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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.
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What is the best groovebox app on iOS?
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Groove Rider, Electribe Wave, something else?
I am mostly making techno and IDM beats. I have BM3 and AUM and a bunch of synths and effect plug ins but I feel like they are all a bit cumbersome and I want something more immediate where I can just sequence some beats. I owned a Circuit and Digitakt in the past and enjoyed the workflows of those so I want something that is more in that style of workflow then BM3/AUM.
It would be nice if there was something that hosted plug ins so that I could use some effects that I have but that's not a deal breaker. I have an older iPad Mini 2 with A7 chip if that matters.
Comments
Nanostudio 2, hands down
Groovebox by Ampify.
Both of the above are great apps, these days i’m really into Groove Rider. I think for IDM it may be your ticket when you get into the conditional trigs. Also, what I do is load up audio share with a bunch of one shots and single cycle waveforms so I can make my own synth patches. No it does not load AU3s but it’s a good one stop shop. For that I use Nano Studio. Also, groove box is good for make sample fodder for Groove Rider. No one App does everything as of yet, maybe when the mythical Drambo arrives... who knows.
I dismissed Groovebox unfairly at first, thought Gadget had all I needed.
Unlocking all the synths had me eating my hat! They are really really good.
GrooveRider is super fast and fun once you get the hang of it. It’s also extremely efficient and quite powerful. It’s supposed to be modeled off Electribe 2. I have it running latest version on an old iPad 2 with iOS 9.3.5 and don’t really get any awful crackles it runs smooth and I can even do some live input notes into it. If that old iPad can do it your Mini 2 will work wonders and you can even get the files app to get your samples in no problem and export your stems.
It’s probably not a problem with techno, but GrooveRider has a serious problem for me where you cannot chain patterns in different time signatures/step lengths. I don’t really know much about IDM and the time signatures used. GrooveRider can play 8 bars of whatever step length 1-16 fine, it just won’t chain them.
Thanks. I pretty much do everything in 4/4 but I like to have a way to add drum rolls to steps like conditional trigs in Elektron world or micro steps on Circuit.
Thanks. I had seen it in the app store but it looked like a toy for non musicians. I just downloaded it based on recommendations here but it I guess you do have to pay for the in app purchases to truly unlock the potential so it's not really free.
I had the same experience @rms13
Briefly tried the free version and then went back to Gadget.
Especially love Poly-8 and the workflow is great, Ableton Export makes me happy!
Gadget for standalone but I need to make use of the AUs and FX I've purchased so I'm using a combo of AUM template plus StepBud for synth sequencing and Octachron for drum sequencing.
Having a common workflow to come back to each time helps getting out ideas.
Within a stricter Groovebox definition, Elastic Drums.
I reckon the definition of 'groovebox' is a little squishy these days. I tend to think of it as "beat/pattern oriented all-in-one with minimum fuss". Something with drum samples and synth sounds with which you can put patterns together quickly (minimal menus and screen changes).
"Best" is gonna depend on you and what you wanna do. I reckon Auxy and Figure both qualify as grooveboxes (per my definition anyway) in different ways.
Ultimately, I'd trust this guy if 'groovebox' is in the question.
(because he's been making youtube groovebox videos since somewhere around the advent of youtube groovebox videos)
+1. With the sample import IAP, an effects section that is also available stand-alone and everything being automatable, this thing is hugely powerful.
Yes.
It is a nice drum app but also a nice sequenced sample app. Import sample from AudioShare, modify sample, sequence, automate FX. Very handy.
Is anybody using Bleass Grovebox?
And what happened to the Electribe Wave fans? It was so popular when it was released...
Oh yeah KEWfor sure too
It's still popular @CracklePot
I'm guessing the recent gadget update is why it hasn't been mentioned?
You can do some of those kinds of things. I didn’t even realize it was there until just now.
Y’all trippin’!
Groove Rider GR-16 is the real killer groove box on iOS.
😉
ED!
Not to mention a crazy range of crazy synth types, adjustable track length, speed, and delay, sensible song mode, nutso jam page, and on and on
Also because iPhone
I have ED , KEW and GR16 and so far ED has been the fastest to get some crazy stuff goin
Yeah my guess as well. Many people raved about it, and it looks super-slick.
So tempting, but I am still trying to leverage GR-16 myself.
I really love that app, but my Grooveboxin’ skills are still weak sauce.
iELECTRIBE with the nanokontrol 2 and nanopad 2 in takeover mode is something I've been enjoying a lot lately.
Looks like the official verdict is "All of them"
True this
There’s an insane # of grooveboxes on iOS - I have 56 in the stricter definition category. After ED, other contenders are Stroke Machine, WR6000, Zillidrone
I still agree that Groove Rider is the most powerful yet quite usable groovebox app that manages to keep everything on one screen page.
Conditional trigs: Yes.
Step-locked elektron-style "P-Locks" (or "automation"): Yes
Wavetable synth supporting import of your own Serum-format wavetables: Yes
Wavetable index modulation by two independent envelopes or rhythmic LFO: Yes
Import your own mono samples and even slice up to 16 samples to 16x16 pads: Yes
Use each of the tracks as a separate 4-voice wavetable or sample-based synth: Yes
Sync the box to incoming MIDI clock with perfect timing: Yes
Different FX for each track: Yes
Touchpad for realtime FX, arpeggio, beat-synced scale play: Yes
A few multi-sampled natural instrument sounds included: Yes
For a more classic synthesis approach with two shapeable oscillators, including sample import and a very strong and intuitive modulation system, Stroke Machine is great too.
It also has the classic piano roll style note editing that Groove Rider lacks.
Also have a look at Rotor if you like a more playful approach, Caustic for a powerful Orion-like "individual patterns for each sound module" approach (no ext. sync though),
or Modstep for an Ableton-like scene grid and a simplistic but usable internal synth and sample player.
GR-16 and Gadget can deliver, no question, but if you're not a tweaker and you're fine using presets, there are other options like Reason/iOS, Groovebox or Auxy for example.
NS2 and BM3 work well but to me they don't feel like a groovebox at all - they won't provide the typical "instant groovebox fun".
And let’s not forget bleepBOX!
Is that Groove Rider?
Another vote for groove rider. It was a bit complicated at first but once I figured it out, I make songs on it like crazy. I really like to do a lot of acid type stuff on it. KEW definitely rules too but I am most productive with groove rider.
Y
”Grooveboxes” are easily my favorite music app category - good ones tend to be instabuys for me, and I consider all the following to be excellent , regularly rotating between them. Though Gadget is definitely my mainstay, #1 goto
1 Gadget (without a doubt.)
2 Groovebox
3 Groove Rider
4 Electribe Wave
5 Egoist
6 Caustic
7 Beatonal
8 TriqTraq
9 Elastic Drums
10 Bleass
Honorable Mentions:
Beathawk
iSequence
krft
Figure
Fingerbeat
koala
Samplebot
Nano-loop
Loopseque
Aphellian
oscilab