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.

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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Midi foot controllers. Ideas/hacks etc.

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Comments

  • I don't know if anyone saw this or how it compares (used bluetooth 2.1, so still works on older devices), but it's on sale and the code "ROADIE" courtesy of the radio free roadie podcast that I like so much gives you another discount (I used it back when I bought my mic stands from airturn last year).

    I didn't look into the details too much on either pedal so I don't know if they do the same thing but I figured I would share it in case it fills a need for someone here.

    https://store.airturn.com/products/airturn-stomp6?utm_source=AirTurn+News+&+Updates&utm_campaign=2bf249fbf2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_02_10_21_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1f8db3051c-2bf249fbf2-194233945&mc_cid=2bf249fbf2&mc_eid=288789920d

  • @rad3d said:

    @supadom said:
    I think it must have been because of the form factor. The small one has too few pedals and the big one seemed too big, at least at the time when I was first looking at them. I see there are different versions. There’s also FBV III which looks nice in terms of size and switches but I see no mention of full customisation. I will download the manuals. Thanks for the tip.

    I’ve just bought softstep so I’ll probably calm down for now, the control on that seems vast and if some of the pedals do pressure and XY I might leave the expression pedal out and just use them for control. See how it pans out.

    In the meantime @Janosax I’ve worked out what was wrong with MT 100. Basically in momentary mode the switch would just fire the ‘on’ message but no ‘off’ on release so Loopy would interpret it as hold and ToneStack would simply turn an fx unit on and would not turn off on release or successive taps.

    All sorted now. I had to send Thomann a video explaining the fault and they’ve sent me a return label right away. Seem like a good company.

    Good deal. It's all about finding something that works.

    Let me know how you get along with the Softstep. I used both the 1 and the 2 for several years and am a big fan of many of KMI's products. I loved the control capabilities with the SS (though it's way easier to program from a Mac and I was more Windows at the time), but always found the button layout a little close, and the flat profile made it hard to tap the second row properly. I eventually mounted it on a frame at about a 15-20deg angle, and that's when it worked best for me. But I always had the FBV sitting around from a previous Line6 rack unit, and once I tried it as a midi controller with the iPad, it seemed to cover the ground of 2-3 of the other controllers I was using, so I ended up with a smaller form factor in the end.

    Good luck.

    The softstep hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll see how I get on with accessing the second row. I’ve always steered clear from the double row pedals but the only one I’ve happened to use was rolls which actually wasn’t bad at all but the second row was in fact slightly raised and offset.

    I’ll see. I might put a roof batten underneath if I have any trouble. I found surprisingly many uses for roof battens in my passion for music. ;)

  • @mrufino1 said:
    I don't know if anyone saw this or how it compares (used bluetooth 2.1, so still works on older devices), but it's on sale and the code "ROADIE" courtesy of the radio free roadie podcast that I like so much gives you another discount (I used it back when I bought my mic stands from airturn last year).

    I didn't look into the details too much on either pedal so I don't know if they do the same thing but I figured I would share it in case it fills a need for someone here.

    https://store.airturn.com/products/airturn-stomp6?utm_source=AirTurn+News+&+Updates&utm_campaign=2bf249fbf2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_02_10_21_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1f8db3051c-2bf249fbf2-194233945&mc_cid=2bf249fbf2&mc_eid=288789920d

    The form factor and the price are right but there is surprisingly little info on what kind of midi this thing sends. I’d speculate it does PC only but I’d be more than happy to be proven wrong.

  • @supadom said:
    The softstep hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll see how I get on with accessing the second row. I’ve always steered clear from the double row pedals but the only one I’ve happened to use was rolls which actually wasn’t bad at all but the second row was in fact slightly raised and offset.

    They did a better job of raising the second row on the Softstep 2, but I still felt they were trying too hard to keep the form factor similar to the first one that I'm not sure they went far enough. I feel the default setup probably favors a sitting player over a standing one.

    FYI - if you have any trouble with catching the pad in the right place for a consistent trigger, a very simple solution is to use 1/2-3/4" self-adhesive rubber bumpers, like these:
    https://www.amazon.com/Bulk-Hardware-BH01907-Adhesive-Protective/dp/B00TQWTL9Y/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1549807118&sr=8-14&keywords=3/4"+self+adhesive+rubber+bumper

    While a little strange, they provide a more defined trigger that I could feel better with my foot. They're cheap and when you want to sell your SS, they're easy to pull off and clean completely.

