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.
Roland sound canvas, to buy or not to buy?
I’ve been looking at buying this for a while now but have never been quite sure, do I trust my gut and not buy it or am I missing out on a good app?
Comments
If you need a General MIDI compatible sound source with "OK" sounds and effects, the app isn't too bad. The interface is slightly inefficient, outdated and buggy (it shows that Roland doesn't have a lot of experience with iOS development), but "it works". Maybe someone else can chime in if there's a better General MIDI compatible app for iOS?
To be honest I'd say wait and see if Roland does anything about it...
It's an AB/IAA-Generator (with it's own issues, like proper launch order etc.) with a somewhat quirky Midi-Implementation as one can NOT disable the hardware midi-input meaning even if you route your midi properly internally the channel the controller transmits on will always be triggered by the app. As long as one is NOT using external controllers the app behaves quite well.
There's plenty of classic sounds in the app and it works quite well as a 'midi module'.
(Somehow I do wish Roland would update it to be on par with the desktop version of SoundCanvas VA when it comes to editing the sounds, drum-kits and effects and top it all of with AUv3 support).
I was feeling the same just looking at the demos which was why I was hesitant about buying it.
I’ve just had a look a layr which is the same price, wow I think I know where my money is heading now
If GM/GS support is needed BS-16i is a good alternative.
It's one of the best SoundFont players on iOS.
Oh and it’s AU now as well (though maybe not with BIG SF2s)
I suppose it was the nostalgia aspect of it, I had a Roland D20 and it reminded me of that. I’m loving the sound of the layr demos
I’d forgotten about that one, you’ve just made my choice a bit more complicated lol
Have it. NEVER use it. As mentioned above have been hoping for a 'refresh', but not holding any breath...
The use case for me with this one is when I’m using one of the cool multi-midi iOS sequencers like Quantum, Genome, Modstep, to sequence a multi-track thing, and I want to use a one-stop source for all the voices. The advantages it has over other one-stop instrument toolboxes is it’s very cpu-economical, (never had a crash, haven’t experienced bugs), has lots and lots of sounds, some “classic”, and the fuss-factor in getting useful sounds is zero, leaving time to play elsewhere (ie the sequencer I’m driving it with, and the song itself)
I would recommend loading BS-16i with a nice Roland sound canvas or mt32 SoundFont (or the Florestan Basic GM SoundFont which is based on sound canvas samples). (These free SF2 can be found easily via google). Then you can save 16 channel scenes which will respond really well to things like Xequence or Gestrument etc. The AU version does not work well yet, though. Better to treat it as a stand-alone sound module whose output you can record when your piece is ready.
I mean, I used to love Roland Sound Canvas, but I was left with a bad taste in my mouth after the hassle @SevenSystems and I went through. See, Sound Canvas would decide to switch what voice it was using all on its own when used with Xequence initially. Things have been patched up since, but indeed, Roland seems incapable of programming well for iOS.
So, if you’re looking for an all-in-one sound source that’s also universal and costs near the $20 mark, get Xewton Music Studio and the all-in-one pack IAP. $14.99 base price, and $6.99 IAP for the rest of the sounds. Sure, that’s about $1.99 more than Sound Canvas, but it still functions the same as it always did.
Agree, either bs-16i or Audio Evolution Mobile which both include a free factory GM sound font. You can use your own sound fonts too, or purchase good instruments in A.E.M.
Audio Evolution additionally gives you a free 3-track Audio and MIDI DAW with a good MIDI editor, and it's upgradeable for low cost (more tracks, great ToneBoosters plugins).
A.E.M. is free in its basic but perfectly usable version!!
+1 for Roland giving some update love to the Sound Canvas. It’s so close to being really good but somehow not quite there.
Buy. If your looking for a good multi timbral synth, choose this one, or iM1.
Case closed.
Audio Evolution Mobile is an even better choice, if you got the dollars for it