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.

Sweet Refraktions Update!

I discovered this app from someone on this forum several months ago. It's a generative app with a unique interface. It used to be free, but now it's $2.99, and oh so worth it! It's universal, has Link added, more control over the sequencer and more control over controlling external synths with some new A.I.

Versions
2.1.1
An artificial intelligence was added, complete with memory, the ability to learn the user's preferences, and generate new compositions based on that data.
Sequencer jog-wheel was added, giving the user more control over the song position.
MIDI Send toggle was replaced by Sequencer Mode, simplying the process of controlling external synthesizers.
Ability to choose major or minor scale was added.
2.1
Settings Panel was added inside the app for easier customization.

Here's the site: http://app.jasonjsnell.com/refraktions/

Refraktions by Jason Snell
https://appsto.re/us/vGcOZ.i

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Comments

  • 2.99 here unless that was pounds?

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    2.99 here unless that was pounds?

    Hmm... I already had it so I can't see the price.. Going off memory, but I could be wrong. Whatever it is, it's a keeper and definitely worth it IMHO

  • edited January 2017

    Earlier, I had all 7 of its "instruments" from its sequencer pointed at 7 different synths on different channels. Had to use Midiflow, but you can just send each instrument into different channels or DAW tracks. You can also turn off the internal sounds and scrub the generative sequencer via jog dial. I got it free back when. But it I was paying for it now, I'd consider it a very good buy for my interests. I like generative stuff though.

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:
    2.99 here unless that was pounds?

    You're right. It is $2.99 even better! I'll edit my OP

  • Bought and look forward to a contemplative fiddle...

  • edited January 2017

    very slick app! just bought it
    EDIT: might have to refund this one, so great but so broken :neutral:

  • ok one major problem.. no background audio?! no settings box in iOS settings either so have to open this app last if i want to Link to another app!

  • also sequencer wipes when switching apps! geez who tests these things

  • Hm, seems i got it while it was free. I vaguely remember it, and the biggest part is it being too clever to navigate

  • Yes, doesn't appear to have background audio. I can't recall for sure, but I vaguely remember the setting being in the general settings. No settings there now.

    This is how I just used it, and it worked well. I set up 7 midi tracks with different synths in Auria. Started recording. Then launched Refraktions, turned on sequencer mode. Played generative screen as it played all 7 midi synths being recorded in Auria Pro. Also scrubbed Refraktions sequencer. Then switched over to Auria to stop recording. Quit Refraktions. Back to Auria to change some of the synths, add fx and EQ each track, then mix.

    Turned out nice.

    Refraktions is a bit buggy when switching back and forth and needs background audio. I didn't pay for it, but if I had, there's more than enough there that I'd certainly keep it. :)

  • @skiphunt Yup, no background audio or Audiobus. But:

    Contact
    If you are experiencing any bugs, have feature requests, or have any support questions, please contact me.

    [email protected]

  • @audiblevideo said:
    @skiphunt Yup, no background audio or Audiobus. But:

    Contact
    If you are experiencing any bugs, have feature requests, or have any support questions, please contact me.

    [email protected]

    I'm diggin' it. Too good not to take the time to send him a note about slight bugginess and need for background audio. Will send one mañana.

  • edited January 2017

    @skiphunt said:
    Yes, doesn't appear to have background audio. I can't recall for sure, but I vaguely remember the setting being in the general settings. No settings there now.

    This is how I just used it, and it worked well. I set up 7 midi tracks with different synths in Auria. Started recording. Then launched Refraktions, turned on sequencer mode. Played generative screen as it played all 7 midi synths being recorded in Auria Pro. Also scrubbed Refraktions sequencer. Then switched over to Auria to stop recording. Quit Refraktions. Back to Auria to change some of the synths, add fx and EQ each track, then mix.

    Turned out nice.

    Refraktions is a bit buggy when switching back and forth and needs background audio. I didn't pay for it, but if I had, there's more than enough there that I'd certainly keep it. :)

    Yeah that would be ok but I would of been using it on my phone then switching to midi later when back at home. So i need to use the included instruments. When switching apps it wipes the seq clean. So literally useless for me at the moment :(

    Anyway i just requested a refund, its $5 in australia and paying $5 for something i cant use is not great. I might buy it again if it gets updated with background audio and app switching doesn't wipe the seq

  • The track that I made and described above, using Refraktions instruments fed into Auria Pro and mixed/finished there... is in this video.

