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
@Littlewoodg said:
Pretty sure there's a free trial version of MultiTrackStudio for iPad available in the App Store.
**@Coloobar
That's the Remote app.
@Macao95 said:
Which is pretty fun, if you spring for the desk/laptop version
I've been a constant BM2 endorser, and still am (how else are you guys getting your sampling/midi work done?), but I must say that there is a huge difference in quality before and after the Auria FabFilter EQ, compression and limiting, especially with lots of tracks in the mix. BM2 melts down here eventually. So both BM2 and Auria are the essentials that keep me 100% mobile.
Gotta go with Gadget, just because it offers me the most, but Auria and it's pending update has a good chance at taking the top spot as my go to iOS DAW.
Edit: While I'm at it might as well give Cubasis a shout out for it's MIDI export, which is nice to have.
@boone51 said:
This pretty much saves me typing.
I really like MultiTrackStudio for 30 dollars, but I'm not sure I would want it as my only DAW option. It's continuing to progress and is actually pretty light on my iPad2 CPU. There's some little oddities about editing and ACP implementation, but everything works. And the MIDI control is awesome, probably bested only by Cubasis (though I don't have Cubasis or BM2)
Anybody have the remote and the desktop version? What can you actually do with it?
One feature that may be coming to MTS for iPad is a pad-based sampler that has just been added to the Pro Plus version of MTS for PC/Mac...
Or so I'm hoping (Hello Mr Bremmers)
@Littlewoodg said:
That would be just lovely. I like the Ableton options to create pads using the included instruments or other samples. Would be nice in MTS iPad.
For me is BM2. It has its issues but had midi, mix automation and a pretty decent sample chop lab make this fit my workflow. Effects could be better and it has some glitches but hoping if there is a BM3 it will build on what they already achieved. Definitely most fully featured DAW for the price and does stuff that neither Cubasis or Auria can (ie built in sample chop lab)
@Littlewoodg said:
That would be really cool, and I personally think we will see this feature in the iPad version relatively soon. Check out the following link, it is an excerpt from the MTS desktop manual that covers the new matrix sampler. Lots of nice features here, especially the 'stretch' funtion is really cool.
http://www.multitrackstudio.com/version78.php#matrixsampler
Thanks for the heads up on MultiTrack Studio. Before I drop $30 on it I wanted ask a couple of questions. How well does MTS play with synth and drum apps? I've been finding out that Cubasis has problems with MIDI clock on apps like Gadget. How is it with IAA and AudioBus? Is it easy to use?
I can't say for sure with Gadget but I just recorded over 200 bars of midi from Genome Midi Sequencer into MTS last night, all in perfect sync. The sync with a drum app is going to depend on the drum app itself. I'm very confident it would sync well with Drum Studio, but would have no confidence trying to sync it with Beatmaker 2. I don't have experience with other drum apps.
I've run MTS through many synths now and can get it working all of them through the midi setting config. MTS doesn't show up as a core midi device in the synths though, so you select the synth to output to in MTS and then usually set it up as a network midi in the synth app.
The preferred way to connect apps to MTS though is through IAA... MTS seems to be natively built for that more than core midi.
MTS works well with Audiobus so long as you set up the AB connection to MTS before you add the new instrument track to record into. That way when you add the audio track you'll then see 'AB' text on the record button, indicating that Audiobus is now the source.
So you think I should take the plunge on spend the $30 over Cubasis? Is it that much better? Or should I wait for a sale? You guys have really made some good arguments for it but I'm still on the fence.
How does Beat Maker play into this? is it better? I heard they are coming out with a new version. Sorry for all of the questions but I really appreciate the advice.
@mkell424 said:
Following up on what @Coloobar said, I'm not very good with MIDI clock sync, etc., so I'm not too qualified to talk about that. What I would say about "ease of use" is that it actually is easy to use, but it just has a way of doing things that is sort of its own way and not necessarily what you may be used to from other DAW's. Fortunately, there is a decent manual available online, and a free limited PC version that largely mirrors the functionality of the iPad app. So you should have a pretty good sense if you like it before you buy.
The MIDI control is really fun. It also can translate some synths, etc. into MIDI data, which is either rare or non-existent with other iOS DAW's. I agree that it seems to be "built" for IAA use, since the instrument/effect buttons kind of treat the music apps the way a PC DAW uses a VST plug-in. The app can control IAA apps using a piano roll, in-app keyboard, or set of pads. But it has the usual limitations of IAA - poor stability, lack of latency/frame control, only one instance at at time of an app, etc.
It works with AudioBus - I've recorded guitar tracks and they sound great. One thing to keep in mind is that it's very one-track-at-a-time oriented. You don't get a big single screen like MTDAW or Auria that shows audio data for every track. Instead, it has a collapsible rack/mixer with output gauges. Some people actually find that useful for productivity, however.
Also, it doesn't have track "freezing", but you can export a track as audio, which has the same effect - it creates a mirror track that is just a .wav file or whatever, and isn't running all the effects on it to make it go.
One minor gripe I have is that is about AudioCopy/Paste. It has ACP, but it seems to want to paste items only as a new track. So you would paste a drum loop and then maybe have to move from one track to another if you want to add a second loop to the same track. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong.
Overall, very solid and promising app with a good developer.
@mkell424 said:
Download the demo.
Beatmaker is a great, full featured app in its current state. Just a little rusty here and there but then again all of the DAWs have issues.
