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.
M1 chips running ios music apps?
As I wade through the hype From Apple I am given to understand that the M1 chip in some of Apples current offerings will run ios apps ... on my mac.
However the choice to enable this feature is left to the individual app developer to permit.
Obviously poses problems for folks like Eventide who straddle both iOS and Mac markets - completely undercuts the latter - and changes the way the market works ... if anyone can talk about markets when dealing with Apple.
But the advantages and possibilities of using my ios apps on my mac are mouthwatering. Enough to cover some sort of suitable In App Purchase arrangement to make it so.
Anyone know if any developers are exploring this business and working out how to take advantage of it.
There was a cute little app - iMazing - that let one load any ios app into one's M1 mac but it seems to have been disappeared. Markets eh?
Comments
There's another thread where this is addressed ...with devs weighing in. -maybe someone can link to it -
But yeah, devs have the option to 'opt out' of their apps being used on M1 macs (for the time being). And some are opting out until they can properly test their apps on an M1 mac.
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/42249/ios-apps-on-m1-apple-silicon-macs-what-works
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/42527/ios-apps-on-m1-macbook-air-2020-are-the-good-ones-on-there
Thanks Msr Gums ... not quite so seamless and straightforward as one might wish then ... some sort of Apple seamless then. @BitterGums
Don't don't don't don't believe the hype, as the song says.
No doubt the M1 integration will be brilliant eventually ... seems to do some very smart and efficient processing. So it looks like I'll be buying Drambo shortly then - despite the hype.
Thanks for pointing me to this useful and informed chat. Handy site this.
You don't have to use iMazing to do this. If you actually want to try out using iOS apps that you own on the Mac, you can use a tool from Apple called Apple Configurator 2. There are instruction out on the web that'll let you know how to use it. I suppose Apple may have closed this hole now though.
Running iOS AUv3 on the M1 Macs actually works surprisingly well. There's essentially only one bug that hits a correctly configured AU and that is in the UI not the audio code.
Note that I'm one of the devs that was really grumpy about this in the older threads. I'm still grumpy about it, but I do find it interesting how well it works.
No problem! and yeah there's tons of great info here..
I understand the excitement for the iOS/M1 capability. It could be a really amazing thing. Although i think at some point Apple or App companies will limit the use of certain things.. for example if the iOS Korg Gadget runs on the M1 macs no ones going to buy the $200 Mac version. [..not sure if it can work like that, but..]
and on the flipside if both versions are that similar it seems kinda crazy to have to pay for them twice.
Well on the strength of the chat elsewhere and your comments here I've taken the plunge and grabbed a new Macbook Air with an M1 chip ...too good a deal to knock back really ... so we'll see how we go.
Look at all that lovely RAM ... yum.
Ho ho hold your horses here!
You can’t compare Korg Gadget (iOS/iPadOS) with the version for Mac!
Why? The Mac version contains a functionality to use every sound module in Gadget as AUv3 plugins in other DAW:s like Logic or Cubase, and, the Mac version is mouse optimized compare to the opposite- not great to run the touch based Gadget into Mac environment...
In the same time, if I wish to runs my legally bought apps in my iPad/iPhone, it should be up to myself, I haven’t stolen anything, it’s my file, just running on a third device, my new Macbook Pro M1...
If a sum up the money I’ve spent on Korg Gadget on my iPads, it certainly 150-200 bucks with all IAP...
So, I will continue to use those iOS/iPadOS-apps that I think is interesting to run on my Mac...
FYI, since the new update on Mac, Big Sur 11.1 I can’t any longer run Korg Gadget and Korg Module, but, every other Korg Synth is working (iM1, Wavestation, Polysix, Oddesei etc etc)...
@ErrkaPetti Right ! Good point . I had forgot about the ability to run Gadgets as AU in other DAWs. That's so cool. And yeah , naturally, every one of these iOS apps that aren't mouse optimized are going to suffer a bit on the Macs.
What other ones have you enjoyed running on the M1's besides the Korg synths. very curious..
@Soundscaper Cool. yeah, let us know how things go with the new Macbook Air. the RAM ..the 'System on Chip' ..and everything else makes for a very snappy machine from all the tests with audio apps i've seen on YouTube.
Since Staffpad not opted out i wonder if it would be usable on a Mac.
Other music apps that works well on Mac M1 is:
Tell me if there is any other app that you want me to test on Mac M1 - have a lot bought in my history, but not installed on Mac M1...
The iOS version of Caustic works great on my M1 Mac mini.
Not a mac (or desktop) user but surely the old rule applies here still: to wait until the 3rd gen of any Apple product to see if it works properly? 😉
I'm not traditionally an Apple user but have wholeheartedly been won over by the iPad and it's related ecosystem for music production. I find it hard to mount a decent use case for the M1 laptops or minis though versus the tablet equivalents. No touch screen, more expensive and the potential for apps not being enabled or having a different pricing structure. What am I missing?
