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.
Using Drambo as midi looper inside Loopy Pro
Ultra quick demo showing how to set up Drambo as a midi looper inside Loopy Pro
Comments
Nice one. This is exactly what I do whilst waiting for midi loops in Loopy.
Awesome, mate. Thanks for this
Yes works well, I have mine setup now with a dummy donut to set whatever amount of bars I set in the master in loopy pro, and one that just records to whatever i have set in Drambo, so I don’t have to go back and forth so much. Also have automation recording in Drambo to loopy pro now. It’s a bit complicated to set up but yea really cool. Can’t wait for midi loops and multi in and out AUV3.
I have one suggestion for this setup:
I like to first add Drambo as an Audio Input, then add that same instance as a MIDI Input. That way if I wish to make use of some tracks with Drambo generators I can. If you add the MIDI first, you can't add the same instance as an Audio Input.
My default template has these two already set up with both muted so Drambo is always available for whatever I need.
This is very useful. Usually, I do the exact opposite: Loopy Pro as an audio looper inside Drambo!
The wonderful thing about doing it this way around is being able to commit to audio then idle plugins to save CPU - important with my aging device.
Initially I was doing Loopy hosted by Drambo to take advantage of the easy au parameter automation. But I prefer Loopy as the host now and committing to audio basically achieves the same result.
Ooh I hadn’t thought of this! Good shout.
This is a great point!
This is interesting … mind sharing a screen shot of your default template when you have some time?
Just getting into Loopy Pro and Drambo already has high priority in my workflow .. would love to use the two together
The only difference from what wim is suggesting and what I show in the video is that if you want to use Drambo’s audio in addition to using it as a midi recorder, you first add Drambo as an AU. Then, when you do Add Midi as I show in the video, you choose the Drambo instance that you will see in the choice of MIDI sources.
If you have already added an instance of Drambo as an AU, the midi source popup will look something like this:
Oh cool! I didn’t know you could do that .. thanks!
There's not much to show in the basic default. @espiegel123 has already done a good job of showing how to add Drambo as an input first, then adding the same instance as a midi input. The only addition is I also load KB-1 as I find it more convenient than Loopy's built-in keyboard that ends up taking up space inside the plugin window.
Important note: I have Drambo set to not "idle" so that it doesn't stop and lose sync when I mute the channel.
Bare bones:
Full Jam:
Great .. thanks a lot! Super helpful .
Sometimes just seeing how folks’ setups look can spark all kinds of ideas (and understanding) . Appreciate y’all’s help @wim @espiegel123
One thing I particularly like about that 2nd template is long-press on the guitar FX buttons toggles visibility of the effect UI. Short press toggles on/off for that effect. A not-visible feature is left-swipe on a clip dumps the retrospective record into it. Clip actions are also assigned to foot switches.
Yeah that second setup you sent looks good .. very organized, which I like. So is that your full jam session - you’re able to have it all on that one page? (With the exception of the hidden elements that you mentioned using gestures to show) .. I see Drambo down there at the bottom - are you recording Drambo scenes directly onto donuts? Can I pick your brain a little more about your workflow? Haha
I’m still very new to loopy pro but there’s something to it that I find alluring (and reliable). I’m just now realizing there is a sturdiness to my sessions having audio clips vs merely having MIDI sequences. Sometimes the MIDI sequences can get tripped up or the load gets heavy and the crackling starts or notes get dropped, etc. but with audio clips/loops, the notes are baked in and I can put aside all of the “heavy machinery” of synths and sequencers and just focus on the actual audio.
Still working out a workflow as I learn Loopy Pro … been working in AUM for so long - which I love - but I feel like one hand is reaching out towards LP while the other holds tight to the familiar .. haha
]> Yeah that second setup you sent looks good .. very organized, which I like. So is that your full jam session - you’re able to have it all on that one page? (With the exception of the hidden elements that you mentioned using gestures to show) .. I see Drambo down there at the bottom - are you recording Drambo scenes directly onto donuts? Can I pick your brain a little more about your workflow? Haha
>
I'll start by saying I'm not a serious or heavy user. I just mess around, so probably I'm not a good person to advise on workflow. But I'm happy to answer any questions.
There's a little folder icon at the bottom-left of that template. That makes new pages. Double-tap copies the page without content, swipe-left moves to previous page, and swipe right moves to the next. I haven't really used that much, so it may need refinement.
Drambo is there mainly for when I want to do midi sequencing, like maybe to lay down a bass line or sequence some drums rather than tapping in with the pads at the bottom. I only really use those pads for a quick start. If I want drums I usually do them up in Drambo. I have some Drambo instrument racks that I like a lot too so Drambo isn't there only for sequencing.
Tbh though often this template is more clutter than I want to deal with just for a quick jam. More often than not I just load my version of the straight default template with just Drambo and KB-1 added.
I'm all in for getting to audio clips as soon as possible. In fact, I almost don't like having Drambo's sequencer available to me there. I had a huge turning point when beta testing Loopy Pro in the beginning. Something about going straight to audio clips with no sequencing was so freeing, and it has helped me to develop my chops. I'm a better player, more creative, and have more fun.
But the other reason is my old and slow iPad that can only handle a limited number of plugins at once. With Loopy I can just commit to audio then idle those plugins. They no longer cripple the iPad, but I can still go back to redo things or add parts when I need to.
Me too. I find I reach for AUM when I just want to experiment and am not thinking of making anything finished. It's faster and more intuitive to set up, but for me not as good for ongoing projects. I know it can work fine for that but for me AUM is the go-to for just plunking around.
I go for Loopy when I feel like making something to stretch out with and explore and to keep if it's any good. It's ... I dunno ... bulkier than AUM in some way for just quick playing around though. But I end up with things I want to keep and expand on, which I don't really do in AUM.
If I was performing, AUM would be the dream setup I was looking for so many years. It's exactly what I needed back then. In fact that template above was built thinking of how I would have used Loopy Pro for sets back in the day.
If I was planning to make a complete arranged songs, Zenbeats is what I would reach for these days. I don't really do that these days though.
Loopbud is better.
Its just you cant not send midi to Drambo sequencer. If you enable record, when needing to gain recorded automation.
Unless of course. You dont press any keys whilst record is enabled.
This is midi always btw. Ideal for looping because controller chooses channel.
Is there a way to send note midi to apps but not record to sequencer, with record enabled ?
I am not sure what you are asking. Is this about Loopy? Can you clarify your question?
Thanks.
Its a Drambo question.
Need to not record note midi to Drambo sequencer.
With record enabled.
No worries.
Might just use Drambo.