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.
Hey Guys and Gals! Fairly New Here and to Production! Feedback Plz!!
Hello hello! I've been logging in to the forum for a couple months now. Been trying to take in as much knowledge as possible. Have been enjoying my experience so far. I actually just started making beats 4/1/2020 with all the discounts on apps and just really want some feedback as I've made 6 beats and feel like I've made some progress. Thanks in advance!
Edit - A little context might help. New Wave was started in AUM and finished in Cubasis. High School Junt, drums were made in DM1 and exported and the rest was done in Cubasis. Hermetic 6th completely in Cubasis. Ocean was done in Nanostudio.
Comments
Like the piano work a lot. Well produced. Crying for lyrics on top. Thanks for sharing and welcome aboard.
Thanks for the kind words! I haven't done vocals in years. Lol. Maybe one day. 😅 Any critique is widely welcome. Really want to get better! I have learned a lot from this forum but know I have much more to go!
Pretty great start. Really like the Mellotron Flute or whatever it is, in Ocean. I’m not sure if you did this but it sounds like the snare would sound better a little tighter and tuned to key of song. Same with kick, I usually try to tune them to the key of the track. Also adding variations in velocity is huge and really make it sound more human. Same with Putting a few notes slightly off perfect quantization, that gives it a similar feel. In terms of velocity, I try to think like the drummer Or pianist or whatever ... where would the hard kick hits be and where would the soft kick hits be, how would a person physically play the instrument, if that makes sense. Ghost notes also work wonders. Just put a Super soft snare hit or any drum hit really with very low velocity, before or after your drum hit, anywhere really. You might not always like resulting sound in that spot but it really adds a human feel.
Thanks for the advice! Yeah that flute is from Mellowsound. So if I'm using a kit such as I did in that track, I used Slate 909, Big Kit and Rock Solid for drums. How do you tune them in key? Same for DM1 etc? Haven't gotten into velocity very much but I will definitely work on that! Again thanks! Very much appreciated!
My suggestion is to include more elements. Even though it appears you're more into making beats you still can look at it like creating a full song.
Most cats I knew who worked with MPC's, turn tables and not even DAW's but those Roland digital multitrack machines like the VS-880, only used like 8-10 tracks including the vocals so you don't need tons of stuff.
For example, that track "Ocean" needed a bassline to ground it, synced with the kick. Not necessarily a tuned 808 but a steady groove in the same key as the Mellotron flutes. Then maybe a counter point to the flutes, more percussion, etc.
You already have the tools so now it's just honing your craft man. You understand intros, repeating the beat, etc. so just experiment with additional instruments is my advice. Good luck...
It never fails... people start telling you how to change your music. Like you asked?
You just want to hear that your have some modicum of talent and frankly that's always some
bodies opinion. Opinions are cheap and easy... making anything requires effort and uploading
is an act of courage that should always be rewarded. Always.
Anyway, I'll listen soon and just tell you something positive because posting is enough.
Everyone should post but it's what happens after that makes most hesitant.
"Crying for lyrics." Now that will flavor my experience because I want to know how to hear something like that. Should we just type out some? No singer? Just the lyrics?
I didn't say anything negative pal. Gee, I know things are getting terse around here but if you're going to jump up and get froggy come with some actual facts.
@Lil_Stu07 clearly asked for feedback that's what me & @LinearLineman provided. You can't be bothered to listen to his tracks but you pop off and defend the guy? If I offended Stu he can let me know himself.
It took me 45 seconds to look through your comments to see you offering people the exact same type of critique, asked for or not... I'll screenshot and paste them if you want but I've always been cool with you and have no reason to bury anyone. Be cool brother...
@JRSIV nice insight! I appreciate your feedback! I've been watching some videos trying to figure out what these needed. That helps!
@McD no worries man! I uploaded after much consideration. At the end of the day I want to get better and I know just asking people around me will produce biased reviews so I really wanted some honest feedback because otherwise my growth potential will be severely limited. I'm at the beginning of my journey so I understand that I'll have many things to still work on. So again whatever feedback you guys have I'll listen to and try to "up my game!"
@Poppadocrock i went back into dm1 and nanostudio and messed around with the settings and I think I figured out how to tone the sounds into the right keys. I assume each tick of the knob is one semi-octave? Thanks for the advice. I'll experiment with the ghost notes and velocity on my next creation.
You guys rock! Despite whatever else is going on here, I see the quality advice you guys give and see its value! So keep spirits up and I'll continue learning and growing and trying to digest any knowledge that I can on the forums! Perhaps one day I'll be someone giving good advice to another newcomer. 🤷♂️ Only time will tell!
I think these are all really great efforts, especially if you have just started out!
My first thought was that the tracks are a bit too long for what is there. So I second adding more elements. Just small things or an evolving atmosphere in the background, to keep the general lightness intact. But this might be something you were probably going to do anyway.
I definitely like the lush relaxed mood.
