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.
how to get more volume out of some apps during live performance?
I don't do much recording with apps, but I do use them regularly in live performances (using Keystage as my host). Some sounds in some apps (e.g., pads in Korg iM1) don't provide enough gain to cut through a live mix. I realize that some sounds (e.g. piano) will naturally cut through the mix better than others. Does anyone have any suggestions for boosting quiet presets in these situations? Currently, for the troublesome sounds I have the preset volume and master volume of the app max'd out, and the output on my audio interface (scarlette 2i2) almost maxed out.
Comments
If you’re hosting in AUM try the built-in Dynamics plug-in.
What about turning up the gain on the the mixer channel which you scarlet is connected to unless you hooked a pair of powered speakers directly to it?
It's all about proper gain-staging...
That might just work. I'm wary of running IAA apps in AUM. I've heard that they aren't very stable in AUM. What's your experience?
Yes, that's definitely an option- which will boost the gain of all sounds routed through my sound interface. What I'd like to do is to get more of an even output at the keyboard level before sending the sounds out to the PA mixer.
IAA apps are stable for me... but the screen swapping of an IAA app is annoying. Using AudioBus for start/stop and screen switching is the best available solution to augment AUM.
Does the mixer/console you connect to have a per channel compressor / limiter?
This way it would be pretty easy to get even levels on the keyboard sounds.
We'll have to hope that Korg gives their apps an AUv3 treatment which would make it easy to slap some additional processing.
The M1 has so many places per program that affects the over all volumes (the velocity curve being one) as well as levels within in program (to balance the tones in single/dual programs) and in combi mode it gets even more in-depth.
I'd say a good practice would be to set the scarlet to 50% volume and make the PA loud enough with that setting and then adjust if needed. I seldom keep outputs at max. (For example if output a 0dbFS 1k sine wave from the UR-242 the output gets so hot past 2'clock that things start to distort). So for now I just keep the UR-242 a 12'oclock and just the speaker volume to comfortable levels.
With a little bit of trial'n'error during sound-check things will get there...
Boy, that would be great. Although Korg in my opinion sometimes moves very slowly with updates. I suppose sooner or later they'll be forced to if they don't want to be left far behind in the IAA to AUv3 transition.
Just like with AUv3, it depends on the app or plugin. Some IAA apps are super reliable and some aren't.
There are a lot of people on AN forum who exaggerate IAA and give a false impression that all IAA apps are problematic which simply isn't true.
I seldom have issues with IAA but I avoid having the 'host' launching them...
...meaning I launch the IAA apps (effects synths etc) first before I make any connections to them.
Reasoning here is that if the host fails to launch the app the 'iaa ghost' is left behind making further connection without a reboot and/or ram-wipe a bit tricky, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
So for me I do the launch the IAA app first before making any connections and it works most of the time.
This procedure has given me the highest success rate with minimal fuss when it comes to making connections with IAA apps.
(Works well with iM1, Gadget, Module, SidTracker64, Animoog, Nave etc. etc.).
AUv3's can and do have issues so it's all bout finding 'best practice' for the actual scenario...
Any recommendations for a good video illustrating how to use AUM and Aubiobus together?
It all depends which IAA apps you are using
Example KORG apps, Sound Prism, thumbjam, lumbeat apps, all work great
Some apps , example THOR need to be launched first
AUM and AB , so many options here , what exactly are you trying to accomplish by using both ?
In aum , start with faders at 50% down, achieve decent balance and then route everything to submix
put a limiter on submix and raise volume to taste (around -20 lufs integrated for reference)
Now since your faders are down you can tweet up and down live
Actually just curious. Maybe that's one rabbit hole I don't need to go down right now...sticking with just AUM= less complicated.
See my Loopy/AUM/AB3 videos. You will find links in the wiki. Look for Loopy and you will find them.
The basic rule of mixing that seems to be being overlooked here is: if something is too quiet, consider turning everything else down.
It could be a lot of work, but balancing presets is something anyone switching between presets live must do. But the answer isn't trying to force a needed preset to higher volumes, but balancing the others to the "lowest common denominator".
If that ends up causing overall output problems, then solve that one separately.
I don't think I'd complicate an already stable setup by introducing new uncertainties such as AUM.
I don't perform live any more, but when I did, balancing presets, and learning how to mix were critical. Continuing to fight an instrument or vocalist that was just to quiet was never a winning strategy. Better to adapt the rest of the mix to the parts that are too difficult to change. Pushing everything up continually only paints yourself into a corner and removes all your flexibility.
It’s trial and error , some setups work best in AB and some in AUM
For example , one my fav apps
sound prism does not work well in AUM
Midi learn ( for me ) is a breeze in AB
For parallel processing live , AUM Is unparalleled
Audio share + AUM = sweet awesome
IPAD to logic , then it’s AB
App syncing when IAA is mixed with AUv3 then AB
According to my sound tech, my keys channel is already pushed up on the board, not a lot of headroom. I'm part of a praise team group and we don't play loud (indeed if we get too loud, the pastor lets us know right away). That's why I'm trying do to what I can at my end of the chain to get some gain on particular app sounds.
But, you see, the basic problem is you're not getting enough output at the master. That's the problem you need to solve, then you need to balance your presets. Your church PA no-doubt has a master volume output that could be boosted, while bringing everything else (except you) down.
I know well the difficulty of working that fine line with pastors and church members regarding volume. When I had to substitute for mixing duties, I learned the invaluable skill of looking like I was adjusting faders without actually moving them. I'll have to repent for that some day, but the pastor was always very satisfied with my adjustments.
🤣🤣
In AUM, add an instance of its Gain tool. You might want to use a compressor/limited on the track to make sure you don’t clip.
@LeesKeys How are you connected to the PA?
Some installations have a -20db pad on/from all stage DI inputs to avoid nasty surprises.
So it could be that the 'sound tech dude' is just being cautious?
What kind of levels does your signal have when it reaches the board?
I know the Allen & Heat DLive consoles offer an insane amount of level/dynamics control after the signal reaches to board.
(I mean I can take a signal that reaches the console at -60db and blow the ears of people if needed by processing the input).
Another option would be to hook up a pair of boosters like the SE DM-1 dynamite to boost the output from the scarlet on it's way to the console if it really is that low.
I suspect a pad somewhere in the signal chain...
Cheers!
I added a little gain to that AUM channel strip. It did the trick. I'm still very much learning the details of AUM.