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.
Questions about MIDI sequencers
With all the MIDI sequencers on sale, I find myself with questions, but I'm having trouble collecting my thoughts. Hopefully, some advice and discussion will help me sort it out.
- What's your favourite MIDI sequencer? (I thought about starting a poll for this, but knew it would lead to more questions.)
- Do you use more than one? If so, why, and which ones?
- Is anyone here using B-Step Sequencer? (Seems odd there's only 1 app store review, and it's for the trial version.)
- Is anyone here using MIDI Pattern Sequencer? (iMusicAlbum makes great apps, but I never see anything about this one. It hasn't been updated since March 2013, and it's on sale at a historical low.)
- The top apps in this category are midiSequencer, Xynthesizr, Genome, and Thesys. Are there others I am missing?
Comments
I'm in the same boat. The latest midi sequencer seems similar to ableton type of playing but I also saw Analog midi sequencer. So now I'm like which one do i get. All I really need is an was straight forward way to create some midi tracks, or import midi drum tracks and drive a synth or synths easily.
Check out the new Pro Midi app. I love it. Like Genome only better IMO.
Thanks, Matt. The one app store review points out a few shortcomings. It looks promising though.
I've had a quick play with MIDIPatterns (also new) as well, but it seems to be geared towards General MIDI.
Do you want to sequence full songs or short bits you repeat and tweak live?
I picked up the full version of B-Step this morning. The demo totally sold me but hadn't gotten around to buying it. Nice to get a sale price for my laziness.
It can be cumbersome to deal with but add BeatMaker2 to your list of to-check-outs. IT's a full featured MIDI sequencer. There's also cubasis and Meteor.
I might pick up Pro MIDI because Matt needs a friend.
midiSequencer is my current favorite short bits sequencer. B-step has a similar scope but treats certain features differently so I'm excited to play with that. Both have scenes so while you can't exactly sequence out full songs and just hit play, you can manually string different sequences together.
BeatMaker2 is my current go-to long form sequencer. They completely ripped off NanoStudio's sequencer so it felt right at home once I finally bought it. I still scratch my head every time I want to use it on more than one port though.
I don't own cubasis or meteor. By all accounts, Cubasis is much easier to use than BM2.
@Musikman4Christ said:
I hope the boat is big enough for one more. :P
I use Thesys a lot, well implemented but quite fiddly to use, good performance options but afaik you can't drive drums with it. I just bought Xynthesizr so haven't used it much, can drive drums apparently but i think it's better for more generative stuff.
Generative is definitely xynthesizer's sweet spot but you can drive drums with it. It's polyphonic and allows you to split the midi output per octave (so while octave 1 == drum synth, the rest can point at one or more tonal instruments)
Just rereead what @Musikman4Christ said. I haven't tried ProMIDI yet but if you want to play things like imported MIDI Drum files and then add a synth track or two, you don't want the little bits looping sequencers (which generally emulate hardware analog sequencers). The list for the longer form multi-channel stuff is:
Cubasis
BeatMaker2
MultiTrackStudio
Meteor (with MIDI IAP)
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. FLStudio Mobile? Music Studio? Not sure if either of them do MIDI out.
Genome may be able to the longer form stuff but I've never tried—it's also a pattern based sequencer.
Note that Nanostudio doesn't have MIDI out so you can't drive external synth/drum apps with it but it can import MIDI files and you can point them at it's own internal instruments. I wouldn't buy it for this purpose but if you already own it, you might want to revisit it.
It really, really depends what your goal with MIDI is. I've tried a bunch. But if your goal is just to make some backing tracks or accompaniment for guitar or other DAW projects, MultiTrackStudio has a major advantage in that it can record, send, create, or edit MIDI data. You can even set up a Virtual MIDI track to control an app (like Sunrizer), while recording that same app through AudioBus (or IAA, when it feels like working).
Some other apps have some snappier interfaces, like Pro Midi, Genome, and Analog midiSequencer, so if you are just driving physical hardware or doing live playing, I could see those being options
Xynthesizr remains incredibly useful and simple for MIDI sequencing.
StepPolyArp if you want something different oldie but good.
@syrupcore said:
Thanks, Will. Yeah, I have BM2. I'm interested in something more lightweight that's a dedicated sequencer.
@Jumpercollins said:
Nice one. I knew I was forgetting at least one.
@syrupcore said:
Also wanted to ask what you liked about this one? My gut tells me it might be a sleeper.