It depends on your workflow. I thought the same but what would the latest iPad Pro cost with 512GB space and the Apple keyboard thingie here. Its almost the same here I payed for my M1 MacBook Pro. The base Air would be even less money to spend and is way more powerful too.
Of course you will not have the multi-touch (actually yes through the really great trackpad but of course that is not the same).
I wonder how they go with the iPad Pro line if it will be more expensive as a MacBook if you want to add about the same specs + keyboard. Like I said you get the multi-touch but also some things less and a stripped down OS of course as well.
If you really want multi-touch and you really have a tablet workflow I think the iPad Air 3 is a great thing.
There is really no need for running of iOS apps on Mac but its a really great thing on top.
But nothing would replace native Mac apps. The iOS AUv3 which runs inside Logic offers not the same amount of integration like automation and so on.
If its only to save money, well, there are so much free tools and crazy 99% sales out there these days that I do not know which price is serious today. Depending on your DAW, in Logic f.e. I have included 95% of what I ever could dream of in iOS.
But still if multi-touch is your main thing. iPad Air is the thing. But sadly like i mentioned before, a lot iOS apps doesn't look really optimised for multi-touch like some good old amazing apps. This could be go worse now that Mac ports might be more interesting (and vice versa) and amazing things like 3D Touch (that was after core audio the best thing Apple ever did for music apps) are dead and its like 2 steps back in terms of what audio music apps could do for live tweaking.
For me the combo of an iPhone and M1 MacBook is the best of both world while the iPad with keyboard is more of a Frankenstein hybrid which would overlap now too much with my other tools.
My goal is using one single machine without to need to add anything else (at least most of the time), so sit down, open and just play. Here the MacBook wins for me hands down. I love multi-touch for tweaking knobs are apps like Animoog shins here but otherwise tapping on glass is even a 100 times more difficult to use as my computer keyboard.
Using a iPad keyboard for midi inout would solve a lot for me but then I already have such a wobbly Frankenstein hybrid.
I still wish we would get multi-touch on a Mac.....they say they never will do it but maybe one day or iPads running a full macOS, then I would consider it again.
I hear you on all those points. Apple are nuts with their stoic stance on certain key usability/design aspects of their hardware. History shows they eventually fold on them so lets hope that happens with multi-touch on the Macbooks.
I too am hooked on the flexibility and expressive nature of ipads ... but jaysus they're feeble underpowered little critters ... not really designed to be a full audio production facility really - but they still can do a decent job within limits.
Apps demand more and more from our ipads as we demand more and more from the apps I suspect. Right now all I get on my old 2016 ipad is crackles and distortion unless I'm dumping off mix downs in all directions. Time FX seem particularly hungry like layered delays and so on.
So the main advantage -possible advantage - of the M1 mac is grunt coupled with ios simplicity and expressiveness ... not to mention sound quality ... those new SWAM instruments on Geoshred are a delight to play.
I'd be hoping some smart codey type would be eventually setting things up so I can use my ipad as a controller for the mac myself ... not too hard I suspect ... something that can bridge the two - ribns, tc data or lemur sort of things if not a phantom of the apps you're actually playing ... just sending all its Output to the mac.
Happy 2021 folks ... can only get better eh?
I often wish the super large new trackpads would be an additional multi-touch screen, like the Touch Bar, which indeed I really really love for usage with music tools. One reason I choose the MacBook Pro.
There are some great tools like AudioSwift app which let me use the trackpad as MPE controller even, also "real" velocity works here similar to an app like velocity keyboard. Of course you have to learn using it without direct visual feedback like on an iPad. Things like better touch tool also brings so much editing options to the Touch Bar. The combo with the keyboard where muscle memory works pretty great and fast for me is the best of all worlds combined as good as I can get in one machine actually.
So i know for most people it makers no sense but for me the Touch Bar and trackpad is a good replacement for multi-touch, it even offer force touch (but not polyphonic like on my iPhone 6S plus).
IPads are still the best tablets you can get if you ask me and they are still great device and a lot joy to use but more for using single apps for me instead of trying to make a full composition like I would do within Logic.
Still great that already a lot high quality tools are on iOS and indeed often for much less but there is also a lot missing and the price of cheap apps and the App Store system has also another side like no demo, no great upgrade paths, direct download from developers etc. There is always Apple sitting between the developer and customer in one or the other way.
So far no iOS AUv3 really works like it would on iOS yet (at least none I could test) but I like the idea of one device to run everything. From iPhone, to iPad, to Mac apps, from App Store as well as from outside of the App Store.
We will see how that works out. So far my M1 MacBook Pro can really handle an impressive load of audio tools. These new 16" and the iMacs will be beats of a machine and maybe next iPads will do another big step up.
Logic for iPad is still something I would like to see but I doubt that its coming in the next few years.
Are there any solid leads on the 16’ MacBooks, I’m needing something to work on by March so am tempted by the current 13’ ones but if there’s bigger screens and more power just around the corner I’d hate to have buyer’s regret so soon...
