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 Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

How did you get here?

I love this forum and the people I’ve interacted with here. I’m curious to know how you all got here - how did you learn about iOS music and Audiobus?

I’ll start. A few years ago I was researching about how to plug a guitar into an iphone. I had heard of the iRig but now I wanted to get some serious practice in. I started looking into GarageBand more, and found the story on Audio Units on the App Store. Then I found the Audiobus website and spent many hours just looking through the different compatible apps. Wow!

Eventually got a Shure mVi. And dozens of apps and counting...

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Comments

  • I’ve always been interested in music making dating back to the Atari ST and before that a wildly optimistic school project to code a DAW. I didn’t finish it ...

    My iOS journey started with ThumbJam on an “ancient” iPod Touch, which I still have.

    I’m also a guitarist first and love the options and power we have for mobile music production these days.

    How I joined this forum is long forgotten.

  • Bought an iPad in 2011. Immediately bought some random music apps. It was iMS-20 and Animoog that were the “game changers” and made me realise an iPad could be a serious prospect. But, it was Sir Doug that brought me here to this forum. I was just a reader for a couple of years or so before I signed up.

  • My brother got an iPad, download geosynth because Jordan rudess. It was interesting at the time, but I couldn’t see getting into it. Got an iPad for my wife, and over time saw some interesting potential. Once things like midi io; studiomux came along; it seemed like an ideal controller; plus all the extra stuff that a pad can do. Being a windows desktop user tho; the midi controller just isn’t quite a cross platform success. Got here from trying to google better ways, but I’m just gonna get a Mac mini when funds allow.

    For now, it’s a nice compact keyboard rig to add to my bass rig.

  • edited July 2019

    Work got a bunch ipod touches around 2011. I played around with it and discovered Korg iKaossilator. Think I bought an iPad the next day. Was happy, frustrated, excited and miserable all at the same time for about five or six years. There were teases and suitors but no real keepers. Then BM3 came out. :heart:

  • It all started when I purchased an iPod 4 back in Summer 2011 in order to betatest FL Studio Mobile (the second version) believe it or not. :lol: Then I found Nanostudio 1 and Xewton Music Studio. However, back then, I only used those apps to get sounds onto my PC into FL Studio. I never really considered iOS as a full music production environment back then but always hoped someday it would become a reality (which, spoiler alert, for me it has).

    Then came the Autumn of 2011 where I started snapping up the apps Jordan Rudess recommended. What, so I was major into Dream Theater back then.

    In December that year, I graduated college and used the graduation money given to me by relatives and friends as a massive down payment on an iPad 2. This opened the flood gates further into my iPad journey. I immediately purchased ReBirth and had a lot of fun making acid type tracks on it.

    Skip ahead the boring stuff to December 2013 when Gadget was first released. I purchased it despite its hefty price tag and liked making simplistic stuff in it (given I could only have up to 3 tracks due to iPad 2 limitations). This is about the time I joined the forum here.

    Strange enough, before April of this year, I completed about 3-5 full tracks 100% on the iPad. I enjoyed playing with Gadget, but the limitations regarding mixing down just frustrated me as well as the fact that export to iTunes meant having to hook the iPad up to a computer just to transfer the bloody files to Auria rather than doing it through the Files app (or I had to export one track at a time). Once I started digging into Nanostudio 2, I've finished over 15 new tracks.

  • Jakob Haq suggested it to me in a YouTube comment

  • edited July 2019

    @jwmmakerofmusic said:

    Skip ahead the boring stuff to December 2013 when Gadget was first released. I purchased it despite its hefty price tag and liked making simplistic stuff in it (given I could only have up to 3 tracks due to iPad 2 limitations). This is about the time I joined the forum here.

    Heh, Gadget made me upgrade my iPad2 to an Air within a couple days. Jeez, having played around with NS1 on my iphone 4S a few weeks ago I am kicking myself for not getting into it more back in the day. Almost as much as I kick myself for not getting into MPCs back in their heyday.

  • @AudioGus said:

    @jwmmakerofmusic said:

    Skip ahead the boring stuff to December 2013 when Gadget was first released. I purchased it despite its hefty price tag and liked making simplistic stuff in it (given I could only have up to 3 tracks due to iPad 2 limitations). This is about the time I joined the forum here.

    Heh, Gadget made me upgrade my iPad2 to an Air within a couple days. Jeez, having played around with NS1 on my iphone 4S a few weeks ago I am kicking myself for not getting into it more back in the day. Almost as much as I kick myself for not getting into MPCs back in their heyday.

    I myself waited for the Air 2 before I went into the Air, but Gadget is the reason I got the Air 2. :) That iPad was a major upgrade from my 2 and was my goto iPad for 3-4 years. Gadget is one reason I upgraded to the Air 2 myself actually, that and iOS 8 literally crippling the fuck out of my 2.