I don't really listen to a lot of music like this but two things came to mind: Bohren & der Club of Gore: Sunset Mission (please don't be irritated by the band's name. It's actually a jazz album) and an act called Afterhours. Albums Lowlife and Sleepwalker plus I just found this mix which might be right up your alley. (Edit: it's actually a track from the album)
Slate and DM1 I’m not sure. I know most of the drum synths and samplers have a pitch or tune knob somewhere, but I can’t say for sure where it is in those two. You can try to tune them by ear or even loop the sound and use a tuner. Mostly just Kick and snare but others if you want too. I’ve spent time building a few kits in every key in Digistix to help with this process. Yea for me I noticed significant differences when I started to “humanize” the sound. Vary velocities, timing, and adding in ghost notes and fills. Another great tip That really helped me is to think about the sound in a 180 degree space, as if a band was on stage, and u were in the audience, all sound coming at you, it’s not all coming in a straight line down the middle, it’s coming at all different angles, from left, right and center, so Panning things left and right At different amounts, and adding some mid/side balance Can add great depth and make it feel more real.
@Lil_Stu07
Congrats on getting some ideas done and up online. It's always an awesome feeling to see progress in your art.
Here are a couple of thougts I had while listening.
Great job and keep it going. Learning is almost as fun as making
Enjoy the experience, man. And you're surrounded by talented people with great views. Keep up the great work.
Seriously, I mean that. You're pretty much an iOS producer now. Wear that with pride, and continue working on your craft.
I still haven't listened to it yet. I have to be in the right mindset. But I'll get to it.
Good attitude. I hope you stay for the duration. We keep loosing people to the desktop.
I'm bingeing a good series so... 14 episodes to go. I'm also binging a good series but I am not
bing-ing anything that has a bell like tone.
I dig the piano melodies. You’re off to a good start there.
Some of the 808s sound off key and your drum choices are a bit off for the genre. I would definitely say to go for claps over snares for the most part. And if you haven’t invested in a decent drum machine like EG Pulse, I’d highly recommend it.
Overall, not a bad start. I would recommend first tightening up what you have. Get a solid grasp on the foundations, then work on adding flair.
Nice. You gave @LinearLineman @Poppadocrock & I shit for giving @Lil_Stu07 the feedback he asked for yet you pop in twice to say you don't have time to listen to his stuff because there's something good on TV?!
Maybe this is one of your performance art/stand up comedy posts and it's just over my head...
If not it could be. It might stimulate some dialogue about something that matters: like the purpose of the critic. I think critics exist to fill the pages of periodicals with words about art so they don't have to pay artists. And to help people know what to think because art is so... impenetrable and elusive.
I know how easy it is to hurt a critic's feelings and I was careless. But you can't make an omelette without
typing.
I still can't find the energy to stop watching the TV and listen but I will. If we can keep this around on page one I won't forget to listen and comment.
Until then I'll apologize to everyone insulted by my earlier replies about new members getting careful critiques so they don't get hurt and go away.
Maybe I won't listen for days... it's happened before.
Catch you tomorrow. More people should listen to this work and comment. He's asking for it.
@McD that's all fantastic but I'm not a critic. I'm a fellow musician offering advice to another.
If you want to mix metaphors, you gotta wipe some of that egg muck off your hands too and look at what you've added to the table with your own criticisms asked for or not.
Because as I said, you don't need the internet Way Back Machine to see the comments you've made to people that were just like ours, or mine because I'll stick to speaking for myself.
No offense taken though @McD, you are known to post some gobbledygook on occasion that curiously enough I didn't need a critic to decipher for me.
Because, according to your definition, critics are cheapskates who don't purchase art but tell others what to like because everyone is too thick to interpret the shadowy & ethereal nature of stuff like dubstep, shoegaze & krunk beats.
Enjoy your program, or as Grandma used to say, "yer progrum"... I'm off back to Pornhub...👍
hey @Lil_Stu07 thanks for reaching out and being brave! I had a listen...
Some nice stuff in there, nice riffs. Had a few pointers that might be helpful (my humble opinion of course).
Who are you listening to for inspiration, reference? Be interested to know who your go to influences are?
But thanks for sharing! Great to hear someone putting something out, I need to get my ass in gear..
OK. I listened.
Your chordal choices are epic... and @LinearLineman was on the target... every track had me generating mental raps to go with the evocative feelings I was getting from your chords.
I haven't listened to a lot of rap but what I have enjoyed has these kinds of intensely dramatic beats. I could see a hot fresh poet using your beats to build a set.
There's a lot of good advice being offered to you here but I think your vision of music as an emotional lever is perfect. You can't fail to create and find collaborators for your music and tell some truth.
I could use a little move definition in the bass and the best piano app you can afford. But learning to EQ
even a rough piano with just a touch of reverb can help make that instrument sing.
I like your drum choices a lot but I tend to prefer drums that sound like drums and not synth machines so you had me at the first hi-hat.
I'd like to hear someone rap over these beats. I hope you do too... find (or be) that voice. These beats conjure stories in my head. And then touch my heart. And they move me.
And fuck critics. They are parasites. You'll get the best advice from fans.
@JRSIV gave you some good advice about adding elements and thinking of song forms. I think you probably need lyrics to react. You're beats are crying out from something... I can't quite put my finger on.
You'll know it when you hear it.
Start with a Patreon channel...