    I made some quick abstract images, then animated them in Lumafusion and a couple sections I used Glitché

  • It's odd. I'm sure I had this app and downloaded it when free. But it's not in my collection anymore. Were there ever two versions of it?

  • @Carnbot said:
    It's odd. I'm sure I had this app and downloaded it when free. But it's not in my collection anymore. Were there ever two versions of it?

    It was weird. It showed up as an update as I still had it installed on both my devices. But then I went to get info on it and couldn't find. Says is was removed from the iTunes store on appshopper. But it shows up on appsliced. I think it likely has something to do with him going from a free app, to charging for it. Not sure.

  • @skiphunt said:

    @Carnbot said:
    It's odd. I'm sure I had this app and downloaded it when free. But it's not in my collection anymore. Were there ever two versions of it?

    It was weird. It showed up as an update as I still had it installed on both my devices. But then I went to get info on it and couldn't find. Says is was removed from the iTunes store on appshopper. But it shows up on appsliced. I think it likely has something to do with him going from a free app, to charging for it. Not sure.

    Yeah that might be it then. I deleted it I think. But now I'll have to buy it to try it again.

  • @Carnbot said:

    @skiphunt said:

    @Carnbot said:
    It's odd. I'm sure I had this app and downloaded it when free. But it's not in my collection anymore. Were there ever two versions of it?

    It was weird. It showed up as an update as I still had it installed on both my devices. But then I went to get info on it and couldn't find. Says is was removed from the iTunes store on appshopper. But it shows up on appsliced. I think it likely has something to do with him going from a free app, to charging for it. Not sure.

    Yeah that might be it then. I deleted it I think. But now I'll have to buy it to try it again.

    For my needs, if I had to buy it after not having it installed anymore... I would. Even though it doesn't have and should have background audio. That's likely also related to the fact that you can lose your midi connection by switching back and forth between apps.

    I got around that by setting up all my tracks and synths in Auria Pro first, starting record, then launching Refraktions with the sequencer mode turned on... playing and manipulation it's algorithm until I had enough, then switching back to Auria to stop the recording. Not elegant or ideal, but it works.

  • You could install it from the previously bought apps list I think. That worked for me.

  • @cian said:
    You could install it from the previously bought apps list I think. That worked for me.

    I believe that's what worked for me for my iPhone install. Have been messaging with the dev too. Very responsive!

  • This is really a cool app. Yes, there is no background audio at the moment but I'm doing the following : I use Refraktions on my iphone and send the midi to my ipad via apollo. On my ipad, I have seven gadgets loaded each on a different midi channel...and that's it ! Beautiful music generator !

  • @cuscolima said:
    This is really a cool app. Yes, there is no background audio at the moment but I'm doing the following : I use Refraktions on my iphone and send the midi to my ipad via apollo. On my ipad, I have seven gadgets loaded each on a different midi channel...and that's it ! Beautiful music generator !

    Agreed! I posted this on the thread with my sample doing something similar but using Auria Pro... I contacted the developer about the background audio, etc. and this was his reply:

    Thanks for sharing the link - beautiful song. You’re really using RF the way I had hoped - as a generative sequencer.

    And thanks for the detailed feedback. It’s great to learn more about how other people are using it. I hadn’t thought of RF being a background app while other apps are firing off at the same time, but it’s a great idea.

    The thing that is currently missing that would need to change is I don’t have a stop / start button. So if someone used the app, then left it, it would continue to play indefinitely unless they force quit it. So in the next update I’ll add a play / pause button so people can control the playback, and then I can safely enable background audio / MIDI output.

    Thanks so much for the detailed usage. The next update will have this.

    -Jason

  • Sold

    Thank you

  • @cuscolima said:
    This is really a cool app. Yes, there is no background audio at the moment but I'm doing the following : I use Refraktions on my iphone and send the midi to my ipad via apollo. On my ipad, I have seven gadgets loaded each on a different midi channel...and that's it ! Beautiful music generator !

    APollo, can you describe your set up literally for it?

    Thanks

  • Well...start Apollo on both devices (it's a universal app), choose device iphone as device A and ipad as device B...and press "search for A" resp. "Search for B" and...that's it (Bluetooth must be activated). You possibly have to activate the app (on the right part of the screen) you are using. It is very straightforward. From Refraktions, send midi to apollo and the tunneling is done

  • @skiphunt said:
    The track that I made and described above, using Refraktions instruments fed into Auria Pro and mixed/finished there... is in this video.

