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.
RESULTS: Top 10 Apps from Forum Users (if they could only keep 10)
If I had to trim down to 10 Apps and keep making the music I like I would choose:
CONTEXT: I'm a ROM-pler Keyboard Workstation type (Nord Stage 3 for a hardware ideal)
PLUMBING/MIXING
1. AudioBus2 - (the musical plumber)
2. AUM - mixing
FILE MANAGEMENT/MASTERING
3. AudioShare (File Management and Movement)
4. Auria Pro (IAPs for Mastering)
SOUNDS/
5. SpaceCraft Granular Synth (can play samples, sequence, and get me to the stars for $7)
6. AudioLayer (I can get any sound from Mainstage/Logic on my Mac... I cheat)
7. Soft Drummer (Love that Jazz drum sound)
8. Korg Module (IAP's)
FX
9. AudioEffx (Audio Channel Strip)
10. StreamByter (the MIDI "Apple II")
Comments
Nanostudio 2 (composing, making beats etc)
Cubasis (for audio/midi abilites, freezing tracks and spinfx. I’d also take all the iap, waves etc)
Auria Pro (for all the fabfilter stuff and intense audio recording with busses and editing. Truthfully I could get 90% there in Cubasis if needed)
AudioShare
AudioLayer (for the same reason as OP)
SynthMaster Player auv3 (with all iap bundles)
Those are what come to mind. I’ll update 9-10 later lol
Good question!
TRACK CONSTRUCTION
1. Korg Gadget
2. Blocs Wave
SOUNDS
3. Sunrizer
4. LayR
5. Nave
6. Mitosynth
7. Spacecraft Granular
8. Fieldscaper
FILE/SAMPLE MANAGEMENT
9. Audioshare
PLUMBING
10. Audiobus 3
Man, that was a struggle! I am iPad based only, having to be completely mobile in what I do music-wise.
I guess I could just about get away with the above, which form the main part of my workflow. I’d still miss a tonne of other apps, though, which are good for getting the initial ideas and inspiration going.
In worst case first 4 places would be enough
))
)) in most cases FAC transient + NS build in compressor does the job for me.
8 is just to not have 7
Host.
AUM
Sequencer.
Aphelian
Effects.
Adverb
Kosmonaut
file manager.
Audio share
synths.
Sunrizer
Mitosynth
Spacecraft
tardigrain
synth one
BM3
NS2
Kleverb
ProQ2
Reamp
Fac transient
Synthmaster One
Perforator
Egoist
Aparillo
PS. Fab IAPs feels like a cheaty loophole but eh, whatever
Nanostudio2
Korg Gadget
Loopy
Groovebox
Audiobus 3
Audioshare
Elastic Drums
Replicant 2
Turnado
Egoist
Great thread, McD. I hope you will do a compilation of the ten most widely held apps.
1. Cubasis (with all inapps except drum machines)
2. ISymphonic (all inapps)
3. BeatHawk (all inapps)
4. IFretless Bass
5. Ravenscroft 275
6. SpaceCraft
7. All Lumbeats drum apps (cheating, but understandably so)
8. Sensual Sax
9. GeoShred
10. SynthMaster Player
I use AB3, but could work around it. Short on synths, would add Thor if you would make it the top 11, but I am an Acoustic Man.
With these I am goood to go.
I feel like picking gadget is cheating cuz it has so many synths and effects hahaha but I'll let it slide 😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂 I almost picked it for mine but it wouldn't fit into my ten 🏂
--Producing--
1- BlocsWave
4- Garageband
6- Stagelight
--Learning--
2- Midilicious
3- Chords
--Performing--
5- Logic Remote
7- Djay
8- Spotify (required for djay)
9- GroupTheLoop
--Managing library--
10- Documents
but in fact I have not too much apps aside those (mostly common apps such dropbox/drive, wallapop, netflix, instagram, vlc...) and I didn't use most of them. The extra music apps I have such some fx (in the iDevice, not bought like turnado which I never used more than playing for fun) are mostly AU that I also don't use... vj apps for make videos... neither...)
I should consider selling my mini4 itrack dock combo and buy dedicated hardware seriously... I keep it to use it as screen for the mac mini on the go...
)
In the iPhone is even worst...
...
Composition: Gadget (because of Stockholm), Audio Evolution (because of SF2 support)
Composition at the hardware rig: Genome Midi (because of its editing speed)
Sound design: Groove Rider GR16, Zeeon, Quanta (each with their own unique sound)
Recording/sampling/sharing: AudioShare (limited but no real alternative yet)
Audio editing: Audio Evolution
Audio processing: Brusfri, DerVoco, Discord4
DAW/Util
1.BM3
2.Cubasis
3.Audioshare
FX:
4:Audioeffx
Sound
5:Geoshred
6:Sunrizer
7:Wavemapper
8:Swarplug
9:Egoist
10:Samplr
I don't think I even have 10 music apps on my iOS devices most of the time
Do I get to pick a couple to add?
I think CONTEXT matters. These lists (if you know the apps involved) provide a context.
I'll think about a summary like ranking but not sure if it would help anyone. It also involves
Math. Statistics probably.
I'm looking for apps I either don't own or do and forgot about.
You cheat. But I'll accept that fact that picking one is just too hard for your condition.
You gotta' stop 'loving' that Sax.
It's the differences, not the commonalities, which makes lists like this of interest to me. Swarplug, Egoist and Samplr. That's some 8, 9, 10 there @Gaia.Tree
Audioshare
Turnado
Troublemaker
Blocs Wave
Groovebox
EFX
iKaossilator
AUM
Remix Live
Gadget
Easy...I largely only use 10 as is.
