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.

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Audiokit Pro AR909 - Midi learn “Start/Stop”

UncleDave, I need your help again.

Just downloaded Audiokit’s AR909 drum synth/seq and want to use it along with my current Midi Guitar 2/Synth One setup.

However, for it to be useful, I need to be able to Start and Stop it using my Bluetooth Midi pedal.

Just like my issue with selecting presets on Synth One, although midi learn works fine with all the Highlighted items, the “Play/Stop” button isn’t highlighted.

I’m wondering if there’s a command for “Start/Stop” (eg like CC07 for volume) that I’m just not aware of.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Comments

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    UncleDave, I need your help again.

    Just downloaded Audiokit’s AR909 drum synth/seq and want to use it along with my current Midi Guitar 2/Synth One setup.

    However, for it to be useful, I need to be able to Start and Stop it using my Bluetooth Midi pedal.

    Just like my issue with selecting presets on Synth One, although midi learn works fine with all the Highlighted items, the “Play/Stop” button isn’t highlighted.

    I’m wondering if there’s a command for “Start/Stop” (eg like CC07 for volume) that I’m just not aware of.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Are you using these in a host or as standalone apps?

  • wimwim
    edited January 2022

    Scanning your previous thread, it looks like you may be using all these apps standalone, and not in a host. Life might be easier if you use a host like AUM in general.

    In this case it doesn't help you with starting and stopping AR909. They just don't expose that ability. However in AUM you can easily mute and unmute the channel that AR909 is playing through, effectively accomplishing the same thing.

    Oh ... and to get someone's attention, prefix their username with an @ sign, which will notify them of the post. Otherwise they might not notice your post.

  • edited January 2022

    @wim said:
    Scanning your previous thread, it looks like you may be using all these apps standalone, and not in a host. Life might be easier if you use a host like AUM in general.

    In this case it doesn't help you with starting and stopping AR909. They just don't expose that ability. However in AUM you can easily mute and unmute the channel that AR909 is playing through, effectively accomplishing the same thing.

    Oh ... and to get someone's attention, prefix their username with an @ sign, which will notify them of the post. Otherwise they might not notice your post.

    Actually, in AUM, you can directly MIDI map the Transport controls. It's in the Controls (sliders) menu under the main AUM hamburger menu. And AR-909 is an Audio Unit, so it will run fine in AUM. And, by the way, you can do the same stuff in Audiobus.

    There is a variety of schemes for MIDI control of transport parameters, but no reason to think any of them would work with AR-909. Much easier to go the host route, as already suggested.

  • @uncledave said:

    @wim said:
    Scanning your previous thread, it looks like you may be using all these apps standalone, and not in a host. Life might be easier if you use a host like AUM in general.

    In this case it doesn't help you with starting and stopping AR909. They just don't expose that ability. However in AUM you can easily mute and unmute the channel that AR909 is playing through, effectively accomplishing the same thing.

    Oh ... and to get someone's attention, prefix their username with an @ sign, which will notify them of the post. Otherwise they might not notice your post.

    Actually, in AUM, you can directly MIDI map the Transport controls. It's in the Controls (sliders) menu under the main AUM hamburger menu. And AR-909 is an Audio Unit, so it will run fine in AUM. And, by the way, you can do the same stuff in Audiobus.

    I assumed the question was about starting and stopping AR909 independently of other apps. If that's the case then the transport would start and stop everything else as well. If not, then AUM transport is sufficient. Otherwise mute/unmute would be needed.

  • And don’t get frustrated when the drums aren’t in sync. It’s not you, it’s them 😆

  • wimwim
    edited February 2022

    @Philandering_Bastard said:
    And don’t get frustrated when the drums aren’t in sync. It’s not you, it’s them 😆

    Only the kick drum at this point, I believe.
    (off to test 'em all though to satisfy my fact-bitchiness.)

  • @wim said:

    @Philandering_Bastard said:
    And don’t get frustrated when the drums aren’t in sync. It’s not you, it’s them 😆

    Only the kick drum at this point, I believe.
    (off to test 'em all though to satisfy my fact-bitchiness.)

    I admit it’s been awhile. Last I checked it was around 25ms for the kick and around 12ms for the rest. Would be interested to hear whether this has changed.

  • Thanks Guys, I’ve no idea what AUM is but it’s sounding like something I need to look into 😂

  • edited February 2022

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    Thanks Guys, I’ve no idea what AUM is but it’s sounding like something I need to look into 😂

    If you already have Audiobus, you don't need AUM for this. Otherwise, Kymatica's AUM is a very versatile audio/MIDI mixing and routing tool.

