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
Hi all,
Please note that we've just released Cubasis 3.6.6.
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/60975/cubasis-3-6-6-hotfix-available/p1?new=1
Thanks,
Lars
And I’m sorry but you aren’t correcting me because Auria Pro stopped being a contender like 3 years ago, if not more. (Same thing with BM3.)
I will say again, there are two professional DAWs, and Cubasis will Continue to be the gold standard Logic is measured against.
Because You’re using the the wrong nick, it’s @LFS not @Lars
Hi @tja,
Hope you're well!
Currently, imported audio files are getting saved into the “My Audio Files” folder (same concept for MIDI files etc.). Currently there are no plans to change this unfortunately.
Please let us have further details about your exact expectation.
Thanks,
Lars
Gold Standard?? Hahaha!
Auria Pro has functionalities Cubasis still missing, like busses and track MIDI realtime adjustments - there’s more…
And, Cubasis isn’t something we longer measure against, it’s Logic Pro, and the comparison between them shows that Cubasis is like the poor little cousin from the countryside compare to the adult developed and smart guy from uptown… 😀😀
Auria pro is abandonware. Misleading anyone into thinking Auria pro is a contender (especially at the $50 gouge) is irresponsible and no one should count that opinion as valid ^ , not in 2021, and definitely not in 2024. When Auria pro became broken trash, and the other daws also stopped development (like bm3, which is also a better option than Auria pro to anyone considering an alternative) Cubasis became the gold standard and it’s clearly the only competition to Logic.
In fact, I prefer Cubasis personally despite being able to be realistic in admitting Logic has the edge (although the only feature I really wished they updated in Cubasis was the multiple interface thing but Apple might be gatekeeping that, besides midi learn for hardware mapping)
Thanks for reminding us IAA is still
In Cubasis, not in Logic.
You came into a cubasis thread to spout that nonsensical propaganda for a dead app? “Poor little cousin from the countryside - are you implying people from the countryside lack skill, knowledge or refinement of rich city dwellers? lol
Could I just point out that it is entirely possible to discuss and disagree in a mature and adult fashion? Some of these comments are somewhat “playground” and I think we can do better.
https://youtube.com/live/G_YkwFvhYXc?si=-6fS1W8sDgh7shSh
Last nights Cubasis 3 livestream is now timecoded into chapters and available to watch at your leisure. Chapters:-
Intro
Tip 1
Tip 2
Quantise + Swing
Inserts + Sends
Freezing + Real Audio
Sidechaining
Automation
Bye
There will be another stream answering more of your questions same time next week. Keep the questions coming, I’ll get to answering them as soon as I can.
Good point…
I agree totally.
Still, Cubasis is NOT the Gold Standard on iOS - in the same time I admit that Cubasis is a great DAW, but still a strip down version of Cubase, very stripped…
If you call Auria Pro for abandonware, why not mention that IAA also is abandonware?
Also, Auria Pro was updated for three month ago, and Beatmaker v3 was updated for for eight month ago - we can’t call them abandonware if they still got updates…
Auria, BM3 and NS2 are still getting updates, but they're in maintenance mode: which is to say they are getting updates to keep up with OS updates and fix critical bugs, but they are unlikely to get any significant new features. Cubasis is being actively developed so that is a pretty big difference.
On a side note, I would personally still choose Auria over Cubasis for mixing, just because Cubasis has no plugin delay compensation (showstopper for me), and no real audio bussing. Over time though Cubasis should obviously get the edge due to the more active development. But yes, Logic is the gold standard IMO, it's much more flexible than CB3.
Conisidering the rate of improvements and updates, my guess is that the Cubasis line is just not very profitable for Steinberg. No shame in that. Developers can’t throw more money at a product than it brings in.
They may be grouping a number of big features for Cubasis 4, so they can at least get some money back for them. No shame in that either. I’d gladly buy a Cubasis 4 — like I bought Cubasis 1, 2, and 3 — if I feel the upgrade is worth it. I much prefer paid version upgrades over subscription fees. If this is indeed their business model, I wonder if it would help them to be more transparent about it.
