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 Store

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

Worth it? (Digitakt)

13»

Comments

  • Got a Digitakt, an Electribe MX and a Maschine MK3 - my conclusion in terms of value for making music is not so much about which one you choose but much more about if you're ready to sit down with one of them and dedicate some quality time jamming with it.
    Each will get you a different kind of output and each has its own strengths and quirks but if you don't invest some time to learn, you'll get nowhere.

  • @rs2000 said:
    Got a Digitakt, an Electribe MX and a Maschine MK3 - my conclusion in terms of value for making music is not so much about which one you choose but much more about if you're ready to sit down with one of them and dedicate some quality time jamming with it.
    Each will get you a different kind of output and each has its own strengths and quirks but if you don't invest some time to learn, you'll get nowhere.

    👍

  • @mlau said:
    I use the digitakt as an instrument. Not as a limitless factory of possibilities. If you need a machine that does it all, digitakt is not for you. That said, if you have an ipad, you can do a hell of a lot mixing those two ...

    Oh yes indeed.
    My favorite combo was Digitakt +GR16.
    A perfect fit for the DT's 8 MIDI tracks which are also 4-voice polyphonic, like GR16 tracks, and the much faster beat slicing and great wavetable synthesis in GR16 combine well with the spontaneous sampling and sample tweaking of the DT. Plus , you can even p-lock MIDI mapped GR16 controls from the DT.

  • edited November 2021

    @waka_x said:
    it is a no-go for me.
    i tried it 1 weekend at a friend and it was horrible:
    too much menu diving to be fun...
    it looks fantastic and is fab built and sounds good
    but the interface is a nightmare for me.
    it doesnt feel "instrument-like" at all...

    Thank you for this post. I have been on the fence for so long about the Digitakt that I've been painted over twice. Your experience with menus etc describes my workflow too. I am someone who likes to turn it all on including Record and jam. Messing about in a user interface does not light any kind of fire underneath me when I'm jamming.

    Did you buy something else instead?

  • I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it. It would be like complaining about a manual transmission: I have to learn THREE pedals?! I mean, yes, you will have to learn the cockpit before you fly.

    In fact, I find its organization kind of energizing, weirdly. The menus and workflow are so beautifully thought out that it becomes second nature. Everything you need in a given moment is right at hand. And unlike anything on the iPad (except maybe Samplr?), a Digitakt is an instrument. And you need to learn it, but you can make music really quickly.

    My biggest and only real complaint is that the iPad has become the hub of everything, and at the core of that is AUM. And I simply haven't found a natural way to get the DT to play seamlessly and happily with the iPad. It shouldn't be hard, now that the DT is class-compliant, even. But I have a bear of a time synching the Digitakt to an AUM session.

    Someday I will learn, but at the moment, the DT is an island to itself.

  • @rs2000 said:

    @mlau said:
    I use the digitakt as an instrument. Not as a limitless factory of possibilities. If you need a machine that does it all, digitakt is not for you. That said, if you have an ipad, you can do a hell of a lot mixing those two ...

    Oh yes indeed.
    My favorite combo was Digitakt +GR16.
    A perfect fit for the DT's 8 MIDI tracks which are also 4-voice polyphonic, like GR16 tracks, and the much faster beat slicing and great wavetable synthesis in GR16 combine well with the spontaneous sampling and sample tweaking of the DT. Plus , you can even p-lock MIDI mapped GR16 controls from the DT.

    gr16 is on my list 😎

  • @ExAsperis99 said:
    I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it. It would be like complaining about a manual transmission: I have to learn THREE pedals?! I mean, yes, you will have to learn the cockpit before you fly.

    In fact, I find its organization kind of energizing, weirdly. The menus and workflow are so beautifully thought out that it becomes second nature. Everything you need in a given moment is right at hand. And unlike anything on the iPad (except maybe Samplr?), a Digitakt is an instrument. And you need to learn it, but you can make music really quickly.

