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.

iTunes, pile of shite

24

Comments

  • Well tomorrow there seems to be an Apple event and probably nobody will talk about the mistakes or better wrongs of this company only how it shapes the future for mankind humans

  • From a UI point of view it is a roaring purple felching ringpiece, I'm sure we all agree.

    However, and I've often thought about this, and as an ex-designer – I have no idea how I'd actually design 'the ideal iTunes UI'. I think it has to be one of those 'hard problems' that isn't easily solved.

    Perhaps there should be a worldwide clownsourced open competition with a prize (don't look at me, I've no money) for whoever can design 'the ideal iTunes UI', that can actually work properly within an Apple context.

  • ^ Not worth it ... putting lipstick on a pig.

  • @u0421793 said:
    Perhaps there should be a worldwide clownsourced open competition with a prize (don't look at me, I've no money) for whoever can design 'the ideal iTunes UI', that can actually work properly within an Apple context.

    >

    Oh, I love that idea.

    Considering how well Apple can do stuff when it chooses, such as Garage Band, iTunes must be a continual source of embrassement.

    If one of the many brilliant coders out 'in the wild' could turn iTunes into what we'd all like it to be, I'd even be willing to buy the thing,

  • I just wish Apple would stop trying to organise my stuff. I can manage just fine, thanks.

  • To some degree, iTunes is a victim of its own success in that it was created for a very specific and limited use case which has expanded over the years. The need to try to maintain backwards compatibility while being able to be used with a rapidly changing mobile iOS technology is a recipe for problems. I think the biggest issue was the very tight grip Apple has exerted over backups without simultaneously developing an alternative backup system other than iCloud. The downside of Apple's proprietary strategy is on full display with iTunes. Hopefully iTunes will be replaced with more robust non-proprietary approaches where Apple allows other developers to provide solutions.

  • The thing is such a resource hog too, every time I'm forced to start it up all hopes of multi-tasking on my, not too shabby, laptop disappear.

    Nasty, nasty software.

  • Going by the requests I have seen in various IT service desks over the years, the amount of people who have accidentally wiped their tunes while trying to sync iTunes is staggering. And it's core purpose is to shepherd those same media files! Amazing.

  • edited September 2017

    @MonzoPro said:
    I just wish Apple would stop trying to organise my stuff. I can manage just fine, thanks.

    Yep. There's a video on YouTube by a fellow I think is named Rick Beato, where as a l-o-n-g time Apple customer, spending what must be thousands of dollars, he demonstrates why he hates iTunes today, as opposed to the much simpler less intrusive app it was back in the day. Like him, I just don't get why Apple persist with an ever more complex and less reliable thing.

  • @InfoCheck said:
    I think the biggest issue was the very tight grip Apple has exerted over backups without simultaneously developing an alternative backup system other than iCloud.

    >

    Got it in one.

    They know full well how flaky it is, but simply will not either provide a solid backup utility, or allow a third party developer to do the job for them.

  • @Carnbot said:
    Yes iTunes sucks on all levels known to modern science. it's baffling how the world's richest company can get it so wrong.

    >

    Embarrassing, when even Microsoft - another billion dollar company that cannot manage to make a browser - see the wisdom of allowing their customers options for reliable backup software.

  • edited September 2017

    @gusgranite said:
    Going by the requests I have seen in various IT service desks over the years, the amount of people who have accidentally wiped their tunes while trying to sync iTunes is staggering. And it's core purpose is to shepherd those same media files! Amazing.

    I've managed to wipe out calendar, contacts and other data several times now when a new device has overwritten existing content, and also using iTunes.

    It's fine if you've got one or two devices, but once you've got laptops, desktops, iPads, and have gone through several phones it gets very messy and complicated.

    This Air2 has never been backed up that way as a result - I'm too scared of breaking anything, and since it doesn't support a simple USB drive i back up via Dropbox.

  • @MonzoPro said:
    This Air2 has never been backed up that way as a result - I'm too scared of breaking anything, and since it doesn't support a simple USB drive i back up via Dropbox.

    Adding USB drive support would be such a good thing.

    Dropbox has been a bacon saver, on many occasions. Pity about its top exec.

  • @Zen210507 said:

    @MonzoPro said:
    This Air2 has never been backed up that way as a result - I'm too scared of breaking anything, and since it doesn't support a simple USB drive i back up via Dropbox.

    Adding USB drive support would be such a good thing.

    And there's no built in system for simple drag and drop backup of files when hooked to a desktop - yes there's third party options for hacking in to the closed system, but they make me feel I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

    Its all a bit donkey.

  • @MonzoPro said:
    And there's no built in system for simple drag and drop backup of files when hooked to a desktop - yes there's third party options for hacking in to the closed system, but they make me feel I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

    Its all a bit donkey.

    One of the great iTunes mysteries is why Apple took away functionality with regard to copying from app folders to backup. Some of it, I think, is the closed circuit mentality, like in the recent movie The Circle.