  • If you already have Audiobus, you don't need AUM for this. Otherwise, Kymatica's AUM is a very versatile audio/MIDI mixing and routing tool.

    Haha, should have guessed there’d be an app called Audiobus 😂 thanks!

  • Ok, thanks guys, well I’ve bought Audiobus, along with Midi Learn and got my setup (Midi Guitar 2, driving Audiokit Synth One, alongside the AR909 drums) added and saved.

    However, when I look at the Midi Guitar 2 that Audiobus has loaded, it does NOT have my presets, just a load of stuff the app came with that I deleted.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    Ok, thanks guys, well I’ve bought Audiobus, along with Midi Learn and got my setup (Midi Guitar 2, driving Audiokit Synth One, alongside the AR909 drums) added and saved.

    However, when I look at the Midi Guitar 2 that Audiobus has loaded, it does NOT have my presets, just a load of stuff the app came with that I deleted.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    Presets you save in the MG standalone are only available in the standalone.

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    Ok, thanks guys, well I’ve bought Audiobus, along with Midi Learn and got my setup (Midi Guitar 2, driving Audiokit Synth One, alongside the AR909 drums) added and saved.

    However, when I look at the Midi Guitar 2 that Audiobus has loaded, it does NOT have my presets, just a load of stuff the app came with that I deleted.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    Sorry, I know I’m replying to my own question, which is probably very naff but…

    Would it be because Audiobus isn’t actually loading my MIDI Guitar 2 app at all, just an Audio Unit of the same name (presumably contained within the app) BUT without my User Presets; just the factory ones??

  • edited February 2022

    @MikeFloutier said:

    @MikeFloutier said:
    Ok, thanks guys, well I’ve bought Audiobus, along with Midi Learn and got my setup (Midi Guitar 2, driving Audiokit Synth One, alongside the AR909 drums) added and saved.

    However, when I look at the Midi Guitar 2 that Audiobus has loaded, it does NOT have my presets, just a load of stuff the app came with that I deleted.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    Sorry, I know I’m replying to my own question, which is probably very naff but…

    Would it be because Audiobus isn’t actually loading my MIDI Guitar 2 app at all, just an Audio Unit of the same name (presumably contained within the app) BUT without my User Presets; just the factory ones??

    In audiobus, standalone app and auv3 are listed on different tabs. If you want to load the standalone, load it from the tab where standalones are listed.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @MikeFloutier said:

    @MikeFloutier said:
    Ok, thanks guys, well I’ve bought Audiobus, along with Midi Learn and got my setup (Midi Guitar 2, driving Audiokit Synth One, alongside the AR909 drums) added and saved.

    However, when I look at the Midi Guitar 2 that Audiobus has loaded, it does NOT have my presets, just a load of stuff the app came with that I deleted.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    Sorry, I know I’m replying to my own question, which is probably very naff but…

    Would it be because Audiobus isn’t actually loading my MIDI Guitar 2 app at all, just an Audio Unit of the same name (presumably contained within the app) BUT without my User Presets; just the factory ones??

    In audiobus, standalone app and auv3 are listed on different tabs. If you want to load the standalone, load it frommthe tab where stanalones are listed.

    That would be the "Apps" tab, not the "Audio Units".

  • @uncledave said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    In audiobus, standalone app and auv3 are listed on different tabs. If you want to load the standalone, load it frommthe tab where stanalones are listed.

    That would be the "Apps" tab, not the "Audio Units".

    Exactly and that’s the problem, for some reason Midi Guitar 2 does not appear anywhere under the Apps tab, only the Audio Unit tab...

    ...and the Audio Unit only has limited functionality. As well as not having access to User Presets, it also (much more importantly) doesn’t include “Midi Output” (an In-App purchase feature) giving the ability to route Midi to other Apps.

    To be honest, the only real reason I bought Audiobus was to be able to Start/Stop the AudioKit AR-909. I may as well just continue using MG2 > Synth One outside Audiobus, as before, and just run the AR-909 inside Audiobus.

    Anyway, many thanks for all your help, it’s much appreciated!

  • @MikeFloutier said:

    @uncledave said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    In audiobus, standalone app and auv3 are listed on different tabs. If you want to load the standalone, load it frommthe tab where stanalones are listed.

    That would be the "Apps" tab, not the "Audio Units".

    Exactly and that’s the problem, for some reason Midi Guitar 2 does not appear anywhere under the Apps tab, only the Audio Unit tab...

    ...and the Audio Unit only has limited functionality. As well as not having access to User Presets, it also (much more importantly) doesn’t include “Midi Output” (an In-App purchase feature) giving the ability to route Midi to other Apps.

