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.
AudioShare: Tips and Tricks?
I picked up AudioShare a few weeks ago after some posters here said they couldn't live without it and I did some research on it. Many reviewers refer to it as a "swiss army knife" for music production. But I'm thinking I'm only scratching the surface of its potential.
Here's a quick list of some things that I've already done with AudioShare, many of which could not be done without the app:
- Used as a storage warehouse for completed M4A/WAV files, to clear memory off DAW apps
- Convert WAV files into (smaller) compressed files for storage and playback
- Used to store music files in DropBox (and swap between iDevices) for apps that lack DropBox functionality
- Used to unzip and import "packs" into Caustic containing new synths, drumkits, etc. (via DropBox from a PC)
- Exported individual tracks (such as a drum beat or synth line) from Caustic to AudioShare, for Copy/Paste into a DAW (Caustic presently lacks AB, IAA, or AudioCopy functionality by itself)
What are some things you use AudioShare for, and what am I missing? Do you ever use the recording function with other apps, and if so, how do you do that? (IAA?) I think it's a great app but I feel like there's a lot of cool workarounds and uses that I haven't even thought of trying.
Comments
I use it as a repository for musical ideas and sketches: I fire up the recorder to record some guitar, or via audiobus an iOS synth.
It will copy and paste MIDI files too
It can unzip from a web link and "open in" with many apps.
@richardyot said:
I may start doing that with AudioShare. The way I've been doing it is to load up an entire session of MT DAW, but then of course you have a bunch of uncompressed files sitting in multiple programs.
I guess my primary questions were about recording. Can it only record using AudioBus or IAA (or device microphone)?
http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple6/v4/4a/ee/51/4aee51ad-d6c0-981b-df5e-a21c54af3c39/screen568x568.jpeg
In other words, is there any way to use it record apps like Rock Drum Machine, or some other app not on AudioBus or IAA, by monitoring and recording background audio? Seems like that should be possible, but I suspect it's not.
No, it can't record apps that aren't AB or IAA compatible.
I use it as a sketchpad/idea repo as well.
It was also the only way to get multiple effects app going at once (via IAA) before AB2 was release. And it had effect chain presets first!
I use it as a quick audio trimmer. If you don't rely on your eyes too much, it's actually quite good at making perfect loops. I think a larger waveform view is probably the most requested feature though. Not that I wouldn't welcome it but the controls on hand are really quite good. Like using a sampler in the 80s.
@syrupcore said:
Confirmed. Dang. I got all excited for about 10 seconds when I tried what I suggested above with Rock Drum Machine, and it recorded!....Until I realized that all it was doing was recording the speaker output from my iPhone as a microphone input, which of course led a very tinny sounding and non-drum like result. Not my proudest moment
But I will definitely start recording individual ideas into it - there's so many times you're fooling around in a synth and come across that one setting that you know you won't remember or be able to recreate. Even if it's just a small background element to a bigger idea, nice to lay it down and come back to it later where all your projects are in one place.
What would be really cool would be the ability to attach notes and screengrabs to sound clips. At the moment I have to use Evernote for that, but it would be better to do it all in Audioshare.
You can also use it for stripping the audio from video. I use it to cut samples from YT mp4's.
@richardyot said:
This! Being able to notate what patch, preset, or chord/note progression was used for a clip would be BRILLIIIIIAAAAAAAANNNT!!!
I just used it to re-record a bass line for something I was messing around with in a DAW. A few things stuck out to me about recording in AudioShare:
@StormJH1 said:
you could run an iRig or similar headphone jack-based adaptor out and plug the headphone into the input via an 1/8 > 1/4 cable, but the sound wouldn't be awesome...
Definitely one of my essential apps.. Also use it to store a categorized library of samples. Keeps BM2, Samplr etc. free of clutter
Just remember (again) it's able to convert audio formats, wav to mp3 for example, making export files via email (or Dropbox) even faster.
@daveproper said:
If you use the iRig HD in a similar way, you get awesome stereo sound. Come out of the ipad headphone input with a splitter and you can monitor the audio also.
Another thing not mentioned yet: It can act as an IAA<->Audiobus adapter for apps that supports only IAA.
And yes, attaching textnotes to files is something on my TODO!
@fjcblanco: Actually, it doesn't convert to mp3, only from. That might change in the future..
@j_liljedahl said:
Woot! Great news.
I hadn't gotten around to trying that yet, but it was on my to do list. Do you have an example of what you've tried?
The more I use it, the more I'm convinced that of all the functions AudioShare serves, the integration with DropBox might be the best one. There are tons of apps that allow you to use your own .wav samples, such as a synth or drum kit. But embarassingly few of them allow you to download them directly from DropBox. I would say that iTunes File Sharing is an "outdated" method for moving content, except I don't think there was ever a time when people liked using it!
Pretty much any add-on content (a lot of it free!) for music apps can be somehow stored in DropBox and then moved to the app using AudioShare, followed by Copy/Paste or "Open In". It's pretty great.
