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
@gsm909 I think you'll find that Riffer drifts over time too. It's subtle and takes several minutes but it certainly does drift. I simply restart the transport and it syncs up again. For me, small annoyance to get the musical results that Riffer (and now playbeat) provide.
@Audiomodern @lukesleepwalker , prepping for a gig and transport stop-start really isn’t an option in a live improv situation
Yeah, I would not use Riffer for live improv (I don't have enough time with playbeat to say how bad the drift is). I usually sample a bunch of variations of a riff to AudioLayer and then set them for random robin play back for live use. Much more reliable!
Damn, this doesn’t have midi out?
Midi, what in tarnation is that some new flavor of sodee pop, maybe one of them new fangled moving pictures down at the cinema where they put a pop corn in a box an slather crisco oil all over it?.... uh oh, I think I made mother mad
So now you have us off on the Riffer pony which I had not really previously ridden I expected to be able to at least save a bunch of patterns at the bottom like with Playbeat, but it appears not. Is there any secret way I am missing? I made a brilliant (ha!) module piano line that needs three more variations but the stopping and starting of saving and beginning again kills me...
@Audiomodern last year there was supposed to be Riffr updates coming, but nothing ever came.
Did those updates to Riffr you mentioned last year on Twitter, basically become this new app instead? Or is this app something completely unrelated and those updates to Riffr are still coming?
Edit: looks like not a year ago but in March.
@skiphunt they said that a separate update to Riffer is coming.
👍🏼
OK, so I have had a bit of a play with it and it is fun but I really hope it gets some tweaks to move into prime time. Here’s my feedback:
Randomizing the pitch is a nice touch on drums. Makes for some interesting Art of Noise style loops.
I also like being able to lock the randomization parameters.
What I think this really needs:
and Triplets
It has triplet rhythm options.
The CC controls work really nicely in Cubasis
I like @gusgranite list but I honestly think the biggest misses are lack of MIDI out and no sample saving in presets. I get that every product team makes tough design decisions but missing on both of these makes it hard to fathom what the primary user workflow is. As it is, you can use it as an instrument but you can't completely save your work. Which leaves you with a MIDI sequence but no way to get it out.
As noted above, this is my new fave thing. I got a totally unexpected but wicked groove going last night, so this drummer/percussionist is hired! But please make it clear how to reliably keep the drummer in the band.
PS. Can't wait for Riffer update. That one is a mainstay in the band so looking forward to the new tricks.
Cubasis seems to save the samples in the track. (despite me getting a message saying unable to load sample they were all there).
Audiobus saves them as well if you save a preset.
+1 for midi out
Yeah not saving sample's is a bit of a workflow issue for me. Having to load everything up again from scratch is a chore.
Still a good app though.
Saves samples in AUM.
Yes, this is how I've been using it. I load it up in AUM, get a thing going and then save the preset in AUM (and it does save the samples as well as the sequence). But that means I can't just fire up the standalone app on my iphone when the wife is shopping and knock out a quick little clatter and then save it quickly. Not a huge ordeal but it does require that extra step of opening AudioBus or AUM, loading in the AU, etc. I stand by my comment that I don't understand the design decision around what the app is intended to be. If they intended it to be an instrument then standalone save of preset with samples seems to me to be a "table stakes" feature--otherwise, why allow saving of presets at all? Why not just say "use it as an AU instrument only"?
Anyway, I'm not trying to take anything away from how much I love this app. Just hoping the developer sees the feedback so they can consider where they might take things next.
There's no way to save Riffer patterns as in Playbeat (but here's hoping that the developer will share between the apps!) other than saving the presets in the top right. I usually work around this by: (1) setting up Atom to receive the MIDI from Riffer in AUM or AudioBus; (2) record a bunch of loops in AUM and then comb through them later in AudioShare to find the ones I like.
Also saves samples in project and exports audio correctly in NS2.
Really pleased that samples are saved in the DAW. I can use that workaround.
Save samples .
Longer patterns.
Song mode / pattern chaining.
Randomizing triplets / beats per step.
These things would make this go up to 11 right away
is there a way to set the end position of the sample? i see you can adjust the start point, but one at the end would be nice to shorten the sample length
Thanks Mister Luke, I will try the Atom route...
Nope, and agree that it would be helpful to have the end point marker.
Doesn’t seem to open properly in Zenbeats.
Press the keyboard top right.
Cheers @BiancaNeve
Ok apoligies for another basic question can you record in midi if you load Playbeat in as a AU in a midi track in Cubasis2 or any other linear DAW having trouble laying down the vibes I’m hearing?