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.
It doesn't have to be hard | Outdoors mobile music production | haQ attaQ
I often talk about how I love being a mobile music producer, however I don't actually show the mobile aspect of it a whole lot. Im trying to change that with a new series. The freedom of being able to create anywhere and anytime has done a lot for my creativity. Apart from iPhones and iPads, there are even more stuff to choose from like portable drummachines, synthesizers, microphones and even sound interfaces.
However sometimes ... all that extra gear just slows you down even if it is portable.
Comments
Take it to the people, Jakob!
I would be super happy to sit and brainstorm with you on diy case design, they have lots of the flightcase hardware available at thomann and everything else can be built with hand tools I think.
( i posted this same comment on youtube)
I feel like where we are now is more so at a point where we need a good case plan, something to keep the dongle contraptions from escaping and going feral. i do NOT want to have to setup wherever I go. Ideally everything would stay connected, Im super fond of the CME widi but that doesnt eliminate the rest of the sd or ssd memory, power, mixer, audio interface, portable speaker (bose mini sound link) I wanna see what you feel about backpacks vs home made multi level flight case type contraption that has two sections, one for the ipads interfaces dongles etc..... and one for the controllers, gives a chance to keep more stuff connected and padded, all the dongles tucked away safely.
My main problem is this is less than suitable for trains and maybe overkill yet I keep thinking there needs to be somthing to unify all this stuf in a super compact way and we should be able to figure it out, fact I think we should already have this figured out.
Also keep thinking of a bouncy Ipad case with a built in compartment for a dongle , sd/ssd and extra battery so it always behaved like it was plugged in and we could just replace those bats instead.. yes it would be thick like a thinkpad from 1990s
or just a case where the Ipad is sitting in at an angle and easily accessible with all the dongle and ssd and battery secure and tucked away safely. ipad needs to be accessible, possibly more than one ipad and then a separate case with knobs and pads and keys. All with its power and cables mounted safely and places for everything so jacks dont get broken and where I can put a lid on it when not in use so I dont have to clean it.
Finishing a class and i'm gonna watch it.
I recall some trips where I took a whole backpack with portable gear. You end up not using it.
The counterpoint is when the only portable thing I had was a DR-550 Mk2. I would take it around and drop entire songs of drum tracks 😂
The portable aspect is the entire reason I'm into iOS music production
Nice vid!
I don’t do now, but there was a time when I would always have a couple of harmonicas on me when I went out…
Another fantastic video like always. First of all, I am so glad your partner is such a sweet person to look after you like she has been. Massive kudos to her and you. I'm hoping your health problems disappear mate.
Secondly, you have a lot of excellent advice.
I usually just carry my iPad Mini, my Beats headphones, and my Bluetooth keyboard (for typing on), and that's usually it. I don't have any outboard gear, but damn if I'm not tempted to get an OP-1 at some point to produce Minimal music on. (Not sure, but can an OP-1 be used with an iPad only? Or do I need to have a PC to take full advantage of it?)
Exactly! Why would I deliberately make it complicated in the first place? 😉
Agreed with @jwmmakerofmusic - iPad Mini and a small & quality battery powered Bluetooth keyboard (for playing!) can make a difference.
Oh, looking at you little OP-1, you're most fun one to one I guess?
Id likely only scratch outside because maybe screens arnt good in the sunlight. If deck actually kept a usbc (mini ) device charged from its batteries. You could carry a volca drum or op-z to the aux in or just program some hammerhead. With a volca drum or opz. You could just use screen keyboards or the op-z? Djplayerpro is midi mappable so fader dosent cut audio of other apps. Backpack would maybe be an ex-nasa backpack but the deck will actually fit in most backpacks anyway ( with comfy straps/belts. May as well use a comfy backpack with space for other stuff.
Or an ipad mini. Omni deck. Nanokontrol. Djplayer pro. A bit of credit for internet. Maybe you got a 3 deck drum and bass mix to the nanokontrol, plus a digital scratch deck. Some knobs and buttons for radio unit/gauss and also some apps. Or x2 ipad mini or phone. Zoom u44. Line out to an aum for better master effects but might just be best with just djplayer effects. Need to check out whats happening with the djplayer thing. Cue or if mixes can be done without cue. Mapping nanokontrol and if a dvs deck can also be a deck along with the nanokontrol. A portable Dj Craze. Then just make tracks for mixing as Im always making tracks that sound like the end of a track anyway or tweak synths like im in the mix.
Thats quite a mad dj rig. A usbc ipad mini that can charge off deck battery. A nanokontrol for mixing dj program. A digital deck for scratches but also as a powerbank. Apps using screen keyboard. Line out to a mixer or portable speakers.
I remember at university, between classes I would sit under a tree and use my Palm Pilot to produce music using Bhajis Loops (an early mobile DAW developed by Emilie from Mutable Instruments)
My mind would be blown if you had shown young me a 2021 iPad set up
For me a ‘mobile’ setup is essential as it lets me make music at home even though the kids have stolen my music room. And every moment of spare time. As I can’t keep it set up anything I use to make music has to effectively be mobile.
