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.
Still disappointed in the available daws. When is iOS getting Logic Pro?
Full photoshop is on iOS, full clip studio paint. iOS is as powerful as MacBook Pro 2018 now. We need full featured daws.
Comments
Answering your question, prolly never. But I’d love to be proven wrong.
I just realized there was another thread complaining about iOS not having full featured daws. I read through it really quick, and it seems like most ppl are against the idea? Why? If surface pro can run them, and literally a12x is way more powerful then the surface pro, then why would you fight against getting them so hard? Literally having a touch optimized Logic Pro for 100$ would be amazing on iOS. The art programs have already been ported, it’s time for the daws now lol
Whut? No one is against that! Where?
It’s just unlikely at this point due to the low odds of big developers being able to make profits doing so. The DAWs we have on iOS are virtually all developed by single independent developers or by very small teams. Gadget may be an exception, and there you do have parity between iOS and desktop.
We have a pro DAW, Auria. It’s considered by many a nightmare UI, and because of this it ends being used where it cannot be really matched, mixing and mastering. Touch interfaces are a tricky thing to develop.
This. Tell me a basic daw feature that Auria is missing. Further, it’s got a lot of features my current cheap pc daw doesn’t have. And you have all of those Fabfilter plugs available at a fraction of the desktop counterpart too.
Don't forget the fact that on iOS music apps are basically utilising just single core performance (at least for DSP audio code, which is 90% of their CPU needs), so in terms of performance we are still probslby 5-8 years behind current top music production desktop machines.
Which is not main reason why there is not "full fearured" DAW on iOS. But many people things iPads are already super powerfull because of Apple's fairytales a out super performance of A12x cpu. Yeah, it is powerfull for apps which are utilising multicore performance (like phptoshop), but not that powerful for audio apps.
Garageband is a legit daw very similar to Logic. And you can export projects to Logic.
I think it’s inevitable. A-series ARM CPUs are the future of Apple computing and a complete unification of all their computing environments is just on the horizon. Once they start using their mobile cpus in MacBooks, it wouldn’t make any sense for them NOT to port Logic to Arm, and simultaneously to iPadOS.
It’s just a matter of when, not if, imo..
I’d be just as happy if someone else beats them to the punch though — Bitwig, Ableton, etc ...
It’s the same with most desktop DAWS and VSTS — vsts and audio production applications in general just aren’t good at leveraging multiple cores.. Does Cubasis or BM3 spread out the load when dealing with multiple VST tracks though? AUM certainly seems to, as I’m able to load quite a few more instances of cpu heavy synths like Model 15 on my A12x
Agree. If GarageBand was made open, not walled off, would br huge step.
I'm actually pretty interested in seeing if GarageBand gets a major feature bump when iOS13/iPadOS ships.
It could maybe have native midi-out, improved midi editor with support all CC's and recorded TouchInstrument & AUv3 parameter automations. 'Bounce to new Track' instead of having to use merge and litter the device with project duplicates.
Destructive trim on recorded/imported samples in the sampler (If you import a 1 minute file and only use a portion of it for the instrument the entire 1 minute file is saved). This could be something like 'trim on save' when saving the instrument to the library.
Being able to import user samples to the drum kits and also tune the sounds would be nice additions...
And well, who knows maybe we'll see something like Ableton iLive drop at some point and if it gets the full 'Ableton Simpler' baked in it'll most likely be my go to on iOS...
Nightmare UI?I love everything about it,clear layout.It has infinite routing possibilities,this could be confusing if you dive deeper.Shitty Piano roll though(for me) but easy to solve with Atom Piano roll. Auria has a lot of pro features but the last recent thread about this topic lacks a clear definition what the OP expected from a pro DAW.Same here and without this it's all a bit senseless to discuss...
all modern desktop DAWs do use multithreading.. for example every plugin instance rungs in separate thread..
on iOS, ALL audio apps are running in same realtime audio thread... no exception..
nope.. AUM, Cubasis, BM3, any host, plugin or even standalone app - they all share same single realtime audio thread...
Yup it’s only a precious few low-hanging fruit features away from completely replacing Logic for me
Its a good point, I don't program so I'm not sure why ios hosts cant use multithreading?
this thread is a very good read about this topic
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/31881/apps-that-use-ipad-multicore-support/p1
Indeed and I think it's one of the most difficult parts of using these apps like Auria. I find it hard on my eyes personally unless I am actually using the iPad close up.
Garageband overcomes this with it's UI but also makes things that are very fast to do in more complex DAW/MIDI apps very slow/annoying.
I'm waiting for the iOS DAW where I can tell it to arm tracks via speech, record when I say ready etc.
