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 StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Comments
Yes, MIDI CC messages always have a value. Been that way since '83
But to understand what you're doing: you want to activate a channel (e.g. for editing) by sending a midi command, right? Interesting thought. Currently that's not implemented, but it should be easy to do. Would having a dedicated MIDI CC number for it help (and then using the value for indicating the channel)?
E.g. send CC#120 with value 0 for first channel, CC#120 with value 1 for second channel, etc.?
That would not be hard to implement.
I'm not sure if this has been addressed in all the other posts I only had time to skim.
I think you already covered this in another post, but the reason I choose a single channel is to avoid possible stray notes coming from some other source. For instance, if you set up Patterning to send to more than one MIDI channel for the purpose of using more than one plugin (say, RuisMaker for kick and snare, and Drum Perfect for hats), you could end up having the hats triggered in both apps and need to take time to sort out what is happening. I like to be as specific as possible in my MIDI assignments so I don't need to worry about such things.
And yes, loading Patterning into AUM (or better yet AudioBus) is for ease of app switching and session save. Actually I prefer AudioBus, but didn't want to complicate the example.
Exactly what i was thinking.
I understand, but I don't see the issue, when the host takes proper care of routing the right midi channels to the right plugins/apps. And it is the responsibility of the host/sequencer.
A plugin (contrary to standalone applications) is just a dumb sound generator. It is completely unaware of your midi setup. It will simply respond to any message the host sends to it. The host, on the other hand is aware of its place in the midi landscape and knows how many sound generators it is hosting and which channels they should respond to.
If plugins also start to manage midi channels it would just add another layer of confusion and complexity. The world will be a better place if Audio Units on iOS behave the same way as Audio Units on macOS: the host is responsible for juggling with midi data, the plugin is responsible for generating audio..
Cool. Could be useful (e.g. also for creating custom Lemur GUIs for Ruismaker, etc.), I'll add it to the list! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes I wanted to confirm that nothing in the AU spec obviated the hosts' ability to do this..it was perfectly addressed by @brambos
Fantastic update. Thank you so much @brambos !!
+1 update good here
I sense a bit of confusion in here. Send me a promo and I'll clear everything up pronto. Pinky promise!!
Love the update!!
Good to hear it came through alright!
I got around to using my MPC as a sequencer with Ruismaker since I don't have any sequencer apps. I set up 2 instances of Ruismaker in AUM, as I can fit up to 2 on the screen. It's like having 2 rack modules right in front of you. Now I have some good drum synthesis to go along with what I sample on the MPC. AUM has been a great tool for my hardware. Ruismaker solidified that fact with this quick, easy, and reliable setup. The MPC2000 has solid MIDI timing. So that's another plus.
@brambos I'd love to be able to midi map the randomise button.
I know this wouldn't be for everyone, and might cause some confusion.
But maybe you could go into settings to enable it... That way it won't piss some people off.
think 8X channels in AUM, driven by patterning. One button randomise.
[snip]
I don't quite follow.. You mean a midi command for triggering a randomize action?
I like random button, but this random button only changes presets per drum type. So drum no.1 will change kicks. Not much of a random izer
You can do that easily by drawing a CC in range...in ModStep..
I would like a random button that goes "deep" into the synth engine (% adjustable)....to make new , save able sounds...
Also the volume and pan should NOT be included in random...
Yeah thats correct...
I second the randomize. I use it so many times on synth vsts to get surprise sounds. Would love this as a midi note since I don't even have to touch the iPad then. Or I could send the same midi note to multiple instances of ruismaker.
Way I use it is multiple instances in AUM for multiple channels e.g:- channel 1 drums, 2 snare, etc. Having to randomize each instance separately is a bit tedious lol. Actually secondary request. Is it possible to disable the synth engines of the drum parts I aint using ? To save CPU ? It seems to be pretty tiny in terms of CPU footprint but when running multiple Aux every cycle counts....