My favourite setup at the moment is Roland JD-Xi plus MacBook Pro. It gives me audio and midi interface, MIDI keyboard (albeit one made for tiny fingers) two (really good sounding) Digi synths, one (not as good sounding) analogue synth, drum machine (which i love) and built in vocoder which is great as I can’t sing a note without one.
But the best bit is the jdxi works fully self contained as well. I like to use it to just play music and get away from screens and any hint of trying to ‘produce’. And from there I can easily transfer any good ideas to Logic by playing in the MIDI and/or audio.
The reason for bringing it up here though is that It could also be the perfect iPad device if it had class compliant audio drivers and battery and bus power. I don’t think there’s any hope of a firmware update to add class compliant drivers even though Roland did it for other devices.
I don’t think enough people want this feature set though. For me a self contained Groovebox type thing that adds audio and midi interfaces to an iPad with one usb-c cable would be the perfect controller as I like to be able to play without using the screen but still get ideas down.
It would appear I’m in a minority though as the kind of device I want (JD-Xi, X-station, xio synth etc)always ends up on the Bad Audio Gear YouTube channel. :-/
Actually a lot of gear I’ve owned over the years ends up on that channel so I guess I’m out of sync with the world 🤣
Dude... Some of the gear that shows up there I own
Others, I want 😂😂😂
Just a few I don't care too much
btw, I never minded the JD-Xi, but recently a dude wanted to sell me his, and now I want it. Seems cool 😁
The glass on a ipad is super reflective and for me this is a major drawback from working outside unless in the darkest of shades.
Great video. Actually started going mobile these past few weeks and shared my setup.
Something I learned the hard way was to stick to a 1 controller, 1 iPad, and 2 phone rule (1 iPhone, and 1 Android).
1 controller (Novation Launchkey) to manage the iPad, 1 iPhone for whenever I need to do an impromptu collaboration session, or need a second app, and another phone to act as a backup/mobile camera (Android).
I’m not sure if it’s ideal but it is fun. Also, have fun and stay safe, Jakob.
I think the JDxi is brilliant, but I paid half its list price for a mint used one. At that price I can forgive the faults (there are a few, but not deal breakers to me especially at used prices) but it’s a lot of fun.
Probably best to discuss in another thread if you have any questions, wouldn’t want to take Jakob’s thread off on too much of a tangent :-)
i've adapted to a less stringent meaning of 'mobile'. and it's anything that isn't a desktop computer. If i can pack it up and move it within a few minutes ..it's mobile. As most places have charge ports or electricity, barring woods or parks, plugging into a wall somewhere still qualifies as mobile. The whole point being maintaining the ability to create away from home, while traveling and/or recording things in different environments.
That's the main reason I use screen protector (a matte one). Secondary reason it makes a good friction when drawing/painting
Agreed
But no questions at the moment. Maybe later. I got a TD-3 for a good-ish price from the same guy, so it will be some time before I really get the JD. Thanks, mate 🥰
Phone in one pocket and ear buds in another. Always having this with me is invaluable.
Keys, faders and knobs would be nice, but having nothing connected via USB or bluetooth also means the battery lasts longer.
(I write and mixdown with S_nV__ and then it's stems into Audio Evolution to finish off.)
Out of curiosity... Do you use the keyboard to enter notes in it?
I struggle with S_nV__ in small screens 😂
Oh... and if you have a soundcloud/bandcamp, please share 🥰
I most often use the onscreen piano to get the notes in and then edit the steps after to get the timing I want.
The interface was fiddly at first (5.5" screen), now it's transparent. It's unlike anything else, so took some getting used to. The key is to resize continuously so that whatever you are working on fills the screen.
Thank you for showing an interest in my music
Here is a released track. 100% SunV__ :
https://keepingtrack.bandcamp.com/track/powers
And here is one of my Soundcloud accounts. This stuff is all __nVox and AEmobile:
https://soundcloud.com/note2ctl
@jakoB_haQ Yeah.. it takes many years to realise that LESS IS MORE. It applies everywhere - from number of apps installed on iPad to number of HW gear you actually own
I'm going to vacation soon - and only thing i'll take with myself is Elektron Digitone. Nothing else. Can't wait having tons of fun with it.
I think great mobile workstation is also PolyEnd tracker.
Anyway. Good video ! Pure truth.
By the way, @jakoB_haQ is the latest set of presets on offer for owners of the MixBox CS app!
Which is why I think we can all agree the amount of completely unnecessary dongles required to make it work is TOO DAMN HIGH
We only use a Laptop IPad and a Powerbank to get inspired by beautiful places of DD
Awesome stuff, mate! Have been enjoying your tracks here 💖😎💖
That's always nice to hear! Muito obrigado