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.

Looking for feedback: setup difficulties?

Hello! I'm looking for some feedback on the experience of getting started with LP, and fitting it to your workflow. I want to spend a little time improving the initial experience, and after some input from you guys I'd like to go back and revise the set of initial templates, and perhaps integrate them more tightly into the initial experience – for example, asking up front what kind of workflow you're after, and loading an appropriate template. To achieve that, I want to try to get an idea of the more common workflows, and how best to implement them in LP, so I can make it easier for people to hit the ground running.

If you don't mind, I'd love to hear about your experiences. Here're some specific questions:

  • What is your workflow: Looping? Just noodling around? Arranging in the sequencer? Do you use a pedal or another MIDI controller? What kind of settings are you using: auto count-out, or open? Phase locked, or free? What kind of play and record quantization? How many loops on-screen, in what kind of arrangement – do you use groupings, like scenes/verse-chorus/etc, and how do you have that set up?
  • How much work did you have to do, to fit it to your desired workflow?
  • Was anything confusing, or difficult to achieve?
  • Are there any default settings which you think should be different?
  • Any default template setups that should be in there which aren't?
  • Assuming you took the tour, did I leave anything important out?

Thank you so much! ❤️

Comments

  • The “lego” approach of the app is a reason I stopped using it.

  • My usage is entirely in the AU inside NS2, mostly for one-shots, some loops, all midi triggered by the NS2 piano roll. I've not dived into Loopy's timeline yet at all.

    How much work did you have to do, to fit it to your desired workflow?

    Very little. I tend to almost clear the pre-set loops and then start filling it with what I need. One thing that does take a long time is the midi mapping for each one-shot / loop. Having a setting to automatically map each item as it's added would save a ton of time, it never really matters to me which thing is mapped to what note so that would probably save about 90% of my set up time.

    Was anything confusing, or difficult to achieve?

    The one thing I struggled with turned out to be a bug which was fixed ages ago.

    Are there any default settings which you think should be different?

    The default 8 loops isn't super useful to me, but then I'm not using it like I imagine most people are.

    Any default template setups that should be in there which aren't?

    Maybe one with the midi mapping already in place rather than my earlier suggestion that it could be automatic? (maybe there is one and I just haven't seen it)

    Assuming you took the tour, did I leave anything important out?

    I've forgotten all of it, but I think it was good enough that I've rarely had to look anything up. This is also testament to the UI/UX of the app though, it just makes sense and is extremely ergonomic in terms of being able to get stuff done as quickly as possible (except for the midi mapping).

    I do have one feature request though that came to me in a dream - the ability to map velocity to start position - I think this would open up Loopy to all sorts of cool uses currently not possible.

  • @carvingcode said:
    The “lego” approach of the app is a reason I stopped using it.

    This is exactly why I'm using it. ❤️

  • @psyndrome said:

    @carvingcode said:
    The “lego” approach of the app is a reason I stopped using it.

    This is exactly why I'm using it. ❤️

    The Lego is not the problem, but it’s implementation is a bit time repetitive and consuming for users.
    I mean the force of loopy pro is the ability to build your own configuration, the weak side is the UI that doesn’t help to do so when it come to batch treatment.
    Per example the small inspectors windows can’t be enlarge and is not contextual ( I’d like to to keep it open and inspect loops by clicking on it instead of haven’t to close and reopen the inspector on each loop)
    It could be the same for setting multiple selection( select may loop and set the parameters / midi mapping using the inspector instead of having to set the options one by one.ouse handling.
    To sum up the Lego approach is an excellent solution.
    But as we have to build our own configuration the tools must help us to so and avoid any repetitive tasks.
    There’s also a small but very annoying design when it come to time stretch: once o allow is duplicated or maybe after saving a project we can’t set the initial temp of a loop anymore the option disappear is ther a reason for that ?
    Theses are on the bad side but there’s so much goodness we could talk about in loopy pro.
    Thanks for listening and asking for feedback

  • edited July 2022

    Wonderful, thanks heaps for this! I'll sit down and pour over it shortly

  • Looping.

    I like LP but just never got the flow I was hoping for with it and Retro recording: Loops with set duration eg.

    Play a 4 bar phrase, hit a button hear it back. Play a 1 bar phrase for a different loop, hit a button hear it back.

    I found I couldn’t take my eyes off the app so that I could focus on playing or operate it reliably with a controller away from the iPad.

    I’d pay pretty much whatever you asked for this to work! (Reverse would be nice too.)

    It’s an amazing app, I just feel it’s better for people doing production than my style of looping.

