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.
Petition for Korg re gadget?
It's clear that for those of us who like to use gadget almost as a standalone app, that a few additions and improvements need to take place. From what I see, at present, Korg is prioritising new gadgets and apps over fine tuning Gadget.
If Auria pro delivers the goods, I sense many will gravitate towards that, leaving gadget behind as their sequencer.
I have a contact at Korg uk, I started this thread to share with him so he can pass it on to the development team in Japan.
I suggest we really get into the nitty gritty of gadgets strengths and weaknesses and offer the feedback directly to Korg.
For me, I'm staying with gadget and am working hard within its limitations. The feedback on my last track from a few of you tells me that for sure that mandatory eq on each channel and master channel is a must, and I agree. This means that multiple fx options need to be applied for each channel.
Audio tracks or at least a sampler keyboard with wav editor is a much desired addition too.
I have a few other requests but let's see what you guys say..
Many thanks
Comments
I've been feeding most of my ideas and feature suggestions regarding Gadget to the Korg Gadget Forum.
https://support.korguser.net/hc/communities/public/topics/200037165-KORG-Gadget-community
At least some of them have been 'forwarded to the development team'.
There is no way for us 'customers' to see if Korg has seen our messages so it feels more like a 'hit or miss' depending on how frequently the forum is monitored by Korg Staff.
The 'sampler with wave-editor' and built in 're-sampling' and support for say SoundFonts is very high on my list.
The interface could be toggled between piano keyboard and drum pads for easier playability depending on the sound type. I mean the Korg Kronos already supports SoundFonts & Sampling so Korg knows how to do this properly on a 'touch-screen'. I'd gladly pay premium for iOS version of the HD-1 engine (Wave-Sequencing, Sampling & Synthesis + Effects) present in the Kronos and I think many other would too...
Insert effects and Parametric-EQ per track would be nice as would multiple sends per track which would naturally need a separate 'effects rack' with flexible routing.
And well, I really don't like the 'scene approach'. A linear sequencer where you can paste in patterns is more my melody. ie. create patterns for the gadgets and drag the patterns ('copies' = duplicate the pattern or 'references' = reference the original pattern with playback parameters like transpose) onto a a time-line.
Triggering the patterns from the keyboard would be a good way to quickly build up a track. (ie. when in record mode triggering the patterns from the keyboard would 'place' them on to the time-line on their respective instrument tracks.
Looking forward to seeing how this develops
3-band EQ per track, or 2-band per track and one 3-band parametric on the master. A compressor on each channel would be great (w/ sidechaining from other gadgets/channels would be a good fit for this app).
Other then that I'd only like to see a slightly more developed sequencer with ability to easily copy patterns over to another part (or same part for that matter). Utilize touch gestures here a bit more, then relying on function buttons etc. Oh and ability to zoom out vertically in gadget/patterns view. Sometimes it's impossible to select all the notes you want (I know you can collapse it, but not always optimal doing it that way).
Great idea. I had similar thoughts that Korg should be petitioned in some way.
I would focus on a small number of essential things TBH. Rather than nice to haves.
My view would be:
1- better FX (as everyone has said)
2- until audio tracks happen (which they promised), increase sample lengths to 30 secs or more (or infinite) in Bilbao and Abu
Then for Midi:
midi out
multi-track midi in on different channels (first 16 tracks)
None of those things requires a big rework. Or changing Gadget's paradigm (which I think works). They are just obvious improvements which they need to get on and make if they want Gadget to stay ahead.
Audio tracks and a more robust MIDI implementation (with assignable channels per Gadget) are the two main ones IMO.
@ChrisG I have to set 'Note Fold' to 'In-Use' to grab all notes if they don't fit on screen at once, so yes a 'vertical zoom' in pattern editor would be a very welcome addition, and it would definitely be a very welcome addition in 'scene mode' too when projects get longer, horizontal zoom in 'scene mode' is a bit tricker because it's locked to the width of the mixer-tracks, but if the mixer was hidden it should be possible to squeeze in more tracks into the view.
Lol, just got the best random name to date for a project in Gadget: 'Unreliable Application'
I wonder what Korg's overview of Gadget is ? I'm sure it would have been very easy for them to add per track Eq and a compressor if they chose to. Someone said here that perhaps they just see it (currently) as a 'sketchbook', but users have taken it further than that ?
Having spent a fair bit of time with it recently working on some quite involved tracks, the arrangement side of things really needs some development too. Creating sections of tracks isn't possible and there's no timeline to work with either.
i was under the impression that korg devs were sequestered from the rest of humanity.
+1
Yes , the reverb should be optional instead of mandatory in the channel fader, easily replaced by the eq
If one wants reverb, that can be a choice on the FX itself
@ChrisG said:
Good points, but I have to say I rather like the scene approach to the sequencer
@Samu said:
Can u please tell us what could be improved as far as the FX go?