It already automatically does. Most effective way is to set unused channels to "- none -". That way it costs virtually nothing in terms of CPU. Even when instruments are assigned, no CPU cycles are used for parts of the engine that aren't doing anything. There are just a few negligible checks to make sure that nothing is going on. So rest assured that you're getting the most out of your processing power either way
You sir are amazing
I feel like Lou Costello in "Who's on First." I'm not getting it.
I followed this setup exactly. Patterning's midi settings are to the proper notes, all in Channel 10; RuisMaker in AUM, Patterning is its midi source.
And...who's on first? I draw in some drum patterns in Patterning and I should be able to hear the RuisMaker kits? No? What am I doing wrong? I'm sure this is like when your dad calls and wonders why the bacon isn't cooking? (Dad, did you turn the microwave on? Aha...)
Make sure that Ruismaker isn't set to use standard General Midi drum mapping (in that case you need to select different notes than the example above). You can find this switch in the iOS Settings App, in the Ruismaker section down the list.
Is Ruismaker assigned to Speaker (i.e. outputting audio)?
Otherwise Wim's explanation should absolutely work right away.
Aha. The error was to choose Channel 10 in Ruismaker. Works when I select ALL channels.
But it's kind of a bummer that I can't audition different beats in Patterning; I have to redo the whole midi rigmarole each time? But still, that's no problem. This is a beginning of a beautiful relationship.
That's odd, it's working on any channel here, including 10. Are you sure you weren't excluding channel 10 instead? But good to hear you at least have it working now. And you only have to configure the midi setup once. Patterning will remember the configuration settings you made.
Yeah, it sounds like maybe AUM is set to exclude rather than include channel 10. It should look like this (with only channel 10 highlighted):
The best way I know of to be able to use Patterning with multiple MIDI out and internal setups is to save a "template" song with those settings. I first create a song named something like "template - RuisMaker" and get all my MIDI and kit settings working. Then I clear out all patterns so I just have an empty song and the SAVE it. Then, when I want to work on something, I open up the template and immediately save-as a different name so that my template stays clean. I have several templates ("template - DrumPerfect", "template - MoDrum") standing by.
There is also an option in the MIDI settings to Import MIDI settings from another song. So, if you find yourself with some great patterns in a different setup, and you want to try how it would work with RuisMaker, you have only to import the MIDI settings from the template, or any other song that you already have set up the way you like.
@brambos: Thank you for this great AU! I like it a lot. One problem I'm having, though:
I find that rapid triggering of the same instrument/channel leads to little clicks/pops, especially with long decay times, it seems. But I also hear this unwanted clicking in many of the kick sounds, for example, and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be there or not. It sounds bad to me. One example is the Sub Bass kick, almost regardless of the delay time: there's often a sharp click in addition to the main, bassy sound.
Is this a feature in the sense that one should just adjust the sounds according to need, or could this undesired clicking be eliminated somehow? I'm running Ruismaker on a 12.9" iPad Pro with the latest iOS version, in AUM and in Cubasis, and I think it's just to do with the envelopes being rapidly retriggered.
My most sophisticated Ruismaker Drumming method.
36 XY pads LIVE tuning with any of 8 instruments LIVE jamming, with unlimited Cream Mobile LIVE patterns. All on same one page iPad screen controlled.
Everything automated with hand-crafted awesomeness.
Go ahead, if you really know how to fun with it.
Patterning sucks on this. Modstep can not do! Forget the Lemur, too tiring!
@Richtowns, this is goodie for you although the presets can not be delivered to you. There is no method for delivering. But this is by far the best I have figured out. Any one of 8 instruments just touch a key, it is on the sequencing. Everything on the fly. If more serious, everything can be sent to Auria Pro (midi notes information included) for fx effect with AUM. Thank you, you are a good man. I love you too.
@Brambos ,
This is a thank you for making this app. It is my best shot for you.
@Kaikoo2 High level Wizardry. Kudos - Amazing.
It can be 100 % with CC automation. It can be one touch with one sound LIVE jamming. It can be allowed to a same tune to synthesizer to make it for artistic approach to live play. Then, just to relax your fingers let Cream do the robot job.
I tell you all, your hardwares are sucks too, compared to virtual iPad capabilities.