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
He would have to know what synth app you are connecting to, I think.
It’s not any more complicated than Rozeta/AUM really. You just have to know how to hook up a synth app with Midi. The fact that each synth app has its own method is gumming up the works, though.
A really cool thing about Xequence is that when you setup your synth apps and save your project, Xequence remembers all the connection details and auto connects to the apps when you reopen the project file and the related apps. Some other sequencing apps lose the connections and you have to set them up every time.
Well, it may be complicated to people like you and me, oldschool, but it certainly seems to be worth the mindstretch.
I can't even cut and paste on this website, but I know something great when I come across it! Buy the app if you haven't. I'll probably ask all the same questions you would to get going.
Now, as to my discussion with Mr. Pot... doesn't the fact that I have a bunch of rectangles on my second track mean there is sound there? The question is how do I get it to play along with the other two tracks? Can you get more basic than that! By the way, I turn seventy in July... be gentle with me! (By the way, Gadget does not load combis on Darwin, which is why I want to use it as a stand alone) and thanks for helping. Manuals confuse me which is probably why I'm a jazzer living somewhere in the former Ottoman Empire.
SevenSystems: I listened to Polyhymnia with great interest. To me it is jazz in its purest sense... and to prove it just YouTube Lennie Tristano (my teacher's teacher for spontaneous jazz improvising) "Turkish Mambo" and also "Lineup". I think you will be amazed by what Lennie did in 1955 and how it connects to your mad loop and also what a blind jazz musician could do with a couple of tape recorders and a genius talent (sort of like your dioptically challenged self)).
Also, I tried downloading the Alpha demo to Google Drive but it notified me it will not support the file. What to do?
I promise I will settle down soon as I get the slightest grip on this thing!
The Alpha demo consists of two parts: 1) the Xequence project -- that's included with Xequence and you can just "Load" it from the "..." screen. 2) the Gadget project. That is unfortunately quite complicated to load into Gadget (the instructions are at http://seven.systems/en/apps/xequence/demo-project/ and should work). I've been told that there's now an easier way to load the Gadget project into Gadget, I think someone on this forum explained how. I'll update the manual with the simpler instructions as soon as I find them again.
And glad to know you're still an active musician at 70... my birthday is also in July, but I'm roughly half as old
respect!
July 2 to be exact. Wait till you get here. Your head is pretty much the same, the body not so much... but creativity and mindfulness know no limits so long as the circuitry is still operational.
I think Aum is next. I struggled for two hours to get three individual sounds from Gadget and iM1. Best I could do was two, though ultimately I got three tracks going but only with Gadget (I think). Great fun! Ah...Aum.
And check out Lennie Tristano.
@LinearLineman Since you don’t have access to the Files app in iOS 11, you are stuck using the iTunes transfer method. You will need a computer with iTunes to copy the Gadget project into Gadget’s iTunes share folder. This folder can only be accessed by iTunes running on a regular Mac or PC computer. You connect you iPad with the charge/data cable and plug the USB end into the computer.
The detailed instructions are in the Xequence Quick Start Guide.
As for your question regarding the rectangles, it is just midi data. It needs a to be fed to a midi sound generator (a synth app, etc.) to produce actual sound. You may need to use more than one midi channel to get iM1 to play multiple voiced parts.
Try setting your instruments in Xequence to send to iM1, but set each instrument in Xequence to send on a different midi channel (1-16), so for 3 instruments try using channels 1, 2, and 3. In iM1, find the midi settings and set each instrument layer to either channel 1, 2, or 3 to receive midi data from the corresponding instrument tracks in Xequence .
If you are still stuck, open a new thread/topic with your questions regarding iM1 specifically. It should draw the attention of other iM1 users, who may be of more help, but missing this exchange since we are in a Xequence thread.
I tried exactly that. Three channels, etc. will try some more but if no go will move on to Aum. Thanks!
Ah, that sucks. Fire off a new thread topic to post your question. You will get the attention of the other iM1 users on the forum. I believe there are many. They will help you get it all sorted.
I've been using iM1 with Xequence, and it's super easy, provided you're in Multi mode and not in Combi mode (their buttons are just to the right of the preset display at top). Multi mode automatically assigns midi channels 1, 2, 3 etc. to those lanes listed on the left, so just choose an instrument for each of them, then in Xequence, send all of your tracks' midi to iM1, but give each track a midi out channel number corresponding to the one you want in iM1.
Combi mode won't work for what you're trying to do, it sounds like, and besides, you can make your own combis in Xequence by duplicating tracks and sending each to a different channel. Hope this helps.
Thanks for chiming in with some actual iM1 experience.
Just curious, is combi mode kind of like layered and all controlled by a single channel, and multi mode more like true multi timbral with a channel per independent voice?
That's it, basically. Combi mode has a lot of nice tricks, too, like key zones, transpose, detune and velocity triggers per voice, so you can do some very Layr like things with a very un-Layr like cpu hit. Not an AU, though.
