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.

APHELIAN is finally out!!

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Comments

  • @Carnbot given @Dchild comment just above your post, perhaps you could illustrate your technique with a couple of screen shots with arrows? I have to admit that the UI is a bit overwhelming in this one so the learning curve is high.

  • No arrows but hopefully this helps, set the beats per orbit at the top, for each of the moons also, after tapping the top events panel. Would be nice to have more than 32 beats.

    And you can also tap the step 1 at the bottom (highlighted) which allows to add more note changes at different beats.

  • Very helpful; I hadn't seen those options before but they are lots of fun. Thanks, @Carnbot.

  • Using Aphelian to sequence VST in Bitwig, via Studiomux as a midi bridge, works a treat!

  • @Jumpercollins said:
    Using Aphelian to sequence VST in Bitwig, via Studiomux as a midi bridge, works a treat!

    Most interesting! Thanks for posting that. The usefulness of Aphelian goes on...

    ——
    As an aside, I measure how much i like certain instruments by the “pee test”. By which i mean, will i be entranced and keep playing the instrument even though a trip to the bathroom is becoming increasingly necessary. Aphelian proudly passes the pee test! 😄

  • Two questions:

    • can Aphelian's synths be used as midi instruments via AU or AB3 or IAA?

    • in song mode is there a way to skip to the next scene?

  • @espiegel123 said:
    Two questions:

    • can Aphelian's synths be used as midi instruments via AU or AB3 or IAA?

    • in song mode is there a way to skip to the next scene?

    You can host Aphelian in AB or AUM etc so yes the synths are available as an IAA instance.
    In song mode I don’t think so. Got to check.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    Two questions:

    • can Aphelian's synths be used as midi instruments via AU or AB3 or IAA?

    • in song mode is there a way to skip to the next scene?

    No AUV3... yet. Would be nice. Thought the developers said that is on the list.

    In song mode (which I have not spent a lot of time in so far) I’m not seeing a way to skip to next scene. Do you mean by MIDI?

  • @haulin_notes said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    Two questions:

    • can Aphelian's synths be used as midi instruments via AU or AB3 or IAA?

    • in song mode is there a way to skip to the next scene?

    No AUV3... yet. Would be nice. Thought the developers said that is on the list.

    In song mode (which I have not spent a lot of time in so far) I’m not seeing a way to skip to next scene. Do you mean by MIDI?

    @haulin_notes said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    Two questions:

    • can Aphelian's synths be used as midi instruments via AU or AB3 or IAA?

    • in song mode is there a way to skip to the next scene?

    No AUV3... yet. Would be nice. Thought the developers said that is on the list.

    In song mode (which I have not spent a lot of time in so far) I’m not seeing a way to skip to next scene. Do you mean by MIDI?

    Not by MIDI, I just meant being able to play the next scene by tapping on its name or something. I was checking out the demo songs and hoped that tapping on scene in the list would play the scene.

  • edited January 2019

    @espiegel123 said:

    Not by MIDI, I just meant being able to play the next scene by tapping on its name or something. I was checking out the demo songs and hoped that tapping on scene in the list would play the scene.

    As far as I can tell, Scene mode is the more “flexible” of the two. You can jump around to whatever scenes you want. The scene can either start instantly or at the end of what is currently playing. I’ve spent most of the time in Scene mode.

    In Song mode, it seems like you load up your long list of scenes (including how many iterations) and just play through it. (Please correct me anyone with further experience!)

    Have you seen Doug’s video on the Modes?

  • edited January 2019

    Small composition tips

    Aphelian can get busy quickly. To simplify

    1. Change the time divisions of each orbit to fewer beats
    2. Change the tone map to something simple
    3. Have the trigger patterns the same
    4. Change the size of the obit so it crosses fewer notes
      (depending on the gradient and shape)
    5. Use the simpler shapes like line circle etc
    6. Have orbits on the same gradient and the same trigger pattern.
    7. Use the 1 octave ‘small keys’ to limit notes
    8. Have the direction of the orbits the same
    9. Have the number of beats be the same (accessed by the smaaalll playhead at the top with the BPM) **note
    10. Make sure that each orbits voice has a range that works for its part. (bass has bass notes)

    Compositionally I got good results with a combo like:

    1. Same gradient maps
    2. Same trigger pattern
    3. Same key step note pattern
    4. Same beats per orbit

    And then, change it. Slowly building up by using one or more of the following and exploring how rotations and translations affect each space:

