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.
2019: GarageBand FTW
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When it comes to creating anything, the most important factor to my success comes down to tools that don’t interfere with my expression. Simplicity if you will. With GB, Apple has done it again. And again. And again.
First, the fact that it is FREE and updated with new sounds frequently enough to add consistent value and parity of sound is astonishing and in my view, easily surpasses the value of other iOS DAWs alone.
Add in the CPU efficiency, ROCK solid stability (never had a crash on 10.5 Pro), MPE Instruments, Full Roli/MpE midi integration, ALCHEMY and my personal favorite killer feature SEEMLESS ICLOUD LOGIC import and you have absolutely the illest workflow available for producers/songwriters.
While Auria is an amazing app, it’s cumbersome and clumbsy for touch and terrible for midi/sample based production.
BM3 has long been my iOS go to tool but it’s questionable support and annoying issues that have gone unaddressed have it in app timeout for me. Besides, Egoist is now AU and plenty sampler fun. It can easily handle all chopping duties in GB. In fact, when creating sample based music I even prefer to use Egoist on iPad over Serato Sample in Logic which is super dope also. Thing is, I can load up Egoist AU, any number of instances, songs or samples to chop and sequence in gB...finish there or open in Logic later.
Cubasis is amazing. Absolutely love it. If I know I just want to start, mix and end on iOS while using midi generators...it’s probably better suited than Gb but lately I’ve fallen back in love with Logic and have been enjoying the depth and polish tracks get with big boy attention at the finish line.
I like what Open Labs is doing with Stagelight. Well supported and probably the closest iOS will get to Ableton style production. Also love that it is cross platform. Still, it is years behind GB—>Logic but a fun change of pace at times.
I always return home. I love to get going immediately with any number of Drummers or Beat Sequencer patterns in GB on iPhone or iPad. Fills, intro, grooves dynamically change based off parameters you can change or automatically as you add or change elements to your comp. Use any midi controller but one of the best is Ur other devices. Logic Remote is MpE and controls GB and Logic with amazing efficiency wireless and nearly zero latency.
Oh, did I mention the stock effect plugins are AMAZING. EQ with Visualizer plus everything you need to make a track shine. Use your fav third party effects (kosmanaut for me) and easily change the order of your effect chain on the fly. Van Glorious.
With GB/Logic...Apple has absolutely killed it with amazing stock plugins, sound library, stability and workflow. I believe it to be unrivaled for producers/songwriters.
At its core, Apple’s mega success was due to its founding principle of genius being found in simplicity. Obviously they ventured a bit from that tree but not with GB/Logic. Here, they struck perfect balance. On iOS, the features aren’t overly complex and “pro” but just pro enough for pros to get going and tee up Logic for epic finishes.
When you have lyrics or melodies burning holes in your brain that need to get out fast and no time to fumble with clumbsy interfaces, crashing or a bunch of different apps to achieve pro results...go GarageBand —->Logic FTW.
Comments
My biggest gripe is really the lack of automation controls. I know you can record the fiddling of knobs and stuff on the built in instruments, but no AUv3 automation, no track lane automation (ie throw down a clip and draw automations or even edit automations other than volume) - it's something I'm missing very much.
But otherwise... haters can hate. It works really well, there's no doubt. The sounds are fantastic, and for free (I did spend a fiver back in the day on it) there's not a whole hell of a lot to complain about...
It’s impressive in its capabilities, but I find the interface very clumsy. One of the worst offenders actually. But you gotta do what you gotta do
I here you @icsleepers
Lack of automation options are the “pro” compromises that I believe are intended to push users into Logic. That’s where I handle all of those things. When I want to do everything on iPad I go Cubasis.
@db909 really? Interface is super str8forward in my view. Perhaps because I’m a logic user. If anything it’s too simple. But again, I believe that’s by design to promote Logic use ultimately.
Somebody in another thread said that GB has mellotron sounds in it but I couldn't find any searching through the instruments?
While GarageBand is quite cool it does have a few 'issues' that make it as mentioned a bit clumsy to use.
Like it's quite cumbersome to add 'sections' to an existing project (need to 'cut' everything, create the sections and then paste back everything with all sections shown). Also 'sections' are the only way to do partial looping of a project.
I'd much more prefer to "do a selection, tap on it and choose create section here".
Also I do miss being able to edit the recorded automation like pitch-bends, mod-wheel and the recorded automation from the built-in instruments.(it's not even possible to 'delete' automation from a knob, no, need to hold the knob down and record new automation to 'clear' it).