  • edited July 2022

    My main non messing around use for Loopy is to try and nail guitar parts via retrospective recording with a DAW looping a section in sync in the background. I was very confused when first trying retrospective recording and I’m still not sure I fully understand what is happening. Note that I did not and have still not read the manual for this feature so it could well be explained in there but I figure this “raw user” experience has some value :wink: Here is what I did and what I saw as a new user:

    1. Set up retrospective recording for a clip (10 bars, play timestretch off, quantised retrospective recording, happens with Master or Loop set in play quantisation)
    2. Sync play with DAW via Link, tempo is set correctly automatically
    3. Play some stuff, tap the donut just after a good take has completed.
    4. The donut is dark orange as if it is continuing to record and didn’t appear to record what I had played in the previous run through.

    I was sure this had worked when I had tested it with shorter loops so did some trial and error testing. I eventually worked out that by resetting the tempo screen and then retyping the tempo fixed the problem and I was then able to record longer retrospective loops. I don’t have a good explanation as to why this fixed the issue but it triggered a memory of someone here saying that there is some value that gets fixed to some largest value until you reset it. Starting a new project showed the same issue until I did the reset trick. It could be to do with the default play/stop quantisation settings but I don’t know why resetting things would have made a difference there.

    If this is working as designed then maybe some warning is needed that this is not going to work quite like you expected for x reason as it was opaque to me.

    (Please do reply to this comment in one of the other Loopy threads as I don’t want to derail this one if we need to go into this in more detail!)

  • I dropped out of using it as well, quite a while ago really. There was just too much distracting me from what I was wanting to do - mainly just audio looping and that’s about it. I suggested the idea of a ‘Loopy Lite’ a while ago on the forum mainly for Looping - but there wasn’t much interest in response from many people.

    I felt that each time that I was raking around in amongst it all and just getting a bit frustrated - maybe when I was wanting to do something normally regarded as straightforward - but just couldn’t twig it. For an app so in-depth the interface seems a bit sparse and unintuitive to me. I still haven’t worked out if you can drag and drop a loop onto the timeline. I could have asked here of course but I was too tempted to drift onto another direction by that time.

    I think I had become too accustomed to Samplebot and had that in mind when using LP.

    I found the UI a bit off putting as well - a bit too vectorish for my liking to the point of being distracting.

    I must say though as well @Michael - I find it a bit bizarre that you are asking about peoples problems getting started with LP - yet the manual for it is still only half finished ?? 😀… including the section on Templates. You are asking about any problems arranging in the sequencer - it’s completely empty in the manual.

    These aren’t gripes - it’s just an account of my experiences with LP as asked for. I hope they can help in some way.

  • Further to my answer a second ago - if you could make Samplebot an AU - that would be just great 🤔😀👍

  • @robosardine : can you describe what the features of what you would find to be a distraction-free template would be? what were the things that you found distracting about the default?

  • TBH I can’t remember - it’s been a good while since I was at it. What I do remember is being left with the impression I described above.
    I would find myself opening the app to get going on it - but after several uses it just didn’t feel like it was becoming routine for me and I would end up stuck - and again not able to refer to the manual.
    Or I might import a loop that played at the wrong speed, the sequencer would be running seemingly out of my control never mind dropping audio on it then having to find out what editing I could do with it. Boxes appear as I prod around that I don’t know what to do with. I also had a bit of difficulty seeing which loops were doing what in a low lighting mode.
    I think I got the sense that - if it’s taking me this long to do something relatively simple then it’s going to take me a good long while to learn the whole app… especially when there is no manual - I found that quite frustrating - there was seemingly a desire to have new features before it’s completion - and it’s still not close. But it was probably a bit of impatience on my part as well.
    I like Launchpad - I find that extremely easy to work with and understand in comparison… though maybe that is stating the obvious? If it had separate outs it would be just dandy.
    Here’s how bad I am with it - I updated - opened it up - thought I might have a look at these templates…. couldn’t even find them 😅
    As it is I’m not using either of them in my current workflow so it’s all fine.

  • @Jeezs said:

    @psyndrome said:

    @carvingcode said:
    The “lego” approach of the app is a reason I stopped using it.

    This is exactly why I'm using it. ❤️

    The Lego is not the problem, but it’s implementation is a bit time repetitive and consuming for users.
    I mean the force of loopy pro is the ability to build your own configuration, the weak side is the UI that doesn’t help to do so when it come to batch treatment.
    Per example the small inspectors windows can’t be enlarge and is not contextual ( I’d like to to keep it open and inspect loops by clicking on it instead of haven’t to close and reopen the inspector on each loop)
    It could be the same for setting multiple selection( select may loop and set the parameters / midi mapping using the inspector instead of having to set the options one by one.ouse handling.
    To sum up the Lego approach is an excellent solution.
    But as we have to build our own configuration the tools must help us to so and avoid any repetitive tasks.
    There’s also a small but very annoying design when it come to time stretch: once o allow is duplicated or maybe after saving a project we can’t set the initial temp of a loop anymore the option disappear is ther a reason for that ?
    Theses are on the bad side but there’s so much goodness we could talk about in loopy pro.
    Thanks for listening and asking for feedback

    I posted this on the slack forum the 24th. I think it's about the same things you mention..

