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.

Advice needed for main device purchase

edited November 2022 in Other
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Comments

  • Apple will not get new money from me.
    If ever, I will buy used devices.

    I constantly use an iPad Pro 9.7, Pro 12.9 (2nd. gen) and iPad Air 3.
    All work great, offer a Home Button, Touch-ID and headphone-jack.
    The Air 3 has sadly only speakers on one side, which is my only complain.

    I maxed out the storage on all of them. But 64 GB can suffice when you don't plan to install lots of Apps.

    1. Do you like the mobile options? Do you need a laptop for specific programs?
    2. I recommend the most storage you can get for the only device you plan on owning.
    3. New 9th gen base ipad if you care about lightning cable and heaphone jack, new Air if you don't and since the 10th gen base is just a shittier version of the air.
    4. 9th gen is as used as I would go.
    5. Depends on the system. M1/2 mac, you may be able to use a tiny percentage of the apps you purchased on there, likely not though. Garageband is extremely pwerful for being free. Windows has tons of free options; Cakewalk, Tracktion, LMMS(mac also). There are LOADS of free plugins on desktop, moreso than iOS by a few miles.
  • edited November 2022

    Get the most recent device with as much storage as you can afford. It matters little which one you get unless your workflow dictates something specific to a particular platform.

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  • What does "music hobby" mean to you?
    Desktop and tablet might offer similar functionality on paper but using them couldn't be more different.

  • edited November 2022
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  • @JMmusic said:
    I need to purchase a device for music hobby. I had an iPad Air 2, but no more. Also have purchased quite a few apps when I had the Air 2 (Auria Pro w/FabFilter IAPs, Synthmaster stuff, Tobeboosters stuff, Bleass stuff, Korg Gadget and most IAPs, Moog apps) so more than enough to make tunes. I have an iPhone SE that I’ve been using until I purchase something else. I go back and forth and back and forth constantly checking prices on stuff and just want to ask this nice forum of musicians for advice.

    1. Should I buy a new iPad and stay on mobile, or buy a laptop and switch to desktop stuff?
    2. If iPad, is 64GB enough storage?
    3. Buy used iPad or new?
    4. If used, how old is still ok?
    5. If laptop, use free VSTs and plugins or need to buy stuff again (after I bought them on iPad :'( )

    Thanks in advance for your advice!
    Jon

    This is just my advice (aka my own opinions), so take with a grain of salt.

    Since music is your hobby, I would stick to mobile for now. Depending on how deep your pockets are, I would recommend either a 10th gen iPad with 256gb internal storage, or a Mini 6 with 256gb internal storage. If a headphone jack is a necessary requirement, a refurbished Mini 5 should work. The difference is, the 10th gen iPad and Mini 6 have USB-C ports, but the Mini 5 still uses a lightning port. 256gb is definitely the sweet spot for most hobbyists.

    Then again...and this is another idea to take with a grain of salt...maybe get an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro with 256gb storage or 512gb storage. This has a vastly improved battery life over the SE and, yeah, more internal storage. 256gb is the sweet spot, but if you can afford a bit more, 512gb.

  • @JMmusic I understand your dilemma; there is so much choice nowadays that even if you decide on a format (laptop, tablet, etc) there's a litany of choices between makers, models, storage, colors, etc.

    I started using iOS music production apps in 2015 and soon began using them exclusively in my home studio. I started on analog PortaStudio's in the mid 1990's so I always loved the immediate tactile hands on nature of the PortaStudio's so the touch screen interface of the iPad's always attracted me to them.

    I know decisions about gear are difficult but once you decide what you're seeking in your musical journey it will come together fairly painlessly. Good luck brother...

  • edited November 2022

    If going mobile, I'd recommend getting a pro model, because they have noticeably better speakers (unless that's changed in recent years). Some might say it doesn't matter because you should always use headphones or external speakers anyway, but at least for me that just isn't realistic. For being crappy speakers they're surprisingly good (ok folks, stop throwing tomatoes).

    Size wise I wouldn't get less than 512GB. I currently have 256, and I'm running out. Neo-Soul Keys Studio 2 uses something like 10GB, Pure Synth is huge as well, and many others, plus I have huge games on the device (like Buldurs Gate I & 2, each is several GB). I want to get Divinity: Original Sin 2, but it's 18GB. You can delete and re-download etc, but that is annoying as hell. BUT, maybe 512 is overkill for you, but 64GB is almost guaranteed to be too little, esp if you're planning on using romplers or samples.

