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.

iOS Workflow

I've got quite a few apps, they are categorised by type but last night i had the idea to put the apps i'm going to use for a song into their own folder and then use only those.

Any that don't work or cause problems get replaced with something else and this sets the framework of what i can use and forces me to learn that app and what it can do. So for bass i might use Animoog and multifx Turnado (i know all the apps appear in a drop down in AB etc but i just ignore the ones i'm not using).

So with the vast array of options how do you keep yoursel focused like when working on iOS?

Cheers!

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Comments

  • I keep all the sound generators (synths, drum machines, etc.) organized by output type (Audio Copy Paste, AudioBus, etc.) in different folders. Then bring one out at a time and make audio clips, run those clips though effects and editing apps which are all on the homepage, then store those clips in Audioshare.

    I end up using those clips in Ableton Live on my laptop, which I use for music creation most of the time. Helps too because I only have a 16gb Air that is pretty full already, and I wouldn't want to get into a situation where I ran out of room.

  • I have 2 folders...

    1/'Sound Sources' this includes all synths/samplers/drum machines/unused DAWs such as Nanostudio, Cubasis & Caustic etc..basically anything that generates sound...

    2/'FX' speaks for its self but includes apps like Auria that have FX but not synths or sound source..basically anything that affects the sounds...

    I then have Gadget on the home page along with a few others such as Beathawk or Audiobus....my currently chosen starting points for creating a track...

    This helps me to keep choice paralysis at bay :)

  • My apps are in a bit of mess. I have folders (synths, drum machines, midi stuff etc) but I also have a mixed music app favourites folder and new apps all tend to sit on the top level unfiled.

    But I don't think it slows me down much. I know where to find stuff or I just use the search.

    Workflow wise, more and more, I'm just trying to generate interesting raw sounds for sequencing and composing within Gadget.

    So I'm digging through Creative Commons stuff for vocal samples etc, and I'm interested in odd apps that will generate odd and unique sounds that can be micro sequenced and mangled in the Bilbao and Abu sampler gadgets.

    Current favourite sound making apps are things like Impacktor, Elastic Drums, Animoog on random and also digging through other apps on board samples. But it all ends up getting imported as one shots and slices into Gadget (via audiobus and audioshare).

    I'm also liking FX apps like Effectrix and Spacesampler for treating samples before they go into Gadget.

  • @1P18 said:

    I keep all the sound generators (synths, drum machines, etc.) organized by output type (Audio Copy Paste, AudioBus, etc.) in different folders. Then bring one out at a time and make audio clips, run those clips though effects and editing apps which are all on the homepage, then store those clips in Audioshare.

    I end up using those clips in Ableton Live on my laptop, which I use for music creation most of the time. Helps too because I only have a 16gb Air that is pretty full already, and I wouldn't want to get into a situation where I ran out of room.

    Great, i might adopt this for the rest of my apps. I think this was born out of apps not working well in AB or as an IAA so i could categorise those apps your way. I am using AS more and more these days, probably my fave app on ioS, just rock solid. Cheers.

  • @DaveMagoo said:

    I have 2 folders...

    1/'Sound Sources' this includes all synths/samplers/drum machines/unused DAWs such as Nanostudio, Cubasis & Caustic etc..basically anything that generates sound...

    2/'FX' speaks for its self but includes apps like Auria that have FX but not synths or sound source..basically anything that affects the sounds...

    I then have Gadget on the home page along with a few others such as Beathawk or Audiobus....my currently chosen starting points for creating a track...

    This helps me to keep choice paralysis at bay :)

    That was the idea as well. I got the idea from someone who said think inside the box so i took it literally. :)

    I have the most used apps on the homepage taskbar and i thought keeping the rest in folders keeps them outta sight until i need them but there's still a decision load when i open a folder to choose a synth even if it's just to dabble so i'm trying to be more focused, filter the app acquisition! :)

  • A front page of most used apps, a page of folders with categories like, Tracks, Patterns, Synths, Controllers, Effects, Amps, a page of folders with company names like Holderness, SugarBytes, Apesoft, Zolotov, Kymatica, iMusicAlbum. It's helpful... But never hesitate to reorganize and recategorize from time to time. Never let your workflow be hampered by an old understanding, if you have a new idea don't be afraid to mix it up a bit.

