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.
Useful tips I learnt from GarageBand
Use RouteMIDI app to get MIDI out of GarageBand.
ALWAYS use the keyboard option, if possible for all instruments (Guitar, Bass, Synths). It makes it easier to move MIDI information into other sections.
Drummer feature is great for making a simple drum loop out of melodies and chords you’ve made.
Use Music Memos on your iPhones/iPads to record your audio as it allows you to instantly send recorded information with a Drummer/Automatically generated bass line.
If you want to use the stems out of GarageBand, AudioShare is your best friend. Just copy the GarageBand project to AudioShare, and open it as a folder. You’ll be able to find the audio.
Don’t bother adding all your loops to GarageBand or other apps. Use AudioShare to organize your loops, and import the one you like into GarageBand.
Make loops, not full songs. Full songs take way too much time to fine-tune. Use any app to make your 4 bar/8bar/16 bar loops. Don’t be restricted by the flow of a song.
Make tracks out of live loops. Add the sounds, samples, loops, tracks that you like (and are sorta related), place them in the live loops, and press the record button as you play the loops you like. It combines the simplistic workflow of being a DJ with the precision of a producer. Don’t worry if it’s bad. Just play what you like.
Fine-tune that track using effects, trimming/splitting/moving stuff around. This is where you make your track into a song (Also known as the mixing stage). Adjust the volume based on the red bar on the volume. Depending on how you mix, you may not need to master the song.
Use the Barkfilter hack when trying to master the song (Jolico tip - Feed your mix into barkfilter/select the triple-band preset/switch on the limiter on the right-hand side of the unit).
EDIT:
- If you're trying to make loops easily, try using the Novation Apps (they're free to download)-
- GrooveBox is a simple but powerful tool that generates sequences, with the flexibility to play them. Has decent free sounds.
- BlocsWave allows you to get quick ideas out of already created loops. You can layer scenes Granted you can use it for free, but the unlock allows you to trim, loop samples, export to LaunchPad, among others.
- Launchpad gives you a window similar to Live Loops in GarageBand. If you export your created sequence to LaunchPad (which you can if you unlocked BlocsWave), each scene adds a new line.
(Credit to echoopera for Tip 11)
Please post more tips if you found this somewhat helpful.
Comments
Nice write up.
Maybe add it to the Wiki section?
Good stuff. Can you explain #1 and #3 in more detail, please? Thx
This is actually really useful; thanks!
Sure.
Q1. RouteMidi is an AU plugin that can be added to GarageBand. If you make your MIDI tracks using the "Keyboard" section in GarageBand, you can drag the MIDI information directly into RouteMIDI.
When you do that, double tap on RouteMIDI AU plugin to see the screen where you can set the MIDI out channe, and select which app you want to route the MIDI information to. Personally, I use Xequence/Gadget 2 as they allow me to export the MIDI as a midi file.
Q3. There are different ways of programming drums (See Pete Johns -
)
Drummer is another menu on GarageBand that uses a virtual drummer (algorithms) to create a drumbeat that matches what you want to play. You can customize it to follow a particular instrument (say a bass, or the chords you play).
@Samflash3
The AudioShare tip is great.
Can the Audioveek app work instead of route midi do you know?
Are the stems as when recorded or as in the project itself?
Thank you.
Haven't tested AudioVeek as I don't have the app, sadly.
I believe it would be as recorded. If you have plugins added to the file, use the "Merge" feature in GarageBand, and select only that track. It will allow you to keep the recording, plugins, and all.
@Samflash3
Thanks
NO ( in garageband)
Hence I purchased route Midi
Is it possible to get the drum midi out as well with RouteMidi if has been recorded in the beat sequencer?
As far as I’ve tested, sadly, no. Which is a shame because there are excellent drum kits in there.
Although with drums, it’s a lot easier to make loops out of it. I merge my drum patch to make an audio loop that I can reuse in other apps.
I am brand new to Audiobus. I wonder if someone can point me to a topic dealing with GarageBand. I have been trying continually for eight hours to record more than one track but to no avail. I am using iPad Pro with Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
I hope someone can put me out of my misery!
@Tritone30 I believe there is an option in the advanced settings to enable MultiTrack Recording in Garageband. Otherwise these posts might help:
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/15589/simultaneous-multitracking
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/32442/garageband-ios-multitrack-audiobus-recording
Thanks for the quick reply, very helpful, I’m on it in the morning.