I'm a huge fan of AudioShare too. It's one of the most essential apps I have and I always recommend it to anyone who works with audio on iOS. The ability to easily send files back-and-forth to Dropbox is huge - it almost makes the limited available storage space on my iPad 2 a non-issue. I've recently started using Caustic (on iPad, iPhone and PC) and StormJH1's comment above was really helpful; storing Caustic files within AudioShare is a great way to keep things organized and the Dropbox integration makes AudioShare my central hub for all audio-related projects. It's nice to be able to work on .wav files on my PC, copy them to my Dropbox folder, and then easily access them with AudioShare on my iPad or iPhone. I didn't realize that AudioShare works with non-audio files too. Accessing Caustic songs and presets from within AudioShare is incredibly easy. For audio apps that don't directly integrate with each other (but DO offer AudioCopy/Paste) AudioShare serves as a go-between. I really don't consider it an extra step because AudioShare works so seamlessly. I just leave it "on-call" in the background when I'm using other music production apps.
I recently discovered a really useful free program called Dropboxifier. It allows you to sync folders on your PC to Dropbox - but the local folders DON'T need to be within your Dropbox root folder. For example, I was able to sync my local Caustic folder (containing everything - songs, presets, .wav files, etc) to Dropbox. Now whenever I create new synth presets or save a song in Caustic on my PC, the changes are almost immediately updated in Dropbox! Then if I want to resume working on a Caustic project on my iPad or iPhone, I import it to my mobile device from Dropbox and pick up from where I left off. If you're familiar with using Dropbox with your current iOS apps, Dropboxifier is a simple little program that opens up a lot of possibilities to help keep your workflow organized and your project files easily accessible from all of your devices (and always up-to-date).
If you're interested, check out this article for a nice explanation of how Dropboxifier works:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/easily-synchronize-programs-settings-dropboxifier-windows/
Wondered if audioshare is able to have folders with subfolders. I have a lot of drum midi files but Cubasis can't handle the subfolders.
@yowza said:
Came here to say this. This should not be overlooked.
Just bounced a track in AudioShare. Thusly
@TedBPhx said:
Oh, so that's how the F people are using Mimix? Pretty sure my iPad 2 would convert into free energy and vaporize if I tried that chain. Haha.
@johnfromberkeley - Ha, yeah. Unless I was high (100% sure I was not), I think it even plays some MIDI files using GM instruments to hear what it sounds like. Maybe I was imagining things.
But the ability to store and then export MIDI files is huge. Especially since I now have apps like MultiTrackStudio, Pro Midi, and MidiPatterns I am learning to use better. MIDI files have virtually zero memory footprint, so you could literally store hundreds of them as "music sheets" for other apps and not even notice.
Come to think of it, this was a sneaky good year for MIDI developments in iOS. MIDI over Bluetooth being the obvious one (my devices don't support it), but also for the sheer number of apps that now support "Open In" or can export MIDI data (Fiddlewax Pro, Pro Midi, etc.), plus a great new DAW that records, creates, and edits MIDI data (MultiTrackStudio). As always, AudioShare is in the middle of all of that.
It's an amazing 'go between' between apps.
Pretty much everything gets recorded into Audioshare, trimmed and then imported into another app.
Snap to tempo is massively useful.
Dropbox integration is miles ahead of anything else.
It's a go between when apps only use AudioCopy or only use 'general pasteboard' since it lets you choose.
Batch select and action on files is great.
It's rock solid.
Folders are great. Converting tracks to AAC and then emailing them is super useful.
Because i do a lot of copy and pasting I probably use it more AudioBus probably.
It's just great.
You can use the Audioshare browser to download sound and midi files from web and then on through AB, IAA, Open In or Copy Paste in to pretty much any app you want.
Good places for free and creative commons sample fodder for ipad mangling:
http://www.freesound.org and
http://99sounds.org and
http://ccmixter.org
@RedSkyLullaby said:
Haha. Another new feature I never got around to using. Almost one year and I never used the audioshare browser! Though I do use Safari and then "open in AudioShare" which is probably similar. Thanks, will try!
AS will play midi files, but I would like to be able to see it play midi drum files with drums, rather than melodic instruments. That would be a fast, easy way to audition a boatload of midi drum loops.
http://www.freesound.org can be an odd joint, but odd is also good. Reminds me of a consignment store; some days you wander about and it's rubbish, but other days you find unique must-have objects.....worth a stumble.
Hi @funkunkie27. Are you able to point me at some decent MiDi drum loops please?
Matt - I just got the free loops from GrooveMonkee
http://groovemonkee.com/pages/free-midi-loops
I've only checked a few out so far, so I haven't really formed an opinion yet.
I use it pretty regularly to upload my creations to Soundcloud... it saves me the hassle of having to transfer it to a laptop first.
Oh, and when using MultitrackStudio (MTS) I have the option of sending a mixdown of the tracks directly to Audioshare (instead of iTunes sharing). That's a really really sweet feature of MTS for the use above.