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.
This Is How Our Hearts Are Broken - duet with female vocalist - updated with new vocals
A dark and sparse bass-driven track with guitar swells and some homebrew synth patches. I hired a female vocalist on Fiverr to sing the backing, and she did a great job. Lyrics in the spoiler:
A broken dream, a broken world
Well I think I know how this unfurls
My broken dream, in your hand
Scattered pieces all around
So this is how our hearts are broken
This is what the wounded say
This is what was left unspoken
This is why the faithful pray
An ugly scene, and ugly words
And all the lies we overheard
And so it seems, we understand
We’re arguing on sinking sand
So this is how our hearts are broken
This is what the wounded say
This is what was left unspoken
This is why the faithful pray
Comments
Wow! Absolute gem of a song. love everything about this, production is wonderful, vocals great, you managed to conjure up a an errie atmosphere. Love all the sounds coming in and out and it all fits together perfectly. I enjoyed your singing and yes that backing singer did a great job. Love the ending too. The lyrics are very thought provoking.
Lots of interesting experiments on this one.
The intro of the track shares very similar vibes with Radiohead's intro for "There there", but both songs go separate ways soon as the vocals enters.
The delay on the chorus vocals is pretty unsettling and slightly "blurs" the words... I guess it was your intention and it fits perfectly the lyrics (which are very good btw)
The singer voice blends nicely with yours.
Great track, as usual, Richard!
Wow, thanks for the glowing review - I really appreciate it
Thanks! I might rethink the delay on the chorus, and even perhaps dial back the reverb. It does sound a bit too muddy even for me. I might also take the time to align some of the consonants in the vocals better, there are moments where the slight offset is distracting.
I kind of like the delay, maybe shorten the delay time in the Slap back range.
@richardyot Yes, maybe fine-tune/dial-in the delay a little, but I like everything about it....and typically innovative as regards Fiverr.....AI for the working man
Well you were always telling me to get an Emmylou to sing on my tracks - I finally listened! 😀
good song, and yeah the sound is a bit washy, could be a bit clearer and more transparent, and I like the lady's vocal too
Was this all recorded/mastered on the ipad pro?
Yes, my parts were all iPad. I originally recorded the bass using my guitar and an octaver pedal, but it wasn't clean enough so I then redid the bass guitar in Nanostudio 2 using a sampled bass. The drums were also sequenced in NS2, using samples I made from Soft Drummer. Additional synths and pads were added in NS2 using my own patches. Then I tracked the guitar swells in Auria, along with my vocals. Final mix and master were done in Auria.
I've updated the SC file with a new mix with less delay on the chorus vocal. Thanks for the feedback.
I'm impressed with the quality of the track, it has a real sheen to it, professional sounding. Thanks for the in depth reply.
This does actually sound much better now you have removed the delay from the vocals.
Thanks for the feedback 👍
This is a winner in my book… what you might call a tapestry of sound. Shades of When Doves Cry. Had to listen twice.Great recording values, too. Your voice suits the mood. I, personally don’t have a problem with the delay. Could have been longer! You do iOS proud, Richard.. 👍👍👍
Thanks!
Good song! Lyrics meet my situation a bit. Too much reverb for my taste. I would keep Bass without stereo effect. Good work!
all is perfect here. The composition, writing, performance and global sounds are excellent. I especially love the oppressive sound, the deep bass and the ominous reverb. Good job @richardyot !!!
The new mix sounds very good ! After a few listens, I can really identify to the lyrics, very simple, straightforward and heartfelt and beautifully served by the music and production. Really love this track. Très beau travail, Richard !
Merci! I actually hired two different singers on Fiverr for the backing vocals, I’m still waiting for the second one to send me her recording, so I might post a variation of the song in next month’s SOTMC.
Looking forward to it !
Interesting seeing this develop, I never thought that getting a vocal done like this would be likely, well done!
Really enjoyed this, bass, guitar, vocals.. and everything else as well… could have been longer 😊
Terrific: song , arrangement, performances.
Quite an 80s/early 90s feel to this. I liked it a lot!
Thanks everyone
Great song!
I've updated the SoundCloud link at the top ☝ with the addition of a third vocalist. I hired two different singers on Fiverr, and I've now added the second one and pushed my vocal way back in the mix to leave the blend of the two female vocals front and center.
I'm really pleased with how this turned out, the vocalists sound amazing, especially when their voices are blended together.
This is a nice alternative to version 2 but I wouldn't say better. One thing I did notice is I listened to it first through my laptop speakers and it sounded like the vocals were way to loud but then I listened through headphones and it sounded perfect. Strange!
Thanks! I should check the mix on the iPad speakers. My normal trick is to flip the mono switch in Auria when setting the vocal level, if it works in mono then it usually translates well. My guess is that the laptop speakers were filtering out the low end in this case, and the bass is quite prominent, so maybe that's why the vocals sounded louder.