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.
Fantasy: What if NI acquired BM3?
So I’m feeling all “brand new” since I found a Mikro MK3 for $100 a couple days ago and I love the Maschine workflow!
What if Native Instruments acquired Beatmaker 3 and integrated it with the next iteration of Mikro?
I could see this acquisition as a serious move for NI to be the new standard bearer for iOS music production.
What do you all feel about this thought?
@CapnWillie @hennythabizness @OscarSouth @AudioGus @echoopera
- Should Native Instruments acquire Beatmaker 3?45 votes
- Yes28.89%
- No71.11%
Comments
I don't think that would instantly improve the current situation an we'd have to wait 2-3 years before the eventual fruits from a merger would surface, if they surface at all?!
I had hopes that Ableton would be a strong player on iOS but meh, they just ship Link which still doesn't have wide adoption after all these years and I personally have no use what so ever for it...
It's more likely that Akai will 'purchase' BM3 considering it's quite well known in the the circles where Akai's brand is 'strong'.
I think it's more likely that we'll see iMachine directly from NI if they see it as a worthwhile time & resource investment.
BM3 has almost completely lost momentum (or at least it feels so) when it comes to updates so what would NI have to gain by purchasing them or hiring the few developers involved?
But who am I to know what is going to happen, my guesses are as good or bad as anyone elses
Cheers!
Nooooooo!!!!!! They can’t even do a good job on the apps they already make for iOS, have you seen IMachine? I don’t think they’d be the new standard bearer for iOS production at all, they’ve already proven that.
Good points! You’re probably right about Akai. I wonder about BM3’s developer… it’s obviously not their full-time gig.
Good points here too! I see why this move would be a conflict of interest. 😂
Ouch, good point 😂 I guess Maschine + explains why iMaschine 2 is not 3 by now.
@Samu @CapnWillie @Strizbiz I would love a workflow like Maschine on iOS! A MIDI controller designed for an app where you can make music on the go without having to touch the screen as much, just jam. Feel me?
For me the point of iPad is to use it without anything connected for a true mobile experience.
This is where iPad shines, it does NOT need any additional controllers
LOL Great point! At some point we have to appreciate what is in front of us. To be frank, most of my Beatmaker creations were banged out on the screen and not a controller. Rubber pads separate us lmaoooo
Something about not looking at the screen helps my performances though…
Sometimes I've got the LaunchPad Pro Mk3 with a few custom templates hooked to my iPad...
...the iPad is mostly hooked to my MacMini and I use IDAM to sample the iPad synths into Renoise and LogicPro etc.
When I need full mobility I grab a pair of headphones (my iPad Air 2 still has a 3.5mm jack) and iRig Mic HD for sampling...
...when I'm super lazy it's just the iPhone 8 with Koala Sampler...
If Akai was serious about iOS/iPadOS they would never approve the mess that is called iMPC P#!WTFS&#€!
The problem for Akai would be that if they had the full MPC Software running on iPadOS, who would then buy the hardware MPCs if you can get the same 'experience' with an iPad and a pad controller?
I think it's the same deal for NI with Machine, and Ableton with Push...
I agree for the most part but I definitely prefer a midi keyboard controller over using onscreen keyboards, I could never get the same performance I can by playing physical keys
Glad you are digging the Maschine workflow. It is just pure smooth music joy to me. I have pretty much zero motivation to use the iPad for music now.
If I get a new iPad in the fall I will probably reload all my old BM3 projects and explore what oodles of Fab filters and automation would have done for them and maybe export bits and pieces to MK3. I was pretty surprised to discover just how much my iOS and BM3 fanboyness had entirely to do with commuting. Particularly now that the automation and clip splitting / merging finally works… and I just don’t feel the itch to use it. If anything I feel a bit bitter that it took so many years, wink, hehe.
Oh, as for NI buying them I think they probably are just waiting for whatever OS/CPU/future convergence / paradigmy dust to settle before even looking at iOS/iPadOS again. Their toe dip seemed purely a marketing budget thing to spread brand awareness or some such thing.
😂 iMPC situation is a hot mess! That app should be a money maker 🤦♂️
Touché! If Logic makes it to the M1 iPad then Akai, Ableton and NI will be in trouble. I love the smart strip thingy in BM3 too! I thought it was mappable?
