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.

iconnectmidi2+

i've been trying to find a nice way of getting audio out from my ipad apps without resorting to routing it via itunes or dropbox. i know the new avid fast track has a dedicated ipad connection and you can use the camera connector to hook up usb interfaces.

however, that doesn't seem to help in getting audio into ableton etc for use within my main daw setup.

the only product i can seem to find is the iconnect midi 2 or 4+ [http://www.iconnectivity.com/iConnectMIDI2plus]

it seems to advertise an audio pass through system which seems to be exactly what i'm after.

has anybody used this and have an opinion at all? i don't seem to be able to find any reviews as of yet online...

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Comments

  • iConnectMidi 2+ / 4+ are not available yet, which is probably why you're not seeing any reviews.

    They can indeed do what you are asking, but there are also plenty of of other ways to get audio from your iPad into your computer DAW.

    Check the "Recommend an Interface" post at the very top of the forum for some good suggestions.

  • not sure if this is a solution but i know auria can save files in a way that can easily be transferred to pro tools so i imagine it should be the same with ableton.

    btw, do you have the new ableton 9? i used to have 6, fell in love but my last laptop crapped out.

  • So, it looks like the iConnectMIDI2+ is an improvement over the original iConnectMIDI if you are doing iOS connectivity, as it will power your i-Device, and provide Audio PassThrough. But, it's a step backwards if you need USB-MIDI.

    I need the USB-MIDI, so I would like to trade my brand-new iConnectMIDI2+ for an older, original iConnectMIDI. It includes all the cables, box, etc, and I also have the optional power supply I will include so you can power everything "computer free." If interested, drop me a note at johnbakertunes.com and we can figure out shipping.

  • @soundog, curious what the step backwards is re. Midi between the iConnectMidi and the 2+. I got the 2+ last month and find that the MIDI works great. I've been using iPad midi in and out to Logic. I haven't tried a midi cable from keyboard or my wind controller yet, but am sure it works fine. There seems to be a lot of routing options in the included app. What else do you need that it can't do? Just asking because I want to know what I'm missing :-)

  • @dj8: I am curious as to the Audio-Pass-through, since you own an ICM2+, could you tell me, if it does more than two (stereo) channels of Audio? Would be great, if I could use this for my QuadSurround setup, but I can't find information concerning the channel count...,
    Thanks, cheers

  • Hi animal,

    I have been testing the ICM2+ and have posted some results on my blog here: www.musicinclusive.com/blog

    It has 2 input channels and 2 output channels on each of the USB slots.

    I.e. you can send and receive stereo data bidirectionally to and from the iPad and to and from the attached Mac / PC.

    Kind regards

    Derek Jones: Owner MusicInclusive LLC
    www.musicinclusive.com

  • Don't know if this helps (from the manual for the device):

    "The iConnectMIDI2+ can stream up to eight channels of audio (four in each direction), depending on the sample rate and bit depth setting you choose in the iConnectivity iConfig software. Its default setting is at the CD standard of 16 bits and a 44.1kHz sample rate. Please see the explanation in the iConfig software’s Audio Info tab for more about these settings."

    Looks like it can do 4 in each direction. I've only tried stereo in both directions. You can check the manual directly at: http://iconnectivity.com//downloads/iConnectMIDI2/ICM2+ MANUAL PAGES 8.20.13a_ver0.10 Revised.pdf

    Also, I've found the tech support at iconnectivity to be excellent, so far! They are extremely responsive and helpful. (They've answered all inquiries within the day usually w useful information.) I'm not associated w them :-), just impressed.

  • dj8 -- the original iConnectMIDI included a feature that would permit USB MIDI hosting, so you could connect USB-MIDI devices (those using USB rather than DIN ports). I wrongly assumed the follow-on "2+" unit would also support this. So, its only a step backwards if you need to connect USB-MIDI devices without a computer. If you are just using it as a MIDI interface for DIN5 devices (or between iPad and Mac/Logic, like you are doing), you shouldn't miss a thing!

  • @MusicInclusive, @dj8: thanks for the information. It would have been too much I guess, if the device on top of it all did real Multichannel, it's great as it is though. Guess I'll be waiting for the 4+ to arrive and buy it anyways...

  • I'm rather taken aback that the unit won't connect a USB-MIDI device, that seems like a significant thing to have left out of the spec.

  • edited October 2013

    Yes, that's very strange. I wonder why they would have changed that and if it's the same with the 4+.

  • 4+ has USB MIDI host.

  • Okay, thanks. Too bad it's so big but that would be the one for me then. I really wouldn't need all those DIN ports, though. But that one also seems to be the only one capable of running on 2 iOS devices simultaneously. I wish they made a 3+ without the DIN but with all the other goodies of the 4+.

  • I've been working thru' various options with iConnectMIDI2+

    It does MIDI pass through fine as far as I can tell. I haven't tried MIDI in yet from an external DIN-connected synth - but I have tried MIDI out via DIN to an MS2000 and it works fine. The MIDI to drive that can come from any other USB connected keyboard; I have two USB connected keyboards in an aggregate that work OK that way. I've also proven MIDI in from Animoog (you have to have the IAP to do that).

    I've also been testing synth apps on iOS 7 - no extensive stress testing - just a "runs and plays" check so far. I do note there are issues that the Audiobus folks here have observed with graphics issues and background audio and I'll be looking into that shortly hopefully too.