  • edited January 2015

    @Zetagy Good. I feel almost normal again. About once every five to six weeks I have a complete shake up. Delete things that I haven't used/opened for that past period, go through things that I had previously deleted and reconsider. I have also taken to making notes of interesting ideas/recs people have (maybe an effect, a setting, a more obscure app) in Trello and then leaving them alone until I have my next sort out. I had a terrible period of jumping wildly from one thing to the next, like a succession of bacon rashers in mid-air that I felt I was constantly chasing after without ever getting to eat any particular one. Mangled enough metaphor for ya?

    What?

    Trello?

    Ah, a simply great and greatly simple list app that works on everything, updates everywhere, is free, and most importantly has lists that can be re-arranged with your finger.

    Changed my life, Vicar.

  • @JohnnyGoodyear thanks for the trello tip, DLed and having a look now

  • I have a 'make music' folder in my dock that has my go to apps. The rest are organized by type but only get pulled out when I need something specific or feel like wasting an evening dicking around (more often than I'd like).

  • I've got two main folders, "Audio/Effects" and "Audio/Midi". I could/should separate these further, but it's mostly futile, as I either use AB (which categorizes things), or look up specific apps as I need them.

    Personally, I feel a better workflow question is how do you use the iPad as a musical tool? Is it a dedicated midi controller, an all-in-one format, a sound source or effects unit, or some combination?

  • Every season I change the colour of my home screen. This summer it's Royal Blue.

  • @musikmachine said:

    @1P18 said:

    I keep all the sound generators (synths, drum machines, etc.) organized by output type (Audio Copy Paste, AudioBus, etc.) in different folders. Then bring one out at a time and make audio clips, run those clips though effects and editing apps which are all on the homepage, then store those clips in Audioshare.

    I end up using those clips in Ableton Live on my laptop, which I use for music creation most of the time. Helps too because I only have a 16gb Air that is pretty full already, and I wouldn't want to get into a situation where I ran out of room.

    Great, i might adopt this for the rest of my apps. I think this was born out of apps not working well in AB or as an IAA so i could categorise those apps your way. I am using AS more and more these days, probably my fave app on ioS, just rock solid. Cheers.

    I've even got two folders for Inter App Audio synths, ones that work directly with midi (the vast majority, called IAA generators I believe) and ones that require special midi routing with IAA (like Propellerhead's Thor, which I think are called IAA instruments). Considering I use midi controller apps it is important to know the difference.

    I have found it's best to keep them organized this way, so I can quickly choose an app and then also know how it can be used.

  • Mine are completely disorganised. As I do everything via AB though I'll just scroll through the list until something clicks.

  • On my "front page," I have one "folder" for synth, one for drum machine and one for effects. Then, on the bottom toolbar, I have my primary tools- BM2, Auria & AB.

  • Wait... This is work?

  • I've started doing @Matt_Fletcher_2000 said:

    My apps are in a bit of mess. I have folders (synths, drum machines, midi stuff etc) but I also have a mixed music app favourites folder and new apps all tend to sit on the top level unfiled.

    But I don't think it slows me down much. I know where to find stuff or I just use the search.

    Workflow wise, more and more, I'm just trying to generate interesting raw sounds for sequencing and composing within Gadget.

    So I'm digging through Creative Commons stuff for vocal samples etc, and I'm interested in odd apps that will generate odd and unique sounds that can be micro sequenced and mangled in the Bilbao and Abu sampler gadgets.

    Current favourite sound making apps are things like Impacktor, Elastic Drums, Animoog on random and also digging through other apps on board samples. But it all ends up getting imported as one shots and slices into Gadget (via audiobus and audioshare).

    I'm also liking FX apps like Effectrix and Spacesampler for treating samples before they go into Gadget.