@Matt_Fletcher_2000 said:
No, they are polite on Twitter, but remember they are Japanese nerdy techies and likely prone to many hours of coding till the wee early hrs
@rhcball said:
I don't think korg or most of us see it as a sketchbook. I'm certain the plan is to keep developing gadget all the way
I see apps like music studio and garage band as sketchbooks
Lots of complexity can be had via the piano roll and automations that I don't see in any other apps
@Igneous1 said:
Great stuff so far! Let's really make this a massive detailed thread. It will send a very clear message to korg that many care about gadget and want to see more great things
All the above +
Midi import via "open in" on to separate tracks (can't see why they'd object to that and very useful)
All the missing sequencer workflow improvements such as multiple undo, song loop etc
A Road map for developing it into a mini DAW which can host the new AU plugins.
midi clock - sync send
probably lots more things I've forgotten.....
As Matt says multi track midi-in (Attack already has this and one of the reasons I love using it over Gadget already)
My point is that originally Korg might have seen it that way, but the app has outgrown that status and they need to be aware that people are using it as their primary iOS music making device and for that purpose, it needs improvements..
Heck, having such a high quality thing as Module's Ivory shows they are serious about it and it's development (hopefully !)
I sent Korg a Tweet yesterday linking to the thread here discussing Korg's midi.
They're @korg_iapps
No reply as yet.
Maybe a few more might help.
“@SpookyZoo: @korg_iapps re: Gadget App (Midi). A lot of people feel this way, any improvements on roadmap? http://forum.audiob.us/discussion/9174/gadget-accepting-midi-ccs-on-all-channels”
I think the effects thing could be improved by making some gadgets that are effects processors themselves instead of synths. Then the “mixing desk” could be improved by having a sophisticated sequencable effect matrix for patching and sending from existing outputs to other inputs.
Most of us own a vast amount of good single stand-alone effects. If Korg didn’t want to make specific effects gadgets, then let the matrix send out and get back through audiobus.
The only feature I really hope for is a better user sample management (user folders, renaming samples) in Abu Dhabi and Bilbao.
In my opinion, Korg is a very unreliable company. They start developing tons of apps, but do not finish them. They announce some new features, but do not deliver.
My worry is that if it's a massive list of different opinions on improvements to the UI and ideas for new features then it will just get lost / ignored and half of it will contradict each other. That's basically what their forum is.
A petition usually sets out one or two achievable changes and has a massive body of signatures behind it.
I would stick to maybe 3 things max we can all agree on. Then 'go to' Korg with that. Put it on their forum. Give it a name. Create a Twitter account etc...
My vote would be:
Basic channel strip style FX including EQ and a filter (others would be a bonus)
Increased sample length import (until audio tracks are possible)
Those 2 things are very tough to work around at the moment. They stop you making a finished product in Gadget. The other stuff is just nice to haves IMO...
Personally if we have a number 3 i'd say it needs to be Midi improvements (e.g. Midi out, clock out, multi channel midi in).
When they launched Gadget they said:
"There's a roadmap for future updates that will add new gadgets and support audio tracks, further perfecting the system as a mobile music production studio. KORG Gadget will continue to evolve in support of serious mobile music-making."
That's not 'a sketch pad'. That sounds more like the mobile version of Reason. I think Korg will hopefully stay true to that... and it does no harm to remind them of this.
I seem to remember reading somewhere on this forum they had sold 250,000 copies of Gadget... so to me that seems like a reasonable platform to build on and continue investing in. I'm certainly not demanding the above for free either... An FX gadget that you bus tracks to would be an obvious IAP i'd have thought.
Good points matt..
Two priorities are also mine
I'd like to add optional kaoss pads for the gadgets too:)
I'm not sure. Korg has learned that pushing new apps will generate much more money than maintaining/extending existing apps. At least that is my impression.
How about the ability to change scenes row color, like so. And to be able to label them. When you're working with 30 scenes or more, it's hard to keep track and to know which is which.
^+1
I think Matt's point is a good one, all manner of disparate feature requests will probably lead to nothing, more focus may be needed . Perhaps a poll here to determine the most popular requests (say, 3 of) would be a useful exercise ?
I'm quite happy with Gadget already. A lot of these requests run the risk of complicating Gadget beyond it's current UI which is a joy to use. Sure it has limitations but nothing where I think "This is stopping me making anything".
Personally I would like tempo changes but I can live without them.
Audio tracks plus channel strip fx such as eq and compressor for each track would be my priorities. And a flexible keyboard sampler would be good too!
A poll is a good idea @Igneous1
Maybe people can brainstorm stuff here and then we do a poll of the things that keep coming up again and again?
Going to Korg and saying that the Audiobus forum have voted on these 3 priority improvements to Gadget is a good idea.
My main features I would like to see is Audio Tracks, Gadget is crippled without Audio Tracks, I would also like per channel routing of FX where you could add FX as needed, compressor , EQ and limiter with the option of reverb and delay. Also Sidechain ability is a must.
I love Gadget but without these features you are crippled in your production.
Audio tracks and longer sampling. MIDI out.