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
Will there ever be a real sample instrument in NS2 ?
The two now are ok for shipped content, but they are not great for heavy sample users.
Something like the sampler from Ableton maybe ?
Are there any signs pointing to 'non destructive slicing'(ie. use a portion of a file without the need to trim and save it).
That would be real time saver ie. 'use selection on slate pad number x' and when needed the bounds on the pad could be changed. Or maybe even a. 'grid slice to slate pads starting with slate pad x'.
Another would be 'lazy chop' when recording a sample/loop, ie. while the sample is being recording hitting a pad would just add a slice point to the recording and move on to the next pad.
But then again the above might be out of scope for NS2...
I will be more than happy to just export BM3 or Elastic drum bits to NS2 and chop them up on audio tracks and edit them nicely etc... errr, assuming that can be done.
Between Slate and Obsidian there isn't much more needed for a "sample instrument."
Sample editing could be improved of course.
That simply isn't true, but if you aren't in to sampling, then what is there is fine.
What AU sampler could you use instead?
Probably Audio Layer, that combined with MIDIBus, but with the lack of automation in NS2 it would still be limited, not as limited as Slate or Obsidian obviously, Max Velocity layers, Round Robin, DFD etc.
I do use a lot of automation for sound design though, so I am hesitant to invest in Audio Layer just for NS2.
But you could use Audio Layer in something like BM3 and be good to go? Or just use BM3’s sampler instead?
No you couldn't, Beatmaker has no busses for example, this is the quandry, NS2 has a powerful mixer, BM3 has a powerful sampler and automation.
You can automate AU instrument parameters in NS2.
But AudioLayer doesn't help too much with this because it exposes just very limited list of it's parameters for automation, basically just FX parameters plus few another - definitely not for example filter section, which is a pity.
Also with AudioLayer you needs always check if you are doing mixdown at same bitrate like realtime bitrate (44 or 48khz) - all VirSyn plugins (except of ReSlice) have wrong sample rate handling at different sample rates than realtime (device) sample rate.
Well I am into sampling, been running an MPC60 and SP303 for a long time...
What exactly do you think is lacking? I'm only new to NS2 and find so far it's good enough for my needs. It's not BM3, but seriously who expects it to be?
If you need more than 3 velocity layers or more than 24 samples per layer or time stretching or disk streaming or non-destructive sample slicing then Obsidian can be limiting for you ...
If you don't need those features, then it can be powerful sampler for you (like many old HW samplers without such features
). Obsidian has some features which even BM3 sampler doesn't have (sample start, loop start, loop length automation/modulation - very powerful thing, spectral looping - great for creating pads literally from ANY sampled material, even from whole melodies, or for resynthesizing snares and hihats) .. I think they both have strong and weak places, it really depends on your needs, your workflow.
While it's nice to be able to automate sample-start, loop etc. it's a real pita without any visualisation (like actually see where on the sample the point is when adjusting the parameter). Nanoloop solved that 'problem' long time ago with a 'wave-overlay' when adjusting either start and loop...
I know this is a pita in Gadget as well when using Vancouver...
(ie. the 'Gadget View' doesn't update when drawing automation, it updates on playback though so with 'live update' we weould be able to see the exact position on the sample when editing the automation).
Just because a sample-engine has a feature doesn't always mean it's implemented in a 'user-friendly' way
How ?
All i can do is assign some parameters to the limited number of macros snd automate those.
I have obviously missed a huge feature !!!
Right, it is dependant on you setting up a macro first. Once you do set one up then you can actually automate the AU via the AU window itself. But yes, only eight, spend em wisely!
Personally I wish all the time spent on Obsidian was spent on developing AU support but I guess it really had a lot of momentum before AUs were proven/powerful/plentiful etc.
It’s funny, I’m now leaning toward just getting rid of AU support all together
I’d rather he spent his time making his own interesting modules and just let the whole thing be self contained...which is what i’m sure he was going to do in the first place, hence no current solution for all the automation woes with AU’s since AU support was seemingly a bolt on. The internal effects and Obsidian are so good that i’d be content with his own new native effects additions. It worked for propellerheads for a looooooong time
If I were into programming synth sounds and meticulous sound design I would be all over that and not bothering with AUs in NS2. But I am a preset whore.