BeatMaker 2's on-board samples are bad IMO. The quality of the effects is outdated as the app is about three years old. The interface was probably created with an iPhone in mind. Worth noting that when used with Audiobus every take is saved, adding a lot of unwanted bulk to a "Recordings" folder (this doesn't happen when streaming internal instruments, only a potential issue for those using a lot of AB/IAA).
The midi editing is very similar to Nanostudio and, along with NS, is the best midi editing that I know of on iOS, much better than Cubasis (for me). The chop lab is a unique feature that allows for quick and accurate sample manipulation. I never use it.
BM2 has keyboard samplers that stream your custom samples from disk, similar to the way that Kontakt would for desktop on a Mac or PC with a solid state hard drive. It requires some preparation but the results are excellent. No other iOS DAW has this feature. It is extremely efficient and allows many instruments to be running in memory at one time.
The drum sampler is probably the best on iOS. IAA, AB, Dropbox integration, import/export of midi files, automation, ACP, midi learn, I've rarely wanted to do something and not been able to with BM2.
I can understand why I seem to be in the minority in supporting BM2 on this forum: poor samples, poor effects, bulky interface, large file size is what you get with the initial download. But after instruments are created from some of the leading libraries and used together with Auria's effects I find that I have most of the options and great sounds that I ever had available on desktop. It's all about finding the right set up for you; BM2 is pro samples, pro midi editing and pro customization.
If you only want to use sounds that are generated within apps though, Cubasis would work just as well (and with IAA effects). If you are fond of using soundfonts, MTS is gold. Auria's mixing and mastering helps everything a lot. If I were primarily using live instruments I would record them directly into Auria. Hope this helps.
I'm seconding DarbyA's great overview of the virtues of BM2.
As I said above it's one of my two favorites and most used, the other being MTS
I'll feel unfaithful to MTS saying this but BM2 Audiobus and IAA implementation is both simpler and smoother than MTS, and allows me access to all my fav instruments - MTS is still finicky about playmates.
Thanks Littlewoodg! Practice makes perfect haha
Thanks for all of the replies. DarbyA' s point about the drum samples is a good one. Cubasis doesn't do much for importing samples. StormJHI's point about MIDI is true. If it has good IAA that's good. Cooloorbar's says it plays well with other synths. Little woods makes the point again for IAA and AuduoBus.
I almost want to buy both of them. A couple a questions about pricing.
BM2 is old now. Should I wait for BM3? How soon is it going to come out? If I buy BM2 can I upgrade to BM3 for free? Have you guys ever seen any sales for BM?
Does MTS ever go on sale? If I buy both of them now I would have to drop $50.
Thanks for the help!
BM2 has been on sale for $10 US for a couple of months, now it is has risen to $20 US. I'm used to paying at least $100 US for a midi editor, let alone a midi editor/Kontakt/Battery roll up (yeah some hyperbole but it's closest we've got on iOS). We've had BM2 for 3 years with pretty constant updates for $20 so I'll be unhappy with INTUA if they make BM3 free. I expect that there will be no discount for BM2 owners with the way the App Store is set up now, not sure how that would be possible.
go with cubasis one stop shop
Thanks for all of the in depth replies. This is a great forum!
One last question. I've been listening to a lot of melodic electronic music lately. I'm looking to get a good touch based, matrix like, step based interface. I'm not interested in piano rolls. But I also want a clean, easy to use interface. Which one is better? BM2 or MTS?
Beatmaker 2 is fantastic. It has never let me down. Probably If it costed a little more it would be more respected. As it is it feels like it is on permanent sale. Bargain anyone?
@kennyrox said:
This is really what sold me on it and I paid full price. No hidden extra fees for things I do not want and great results. They also have very useful updates frequently. (Great customer support)!
@StormJH1 said:
Can you explain what you mean by this? I'm not aware of that feature.
I would never recommend getting Cubasis if you don't already know Beatmaker 2.
I've said this many times and I will keep saying it: Cubasis is charging $50 for an app that looks pretty but doesn't have basic functionality correct. You cannot zoom properly and sample chopping is not accurate (there is no way to turn off the quantize/snap completely for sample editing).
Beatmaker 2 is going to be $20, stable, and does basic things better than Cubasis probably ever will (I would love to be proven wrong...). Beatmaker 2 has the best integration of several major features for any comparable app (sample chopping, mpc-style pad layout/sampler, keyboard sampler, sequencer).
I will never understand by Cubasis gets so much support with the iOS community. They screwed the pooch on that app, imo.
@Coloobar said:
It can take an audio signal (that has very clear tonal separation), analyze the tones, and convert that to MIDI data. It's a very cool feature when it works right.
@mkell424 said:
Neither have a matrix like step based interface.
Seems like I can't go 5 threads without mentioning NanoStudio but... If you want to make melodic electronic music, there's nothing better as far as an integrated/robust environment goes. No MIDI out and no audio tracks so be aware.
@CalCutta said:
+1. I attribute that to brand name recognition and customer support. Wanted to and tried to like it so many times, used Cubase 5 on desktop in the past and enjoyed that, I like Steinberg a lot for many reasons but their app does seem to be lagging behind some others in many ways. I'm sure that no one has unlimited resources in app developing but I definitely expected more. All the pro-Cubasis and anti-BM2 stuff was a motivating factor for me in joining the forum, I just couldn't relate to what people were posting.
Are you guys sure that Cubasis is a one stop shop? It seems like by the time that they introduce features like samplers they will be wanting another payment. Dunno, it's in my cloud, too unstable to use in a practical way. Built in sounds aren't much better than BM2's.
I think that the OP might do well with DM1 and a midi sequencer. And Nanostudio has a great synth and drum sampler, especially good for electronic music.