Thanks so much, Aaron. I will try that today and from what you have experienced it sounds like a sure thing. This is indeed a knowledgable forum!
Hi Aaron, I followed your advice... enabled multi and chose two instruments alto sax and rotary organ. IM1 only chose lane 1 but highlighted lane 4. I chose that lane but it would not stick. Both voices would alternately take lane 1. I messed with this for an hour, read your instructions multiple times and tried both voices on program as well. Could only get one voice on Xequence. I have succeeded with multiple voices from Gadget, but only one voice (or track) per synth. Any suggestions?
The problem may be that you don’t have background audio enabled in iM1. Try going to settings in iM1, then press the Open button at the bottom left to get to the Audio/Other settings. Background audio needs to be turned on there. If that doesn’t fix it then it’s a midi connection problem, and your best bet is to continue on with delving into AUM, which can be a big help with wiring things together.
Of course, you can always continue to push midi to Gadget, which would allow you to run more than one Darwin (iM1) at a time as long as your iPad can handle it.
You don’t need to apologize for the questions. We’ve all been there. Where I get annoyed is when people accompany their questions with all kinds of whining about how hard it all is, how such and such app or developer sucks, etc. You have a great outlook and are up for the challenges. It’s enjoyable to help in that case.
Heh. I’ve been an language deficient expat myself. I know how that can be.
nothing back from seven in regards to my strange issue with the project and midi?
Hmm. Let's try it step by step.
**In iM1
1. Make sure Multi is on
2. Click on Lane 1 at far left, then choose a preset for it, then do the same for 2, 3 and 4, giving each a very different sounding preset. Play the keys to make sure they sound.
3. Choose the MIDI view from the buttons just below the preset display.
4. Make sure the first column (MIDI CH) in MIDI view has the same numbers (1,2,3,4) as the lanes to its left.
5. Check that the KEY ZONE and VELOCITY ZONE bars are all completely green.
6. Under SETTINGS, check that GLOBAL MIDI CHANNEL is set to 1, and in AUDIO/OTHER SETTINGS, that background audio is on.
**In Xequence
1. Start a new project, add four tracks, each pointing at iM1, and to channels 1 through 4.
2. Throw some random notes in each track and press play.
It should work.
I don't really know what you mean by iM1 "choosing lane 1 but highlighting lane 4". It's kind of a set it and forget it thing. If you're jumping back into iM1 to try and change the sounds by pressing those lane numbers, that's not how it works.
Awesome. Thanks for the info.
I’ve sent you a PM yesterday. Could you re-check? Maybe you didn't get a notification... all automatic emails from this forum are classified as Spam since yesterday or so... at least by our email provider (Zoho)
Aaron, I followed your instructions to the letter and..... TOTAL SUCCESS!!
What a great feeling just to make this small advance. Thank you so much! I had discovered the global midi setting on my own but thought each voice got its own channel. Never would have figured that out, much less the assignment 1,2,3,4. Perfect step by step instructions!
So now I will purchase the in app for more tracks, put Aum on hold so as not to be overwhelmed, and consult the manual about how to connect a controller keyboard (which I already did successfully with Gadget). And, interestingly enough, I begin to understand the concept of a simplified workflow (I think) and how cool it is, for example, that Xequence will remember all these connections.
Thanks to you all I have recorded four tracks of nonsense entitled Aaron's Mindbend with piano, rotary organ, alto and strings, all in glorious technicolor, all from the IM1 and all labeled correctly! Now that is progress!
And if any of you have questions about mental processes in the aging brain don't hesitate to ask!
And thanks to Seven Systems for giving us such a groovy (60s! tool to use and talk about!
@LinearLineman happy to hear about your progress. I didn’t follow quite as closely as before because most of your questions seemed more of a generic nature, but if you happen to have further Xequence-specific issues, I’m all ears
Great! Glad I could help. You should be fine without AUM if you can make iM1 work for you. You can control the volume, pan etc. of each instrument from inside iM1, and it even has some good built in effects. Check it all out when you're ready to dig deeper.
Thanks again, Aaron!
SevenSystems: several things relating to Xequence:
Manual: very clearly written! Though many processes are new to me I can see that the manual explains things very simply if you know the underlying concepts. It's the underlying concepts I am still missing! I appreciate that forum members will help with these when necessary, so I have no fear!
Keyboard controller: I read the manual related to this and I want to be sure I understand it.
I select midi in to "any" to get the signal from keybd to Xequence.
I do not connect the keybd to Gadget, for example, but use midi thru on Xequence to get the signal from Xequence to Gadget. Is this correct?
I would set the keybd to midi channel 1 for signals to any instrument (so long as it is selected). Is there any case where I would use other midi channels on the keybd with Xequence.
Polyhymnia: I read the manual on this and I think it says that the music on your demo was created by a hundred monkeys working on an algorithm! Is this correct? What material was fed into Polyhymnia to create each individual track on the demo.
