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.
Comments
MODO Drums runs well on my 2012 MBP, so I can’t imagine there would be any issue on a new Mac.
I tried the demo on a brand new M1 iMac running GarageBand and using it as an AUv3. It slowed to a crawl. It was impossible to input real-time drums.
Do we have a chance to see MODO DRUMS on iOS ?
I got the destop version as a freebie in the current sale, and I really like it. I don't have a comparison to other apps but has the distinct Mellotron sound to me.
I just bought it, was too curious to resist. I like it, very good sound. Pricey, yep… could have been more presets.
@NeuM Yes, I will be doing a Live Stream for SampleTron tomorrow (Friday 24th at 8.00 PM U.K Time)
@IK_Multimedia give us Sampletank AUV3 and I’ll be all over it for $70.
Same feedback as others, I far prefer GForces take on the Mellotron on the desktop. The fact they work directly with Streetly Electronics (the original manufacturers of the Mellotron) pays dividends.
But IKM has also done a great job with their Tron and there's nothing else that competes on iOS. With regards to the install footprint, the Mellotron is powered by tape loops, so the only way to emulate it properly is to sample those tape loops and that takes up a lot of storage space. But the end results are with it (and very authentic to the original).
Interesting to see the worn and chipped paint on the Mellotron in the video. I wonder how many original 1960s units there are still in the world?
I’m gonna stick this over on the “probably won’t ever buy” shelf next to “Mixbox”.
I just sat and watched that whole video, where he’s going through all the sounds on the desktop version, and I’ve got to say, I really didn’t hear ANY sounds that we can’t already make with the apps and instruments already out there.
Maybe if it was $4.99 or $9.99 at the most, I’d buy it, then worry about its redundancy later, but for $70? Naaah I’m good!
You guys go right ahead though.
Hey! Anyone want to point out a sound in that video that we can’t already make? I’d be happy to be corrected!
Most gigging artists that rely on the Mellotron in hardware form use newer hardware from Streetly Electronics. The originals are too fragile for touring and suchlike. But there are many originals maintained by Streetly Electronics, in many cases in the studios of notable clients (check the website).
http://www.mellotronics.com/people and sounds.htm
The current modern model of the Mellotron, the M4000 sells for approximately £5300 and it still sells well as it's such a unique instrument. Check the Sound on Sound review for the rationale regarding what makes the Mellotron such a unique instrument.
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/streetly-mellotron-m4000
I'm with you. Here it's 110 Australian dollars.
No thank you.
Thank you for posting the link to that article!
Don’t get me wrong, the Mellotron was, and still is a remarkable piece of mechanical technology. It’s always blown my mind how these work with the tape and the samples in real time! I would LOVE to have one of them in my living room… the actual hardware though, and that’s all that article is about; the hardware.
There’s no mention of how awesome it would be if someone made a software recreation of this machine (an app), but think about it, it plays “samples” or short recordings/snippets of real world instruments that were recorded (or “sampled”) way beforehand right? I mean I get the “rational” of what makes the hardware such a unique instrument, but I’m still a little lost as to what a software version/app has to offer over all the sampling capabilities we already have.
I mean I guess they need to pay their graphic artists, it does look nice!
Well the hardware has a unique sound, but is expensive and impractical to own, so the software emulations are a way of getting close to that unique sound at a fraction of the cost.
I mean, a mellotron doesn't sound like a regular sampler. No-one ever listens to the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever and thinks of a flute. Whatever that sound is it's not really a faithful sample of a flute. It's a mellotron. You're not going to get that sound with Koala or Obsidian. So I guess that's the point: if you want that sound, but don't want to buy an actual mellotron, then you can get an app instead.
I'm actually tempted by the sample import feature. Quite an interesting way to get some lo-fi sample mangling going.
I get it Richard; that some people just want a “Mellotron app”, though I’ll still argue the fact that even with Koala (since you mentioned it) one can sample the Strawberry Fields flute sound for example, and have a 1:1 sample of the exact sound. I didn’t think Koala had a “sound” of its own (unless you start coloring the recorded sample with its effects and such), but was only reproducing the sound that you sampled with it.
I agree
What don’t you like about Mixbox?
