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.

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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Challenge: Switching in & out of AB Chain?

bobertoboberto
in General App Discussion

I have two AB chains feeding into Loopy, guitar>FX>Loopy and one that is Mic >> | VoiceRack> RobotVoice> *** | >> Loopy.

I'm a performer so I want to be able to in "one press"/[MIDI commands] switch the Mic input out of that chain so Loopy will record only my guitar during the Verse and then record both my guitar+voice during the Chorus. This would be the equivalent of going into the AB screen, ejecting Loopy from the Mic channel and putting the speaker in its place, but I can't do that in the middle of a song [I'm not that good ;) ]

Can you think of a workaround that would allow me to somehow split the processed signal at the *** point but still be able to hear it feeding to the main audio out? Like an app that would use it's own monitoring in addition to AB signal? Could there be an IAA workaround? Mic>FX>___ in one chain and then ___>Loopy in another? I'm out of ideas and can't figure this one out...

Thanks in advance for your thoughts...

ps> I can turn off the vocals completely by using an app I don't normally use in the *** position and setting its output to zero. That way when I use MIDI control or the AB onscreen on/off to turn the app "on", the mic signal cuts out. BUT I can't hear the mic at all if I do that.

Comments

  • ZetagyZetagy

    Looks like its time to add MIDI CC functionality into Audiobus...

  • FishmanFishman

    You make an actual physical mic switch that switches the output to another physical channel. Here's an example of how to make one http://www.audiogabriel.com/talkback/

  • bobertoboberto

    @Fishman - Thanks for that thought, but I am already using both of my ioDock's audio inputs and have no desire to add a mixer to my setup... I'm looking for a software solution because I do want the vocals processed by some Audiobus effects, I just don't want them to go to Loopy.

  • dwarmandwarman

    Loopy has a pretty comprehensive MIDI capability itself, and flexible AB routing options, have you tried that?

  • MartygrasMartygras

    Man that's a stumper. Yeah, I think some midi control through Audiobus is warranted, but how you would implement it?... IDK I guess there's plenty of midi channels to not get tangled with other device commands.

  • HmtxHmtx
    edited March 2015

    Do you have room (CPU/RAM) to add a DAW in the signal chain? Could a DAW create two identical input tracks from RobotVoice and route one to system out and the other to Loopy? Then create a MIDI binding that alternates which track is muted?

    ...just thinking of ideas. I haven't tried any of that.

  • RingleaderRingleader
    edited March 2015

    Edit: Oops, I read it wrong. You want your voice effected by the same apps in both scenarios. Short of midi controlled AB presets, or waiting for Loopy Masterpiece which will allow you to assign specific inputs to selected tracks, I think you are stuck.

    Unless MiMiX can do something like this with some creative routing, I haven explored that app yet.

    Specifically, wondering if you could run your vocal chain into MiMiX (output slot), and then set up two additional streams - both with MiMiX in input slot, and with Loopy in one output and speaker in the other, and with both steams only sending your duplicated vocal signal. Basically, creating a virtual signal splitter. Then just set up a midi binding where you toggle mute opposite each other, which would turn it into a virtual A/B box. Not sure if this can be done in MiMiX though.

  • dwarmandwarman
    edited March 2015

    There's a CoreAudio/Audiobus limitation that App outputs can only be used once, while external System inputs can be used multiple times. But, as we've seen, Apps can present multiple outputs. I've lately been thinking about splitters. We agitated for about a year for an Audiobus mixer and lo! MiMix shows up. Now let's agitate for a crossbar audio router? Also MIDI controllable?

  • MartygrasMartygras

    I love threads like this. Another great challenge for the mind. I could try to figure this stuff out all day... Hey! Wait a minute... I already do.

  • bobertoboberto

    Well, I did go and buy MiMix since it's not that expensive. There is a lot of MIDI capability there, but I guess what I would need is like a mixer-insert or assignable outputs. Unfortunately, since MiMix only acts as a funnel and doesn't have separate audio outs in audiobus, I don't think it'll help. :-/
    For the meantime, to as least get unprocessed vocals, I set up another vocal chain and turn off my "main/processed vocal" as I described above (or now that I own it, maybe mute using MiMix?), and I leave a vanilla Mic->Speaker going the whole time. Some audible doubling weirdness, but it's not that noticeable.
    It seems like MiMix is good for balancing the relative sounds/panning of individual apps, but if there is any ability to patch-in/out or run FX/IAA, I don't see them.

  • dwarmandwarman

    MiMix is young yet. I have hopes ... But I also hope its dev doesn't load it up with too many options and succumb to bloat and creature feep. I like it's lightweight. Worth a cope more synths than when running Cubasis or Auria only for their mixer and output capabilities.

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