It’s frustrating, for those of us who see such potential in Cubasis, to watch it coming so painfully slowly. But I really don’t believe Steinberg is doing it out of spite. 😆
Cubasis 3 is ludicrously cheap for what it is, but Cubase, whilst well worth it, is a serious investment. Very few iOS users would pay enough money to warrant a full on, big daddy version of Cubase being on iPad. Also, the cut down version we do have, in the form of Cubasis 3 works on old iOS devices and phones and Android and chrome. If we had a full on version of Cubase it could probably only work on the biggest most powerful iPads - so that’s not many sales… so I don’t see that being a thing - not yet, not until more people have better iPads and the app buying culture changes from one of app collectors to serious musicians who maybe buy a few pieces of software a year, but it costs a bundle but it’s amazing.
There is quite a list of things Cubasis 3 does way better than Logic Pro For iPad, and things it does that LP4iP can not yet do. Yes, Logic has some very flash, very modern and impressive features, but it also fails in ways Cubasis excels. And it has stuff missing (as does Cubasis 3.) For me, only the tempo track makes it the winner, but I use Cubasis 3 wherever I don’t need a tempo track because the advantages it has really suit the way I work.
I bought Auria Pro several years ago. It has features unsurpassed by any iOS DAW. But it crashed every time I looked at it. Every time it gets an update I try it again and it remains as unstable as ever. Beatmaker 3 I have used a lot less if I’m honest. Amazing sampler but again, crash, crash, crash, crash. Zenbeats was confusing to me but powerful but recently has lost a lot of ground.
For me, it’s Cubasis 3 unless I need a tempo track, when I’ll use Logic - and I keep an eye on Audio Evolution Mobile, possibly the most overlooked app on iOS.
Out of curiosity, what would be on this list? I'm struggling to think what features CB3 has that Logic lacks, but I'm happy to be enlightened.
The only big thing that was missing for me in Logic was MIDI routing, but that's been added in v2.
@LFS Is there a chance that Cubasis will do other time signatures in the future? I really wanted to use it to mix/modify a project I'd created in NS2 with a 12/8 time sig and couldn't find a way to set it...
That was my first reaction of @Jamie_Mallender statement that Cubasis v3.x has “quite a list” that CB3 does better than LP4i2??
Also, CB3 has functionalities LP4i2 lacks??
Please mr Mallender, can you give us a detailed list of CB3s beaten LP4i2…
Fade handles. I deal with a lot of real audio. Having a handle on the audio in the timeline so I can implement a quick fade without deep menu diving is much quicker than performing such edits in LP4iP. That coupled with the much quicker scissor tool means that editing a guitar, bass, vocal heavy track is a breeze in Cubasis but takes me beards in LP4iP.
Midi learn. iOS people love controllers and in Cubasis 3 we can map them easily to whatever function we desire.
Multi Output Busses. Press one button and the whole thing is set up.
AUV3 handling. On my M1 11” iPad Pro 1TB model in Cubasis 3 with multicore processing engaged, Cubasis 3 handles considerably more AUV3’s than LP4iP. Impressive, considering LP4iP is developed by the same people that made the device.
IAA support. It may be the old protocol but many users still love their IAA apps.
Cubasis 3 works on iPhones and less powerful iPads, Android and chrome and you can send a project from any one of these devices to any other or to Cubase on desktop to continue working. But you can’t send a project from desktop to iOS like you can with LP4iP so logic does win points back there.
I have Midi export on my list but I think LP4iP just got this. I haven’t checked it yet but I’m sure I saw that listed.
Mixdown - A lot more options are available at mixdown, different file types etc.. including MP3 which is a very popular addition.
Render an instrument to mono. You can achieve this of course with some pissypanting about in LP4iP but it’s easy Cubasis and I hate the was so many iOS developers do not recognise the value of mono.
