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.
I have some questions about SSD Drives for use with my iPad
Hello all.
OK, so I know that I can use SSDs with Pure Synth, which is the main reason I’m think of getting one.
So, how good are they?
What other apps can I use them with?
Can I stick all my samples and wave files on there and will I still be able to use the files app and Sample Crate the same way as I use them now?
Pros and cons etc.
Thanks in advance everyone👍😊
Comments
I used a small spinning disk HD a long time ago with my old iPad (before I got an iPad Pro) and had nothing but problems with that setup. The drive would un-mount every time the iPad went into sleep mode. I have to imagine an SSD is much better but I’ve not tested it. When it did work, it was kind of neat to be able to back up files to it. Sorry I have no usable information for you on this, Doug. But this is something I’d be interested to hear about other people’s experiences.
Very few apps can work with storage directly for their own sample storage. However, any app that can access the files system can get to the files on an SSD for import or however they work with them. Some apps don't actually have to import the files to their own app storage space, but work with pointers to the files. Those apps tend to be newer. I think Hammerhead is an example of this.
That point is important. If you end up importing a gazillion samples from an SSD into an app that stores them locally anyway, you haven't gained anything. There's no concise way to know how every app treats files. One thing that is true however: once a file is on your local system, it can be copied many places and not take up any more physical storage. But since the SSD isn't local, that rule doesn't apply.
External storage still suffers from one major shortcoming ... working with folders with lots of files in them. Things just bog down no matter how fast the storage medium when folders have lots and lots of files. My experience is anything over 2,000 files, sometimes less. ymmv.
I have a couple Samsung T7 drives and connected via USBC on my M1 has been fantastic.
I just copied over 20,000 samples (9 gigs and over a thousand subfolders) to BM3 with zero problems, all in one shot in what seemed to be far less than ten minutes. On the M1 it never bogs no matter how much I copy. Previous iPads were a very different story but M1 land is amaze ballz.
That's good info. I should try another test on my new 9th gen. It was back on the Air 2 that I had issues.
The issue is not total number of files I believe but number of files directly in a folder.
I’ve been able to launch projects into loopy from an SSD and record. I didn’t do extensive testing.
I use a Samsung T5 and it’s been fantastic for everyday use. The access to the disk via Files is the same as for any local file. The disk appears as a destination in the locations section. I haven’t tried Sample Crate, but I have accessed samples hosted on the disk via whatever programme I am using. Drag and drop from SSD via Files app into Logic Pro works great too. I don’t use it as a storage for apps like Pure Synth. Probably a good option, but in my current setup it works better for me with my samples I’m using local on the iPad.
Correct.
All this is really useful to me, so thanks.
For me, dragging massive file folders back in isn’t what I would use it for, I’d just put everyone on there that’s on my iPad at the moment and drag in what I need when I need it.
For example, I have around 30gb samples stored on my iPad that I pick and choose from for videos etc, one file every now and then, so it makes sense to have those stored somewhere else but easily accessible all the time.
But if Pure Synth can read direct from the SSD that’s a real bonus, and a massive space saver.
We have a Zoom H8 Jo uses for all the field recordings, and that uses an SD card, that works great hooked via USB to the iPad for dragging the samples in to NEON, so I’m guessing a dedicated SSD would be fine to be hooked up permanently.
Does anyone know of any other apps like Pure Synth that can read directly from an SSD?
I have an old Samsung 1TB permanently hooked up to my PC and even that’s OK but it takes more time to load up things like Spitfire libraries.
If my memory doesn't fail me AudioLayer can also use external storage for the samples.
@Samu Thanks Samu, that’s also very useful to know, it would be nice if XinematiX allowed this too, but I can’t see any info for that in the app.
Considering the pretty tight integration between AudioLayer and XinematiX it should be doable?!
Maybe @VirSyn has some ideas on how this can be accomplished?
@thesoundtestroom. I know it’s perhaps stating the obvious, but from skimming through the posts i don’t think it’s been mentioned: just be aware of whether your iPad is able to provide enough power for the external hard drive. I don’t know the situation with USB c equipped iPads but lightening connectors don’t provide much at all.
I can use a USB sd card adapter as external drive for Pure Synth and Audiolayer but it can’t manage an external hard drive.
@Robin2 I’m OK on that point, the iPad I will be using for this is a Pro with USB C, plus I’ll be using a powered hub👍😊
Also good to know that you can also use an SD card.
I bought an SSD type-c usb disk by Transcend because of your exact reasoning - the Gospel Musicians apps (But not just for). It works flawlessly with the samples from all their apps that I installed their presets on, and you can also drag samples for. It's really good for working with Koala Sampler, for example.
Specifically I'm referring to the ESD310 model, but I'm sure other known brands will do just fine.
@eylvy Perfect, thank you👍😊