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.

Sonic State of the Bus

New video from the Sonic State/Touch guys pointing out some of the frustrations we experience. Fair critique.
Of particular interest is in the first minute they seem to imply that iMPC is coming on board.
The debate over repeatability vs performance creativity is something I think about.

Comments

  • A lot of really core issues that are at the heart of what needs to evolve if the ipad is to mature into a leading music production hub IMHO although Cubasis pulls it together better than most so far....

  • edited May 2013

    Thanks for posting this Ted. I like these guys. Nice to know I'm not the only one encountering those creative workflow challenges. So true how often times there's a great idea created from multiple apps but it could just be some simple technical hiccup that can kill the whole creative vibe that at times, makes one question why the pain is worth it.

  • That said surely GarageBand is not the app you head for when you want midi clock etc

  • Picked up tips on ACP in GB, at least.

  • edited May 2013

    @Ian - Good point but with so many exciting options available to us, it's those types of little roadblocks that pop up every now and then that just totally kill the creative flow. Say what you will about the old cheap 4 track cassette recorders but all you had to do was press record and you were free to embark on a creative journey. Now, you gotta make sure you have enough resources to handle multiple apps or power hungry apps, got your virtual midi set up correctly, know the specific quirks of each app (if any of them are buggy), have the right sounds/samples set up, the right fx from the right app, freeze this track to be able to record another track, etc. Dont get me wrong, we're very fortunate to have these options available but our grandkids will have a much easier, smoother time with ios after we've all gone thru the pain of hashing out the bugs for em. @funjunkie - yeah, its funny. When audiobus first came out, I thought I'd never have to use audiocopy/paste again but I still use it a lot, about the same as audiobus.

  • @gjcyrus - same here...ACP still has its place and I use it more than I expected I would post AB launch, given the variety of AB implementations and worthwhile apps still not on the bus.

  • Interesting video, I like what these guys do but I think there coming from a musicians stand point, I come from audio engineer’s perspective; there has all ways been problems with recording music, when analogue multitrack was first introduced there was all sorts of problems, lining up tape machines wrong, bleed through etc, then as digital recording started to come in that had it problems, try getting a 24trk tape machine synced to a Protools system, that was hours of fun with smtp time code and offsets. Now we are moving into another way of recording and there will be problems but as engineer I’ll just find another way, at the moment it’s about finding the right work flow, yes having your creative juices stopped because of tech problems is a pain but that happens in all recording sessions.
    I could give many examples of sessions in pro studios coming to a halt because of tech problems, at least if it’s your own session at home it’s not costing you thousand’s in studio time.

  • edited May 2013

    @PatrickMoore - Haha, I agree that there will always be problems with something. And I can sympathize with your pain regarding the Pro Tools syncing with tape. But as I mentioned here (and in another thread) I do appreciate what we have available but I think it's healthy to question and criticize (in a positive way) where the technology is so that it improves. You have more experience that I do working with Pro Tools but wouldn't it be fair to say that in the beginning, Pro Tools sound quality was awful, thus the need to sync with tape as artists still needed the sound that tape offered but wanted the flexibility in editng that digital provided. But it was only later after much criticism by ppl waaay more vocal than me, that Pro Tools became good enough that many artists and producers started to be okay with Pro Tools without the tape? (although that could also be due to shrinking budgets and change in general public's tastes) Not to just change topics here but may I ask your recording setup? I think you mentioned a Focusrite in other thread? Also what your thoughts are on the New Mastering app, Auria's plugins and any other apps you like? Also, since you've been part of the UK recording scene, have you ever worked with Flood or Alan Moulder in addition to Geoff Emerick? While I may be critical of many apps, I genuinely am supportive and believe in the technology whereas many of my friends who are also engineers haven't taken ios recording very seriously or even taken an interest despite me bugging them to check out this app or that app.

  • The point about repeatability is one that I hope is addressed by app improvements. Capturing and playing back for editing XY pad movement is needed. Most apps don't send them as midi and the midi capture I use, Cubasis, doesn't capture CCs. In a DAW, Cubase, the ability to repeat and change a small section is what makes them so powerful. The narrators more general point about being able to repeat a performance with one of these marvelous interface apps is one place devs need to explore.

    The point about clock synch may go away with this month's Cubasis release. It's supposed support midi clock and thru. Makes capturing the notes in time easier but still no CC. iPads are magical music instruments because of the touch adding feel. It needs to captured.

  • I have to agree with everything the Sonic Touch guys said in this video. The whole thing is clunky and frustrating. And yet, I make all my music this way now. Because it seems no more frustrating than a typical session on my PC DAW, and I get to carry a studio around in my backpack. I've been recording my own music since 1974, and I cannot remember a time when the technology was settled for more than a few months. The primary characteristics of being an electronic musician are experimentation and early adoption of whatever is new.

    Making music on the iPad is liberating, because it can happen anywhere, any time, and it can produce great results.

  • Recall is one of the reasons I prat on about Nanostudio. As opposed to AudioBus setups and virtual midi setups, when I open a song in NS it's always as if I never left.

  • Ultimately what we need is something akin to VST plugins for ios Daws. It's going to take time - and more powerful hardware I think - but the day will come.

  • edited March 2014

    .

  • yea I think he meant iMini but accidentally said both of them but just kept rolling on with the show...hopefully eventually iMPC is but who knows...

  • Wishful thinking on my part

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