    1. Offsetting the orbits on in relation to the center either x & y or rotation in small regular patterns (Spirograph like) while keeping the same orbit shape
    2. Gradually rotating the whole group and exploring the corners and the sides of the main viewport as the shapes are not limited to being wholly on the board (even though they looked clipped off they still work).
    3. Changing the direction of one or two orbits
    4. Changing the tone map of one or two orbits ***
    5. Change the beats per orbit of one or two of the orbits
    6. Add note changes within the loop of each orbit. Accessed by pressing to the right of the keyboard in note view the button "STEP 1" (left of the tuning fork)
    7. And by no means finally doing key changes either on a single part or pairs or the whole shebang...
    8. I forgot, you can mutate each preset shapes form with a three finger drag.

    ** Each scene saves everything including beats per orbit, key and tempo etc...
    *** Usually I try to keep them paired in some way. Two orbits having the same tone map and the other two having the same but different. Or by paring up tone maps so that the light dark patterns are inverted.

    JESUS this thing is Deeeeeeep. You can easily get lost. Did I mention the live playheads that you can scrub like a DJ.

    But yeah pair it down start simple and add complexity by adding variations. Or just go bleeping hog wild and see what happens.

    :)

    One more thing you can randomize the notes in the tone map and the patterns by pressing the shuffle symbol
    OR
    Paint your own by using the tools on the right of the orbit in the notes tab.

  • the midi cc management is brilliantly implemented in this app. You can create a lot of cc messages one each channel. Planets and Moons can be used to automatize what you want in external applications

  • @Halftone said:

    @QuietBrian said:
    Visually beautiful app with a great deal of thought put into the design and concept. However, every video I have seen so far sounds like a variation of the same song, same tempo. I see people jumping through menus, changing shapes and doing so much but changing so little of the sound or the "type" of music that comes out of this app (at least to my ears!).

    Everything sounds like a soundtrack to.......ah......Sonic the Hedgehog....!!??. I am hopeful that someone will put out a video that shows something vastly different using the midi out as it seems that there could be a very unique potential in this regard. Despite my criticism I applaud the creators for doing something different and adding to the "fun" factor of ios music making !!

    Ok here’s a slow jam made with Apheliian for those who just think it does bleepy bloppy high tempo arp type stuff. Nothing special at all - - 1 synth and internal drums to start, then a 2nd synth added, then third, then the fourth and I quickly messed with changing the shape of synth four before taking them all away. Hopefully I shared this link correctly ..

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bv75ra803jz2jnx/AADnBuppWtXFNP6cSDdFRVuQa?dl=0

    Dope ! And ya I was able to create a lot of slow tempo stuff with it as well, it's more than capable to do arps, leads pads etc at any speed!.
    I can't figure out how to sustain notes as long as I want tho, they cut off at the markers, any idea how to sustain a note for a whole orbit ?

  • This thread is long and I couldn't find out at first glance, but will this be universal and or auv3?

  • @audiblevideo
    👍
    Thanks for the thumbnail manual! Very useful and helpful to have any tips. Aphelian seems intuitive in that one can have instant fun just doodling. And it can get as complex as necessary, short of being a DAW which is not its intent if course. A marvel of design, I think.

  • In response to my previous query about a possible Drum Aphelian... while it might be nice to have drum samples,etc., the synths are obviously quite capable of making percussive sounds. There are several such presets. Sending the MIDI to a drum app is also something to look into...

    But here’s a demo using only Aphelian’s synths (and their relative sequencer) in Live Mode for percussion:

  • Another little cool thing is that when you're on the page that has all 4 orbits on it... if you tap and drag each orbit to a corner, it sounds like the sound is coming from that corner.

    @JuanB What would REALLY be cool is if when you're on the other page where you can manipulate all of the orbits in 3D space... and you rotate the orbit's axis in 3D space, you would hear that same directional spatial effect. And, maybe even record the gestural motions of rotating them in 3D space.

  • So, I deleted the other demos because they just didn't have a good mix.
    Here's a 'better' one and a different vibe, sonic pallet and tone – shoe-gazer guitar

  • @cuscolima said:
    the midi cc management is brilliantly implemented in this app. You can create a lot of cc messages one each channel. Planets and Moons can be used to automatize what you want in external applications

    You are using CC's on external synths. I'm a little daft as to how to patch CC's to synths hosted in AUM or AudioBus. Feel like walking everyone in the class through it?