    My biggest and only real complaint is that the iPad has become the hub of everything, and at the core of that is AUM. And I simply haven't found a natural way to get the DT to play seamlessly and happily with the iPad. It shouldn't be hard, now that the DT is class-compliant, even. But I have a bear of a time synching the Digitakt to an AUM session.

    Someday I will learn, but at the moment, the DT is an island to itself.

    I'm not sure your car analogy is accurate. Using a drum machine is supposed to be fun, as opposed to driving, which isn't. Also, if I only had 3 pedals to press to learn how to master the Digitakt then I would be fine with that.

    You find it energising etc. I don't and that's fine but it's also why you and I have a different approach to making music and why the Digitakt simply doesn't suit mine.

  • @ashh said:

    @ExAsperis99 said:
    I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it. It would be like complaining about a manual transmission: I have to learn THREE pedals?! I mean, yes, you will have to learn the cockpit before you fly.

    In fact, I find its organization kind of energizing, weirdly. The menus and workflow are so beautifully thought out that it becomes second nature. Everything you need in a given moment is right at hand. And unlike anything on the iPad (except maybe Samplr?), a Digitakt is an instrument. And you need to learn it, but you can make music really quickly.

    My biggest and only real complaint is that the iPad has become the hub of everything, and at the core of that is AUM. And I simply haven't found a natural way to get the DT to play seamlessly and happily with the iPad. It shouldn't be hard, now that the DT is class-compliant, even. But I have a bear of a time synching the Digitakt to an AUM session.

    Someday I will learn, but at the moment, the DT is an island to itself.

    I'm not sure your car analogy is accurate. Using a drum machine is supposed to be fun, as opposed to driving, which isn't. Also, if I only had 3 pedals to press to learn how to master the Digitakt then I would be fine with that.

    You find it energising etc. I don't and that's fine but it's also why you and I have a different approach to making music and why the Digitakt simply doesn't suit mine.

    I misunderstood your post. I thought you hadn't actually put your hands on the Digitakt.

    And for me, the Digitakt is absolutely fun. Although I think few people would say that about the Octatrack, even the most ardent devotees.

  • @ExAsperis99 said:

    @ashh said:

    @ExAsperis99 said:
    I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it. It would be like complaining about a manual transmission: I have to learn THREE pedals?! I mean, yes, you will have to learn the cockpit before you fly.

    In fact, I find its organization kind of energizing, weirdly. The menus and workflow are so beautifully thought out that it becomes second nature. Everything you need in a given moment is right at hand. And unlike anything on the iPad (except maybe Samplr?), a Digitakt is an instrument. And you need to learn it, but you can make music really quickly.

    My biggest and only real complaint is that the iPad has become the hub of everything, and at the core of that is AUM. And I simply haven't found a natural way to get the DT to play seamlessly and happily with the iPad. It shouldn't be hard, now that the DT is class-compliant, even. But I have a bear of a time synching the Digitakt to an AUM session.

    Someday I will learn, but at the moment, the DT is an island to itself.

    I'm not sure your car analogy is accurate. Using a drum machine is supposed to be fun, as opposed to driving, which isn't. Also, if I only had 3 pedals to press to learn how to master the Digitakt then I would be fine with that.

    You find it energising etc. I don't and that's fine but it's also why you and I have a different approach to making music and why the Digitakt simply doesn't suit mine.

    I misunderstood your post. I thought you hadn't actually put your hands on the Digitakt.

    And for me, the Digitakt is absolutely fun. Although I think few people would say that about the Octatrack, even the most ardent devotees.

    (Also, the only reason to drive stick is because it's fun!)

  • @ExAsperis99 said:

    @ashh said:

    @ExAsperis99 said:
    I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it. It would be like complaining about a manual transmission: I have to learn THREE pedals?! I mean, yes, you will have to learn the cockpit before you fly.

    In fact, I find its organization kind of energizing, weirdly. The menus and workflow are so beautifully thought out that it becomes second nature. Everything you need in a given moment is right at hand. And unlike anything on the iPad (except maybe Samplr?), a Digitakt is an instrument. And you need to learn it, but you can make music really quickly.