😂👍
Well played.
I truly appreciate all this great advice guys! From what I’ve read the things it seems like are the most recommended are keying the bass, adding more elements to the tracks to make them more dynamic and evocative, vocals certainly (haven’t rapped in over 10 years but hoping to get my beats into other artists hands once I get better), using panning, velocity and humanized effects to create a more authentic feel and not sound so fruity loopy 😂 (no shade to the loop users).
The things I have the most difficulty with atm are creating melodies, mixing and mastering. So I try to listen to other you tubers (Bolo, kkrex, Ocean are the ones I watch the most) to get inspiration and I really enjoy old east coast music like Nas, Mobb Deep, Big L, etc. I also enjoy Chance the Rapper, Big Sean, Drake, Royce Da 5’9” and Kevin Gates.
In terms of adding more bass, I tried to not overload it because I don’t have proper monitoring equipment yet, I’m currently using a pair of gaming headphones and some harman kardon studio 5s which both seem to be really bass heavy. Plan on investing in some Sony 7506s and a pair of Eris 3.5s in the coming months to get a flat sound to really get this balance right.
With that being said I’ll try to use this heap of knowledge to improve and periodically drop some tracks on here for you guys to listen to. I have some pretty thick skin so I’ll definitely stick around. Oh and I frequently watch Jakob Haq and Doug for the Soundtestroom as they give the best reviews and tutorials on apps. Jakob is freakin hilarious too lol.
Edit - Oh, is there a way to humanize in cubasis, NanoStudio or bm3 like in logic and fruity loops?
Also pc production is too expensive lol, iOS is my long term plan!
To clarify my own feedback, I didn't suggest adding more bass. I was suggesting adding a baseline.
I know what you mean about mixing and mastering though. They are dark arts! Takes years to understand and I'm sure even the pros are still learning. From fairly quick searches, I've found a nice selection of quick tips on YouTube though. And there's loads of advice on this forum.
I'm VERY into humanising. In fact it's something I'm fascinated with - how a computer can sound human. I use a combination of randomisation, chance, etc. And so it depends what software you're using. I gravitate towards apps like Playbeat, Autony and Riffer, plus good old Drambo has some amazing variation modules that keep things constantly moving.
Plus a quick tip is to add a small amount of swing. Not enough to actually hear, but just enough to take things off the exact beat.
My thoughts are not to make the bass louder but to give the notes more attack. Synths feature
an ADSR envelope.
Raising the attack and lowering the Decay give a bass note a "plucked" sound so you can tell the
precise instant the note was plucked and it becomes a component of the rhythmic drive of a track.
Loose notes with no decay and a softer attack just slip pitch into the music.
I was suggesting more articulation in the bass and this is not a feature of volume and should be
useful at various volumes and using any quality of headphones. A lot of current hip hop uses tuned
bass drum notes which combine the rhythmic patterns of a drummer but also carry the harmonic
aspects of the traditional bass player. For years bass players and drummers have tried to play their rhythms together on every note to make a tune tight.
You can get a lot of that impact with the ADSR controls when you dial in a bass part. Some FX apps
are also useful to create a stronger articulation of the notes sonic envelope like FAC Transient. But
that Attack+Decay has to be there in the first place. If not tha bass is there for harmony but it's fighting
the drummer with a washed out sound.
You can also just mix a very short instrumental "pop" style with the bass as is and get an attack+decay
effect by mixing the 2 sounds together.
So, no investment required. Just a bit more attention to the articulations and envelopes.
The easiest way is to just play a track over without quantizing it and you'll get extra humanity.
Some DAW's offer a "swing" option to shift the off beat notes towards the following note (from straight
8th's towards a triplet feeling). Humans don't play like clocks so you need to move the notes a bit off
"clock sync" somehow. Don't forget you can record MIDI at really slow (or really fast) tempos but play them back at any BPM. If a part is beyond you skills just record it at 1/2 speed or slower and you'll nail it
that way. So, if you want less precision try the other way 'round: record at 2x speed and slow it down and
it will be extra human.
Ahhh very nice, never thought about recording at one tempo and playing at another! I'll definitely mess around with that and also the swing. This os all great guys! Thanks!
It's also useful for audio... record slow and playback at double time. A feature arable in some sophisticated DAW's. Not sure one on IOS has it. But there's probably an FX tool pitch shifts audio playback. Does anyone have a clue how to do pitch shifting of audio on IOS? I'd like to try that in
an experiment.
UPDATE: The "Enso" audio looping FX app offers speed up/down options for loops.
2X speed will be one octave in pitch.
2/3rd's is a 5th.
4/5th's is a 4th.
5/6th's is a major 3rd
6/7th's is a minor 3rd.
The fractions come from the physics of the "overtone" series of a vibrating string or air column. I should work out the decimals and do some Enso experiments.
Then there are FX apps that time stretch music and do NOT change the pitch with tempo variations. I think Auditor can do that.
Interestingly enough I just picked Enso up for the 1/2 speed option! Thanks! I think BM3 can do timestretch. Lots to experiment with!
For mixing you could YouTube Mike Dean and Bob Power (think they’re fairly close to the music you make/mention).