There's nothing solid with rumors on the 16" yet that I know of. The only thing really known is the Apple has said that the transition will be complete in about a year and a half from now. I'm guessing iMacs and better 13" MacBook Pros in the next round. So, maybe not 16" Pros until WWDC in Summer? If they release new computers in the January-February timeframe, then that might indicate they are moving faster.
Indeed is Drambo the only app I really would love to run smooth on my M1 but its unusable as AUv3 on Mac actually.
Standalone is great (but again using AUv3 inside Drambo also not works).
However, I doubt iOS developers will work on these bugs which I can understand. But it would be nice.
So, now that some time has passed... what is the first verdict?
From music production POV, other than apple’s own apps (or iOS apps).
What is your experience regarding DAW, plugin, driver availability, performance, pros/cons?
No trouble getting most ios apps working stand-alone but no luck at all with loading ios AUs in my newly updated Studio One 5.2 .... sees them, lists them but won't load them. Haven't tried any other daws yet but in Studio one The sideloaded AUs don't seem to be fully installed...show up as generic file icons rather than thumbnails. There but blocked.
But even with the limits of stand-alone apps, they really sound superb on the M1 .. some seem to be running better and smoother than on my ios devices... presets load like lightning, graphics are also hot. M1's visuals and audio quality are the best I've encountered .. a superb bit of gear really... not going anywhere soon.
Annoyances: trackpad - just erk. Wireless mouse essential. Bloody plug improvements! Some screen scaling issues on older apps I've noticed.
But meanwhile I'm Having a great time with Addstation .... seriously lovely synth with some decent processing behind it ... no crackles, no pops ... smooth as silk, absurd level of control and precision .. and it sounds HUGE. Almost as much fun as Omnisphere. Yep, that good.
Something like AUM or AB3 on the M1 would be handy... specially if it's integrated with specific DAWs - just templates. Difficult complex commercial decisions for ios developers but not technically difficult at all I suspect given the smooth operation of ios standalones off the shelf.
Someone will do it eventually...have to wait for a big wave surfer. Wish I spoke mandarin.
M1 Mac Mini Big Sur v. 11.0.1
Obtaining purchased IOS IPA’s via iMazing is still functional for me as of yesterday.
I’ve noticed that some older IPA’s won’t install or will cease to function whereas updated versions of the same app will work.
I’ve read conflicting information here and elsewhere as to whether obtaining IPA’s can still be: - Obtained (via iMazing) .
I haven’t upgraded from v. 11.0.1 for fear of losing the option to keep dabbling with IOS apps on the Mac Mini.
Am I wrong to stay on v. 11.0.1 for the time being?
The only M1 gripe I have so far is:
Can I get opinions on whether to update or to leave things be for the time being?
Imazing still works - bit awkward for Apple to disable it actually, just for doing what the M1 is designed to do. .. bit of wishful thinking about.
Even handles subsequent updates and IAps with a bit of fiddling around.
I just picked up my M1 MacBook Air 8/256 yesterday and I've tried to load apps through iMazing and some do indeed load, but when I went back and tried load others, e.g. NS2, Pure Synth, etc, although I can choose them in iMazing, but I cannot seem to load them onto the M1. Is there a secret to this? Any suggestions?
EDIT: I finally got it... I wasn't trying the Export .IPA option. All's well that ends well! Cheers.
@Soundscaper This happens in about every host I've tried them with, in Hosting AU I just unload the AU, then reload it - usually will then load up the GUI. Haven't tried that in Studio One, but the same works in Logic and Reaper.
Hi! I'm using Ableton and have this same issue. Can you elaborate a bit on that unload/reload process? Not having any luck.
On a slightly different note, some IAA apps load standalone on the M1 as well (Lumbeat apps are particularly exciting). Any tips on routing that audio/MIDI back into my DAW?
Not a problem with the DAW as far as I can track it but it looks like the ios apps are blocked from loading ... sees them but they are not recognised as AUs. CUriously Apple are still asserting that M1 macs will play ios apps in their marketing material ... need to add the rider "subject to the approval of the developer". Not quite true is it ... not yet anyway.
Don't ios apps come into their own on a decent gadget? ... head and shoulders over most of the desktop synths ... a class of their own. Seriously talented developers in there ...more innovative, less bureaucratic and ponderous,more heretical .... their talent needs to be unleashed!
PS ... in the meantime as a work-around - you can pipe audio from an ipad direct into your DAW on the MAC if you're lucky and all your cats get in a straight line.
Works like this:
Not ideal... not what it says on the box ... but you get to hear ipad apps in a serious setting. No loss, no lags.
I'm in the middle of these Australian floods at the moment ... half my street has been evacuated this morning ... hiviz fellas in boats everywhere ... but I know this set up works with Garageband ... if I can get the chance today I'll see how it goes with Studio One. Probably lose power any minute. Gotta love this country.