1 Modstep
2 Ruismaker
3 Ruismaker FM
4 Lorentz
5 Laplace
6 Red Shrike
7 Virsyn Tera
8 Audiobus
9 Audioshare
10 Audiolayer
It’s interesting how people don’t just have different favourite synths but completely different workflows. I expected a lot more overlap of answers.
I’d go with:
AUM
Rozeta Suite
AudioShare
SpaceCraft
DM1
Zeeon
Animoog
Model D
BlocsWave
Gadget
I actually never use gadget anymore but used to a lot before and will probably start incorporating it again, especially if I was in this hypothetical situation, it’s a lot of bang for one pick! I also left off FX because I arrange and mix in Ableton now.
Chaos!
given that I’ve made much lighter recreations of my PC virtual instruments in nanostudio, I could get by with Nanostudio 2, Auria Pro, AudioShare, Documents, and the rest being some effects plugins from audio damage.
FLSM
Cubasis
Auria Pro
Caustic
Launchpad
Tonebridge
AudioShare
Twisted Wave
forScore
NotateMe
Right, the completely different workflows are the cause of many an argument here on the forums. "What, you use that unstable BM3 trash?" "I only use the sampler." "What, are you crazy? Who only uses a sampler? NS2 can do all that and more!" And so on...
AUM
Rozeta Suite
Auria Pro
Eos 2
Model 15
Ripplemaker
Dubstation 2
AudioShare
Nave
Zeeon
Wow, that was hard!
PRELIMINARY RESULTS BY APP (How many do you NOT own already):
13 AudioShare
5 Spacecraft Granular
5 Korg Gadget
4 Egoist
4 Cubasis
4 Blocs Wave
4 AUM
3 Turnado
3 Sunrizer
3 Nanostudio 2
3 Auria Pro
3 AudioLayer
3 AudioBus
2 Zeeon
2 Troublemaker
2 SynthMaster Player
2 Swarplug
2 Spotify
2 Samplr
2 Perforator
2 Mitosynth
2 Kosmonaut
2 Groovebox
2 GeoShred
2 Djay
2 BM3
1 tardigrain
1 synth one
1 iKaossilator
1 forScore
1 file manager
1 Xcamera (roland) but with the cloud icon due I never used it.
1 Wavemapper
1 Virsyn Tera
1 Twisted Wave
1 Tonebridge
1 Synthmaster One
1 SynthMaster Player auv3 (with all iap bundles)
1 StreamByter
1 Stagelight
1 Soft Drummer (Love that Jazz drum sound)
1 Sensual Sax
1 Ruismaker FM
1 Ruismaker
1 Rozetta (just Arpegg would be ok)
1 Rozeta Suite
1 RoughRider2
1 Roli Noise (unlocked with all bundles)
1 Ripplemaker
1 Replicant 2
1 Remix Live
1 Red Shrike
1 Ravenscroft 275
1 Quanta
1 ProQ2
1 NotateMe
1 Nave
1 Modstep
1 Model D
1 Midilicious
1 Lorentz
1 LoopyHd (It should came with iOS by default) just to see people why I use Apple.
1 Loopy
1 Logic Remote
1 LayR
1 Launchpad
1 Laplace
1 Korg Module (IAP's)
1 Kleverb
1 ISymphonic (all inapps)
1 IFretless Bass
1 GroupTheLoop
1 Groove Rider
1 Genome Midi (because of its editing speed)
1 Garageband
1 GR16,
1 Fieldscaper
1 Fac transient
1 Fac Chorus
1 Fabfilter Pro Q
1 FLSM
1 FAC Transient
1 Elastic Drums
1 EFX
1 Dropbox
1 Discord4
1 DerVoco
1 DM1
1 Chords
1 Chaos!
1 Caustic
1 Brusfri
1 BeatHawk
1 Audioeffx
1 AudioEffx
1 Audio Evolution
1 Aphelian
1 Animoog
1 All Lumbeats drum apps
1 Adverb
Mersenne
Phonem
Poseidon
Nave
Animoog
FLSM
BM3
SunVox
AudioShare
AB3
Give or take (probably change up some synths, pop ED, KEW in place of synths...shit this is a hard one. Synth list based on what I always use, and the fun I’m having with IAA-only synths in FLSM)
I gave you 89% so you did well. The @LinearLineman has the lowest score for cheating with a -32%. He even wrote "I'm cheating". He may have to repeat the course in Summer Session or risk not graduating with his class.
You also helped BM3 tie with NS2 which will probably encourage @dendy to make a new account (seriously kidding, @dendy) and make @Dawdles re-join to explain that BM3 would get 10 of his votes but not until they fix MIDI FX Recording.
Gus’ alternative 10 ( have tried to pick 10 unmentioned so far]
Moebius Lab
DrumPerfect Pro
SeekBeats
Werkbench
Quantum
GroupTheLoop
ToneStack
PPG Infinite
SynthScaper
TC-Data
GarageBand
Blocswave
Gadget
Audiobus
AUM
ApeMatrix
Loopy
IFretlessbass
Midiflow Keyboard
AudioShare
... and all my AU stuff
“NS2 may bump something out for me in an update or two. Just having very little luck exporting AU mixdowns without frustrating timeouts.”
-another Gus, this thread
Bah, 10 is no good. No room for effects and toys. This desert island sounds like a drag.
Host
AUM
Sequencer
Xequence
Sounds
BeatHawk (all iap’s)
Gadget (all iap’s)
Roli Noise (all iap’s)
IFretless Bass
Ravenscroft 275
DRC
Midi Generators
Funk drummer
Rozeta suite