    To be honest, the only real reason I bought Audiobus was to be able to Start/Stop the AudioKit AR-909. I may as well just continue using MG2 > Synth One outside Audiobus, as before, and just run the AR-909 inside Audiobus.

    Anyway, many thanks for all your help, it’s much appreciated!

    Where in Audiobus are you looking for Midi Guitar 2? Apps specify their features/capabilities and that determines where they can be inserted. The choices are: Audio Source or Effect, and MIDI Source or Effect. A Source is the first box in the channel, Effect is the middle one. Since MG receives audio and can generate MIDI, this may be a little tricky. It might appear as an Audio Effect. Then, if you look in MIDI Source, it may appear, and you'll have the option (">") to select "Instance A", i.e. the same one already loaded in Audio. This is just Audiobus' way of cross-linking between Audio channels and MIDI channels.

  • @uncledave said:

    @MikeFloutier said:

    @uncledave said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    In audiobus, standalone app and auv3 are listed on different tabs. If you want to load the standalone, load it frommthe tab where stanalones are listed.

    That would be the "Apps" tab, not the "Audio Units".

    Exactly and that’s the problem, for some reason Midi Guitar 2 does not appear anywhere under the Apps tab, only the Audio Unit tab...

    ...and the Audio Unit only has limited functionality. As well as not having access to User Presets, it also (much more importantly) doesn’t include “Midi Output” (an In-App purchase feature) giving the ability to route Midi to other Apps.

    To be honest, the only real reason I bought Audiobus was to be able to Start/Stop the AudioKit AR-909. I may as well just continue using MG2 > Synth One outside Audiobus, as before, and just run the AR-909 inside Audiobus.

    Anyway, many thanks for all your help, it’s much appreciated!

    Where in Audiobus are you looking for Midi Guitar 2? Apps specify their features/capabilities and that determines where they can be inserted. The choices are: Audio Source or Effect, and MIDI Source or Effect. A Source is the first box in the channel, Effect is the middle one. Since MG receives audio and can generate MIDI, this may be a little tricky. It might appear as an Audio Effect. Then, if you look in MIDI Source, it may appear, and you'll have the option (">") to select "Instance A", i.e. the same one already loaded in Audio. This is just Audiobus' way of cross-linking between Audio channels and MIDI channels.

    @michael: midi guitar iaa is not showing up as an available effect in AB3, but it does in AUM.

  • @michael: midi guitar iaa is not showing up as an available effect in AB3, but it does in AUM.

    Thanks Guys, just to give an idea of one of the setups I’ve tried, here are pics of the Midi and Audio screens.

    From its audio input MG2 outputs both Midi (which I use to power Synth One) AND Audio (which is my acoustic guitar audio source, which exits MG2 as audio, having been processed by MG2’s amp simulator and reverb etc)


  • The processed guitar audio (seen in the Audio screen) works and sounds great.

    The MG2 AU appears to work in the Midi screen BUT only very occasional notes end up being sounded from Synth One (which plays fine on its own keyboard.)

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    The processed guitar audio (seen in the Audio screen) works and sounds great.

    The MG2 AU appears to work in the Midi screen BUT only very occasional notes end up being sounded from Synth One (which plays fine on its own keyboard.)

    The Mg2 AU is reliable for me. If notes are only occasionally sounding in synth one, i would put a midi monitor on The MG output to see if the issue is notes not being sent or synth one not respondimg.

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    The processed guitar audio (seen in the Audio screen) works and sounds great.

    The MG2 AU appears to work in the Midi screen BUT only very occasional notes end up being sounded from Synth One (which plays fine on its own keyboard.)

    Did you make sure the two MGs are the same "instance"? For example, assuming you added MG to Audio first. Then, when you add it as a MIDI source, you get a menu offering Instance A or New Instance. You want to select Instance A, the one already loaded in Audio. Otherwise you'll have 2 copies, perfectly possible with AUv3, but certainly unwanted here.

    And if that's good, for sure check for MIDI leaving MG as the next step, as already suggested.

  • @MikeFloutier - this might seen like an odd question, but are you sure your guitar input is coming into Audiobus from your audio interface and not through a headphone microphone? iOS takes audio input from the last audio device plugged into it. There have been times when I've forgotten this and plugged in earbuds with a mic after plugging in my guitar interface. The result is ultra-low input signal.

    Probably totally off the mark. But I thought I would mention it since this would explain Synth One only triggering a few notes.

  • Thanks guys, will try suggestions.

