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.
Similar plugin as FAC Drumkit for Mac?
Recently I bought Bitwig and now I'm doing more stuff on the Mac. I'm not so happy with Bitwig's drum device. It's too simple and has nothing to shape sounds. I actually would like to have an app like FAC Drumkit - a drum sampler/synth hybrid with envelopes and filters per instrument but I couldn't find anything like that for desktop. Any advice?
Please don't mention Sugarbytes' Drum Computer. It was one of my worst acquisitions on the iPad. I had high hopes but the plugin just sounds awful. I does all that what I want on the paper but does not deliver.
XO looks not bad, the sample management is really cool but has no synth engine but I could also layer it with Bitwig's drum synths.
Comments
Not sure if this gets enough of the way there. I don't on it, nor do I have FAC's app, so can't make any worthwhile comparisons...other than that they both have very reasonable price-tags:
https://www.sonicacademy.com/products/kick-2
How about TAL-Drum?
https://tal-software.com/products/tal-drum
I just bought it and I’m liking it a lot! I know it’s not exactly a drum synth though.
Weirdly serendipitous, Fred just posted that he is apparently almost finished with a Drumkit port for Mac:
Thanks for the recommendations but I must say if FAC Drumkit will be available for Mac soon, then I’m sold. But it looks like it’s AUv3… unfortunately Bitwig can only host VSTs 😞
Same with Ableton--no AUv3s
Time to relearn GarageBand?
Glad he’s doing this. Honestly, every music app developer needs to consider bringing their apps to M1 Apple computers. In the vast majority of cases, they don’t even need to change the app. I had been thinking about making a big list of the best dual platform music apps… but haven’t had the time to do it yet. Maybe that’s something some other enterprising person here will do?
My current favorite iOS apps which also work on macOS M1 computers (without having to pay for a second download) are:
-(Aparillo no longer available on iOS/macOS through the App Store, only on iOS)
-AddStation
-Mela 2 & 3
-AudioLayer
-Model15
-Animoog Z
-Sunrizer
-SoundFonts
-KQ Dixie
-Nearly all of the ChowDSP apps (to be fair, the most stable versions of these free apps for desktop should be downloaded directly from the ChowDSP web site)
-Riffler
-Tonebridge Guitar Effects (the most stable version is a macOS App Store download, instead of using the iOS version, but both the iOS and macOS versions are free)
-SideBand Remix
-Cube Synth Pro
-Continua
-Quanta
-iFretless Bass, iFretless Brass, iFretless Sax
-OB-Xd
-PolyWave
Remember, these are apps which are pay-once-play-everywhere (and a couple of the very best are free!)
This is a list I've been looking for. Thank you! Two questions if I may:
Is there any trick to installing these apps on the Mac? When I open the app store app on the Mac, only a couple of apps from my iOS purchases show up.
How do you use the ifretless apps without a touch interface?
Yes, if the app does not show up for you in the macOS App Store, there are a number of ways you can get this to work:
1) Open an (iOS) App Store link on the desktop and it will open the link for you on the macOS App Store app. You should be able to download the app from there at no additional cost. Also try searching for a Google/DuckDuckGo direct link to the app you want, click on it and it will open your desktop App Store also.
...or...
2) Open the macOS App Store and look at your Account settings. (Your Account information is in the lower left, bottom corner and it should show the amount of money you still have in your account.) Click on the icon to the left of your name. It will take you to the Mac Apps and the iOS Apps you've purchased. Then you can download many of the apps I've listed as long as you have an M1 computer.
Regarding the use of iFretless apps without a touch interface... since I use GarageBand on macOS, I downloaded Apple's own "Logic Remote" app to my iPad (Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/logic-remote/id638394624 ), then I use the built in keyboard to play the app as an AU in GarageBand on the desktop.
However, the Logic Remote app isn't the only way to do this. I also use Kai Aras' "KB-1" app on iPad as a remote keyboard and depending on the instrument I'm playing on macOS, it can do a really nice job of making a more expressive recording. AND you can also use GeoShred on the iPad to act as an external controller for instruments. You might have to experiment to see which works for you.
