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.
A breakdown of how my studio performance rig, The Beast works. (Uses Multiple IOS devices)
I just did a video breakdown of how my machine works on my facebook page.
It's public so you should be able to see it.
https://www.facebook.com/Stevenlikeness/videos/10221514694486972/
Here's a live performance with it from last night.
Here's a full on view of it from a month or so back. Its always in a state of flux.
Here's a text break down for those of you (like myself) who don't like watching videos.
I’ve been doing a ton of work on the beast since we got home. Basically making the patching more efficient and flexible, so for the most part any piece of gear can be routed through any processor just by changing points on my diy patchbay.
The easiest way to break down the routing is going backwards from the recording computer out.
The recording machine runs reason, which is synced to the sequencing machine using ableton link. So editing is stupid easy.
It takes a stereo pair from Mackey #1.
Mackey #1 acts as a line mixer for the other three main sub mixers.
Alesis studio 12
Mackey #2 (12 channels)
Roland MX1 performance mixer.
Right now Mackey #2 doesn’t have anything going into it. Because I haven’t run the cables to the patchbay.
The Alesis:
1/2 micro Korg
3/4 tb03
5/6 Kaossilator
7/8 iDevice 6
9/10 kaoss pad 1
11/12 dialog samples through dedicated iDevice processor through dedicated kaoss pad 2
Roland Mx1
1/2 virus 1/2 through dedicated iPad four effects processor
3/4 submix layer two Yamaha mixer
Line 1/2 red sound dark star currently through an adrenalinn III processor
Line 3/4 dave smith mopho, currently through a KP mini 3
Line 5/6 mc 303 currently through Air FX 2
5/6 submix layer two hart line mixer
1/2 iDevice 1 currently through kp mini 1
3/4 iDevice 2 currently through kp mini 2
5/6 iDevice 3
7/8 IDevice 4
9/10 idevice 5
7/8 stereo pair, digital
All tracks below are ableton outputs from the sequencing machine. Each channel below is a sub mix of 6-12 channels in ableton. Each of those has X number of time synced loops in different styles that play 4/8/16 bars and then randomly switch to another loop in the same channel.
All of which is controlled by a iPad running a custom built lemur environment. The lemur is set up with a bank of faders to bring all that shit up and down, as well as control any onboard effects.
9/10 accent sounds, vocals, weirdness
11/12 guitar noise, screams, machine and mri samples, radio samples, synth and guitar drones
13/14 all drum loops
15/16 snare/hat/crash
17/18 Kick
The MX1 has two sets of onboard effects per channel.
Each channel has gate effects and can be sent to an onboard bank real time tweekable effects including Delays, flanges, a glitch slicer, filter, bit crush and roll. And each of those have about a dozen presets that can be assigned.
It has one external effect send, which is currently dedicated to the iPad that runs the virus effects. I have it set prefader, so I can bring up a 100% wet mix of the virus without having to bring up the dry mix. Which is convenient if I want to do something really fucked up to it.
The mx1 also has a headphone out. Since I’m not using it as one I am running it to Kaoss Pad 1. Each channel has a select button, by engaging that, whatever is running through is routed prefader to the kaoss pad which then goes to its own channel on the alesis.
All of the above is synced via time clock or ableton link.
Midi sequencing info:
There are currently four channels of midi loops running in ableton. Each one has its own characteristics including one that’s more or less an 2 bar chord generator.
You select them by muting the others.
They run to a key lock which is again controlled remotely in the lemur so it can be changed on the fly.
From there it hits an internal midi splitter which propagates the data to midi channels for each device.
In order to keep all the devices from playing the same thing, most of the channels have real time midi processors in them (again lemur controlled) that change octaves, change arpeggiator patterns, and clock divisions.
All of which goes to a 4/4 midi box. Then to a few midi splitters.
Currently in line but not actually used.
Roland Juno alpha 1 (it’s in the patch matrix just not routed to anything currently.)