The built-in sampler is nice and being able to drag any audio to the sampler to create a new instrument is nice but there is no way to do destructive trim when saving the instrument. (Imagine you wan to use a snippet of a 1 minute recording the whole 1 minute sample is saved with the instrument).
Also miss being able to 'render midi event to audio', the whole 'track' needs to be saved with the 'merge' function which in turn duplicates the entire project...
But still it's a blast to use on my iPhone 8!
It needs midi control over live loops. I need to control it from external controllers instead touchscreen.
Give that and I will be happy...
LiveLoops is another area where GarageBand really shines especially since it's possible to record the entire performance and edit it afterwards
Add to this multi take audio and midi, nice sections mode, loop builder with performance recording to timeline, non destructive quantize and audio edition, perfect AUV3 support with no rendering issues, very nice AB and IAA support.
I agree automation editing is missing, as AU midi. I use various AB/IAA tricks for that. Hope we finally get an update with those missing features. BTW, when you get used to UI, which can get some time, workflow is fast.
I too saw that something like 5 mellotron patches were added but haven’t the slightest clue where.🤷🏽♂️
@WillieNegus :Great post once again and workflow comparison.. But won’t NS2 figure into all this once it gets audio track capability? I still believe in the massive potential of Stagelight even if it seems to have lost a bit of it’s luster for you personally. Once again, informative and well written post.👍😉
Great points and I totally agree about the sections issues @Samu I like how you can easily reorder sections but pasting between them and the lack of linear cohesion(?) when editing is annoying
Jepp, just wish there was a way to disable the 'flip animations'
GB is a great environment for writing songs, I really love the touch instruments, especially the basses. Only thing really missing for me is easy stem export, soloing tracks one-by-one is a pain.
What’s up bro?! No no Stagelight hasn’t really lost any luster. I believe it to be one of the brightest additions to iOS music making in recent years. I believe it to be on a great pace just young is all. GB—>Logic is a super mature and pro workflow is all. With Logic Remote and the tremendous value and beast that is Logic...GB benefits from the ecosystem in my personal workflow.
Thing is, I’m much more lyricist than producer. GB/Logic have the type of tools that make it easy for me to create any style of beat and write all in the same shop (Drummers, Patterns, Loops, in-App textpad, audio to midi, etc) so it’s just a one stop shop of productivity for me.
I still think highly of Cubasis, SL and Bm3.
You can edit the output from the performance..you cannot edit the performance itself....if you are 'performing' and you hit 4 pads to trigger the loops, and 1 of the 4 is slightly late...no way of fixing that with editing...if you could edit the performance itself you would be able to simply move the event for the late pad to the correct place.
Indeed. Writing songs is the key to my love affair with it. iCloud import into Logic saves me any export pain but I imagine that sux. Getting things in is super easy tho.
Agree: whenever I have a quick project that just MUST be done and finished, I slap it together in GarageBand. What it does, it does very well with a quick, easy workflow.
But it really is oversimplified and lacking some essential tools if you want to get picky. and I guess thats why you have to take it to “logic FTW” cause you aren’t going to get the “win” if you stay in GB for iOS
Also, at this point I've done three remixes in GB and I was amazed at how well my 2017 iPad withstood about 1gb of stems + all the instruments and effects I stacked on top of it. I thought for sure it was gonna choke to death, and it didn't. Not that other apps can't do this too, but I'll be frank, I didn't expect it to work in GB and it passed with flying colors.
Edit: Also, my favorite thing about it is pretty much that I don't have to worry about iOS updates breaking the app lol. Really, it's just a host and no matter what plugs and whatever I'm cycling thru it will be cool, the apps might break but the host won't. ALSO, the Files.app integration is SUPER tight (which you'd expect) AND it's so easy to just back up your project and all dependencies/samples etc to one single file (which a lot of others things do too, but not everything does...)
There’s also too much of “this works this way in this context, but not in this context” for my tastes. Like the instruments, etc. not enough uniformity so I never really know if something will work the expected way before trying it
Well said although I don’t see it as lacking necessarily now that it’s firmly viewed as my Logic primer. On the rare occasion I want to be picky, involved or finish on iOS I grab Cubasis these days.
GB seems pretty essential if you only use an iPhone.
I only use iPad, and forget that a lot of apps I take for granted are iPad only.
I like it, I’ve got most of the others, but, I keep coming back to GB. I think it’s mainly the drummer, no, it’s the drummer. I’ve struggled with drums for years, mostly on the old hardware recorders. Coming into IOS was a revelation and when GB got the drummers, it was wow oh wow, dreams come true time. Not only that though, the smart instruments, the layout, the ease of use, ok some of the pianos could do with improvements but for me, it works flawlessly, most of the time.