    I’ll see. I might put a roof batten underneath if I have any trouble. I found surprisingly many uses for roof battens in my passion for music. ;)

    Love it! I've never used one, but it appears to be exactly what I was looking for before creating a wooden mount for the SoftStep.

  • @rad3d @Janosax

    The softstep 1 has arrived today. After an hour of fiddling with the editor I can see we’re going to be good friends. It will definitely need a prop to sit at an angle. No issues with power either. I was worried that it will draw too much current off my passive hub which is already connected to an overcrowded hub on Akai EIE but it hasn’t complained at all. There was that famous buzz but I’ve turned off the backlight and hey presto it is quite like a mouse.

    Will report further once I’ve learned how to program it properly. It seems that the four way rocker on the right can be set up to send midi as well which is absolutely fantastic news for me as I don’t use banks.

    This thing for pre-brexit £100 is an absolute steal.

  • You're turning into a KMI fan boy after all.

  • @lukesleepwalker said:
    You're turning into a KMI fan boy after all.

    Haha, I still don’t like quneo!!!!

  • @supadom that’s cool, let me know how it works on iOS. I was under the impression than some special actions needed Sofstep to be in hosted mode with Softstep editor opened on the PC/MAC. I think it’s the case with double and hold taps, not sure for XY and pressure controls.

  • I haven't gone as far as the special actions yet @Janosax but there's quite a few actions included in standalone. The problem I find is that the buttons are very close and unless you decide to wear a very pointy wizard shoes, all the special actions in the world aren't going to save you. ;)

    Impressions so far:

    1. definitely needs some physical alteration to make a good use of second row
    2. it is incredibly easy to press another pad by mistake
    3. still trying to work out the assignment of the navigation buttons but I have blisters on my fingers from testing different configuations.
    4. Need more time with it ;)

    If it stays I can see myself disabling every other button for safety reasons, they're just too close.

  • @supadom said:
    @rad3d @Janosax

    The softstep 1 has arrived today.

    Awesome. Remember that with the 1, the triggers for each pad are on the corners (they rotated the pads 45deg on the 2). I found the Rubber bumpers mentioned earlier to be more needed on the 1, as sometimes a tap in the middle of the pad wouldnt trigger.

    And understand on the pads being too close together. Just a slightly larger footprint would have helped.

    This thing for pre-brexit £100 is an absolute steal.

    Yes, it is. Definitely on of the more powerful controllers out there.

  • @rad3d said:

    @supadom said:
    @rad3d @Janosax

    The softstep 1 has arrived today.

    Awesome. Remember that with the 1, the triggers for each pad are on the corners (they rotated the pads 45deg on the 2). I found the Rubber bumpers mentioned earlier to be more needed on the 1, as sometimes a tap in the middle of the pad wouldnt trigger.

    And understand on the pads being too close together. Just a slightly larger footprint would have helped.

    This thing for pre-brexit £100 is an absolute steal.

    Yes, it is. Definitely on of the more powerful controllers out there.

    Yes, yes and yes to all of the above.

    It is a love/hate relationship though. To break it down:

    The customisation of this thing is great. Types of messages, sensitivity, several messages with one tap, pressure, x/y and so on. Also the software while it took me a while to find the right manual for the unit, it wasn’t too bad at all. I’m not saying that i know it inside out but most things made sense after few initial WTF.

    So I think it is absolutely fantastic board if...

    ...you like this particular approach to midi foot control. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my feet but in general they’re pretty clumsy compared to hands. They’re not really designed for fine motor stuff, and yes it can be improved with practice, many of us will have seem people without hands painting with feet etc. However I’m not sure I want to improve my foot dextriety. In fact even if I did improve it in home environment, stage is completely another kettle of fish.
    It is chaotic, there’s no time or space to focus and place that curled toe in the corner of the top row’s pad. It is bloody acrobatics and I’m envious of those who can do that dance.

    There’s other things like pressure, that ‘in theory’ I rather like: step on the pedal and slowly take the weight off to release to open the filter while building up the sound on the guitar. In theory yes but in use, despite all of the curve tables available it doesn’t feel right to me. Probably an expression pedal is a lot easier...horses for courses, I guess.

    So yeah, unfortunately the physical interface falls flat for me. I just don’t get on with rubber pad foot controllers, especially placed so close together. I’ve tried blueboard and liked it in many ways but in terms of usability I couldn’t hack it. I’ve had two, both gone.

    So now after spending the whole day trying to like this thing, what’s next?

    I could go back to my trusty Boss FC-50 pimped by 2 sustain pedals acting as extra switches and an expression pedal. I already own all of this so would just be a question of velcro -ing it onto a piece of plywood and call it a board....and save some money?