    Mobile or laptop/desktop? For me that's easy: mobile. Partly because I like laying in bed, and tablets are simply much more nimble to use, although I do have a MacBook for doing serious writing (which might be replacable with a tablet keyboard — haven't gotten around to try that.) Also, it's a huge boon that ios plugins are so inexpensive.

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  • edited November 2022
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  • @JMmusic said:

    @JRSIV said:
    I know decisions about gear are difficult but once you decide what you're seeking in your musical journey it will come together fairly painlessly. Good luck brother...

    Thank you! Agree that deciding what style and where I want to go would help quite a bit. I would ask what drew all of you to mobile over desktop?

    The fact that after purchasing a device, the professional-grade plugins such as ToneBoosters and Bleass are significantly cheaper. The fact that I can Airdrop projects between devices (start on the iPhone, finish on the iPad). The fact I can use a touchscreen rather than fiddle about with a mouse and keyboard shortcuts (well, this is my personal preference, and you may prefer the mouse/keyboard workflow). And the fact I can use an Apple Pencil to make art on my device (I prefer a laminated screen and have used a Mini 5 and now use a 12.9" M1 iPad Pro).

    After thinking about it more I think it comes down to sounds and overall cost. If I go mobile, plugins are much cheaper but sampled instruments are not as nice. If I go PC the opposite is true. Tough choice!

    Wait, have you tried Module Pro, Beathawk, and Pure Synth Platinum? Those have very nice sampled instruments and all can be used as AUv3. ;)

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  • @JMmusic said:

    @jwmmakerofmusic said:
    Wait, have you tried Module Pro, Beathawk, and Pure Synth Platinum? Those have very nice sampled instruments and all can be used as AUv3. ;)

    Module Pro with Orchestra IAP and Beathawk with orchestral instrument IAPs, but not Synth Platinum. I like those sampled instruments, but desktop (for a 8x the price!) had much better sampled instruments.
    I’m wondering now can I make the music I want to make with the sampled instrument offerings on iOS? I’ll just have to try it. Maybe I don’t need desktop class sampled instruments to do what I want to do :|

    The KAPro orchestra instruments in Module are hard to beat no cap. ;) Give it a shot. I mean, if you listen to any of @LinearLineman 's pieces, you'll see quickly that top quality samples are available on iOS. He uses Cubasis. I'm sure he can fill you in more on what's good and what isn't.

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  • That’s such a personal preference thing, depending entirely on what tools inspire you the most. There’s no one-size fits all.

    I’ve spent a small fortune on hardware synths, grooveboxes , in addition to desktop plugins and daws for my M1 Pro — But I always gravitate back to iPad, spending more time in apps like Drambo and accompanying AUV3 plugins than I do anything else in my arsenal. I don’t regret the purchases though, as I love having such a large pallet of sound possibilities —…but if I was stuck on a desert island, I’d be happy with just an iPad. YMMV

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  • @JMmusic said:
    @Eschatone Is your music style more synth based?

    75% synth, 25% sampled instruments.

  • @JMmusic said:
    I need to purchase a device for music hobby. I had an iPad Air 2, but no more. Also have purchased quite a few apps when I had the Air 2 (Auria Pro w/FabFilter IAPs, Synthmaster stuff, Tobeboosters stuff, Bleass stuff, Korg Gadget and most IAPs, Moog apps) so more than enough to make tunes. I have an iPhone SE that I’ve been using until I purchase something else. I go back and forth and back and forth constantly checking prices on stuff and just want to ask this nice forum of musicians for advice.

    1. Should I buy a new iPad and stay on mobile, or buy a laptop and switch to desktop stuff?
    2. If iPad, is 64GB enough storage?
    3. Buy used iPad or new?
    4. If used, how old is still ok?
    5. If laptop, use free VSTs and plugins or need to buy stuff again (after I bought them on iPad :'( )

    Thanks in advance for your advice!
    Jon

    It depends , if you where satisfied with mobile , then pick a used ipad . Air2 is pretty old , so buying a relative recent model would make difference ...
    On desktop you'll find plenty of quality free stuff ,so don't worry about spending much , it depends on your choice of workflow

  • edited February 2023
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  • @JMmusic said:
    New old iPad arrived today :)
    iPad Pro 9.7 1st Gen bought from Gazelle for $155. Wanted to buy something slightly better than the Air 2 I had since I already used that to make some tunes. Price was good, so I hope to make something good with it!

    That's a great deal you found on Gazelle! I still use my 2nd Gen 12.9" Pro as a sheet music reader, and it runs just fine. ☺️

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