yes that's true, it could definitely form a useful guide for people who are new to iOS music making.
Except that oscilab does have midi out
Stagelight hosts AU instruments and effects
Pick three apps, ignore the rest until you have made an album. Do this, choose three more, repeat.
@tja, thanks. IMHO I would disregard any criticisms of your mapping. I am sure it does not prevent you from making music. “What’s with the note Taking? Why do you use so many notes?” “Cause I am a real musician and real musicians use notes.” When has making music become the ultimate desire here all of a sudden (Even tho it is mine)? IMO actual music making is equal or secondary to having a ton of fun with the tech on every level. And, I am guessing you had a lot of fun organizing this valuable info. In fact, if you could write a brief definition for each category and post it with your chart on the KB it would be awesome (for me, anyway) If you do, could you please post it as iOS Basics Part 3: How To Record Using iOS... or somesuch.
If i could really see the obsessive routines my mind engages in when hearing a phrase, or seeing a chart, or a particular point of view, and realize how that leads to a very personalized and repetitive judgement, i would be taking a real step towards consciousness. But, tho I am very intelligent, often that very intelligence sabotages my own growth. I am not judging myself, just recognizing the way things always seem to go when I think I am thinking. I am Spartacus!
I was unsure, at some point, what exactly is the definition of a DAW - and opened a topic about this.
But I am still not sure about this point :-)
It's a good idea to continue on this mindmap and classification, but I may not currently have enough spare time for this.
But I will come back to it!
Thanks for the interest, @LinearLineman
@tja
Don’t forget MultiTrackStudio (DAW, live and file midi, Meteor file midi)
@tja don’t forget Music Studio & Meteor. I like the first one... just bought Meteor. And Stagelight is probably my favourite “other” DAW at the present. It’s hard to be unfaithful to Cubasis though...
@LinearLineman “Excellent & extraordinary piece of music, but don’t you think there are too many notes herr Mozart”?
“Your excellency, just tell me which ones and I shall have them removed” 😆
Hey , i love some taxonomic charts.
Meteor is cool in conjunction with their Synergy, make tracks with step sequencer (and amazing arp) then ship the separate stems directly into Meteor
Hmmm interesting, gotta check up Synergy on AppStore
Bleass does allow you to send MIDI out. Audio Evolution can host AU or IAA apps.
I wouldn’t worry too much about whether an app is a DAW or not so much as what it can do.
You might want to consider creating a spreadsheet for yourself so you can sort by features to see what’s available.
Another approach you might consider is watching videos of the various apps in action as a way to see if any of the workflows they use are anything you’d be interested in.
+1
You should grab stagelight, my fav iOS daw and I think after it gets more midi support, it'll rule them all
Edit: ok I see it on the list, missed it at first