I only use it in my 2015 first gen pro, and it is only used for music and that’s that. So for me, it’s the drummers that won me over and I’m very greatful for that.
I do hope they carry on improving it, particularly where some of the smart instruments are concerned and don’t get carried away with loops etc.
If you could load your own samples in the beat sequencer, that would be incredible. The touch instruments are very nice, serviceable at worst. But yeah, I can't imagine getting TOO much functionality because ultimately Apple is going to want to funnel everyone to Logic. Which stinks, cause I'm not about to use desktop software, it's been too long and sitting in front of a computer all day long for work REALLY kills that vibe...
Do you guys think Logic will end up on iPad Pro, once Apple do the processors switch on the desktops?
If I were to go to desk or laptop eventually I’d got to Studio One I think.. As it stands the 48ppq sequencer resolution kills it for me in Cubasis.. I have the ultimate unlock on Stagelight so it gives me over 6 gig of handy content...The potential of NS2 intrigues me also.. If they really came out with a “GarageBand Pro” though....
I don’t see Apple going any more pro than GB for iOS @CracklePot @Telstar5
If so, how much would it cost and what incentive would one have for paying $200 for Logic X which is the most or as powerful as anything on desktop. Auria and Gadget cost more than that including iAPs so I can’t see them going that route.
Like u @Telstar5 I’m fully packed up in SL and looking forward to it’s maturity as it also offers cross platform compatibility. I was off of desktop for a year or so and 100% iOS but once I dabbled into Logic X again after a few frustrated BM3 sessions...I was reminded of how much and well you can get done on a laptop. My new MBP is only very slightly bigger than my 12.9 iPad Pro so it’s really pretty much just as mobile.
Be nice to see Logic on iOS even tho I doubt its forthcoming. I would also like to see @icsleepers suggestion to swap out samples in the beat sequencer. There isn’t any tweaking of sounds available past adding effects. For that currently, one must use Logic.
I think that was only for desktop GB, not GB iOS, unfortunately. That would have been awesome! And an easy add-on Sound Pack in their Sound Library. Alas, all we got was a single house music pack recently. Pretty pathetic, really. I keep expecting some significant upgrade to come along with all these events (new iPads, ios 12.2) but I've been really disappointed -- it's been a year and four months since GB 2.3 came out, and we're already up to 2.3.7.
Seems like it's just so deliberately limited in spite of what Apple software engineers are capable of. You can't tell me they can't implement a master track functionality yet (there's an FX track but you can't use AUv3 apps on it) when other DAW apps do it just fine. Also, there's several drummers on desktop GB that still aren't available in iOS GB, what's the holdup? Releasing 3 at a time over a period of several months and even years is tiresome. There's a motown-style drummer in desktop GB that I've waited YEARS to use in iOS. The amp simulations have had the same fx pedals since its inception, yet the desktop version has scores more. And I'd love to see desktop GB's DLS Music Device AU (which functions as a soundfont player!) implemented into iOS.
That being said, it's a great revelation when I start sequencing a song and, after having collected several hardware synths over the past several months, I find a very simple bass preset in GB (in the Toy Pack, of all places!) that fits PERFECTLY.
I love GarageBand mobile...here’s what I wish could happen to make me erase other mobile daws.
I really wish Apple would open up alchemy to user sound import.
While they are at it, more synth editing options to alchemy! In fact make it the new sampler?
Definitely want automation editing.
A hot button for slicing in sequencer (press and hold-tap where to slice)
More individual instrument editing...like more guitar editing...pedals etc...
Smart instruments sound okay but it gets really really old not being able to change things like sustain etc.
Add retrosynth or ultrabeat or even the little synths from Logic Pro... Something with user automated parameters.
A linear song view where sections can be looped within. Like on any daw...loop points.
Auto stemming audio of effects/AU instruments...instead of me having to manually merge all of those tracks...as it’s obvious most audio units on iOS have no Logic Pro counterparts.
When I’m in a scale it stays for all instruments...without me having to manually select it every time.
It’s really a great app, it just lacks minor stuff really
@WillieNegus : Truth be told I’ve never even owned a laptop though I have considered it as of late. I’m all iPad Pro only . So to add a laptop to my arsenal would involve not only additional expense , but a learning curve as well. If you’re already logic literate then yeah, it’s a definite no brainer...
Also curiously you seem to have used every iOS DAW except NS2? Or have you tried that also?
Desktop only: