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.
Oxi One - How much of an instrument with musical vibe?
As time marches on, I realize that the tactile nature of hardware has a huge advantage for me over screens. Love a lot of iOS apps, but I really I'd much rather interact with some keys, faders, pads, etc.
I don't grok the iOS MIDI sequencers, at least not yet. Again, my need to get my hands on things and leverage muscle memory could be at play. I totally get that many folks on this forum are doing great things with MIDI sequencing tools on the iPad, such as Atomic Piano Roll and Xequencer 2. But I'm trying to be honest about what has been working for me and hasn't been working for me.
Over the last year, I've bought and played the Akai MPC Key 61, and the Behringer RD-9. Both have helped me realize my attraction for learning and using hands-on instruments. Same thing happened a few years ago with the OP1.
So now, thanks to the Midlife Synthesis, I am noticing Oxi One. It is hands-on, and appears to offer lots of sequencing of rhythm, melody, chords, harmony, and more. It's not cheap at $700 but not hideously too expensive. It has the potential to be used with hardware, DAWs, and iOS. It's portable. Sure, the spontaneous expressiveness for each note won't be there like a real instrument. But it seems like it could do a lot for sketching musical ideas, and generating some help as you compose a song.
Has anyone tried the Oxi One? Has anyone who didn't stay engaged with other MIDI sequencers felt the Oxi One was engaging for them past the honeymoon stage? If you got one, do you spend most of your on techy details, or in forgetting the instruments and flowing with musical ideas?
Thanks,
Joe
Comments
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I have a Squarp Pyramid but could not use it much cause of limited time so far. Oxi One should be great too. Oxi should be better at step sequencing if you need it.
Be aware you need a host which allows external midi sync which are rare on iOS. AUM alone will not do it. Especially if you like to add hardware.
OXI can listen to MIDI clock, either through the MIDI trs or from Bluetooth MIDI.
Yeah, of course. I was talking about the software side if you run the Oxi as master. I found only few hosts that can handle midi clock in: Audiobus, Drambo, Ape matrix
And Beatmaker 3, Loopy HD+Pro, Groove Rider.
Anyway, it's about time that more hardware supports Ableton LINK. It's been a few years already.
Never tried an Oxy One. Looks intriguing.
But I'm with you on muscle memory. There are days I just want to pull out my OP-1 Field and have a bit of fun.
Quick OP1 mention -- it'd be the perfect music sketcher for me if it recorded MIDI that I can take elsewhere.
Yeah, with the Oxi One, I have zero business getting it money-wise. If I did it, I'd want it to fill these needs as musician:
Icing on the cake would be to play it for live jamming with my hardware, DAW, and MPC
What I do not want
That's enough for one post Thanks.
Massive fan of the OXI one with the iPad. Bluetooth works perfectly and you’ve got a plethora of options. It’s a deep device that will take time to learn. Start small, get a few wins vs trying to learn it all or over complicate things. If you have hardware, works great too. IMO, it’s the 🐐 of sequencers. Strongly recommend. On top of that, new updates come out regularly. Well supported device.
I can remember that you stated on Youtube that Bluetooth is not working perfectly, especially with some drum apps. Even the developer(Manuel from Oxiinstruments) stated that IOS/iPad bluetooth is not reliable enough in combination with the Oxi One. What has changed?
I believe it's using AUM vs standalone apps. YMMV
Bluetooth is such a tease!
REALLY
Even in AUM IOS/iPad Bluetooth midi is a hit and miss, especially with MPE synths like Tera Pro. Manuel adviced to use the CME WiDi and that is a lot better.
@joegrant413 Yes, it is.
So are there any one or two software apps that roughly compare to the functionality of Oxi One? Even if they don't have the hands-on playability ?
No, I don't think so.
The Oxi One has so many features, and has a high learning curve. But if you are able to master it......it's so unique.
Thx. In particular, I was wondering if the composition-helping features would be like Scaler 2. But TBH I don't use that either I really avoid doing much with a laptop outside of work.
Oxi looks tiny to me. Perhaps for home use but on stage everything shrinks even further.
As for Bluetooth I still haven’t had satisfactory playing latency.
Octachron is a nice option to look into. iOS app. Strokes as well.
Woah. Strokes is a busy looking creature.
Update - my gear budget dropped to zero for the last few months, so no Oxi One for me!
Yet.
I've been happily using Scaler 2 on iOS. Seeing scales and chords, having them labeled, seeing and choosing inversions and extensions, etc. has all been a very nice way to learn and compose and develop my ear at the same time. And rather organically -- much more so than most tech.
Having said that... would Oxi One do what Scaler 2 can do? I don't believe it will give me the visual labeling of chords. Would Oxi One give me a way to learn about chord variations in a organic way as I compose?
If any Oxi One user could chime in, great. If any Oxi One user who also used Scaler 2 could chime, even more awesome!
Isn't something like Drambo or Neon ,Thesys, doing a similar job without breaking the bank ? I even think the Arturia Bratstep Pro can do about the same job, with more ease . Ok bash me
Woah! Beatstep Pro?
Yeah, I want something tactile.