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.

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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

**Help me decide | Arturia KeyStep Pro vs Nov ation SL MK3 ** I bought the novation!!!

So, I am in a search for a new piece of hardware.

My first thought was the Novation SL MK3. It could replace my aging Axiom 49, become the hub to control everything. Has a built in 8 track sequencer, templates I could setup for multiple iOS synths, plenty of buttons and faders to setup. From the outside looking in, it looks almost perfect, especially paired with an iPad. It really could be the ultimate keyboard. The problem I am having is I have found a bunch of technical videos on it. Which is not a bad thing but there are not any real performance orientated or inspirational type videos to get me hyped.

Then I watch this dudes video on the Arturia KeyStep Pro. Which is cheaper by $200, more likely an easier sale to the wife since its cheaper. It does only have 4 tracks, its not really giving me the ultimate control that the SL MK3 would but there is just something about this video that makes me inspired. The ease of making evolving ambient tracks, all of the ways it allows you to manipulate the sequences, the ARPs can be used together.

So what do you think? Go with ultimate control of everything or a super inspiring midi sequencer?

and thanks in advance.

Comments

  • LP Pro mk 3?
    This is cheaper than the SL, and has 4 track sequencer like the key step...as well as custom pages to setup control of apps/synths.
    I have the LP pro, but still pine after the SL.

  • I'm not sure where you're located, but I've been considering the SL Mk3 49 and I noticed that it was recently reduced in price from $799 down to $499 here in Canada. I thought it was a mistake but several sites are listing it at that price now.

    I also noticed that the price of the Peak went up from $1699 to $1999. Strange things are afoot...

  • @AndyPlankton I did look at the LP Pro MK3. I have the original LP Pro and love it. It is a very inspiring piece of gear. The addition to the sequencer is great, among other features but I do think that I would prefer the Keystep Pro sequencer over it. Plus it doesn't have the knobs and faders like the SL. Now if I didn't already have the LP Pro, I would jump on it.

  • @unicity thanks. The current sweetwater and amazon price for the 49SL MK3 is $599. Not sure what they were when they first came out. The KeyStep Pro is $399.

    It is crazy how prices change quickly. My wife just bought our son some shoes for $15 on amazon, the next day the shoes were back up to almost $60.

  • @unicity said:

    I also noticed that the price of the Peak went up from $1699 to $1999. Strange things are afoot...

    That puts it within close range of the Summit. Here in the US I'm seeing the Peak on Sweetwater for $1249, which seems right compared to the Summit. I wish I'd locked in the Summit when it was originally $1999 US

  • @Liquidmantis said:

    @unicity said:

    I also noticed that the price of the Peak went up from $1699 to $1999. Strange things are afoot...

    That puts it within close range of the Summit. Here in the US I'm seeing the Peak on Sweetwater for $1249, which seems right compared to the Summit. I wish I'd locked in the Summit when it was originally $1999 US

    Yeah it's weird. Peak has been sitting at $1699 for as long as I can remember.

    Oof and the Summit is now listed at $3399 Canadian looniebucks.

    Sorry to drift off topic a bit there. I did watch that video of the KSP posted up above and that sequencer does look like a lot of fun. I'm mostly into the SL mk3 for its control aspect, with the sequencer being a bonus I probably wouldn't use all that much.

  • Trying to decide too, I probably won't help much. :)

    Keystep Pro Cons:
    37 keys vs 49, mini keys, 4 tracks vs 8, 5 knobs vs 8, no drums pads vs 16 w/ velocity+poly-AT, no faders vs 8, pitch/mod strips vs real wheels, LEDs vs bigger full-color LCDs, less RGB lighting.

    Keystep Pro Pros:
    4 arps vs 1, more CV/Gate, couple of more sequencer tricks, MUCH smaller 23.2x8.2x1.5"; 5.9lbs vs 32.2x11.8x3.9"; 15lbs.

  • 200 bucks gets Full Size Keys- that is it for me!
    Plus Faders, plus 4 more sequencer tracks.

    I was looking forward the Keystep Pro and was even considering it until I saw the Sl Mk3 with full size keys I just can't rock on mini keys

  • Watch the Loopop video on the keystep
    Also “Look mum no computer”

    For various takes and thorough reviews of the Keystep pro

  • @unicity Those extra sequencer options is what has me hooked. Wish I could afford both.

    @Sequencer1 every little bit helps. Not to concerned with the size and I don't have any external gear so all those extra CV/Gate Controls does not apply to me.

    @ralis I do like full size keys and the extra tracks.

    @audiblevideo I have watched all the videos. hehe. The ones with the Keystep Pro are vey inspirational, which is selling me on that one. The ones with the SL MK3 just seems more technical, which I like all the technical stuff but can it be as inspiring?

  • edited April 2020

    @TheAudioDabbler When it comes to hardware, its feel usually wins me over any feature list.
    The Novation is no doubt the overall more powerful one but there are a number of advantages in the Keystep Pro that keep me longing for that rather than for the Novation.

    I still only own the older Keystep and although the keys are small, they're perfectly usable, good quality and the aftertouch works fair enough.
    What I like most in the Keystep Pro is the hardware support for its sequencer functions. Many knobs, enough LEDs and a tiny OLED display that I find inappropriate but not exactly a deal-breaker.
    For me, a usable and inspiring hardware sequencer is 100x more important than the features of the Novation. I've had enough controllers, used them with DAWs and still found myself grabbing the mouse too often.
    Controllers are great for transport and mixer control but for FX and soft synths, IMHO they're too inflexible and less useful than a well-done Lemur template.

  • If you want a sequencer go with Arturia
    If you want a compact controller go with Novation.

    They are so different I’m surprised you’re putting these against each other. However, I had launchkey mk 3 and I sold it on. Arturia looks great but it is not exactly portable, I guess it’s all about personal priorities.

  • @rs2000 some good points here. I actually own the Arturia Minilab MK2. For mini keys, I actually don't mind playing them. I have play at church with it and it works great.

    I have no other hardware, so all those extra stuff is irrelevant for me as I would only be controlling software.

    As far as reaching for the mouse, having 2 pages of 8 knobs that are fully customizable to each piece soft synth and switching between then is super easy unlike my current Axiom controller. its a finger dance to change midi channels and when I want to change to a different internal patch it takes it a minute before it switches.

  • @supadom the novation I am comparing it to is the SL not the launch key.

    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SLmk3-49--novation-49sl-mkiii-keyboard-controller-with-sequencer

    which has an 8-track sequencer and loads of other cool things. Portability is not really a factor.

    I mean it might be more like comparing Apples to Pears instead of Apples and oranges. They are different but have some similarities.

    Do I want a few extra sequence features and 16 notes per step on the Arturia or 8 per step on the novation. But the Novation has 8 tracks with 8 sequences per track that can be chained together.

    I guess I have some major first world problems. :p

  • So I found a B-stock 49SL on the store.focusrite website for $479. That combined with the 1.2 firmware update allowing for micro steps and the 1.3 firmware update with allows for unquantized recording. it should be here next week!!!

  • Does Keystep Pro come with any software? Analog Lab, etc?

  • Now you have me searching for 61SL mkIII "B"stock

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