Kawai km1
Kurzweil sp88x
Yamaha Fm tone generator
KORG dsm1
Ableton push
Assorted midi controllers
Pod 2.0 pro rack
Midiverb 3
Microverb 3
Digitech quad 4
Alesis air fx #1 which I can’t seem to find the power supply for
Effects Processors which are the last of my to do list.
I use those for gear I want to throw effects on to wettin them up some, but that doesn’t need to be fucked with in real time.
I could set up the midi controls to do that, but fuck all that shit. So they just get time code thrown at em so the delays and whatnot sync.
FAQ:
1. Doesn’t it consume a ton of power? No, put a kill-a-watt on it for the first year, it costs maybe maybe $10 a month
2. How do you keep track of what goes where? It used to be much worse before I built the patch matrix. (Which, incidentally is just a bunch of 1/8th inch stereo couplers mounted in drilled holes in a piece of wood. All the outs and ins from the devices go in the back, connections routed in the front.) It isn’t perfect but it works surprisingly well. Particularly now that I have gaffe taped all the input plugs into the back so there’s no wiggle room.
3. Do all the lights you have on it cause buzz? Surprisingly no.
4. How much did this cost? Not a ton, and it’s been built over two years starting with shit I already had. Most of it is second tier kit, or old tech. A lot is donated. The most consistent expensive part is the cabling and connectors.
5. How do you get midi/audio out of the iPads? Griffin audio docks. They don’t make em any more, but you can usually still find em around for $10-20 a pop. They take 1/8th in rca out and send/receive midi. I also have one of those guitar rig 2 dudes that runs from the sample device to its dedicated processor.
6. How is built? Shelving from Walmart, and a ton of wire frame salvaged from a dog crate, and a few pieces of dish drying racks. Attached with zip ties. I then sew velcro (soft side) to the racks (gotta sew it because it’s not strong enough to stick to the racks when you pull stuff off and on). Hook side goes on the back of the gear. If it needs more support than that it’s pretty easy to build suspenders out of velcro ties.
7. How do you run power? Through a furman rack conditioner out to a few rack mounted switches then to power strips.
8. What are you running on the iDevices
Tons!
Regulars include
Figure
Groovebox
Future drummer
Mid East drummer
Rock drummer
AUM
Tc-11/data (as a controller sometimes)
Ruismaker
Kmachine
IKaossilator
GeoShred
Auf fx
Synthscraper
Field scraper
AtomizerFX
Stereo delay
Midi wrench (a must)
Bleass
Mozaic (just getting into some of the generative stuff)
Streemur
Zeeon
Fluxplay
Kosmonaut
Ivcs
Loopy
Beatonal
Isymphonic
Spacecraft
And a bunch more I can’t think of off the top of my head
- What’s on your to do list? Work in a third laptop as a sound source using the iconnectivity A4plus. Currently it’s running a ipad mini2 which is occasionally a synth or processor. I want to build a custom reason setup for more organic sounds and to take some of the processing off of the sequencing machine. It’s worth noting that both the machine I’m going to integrate and the recording machines are five+ years old, and spent most of their lives as live machines for Ego. The sequencing machine is my person laptop and is probably 3? Years old. None of what I use is top of the line, or even particularly new or nice. I just have a lot of it.
- How do you decide what is going to do what? Usually I start out with a specific idea like “wall of drone,” or “let’s write a drum and bass record over the course of a few nights.” Then I dial in whatever those tools need to be.
- How long did it take you to build? The first draft took about three months, but the first fully working version took almost a year.
- Do you use wireless midi? Tried it, don’t trust it. I’ve done midi over Bluetooth but usually only for specific things.
- How about studio mux? I used studio mux for about a year, ran five iPads into ableton through a powered hub, and then mixed in there. It works, but it can be unstable and annoying. So I switched to dedicated lines and mixers because I got tired of fucking with it.
- Wanna help the cause? Send iDevices, old laptops (windows 7 on up) old gear, to ego likeness pob 23 benson md 21018. If I can’t use em, I will pass em on to young musicians who will.
