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.

Will Audiobus control in-app volumes?

Possible owner, will this app do the following?
Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
Cheers

Comments

  • I only downloaded the thing yesterday but sounds like a very simple job for Mozaic.

    Set up a MIDI AU with lots of CC outputs routing MIDI to all the apps and AB control, map the CCs to the controls then control them all within the MIDI AU in AB.

  • @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

  • @OscarSouth said:
    I only downloaded the thing yesterday but sounds like a very simple job for Mozaic.

    Set up a MIDI AU with lots of CC outputs routing MIDI to all the apps and AB control, map the CCs to the controls then control them all within the MIDI AU in AB.

    Err is that a yes?....lol
    I don’t understand any of it, sounds complicated?

  • edited February 2021

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

    Any screenshots?
    Ideally it would be a screen of sliders for each app and a main too.
    Most apps I use except Gelabs, come up in search
    Although one says no AB 3 optimised?

  • @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

    Any screenshots?
    Ideally it would be a screen of sliders for each app and a main too.
    Most apps I use except Gelabs, come up in search
    Although one says no AB 3 optimised?

    Audiobus does not have a master volume. This would be easier with AUM, where you could configure a channel for each app, and mix them to a bus with a master volume. Although, if you mix each one to the desired level, master wouldn't be necessary.

    Not AB 3 optimized just means that it won't save presets coordinated with AB, etc.

    Not sure how many of these apps (or AUv3s) you'll be able to load at once, since there are memory limitations. What are you hoping to do? Direct A/B/C/D/... comparison?

  • @uncledave said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

    Any screenshots?
    Ideally it would be a screen of sliders for each app and a main too.
    Most apps I use except Gelabs, come up in search
    Although one says no AB 3 optimised?

    Audiobus does not have a master volume. This would be easier with AUM, where you could configure a channel for each app, and mix them to a bus with a master volume. Although, if you mix each one to the desired level, master wouldn't be necessary.

    Not AB 3 optimized just means that it won't save presets coordinated with AB, etc.

    Not sure how many of these apps (or AUv3s) you'll be able to load at once, since there are memory limitations. What are you hoping to do? Direct A/B/C/D/... comparison?

    Ideally 4 guitar amp sims plus Anytune (an MP3 player for backing track)
    Now you’ve mentioned it master is not that important it’s mainly about controlling the individual app volumes

  • @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @uncledave said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

    Any screenshots?
    Ideally it would be a screen of sliders for each app and a main too.
    Most apps I use except Gelabs, come up in search
    Although one says no AB 3 optimised?

    Audiobus does not have a master volume. This would be easier with AUM, where you could configure a channel for each app, and mix them to a bus with a master volume. Although, if you mix each one to the desired level, master wouldn't be necessary.

    Not AB 3 optimized just means that it won't save presets coordinated with AB, etc.

    Not sure how many of these apps (or AUv3s) you'll be able to load at once, since there are memory limitations. What are you hoping to do? Direct A/B/C/D/... comparison?

    Ideally 4 guitar amp sims plus Anytune (an MP3 player for backing track)
    Now you’ve mentioned it master is not that important it’s mainly about controlling the individual app volumes

    Should be good. I see that AnyTune is IAA, so you should be able to include it on an AB channel, mixing it in with the other instruments.

    When you run the amp sims in AB (or AUM), they run as audio FX, without direct access to the system environment. AB allows you to connect the iPad mic input to a channel, or can use an audio interface, if you have one, so that should be OK.

    Just thinking, if you're a band here, not just a solo player, you'll def need a multi-input audio interface for the different instruments.

  • @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @uncledave said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @Pacemaker1000 said:
    Possible owner, will this app do the following?
    Have a screen where I can see all my guitar apps like Bias FX2, Tonebridge, Anytune, GE Labs etc and control the individual volumes available within each app AND master volume?
    Cheers

    It has a mixer page where it controls the volume of any app/plug-in wired into it.

    Any screenshots?
    Ideally it would be a screen of sliders for each app and a main too.
    Most apps I use except Gelabs, come up in search
    Although one says no AB 3 optimised?

    Audiobus does not have a master volume. This would be easier with AUM, where you could configure a channel for each app, and mix them to a bus with a master volume. Although, if you mix each one to the desired level, master wouldn't be necessary.

    Not AB 3 optimized just means that it won't save presets coordinated with AB, etc.

    Not sure how many of these apps (or AUv3s) you'll be able to load at once, since there are memory limitations. What are you hoping to do? Direct A/B/C/D/... comparison?

    Ideally 4 guitar amp sims plus Anytune (an MP3 player for backing track)
    Now you’ve mentioned it master is not that important it’s mainly about controlling the individual app volumes

    Audiobus with a simple midi controller with a few knobs and sliders will have you covered. Just place each app on a separate track, then midi learn you knobs or sliders in the mixer section. You could even use pads for mutes and solos if your controllers have pads.

  • wimwim
    edited February 2021

    Just be aware that iOS isn't great for loading a lot of apps like amp sims at once. You may run into issues with the operating system disabling one or more of them seemingly at random. I'll try to explain without getting too technical:

    There are two types of audio apps: Standalone/IAA and AUv3. IAA is the older technology that is in use with apps like Bias and Tonestack. They can run on their own, or in a host like Audiobus. They can only ever have one instance of themselves running at a time. Usually they run just fine, but if iOS thinks it needs more memory or processor resources for something else, it may suspend or unload them, leading to bad audio issues. This isn't common under normal usage, but if you're loading up multiple processor heavy apps like amp sims, it becomes more and more likely.

    AUv3 is the newer audio technology. AUv3 versions of apps only run in a host like a DAW, AUM, Audiobus, etc.. Multiple instances can be run at once. They won't be randomly suspended but if they use a lot of memory, too many instances may lead to crashes. It's generally much more predictable though.

    Moral of the story: If there's an AUv3 version of an app, use it instead of the IAA version. Don't run any more apps than you really need at any one time. Set your expectations accordingly. As an operating system optimized for low power consumption and heat management, iOS has limitations that often have to be worked around. There are no meaningful diagnostic tools or ways to predict what works and what doesn't. Get ready for lots of trial and error experimentation, and try to simplify wherever possible.

  • Thanks guys, looks like it will achieve what I want but there’ll be a learning curve.

  • @wim Well put. Oughta be a FAQ. README1ST for novice hackers.


  • You’d asked for a screenshot.

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