    I've even encountered this peripherally. A lovely old chap who is an honourary uncle to my other half, has a son who was headhunter by Apple for their design dept. The son, when asked by his dad what he did replied 'I can't tell you." ;)

  • @Zen210507 said:

    @MonzoPro said:
    This Air2 has never been backed up that way as a result - I'm too scared of breaking anything, and since it doesn't support a simple USB drive i back up via Dropbox.

    Adding USB drive support would be such a good thing.

    Dropbox has been a bacon saver, on many occasions. Pity about its top exec.

    Remains to be seen if the 'Mac OS X Server' aka SMB-Client made it to the final release of iOS11 Files.app...
    That would mean pretty simple drag-n-drop backup of every apps 'Documents' folder to where ever we choose to dump the files.

  • @Samu said:
    Remains to be seen if the 'Mac OS X Server' aka SMB-Client made it to the final release of iOS11 Files.app...
    That would mean pretty simple drag-n-drop backup of every apps 'Documents' folder to where ever we choose to dump the files.

    >

    Oh, I hope that is the case, Samu. It would be so helpful to so many people.

  • @Zen210507 said:

    @Samu said:
    Remains to be seen if the 'Mac OS X Server' aka SMB-Client made it to the final release of iOS11 Files.app...
    That would mean pretty simple drag-n-drop backup of every apps 'Documents' folder to where ever we choose to dump the files.

    >

    Oh, I hope that is the case, Samu. It would be so helpful to so many people.

    I know, and what would be even cooler would be if the Files.app would act as a 'SMB Server' (Similar to what iFiles 2 already does) meaning the content would just pop up as a network drive on macOS, Windows and Linux...

  • @Samu said:
    I know, and what would be even cooler would be if the Files.app would act as a 'SMB Server' (Similar to what iFiles 2 already does) meaning the content would just pop up as a network drive on macOS, Windows and Linux...

    >

    From your brain to their tech development team. :)

  • iFunbox is pretty good, I think it's on both PC and Mac, so it should work for backups

  • Perhaps if it were called Aye Tunes and was Black, gold and green we would be more relaxed about it :D

  • https://interface.fh-potsdam.de/itunes/

    :)

    @u0421793 said:
    From a UI point of view it is a roaring purple felching ringpiece, I'm sure we all agree.

    However, and I've often thought about this, and as an ex-designer – I have no idea how I'd actually design 'the ideal iTunes UI'. I think it has to be one of those 'hard problems' that isn't easily solved.

    Perhaps there should be a worldwide clownsourced open competition with a prize (don't look at me, I've no money) for whoever can design 'the ideal iTunes UI', that can actually work properly within an Apple context.

  • @Samu said:
    Remains to be seen if the 'Mac OS X Server' aka SMB-Client made it to the final release of iOS11 Files.app...

    MacOS Server access is in current (and earlier) beta. But you need to have a MacOS server to connect to.

  • Further non-development...

    Another day and a fresh attempt. This time I downloaded and installed OSX Sierra. Didn't really want it, but thought it might improve things. Result, iTunes icon now does nothing at all and program will not load. Yes, I tried rebooting.

    So, no problem I thought, all I have to do is download a separate fresh iTunes from Apple, and install that. Except, I can't get the damn thing to download. How long is it suppose to take on a fibre optic line? I gave it half an hour, and still no sign of it in my Downloads folder. Most strange.

    Obviously, there is no way to even attempt an iTunes backup under these weird circumstances.

    I am getting tempted by iMazing 2. Despite it being nearly £35. Does anyone here know if it works as advertised?

  • @Milestone_Music said:
    iFunbox is pretty good, I think it's on both PC and Mac, so it should work for backups

    >

    Thanks. Will look that up.

  • @TheMediocritist said:

    @Samu said:
    Remains to be seen if the 'Mac OS X Server' aka SMB-Client made it to the final release of iOS11 Files.app...

    MacOS Server access is in current (and earlier) beta. But you need to have a MacOS server to connect to.

    So regular 'macOS Filesharing(using SMB)' doesn't work?
    (It must be something 'easy to fix' as the dedicated macOS Server.app also uses SMB for it's file-sharing).

    I think this is something that we'll see more of at a later point once it's out.

  • edited September 2017

    Even on a holiest of holy Mac? :open_mouth:

  • @Zen210507 said:

    Dropbox has been a bacon saver, on many occasions. Pity about its top exec.

    She's a board member, not a top exec.

  • @Zen210507 said:

    I've even encountered this peripherally. A lovely old chap who is an honourary uncle to my other half, has a son who was headhunter by Apple for their design dept. The son, when asked by his dad what he did replied 'I can't tell you." ;)

    That's exactly what my next door neighbor who works for the CIA told me.

  • @Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredr said:
    That's exactly what my next door neighbor who works for the CIA told me.

    Sorry, can't tell if you are joking, being sincere or just don't believe. FWIW, the guy I mentioned was headhunted from Nokia, where he worked on design.

Sign In or Register to comment.