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 the direction i see music application integration heading in
one of the single biggest challenges i find with Ipad applications... is in order to see everything taking place(monitoring of plugins/volumes/sends etc)... you must switch between applications as you would within AUM to call up the plugin etc.. given the size of the ipad screen... screen realestate is sparse... hence the switching
now enter the spatial world of eyewear re- Xreal glasses or apple vision pro and other similar types
i do believe there will be a shift once developing applications have caught up with with the tech... bringing about multi-screen output..
now granted im unfamiliar with how ipads albeit ios devices handle multiscreen best... or whether ipad music apps will have to be re-written in order to make use of multiscreens in glasses, it is a something i see on the horizon coming toward us...
so when we consider host applications, like that of AUM & all other, will such applications need to have a new implementation of screen management when this multi screen enviroments come about??
anyone had any experiences with the Xreals and music applications??
Comments
Have you seen JMJ’s recent live/virtual concert Versailles 400? He’s been at the forefront of integrating music and cutting edge tech for quite some time. I’m not sure what he sees through his VR headset, but what he’s got going on looks pretty damn cool.
i watched it after you posted!!
very interesting... he stil pushing out the synth vibes he was known for!! in the concert you can hear shades of his past work!! glorious!
watching him wearing that headset makes me wonder how is he seeing in a darkly lit room?? afterall his sight is obscured by the headset... yet he is able to still play a keyboard!!??
definately an interesting watch! JMJ's masterful phrasing and allowing the elements to play and resonate is what he is known for!! nothing overkill like skrillex
I think Logic for iPad supports different views if you're in extended desktop mode where you can have one of the different views (mixer, timeline, plugin) on one or the other. The Xreal should work as a standard 1080p monitor.
You'll probably also need the official Apple multiport AV adapter to get all the extended desktop features, retain charging and have a USB-A for an interface or DAC.
I'm waiting for the Visor from Immersed.
regarding Logic on ipad... as i have never tried it both on mac or ipad... on the ipad version i got the impression that windows within all ipad apps remained in a container, much like Aum's integration between fxplugins,,, i've never come across an application that can utilise multiple windows aside from splitscreen, but thats not any more practical than swapping screens... are there any other apps on the ipad that can manages ipad applications whilst in standalone???-
i tried immersed with a quest2... to test out multiscreens usage for applications... envisaging multiple music applications
... my experience with the quest2 with immersed... was a very uncomfortable one, due to the quest2 heavyness
the visor will be interesting... but atm im tempted to press "buynow" on a pair of xreal air1's as its on sale... and if you are an owner of a m1..its a triple screen display with the nebula app and the tethered usb-c cable!!
at least thats my expectation
i will say this, with the m1 mac mini i own and all the ipad applications i've purchased in the short time investigating the IOS music arena...
i downgraded my MacOs to big Sur 11.2.3, this version of big sur allows you to sideload purchased IPAD applications to run in the MacOS enviroment which has the benefit of running standalone IPA's in there own windowed space... so that is one work-around..... couple the standalone applications with a virtual audio application like blackhole 64channel.... and this allows for routing of 32 stereo channels provided the ipad applications can see the blackhole channels
my tests involved only a handful of applications. AUM/Loopy pro, remixlive which funnily enough could see the blackhole channels... remixlive being a odd exception in that it can only pair to Blackhole channels1&2(provided your aggregates has blackhole selected as the 1st device in the list!)
So in terms of the Xreals glasses and making use of the IPAD applications + already established music applications on MacOS and necessary routing done inside Macos... im envisaging a practical multiple screened approach for a performance based workflow!!
The issue i may face is whether or not Big Sur will work with the Xreal triple screens in nebula
Ive asked elsewhere and I was wrong, Logic cant display separate views on monitor + iPad yet.
