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 Store

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

Roli Lightpad Block Is still worth it in 2020 ?!! WhAt is your best controller for ios in 2020..

Roli Lightpad Block Is still worth it in 2020 ?!! WhAt is your best controller for ios in 2020.

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Comments

  • I hated the light pad block. Because the horizontal room for movement is so short, u r very limited in the way u do pitch bends. It is very constraining. The space is also very small foe doing modulation on y axis.

  • edited June 2020

    Accidentally posted this edit as a reply:

    I hated the light pad block. Because the horizontal room for movement is so short, u r very limited in the way u do pitch bends. It is very constraining. The vertical axis is also very short for doing modulation on y axis.

  • Plus, I don't like Roli as a company. They took forever, like 1 year+ to sort out a firmware update that meant that using 2 blocks together caused a lot, and I mean, a lot of stuck notes. Plus, their pricing of the sounds in Noise, lack of a dashboard for ios, no battery replacement option, ridiculous pricing of their little blocks to modulate glide etc, and lack of allowing midi cc control of these parameters from any external midi controller says to me that they care a lot more about money than about their users. I will never buy Roli again, even though I like my seaboard blocks.

  • Midi designer or is a better option ......isn't it ?!!

  • @Olv said:
    Midi designer or is a better option ......isn't it ?!!

    Whith a second ipad ?!

  • As for controllers, what I would like to see would be a virtual AU controller that can be loaded in AUM, with knobs and sliders that get labelled automatically when you assign them to something in that AUM session. All knob/slider positions would change automatically in this controller when you changed a mapped setting in any AU it is controlling, and vice versa. And it would save state correctly. And it would definitely have something like the ribbon that Eventide use in their apps to allow easy simultaneous changing of multiple parameters.

    Because if you are hopping about between various sessions, using external midi controllers that don't have those infinite knobs (forget the technical term) is a pain in the arse. Because the physical position of the knobs will not match those of the app they are mapped to, so when you change sessions you either need to painstakingly check everything, or risk unexpected consequences when you move your physical knobs.

  • @Gavinski said:
    Because if you are hopping about between various sessions, using external midi controllers that don't have those infinite knobs (forget the technical term) is a pain in the arse. Because the physical position of the knobs will not match those of the app they are mapped to, so when you change sessions you either need to painstakingly check everything, or risk unexpected consequences when you move your physical knobs.

    You have Sensel Morph and Joué

  • Thnx, will take a look. :) Do u use these? What are your own thoughts?

  • These first two vids do not answer the Q for me of whether the knobs and sliders have relative or absolute positions, mind you

  • @Gavinski said:
    As for controllers, what I would like to see would be a virtual AU controller that can be loaded in AUM, with knobs and sliders that get labelled automatically when you assign them to something in that AUM session. All knob/slider positions would change automatically in this controller when you changed a mapped setting in any AU it is controlling, and vice versa. And it would save state correctly. And it would definitely have something like the ribbon that Eventide use in their apps to allow easy simultaneous changing of multiple parameters.

    Because if you are hopping about between various sessions, using external midi controllers that don't have those infinite knobs (forget the technical term) is a pain in the arse. Because the physical position of the knobs will not match those of the app they are mapped to, so when you change sessions you either need to painstakingly check everything, or risk unexpected consequences when you move your physical knobs.

    As much as I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, what you're describing is pretty far from possible - and certainly impossible for a controller to implement.

    Without two-way communication no controller can be updated to the current status of the controls of an app. Theoretically it could be possible for AUM to implement two-way feedback so that if you move a control in an app that updates an AU parameter, it communicates the change to the AU parameter back to the same midi channel and control that is mapped to it. Theoretically. Not likely to happen though.

    But what you're asking goes beyond that if I understand you correctly. If you switched to another app you'd want those changes reflected on the controller too? Very difficult. AUM would need to sense that you changed apps, collect all the control positions, and then send those in bulk to the controller. Even more unlikely.

    If there was to ever be anything like this, the controller part of it would be relatively easy (just make the controller be able to listen to and adjust to incoming parameters). It's the host part that would be the huge challenge. Sorry to sound discouraging, but I think that's a very far stretch to hold out hope for.

  • Doesn’t surprise me wim, nice to dream tho 😁

  • The Lightpad Block was the first bit of kit I bought after I discovered ios music making through Roli Noise on the iPhone, but I don't particularly recommend it although it's an elegant bit of hardware.

    My problem is it's heavily marketed as being something fun, creative, and easy to use, especially with iOS - but I find it should be seen more as an advanced tool, mainly for desktop, and mainly for people already bored with 'classic' midi controllers.

    iOS support is poor, the Noise app is very limited as are their plugins. By comparison, Roli recently came out with Roli Studio on the desktop which is actually a pretty great use of the Block. Similarly you can customize the surface for other things but again mainly useful for desktop. As for MPE, I think it's really an 'advanced topic' - it's not easy to master.

    My controller recommendation is the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk3 which I use a lot more than the Lightpad. You get a good selection of keys, pads, and knobs, a built-in Arp and chorder, and great integration with Groovebox (and Ableton Live). Extra bonus - I like to work on the sofa and the Launchkey is big enough to be fairly stable but small enough to balance on your knees or whatever. It's also like half the price of a Lightpad Block.

