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.

iPad Pro’s speakers good enough for making music?

I’m considering an iPad Pro, and was wondering if its speakers are good enough for making music.

I’m not looking for monitor level of quality for mixing and mastering, just a decent range to work with.

I’m currently on a mini 5, which has the speakers on just the one side, and have heard the four on the Pro are of good quality and much better than the mini 5. Wanted to hear from some music makers though.

Comments

  • @Dunamis said:
    I’m considering an iPad Pro, and was wondering if its speakers are good enough for making music.

    I’m not looking for monitor level of quality for mixing and mastering, just a decent range to work with.

    I’m currently on a mini 5, which has the speakers on just the one side, and have heard the four on the Pro are of good quality and much better than the mini 5. Wanted to hear from some music makers though.

    In a quiet room. They aren’t dedicated speakers for sure, but depending on your music genre etc they can be ok. Obviously you won’t be accurately mixing 808’s with them. If you’re nearly content with the mini 5 I suppose the pro will be a welcome upgrade.

  • Yes and no. I have a Pro and it’s ok for song structure. It’s ok for most synths but for low end you will get deceived IMHO. I use decent set of cans and use tone booster morphit to achieve a flat headphone response. Some kicks that I think sound great once i put the cans on whoooooaaaa. But you could do it. I have done a few tracks with just the pros speakers.

  • @onerez said:
    Yes and no. I have a Pro and it’s ok for song structure. It’s ok for most synths but for low end you will get deceived IMHO. I use decent set of cans and use tone booster morphit to achieve a flat headphone response. Some kicks that I think sound great once i put the cans on whoooooaaaa. But you could do it. I have done a few tracks with just the pros speakers.

    What headphones do you mix on?

  • @onerez said:
    Yes and no. I have a Pro and it’s ok for song structure. It’s ok for most synths but for low end you will get deceived IMHO. I use decent set of cans and use tone booster morphit to achieve a flat headphone response. Some kicks that I think sound great once i put the cans on whoooooaaaa. But you could do it. I have done a few tracks with just the pros speakers.

    💯

  • edited October 2020

    the simple answer to your question: No.

    While it is possible to make music using tiny speakers with fairly uneven response and little bass to speak of, it isn't recommended. Just as it's technically possible to work on a painting by moonlight. If you don't care about accuracy and you're simply poking around for fun, the built in speakers are fine. However if you're doing any work where you want to know what your actually getting, you would do well to have a pair of monitors.

  • @Telstar5 said:

    @onerez said:
    Yes and no. I have a Pro and it’s ok for song structure. It’s ok for most synths but for low end you will get deceived IMHO. I use decent set of cans and use tone booster morphit to achieve a flat headphone response. Some kicks that I think sound great once i put the cans on whoooooaaaa. But you could do it. I have done a few tracks with just the pros speakers.

    What headphones do you mix on?

    Beyerdynamic DT 770 Studio.

  • The other thing is if you do the speaker only on iPad. Test your mix in your car, on home theater, your friends house.

    But here is what I have found out in years of doing this. Most folks will listen on ear buds or something else or maybe just their phone or IPad. 😀

  • Or check the new Vsx Slate Audio headphones... maybe soon they’ll have iOS support

  • They’re fine for messing around, making patches, playing your synths. I do it all the time. I’m always surprised when I play a piece I’ve recorded with my Pro through my rig. Usually pleasantly surprised. The 12” has better speakers imo.

  • You can sort of use it for checking the arangement. But you can't judge the levels on it. Forget about mixing. I think the current iPad/iPhone speakers are great in that they have the "wow!" factor: you almost couldn't believe speakers that small can produce this sound, but they of course tends to flatter whatever feed to them, as best as they can. So, it's not truthful enough.

  • edited October 2020

    No for editing, mixing and mastering.

    The stock Apple EarPods with the $9 adapter are way better than the built in speakers (which are just a show off by Apple)

  • edited October 2020

    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/41098/ot-best-portable-speaker-for-small-music-setup#latest

    This would be the ”middle way” in between built-in speakers and proper monitors if you don´t want to use headphones or earbuds.

    😊

  • edited October 2020

    @DMfan said:
    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/41098/ot-best-portable-speaker-for-small-music-setup#latest

    This would be the ”middle way” in between build-speakers and proper monitors if you don´t want to use headphones or earbuds.

    😊

    Check out the iloud micro, very Good small but quality speakers

    https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/iloudmm/

  • Buy a good flat sounding headphone.

    Like this one if your on a budget.

    https://www.google.nl/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/sony-mdr-7506-review-16336/amp/

    Im using it for a few weeks now and it translates a lot nicer to my speakers compared with my beyerdynamic dt990pro 250ohm.

  • It’s more then adequate to get going and put a rough sketch together

  • For very small speakers they’re pretty good, but they will give you a skewed idea of what things will sound like on larger speakers, especially on the low end.

    Headphones will work better than the built in speakers for sure, but it’s generally a good idea to test a mix on as many different devices as possible, as what sounds fine on one device can sound awful on others.