    I don’t know how to monitor midi events though, can you help me with this please. I have Midi Wrench

  • Streambyter is a free scripting AUv3 that has a midi monitor built in that you can use without knowing how to use the rest of the app. Insert it as an effect on the midi page and you can see what midi is be sent through it

  • Thanks Espiegel123, I tried Streambyter which was great.

    When pressing the “keyboard” on the MG2 screen its note on/off messages appeared on Streambyter. However, the midi messages produced when playing my guitar in did NOT appear; in spite of being registered in the MG2 AU (see pic) and at the Speaker Out.

    Just to confirm, I checked that both instances of MG2 were in fact “A” ie. the same.

    Also I checked that a strong signal was getting into MG2 as evidenced by the loud audio output and the MG2 screen (see pic).

    I can only assume that, as well as missing out on User Presets, the AU of MG2 is also missing the Midi Out permission, in spite of the fact I’ve paid for it and it’s present on the full App.

  • @MikeFloutier said:
    Thanks Espiegel123, I tried Streambyter which was great.

    When pressing the “keyboard” on the MG2 screen its note on/off messages appeared on Streambyter. However, the midi messages produced when playing my guitar in did NOT appear; in spite of being registered in the MG2 AU (see pic) and at the Speaker Out.

    Just to confirm, I checked that both instances of MG2 were in fact “A” ie. the same.

    Also I checked that a strong signal was getting into MG2 as evidenced by the loud audio output and the MG2 screen (see pic).

    I can only assume that, as well as missing out on User Presets, the AU of MG2 is also missing the Midi Out permission, in spite of the fact I’ve paid for it and it’s present on the full App.

    Are you sure that you are routing the AU’s midi? We can’t see the setup in that screenshot? You need to make sure to load the same AU instance on the midi page. Can you post pictures that verify that the setup is correct?

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @MikeFloutier said:
    Thanks Espiegel123, I tried Streambyter which was great.

    When pressing the “keyboard” on the MG2 screen its note on/off messages appeared on Streambyter. However, the midi messages produced when playing my guitar in did NOT appear; in spite of being registered in the MG2 AU (see pic) and at the Speaker Out.

    Just to confirm, I checked that both instances of MG2 were in fact “A” ie. the same.

    Also I checked that a strong signal was getting into MG2 as evidenced by the loud audio output and the MG2 screen (see pic).

    I can only assume that, as well as missing out on User Presets, the AU of MG2 is also missing the Midi Out permission, in spite of the fact I’ve paid for it and it’s present on the full App.

    Are you sure that you are routing the AU’s midi? We can’t see the setup in that screenshot? You need to make sure to load the same AU instance on the midi page. Can you post pictures that verify that the setup is correct?

    Thanks @espiegel123 , the pictures earlier in the thread show this:

    1. In the Audio page the MG2 AU (instance A) shows (in the Effects position) as receiving audio and converting to Midi and then outputting the processed guitar audio,
    2. Then in the Midi page, the same MG2 AU (again instance A) is shown as a Midi source with AudioKit Synth One in the output position.
  • @MikeFloutier said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    @MikeFloutier said:
    Thanks Espiegel123, I tried Streambyter which was great.

    When pressing the “keyboard” on the MG2 screen its note on/off messages appeared on Streambyter. However, the midi messages produced when playing my guitar in did NOT appear; in spite of being registered in the MG2 AU (see pic) and at the Speaker Out.

    Just to confirm, I checked that both instances of MG2 were in fact “A” ie. the same.

    Also I checked that a strong signal was getting into MG2 as evidenced by the loud audio output and the MG2 screen (see pic).

    I can only assume that, as well as missing out on User Presets, the AU of MG2 is also missing the Midi Out permission, in spite of the fact I’ve paid for it and it’s present on the full App.

    Are you sure that you are routing the AU’s midi? We can’t see the setup in that screenshot? You need to make sure to load the same AU instance on the midi page. Can you post pictures that verify that the setup is correct?

    Thanks @espiegel123 , the pictures earlier in the thread show this:

    1. In the Audio page the MG2 AU (instance A) shows (in the Effects position) as receiving audio and converting to Midi and then outputting the processed guitar audio,
    2. Then in the Midi page, the same MG2 AU (again instance A) is shown as a Midi source with AudioKit Synth One in the output position.

    With the AU open n the midi page insert streambyter as an effect, set the noise gate to the minimum. Watch the midi monitor. If it is sometimes triggering, you may need to adjust the noise gate setting.

    Is the internal synth being triggered?

    If no midi is sent, you might want to restore purchases and reboot.

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