    ...or maybe the beastly Roland FC 200. I’ve had this before too. It has a midi CC mode, expression pedal...but it is massive. Not as massive as Behr FCB 1010 (I had that too for the whole of 2 days) but who can beat that?! Still big and heavy.. and those bank up and down switches!

    Also there is a host of old Rolls, Nobles, Midi Buddy etc with only PC mode and no battery power. I had a couple of those but really want CC for long presses etc.

    There’s Yamaha MFC 10 doesn’t look bad but not sure about those plastic switches.

    And of course the Actition things from the Hungarian bloke on eBay. If power draw isn’t higher than softstep then maybe it is a go? They are simple with no bank switches and an expression pedal input. Bus powered too...

    ...or maybe I’m just enjoying the search and buying? ;)

  • edited February 2019

    @supadom

    Those kind of search can be pretty long :smile:

    About Actition stuff, it seems to me that buttons are close together too, from the videos.

    I always use my BlueBoard without shoes, to help feeling buttons. I can’t see myself wearing only socks on stage. Is it easier to feel metal buttons from your experience? I can’t look at my foot while playing.

  • @Janosax said:

    @supadom said:

    @rad3d said:

    @supadom said:
    @rad3d @Janosax

    The softstep 1 has arrived today.

    Awesome. Remember that with the 1, the triggers for each pad are on the corners (they rotated the pads 45deg on the 2). I found the Rubber bumpers mentioned earlier to be more needed on the 1, as sometimes a tap in the middle of the pad wouldnt trigger.

    And understand on the pads being too close together. Just a slightly larger footprint would have helped.

    This thing for pre-brexit £100 is an absolute steal.

    Yes, it is. Definitely on of the more powerful controllers out there.

    Yes, yes and yes to all of the above.

    It is a love/hate relationship though. To break it down:

    The customisation of this thing is great. Types of messages, sensitivity, several messages with one tap, pressure, x/y and so on. Also the software while it took me a while to find the right manual for the unit, it wasn’t too bad at all. I’m not saying that i know it inside out but most things made sense after few initial WTF.

    So I think it is absolutely fantastic board if...

    ...you like this particular approach to midi foot control. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my feet but in general they’re pretty clumsy compared to hands. They’re not really designed for fine motor stuff, and yes it can be improved with practice, many of us will have seem people without hands painting with feet etc. However I’m not sure I want to improve my foot dextriety. In fact even if I did improve it in home environment, stage is completely another kettle of fish.
    It is chaotic, there’s no time or space to focus and place that curled toe in the corner of the top row’s pad. It is bloody acrobatics and I’m envious of those who can do that dance.

    There’s other things like pressure, that ‘in theory’ I rather like: step on the pedal and slowly take the weight off to release to open the filter while building up the sound on the guitar. In theory yes but in use, despite all of the curve tables available it doesn’t feel right to me. Probably an expression pedal is a lot easier...horses for courses, I guess.

    So yeah, unfortunately the physical interface falls flat for me. I just don’t get on with rubber pad foot controllers, especially placed so close together. I’ve tried blueboard and liked it in many ways but in terms of usability I couldn’t hack it. I’ve had two, both gone.

    So now after spending the whole day trying to like this thing, what’s next?

    I could go back to my trusty Boss FC-50 pimped by 2 sustain pedals acting as extra switches and an expression pedal. I already own all of this so would just be a question of velcro -ing it onto a piece of plywood and call it a board....and save some money?

    ...or maybe the beastly Roland FC 200. I’ve had this before too. It has a midi CC mode, expression pedal...but it is massive. Not as massive as Behr FCB 1010 (I had that too for the whole of 2 days) but who can beat that?! Still big and heavy.. and those bank up and down switches!

    Also there is a host of old Rolls, Nobles, Midi Buddy etc with only PC mode and no battery power. I had a couple of those but really want CC for long presses etc.

    There’s Yamaha MFC 10 doesn’t look bad but not sure about those plastic switches.

    And of course the Actition things from the Hungarian bloke on eBay. If power draw isn’t higher than softstep then maybe it is a go? They are simple with no bank switches and an expression pedal input. Bus powered too...

    ...or maybe I’m just enjoying the search and buying? ;)

    Those kind of search can be pretty long :smile:

    About Actition stuff, it seems to me that buttons are close together too, from the videos.

    I always use my BlueBoard without shoes, to help feeling buttons. I can’t see myself wearing only socks on stage. Is it easier to feel metal buttons from your experience? I can’t look at my foot while playing.