Mono Export. As a session player, if an instrument should be mono, I need to send a mono file. A producer just laughs a guitar or bass sent as a dual mono file, right out of town.
Piano roll + Parameter Editor. Beneath the piano roll, Cubasis has the window for editing parameters like you’d expect in a proper DAW - where you can very easily and quickly edit velocities, pitch bend, aftertouch and all those cc options. You can edit all of these things in LP4iP of course, but in a slow, clunky not very well thought out way.
The drag to the right duplicate feature is a real fast workflow winner.
It isn’t a subscription.
These are off the top of my head and there are others I’m sure. I could of course just as easily write a list of features that are better in logic or things that LP4iP does that Cubasis 3 doesn’t do. It’s not a competition to me, and I am pretty sick of reading childish posts that attempt to make it so. Especially seeing as many of these posts are inaccurate. Lots of kinds of music are much better catered for by Cubasis 3 than they are by LP4iP - it all depends on your use case. For a dance track I’d go with LP4iP, for a blues track I’d run screaming from LP4iP. But that lack of tempo track is what really holds Cubasis 3 back. Users have been screaming out for it since the days of Cubasis 2. If Steinberg were to finally implement it and do a good job of it, there would be many cancelled LP4iP subscriptions because it really is the one thing - the real deciding factor for many people. I’ve been nagging Steinberg for so long now and yes, Lars is going to see this and it’s nothing we haven’t discussed. I literally pay my LP4iP sub to have that tempo track. And the sub has now cost me more than Cubasis 3.
Good list, and there’s probably more I am not even aware of. Unfortunately I never got my midi controller to work with midi learn because I don’t think Cubasis exposes 3rd party AU parameters for midi controllers. That would be a small but significant update too Lars.
Idk how Zenbeats is the only daw that takes 3rd party auv automation via controller knobs
@Jamie_Mallender Thanks for the detailed reply, I appreciate that you took the time to make this detailed comparison.
Just to pick up on a couple of points:
Fade handles: I agree with you, I prefer having handles directly on the audio regions rather than having to open the Inspector, especially as the UI is already quite cluttered. Generally I find the Inspector Panel to be annoying to use, and it would be perfectly possible to have the same non-destructive tools available in a toolbar format, for applying fades and gain to audio regions.
The scissor tool: not sure I agree here, the one in Logic is just as quick as the one in Cubasis in my testing, but the approach is different - in Cubasis you move the playhead and cut, in Logic you don't need to move the playhead, you can cut anywhere with the tool.
Multi-Out Auv3: I agree, this is better implemented in Cubasis.
Multicore and plugins: I would have to test this, Logic is fully multicore so I'm surprised by this one. If I have the time I will try and do a like-for-like test, or maybe someone has already done this.
Mono mixdown and export: I think this is something Logic on desktop doesn't really support, so fair enough.
Control surfaces: yes, agreed.
Piano roll + Parameter Editor: Not sure I agree here, for me NS2 had the best piano roll UI, I don't find the one in Cubasis any better than the one in Logic. I would have to see a more detailed comparison, or maybe do one myself.
Drag to right duplicate: Logic also has this, with the copy icon, just drag a new copy anywhere.
I do a lot of audio editing in my projects, manually fixing plosives and sibilants in vocals, so I've got used to the audio editing workflow in Logic. The Inspector panel is fiddly though, a couple of additional tools in the toolbar (for fades and region gain) would be a welcome addition for me.
The problem with Cubasis for me is that it lacks what I would consider to be critical features for serious mixes: tempo and time signature changes, plugin delay compensation (a major shortcoming IMO), and audio routing/bussing. But what is important to me is not necessarily important to others, so of course different people have different preferences.
And none of this is meant as a pissing contest, I think it's interesting to just look at the facts and make a fair comparison, people can then decide based on their needs and preferences.