- Why? Because I wanted to have a way of interacting with sound that is as thoughtless and intuitive as painting is for me. I don’t want to have to worry about notes or playing parts. All I want to do is lose myself in instinct.
Comments
Incredible brother. I think I remember you posted a version of it a few years back in the studio set up thread, it’s just really insane in the best way possible.
That's amazing. I could never do anything like that, not sure personally I'd want to, but that's not the point. Very impressive!!!
No disrespect mean't, but it looks like a bunch of nice gear thrown in the corner.
wow... glad it works for you... couldn't sit in front of that for 5 min.
That has made my day and I’ve only just woken up. I’m going to put a picture on my wall, partly because it will always make me smile, but also to show my partner each time she mocks me when a cable arrives in the post.
Brilliant work, the most impressive thing is you definitely sound like you know how it works AND you actually make music with it. My very very modest in comparison equivalent is covered in post it notes to track my tinkering, like in the film Memento (sort of).
What should I be doing with it?
Gear is made to be used, right?
I'm using it.
And it's not "Thrown in a corner" it's all mounted in the most ergonomic way possible for one person to use.
I tried it a ton of different ways over the years, and this is the most practical.
Thanks! Yeah, I've been working with it for about 3 years or so, and part of the goal was to actually make real music.
I love modulars and shit like that, but most of the time people only use them to make cool sounds.
Which is awesome, but not my thing.
I mean, I can make some insane weirdness with it, and full on noise. But the goal has always been to make as many different styles of electronic music as possible, on the fly.
If you understand how it works, it all makes perfect sense.
I continue to be surprised by how it's held my interest.
I will walk away from it for a few months at a time, usually when I'm working on actual records or touring or whatever, but
then I will find myself thinking... "I wonder if I can make it do X thing."
And then I'm back at it.
There really is a plan to the way it's set up, even though it doesn't look like one.
But an air plane cockpit looks overwhelming too if you don't know what everything does.
Honestly, I totally get that.
I don't know if I would do it again, but I'm really glad I did. It's produced some really cool material that's informed my actual released music, and the live recordings I make with it have actually generated a decent amount of additional income.
The thing is, that it would be very difficult to develop and plan ahead of time. It started small, and developed that way.
I will say that it's the closest to painting, from an instinctual point of view that I've ever come with music. It's very much like the two of us work together to figure out how to tune the chaos.
Yep! I stopped spending much time here, because people seem to be very concerned with being right about just pointless shit. But I've been doing a ton more with it lately, and since I did the Q and A for my facebook people I figured I would share it here.
For those curious about my other jank.
I just dropped a new EP
Here's the first video from it.
Should you want to buy it, you can grab it here.
https://stoneburnerofficial.bandcamp.com/album/red-in-tooth-and-claw
Honestly, nothing but admiration...
My comment was reflection of my own OCD.
Seeing so many iPads and other duplicate tools I'm pretty sure you know exactly what's going on and each tool is hand picked for its specific role.
And yeah, the most important- as mentioned above - it's being played
Just can't make my mind up if I'd rather be round his house or yours for lockdown....
Wow, this is super cool. And I thought I was overdoing it by getting 3 old iPhones with my iPad.
Don't even respond to the "I don't" or "I wouldn't" statements, as you hint at here. People can't help but contextualize based on their own opinions and process, but it's pointless in the end. YOU have a vision and YOU realized it and YOU are creating the way you want to instead of sitting around waiting for the next app to throw money at. Bravo!
Agreed. If it’s great for you it’s...great for you! I’m amazed that you can keep it all sorted, but I look at Richard Devines modular rig and think the same thing. It’s like any complex system...it’s a series of simple systems. And if you have made each one of those small systems yourself, you become proficient at using them.
Well done.
Mine has a lot more equipment for sure, but I use desks etc.
@Ego_Likeness. I love what you do. Please don’t let the nay sayers run you off. I’m sure you have a wealth of information from trial and error alone.
Sorry if you already answered this but what does your live rig look like?