Now I know I said this was pure jazz and I still enjoy it as such...but are you really telling me this is mostly AI and I have to recognize it as a legitimate creator of real jazz?! And are you saying that my interaction with this program would be that of a collaborator rather than a sole composer? Well, if that's the case bring it on (I guess), but we're a lot further down the road than I imagined!
Wifi: I know this is ridiculous, but I didn't realize you had to be online to use Xequence. This is correct, right? I guess recording on Gadget without wifi lulled me into thinking interapp activity was also self contained. Everyone who can leaves Istanbul in the summer and I, too, will head to a place by the sea. There my wifi ability will be limited and the hours I dreamed of cuddling up with Xequence now seem dashed! Oh well, maybe the sequencer on Gadget will take me back for three months. It doesn't seem to be the jealous type!
Regards from what is left of the Ottoman Empire and thanks again for this wonderful creation.
Glad you're getting along with the manual
It does assume some basic experience with other linear MIDI sequencers (they're all pretty similar in their basic concepts after all), but let's get to that further below.
Exactly, you have to make sure that Gadget itself (or ANY of the instruments (apps) you've set up in Xequence) do NOT directly receive MIDI input from your keyboard, but ONLY from Xequence.
This way, Xequence will forward the messages from your keyboard to the appropriate app automatically (when "MIDI Thru" is enabled), so that if you select a different track in the arranger, your external keyboard will always play that particular instrument. If Xequence didn't do this, then you would have to reconfigure each of your synth apps every single time you wanted to play a different one of them.
Indeed, the channel you select on your keyboard doesn't matter, because Xequence rechannelizes all messages to the channel that is set on the destination instrument (on the Instruments screen).
Yes, PolyHymnia generates melodies (and the stuff in the PH Demos file) completely automatically, using the settings you provide. There's really an infinite amount of possibilities and while many settings won't give sensible results, many others do
That's the fun part of it... keep hitting the "Flask" button until you get something you like.
I wouldn't call it AI, it's not that advanced. In essence, it's just math, though slightly advanced. The secret sauce is in the parts that are not exposed in the user interface, i.e. the way that Xequence combines all your settings (and auto-generates them).
No, this is not the case at all with Xequence, what made you think so? Indeed many iOS music apps have that "problem", Xequence shouldn't ever ask you for Internet access, except while making an In-App Purchase.
Judging from your president's recent actions, it seems like there's some refreshing empire expansion planned!
@SevenSystems how does PolyHymnia work with scales?
It only generates notes that are part of the current scale... so you're safe there!
Right on.
Seven Systems: Glad to hear wifi not necessary. I guess I was confused when I saw the message iM1 off line. Silly me.
I'll try the keybd controller today. Thanks
Seven Systems: Glad to hear wifi not necessary. I guess I was confused when I saw the message iM1 off line. Silly me.
I'll try the keybd controller today. Thanks
@LinearLineman haha OK, yes, “Offline” is a generic technical term for “disconnected” really that doesn’t necessarily mean “Internet”, but I agree the term might be confusing... I guess I’ll change it to “Unavailable” or something more general.
Well, I have successfully hooked up a Casio keyboard to Xequence... but here's what happened... with Gadget I could get four discrete instruments and even use the split function on the Casio. However, with IM1 I only got a discrete voice (piano) on the first track. On the other three tracks I heard the piano along with the other voices (piano/strings, etc.). Split or layer was not engaged.... besides, the first track, piano was discrete. Any ideas?
Also, though I am not absolutely certain, it seems like the sound generated with the keybd controller sounds a little different... more tinny on the piano for example. It doesn't seem possible as I understand the information coming from the Casio only triggers note values. Perhaps it is a velocity thing? Anyway, it is not a very pleasant musical experience. The sound "feels" much better on the Xequence keybd. I prefer to make music by playing, generally. Note by note entry makes for a whole different kind of music.
Finally, is there any volume metering on Xequence? If so, how do I access it? Does Aum have metering?
At least having learned to record on Xequence makes these questions less urgent feeling. It is a big help knowing some savvy minds will try to help me
Well, I just keep rattling on! Please forgive me but I think I am becoming a virtual music junkie! The more I explore this realm the more fantastic it seems to be.
Question: anyone have experience with iSymphony and CMP piano? Will they work with Xequence?
Question: does anyone know an app that plays drum patterns or grooves (building a good drum track from scratch is tough for me) I am especially interested in jazz and world grooves.
I stumbled on NI's Kompact system and realized there is a whole other level of authenticity in virtual acoustic instruments. To my consternation and relief (prices!) I at last discovered it was not for iOS. Still, a Joshua Bell violin!! Check it out on YouTube if you haven't heard it... also they do offer one of the most realistic saxes for about $5 that is for iOS. Search Sensual Sax in App Store. I assume it will work with Xequence.
But really, if you haven't heard this stuff go to Native Instruments website. It is mind blowing (60s jargon).