I should also add that loop recording and automatic take folders is a pretty big difference between the two apps. I find the recording process in Logic (for vocals and guitars) much quicker than in any other DAW: just set the loop region and you can quickly record a bunch of takes to choose from later.
And in terms of organising a project: Chord Track, Markers, Folders, Stacks, colour coding of both tracks and regions, track icons etc...
I’m not saying the piano roll is any better in Cubasis 3 and I agree with you about NS2. What I’m trying to say is about the parameter editor and is probably best demonstrated here -
I tested the AUV3 handling a couple of times. The annoying thing was, I was working on a job in Cubasis 3, then realised I needed a tempo change. If I had been at home I would have sent the project to Cubase but as I was on the road I had to rebuild it in Logic For iPad. Unfortunately LP4iP couldn’t cope with it. I had to do all kinds of juggling rendering before I was ready. So when I finally finished that project, I did a test of the 2 apps. Logic let me down. But I’ll say this, there are apps that use more DSP in one than the other.
Drag to right duplicate is just quicker in Cubasis 3 that’s all.
A thing I forgot was, undo works correctly in Cubasis 3.
In Logic you would do the parameter editing in the Inspector, it's just as quick. Select multiple notes, and set the velocity in the Inspector panel, either relatively (+ -) or absolutely:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nlpitv6253ne4fa6nzd08/equalize-velocities.MP4?rlkey=bmr52gkdrzv5ajmsveln66svo&dl=0
But as for the DSP and multicore you are right. I just made a simple test:
Set up a MIDI track playing 4 notes. Add Moog Mariana with the Tamagotchi Lead patch. Add Pro MB with 4x oversampling, Saturn with quality set to Very Good, Pro R2, and TAIP.
I then duplicated the track to see how many instances each DAW could handle on my M1 12.9 Pro. Logic could only manage 8 (buffer set to 512), Cubasis 3 could handle 12.
My guess is that if Logic could use a higher buffer size (in Auria you could go up to 4096, I think Cubasis goes up to 1024) then the difference would disappear, but as things stand this is a win for Cubasis. 👍
Nice to see the Cubasis 3.6.6 update pop up but it won't win me back over...
I work way faster in LogicPro for iPad for the stuff I do and I simply love the geeky detailed editing that is possible using the inspector and the non-destructive quantize for both notes and scales is something truly enjoy among many other things, pattern regions for drum and sequence programming and quick sampler are just a few.
All in all, the most important thing here is for everyone to find the tool/tools that work for them!
For me it's LogicPro for iPad by a wide margin, most other apps stress me up and bump my BP thru the roof
Cheers!
I'm quite confused ... There are no markers in Cubasis3? So I can't mark the intro, verse, chorus or particular parts of the recording and switch between them? This is something I use a lot in Reaper.
@Jamie_Mallender @richardyot @Samu
We could do endless comparisons between Cubasis v3 and Logic Pro v2, day after day, but, perhaps we all have some kind of right i what we saying…
First of all, very important, if you’re a beginner on iPad and music making plans, Logics 5 bucks a month is unbeatable, especially if you ain’t have bought any music apps earlier - in Logic for iPad you get 29GB with super great instrument, awesome MIDI & Audio FX, Loops, endless with patches scales and presets for all instruments and FX.
When you as a beginner have outgrown the built-in FX and instruments you can choose something else from the great amount present on Appstore…
Both Richard and Samuel mentioned the Inspector - that “little” tool is very popular if you meet die hard users to Logic, and, I must say that the Inspector, if you get use of it, can do magic!
Jamie mentioned Fade-in/Fade-out on the timeline on Cubasis, and that is was much easier than Logics Inspector way, but, can you do precise fading, controlling the amount of milliseconds and also the curve in figures?
Also, do Cubasis have Speed-Up and Slow-Down audio regions?
I haven’t got Cubasis installed any longer on my iPad, that’s why I can’t check that myself…
One workaround is to add a dummy midi track at the top of the project and add empty named clips to mark the sections.
Thanks @wim, better than nothing.