  • Just finished watching the 3 tutorials here:
    https://aphelian.io/
    Learned a bunch in just under 10 minutes.. mandatory viewing for all fellow Aphelians. Hopefully more to come..

  • Ah, tip of the day, you can draw very long notes when you press this icon and draw, carefully, over the divisions in one continual movement. You have to be quite accurate to draw a long note or else you'll need to delete and start again.

  • edited January 2019

    @audiblevideo said:

    @cuscolima said:
    the midi cc management is brilliantly implemented in this app. You can create a lot of cc messages one each channel. Planets and Moons can be used to automatize what you want in external applications

    You are using CC's on external synths. I'm a little daft as to how to patch CC's to synths hosted in AUM or AudioBus. Feel like walking everyone in the class through it?

    When you are on the Synth page, there is a button on the left, to Add Controller. On the audio tab of the synth, it allows you to pick which parameter to control or automate.

    If you switch to the Midi tab of the Synth page, the Add Controller button adds controllers for Midi Output. You set them up the same way, but can specify midi stuff like CC # as well.

    The rest is the usual setup method in whatever app/host you are using. Setup midi ports, channels, and CC.

  • Cheers for the great tips @audiblevideo (must have taken a while at least) and for the link @royor.

  • @audiblevideo said:

    @cuscolima said:
    the midi cc management is brilliantly implemented in this app. You can create a lot of cc messages one each channel. Planets and Moons can be used to automatize what you want in external applications

    You are using CC's on external synths. I'm a little daft as to how to patch CC's to synths hosted in AUM or AudioBus. Feel like walking everyone in the class through it?

    To illustrate this :
    1. Go to the screen below
    2. Ensure you have the right channel, the right interface (here I assume I have AUM running with a synth on channel 1, receiving midi from ‘AUM’ Destination)
    3. Ensure you have the Send on
    4. Click then on “add controller” -> you have now a CC generator ready to operate (here it will send the messages on cc2, on channel 1

    Then click on the parameters button (the wheel)

    From here you can select the “lfo” that will make everything evolve. Select “Always” to see immediately the changes

    In AUM you can now assign the received message 2 on channel 1 on any controler

    Hope this help

  • This isn’t important, but I’m curious... in the demo videos the trailing flame/smoke graphics from the orbit spheres in the stargate look different than the diamond/gems coming off the same spheres in the released app.

    @JuanB did the graphics get changed before release? Or, is there another setting to change the characteristics of the animated graphics?

  • @cuscolima said:

    @audiblevideo said:

    @cuscolima said:
    the midi cc management is brilliantly implemented in this app. You can create a lot of cc messages one each channel. Planets and Moons can be used to automatize what you want in external applications

    You are using CC's on external synths. I'm a little daft as to how to patch CC's to synths hosted in AUM or AudioBus. Feel like walking everyone in the class through it?

    To illustrate this :
    1. Go to the screen below
    2. Ensure you have the right channel, the right interface (here I assume I have AUM running with a synth on channel 1, receiving midi from ‘AUM’ Destination)
    3. Ensure you have the Send on
    4. Click then on “add controller” -> you have now a CC generator ready to operate (here it will send the messages on cc2, on channel 1

    Then click on the parameters button (the wheel)

    From here you can select the “lfo” that will make everything evolve. Select “Always” to see immediately the changes

    In AUM you can now assign the received message 2 on channel 1 on any controler

    Hope this help

    I have done the above. Maybe it’s the individual synthesizers I’m not getting. Is their a list of CCs for each synth and their common controls? Midi learn?
    I tried poking around in Sunriser to no avail.

  • Sure. In AUM you can see the list of the available parameters (midi ctrl -> chan2 -> parameters)
    Then just do a midi learn on the parameter you want to automatize and that’s it. Note the CC2 on chanel 1

  • Is it my imagination or does the filter envelope in Aphelian sweep the Q but not the cutoff?

  • @JuanB: I am getting a reproducible crash if I change the Notes or Notes Flow background while a scene is playing.

    Steps.

    • start playing a scene
    • click on the 'tuning fork' icon in the main toolbar (to bring up the panel that says Generator in the middle)
    • Choose a background picture from the popup list for the track that is playing
      --OBSERVE: as soon as I tap to choose a picture, Aphelian crashes. This happens both with Notes and Notes Flow.
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