That’s a shame to hear
I hope Apple will address these limitations in a later version of iPadOS, making it easier for devs to multithread DSP load, at least on a per track basis. It seems like it’d be a boon toward making the platform more appealing to top-tier desktop devs and pro-users. (Not holding my breath though )
I guess it’s another reason to keep old iPads around , dedicated model 15/factory box to lighten the load on main rig.
I can’t see Logic coming to iOS as too much of what makes logic logic won’t translate easily to touch. It’s just too complex with a gazillion features hidden behind key commands.
But GarageBand has a lot of room to grow in to and obviously has logic DNA.
@boone51 said:
Usability.
It doesn’t matter if an app has all the features if it’s not way/quick to use or adds friction that shouldn’t otherwise be there.
In many ways Auria is a great app and it ticks loads of boxes but the UI is very klunky. It feels like you’re using an old android phone where it does everything but just not smoothly.
for example, try looping a region in the middle of a project. In order to actually be able to drag the loop handle you have to zoom in so much before the region is big enough for the huge tap target to appear that you can no longer see the other regions for reference. Then if you want to loop a few times over you quickly get lost as you lose all idea of where you are in the arrangement or even how far you’ve actually dragged the handle.
And to actually loop you have to tap in exactly the right place for exactly the right amount of time (that’s what it feels like anyway) before you can actually drag. The whole process fees hit or miss and ends up being incredibly frustrating. It feels like you’re using an iPad you’ve let your three year old play with and the screen is smothered in jam.
The whole UX in auria is like this. It’s a touch interface that doesn’t feel tactile.
But it does have the features. I would happily pay for a new version of AP that just concentrates on the UI and adds no additional features.
I think many people that love iOS are very sensitive to UI/Ux klunkyness and when an app doesn’t feel right it can be awkward to use.
I’m happy if it works for you, but that’s why I don’t feel AP has become the all conquering king of DAWs on iOS.
Often, the tools a Pro actually uses are chosen because of how well they execute the features they need not for how many features they have.
An app that does one task expectionally well can be pro whilst an app with every feature from every DAW can be anything but ‘Pro’. And the thing is, for many people the non pro is the better choice.
But if you are a pro and need to do a simple task many times a day, any friction added by the app to that task is a deal breaker.
From a consumer/amateur perspective an app that has a good UX is more likely to get my attention as the friction added by a poor UX quickly becomes tiresome.
Generally I just select an audio region and go to Edit --> Loop To Selection.
Otherwise, if there isn't a specific audio or MIDI region already defined just activate snapping and double-tap to drag out a region, it will snap to whatever snapping increment you have set, I usually set it to "bars". There is no need to zoom in to do this. However it's a good idea to use a blank track with empty MIDI regions named to match your song structure (Intro, Verse, Chorus etc) then you can simply select one and use the Loop To Selection command.
Personally I think once you are used to the gestures, tap-and-hold for example, editing in Auria is really quick. Definitely better (and much quicker) than either Cubasis or GB.
IPads got keyboards and you can use a pencil for a mouse, so it's not a problem to adapt Logic UI for iOS. They probably can’t do it because of iOS or processor architecture limitations.
That once was the reason for me to spend $800 on SAW-Studio Lite (vintage desktop DAW) instead of getting Reaper for $60, after months of contemplating... never regretted.
(not a 'pro', though, just someone with limited time)
Btw SAW Studio most likely also features this '1 single main task audio paradigm' (guessing from a quote of the developer about 'everything in a mixdown must be serial' ) and in fact it seems rather lame in rendering.
But results are exceptionally 'clear' and precise - and clearity is something I noticed as a core feature of IOS audio.
Even more when I read about Apple's heavy CPU throttling - a total nogo on desktop.
While rendering in SAW Studio is slow, it probably has the fastest response of screen display I ever experienced, instantaneous (with absolutely no redraw lag).
This does not save any significant amount of time, but reduces eyestrain a lot.
(redraw lag will make eyes follow those changing pixels subconsciously)
That old desktop DAW is just a placeholder for app design focussed on workflow instead of a huge bunch of features.
It also fits the 'one man show' developer situation so common in IOS land and is the existing proof something like that can exist over many years.
Looping was one example. I find much of AP to be the same. I’m not saying things can’t be done, but that the UI is a little unresponsive and less fluid than the best apps on iOS.
But to double down on my looping example; a touch interface needs to be good at the basic things. You should be able to drag around a region whether it be to move, resize, loop etc with the minimum of fuss. This is what touch based apps are all about and for me AP falls at the first hurdle.
I have never used Cubasis but I find GarageBand much, much easier to use for just touch and tapping and dragging in the arrange and especially piano roll views.
