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.
Pitch bend wheel MIDI Applicable?
I am considering getting a a Casio PXS3000 which is $200 more than the lesser featured 1000 cause it has a “wheel” called a pitch bend wheel. However, I have some concern the wheel A/ is not a modulation wheel but labeled pitch bend. and B/ the operation of the wheel is not transferable to operate upon a midi app. I found this in the manual, and wondering if “0” means it does not operate external midi. Your thoughts?
Comments
My impression is the pitch bend wheel can only be used for that one function.
You have two knobs above the PB which can be assigned to other parameters internally and I suspect these two knobs can be used to control midi parameters also. Im not 100 percent on this. Certainly something you need to confirm before possibly buying.
In every MIDI implementation chart I’ve ever seen, “0” means not applicable. I’m 99% sure that it nether sends nor receives pitch-bend messages.
That’s very odd.
i think '0' means yes in this chart so it transits and receives only pitch bend data.
0 = YES, X = NO So from the looks of it it both sends and receives pitch-bend...
Omg. Writing posts before the coffee kicks in.
Sorry ... memory dyslexia.
@samu... will it translate as modulation or will it only transmit pitchbend?
The pitch wheel will send Pitch Bends (it documents +/-1 to 24 semitones of range for internal sounds).
NOTE: Anything beyond 2 semi-tones won't show on in the external MIDI stream. You need MPE for more than the 2 semitone standard pitch bends.
The 2 knobs above the pitch wheel will like generate external "Change Control" events according to the Preset in play... turning on LFO's, etc.
There's a complete list of CC's supported and they show external transmission. A MIDI monitoring App on IOS is great for seeing what the controller is sending. Some MIDI conversion apps might be useful to map one CC stream to another CC target.
Are there specific modulations you like to have coming from your MIDI controller?
The manual shows that it does transmit CC's but I'd imagine you want control of rotary speakers for organs or instrument vibratos.
For the price this looks like we'd see you publishing again without too many constraints.
I'm interested in your opinion of these keybed and internal pianos sounds since you sold the Kawai which was best in class in both categories. If they pass muster to your hands and ears that says a lot. If not, then I'm sure it's still a great value for $700. Casio provides a good deal in most price points.
@McD, thanks... but won’t it transmit pitch bend instead of modulation? I use a wheel on synth leads and Indian instruments like SwarPlug.
The Casio’s action is much lighter than the Kawai, which may be more right for me these days. It also will feel better playing a synth, I believe. The piano sounds are very good from my limited hearing and the keyboard has the equivalent of Kauai’s Virtual Technician which adjusts string resonance, brilliance and various pedal and damper noises. These features are available in the PSX1000 as well for $600. The extra $200 for the 3000 gets you 700 tones, 200 rhythms, backups, full instrument split and layers, input for an expression pedal and other junk. Amazing value, I think for $800. Both also have a heightened midi resolution mode which should make it more midi sensitive. The action on both is software driven, leaving triple sensor feature in the dust ( maybe). It is also weighted for progressively harder to hit keys from bass to treble (this feature is a bit anachronistic, I think. But they want to get as much acoustic feel as possible.
It's going to send Pitch Bends to your IOS apps over the USB interface into a CCK adapter.
So, you'll be able to bend your SwarPlug leads.
Pitch Bends are 14-bit data streams (16,000 data values).
MIDI CC's are 7 bit controls (128 data values).
I think of a pitch bend as a "high resolution" modulation. LFO's and such are low resolution modulations.
Someone could create a Pitch Bend to CC converter script in Mosaic or Streambyter. One might already exist... there's a thread for asking for new Mosaic scripts.
Is there a store near you with a competent sales staff? If yes, take your iPad with the required cables and see how it performs.
Pitch bend wheel will change pitch on all ios apps which use pitch bend but you cant assign the pitch bend wheel to other midi cc parameters like ENV release or filter cut off.
I believe the other two knobs can be used to change midi cc (not 100 percent sure)
The MIDI specs in the manual indicate the PX-S3000 will transmit MIDI CC's as configured by the specific Preset selected. The 2 knobs can be programmed from a list of allowed CC's.
I think @LinearLineman is concerned mostly about bending his IOS lead instruments like the
winds and strings.
@LinearLineman I was a bit dissapointed when trying out the Casio, wich my daughter got.
The Pianoteq vst sounds way better then the Casio.
I have a studiologic hammer action keyboard wich has both wheels and aftertouch.
How about a little 25 key keyboard to add the wheels? Or a keystep to also add aftertouch...
By the way I did create a mozaic script that converts pitchbend into cc. It is called BipolarSplitter.
Hi @Alfred, thanks for the info. I know Pianoteq is loved by a lot. Some may appreciate it’s modeled sound v. Sampled. Mostly I will use Ravenscroft. I can port it in via the audio in on the Casio. So, not very concerned about that aspect. The second keyboard is probably the best solution as you suggest. M audio has a 49 for a hundred bucks. So I may just go that route. Mostly I record these days rather than play. The action suits me well enough and the price is right, so I think I’ll be good. Happy holidays!
Pianoteq on ios would be amazing,
I hear good things about the korg keyboard feel. Those have mini keys though. But also bluetooth.