    Problem for me is i don't know what's gonna work with what app, i always have problems with IAA or AB and i was getting frustrated so i'm gonna run with 1P18s idea and break things down a bit more once i know what's what!

    I'm doing what you're doing as well sampling into AB to create samples to load into Abu, Bilbao and Egoist. Actually forgot about CC so thanks for the reminder.

    @Zetagy no doubt!

    @JGY that's another thing, sometimes i forget i even have an app till i see it the folder and stuff can go unused or pushed back for something newer or better.

    @Accent that's a good point mine's a combination but i was thinking of making music on the iPad with AB and whatever sequencer you use. :)

    Thanks @everyone else, to tired to reply in depth but some great ideas.

  • edited January 2015

    Pics are easier than trying to describe it, but I still end up resorting to searches from time to time.

  • Hmmmm....seems like uploading photos with the new forum isn't working very well. I get a hung message indicating it is uploading.

  • Try this again.....

  • @funkjunkie27 Damn man, your almost as bad as me for being an app-a-holic.
    ;)

  • I can never get past step one of those twelve step programs ;-)

  • I keep the music apps so that each page has a dominant colour. The video synthesis apps are elsewhere in a single folder as there arent enough of them (which is a significant problem in 2015 - it seems like we're going backwards there).

  • Mmmmmmm....So many apps...So many choices, Choices, CHOICES!

  • edited January 2015

    my main goal with iOS is to create house/tec stems to load into my octatrack. so for me it's pretty straightforward: pick one of the nearly all-in-one apps like nanostudio and build a few track elements -- bassline, top rhythm, etc. -- that i can export individually. looking forward to trying this with beathawk, which i just purchased.

    at some point i'm hoping to build stems more often with multiple apps, especially for complex synth lines. i can imagine a day when i can use audiobus to link up a sequencer, iOS synth and a couple of downstream effects and then record the results into auria or something. based on what i've experienced (and read here), we're still waiting for a sequencer app that can do the job. till then, i'm keeping it simple.

  • I tend to keep my music apps in folders by function and sometimes developer. Percussion, midi, sequencer, synth, DAW, glitch, guitar, samples, filter, modular, Korg, ApeSoft, VirSyn, Zolotov, Fiddlewax, Wisdom... My chief goal is being able to find them and have a sense of what I have. Rely upon Audiobus quite a lot in terms of their nice alphabetized list of apps. My goal is enjoying, exploring, and creating music. From time to time I'll put together a piece so producing a finished work isn't really a focus. Happy to live at a time where I have all of these musical instruments to play.

  • @funjunkie27 said:
    Try this again.....

    Mine's not dissimilar just with slightly fewer folders but i didn't realise you could have boxes in the taskbar so i can have many more p make much better use of the screen real estate. I keep all the AV and productivity apps on another so it's just music (and Frax:)) on the main screen.

    @u0421793, damn son i'm gonna need a few more apps before i can colour code lol!

    @knewspeak, exactly! Gotta narrow it down man.

    @dubathonic you can do that, i record into Auria quite a lot.

    @Paulinko are you on ios8?

  • The task bar folders are handy, since you can access them from any page.

  • I leave one spot open on the task bar. That way, when moving an app from page to page, I can put it down there as a temporary clipboard while I scroll around.

  • edited January 2015

    @musikmachine I have an iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2, and an iPhone 5S all on iOS 8.1.3. My biggest issue with iOS 8 is not having sound when I put multiple apps in the input or effects slots of Audiobus but by opening and closing the apps I can get the chain working and it's stable after that. Everything else seems to work fine and there are only a few apps that I use that haven't been updated to iOS 8 yet. Didn't switch the iPad mini over to iOS until 8.1.2 was released. The iPad 2 is still on iOS 7.

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    I have also taken to making notes of interesting ideas/recs people have (maybe an effect, a setting, a more obscure app) in Trello and then leaving them alone until I have my next sort out.

    I use Evernote for a similar approach :) Gonna check on this Trello now :)

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