    My biggest and only real complaint is that the iPad has become the hub of everything, and at the core of that is AUM. And I simply haven't found a natural way to get the DT to play seamlessly and happily with the iPad. It shouldn't be hard, now that the DT is class-compliant, even. But I have a bear of a time synching the Digitakt to an AUM session.

    Someday I will learn, but at the moment, the DT is an island to itself.

    I'm not sure your car analogy is accurate. Using a drum machine is supposed to be fun, as opposed to driving, which isn't. Also, if I only had 3 pedals to press to learn how to master the Digitakt then I would be fine with that.

    You find it energising etc. I don't and that's fine but it's also why you and I have a different approach to making music and why the Digitakt simply doesn't suit mine.

    I misunderstood your post. I thought you hadn't actually put your hands on the Digitakt.

    And for me, the Digitakt is absolutely fun. Although I think few people would say that about the Octatrack, even the most ardent devotees.

    I haven't but I do know what I do and don't like and whilst I was aware that it had menu diving I think the post I replied to on here was the final comment I needed to make me realise that it's not for me.

  • The only aspect of the Digitakt that I find menu-divey is scrolling through lists of samples/projects.

    Otherwise, it’s organised through a series of pages that are generally organised in a consistent fashion which aids muscle memory. The screen is excellent and gives visual feedback that you don’t even get with much knob per function hardware.

    I’ve got a Novation X-station which really is menu-divey.

    The page system clearly is not as immediate as a knob per function machine, but for me it’s not a painful experience.

  • @ExAsperis99 said:
    I see the theoretical objection to menu diving, but no one who actually has a Digitakt would complain about it.

    Agree 100%. The only menu diving I ever do it for setup. The rest is all right there on the screen, with a knob per function.

    There are a bunch of key combos that need to be learned (like your manual transmission example), but that doesn't take long. Way better than having to look all over the iPad's screen until you find the icon you were looking for.

  • @ExAsperis99 said:

    (Also, the only reason to drive stick is because it's fun!)

    Or because you live anywhere in the world outside the US ;)

  • For me the question is not whether to go with MPC One or DT. I currently have a Model Samples and Model Cycles and I love them both but am hitting the limitations (which I knew about). Now that I'm comfortable with and a fan of the Elektron sequencer, I'm looking to upgrade so the question for me at least is start with a Digitakt or Digitone?

    Interesting to see all this love for iPad as a music platform. I started there with Korg Gadget and AUM and all the rest. I got tired of hitting the limits of the iPad as well as having too many apps doing too many things with very different approaches. The context switching was a bummer as much as sitting in front of a computer screen would be. This is why I decided to get back into hardware which I'm loving again.

    It's a journey for sure!
    And FWIW my sweetwater consultant is not a stalker at all but helpful when I need. Maybe they tweaked their algorithm? lol

  • edited January 2022

    Love my Digitakt. It's the center for everything I do. Can't imagine not having it. Makes me nervous. It's also been progressively updated throughout the years into even more of a gem. The 1.30 update last year was major.

    But it is quirky so I imagine it's not the solution for everyone.

  • For me the Digitakt is above all fun. It’s a joy to play with and mess around. My “problem” with it is probably the preset and sample system, takes some time to find sounds, you cant instantly switch kits, etc… So in my case it’s not a “productive” machine. Probably my fault. I don’t use it much as an actual drum machine cos it takes me some time to get the sounds I’m looking for going and it’s faster on Drambo or whatever. But for initial noodling and getting some weird stuff going there’s nothing like it. The knobs, screen, the way you scroll the sample playhead, the light show… it’s stellar.

  • I’m still vacillating between eventually getting one of these or an octatrack; I’ve got a cycles and love the elektron sequencer, I feel like there’s a lifetime of exploration in the octa, maybe less so in the digi…

Sign In or Register to comment.