  • Definitely, of course they don’t replace studio monitors, but for getting ideas down they work fine for me. Sometimes I use my MPC Live 2 with the built in speaker with my IPad and do the drums and bass on the MPC and use the IPad as a sound module

  • @Proto said:
    Buy a good flat sounding headphone.

    Like this one if your on a budget.

    https://www.google.nl/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/sony-mdr-7506-review-16336/amp/

    Im using it for a few weeks now and it translates a lot nicer to my speakers compared with my beyerdynamic dt990pro 250ohm.

    Did you have to buy a headphone amp for the 990? What audio interface are you using?

  • @ecou said:

    @Proto said:
    Buy a good flat sounding headphone.

    Like this one if your on a budget.

    https://www.google.nl/amp/s/www.soundguys.com/sony-mdr-7506-review-16336/amp/

    Im using it for a few weeks now and it translates a lot nicer to my speakers compared with my beyerdynamic dt990pro 250ohm.

    Did you have to buy a headphone amp for the 990? What audio interface are you using?

    I have used it with the zoom u22 interface but its not necessary if you don't like veey loud music. The beyerdynamic 990pro is the most comfortable headphone i have ever used for long listening sessions.

  • i’ve made a lot of jam sessions on the couch using the ipad pro speakers, some of em sound ok when i plug into my monitors, others sounds like shit ... i’d very hit and miss. i will say that when i start making a song in my studio using my monitors i get much fuller sounding synth patches and can tell what a song needs a lot faster. ipad speakers great for jamming but can sound terrible when you go to hear how it really sounds or... in some cases itll sound fine

  • @Dunamis said:
    I’m considering an iPad Pro, and was wondering if its speakers are good enough for making music.

    I’m not looking for monitor level of quality for mixing and mastering, just a decent range to work with.

    I’m currently on a mini 5, which has the speakers on just the one side, and have heard the four on the Pro are of good quality and much better than the mini 5. Wanted to hear from some music makers though.

    What is “good enough”?

    How seriously do you take sound quality?

    If the goal is self-entertainment, they are fine.

    If the goal is crafting pro quality sound, the answer is no. The speakers are great for tiny built-in speakers. But they don’t compare to decent speakers. It isn’t just that they aren’t up to studio monitor quality. They aren’t up to half-decent hi-fi speakers. That isn’t a knock on them, they are great for what they are.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @Dunamis said:
    I’m considering an iPad Pro, and was wondering if its speakers are good enough for making music.

    I’m not looking for monitor level of quality for mixing and mastering, just a decent range to work with.

    I’m currently on a mini 5, which has the speakers on just the one side, and have heard the four on the Pro are of good quality and much better than the mini 5. Wanted to hear from some music makers though.

    What is “good enough”?

    How seriously do you take sound quality?

    If the goal is self-entertainment, they are fine.

    If the goal is crafting pro quality sound, the answer is no. The speakers are great for tiny built-in speakers. But they don’t compare to decent speakers. It isn’t just that they aren’t up to studio monitor quality. They aren’t up to half-decent hi-fi speakers. That isn’t a knock on them, they are great for what they are.

    👍

    They are great for rough production when you’re away from your monitors, but you will need to readjust patches, EQs, FX etc. when you get back.

  • I have to say I start most of my music on my iPad Pro speakers.

  • Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.

    Again I was not looking for a monitor output, giving you that "true" sound, just wondering how close it is and what range they have. Sounds like a lot of it is dependent on what you're trying to do.

    It raises the question also: Why don't electronic devices, speakers, and headphones all aim for that "true" sound in the first place? I realize there will still be variations due to the build, etc. But so many headphones and speakers are so far off that you sort of wonder just what they are doing. Why try to add something, like heavy bass, that isn't there to begin with?

  • Got a 12.9” pro a while back, and answering my own question here:

    Yes! It’s good enough.

    I’m not going to master with just the speakers, but they are surprisingly good. I read where the 12.9” are better than the 11” though don’t quote me on that.

    I’d also say they are a bit, how shall I say... Cinematic. Seems like they are geared for movies, but there’s enough range there to work with a mix.

    Key word there being “enough” in other words don’t go out and buy one thinking you’re going to be able to do precise mixing.

    I was only looking for a decent enough range to not have to always plug into a more professional set up, and they do that for me.

  • Can anyone vouch for the PreSonus Eris E3.5 BT-3.5" Near Field Studio Monitors with Bluetooth? For a small iPad setup in limited space...

  • @Poppadocrock said:
    Can anyone vouch for the PreSonus Eris E3.5 BT-3.5" Near Field Studio Monitors with Bluetooth? For a small iPad setup in limited space...

    Just for listening to music or do you want to write music with them?
    While BT latency is Ok with MIDI, audio over BT doesn't work for me. Don't forget that it adds latency on top of the inherent audio latency of your iOS app(s).

  • I always experience notable latency with Bluetooth audio when making music, doesn’t matter if it’s earbuds, earphones, or speakers.

Sign In or Register to comment.