    They seem the same like the Harley Benton/midi commander one which was ok. I personally prefer the tongue like switches like on FC-50 but they’re harder to arrange in double row form factor. Other than being potentially noisy they’re ok though probably not ideal barefoot.

  • edited February 2019

    ...

  • There is also G-Board, but profile is flat so not the best for second row:

    https://m.thomann.de/fr/icon_g_board_black.htm

    Also, do you connect Sofstep though USB hub with also audio interface? No audio crackles?

  • @Janosax said:
    There is also G-Board, but profile is flat so not the best for second row:

    https://m.thomann.de/fr/icon_g_board_black.htm

    Also, do you connect Sofstep though USB hub with also audio interface? No audio crackles?

    No issues in terms of crackles etc. It went straight into my akai EIE’s built in usb hub.

    G board, not sure. I’ve had one icon midi controller in the past and it was a mess.

  • edited February 2019

    Ok thanks for info. And any difference in playing though shoes rubber buttons vs metal ones? Metal feels sharper under the shoe?

  • @Janosax said:
    Ok thanks for info. And any difference in playing though shoes rubber buttons vs metal ones? Metal feels sharper under the shoe?

    The roland style switch is flat but also raised as opposed to flat like in softstep or pointed as in midi commander. This is optimal IMO.

    I suggest you go to a music shop and try different ones as your impressions might be different. If you're happy with BlueBoard I suspect softstep might be ideal for you. Any chance you want to buy mine for £100? ;)

    In the meantime the actition guy replied to my query about power draw.

    Hi,

    Don't worry, it takes approx 50-60mA when all LEDs lights. I never experienced any problem on PC/Mac/iPad/iphone devices.

    Best regards,
    Thomas

  • @rad3d My last attempt at liking this board. ;)

    What do you think of my take at your customisation?

  • edited February 2019

    That's awesome in a knobby kind of way. I'll bet it's a little easier to work with that way.

    While I love the KMI stuff, I sometimes feel they overthink the controller needs but miss a bit on basic functional use for most of us. I feel too much like I have to adjust to the controller rather than the controller being a natural extension of how I need to function in a live environment.

    While the concept of rotating your foot on a pad, or rocking your foot back and forth to change control messages seems appealing, if you can't even get a basic, consistent trigger out of it, or if your feet are too big to where you have to skip pads for fear of a mistrigger, it's hard to even consider using the extended features. I eventually learned some techniques, but eventually built an app in Lemur to pull off most of what I was trying to do with the SS, and can now do more with less foot controls, so I eventually made some changes and the FBV works better in my current rig.

    Interested if the KnobStep works for you long term going forward.

  • edited February 2019

    @supadom said:

    @Janosax said:
    Ok thanks for info. And any difference in playing though shoes rubber buttons vs metal ones? Metal feels sharper under the shoe?

    The roland style switch is flat but also raised as opposed to flat like in softstep or pointed as in midi commander. This is optimal IMO.

    I’ve done the same thing after reading that comment lol, works pretty well with BB too, even with shoes.

  • @rad3d said:
    That's awesome in a knobby kind of way. I'll bet it's a little easier to work with that way.

    While I love the KMI stuff, I sometimes feel they overthink the controller needs but miss a bit on basic functional use for most of us. I feel too much like I have to adjust to the controller rather than the controller being a natural extension of how I need to function in a live environment.

    While the concept of rotating your foot on a pad, or rocking your foot back and forth to change control messages seems appealing, if you can't even get a basic, consistent trigger out of it, or if your feet are too big to where you have to skip pads for fear of a mistrigger, it's hard to even consider using the extended features. I eventually learned some techniques, but eventually built an app in Lemur to pull off most of what I was trying to do with the SS, and can now do more with less foot controls, so I eventually made some changes and the FBV works better in my current rig.

    Interested if the KnobStep works for you long term going forward.

    Exactly my thoughts. It is a wolf in straight jacket. They should have gone for a third of features and spend more time on the ergonomics, but hey, you can spill drinks on it! ;)

    I’ll keep the knob step it for a bit longer and see how it works in a simulated live environment. Thanks for the tip by the way. The second row is so much easier to access, even without the roof batten!

  • @Janosax said:

    @supadom said:

    @Janosax said:
    Ok thanks for info. And any difference in playing though shoes rubber buttons vs metal ones? Metal feels sharper under the shoe?

    The roland style switch is flat but also raised as opposed to flat like in softstep or pointed as in midi commander. This is optimal IMO.

    I’ve done the same thing after reading that comment lol, works pretty well with BB too, even with shoes.

    Looking good sir!

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