    And no worries about not getting into NS1. ;) We got NS2 now mate, which is a lot like NS1 but on steroids.

  • Googled for "best Piano on iPad". That led me to ask question. The @LinearLineman PM'ed me.
    "Like minds" and all that.

  • edited July 2019

    Bought an iPhone 4s and went on an app buying spree.

    About that time Thumbjam and Figure, a handful of synths, crazy noise generators from the strange agency, and beatmaker along with nanostudio were all the rage.

    Had a lot of fun. Bought a midi keyboard and started living the dream of owning a synthesizer that I had since the 80’s.

    I came here then because all roads lead to Audiobus if you wanted to mix your apps up.

    Joined Dec 2013

  • I bought Modstep and had a question about midi import. Googled it and ended here.

  • edited July 2019

    1991-1995: Trackers (various) on Commodore Amiga
    1996-1998: Cubase VST on PC
    1999-2001: Jeskola Buzz on PC
    2002-2005: Reason 1.0 - 4.0 on PC
    2006-2011: Ableton Live and Cubase SX on PC
    2011-2012: Caustic on Android smartphone
    2013-16: Nanostudio 1 on iPad 2 (then iPad Air)
    2016: Cubasis on iPad Air
    2017-2019: BeatMaker 3 on iPad Air (then iPad Pro 10.5)

    I've visited many forums over the years for tips and advice, but when BM3 came out I got really sucked into the forum at Intua trying to help others use the app. After a while chatting with other users there this inevitably led me here to the Audiobus forum (eg. comments like "this guy on AB says you can't do X in BM3. Is that right?")

  • edited July 2019

    At beginning of 2010 my wife got amazon voucher in work, she gave it to me. I was not sure for what i should spend it, i was considering some books, some funny gadgets, whatever .. coincidentally bumped into iPod Touch 4G, and decided to give it a try.

    First 2-3 months i used it just for listening music and some stupid random games - almost put it away, most probably my iOS music yourned would int that case end sooner than it started :lol:

    Then, in July 22 2010, Nanostudio 1 was released. Instantly fell in love. Basically from first day started use it as exclusive music production tool (after many many years on desktop, i started with music somewhere in 1995-96 with trackers, then used many desktop daws like cubase, fruity loops, reason). From beginning used mostly just build in Eden synth and sampled my hw synths.

    Joined AB forums much later, i think somewhere in 2015 but haven't been much active first years - mostly because in january 2015 i've been contacted ( together with few other hard-core members from old NS forums) by Matt Borstel with offer for NS2 beta testing - and from that moment this app consumed most of my time, so i was proactively trying to avoid being active on forums to not reveal anything by mistake in some discussion :)))

  • 24 years ago - move to London to study at college to become a sound engineer.
    6 weeks later - course is cancelled because the college was robbed and all of the studio equipment was stolen.
    Life - life - life - life - life...
    2 and a half years ago - install Magellan Jr on my iPhone.
    Wait, what. A full blown synth on my iPhone??
    Install Blocs Wave.
    Whoa...
    Find this forum through a google search.
    Oh boy, maybe I can have a recording studio on my iPad and finally learn the ropes and make some tunes!

    1. Was youtubing about Korg Kronos (my dream rig. Lol!). I thought recording on a credit card size screen with a workstation was the way. Lol x2!
    2. Saw a vid with Jordan and beneath another for GeoShred
    3. I had an iPad2. Thought maybe there were a dozen music apps out there. Lol x3!!!
    4. Bought several of Jordan’s (never use them)
    5. Googled for a forum, found AB, asked some questions
    6. @wim @aaronpc and @CracklePot helped me
    7. Cracklepot turned me on to Cubasis (after buying Gadget ((never use)) and Xequence ((couldn’t understand it)), CB was the turning point.
    8. Discovered folks would tolerate all the ridiculous things I posted. Lol x4
    9. Game, set, match.
  • I was experimenting with adding some Minitaur sounds for my band, so I googled “iphone midi sequencer” thinking that could be a practical solution. Found this place which opened all kinds of doors..

  • I got an iPhone 4s, out of curiosity turned it into a studio tool.
    I didn't realise that there were music making apps of quality available.

    I used the iPhone for gain calibration and instrument tuning and
    then I got Amplitude free and Amplitude Fender free.

    I thought to myself,'hhhhmmm, this is interesting',...
    and didn't think much of it for a couple of years.
    A couple of years ago I got an iPad Air2 and started playing around with GarageBand.
    I thought to myself again ,'hhhhmmmm', this is rather fun.
    Got iMPC Pro and thought, sugar, this is a bit useless innit.