    I made some quick abstract images, then animated them in Lumafusion and a couple sections I used Glitché

    Very nice @skiphunt!

    I really like this app.

  • @anickt said:

    @skiphunt said:
    The track that I made and described above, using Refraktions instruments fed into Auria Pro and mixed/finished there... is in this video.

    I made some quick abstract images, then animated them in Lumafusion and a couple sections I used Glitché

    Very nice @skiphunt!

    I really like this app.

    Thanks! I like it too. Discovered it from someone else who recommended it in another thread months ago, but I can't recall who it was. Loved it back then too. So, I was excited to see it updated. The dev is also working on a new app based on beats, but I don't know anything more about it.

  • @cuscolima said:
    This is really a cool app. Yes, there is no background audio at the moment but I'm doing the following : I use Refraktions on my iphone and send the midi to my ipad via apollo. On my ipad, I have seven gadgets loaded each on a different midi channel...and that's it ! Beautiful music generator !

    >

    For those of us who don't have the luxury of multiple devices, this potentially great app shoots itself in the foot. It could be seriously good, if the developer added IAA and Background Audio, and hopefully AB3, too.

  • edited January 2017

    I used this excellent app with results I dig, using only the app and Auria Pro as I described above. @cuscolima 's method is very smart and clever, but there's no need for any other devices. And, I posted the results of my method in the video above. It's a very cool app. It would be nice if it had a background audio, but it's reportedly coming soon. If that's a deal breaker, just wait for the next update. :)

    Definitely brilliant in it's current form (at least for me). My method was this, but you could do the same with AUM too I imagine. I used Auria Pro because I wanted to also record the midi and use some new FabFilter plugins I recently purchased over the holidays:

    I set up 7 midi tracks with different synths in Auria. Started recording. Then launched Refraktions, turned on sequencer mode. Played generative screen as it played all 7 midi synths being recorded in Auria Pro. Also scrubbed Refraktions sequencer. Then switched over to Auria to stop recording. Quit Refraktions. Back to Auria to change some of the synths, add fx and EQ each track, then mix.

    Here's the result after creating visuals with LumaFusion to go with my "test" Refraktions track :)

    I also output this from LumaFusion directly to YouTube and if you go to the YouTube to view, you can select 1440HD for playback. LumaFusion is currently on launch 50% sale, but I don't imagine that will last much longer.

    I got the Refraktions app when it was free, but knowing what I know about the app from my own experience, I'd not hesitate to buy this one. That's me though. I love unique, innovative generative apps. The advanced A.I. component of these sorts of apps also fascinates me.

    For those who missed it... I contacted the developer about the background audio. He seems very responsive and good people that I'm happy to support. He's also working on another app that's more beat oriented but I don't know any other details on that one. His reply about the background audio was such::

    Thanks for sharing the link - beautiful song. You’re really using RF the way I had hoped - as a generative sequencer.

    And thanks for the detailed feedback. It’s great to learn more about how other people are using it. I hadn’t thought of RF being a background app while other apps are firing off at the same time, but it’s a great idea.

    The thing that is currently missing that would need to change is I don’t have a stop / start button. So if someone used the app, then left it, it would continue to play indefinitely unless they force quit it. So in the next update I’ll add a play / pause button so people can control the playback, and then I can safely enable background audio / MIDI output.

    Thanks so much for the detailed usage. The next update will have this.

    -Jason

  • Hey, this is Jason, developer on the Refraktions app. Wanted to thank everyone for their emails and input on how you're using the app. One of my challenges was figuring out other studio setups so everything you've shared has been really helpful. The app was originally developed for my own studio, controlling my hardware synths and modulars via MIDI. I haven't done much with inter app connections so each situation you've all shared has helped me learn about how you're using music apps in iOS.

    I'll be doing an update soon with a Background Mode that will keep the audio and MIDI playing when you exit the app, and the ability to target which iOS apps you want to send the MIDI notes to.

    After that I'll explore IAA and Audiobus. I wanted to get a sense of who uses what - is there an advantage of having the app integrate both technologies? Or is everyone using only Audiobus?

    Thanks again for all the feedback, and please share with me any other obstacles you run into.

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