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.
Simplest setup to always be recording MIDI when experimenting.
Hi All,
I like to experiment with multiple synth apps and usually record audio in AUM -- catching any happy accidents. But I can't seem to find a simple workflow that ensures I am always recording MIDI, across multiple open apps.
- I can sometimes get MIDI recording to work in Cubasis, but not reliably.
- I was able to get MIDI from some apps to go into Xequence.
- MODSTEP only seems to want to send MIDI out?
- Tried lots of creative MIDI Fire routings.
With these approaches, complicated settings/routings were required, and by the time each app was setup, I was exhausted and too tired.
Does anyone have a suggestion, workflow, or even an AB or AUM setup/config file that accomplishes this?
Comments
This is something I too would love to have a simple solution for. Some kind of persistent MIDI recorder that would be always on and require no routing or even pressing record. Truly persistent, as in always ready to detect and automatically record all MIDI on my iPad — that would be really wonderful and remove one frequent source of worry (is it receiving and recording or not?), therefore leading to more joyful musicmaking.
Hmmm, something that is constantly recording the MIDI stream, and then you can hit a button to save the last 1/2/5/10 mins of recording, kind of like a dashcam.
You won't be able to do this without setting up a route (either in the source or destination app) at least once, because that's the way iOS works...
However, if you use Xequence, it will remember all selected sources always and is ready to go when you launch it, and will also automatically reconnect to apps when they disappear / appear.
If you get the Multitrack Recording IAP in addition, all apps will be recorded to separate tracks by name, as long as you use explicit sources.
(note that Xequence will stop recording 64 bars after the last part of the project, so you should either record in a loop, or draw a verrrrrryyyyy long empty part prior to hitting record.)
EDIT: correction -- the "recorder" app could actually automatically connect to newly appeared sources, so yeah, as long as the sender app has a virtual MIDI source, it could work fully automatic. Sounds like a "Auto-enable new MIDI sources" switch in Xequence is in order
)
This is true, Xequence does a very good job once it is initially set up....my only wish is that it would slave to MIDI Clock. When jamming on hardware I use the tempo controls on the hardware....I focus on the devices not the screen.
When using just apps then Xequence is pretty much spot on
I'm not sure if this will help in your case @inakarmacoma but the dev of KQ Dixie and MiniSynth has just released a simple, free multichannel MIDI recorder:
https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/midi-recorder-with-e-piano/id1448577506
It records from all MIDI ports.
You could use Genome MIDI to record in sync with MIDI clock and export the patterns to Xequence for further arrangement
The least painful way really is to use a midi interface and record into something like Ableton Live.
Modstep should record midi ok, haven't checked in a while but was working last tine I used it.
We are awaiting release of Photon midi recorder from @midiSequencer which will be useful in recording midi as an AU. Was due to be out this month, hopefully that's still happening
That's a cool little app, thanks for the tip.
Yes, good shout ! the words 'simple' and 'free' combined always grabs my interest
You are not the first to tell me I need Genome (I have it, just not given it any attention)....I think I missed the fact it syncs to clock....big thing for me
thanks for the nudge
Yeah thanks for that, but not sure how to record from ipad apps as appears to be no midi port visible to connect to, unless I've missed something.....
However, recording from an external source, or from ipad to ipad with this is great.
But looks like no core midi support for now.
The dev wrote that the app records from all MIDi ports it can see. No selection dialog.
Ok good, you can use midifire to send from apematrix to the app and it'll receive the midi for recording.
Or Audiobus can send to virtual midi out and this works too etc.....
Ah, good to know there's almost always a hack to get there
Simple thing like this doesn't really exist or at least I haven't found a sequencer that would record midi in a way loopy does audio. I have a feeling that only @Michael can come up with such thing.
Even Gadget, which is my favourite sequencer doesn't have it (the ability to determine the length of the loop on the fly).
Been waiting.... he said this month...
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/28149/real-time-sequencer-aum/p9
I'm not sure Genome woudl work for this... Don't you have to set the midi length for each "cell" first? Then when you record, it's like a loop...
Yes, Genome is optimized for a pattern-oriented workflow.
Well, at least you can set the length of each pattern to up to 128 bars, that's already something.
Infinite Looper?
http://www.secretbasedesign.com/apps/infinite-looper.html
Synth hosting
Loops of different lengths up to 64 measures long.
Ableton Link, IAA, IAA midi, AudioBus
I gave up on this a long time ago....
I decided to always have a DAW record armed at all times so that I just hit one button, and record all the midi and audio from my iPad.
Until IOS has a great multichannel Midi and Audio recording at the output stage of everything, then it is DAW all the way for me (we are nearly there though)
Multiple Apps into Aum or AudioBus.
Output to DAW = No F*%^ing around.
Man, this is going to really do it!
I once had a Roland Fantom Synth and it always recorded 20 seconds of whatever you played! Loved it cause there were times I forgot it actually was recording and I stopped and said man! I wish I had recorded this! And then remembered to hit replay and there it was!
There has to be something like that on IOS!
Just tried it and it works! Only thing though for it to work in the Background it needs to have the built in synth enabled
It’s horrible if you are recording a drum track. Anyone figured out a workaround?
I recorded GM midi out from Rosetta’s Rythm to Ruismaker and it did record the entire midi output; but when I played it back in Cubasis, the midi wasn’t GM. @brambos any idea if Ruismaker stand-alone still outputs GM?
FWIW: In my experience it's buggy/crashy and I had it midi stutter VERY often on Air2
I saw something on YouTube that makes me think there's a good answer. I need to test it.
You send your controller's MIDI stream through MidiFire and using the modules in MidiFire to send a copy to an app that records MIDI (AEMS might be a good target since you can send OMNI MIDI to AEMS and it would save all input in one track). So, that's the always on recording.
Then route the controller MIDI stream in parallel to AUM and or AB and I think you're good to go.
Here's the video that gave me the idea. It's used in this Dischord video to connect Fugue Machine on iPad #1 (sending the MIDI stream) to apps on another iPad. He splits the 16 channels and re-routes them to apps all using MIDI channel 1.
It should also work for a local only set up (Scene as MidiFire calls it) that sends Midi data to a "recording app" and also to realtime apps in AUM or AB.
Worth a shot.
When working on a problem with Audulus, I learned and used GigRig:
GigRig MIDI+ by Audeonic Apps
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gigrig-midi/id1090436811?l=en&mt=
Maybe this can help?
If someone wants a simple and completely free solution now, here's how:
I can’t seem to get the recorder to record in the background with out the Internal Synth being enabled. Is there a workaround?
It works for me.
Are you sure the sound is coming from Midi Recorder?
I gave up it kept crashing.
I really hope a dev creates something similar to what the Roland Fantom has where it always record the previous 20 seconds and would be even better if it was user adjusted up to a certain timer; where it would continually overwrite itself if you did not access it or replay it as this would prevent over recording data or running out of disk space. But again user adjusted to fit the needs. This inside AUM or AB3 would be a truly amazing app!
Maybe @SevenSystems can add this feature to Xequencer as an IAP? Thinking out loud here
Yeah I'm considering adding it to the "Thinking out loud roadmap"