Some of these are full midi editors while others more pattern based sequencers, but what most rely on, synchronisation can be the biggest problem on IOS, kind of makes the spontaneity of picking up an iPad and jamming, a real pain sometimes.
What about midi pattern sequencer; is it a pain to use? Better options available now?
@knewspeak I've not tried it, but some say that MidiBus solves a lot of sync problems.
Thesys is worth a look. Lots of options for sequencing controllers with some nice performance features.
Was discussing yesterday about a problem I was having Z3ta and the sound of presets breaking up, now I remember I was using midSequencer with it does midSequencer use a lot of resources, I'm using a mini retina, I did try it with xynthesizr and all seemed OK, thanks @telecharge I will check MidiBus out, but the thing I love about the iPad is you just pick it up and it works, not too much messing around.
@musikmachine said:
I think that's right. I have it, and I really like the developer. The app is solid, but just kind of limited. It's basically monophonic unless you want to configure the notes of a chord on separate lines of the editor to go to the same app.
The new one called MidiPatterns and Pro Midi are better overall options. And Analog midiSequencer has crazy hidden depth with effects and chords, etc.
Arpeggionome Pro, Gestrument, and Lemur can sequence. Even NLog Pro can import midi files and allow you to play them to send midi to other apps. TC-Data has a sequencer. MIDI MIND is an interesting app as you can feed it a monophonic midi stream and send out chords to other apps with several different scales you can adjust on the fly.
I've come close to what I need for live use with Genome, but there are a few things keeping it from working exactly the way I need. I'm generally driving one shot midi clips, that are meant to be played in tempo with a live drummer. Genome has most of the functionality necessary - sync to midi clock, trigger clips from midi instantaneously (though 16ths is as close as it gets to instantaneous), though there a few key things that don't quite work (for example, midi triggering a clip set to 'set play' as opposed to 'toggle play' crashes it - and 'set play' is the functionality I need).
Genome is still the closest fit for my workflow right now, though, and is workable presently. Pro Midi looks very promising, though until I can use midi to trigger clips with it with an ability for triggering instantaneously, it won't work for me.
Anyone know of anything else I should look at?
@telecharge -- been wondering the same things: I just grabbed Analog MidiSequencer, but am also looking at B-Step and the new ProMidi (at these prices....why not have more than one of these types of apps?)
BStep is available across just about every platform (VST, AU, Android, etc), so that could be a factor if I migrate some more music production to the desktop and want a familiar sequencer (and price seems reasonable too). ProMidi looks like a MIDI app that I would really use (Piano roll editor among other features).
I am checking all of the resources (sound test room, Dev web sites, etc) to help me make a buying decision. I just can't wait too long, some on-sale apps have already reverted to standard prices.
Cubasis and Genome for me tracks. midiSequencer for short loops - great effects and constant improvements. Fiddlewax Pro for quick sketches and midi export.
The best sequencer on iOS is the one in Gadget. But no midi out.
@Paulinko
Can you show me, or point me to a video, but I'll take a written howto, how to do this:
"MIDI MIND is an interesting app as you can feed it a monophonic midi stream and send out chords to other apps with several different scales you can adjust on the fly."
I find MIDI MIND (and as an aside MidiBridge) opaque.
Changeling isn't exactly a sequencer I don't think, but you can string together patterns you've created with it. There's nothing else quite like it, at least that I've found. Highly recommended.
@audiblevideo said:
Midi Mind is brilliant once you get the hang of the UI
@TedBPhx said:
NanoStudio's piano roll still wins for me. Handles just make a lot of sense on a touch screen. Plus the various select modes, grid with or without quantize, different draw modes, when you drag notes up or down it tells you how many steps you've moved in the info bar... just pretty much perfect. Looking forward to MIDI Out in NS2! Hoping he adds some old school midi transforms to the edit menu and an additional handle for velocity changes.
Velocity is already available. and other stuff.
I'm just starting to get into midi sequencing but would still class myself as a complete midiot. Of the available sequencers which of these have a song mode, so that I can chain midi sequences and make patterns longer than 32 steps? I have Xynthesizer which I really like but I can only seem to change patterns manually. I also have BM2 but haven't really explored the midi possibilities and I'm not a big fan of the workflow. Thx
@audiblevideo said:
I'll put together a video in the next couple of days. I agree, the current documentation and videos aren't very informative at all.
@dwarman said:
I meant I'd like to see it available as a draggable handle on the main piano roll screen in NS2.
@StormJH1 said:
Thanks.