Yeah, the GForce Mellotron is miles ahead of anything else. If you want a fantastic sounding mellotron you don’t need to look beyond that one.
But if you apply that logic you could argue that there's no point in buying Beathawk or any of its sample packs, since you can just sample the instruments yourself
No-one is likely to be able to sample several different mellotrons, and all their associated tapes. And that's not to mention the DSP that's also involved, to get the tape emulation.
@Edward_Alexander
I hear you when you say that some folk get in an 'instabuy' mindset at the mention of Mellotron without really understanding what it's going to provide.
I love the Gforce emulation far more than IKMs. A lot of love has gone into making it as close to a hardware Tron as is currently possible, but it also includes some smart synthesis tools to extend the Tron sound far beyond those possible with the hardware. But the IKM is far more than an expoitative set of samples. If you know what you want, the asking price isn't unreasonable. A single set of Streetly tapes for the Gforce emulation is close to total asking price from IKM.
Perceived value is a wonderful thing. With an instrument as idiosyncratic as the Mellotron, the value will be worthless to one, whilst another will ration their weekly budget to satisfy their musical urge.
Sampletron is a pass since I have it in Beathawk.
But Mixbox is totally worth it. Especially for somebody who does not have tons of effects already. It could save you a ton on buying all the mixing effect separately. The effects are top shelf and the free artists presets are fun too. Jakob Haq as a serie of preset.
When you compare SampleTron 2 to others, please keep in mind we have our tape modeling technology too not just straight-up samples. This also offers great flexibility on top of the carefully-crafted sampling of well-kept instruments with Erik Norlander at the helm.
As an aside, here's a couple of paragraphs from a Mellotron restorer's bio (Norm Leete). My favourite nugget is that Princess Margaret allegedly has one.
Is this gonna be universal at some point?
This is true, and Beathawk, with all of its available sample packs add up to well over the $70 they’re asking for here if you buy them all. I bought Beathawk way back when when it was on sale for like $10 and only bought a couple IAPs before I realized what they were doing. Now, I’ll only buy one if it has sounds that I just can’t get anywhere else. And that’s rare.
Don’t get me wrong, like I said, if this was $10 or maybe $14.99 at the most, I think I’d buy it. Otherwise I just don’t see the value in it for me personally.
Just the price. And see below…
I understand, it might make sense for someone who doesn't have tons of effects like you say, but I do have tons of effects, audio and midi, all of the specialty effects like delays, reverbs, choruses, distortions, manglers, etc etc, but also the “studio effects” for mixing and mastering like compressors, limiters, EQs and such.
We’ll see what the sale price is during Black Friday and maybe I’ll pick it up, just so I can say I have it lol
Not a salesman, and certainly not for IK. One aspect that gets often overlooked imo, is that these studio classics are loved not only because of the sound, but the ease of use... maybe a bit bold statement, but you can’t really go wrong with them. You can spend an hour trying to achieve something with a universal tool, you may even get there, but with these, you will get there in a minute (if you choose the right tool for the job). It’s about familiar and transferable UI/layout, minimal set of controls, to the point operation. You don’t have to fight these to sound like X, because most settings will sound good without sweating... I use about 15% of the collection and wouldn’t want to use anything else on iOS as a replacement.
Great post. A large aspect of a Pultec EQ is the manner in which it both boosts and attenuates with a curve that's 'just-right' for so many applications. The Neve graphic EQ is much the same. Great band choices and a constantly varying Q depending on the level of boost or attenuation. Sure you can do these things by hand in Fabfilter Pro Q but the UX of those classic EQ's simply speed the workflow in so many instances. It also helps that they force you to use your ears in preference to your eyes as is the case with a visual feedback EQ such as the Pro Q. Don't get me wrong, Pro Q is my most used plugin, but I still reach for a Pultec on a kick or a Neve on sub-busses.
With regard to a decent Mellotron emulation such as SampleTron 2, a lot of the magic is in the imperfections.
Ref the SampleTron 2 price, sure £60 is a reasonable chunk of change in the iOS app economy, and that's with an introductory discount too. But if you value Mellotron timbres, this is the best emulation on the platform, and that's where you'll make your personal value judgement.