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.
Comments
It's not AUv3 but Quantum does the probability part you're asking about. Probability can even be set to mute or skip. As well as Trig Condition style '1:3', '3:6' type settings.
It doesn't do the 'random note in scale' as a specific function but there are ways to achieve it by triggering another sequencer.
Wow. This looks awesome! Any length! Chords!
Also,
'rate' per step. It's one of the secret superduperzomg features of Quantum.
+1 for probability aka 'chance this step will trigger'.
Questions for those with a moment/inclination (sorry if these are already answered elsewhere):
1. Does 'Modulation' mean MIDI CCs? If so, can you set the CC?
2. Can the 'master' be controlled from a MIDI note input?
3. Can steps be set to skip OR mute?
4. Does the "repeat count" button mean you can set any specific step to repeat, say, 1 or 4 or 13 times?
As is tradition at this point, I gotta make my standard step sequencer request. I'd love the ability to set a single chord step to arpeggiate through its notes where one note of the chord is played per loop. So, with an
Amstep it would play: loop1:A, loop2:C, loop3:E. This would allow a simple 4-step sequence to do something like loop1: ADFF, loop2: CDFF, loop3: EDFF (etc).I guess if 'repeat count' works the way I'm hoping, this request could go either way:
v1) play the 'current' note in the arpeggio N times or
v2) play N notes of the chord in order.
For example, for an "Am" step with Repeat Count set to "2":
v1) would be: loop1:AA, loop2:CC, loop3:EE
v2) would be: loop1:AC, loop2:EA, loop3:CE
As a greedy user, an option for either sounds like magic. As an old dude who just wants to make music in the few minutes I can find, either way would work for me! As would v3) "Sorry man, I'm just gonna ignore the repeat count setting on this step because you asked for it to arpeggiate. Enjoy."
There's also Perforator.
I know but it's by 'combining' the features (Notes & CC's) into one sleek app that makes all the difference.
Thesys hurts my eyes so it's a no-go even though it's very capable in many ways.
The UI puts it down like many of the other SugarBytes apps...
I still have to find a way (if there is?) to sustain and tie (ie. slight overlap) notes over multiple steps in StepBud.
This could be done by allowing the 'gate' to be more than 100% but that's a no-go at the moment.
I do feel that once Atom get's CC support it will be my AUv3 "Weapon of Choice"
I didn't know that custom MIDI CC is a very popular feature, got many feedbacks from different people mentioning about custom MIDI CC support on StepBud.
I actually thought about it, and at the moment I'd rather making another AUv3 app specialized only for MIDI CC sending, instead of adding that as a feature to the StepBud. Main reason is it's not fit into StepBud's design. I designed StepBud in one-dimensional workflow (from left to right). Custom MIDI CC needs more like a two-dimensional mindset. I have already got some good, easy-to-use design ideas for an audio unit doing only this job.
Also, in that way, it would help other audio unit plugins lack of custom MIDI CC support as well.
I like the idea of a separate app for handling modulation via MIDI CCs.
But since StepBud's 'Modulation' lane sends MIDI CC#1, would it be difficult to make the CC# assignable? If we could change it to, say 74, that would be cool.
@cem_olcay A couple of issues. The Rate steps aren't showing their actual values when recalling a preset in both Audiobus 3 and apeMatrix. All the Rate steps are displayed as 1/8, but when playing the sequence, it follows what I had previous saved. The Pitch, Velocity, and Gate Time lanes are updated correctly, though I didn't check the other lanes.
Also, I get the following blank display often (not related to the 1st issue above):
This is what I thought as well. CC64(ie. sustain pedal) is also a prime candidate that would be nice.
If I'm not mistaken the 'portamento' is also CC (CC5 = Portamento Time and if it's just Portamento On/Off = CC65).
I'll have to run StepBud thru a midi monitor to check and then do some nice scripting to convert the CC's to something else using another AUv3
So with a few 'minor' tweaks (4 custom CC's and longer Gate Time >100%) StepBud could turn into something even more awesome!
But it's after all @cem_olcay 's 'baby'
I still don't see any point on adding custom cc support to StepBud. Most synths already have dozens of knobs and almost each of them is animatable/controllable through audio unit parameters. You can even control them with your hardware by MIDI learn. My point is, you already have that technology on your hands. You don't need that directly embedded in StepBud. That's the whole point of audio unit technology; being modular.
Making gate time bigger than 100% though, that's a nice improvement.