It didn't really work out for Propellerheads at all, thats why the company was sold to investment capitalists who immediately decided to implement VST.
I am not going to comment on the built in modules, but the native EQ vs TB, it is not a real question is it.
Seriously lol?
The native EQ is a simple 3 band affair, why the hell would you compare it to TB?
This is my usual request but even more so in this case, I wish Obsidian had a randomizer like Kauldron or Volt!
It’s worked out fine for props either way. How long have they been around? Pretty long. They survived for a looooooooong time native only.
Does Korg have AU support in gadget? No? Ok. They’ve proven that having good native only plugins sells. A lot.
As for TB vs Native, meh, my stuff sounds fine with either EQ. Would be nice to have mid/side in NS2, but i’m sure that will come. Cutting and boosting frequencies has been around for awhile in lots of different EQ’s
: but the best barometer is that I’ve heard a lot of great music coming out of native only NS2 songs, so the quality of music speaks for itself. Good enough for me. I’d argue that the best music coming out of IOS has very little to do with AU’s and everything to do with talent.
All DAW’s do not need feature parity, otherwise, we’d only need one. The market is big enough that different needs can be met by different products. IMO there is no native only DAW better than NS2. Fits my needs fine.
After listening to some of the tracks in the NS2 playlist that @dendy posted (which are mostly using stock NS2) I'd say it's some of the best music I've heard made with iOS.
In my world at least, working fast and intuitively leads to better results. This is what I hear in those tracks.
Because of what was said above about the native being good enough.
Why do NS2 users default to the "Meh" and whatever else nonsense when you try to have a conversation, nobody is saying NS2 is bad and it is already defensive mode.
I will step away from the thread for you so you can carry on your usual stuff.
Ha, i’m Pretty sure I was having a conversation. Just because we don’t see eye to eye doesn’t mean its nonsense. I own the eq’s in question and have been using TB, Q2, Q3, etc. they are great EQ’s, but I’m not seeing a massive difference making music on my iPad. If EQ’s are where you are drawing your line, then IMO i’m Good with native. Multiband comp? That would be more of an argument.
I could easily turn around the discussion and say, ok what amazing things have got to be done with a better sampler inside NS2. You discussed an alternative and then was basically meh , it’s not worth it to me. So, if you don’t want to discuss because of differing opinions, that’s cool
But you usually step away after you chastise with little substance to warrant a discussion. You’ve been engaged by a couple different people in the thread based on your comments, but seem to want to leave it as chastisement. So, instead, let’s hear some substance and see where it goes?
Killing AU support in NS2 would be suicide.
Matt explained the real suicide of NS2 a few months ago
Everyone here most likely knows I am a big supporter (and shameless defender) of BM3, but I also try hard not to become a blinded zealot and acolyte afraid of criticising the master, with whom there is a tendency for us fans to feel 'died on the cross to bring us this glorious app.' (metaphorically, obviously)
I think NS2 is an incredible app, and the awe-inspiring result of true dedication by a solo master craftsman. But it concerns me to read how much Matt had to defer to unpaid fans, and perpetual IAP exclusivity deals, in order to get over the finish line, and how this may have negatively impacted the initial launch and PR of such a great tool.
My advice to Matt, therefore, is that a brigade of fervent volunteers does not, a privy council, make.
I'm mightily impressed by Matt's relentless stamina to get the job done (4hrs sleep!), but also concerned that it meant he had to give significantly influential seats at his table to others, hard-working and well meaning as they no doubt were/are.
I mean all of this with no disrespect, by the way. If I was a developer I'd love to have a Dendy on my side. He's an intelligent and enthusiastic unpaid worker, and though I sometimes poke a little fun at his pro-NS2 propaganda, I always appreciate his efforts to educate users about the app.
This can’t be true can it?
Why would a new DAW limit itself to one person’s sounds when there are so many sound designers and potential revenue options available? I’m really looking forward to future IAPs as the current ones do not float my boat.
Nah, can’t be! Must be a misunderstanding.
It's a rumour I heard. I'd love someone to prove it wrong.