Keep in mind, you should have your iPad connected to your computer with a USB-C cable so you don't experience lag when you play. Also, if you use an external MIDI keyboard, that should also work.
I don't know your exact setup, so it's possible you might have to open up the macOS app called "Audio MIDI Setup" with your iPad connected to your computer, or your physical MIDI keyboard attached, then add the device in the "Audio MIDI Setup" app as your controller keyboard/device. When you're done for the day, make sure you go back into the Audio MIDI Setup app and "Disable" the controller device.
Hopefully these instructions are clear enough that one of these options works for you.
Yes. Thank you for both replies!
You're welcome. It might take a little time to get a setup that works for you, I've only gotten this combination of things to work really well over the last year or so. I have no other external controller keyboard now, just the iPad Pro connected to my iMac. It's quite minimalist, just the way I like it.
I didn't know that KQ Dixie was available on the AS Macs. That's cool but I'm grumpy now because it won't work on my old iMac. If the new studio display didn't cost so much I'd be tempted to move to the Mini for my main computer now. Oh well.
I went through a lot of headache paring down only the iOS apps which also work on a macOS M1 computer. But I'm finally getting the kind of cross-platform setup I had been dreaming of. And I must also add that I did not list all of my effects plugins. Yours all work on both platforms also.
And I'm using an M1 24" display iMac from 2021 and it has more than enough horsepower for all of my computing tasks these days. I suspect it's probably more than enough power for 95% of the people who get one. It even runs 3D programs like Blender with no issues.
i don’t get how bitwigs drum device is too simple. it’s just a container where you can put anything you like. put a layered instrument inside a drum slot - sampler on one layer, drum synth on the other. put an envelope on the pitch knob of the sampler. and go from there. i understand that this modular approach to drum machines is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not simple.
as for other plugins, i use atlas for sampled drums and microtonic for drum synthesis.
and yeah, desktop fac drumkit is fantastic, maybe even better than on ios. wish other daws would adopt auv3 format.
No doubt that the M1 has plenty of power for what I do. We have an M1 Mini in the house that I've tested on. But, the 5k screen on my iMac is really useful with Xcode and simulators. It would be really hard to give that up. I'll be able to get a couple more years out of my iMac as my dev machine. I may have to go with a MacBook Air then and learn how to program on the small screens again. I did used to program on the 0.5k 9" screen of a Mac Plus after all.
You are totally right. I have still not fully internalized the Bitwig way. Instead of researching drum plugins and then spending money I better invest time to create my own using Bitwigs chaining and layering based on the drum rack. Maybe I better spend money on one of those drum sample managers. Atlas 2 is on sale. Thank you so much for pointing me in this direction. 🙏
at the moment this is my number one feature request of Ableton :-)
I’m definitely looking forward to FAC drumkit for Mac.
A couple more vst alternatives in the meantime:
An oldie but a goodie:
https://soniccharge.com/microtonic
It’s been around for a long time but is constantly updated and is M1 native.
Cherry audio modular with electro drums has lots of synth drum modules
https://store.cherryaudio.com/bundles/voltage-modular-core-electro-drums
Not sure if bitwigs built in stuff might be just as good. I like what I see of Bitwig a lot but I’m too invested time wise in Logic to consider a switch.
👌
btw, xo is also very good and has some nice features, but feels a bit abandoned by xln, because they went the expansion packs route and don't really update the main app. atlas on the other hand is a sole focus of its developer, feels very fast and somewhat nicer. and with a 50% discount it is indeed a no brainer.
I have the of both trials installed. So far I prefer XO. Browsing XOs sample map works much better for me. My impression is that also the categorization of XO is better, less mistakes. But I'm just at the beginning of my evaluation. Atlas's discount is indeed a steal.
BTW, @vasilymilovidov if you are cut off from a purchase you would like to do because of the sanctions then contact me and I'll try to help. I find it a shame that this is also affecting arts and science.
thanks, that’s very nice of you! it’s fine at the moment, i can put money directly to my app store account using my mobile. plus it’s still possible to register an account linked to another country and top it up using apple gift cards. so yeah, apple and i are still in a financial relationship