... my experience with the quest2 with immersed... was a very uncomfortable one, due to the quest2 heavyness
the visor will be interesting... but atm im tempted to press "buynow" on a pair of xreal air1's as its on sale... and if you are an owner of a m1..its a triple screen display with the nebula app and the tethered usb-c cable!!
at least thats my expectation
Text rendering isn't great on the Xreals according to my research, so for normal application UIs it could be a problem, less for movies and games.
my tests involved only a handful of applications. AUM/Loopy pro, remixlive which funnily enough could see the blackhole channels... remixlive being a odd exception in that it can only pair to Blackhole channels1&2(provided your aggregates has blackhole selected as the 1st device in the list!)
Thanks for the BigSur tip, looks like a nice solution for Macs that are used for music. I have a M1 but going back to BigSur just for music isn't an option, It's mostly used for non music stuff where I have to be somewhat up to date with the OS.
Btw the Blackhole dev has now an app called Dipper in the Appstore. Not sure if it also does 64ch like Blackhole though.
i want to press you on this... or at least have you reconsider your perceptions of these X-real devices
watch this video... as its from a developer who does coding... so text and readibility is all important!!
i considered the apple ipads to see if there was intergration options, unfortunately the touch integration of the ipad will be the main challenge when using mirroring/screen sharing software like air-parrot or reflector... unless of course you map midi in AUM for music integration..
i do believe customising midi controllers is the natural direction that follows on from the desktop-triple screen/ipad screensharing in the context of spatial audio-monitoring...
watch @ 14:50 onward to see the potential of whats emerging
Take one for the team and test them with a DAW! 😁
I think the Pro version has the adjustable transparency which could be handy if you use an iPad alongside it (Novo Notes SideRack) and to find a transparency setting that works well with the virtual DAW display and looking at a real iPad screen.
A flaw is that it's from a Chinese brand and requires deep permissions, I'd make sure to block web access of the app using an outgoing firewall like Little Snitch or similar.
i have no doubt, the X-reals would work within a Desktop DAW context, especially the m-series of macs
im also aware that the specs dont allow for Big sur... which is a slight disappointment for me... as i have a 16gb m1 mac mini setup with big sur 11.2.3, which allows for ipad apps to be sideloaded making some ipad apps some functionality outside of the ipad.
coming back to the midi controllers... i do believe they are the real drivers which brings the integration of audio apps into the fore..
and with a desktop program like Bomes-midi Translator pro...which is able to take midi controllers and make them customisable... it becomes almost essential to have when wanting to avoid keyboard and mouse use whilst in the triple screen display
on a side-note.... if using a DAW and a midi-controller.. its one thing to use the midi controller in the DAW context... its another thing to make the midi controller act like a keyboard or mouse on the mac's
so programs like... keyboard Maestro or bomes midi translator pro become very useful...
whats more is using the networking midi inside mac via Iac-bus can be useful to control some aspects of global midi controls on the ipad front... thus plugin switching via aum can be communicated in various ways when you have a direct ethernet cable connected whilst screen mirroring via airplay or whatever the screen sharing protocol you use
Anyone who owns a Mac should own Keyboard Maestro, IMO. It's great for control freaks, so to speak.
agreed!! its very useful on many fronts...
from using midi to keyboard shortcuts to application switching and continuous macros!!
that said... interfacing hardware devices to keyboard maestro... makes it truely worthwhile investing into!!
heres another devices which has supposedly been out for a while... which i suspect you could integrate with Keyboard Maestro to carry out macro's whilst in Virtual space... one need only understand the use of macros/modifiers to create extra mappings etc and then tie the gestures to a midi which controls Ipads or macs
The interfacing of software & gadgets within both the Mac & PC enviroments have evolved... one need only know the tools to have everything communicate with one another!!
have a look at this gadget... see if you can envisage the practical uses in a DAW context! Granted i would still use this alongside a midi controller!! but this gives added controls for mouse as well as midi parameter adjust
Ha, wow. Yeah, something like that would be cool. But it looks like this was another overpromised device, if you check the funding page.
uncertain of whether the device has been realised and marketted & being sold.... that said, i will be on the lookout for other such devices as controlling screens & mousemovements or finger gestures will need to play catch up with the X-real Glasses
Atm im waiting on a Xreal pair of glasses to arrive... likely a month before arrival... as im ordering from Ali Express...
prices of Xreals in my country have too much overheads, bugger that!! i dont play that game... find other sources or means as theres always someone out there selling such items at a discounted price!
thats the beauty of the internet!!