  • edited July 2022

    @Michael said:

    • What is your workflow: Looping? Just noodling around? Arranging in the sequencer? Do you use a pedal or another MIDI controller? What kind of settings are you using: auto count-out, or open? Phase locked, or free? What kind of play and record quantization? How many loops on-screen, in what kind of arrangement – do you use groupings, like scenes/verse-chorus/etc, and how do you have that set up?

    I like to noodle around playing with loops (both 'prerecorded' and recorded in loopy using different AUs, with solo and choke settings mostly, I also like the slicer (would like the slices to be able to be set by the user).
    I want to arrange/adjust what I play afterwards, but I'm finding the sequencer too limited for that. I end up MIDI-learning the loops and some widgets and the recording/playing back from Xequence.
    Or I set up a loopy AU per loop in Cubasis/Drambo and MIDI-learn them to play them there (multi-out would help here as you would not have to set up an AU per loop).
    Both procedures are a bit cumbersome.
    I want to be able to automate parameters/sidechain etc...

    • How much work did you have to do, to fit it to your desired workflow?

    See above: setting different behaviours for loops, making widgets, MIDI-learn them to control/record them from elsewhere.

    • Was anything confusing, or difficult to achieve?

    I don't really remember. I guess I'm used to it now. I guess it's a bit of a task setting things up.

    • Are there any default settings which you think should be different?

    I never use a default. I start by recording/importing some loops and then remove the surplus from the default template. I actually would rather start empty for now.

    • Any default template setups that should be in there which aren't?

    Must think about that.

    • Assuming you took the tour, did I leave anything important out?

    I did not take the tour.

    Thank you so much! ❤️

    I love loopy. As I've said before I love it for the freedom it gives you in being able to set things up the way you imagine them. Afterwards I love the immediacy in playing. And your dedication. :)

  • I think being able to select loops and then change settings in them simultaneously as mentioned above would be helpful in setting things up.

    About the MIDI-learn procedures. Would a 'reverse MIDI-learn' be something? I'm afraid I haven't thought this through enough, but it's about the following:

    In 'reverse MIDI-learn' loops and widgets alike send out MIDI messages without having to set them up first. Loop/clip 1 C1, the second one C#1 etc... Widget 1 starts sending CC1, 2 CC2 etc.. That way you can immediately start to record your performance in MIDI and afterwards use that MIDI to control these loops/widgets in Loopy.

    But again: haven't thought this through enough I'm afraid...

  • @prtr_jan : you mentioned wanting to start with an empty document. You can create a template that is empty. Make an empty project. Save it. Make it a template. Save.

    if that is your only template, new projects will be empty.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    @prtr_jan : you mentioned wanting to start with an empty document. You can create a template that is empty. Make an empty project. Save it. Make it a template. Save.

    if that is your only template, new projects will be empty.

    I just hadn’t done that yet. :) Thanks..

  • I use Loopy Pro for almost all the starts of my songs. I set up a template with 20 donuts all different colors so I can have everything al on its own channel. I just use it as a looper really. I use threshold recording a lot so I don’t have to use a pedal. Using it in probably the most basic way imaginable but I love it!

  • The only thing I would like is a simpler way to get to
    the volume and pan for the individual loops when the mixer is hidden.
    At the moment I have to minimise the mixer and then
    press the loops icon to get to volume and pan.
    Is there something that will flip the loops when the mixer is minimised
    so that it's one move rather than a couple?

  • @Gravitas said:
    The only thing I would like is a simpler way to get to
    the volume and pan for the individual loops when the mixer is hidden.
    At the moment I have to minimise the mixer and then
    press the loops icon to get to volume and pan.
    Is there something that will flip the loops when the mixer is minimised
    so that it's one move rather than a couple?

    Long-press on the mixer icon switches clips to the volume/pan mode without needing to show the mixer. Tap the mixer icon again to go back to normal mode.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @Gravitas said:
    The only thing I would like is a simpler way to get to
    the volume and pan for the individual loops when the mixer is hidden.
    At the moment I have to minimise the mixer and then
    press the loops icon to get to volume and pan.
    Is there something that will flip the loops when the mixer is minimised
    so that it's one move rather than a couple?

    Long-press on the mixer icon switches clips to the volume/pan mode without needing to show the mixer. Tap the mixer icon again to go back to normal mode.

    Brilliant.

    That speeds things up perfectly.

    Thank you.

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