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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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iPhone AUv3 Guitar Workflow

I’ve been trying to find a good “future proof” guitar workflow on the iPhone, as guitar is why I got into iOS music in the first place. I like Bias and Bias FX a lot but there are currently no plans for AUv3.

I think I’ve finally found that workflow. I’m using the Shure MVi as the interface. I like this interface a lot. The apps I use are 4pockets Overdrive, Guitar Rack by TC Helicon, Rooms AUv3, and sometimes 4pockets Noise Gate (although for this recording I did not use it as I’m still getting used to it). Brusfri did not work as it added too much latency, as @Janosax had suggested. Once recorded, I use the file player in AUM to post process. In this case I just used Virtual Room to widen things out a bit.

This workflow may not work for everyone, especially given Guitar Rack by TC Helicon needs hardware to unlock. I had an old Harmonizer GXT that allowed me to do this, but honestly I’m just using the base amp head (super clean) that came with the app. The app also allows the cabinet to be bypassed, so instead I use an IR file in Rooms for cab simulation. I added a spring reverb in the Rack section of Guitar Rack, but this is not part of the base app. It also comes before the cab, but I’m not going to be that picky here.

I gotta say I LOVE 4pockets Overdrive. I maybe went a little too crunchy here but the app is very versatile and you can get some awesome tones from it.

@McD has suggested using a compressor in place of an amp head (and I’ll add,
maybe even two, a la Zeppelin) so that may work in place of Guitar Rack. @jakoB_haQ also has a great spring verb preset in Blackhole that can be toned down a bit and used on guitar. I admit I haven’t tried the compressor setup yet.

Still shaking off the rust but this was fun.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kRbglT_TxaoPEFRpKwgEr_hGMwIMDP4U/view

Comments

  • What’s the bomb app?

  • I’ve been stacking AUv3s for guitar with some success, including 4pockets OD. Right now I’m liking iFX Rack because you only need the one AU to do most or all of the tone shaping, and the controls are all as ancient as I am so it makes it easy to do the sculpting. I’m still holding out hope that Bias FX will become Auv3 but I really don’t know if that is likely. ever.

  • Yes can’t wait til IFX Rack is universal. It’s got some great stuff.

  • What’s the opinion on Reamp as part of this? Or STARK?

  • I use Bias FX as input in AUM and whatever effects I may want to add. A great chorused clean sound with Eventide Blackhole in AUM = tone Nirvana.

  • edited September 2019

    @Peblin keep in mind this is iPhone workflow. I would most likely use Reamp and Stark (with cab sim disabled) on iPad for an AUv3 workflow.

    @dafrimpster I love Bias FX. Truly amazing tone and effects. I’m hoping that @PositiveGrid see the demand for AUv3 as IAA becomes deprecated.

  • @Peblin said:
    What’s the opinion on Reamp as part of this? Or STARK?

    Stark is not as realistic as the popular guitar amp sims. Its cabinet emulation seems particularly weak. Search in the archives. You will find much discussion and some examples of how a good cabinet I helps it immensely.

  • 4Pockets Overdrive is an OverLooked gem for me... Thanks @mjcouche for showing me the way toa great AUv3 Guitar Tone shaper. It has presets from light Tube tone to massive grunge tones. Its also more transparent than my previous goto's (FuzzPLus3, DC-9).

    In OverDrive are great controls for compression, drive and filtering. The knobs might be tiny on the smaller iPhones so I love to create a Guitar Rig in AUM and export the AUM project
    to the iPhone and load that project on the iPhone with all the knobs tweaked correctly.

    Then I velcro the iPhone to the guitar from and connect using an iRig instrument interface.
    Using the original headphone jack iRig (now for sale on Amazon at $10) I can use a USB Battery pack and keep the iPhone running for hours with headphones cbled into the iRig's headphone jack. The Lighting iRig sounds a lot better and has a hotter signal but it does capture the Lightning port so you can't add a battery. NOTE TO MCD: Try the USB cable for the iRig HD and add CCK to allow for the battery to be used with iRig HD. I just need to find that iRig to USB cable.

    It might be worth using a better quality (small) audio interface and also getting a good stereo Audio Out signal for live use with PA's. I think the Zoom U-44 might be a good candidate for size and features.

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