True but there is no smooth way to 'sequence' the AU Parameters and this is where Midi CC->AU Parameter routing comes in handy in hosts such as AUM. So I'll just have to figure out what CC's StepBud uses and re-map those in AUM...
With external synths like the IK Multimedia UNO or Korg Volca Bass there is no way to 'change' the CC's they respond to as they are preset at the factory...
Yes, but it's not about 'manual control' but sequenced control...
Oh, well at least I have it a shot...
It would be nice if custom CCs could be added per step. That way you could do parameter locking like on an octatrack.
Let's see if I can help you see the point: for the same reason that you find step sequencing CC 1 (mod wheel) to be useful. It is often useful that have CC messages that are co-ordinated with the notes to do things like alter the filter cutoff or resonance and the like which for many use-cases is more useful than mod wheel . Instead of hard-coding the modulation sequence to send CC1, you could have the cc number used for the mod sequence be user-settable.
If it's of any use...
Modulation sends with CC#1
Portamento sends with CC#84? (As far as I know CC#65 is portamento on/off and CC#5 is Portamento Time).
http://nickfever.com/music/midi-cc-list
To avoid having a note being sent on every step (for clean CC sequencing) double tap on the step (circle above the slider) and remove the note.
Problem here is that even when assigning CC#1 to an AUParameter the 'synth' still receives the CC#1 Mod-Wheel data and in order to block it a midi-filter needs to be added to the chain.
Also pitch-bend is sent for every step even when there is no value change?!
(This makes it impossible to use pitch-bend to 'transpose' the sound as it's reset/set every step).
Suggestions here are...
Option to enable/disable sending of Pitch Bend.
Add 'custom CCs' defaults 1,2 could be CC1 (Modwheel), CC84 (Portamento?!?) and 3,4 could be user assignable.
Still, StepBud is not my 'baby' but I feel that by now I've done what I can do trying to 'raise' it to be a good iOS Citizen
Gosh, alright, you got it guys 😄
@Samu, @cian, @espiegel123 what do you think about that workflow?
You can add as many CC's as you want, and they dynamically appear on the mode bar.
I put the "MIDI CC" button at the end of the settings bar, where you can add/edit/delete your CCs.
Sweet!
@cem_olcay Really like the Add CC!
For 'performance' though it could be nice to be able to enable/disable the sending of ModWheel and PitchBend, let me explain why...
For example many of the Moog Model D patches use CC1(ModWheel) to control the filter.
If it's sent/set every step it's not possible use the ModWheel to alter the sound without using the sequencer.
(Performance example is, use a 'sequence' to drive the notes and use the mod-wheel to perform the filter sweep).
Hmm, I can add two more switches to the settings bar for enabling/disabling pitchbend and mod sending.
Or I can add them to the MIDI CC screen, for sake of keeping settings bar as simple as possible.
That's a good idea!
In the 'CC Screen' an 'enable/disable' switch would do it.
I noticed the 'problem' with the CC1 when I tried to sequence Moog Model D app and the Mod-Wheel got stuck at 0
Oh, and temporarily being able to disable/enable the CC sending could be useful in case the sound needs to be edited in the synth... (trying to grab moving knobs is well, not so funny).
Yup, added 👍
+1
Thanks, the 'on/off' switch could be handy (to temporarily disable sending it) for the custom CC's as well?
And well, I am puzzled about the usage of CC#85 for Portamento?(What synth responds to portamento on CC#85?).
@cem_olcay - I like this very much. Thank you.
Oh and when you push the update make sure the app description mentions 'parameter locking'. You would not believe how many people look for that
Look forward to the CC sequencer app you mentioned earlier in this thread. If you make that I will definitely buy it.
Well, even if it's CC per step it's not 'real' parameter locking since all values will change when using the 'big slider'.
'Real' parameter locking would 'freeze' those steps with locked step-values and they would not change when using the 'big slider'
Take this 'example', steps 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 all have values of say 50. Now you add a 'parameter lock' to step 5 and set the value to 100. Now one uses the 'big' slider to change the values, all steps but 5 will change since 5 is 'parameter locked'.
(This is how it works on the Elektron boxes I've played around with).
So in order to get 'real' parameter locking in StepBud each step should have a 'lock' so it will not be changed by the 'big slider'...
Amazing re: p-locks. Can't wait to try it!
@cian, @samu, @nondes so you guys want something like that?
You read my mind
Keep that 'per CC track' and we're good to go hehe...
(Ie. those steps that are not 'locked' are still affected by the big slider).
Oh god, it's like a 5 days old app yet I queued up 3 big updates already 😄
But it's turning into a 'monster' in a good way