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.
Modstep/Mididesigner on a second iPad
So I have a couple of older iPads hanging around. One is an iPad air 2 ("old"), and the other is an iPad 3.
I'd like to use one as a control surface for AUM/bus effects, and the other for Modstep - with all my synths on the third iPad.
1) Would the iPad 3 be sufficient for Mididesigner, or will I lose something?
2) what is the best way to connect these? Bluetooth midi, some kind of wired connection (USB).
Is anyone already doing this. Have I lost my mind?
Comments
I tried this with my iPad Pro and iPhone using a Network Session vía wifi...too laggy for automation but you can prolly set up an arrangement like this. You also may be able to do a wired connection using IDAM in Logic Pro and/or iConnectAudioMIDI. Dunno about Bluetooth.
MidiDesigner will run fine. MIDI is pretty low bandwidth and doesn't use a whole lot of CPU. I'd use FWIW, I'd probably use it via bluetooth rather than WIFI. MIDI over Bluetooth has reasonable latency (unlike audio).
Thanks.
FWIW? All I can come up with is For What it's Worth
Manual CC adjustments are fine over wifi and bluetooth (so yes, MIDI Designer is great)
CC automations and note sequencing have more trouble staying in sync when being sent wirelessly, so you might not get quite as good results with Modstep on another device.
And I agree that MIDI designer works well on older devices. It may struggle to keep up if you are switching between complex pages and layouts in MIDI Designer, but the basic functions should work fine.
Ah - that's good to know. Ideal would be iPad to iPad over lightning. Maybe that would be possible with the Air, and use the older iPad for Midi Designer.
Actually, if you have some funds to invest, the most reliable cheap option might be network MIDI using USB ethernet adapters and a ethernet router between your iPads.
the idea of “Ideal would be iPad to iPad over lightning” unfortunately just doesn’t work. There has to be a laptop or hardware as the middleman.
Lightning to lightning isn’t possible between iPads as far as I know.
Yeah those are two of the other “hardware” options. But iDAM is built into MacOS so Logic Pro should not be needed from what I have heard.
In other words, if you have a Mac, the easiest “wired” option would be to just plug both iPads into the mac with lightning cables and see if you can route MIDI using iDAM and the Audio/MIDI settings in MacOS.
Network Session (and Link too) can also work over wired networks, but this involves getting USB Ethernet adapters for all devices and connecting them all to a wired network. The costs add up, and some technical knowledge is needed. Network Session over wifi is only suitable for things like CC control in my experience due to too high latency.
I've been happy enough with MIDI over Bluetooth for my own uses.
Do it. I’ve basically come to the determination that in spite how much fun it is to have a knob in my hand (heh...) the best midi controller for an iPad is another iPad running MDP.
I have a iPad 2, or whatever... first version with lightning... and it runs MDP perfectly and the native Bluetooth connection from MDP to AUM is seemless.
I run midi designer to control stuff on another iPad through Bluetooth and never have any issues with it
Technical knowledge I have - time and money are more of an issue.
Even for sequencing beats where latency can be an issue? Interesting, as that would be ideal. I realize the answer to this is probably me just trying it..
You're definitely an inspiration for this project...
Bluetooth MIDI is used by many pro musicians on stage. Latency is quite low. Bluetooth audio is a whole different thing and the latency there is related to encoding and decoding audio. MIDI doesn’t get processed through a codec.
Thanks! Bluetooth midi it is.
Oh man... don't say that.. I don't want any part in the ensuing drug-crazed insanity that you're about to embark on...
Yup. I can deal with BT midi latency even with drumming, but BT audio.. forget it... I suppose if you're dealing with playing pads, etc. on keys, it's ok.. but for anything where tempo "matters"... nope...
BTW, Yamaha's bluetooth midi thing (BT01) kicks ass. Just need to make sure your gear has midi power.
Also, in case you have not figured it out.. MDP will work with AUM as a slideover/slidenext, whatever... It's helpful when setting up midi mapping in AUM via learn to have MDP sitting on same screen.
In a related vein, I’m having nice results with two USB to midi cables, plus two midi couplers.