@drez
Indeed. Problems come (for me) when simple systems INTERACT and worse FEEDBACK into other simple systems.
Oh, zero stress.
I just like to try to get people past those first impressions.
This is just what I have out.
There's a stack of other a doze other pads and phones that are older, and just aren't in the mix at the moment.
I put out a call to the bands fan base, to see if anyone had any old ones sitting around that they wanted to donate.
In exchange I sent em art or something.
The beauty is that, as you know, once you buy the app, it's yours on as many devices as you want.
Honestly, I'm totally happy with what I do, I've got a release catalog 50 records long. I make music and art for a living out of my home or on tour.
My main issue was that...I've got this cool thing I built, right? And not only have I built it, but I have documentation how it all works, so other people can do the kind of thing if they want to. And I get tired of people finding reasons to dislike it for whatever reason when, as near as I can tell, all I'm trying to do is share something cool, and help others. It just gets tedious, so I just stopped worrying about it.
I still pop back in here from time to time for problem solving or to see what's new.
I think like any message board like this, a lot of people focus on collecting, and quantifying as opposed to doing and exploring. Which is a shame.
Yeah, I have a basic understanding of modular stuff, like... If pressed I could diagram a synth from the oscillators on up. It's a lot like Max4Live I can get in there and fuck around with it, but I do so much better when I have a GUI to work with.
I have a little Kastle micro modular by Bastil that is great for making all of those sounds, it takes CV and you can repatch it, but it only cost $100 and it covers my needs for that sort of thing. It's a cool piece of kit.
I did that for a long time, and it's great for tracking. Like if you want to have all your gear out and available.
I LOVE mobys sliding shelf system. Where everything is more or less flat and he slides out each shelf he needs at any given time.
All of that's great if you're only using one thing at a time, and you know how you're using it in relationship to the rest.
But I have to have access to everything all at more or less the same time, and I need to be able to reconfigure it on the fly.
I could do a lot of that with midi, and have, but its more ergonomic to do it this way. Also, it keeps the cable runs nice and short. There's remarkably little line noise considering the amount of copper thats back behind all that shit.
It all goes to the central patchbay and then I can patch everything to everything else as needed. Which takes care of the audio end.
And I do a thing where... lets say I'm working with the Mopho which is on my right with a bunch of the synths. All of the kaoss pads are on my left right next to each other. So I can tweek any given synth with one hand and mess with the effects with the other, without having to cross over and get my arms twisted up if I'm trying to do more than one thing at the same time.
It's also an economy of movement. I do a lot of quick changes on the beat, so I have to be able to get from processor to processor or synth to synth quickly.
So, I toured with this project for a bit, and it consisted of three suit cases with everything mounted inside.
Then I had little mini patchbays that I built to connect them all together quickly.
But it's such a small market for this kinda thing, that I decided to stop touring with this project and build the perfect setup at home and broadcast it, so I didn't have to worry about it.
My other projects are a bit more straight forward. I write everything for both of them, but limit myself to instruments that are fun to play live.
Ego Likeness is a electronic rock, goth/industrial type thing.
I play guitar live. We have my wife singing, a second guitarist and live electronic drums.
The rest of the show is tracked and runs off cubase which handles all the midi for the lights, audio and video.
Stoneburner is a full on industrial project.
I play live electronic drums and sing. And I have a second drummer as well.
I use cubase for all that also. Along with a warpfactory vocoder for the insanely processed vocals.
This is what my drum rig looks like. All of it triggers stock sounds in a D4 that have been tweeked.
There's a little shelf on the front that I put my mic on when I'm not singing, making it easy to transition between playing drums and being the "front man."
Those give you an idea of that stuff.
Holy Shit!
So inspirational I made you my wallpaper
Love it!
Really enjoyed the ego likeness tunes (Especially the edge of night, hint of Gaelic that fits me) the other stuff is not really my sort of thing, but that photo still looks like a bunch of nice gear thrown in the corner to me.
You know that movie “A beautiful mind”... when the wife walks into his work area and sees what hubby is up too?
This is the musical.