....seek & you will find. Matthew 7:7
ahh yes the backers of that Pero device are very annoyed at the group who were involved in the project... understandably so...
so the Pero Wearable device is off the table
well well... heres another interesting device which is already out on the market!!
this device seems practical enough for applications in the music AR space!!
expensive yes!
how configurable it is, and how well it would tie into Keyboard maestro or Bomes midi translator Pro...
would be interesting to see how well it integrates
just seeing the unit in action brings forward a practical approach to polyphony .... with some added configuration of midi tools??
also apple pencils might also take a backseat to this unit?? the potential for this device only requires integration tools
Tapxr solves one of the issues with apple vision pro...
as i come to learn by watching videos of the Apple vision pro... one of the issues was with typing, as it always required the wearer of the AVP, to have a keyboard... and either use a eye tracking pinch combination or finger tapping of keys!!
the issue with the eyetracking pinch combination was eyes being focussed on keyboard versus what you have actually type on screen.. resulting sometimes with mistakes occurring
TapXr's method requires some initial training to get the keystrokes down proper... but once learnt... keyboard use would become 2nd nature to a Tapxr power user!!
i've got one of the Xreal's ordered and its inbound, probably another 3 weeks before it arrives from China to my location in NZ...
i've already got it in my mind what to expect.... and in my mind it is very likely to behave as triple monitor setup but with screen casting apps in the mix...
which in terms of having a pair of Xreal glasses vs 3 physical monitors... is a definate practical approach weight and form factor.
but i will know more when appying my current setup with some additional ipad applications(to do list)
Which one did you order? Not that I'm ordering one (I boycot Chinese brands) but just out of curiosity.
X-real 1
as its been said by some... the Xreal1 glasses have a higher sweetspot... albeit a bigger focussing area... supposedly!!
(this sweetspot talk is subjective to size&shape of face, eye spacing distances and how close to the lenses your eyes are!)
well see!!
no beam or adaptors... just a USB-C connector & the usual do daks that come in the package
i tested the Xreal 1 glasses out on my m1 mac...
clarity and display is excellent!!
i managed to get the triple monitor displays to work with the Nebula app on Ventura... and it works very well!!
with Big Sur, the xreal glasses work... but the nebula triple monitor display doesnt work, although you can have a mirrored or extended display option..
it is not as good as working with the Nebula app & triple monitor display, as the screen will follow head movements, whereas the triple monitor displays can be fixed in place and remains in place until you choose to adjust its position!!
just a note with my testing... i only have the USB-C which needs to be tethered to the M1 Mac mini
the USB-C cable provided by Xreal is just too short to be practical... as where your m1 Mac is positioned will be a hindrance...
The temporary solution to solve this short cable(until i purchase a longer USB-C cable) is to position the M1 mac beneath where you midi gear is situated, as this solves the problem of the cable going across your midi controllers...
...instead the cable comes from below, and gives you enough freedom to move and reach your controllers...
so some consideration is needed in respect to placement of the M1 mac mini... a longer cable however is the best option!
As far as making the ipad relevant in the mix...
there are applications which can mirror the ipad to your m1 mac, which can then be resized etc and placed in one of the triple screens you have with the Nebula app running
So as a test i could essentially mirror both the Ipad & a windows computer.... resize it, position it etc
i do believe having access to a USB to Ethernet dongle is invaluable in the streaming of screens... as it will give a smoother experience, whats more is you dont need a router to connect... as the Ethernet to USB cable from out of the Ipad is fed directly to a USB port on the M1 Mac.... this is the same with a windows PC so using a USB to ethernet dongle is very handy in terms of reducing latency when streaming displays
ill test some other aspects out.... but all in all, the device works well.. and is very light-weight and the quality of display for the Xreal 1 is well up there!!