Auria Pro does much more than GarageBand but I find all of those things are less fluid and klunkier. The more I use AP the faster it is to use obviously, but I have never found myself comfortable with it. I just don’t like the UX.
Touch in general is less accurate than a mouse and even sicker apps such as NanoStudio suffer here, for example if you use the widget to move a region in the main timeline and are zoomed out quite a but I often find that the region jumps when I take my finger off the screen. It’s little things like that that become annoying Compared to desktop.
I don’t want to add a keyboard or mouse to my iPad or I’d just use my laptop instead. The benefit for using an iPad for me is in the way the form factor changes the way you use the device. And for me that’s as much about the ease in which I can pick up the iPad and start using it anywhere I like. It’s liberating and for me allows me to make music where I couldn’t before (I used to have a home studio room for my music but it got stolen by children ;-)
There is plenty of room for massive improvement in iOS DAWs. There is also massive opportunity for a developer to come in an make the market their own. There isn’t a logic or a live on iOS. There isn’t a single app you can base your entire studio around.
On desktop I would use one daw for 100% of the time. On iOS I’m hopping around like a demented frog as no one app does what I want it to do. But that’s also because I come to iOS with decades of music making baggage.
Sorry but this is just a lack of familiarity with the touch-based conventions in Auria, which are just standard iOS touch conventions.
In Safari for example if you want to open a page in a new tab you tap and hold and wait for the menu to pop up. It's the same in Auria: to move a region you tap-and-hold until it highlights and then you can drag it around. Enable snapping and the whole process is effortless.
The tap-and-hold gesture is necessary because the app needs to figure out what your intent is: are you tapping the screen to scroll the timeline, or are you trying to perform a specific action? In order for the app to know what your intent is there are some specific gestures that it recognises: tap and drag, tap and hold, double-tap etc... Once you're familiar with these then editing in Auria is really fast. You just need to take the time to learn the app before just dismissing it out of hand.
FWIW I would add that there are definitely some flaws in Auria (in my case a couple of stubborn bugs I often need to work around), but audio editing and arranging on the timeline is definitely not a weak area IMO, it's actually one of Auria's greatest strengths.
@richardyot
I’m very aware of the conventions. I know how to use AP I just don’t enjoy the feel of it. It’s somewhat intangible but it just feels slow and klunky in use. For me.
The more I use it the more familiar it is obviously, but the UI choices are not in sync with how I’want things to be done. Which is fine, we all have our preferences.
I think a lot of it is based on our history with apps on all platforms and the things that originally attracted us to those.
I have been a Logic user since the beginning (when the interface was to my eyes truly horrific!) and watched it and experienced it develop over each iteration.
That obviously fuels my experiences and it’s no coincidence I’m happier using GB as it’s DNA is Emagic.
I’m sure things are different for a long time Cubase or Live user.
But I do think I value the little attentions to detail in an interface and the general UX very highly. I’m far happier in an app that lacks features but feels right to the opposite scenario.
One further thing that makes AP feel so klunky to me is that it can’t keep playing audio flawlessly whilst doing other tasks. This is one area where NS2 for example feels far more slick.
In my subjective opinion AP isn’t slick. I think that opinion is shared by many and has held back an otherwise powerful app.
One other thing holding back AP; it crashes. A lot.
One of the reasons ProTools became an industry standard amongst pro studios was because they built a system that was rock solid compared to its competition. I remember being in a small studio where they had an early version of Cubase audio and it was a horrific experience. When it didn’t crash it was incapable of being on time. ProTools did less but everything it did was fine tuned for its intended market.
apps like fruity loops thrived for the opposite reason. It was aimed at a different market where having all the features was far more important.
I don’t see any iOS app challenging the pro studio market. It’s almost pointless to try. Most of the benefits of an iPad are lost in the studio. A desktop is a far far better tool for countless reasons.
But for the bedroom producer (and I don’t use that term in a derogatory sense) iOS can be a liberating and very effective tool.
And it’s clear to most people that the killer DAW on iOS doesn’t yet exist. But that doesn’t stop us having a lot of fun and making (in my case crap) music along the way. And for many it’s far better than a desktop setup for countless reasons.
But there is still untapped potential. Which I for one am excited to see fulfilled.
Maybe asked it already
How is s 12x more powerful than a surface pro? 6gb ram v 8gb ram on a 2014 surface pro, 16gb on newest model...
SP GHz spec beats 12x too.
Reordering FX plugins. This is why I use BM3 for mastering,
There is literally a direct port of a pro DAW that reorders fx plugins among other iOS one of kind things:
MTS.
To me the biggest impediment to calling a DAW “pro” on iOS itd be a long time before any of them could run a 1+ pro instruments say a couple-3 U-He pretties
Yes this is a big omission, and I have a feeling it won't ever be possible in Auria.