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
On a related noted, it would be helpful if Velocity could be customized per pad in Xequence Pads AU.
I didn’t; I only went to AUM and looked for each note playing back from X2 but if I edit stuff in X2 there goes it all 🤪
I’m still trying to understand all this mappings and stuff but at least I got something going.❤️
Oh, sorry misunderstood... brain is not working normally due to suboptimal health right now...
@Tones4Christ if you made drum maps and like to offer them for inclusion as factory maps, I would of course appreciate that a lot. I used to offer promo codes for IAPs as a reward for drum maps, but unfortunately that doesn't work anymore in Xequence 2 as there's no IAPs 😂
No worries 😉
I understand; don’t want you to have to buy the apps just to make a drum map; please don’t they’re not cheap either.😲
I think I can manage for now.❤️😌👍🏼🐶
You’d better get right back up to optimal, you! Don’t make me send a kindly old grandma over and force feed you soup.
I guess at 40 years, "optimal" slowly is in need of a redefinition 😂
Great video @gmslayton !
I have learned something new, thanks a lot! 😊
@TheAudioDabbler
What an excellent video. Super inspiring. Your collider plucks are really Ann Peebles! A question about X2: You have ableton start sync working nicely; is that not available in X1? The transport in Aum has no effect on X1 in my setup.
Correct no Link Start/stop in X1.
However, if you use X1 + AB3 + AUM, AB transport can be used to start and start them all.
Thanks, @wim
Can I ask what the big differences are between X1 and X2?
http://www.seven.systems/xequence2/en/new-in-2/
...and everything in the App Store version history since 2.0.0!
Well, thank you @Rodolfo
That is an exceptionally handy cheat sheet, which I will past here.
What's new in Xequence 2?
Xequence 2 represents a major milestone in the development of our mobile MIDI Workstation.
To simplify the migration for our Xequence 1 users, there's a brief migration guide that should cover everything necessary.
The following is a list of enhancements and changes so that you will feel right at home in no time.
Note: This list describes the changes from Xequence 1 to Xequence 2.0.0. There have been many major improvements again since 2.0.0. A summary of those can be found in the regular "Version history" in the App Store.
Freely Configurable Arranger Grid
Parts (now called "clips") can now be moved and sized as desired.
Looped clips can now also be any length or position and always loop seamlessly, allowing easy creation and manipulation of polyrhythms, "MIDI LFOs" etc. directly from the arranger.
Clips can now also be cropped or extended from the left, vastly improving workflow and creative looping. Just as before, this also works with linked clips, so multiple linked clips can be cropped individually both at the start and end, while still remaining linked to the single copy of notes or controllers. No other iOS / iPadOS sequencer we are aware of offers anything similar.
Brings together the best of pattern sequencers and linear composition alike.
MIDI Time Stretching
Available in the arranger and all editors
Anything from individual notes, selections of controllers, clips, song sections or the entire song can be timestretched freely or according to the grid.
Amazing timestretching engine ensures that events stay on the beat as far as possible (you can still quantize after the fact if needed).
Workflow and Editing
QUICK VELOCITY EDITING: A new velocity handle in the Pianoroll editor allows direct adjustment of individual or multiple notes' velocities without switching to the velocity editor, with interactive feedback as usual.
CUSTOM SCALES: Can automatically be generated from the currently selected notes in the pianoroll editor with a single tap. This is similar to (but more flexible than) the "Fold" feature found in some DAWs.
AUTOMATIC MANAGEMENT OF TRACKS and instruments: tracks for instruments are created automatically, sub-tracks (lanes) can be created and managed with a single tap, the order of tracks and instruments stays synchronized (this can be disabled if you prefer the "old" way by disengaging "Automatically manage tracks").
AUTO GRID: The grid in each editor can be set to "Auto", which will automatically adapt the grid size according to horizontal zoom.
IMPROVED CONTROLLER EDITING and recording: Overlapping controller data is automatically cleared while editing and when touching a control ribbon on the in-app keyboard.
Intelligent FOLLOW SONG: New toggle in the "View" (formerly "Zoom") menu, saved separately for Pianoroll and Arranger.
Notes in the Pianoroll editor can now also be extended or shrunk from the left.
Controllers to own tracks feature to separate existing controller data from notes in clips.
Lock Zooming to Major Axis toggle to zoom only horizontally or vertically depending on finger movement.
Scroll to song position ("View" menu -> "Current").
Overhauled song loop selection: Previous loop can be reused, loop points can be dragged in ruler.
Overhauled and even better Split tool in the Arranger.
Direct import of MIDI files into the arranger ("Insert" menu -> "MIDI file"), with extremely smart auto-cropping and formatting.
Support for Channel pressure (Aftertouch)
User Interface
Optimized engine and user interface: Even faster operation and workflow than before.
Overhauled and improved Instruments screen.
Many small tweaks to enhance usability and improve productivity even further.
Direct and lag-free switching between screens with a single tap.
Many more configuration options on the "Settings" screen to further tweak the app's behavior to your liking.
MIDI
MIDI EDITING AND RECORDING RESOLUTION increased from 192 to 24576 PPQ, enabling sample-accurate editing of clips, notes, and controllers.
VIRTUAL SOURCE (disabled by default, can be enabled in settings) for controlling apps / MIDI interfaces that don't have a virtual destination.
BLUETOOTH MIDI DEVICES can now be connected directly from inside the app.
Miscellaneous
All former In-App Purchases are now included: Drum Maps and Editing, PolyHymnia Generative Music, Up to 12 Controllers per instrument, Multitrack Recording.
TAP TEMPO: Intelligent averaging tap tempo input which even monkeys can use to accurately set a tempo.
Support for ABLETON LINK 3 (Start/Stop sync).