    Still, I started loading up drum samples from the desktop and had a little fun.
    I was more interesting in making digital art and delved into that more.

    I was asked to do some drum recording and decided, let me test this thing out.

    I did a recording session with Auria Pro and a Presonus 1818vsl
    and the compliments I received from that was very encouraging.

    The drummer was ,'Steve G Legend', he's endorsed by Natal Drums,
    you can find some of his drum clinics online.

    Steve was amazed at the sound that I managed to get and so was the
    artist who wanted the recordings, the artist is using them for his current album.

    One of the composers from Game Thrones heard the recording and couldn't fault it.

    Then I got BM3, loaded up 23Gb's of samples and started
    really having fun whilst I was running my improv band
    and running jam sessions at a couple of venues.

    My iPad Air2 got nicked last year so slightly miffed about that.

    I then went and got an iPad Pro 1st Gen, 256Gb.

    It's now the center piece in my music room.

    I went through the Intua forum, did a couple remix battles and then started
    noticing through online research that this forum was the place to be.

    I joined a couple of months ago and that's it.

  • My drummer told us he was moving. We started to look for another drummer and then my remaining bandmate said, 'why not go more electronic?'

    What!!

    I'd long been the guy in rock bands that loved synthesizers and drum machines and always got vetoed about adding them. So this was a fun opportunity.

    I started looking at some of my old drum machines I had around and thinking about what we needed^ and of the few hardware units that seemed to actually do everything, they were 3 or 4x the price of an iPad which seemed to do everything and with a more straight-forward workflow for the most part.

    I don't recall what specifically led me to this forum. Many of my questions were asked and answered here before I even joined.

    ^short list was....to be able to load my own samples, velocity layers, pattern midi sequencer, some parts looped, some parts song mode, tempo changes, bass synths.

  • @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

  • edited July 2019

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    I was thinking the same. Feels like I’ve had Bm3 since then. I had BM1 on my iPhone 1 in 06ish.😳

  • Google is how I found this forum. Years ago I searched something random about midi and it brought me here.

    Otherwise, I’m just your everyday early adopting gear slut. iOS Music Production was a nobrainer for me as soon as the first music apps starting trickling into App Store.

  • Browser on MacBook.

  • edited July 2019

    1979 - Buck Rogers - the dance scene with the glass orbs is burnt into my four year old brain.

    1987 - Adlib FM soundcard

    1991-1995: Trackers (various) on Commodore Amiga

    Me too; started Amiga in 89 but I did eventually go from amiga to dos trackers in 94.

    1996-1998: Cubase VST on PC

    Me too, I did add Samplitude and had a Yamaha A3000 sampler and a Nord Lead (cause it looked cool, still barely used lol) but alas straight audio in Samplitude won out. Midi shmidi.

    2002-2005: Reason 1.0 - 4.0 on PC

    Did a little Reason as Samplitude fodder. Renoise showed up at some point. I still use it a little.

    2011+ iOS

    It went from iOS supplementing desktop to now finally the other way around.

  • @WillieNegus said:

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    I was thinking the same. Feels like I’ve had Bm3 since then. I had BM1 on my iPhone 1 in 06ish.😳

    OMG, there were iphones in 06... holy Keanu

  • @AudioGus said:

    @WillieNegus said:

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    I was thinking the same. Feels like I’ve had Bm3 since then. I had BM1 on my iPhone 1 in 06ish.😳

    OMG, there were iphones in 06... holy Keanu

    This post has made me sad. I realize how old I am now. It’s easy to forget how fast tech moves until you consider how long iOS has been around. More specifically how long I’ve been waiting on certain features.

    Been supporting Intua apps for 13 years 👴🏽

  • edited July 2019

    Type-a-tune on Vic 20, Microrythm on Commodore 64, Trackers on Amiga.....Long Break..... Elektron gear and Hyrbid iOS setup just recently - last 12 months.......

    finding this forum is a natural extension of enjoying ios music apps.

  • edited July 2019

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    Aaah.... of course it was 2010 not 2015 ... typo :))

    It was ages ago, i was young:))

  • @dendy said:

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    Aaah.... of course it was 2010 not 2015 ... typo :))

    It was ages ago, i was young:))

    Ahh, OK, now the world makes sense again.

  • @AudioGus said:

    @WillieNegus said:

    @AudioGus said:

    @dendy said:

    Then, in July 22 2015, Nanostudio 1 was released.

    Woah... it was that recent? Dayum... time flies.

    I was thinking the same. Feels like I’ve had Bm3 since then. I had BM1 on my iPhone 1 in 06ish.😳

    OMG, there were iphones in 06... holy Keanu

    On a roll! 😁

  • On the bus, natch...

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