Brilliantly said sir. Definitely a “toe dip”… iMaschine idea was probably thought of as a “gateway drug” to Maschine 😂
Yeah, this Maschine workflow is pretty fantastic! I now see what all the fuss is about. Strangely, I’m interested in the Maschine + for versatility reasons. I can use it standalone, with a MacBook or PC or map it to an iPad or iPhone via MIDI output. Maschine + looks like a big musical Swiss Army knife to me. 🤩
Nope.
I think that would be one of the biggest disappointments for the iOS platform.
Yup, there's only one guy doing it now, yup updates are slow in turning up.
The damn thing works.
It's got a rock solid user base, they are smashing it
on FB with their regular artist features and appearances.
The beats are happening.
It won't be long before someone makes a hit track or record.
The quality is up there without a doubt.
A couple of really good vocalists and that's.
Use the damn thing.
Load it up with samples.
Make music.
It's wicked.
Oh wow! I didn’t know that 🙃
Is sample browsing an issue with M+?
Yeah, I love BM3… although my creativity is enhanced when I don’t look at the screen so much. I have plenty of controllers to use with BM3, but the Maschine workflow is fruitful for me. It feels very natural, musical. I love using an iPad and controller only. I hope a developer/hardware company makes a workflow for iOS that flows like Maschine one day. Something is mapped out the box and allows the end user to just jam out!
Beatmaker has been around a long time and if it hasn't happened yet, I doubt it would happen now. There likely isn't enough revenue potential on iOS for NI to invest in the platform.
They can make significantly more by shifting their desktop users to subscriptions first for sound packs. They will likely happen. I just hope it doesn't happen for the software itself, since I love Maschine.
The downside with Beatmaker is that there's no great hardware companion for it. It's a great app, but I just don't spend enough time in it anymore.
Also, sidenote, my new favorite thing is using Maschine in VCV Rack to control my Eurorack.
Yeah, I enjoy using my Launchpad Pro in BM3. Especially when I use chords in BM3 in 64 pad mode. I can tinker with chord progressions. The 64 pads with LP is a better experience than just 16.
That’s pretty cool VCV!
I returned to BM3 the other week. It’s way more stable than it used to be, the sampler is incredible, the manual is… adequate.
The only thing I think want out of it lately is a workflow that makes it simpler to make multiple oscillator synths out of waveforms. I’ve been dropping single cycle waveforms in lately, and it’s a pain to have to adjust everything per layer.
If the sampler could load wavetables… Man, it’d fricking kill.
There is a manual???
Wow, I didn’t know that.
That’s news for me.
Joking aside.
The sampler is incredible.
Intuitive and is a dream to work with.
It’s always been super stable for me.
It was my second DAW on the iOs platform after
Garageband and convinced me to invest into the platform.
That would be a pain.
I use drambo for that when needed.
Edit
I noticed that Elliottgarage has an app called Kitmaker.
There is an app called Kitmaker but it isn't from Elliottgarage.
I don’t have a desktop but if you do it maybe worth having a look.
Yeah, it would do.
For wavetable stuff I tend to use either drambo or Synthmaster 1.
I’ve yet to use SynthMaster 2 for wavetable synthesis
because I’ve been distracted by the sheer amount of the presets.
Organising my favourites is quite a task in itself.
Still it could be something worth suggesting to the dev???
I really should suggest that. I know that Drambo can fill a bunch of holes, but the point of the amazing BM sampler gets lost.
I see both working together nicely. BM3 for the much better classic sampler used as such and Drambo for the much better synthesis platform using single cycle waveforms or wavetables.
If you work with project templates, all you need to do will be to load a waveform into the WT oscillator (or even Flexi).
As for "acquiring BM3", giving the BM3 codebase into the hands of an ambitioned developer who has sufficient time and resources to take care if it would be much more important to me than the label of a well-known brand.
From my disinterested position, it does seem that NI has been shaky of late. Wishing them to make any acquisition sounds like a curse! Audio software is a very crowded space, has been for… quarter of a century? This combined with inflexibility in app purchase options cannot make life easy for developers with established products.
On a side note, wasn’t someone working on a 3rd party manual for BM3 a while ago ?
Didn't read the comments but I think they shouldn't because I think NI would dissolve the BM app.
This.
@CRAKROX yes. @tk32 is working on a brilliant manual/book for BM3. It'll be worth the wait.
Perhaps a little encouragement in support of his efforts couldn't hurt if you wanna hit him up.