    Its main downside is if you have an iPad with a Lightning port, the iPad can't power the keyboard by itself so you need to either have it on charge, use a powered USB hub, or use a USB charger battery pack. This isn't a problem if you have a USB-C iPad Pro.

  • I wouldn’t recommend the joue. Version 1 had some flaws on velocity sensitivity. They are now on their second iteration, have dropped MPE support and target a general public(?)

    I was thinking on novation too, as @mangecoeur suggests. I think the xl has after touch.

    Of course, my number one suggestion would be a Linnstrument. Tunable grid system, 2 x split grid, sequencer, arp, cc sliders, MPE and regular midi, and settingS on system son you don’t need an app or computer to make changes.

    At least the small runs off the iPad (I have an iPad 6 that needs certain amount of battery for this) although I always have mine powered (CCK)

  • The linnstrument is not Bluetooth? That would be a major downer for me @despego

  • edited June 2020

    I’d love to have an expressive controller, but the only one I’ve tried so far was a week I spent with the lightpad, which was a big letdown ..immediately returned it.

    It was the first version, and soon after they issued a revised model that supposedly improved the touch sensitivity — though I still think it’s too small and awkward to use. I think the seaboard block (or two) would be a much better option; or even better, to save up for a used 128 Linnstrument.

  • My unobtanium dream setup would be a slim Haken continuum, paired with an Onde Resonator ... Like the Moog One, I’ll have to settle with enjoying what other artists do with them.

  • I would go with a launchpad X or pro .... very customizable ..... works with launchpad and groove box.... Polyphonic Aftertouch, can be used as a drum pad OR played with scales... .and there are probably some CC modes you can setup too.. Works with Ableton Live AND Logic Pro.

  • @Gavinski said:
    The linnstrument is not Bluetooth? That would be a major downer for me @despego

    No bluetooth, @Gavinski - sorry for that. That's great for me, I haven't had good experiences with BT controllers in the past. I want cables, like in the good old days!

    @RubenDari said:
    I would go with a launchpad X or pro .... very customizable ..... works with launchpad and groove box.... Polyphonic Aftertouch, can be used as a drum pad OR played with scales... .and there are probably some CC modes you can setup too.. Works with Ableton Live AND Logic Pro.

    Yes, Launchpad is versatile. I bought one as a warming up for the Linnstrument. A bit hard for playing melodic to my taste but good nonetheless.

  • I'm doing simple music scoring for film (i.e. scratch in an edit, not final) and the Lightpad Block and MPE has been brilliant for that. I can do things with one finger that I could never do on a non MPE keyboard with a whole hand. It can be really expressive as an instrument controller and is also very portable. I didn't really know what MPE was before I picked up the lightpad (at a reasonable second hand price). It's been a real revelation to me as someone generally more interested in tones and textures rather than melody. I think as an entry to the MPE world then the Lightpad remains a good option.

  • Earlier this year when I was travelling more frequently, the Lightpad block was my go-to to bring with for playing with quick ideas and having something more expressive than just the iPad screen. It's limited for sure, but for something with some level of expression that makes it easy to experiment or get quick melodies and hooks into a DAW it's a great tool.
    For context, I'm much more of a guitarist, and not a keyboard player.

  • traded my light lock in for a Sensel morph, and never looked back. I use it mostly for pads and mpe, also drums. but anything that requires piano type playing i use the latest generation oxygen keyboard

  • @Gavinski said:
    Doesn’t surprise me wim, nice to dream tho 😁

    This is probably your best bet for knobs that “remember”

  • Yes, thnx! I remember you or someone else mentioning it recently in the thread about Drambo midi, looks like a lovely bit of kit. Certainly some contrast between this build quality and that of those korg nanos!

  • @Gavinski said:
    The linnstrument is not Bluetooth? That would be a major downer for me @despego

    MPE is a lot of bandwidth to try to do over Bluetooth. At least it is for my Sensel Morph. I can only reliably use MPE over USB with it.

  • One Roli seaboard mostly works OK over Bluetooth, using 2 linked together less so

  • I own an Linnstrument, and as someone who can't stand bluetooth, the Yamaha MD-BT01 Bluetooth Wireless MIDI Interface does a PERFECT job at transmitting Linntstrument's MPE MIDI over Bluetooth without any latency issues at all. The best midi controller for an Ipad is probably a Linnstrument. And the best synth for the Linnstrument is DEFINITELY an ipad. Although, I suspect the Osmose by Expressive E will change both of those statements.

  • Also not Bluetooth, but the Artiphon Instrument 1 is absolutely wonderful if your head and fingers live more naturally in a guitar than in a keyboard paradigm; it's simply an MPE keyboard in the ultra-compact form of a touch-sensitive guitar fretboard, and plays really beautifully while leaving an entire hand free to widdle around on the iPad. (Their imminent Orba looper does do Bluetooth MPE, but with only 8 pads it's aimed at beatmaking rather than melodic playing.)

  • edited December 2020

    I’m excited to give Roli Lightpad Block a go... I found a brand new Block M for $90 on Facebook today! Some of my favorite Instagram musicians use Lightpads to create some great music!

  • For anyone who has a roli lightpad is the ‘Live Block’ add on designed to add the arp and scale feature to your Lightpad to control other iOS apps or does this $100 add on block only for use with the Noise app?

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