    Check out my blog for some ideas: www.musicinclusive.com/blog

  • edited November 2013

    Has anyone managed to get an iPad and a DAW both connected to the iconnect2+ working as an external effect (sending audio to the iPad, processing it and then sending it back) via Audiobus? Its stumped me and its confusing as to if it is actually possible.

  • Hi Monks1975

    Yes - I did manage to do that - I found the latency was a bit higher than I wanted, you would have to offset the resulting returned audio slightly. I'll try and post some instructions as to what I did on my blog. Has been on my TODO list to add to the blog but I haven't had time recently.

    Kind regards

    Derek
    MusicInclusive LLC

  • Hi @monks1975, yes this works.

    On iPad: In AudioBus, set up INPUT as Microphone Input. In EFFECTS, pick an effect, like Turnado. In OUTPUT, select Speaker Output (or you can run it through an audio track in a DAW, like BeatMaker 2).

    On Computer: set audio out AND audio in on your DAW, like Logic, to iconnect2+. If you are listening w/ headphones, don't use one w a mic on your iPad/iphone, or the headphone mic will take over the recording input.

  • Thanks for the reply- glad that it is actually possible and I don't have to get the 4+ just yet, although I expect I will for the passthru between iOS devices.

    Anyhoo- I've had no joy with this in Ableton Live- are you both using Logic? I'm using firmware 1.0.3 on the iconnect2+- it actually hard resets my iPad when I attempt to record into it via the device. I will kept trying- I've contacted iConnectivity, see if they can help.

  • 1 out of about 15 times my ipad4 resets when i unplug it from the iconnect2+.
    Using the ipad as an effect device like dj8 described does not work for me. I just get distorted sound and have to reset the apps. I went back and forth with the tech support and it seems my device is faulty.
    As my music store will take some weeks resupply i will have to wait until then for further tests.
    Midi works flawlessy though.

  • @dreamrobe thats interesting. i get resets when i plug the cable into the iPad, it also has rebooted when I've attempted to send an audio stream to the iPad by outputting via the relevant audio out channels in Live 9.

    A small part of me suspects a hardware fault but as passthru works fine going out to my DAW i suspect a firmware issue. hopefully a firmware fix will come soon.

  • @monks1975 i don´t know. people have reported that audio passthru into and out of the ipad at the same time works for them. maybe they didn´t upgrade to 1.0.3 or are using an ipad2 with native cck, i don´t know.

    I´ve tried with it with different macs/pcs, different hosts like Live 8/9, Studio 1 2.6 at different sample rates with latest asio4all and all combinations of ic2+ settings, with and without the original power supply.
    Although we don´t have exactly the same problem, they are similar. Maybe we just got faulty units.

  • I've just got one and I made an oversight. As well as wishing to use it hooked up in the studio for midi and audio routing between my laptop, ipad and elektron machines I wanted to use it standalone. I was hoping to connect my ipad and still use the headphone output to feed my octatrack's sample inputs. But of course the unit, like other dock connected audio interfaces, mutes that set of outputs when connected. This is not a hardware limitation. The outputs have been simultaneously and independently addressable since iOS 6. Algoriddim Djay, for example can feed a master mix via the dock and a cue mix via the headphone out simultaneously). None of my synth apps appear to be able to do this. ( Nave, Animoog, Magellan, Thor, iSEM, Addictive Synth, Sunrizer ). Is this a gap that Audiobus could be updated to fill ? So that the output slot can be configured to feed the output of the apps contained within it to both physical outputs ? Or is it down to each individual developer? If the former is possible, would anyone else be interested in that functionality. Or am I a lone duck ? :-)

  • I found monitoring latency very high using asio4all wasnt really good enough for playing the ipad and daw simultaneously. I got it down to 13ms by various tweaks and disbaling PC to IPAD audio but it was quiet unstable.
    I've found another solution for windows 7 that suits my needs better. You can click on recording devices on the tray sound icon. Click on the properties of the iconnectmidi2+ and click the listen tab. From this you can basically route the sound to an output on your soundcard depending on your setup. I have a rme ucx which is very flexible, not sure if this would be possible with other cards.

  • edited November 2013

    Looks like my issue is related to the lightning to 30 pin (official apple one, natch) I was using with my 4th gen iPad. I tried a 3rd gen just now without an adaptor and it worked fine- i recorded to the iPad no problem. Apple one's are supposed to work. Anyone found audio recording works into an iPad 4 with the iconnect2+ with lightning to 30 pin, or even the lightning CCK (which has never worked for me)?

    a PITA for me, I may have to wait for iconnect to make a lightning cable.

  • Anyone that have this can try to connect 2 iOS devices for say me if works?

    I think an iPhone with CCK on PC side...

  • @Sinapsya You need the upcoming 4+ to do what you are asking (it has iOS/iOS/PC vs the iOS/PC on the 2+)

  • @busker Yes, I know….I'm weating for 4+,

    But I ask: can you try if it work???

  • Good news.
    Enabling Drift-Correction (or Resample with older OS) for the ic2+ in the Audio-Midi Setup of Maverick does resolve the audio distortion problems.
    But this means that this only works with macs because asio4all does not have this resample function.

  • @monks1975 I'm having lots of problems with the ipad losing connectivity to the icm2+ box! which I think are down to the 30pin to lightning adaptor. Just wondering if you have had any further luck in resolving your problems when using an ipad4 with icm2+?

  • i thought so too until i tried a shorter usb-cable.

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