Sample-accurate audio metronome timing.
Even more robust MIDI file import, particularly for broken files.
Lightning-fast and stable editing of clips even with tens of thousands of notes or controllers.
Support for opening Xequence project files and MIDI files from other apps (Mail, Files, etc.) via "Share" / "Open In".
Support for sending any file from the Xequence file selector to other apps via "Share" / "Open In".
Added many new drum maps.
Added support for .kar (Karaoke) MIDI files.
Xequence 1.x.x projects are fully compatible and load without issues.
Various smaller fixes for MIDI / interface problems that could occur in extreme edge cases. We continue our effort to keep Xequence essentially BUG-FREE and the most reliable MIDI composition solution on mobile devices.
All new features have been designed to be easily accessible when needed, and stay out of the way when not -- true to the extreme editing efficiency and robustness that Xequence is famous for.
I would like to see more control surface development put into Xequence. I would like to have a page with multiple and selected control surface design, as midi control is important to how it is used. Separate pages for basic keys and pads with a few sliders is not enough for a device which has such a small area of use. Switchable is fine, but being able to control multiple sources with one control. Having varies input devices on one screen. Being able to make the controls personal to your needs. These are areas where I would like to see an app like Xequence go.
holy moly the midi thru set up to record sequencing apps from aum into xequence is outstanding amazing 🤩🤯
that was so easy to set up and record , very impressive.
just did a quick sequence from the classic fugue machine into xequence sending to magellan 2 and hit record, perfectly recorded loop. why did i think this was going to be hard 🤷🏻♂️🤣
the freaking manual is great for this one as well as these awesome companion videos from @TheAudioDabbler
well @SevenSystems you’ve nailed it again i am kicking myself for not taking the “learn xequence “ steps earlier . i feel like i’m good with ios right now as it stands lol
also this is the best set up for iphone out there, ( and ipad 😎) cuz the screen size isn’t really good for aum sessions and trying to get a bunch of auv3 apps going and sequenced, but having it all going from xequence makes it fell like you have infinite more space to work and eliminate most of the frustration.
i’m just over here impressed and mad i took a break from this one lol
That's really some lovely feedback, totally appreciate it. Yes, the "holistic approach to composition and arrangement inside a single well-structured interface" is pretty much why Xequence was made and why I still stick to the "standalone" metaphor vs. AUv3. Glad to know it works well for you on the iPhone too (I originally designed it on an iPhone SE).
I wish all iOS developers started designing for the phone then expanded to larger screens. Not that I use my phone much compared to the iPad, but it just seems like it makes so much more sense to think of it that way.
Would be happy to see the results of this.
You can also do multi-channel simultaneous recording, though not with midi through. But that's not a problem if you route in parallel to the apps being triggered and to X2. It can even auto-add the tracks when midi comes in.
I've recorded 16 simultaneous tracks with heavy automation from GR-16, and have turned that around for perfect playback.
I tried this yesterday using your patchstorage template (thanks! btw) and got it to record in X2 just fine. I could only get channel 1 to play back through GR-16 though. I was trying to do this through just AUM, so maybe that’s why. Would AB3 do all the necessary routing?
I’m really trying hard to include X2 in my workflow, but I have to say the routing is always confusing. I’ve watched AudioDabbler’s videos and rtfm. I usually get what I’m after, but each session feels like trial and error. Maybe I’m just dumb.
No special routing should be needed and it shouldn't matter where you host it or if you even host it at all. My guess is you have the Midi In Mode in GR-16 set to Omni. It needs to be Poly. (I think. I always forget which is which.)
I think I tried both, but I’ll give it another shot later.
@xraydash note that when doing multitrack recording, Xequence will automatically add tracks, but they will all point to the same Xequence instrument. So if you want to control separate apps or MIDI channels with each recorded track, you would still need to create the corresponding instruments on the instruments screen (MIDI icon at the top left), and potentially disable "Automatically manage tracks" on the Project tab to be able to reassign the recorded tracks to different instruments.
That was it! Turns out I didn’t use wim’s template for that particular attempt. It recorded the separate tracks, but played them back through the same channel. I just set it up through the template and everything worked as advertised.
dang that’s a small device haha well it translated very well over to the “big screen” .
also this is one of those things were auv3 really doesn’t make sense...i don’t see much benefits to it at all, its far easier to just slide up from the bottom of the screen and switch to x2 in full screen than have to scroll around aum and find it, then open it up by clicking on the icon into a smaller screen lol... plus it just makes sense to run it it standalone , it requires no effort really
and absolutely, i need to leave some feedback in the app store soon, ...
i see a few comments around here from people who “cant get along/figure out the set up” and i get it as i was there for a bit but if we all realized that it’s really pretty simple after you get past step one, i think everyone would be happy they did. i know i am as i was intimidated at first but now i’m just like dang that was dumb its so simple haha! thanks for making this thing looking forward to what im able to create with it as i know i’ll get to the end of tracks a lot faster with it!
i will try to put up a jam soon! bday weekend so i maybe to buzzed this weekend haha but soon..are you on ig ?
@SevenSystems Am I mistaken or is Xequence 2 on sale right now? Is $13.99 the regular price?
I am on ig
The price has recently been slightly adjusted. It's not technically a "sale" though. 🙂 it might go slightly up again for the next release. Get it while it's hot! 😉
@reasOne very happy to know you're getting good use from Xequence. There's a few arguments that actually do make sense in the AUv3 context -- among them the probably slightly easier and technically more robust MIDI routing, and the ability for state saving, which means an entire project can be saved in the host including Xequence. So I'm not totally opposed to the idea of having a SINGLE INSTANCE of the full Xequence hosted as AUv3.