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
Reslice is great.
The big problem with the VirSyn synths is that the presets originated from the original community forums for the desktop apps. And many of them are distorting (digital clipping not soft saturation). The problem is just the same with the desktop apps. But I forgive Harry for not going through them with a toothcomb looking to remedy the situation when you look at his overall productivity and commitment to iOS. At the end of the day, these are synths for sound exploration and creation, not preset romplers. Learn the synths well and you can make them sound warm and lush or brittle and cold (if that's the timbre you're looking to create).
The good news is that VirSyn synths can be gain staged properly and there are multiple points when more pleasing soft saturation can be added to the signal path.
Additive synthesis can sound a little brittle and thin without soft saturation in the mix the thicken the overall tone. And all of the VirSyn synths make this possible.
The best way to add audio to Poseidon is via AudiShare. At least that's the way that I do it.
Ahh, so we can import audio into Poseidon, that's great news. How about photos? I like horror-ambient soundscapes.
Having fun with Virtual ANS. Thanks.
don't forget that Addictive Pro has the same multi-head arp!
I don't believe it offers image resynthesis, just audio. And if you own any other wavetable synths, raid their bundled wavetable files (their generally just Wav's with a bunch of single-cycle waveforms) as they make great resynthesis fodder.
Just thought it was worth mentioning, as it has been commented on before by others.
As for my own use - I always roll my own and rarely use presets - and the tone and epxerimental nature of the synths certainly isn't an issue for me, but I would say getting warmer tones does require more work than with other apps.
Nature of the beast with additive synthesis. Virtual analog is inherently 'warmer' but is capable of a significantly smaller sonic palette.
It's one of the reasons I recommend Poseidon as the intro to VirSyn, then Addictive Pro is probably the next most accessible, but Addictive definitely has a digitally clinical tone until you add some soft saturation to the mix.
Cube can be incredibly warm and that's pure additive synthesis. The bass presets in particular show off Cubes capacity to be thick and warm. Proper tub-thumping dub basses, that wake the neighbors living 3 blocks away!
I haven't got Cube....sounds like I need to check that out!
Absolutely. It's unfortunately not an AU. But don't let that stop you.
Given the fact that you already understand the nuts and bolts of additive synthesis, you won't find Cube as alien as someone approaching it, having only ever used virtual analog synths. It's one deep mutha!
And given that it's the only one of their headline synths that isn't AU, it's only $6.99 in the sale.
Head straight to 08 E-Bazz to feel the bass in your belly (there's plenty of other speaker shakers but E-Bazz is a good starter). Worth the $6.99 alone.
Yeah, still hoping that Cube goes AU some day...
Looking at the full desktop version of TERA 3 here:
http://www.virsyn.de/en/E_Products/E_TERA/e_tera.html
I notice several 'engines' inside of TERA, including microTERA, specTERA, fmTERA, anaTERA, formanTERA, waveTERA, basically covering most types of synthesis. I wonder if Virsyn will release the other ones for iOS, like he did with microTERA? (Photos of the other xxxTERAs are on that page linked above.)
Here's microTERA (which lives inside of TERA) and looks like the same architecture as the iOS version but with older graphics:
https://forum.audiob.us/uploads/editor/8u/emx5ah90nl0k.gif
Here's waveTERA (physical modeling synth):
https://forum.audiob.us/uploads/editor/ml/hsfl7rb0z3hs.gif
Eons ago I had miniTERA (player version of TERA), never got full TERA (got Tassman instead). All these TERAs are confusing.
Tassman was way ahead of it's time. Real pity that AAS canned it.
Ref all those confusing separate interfaces. They didn't make it across to the iOS version of TERA. All of the functionality still exists but they're simply different modules or extended functionality to existing modules. As a piece of functional design, it makes so much more sense.
The ironic thing is that microTERA, specTERA, fmTERA, anaTERA, formanTERA, waveTERA etc were introduced as presentation layer templates that were meant to make TERA easier to understand. The user didn't have direct access to them, other then when a preset was loaded (if it featured FM the skin would be fmTERA, if it used the formant filter the skin would be formanTERA, so on and so forth).
The end result was that it confused people even more!
@jonmoore
Wow, thanks for the in depth response, that's actually quite fascinating and explains a lot of the things I'd heard (that they were variations of the same synth/or in the the case of micro Tera that it wasn't attempting to be a bite sized Tera, but did its own thing.)
I went ahead and got Tera, and have to say that it will provide a nice stepping stone on my synthesis educational journey, seems like a good companion to Audulus, which I have tremendous respect for, but doesn't have enough actual music making to really suck me in.
Tera seems nearly as deep, but it's much more focused, and it let's you start with curated sounds, then if you want to deep dive you can then figure out the how and why they work.
I find it much easier to learn that way, as opposed to the infinite black sand box that is Audulus.
@Thardus I think you'll be very happy. Especially considering you already have a modular mindset having worked with Audulus. And quite honestly, the best way to learn Tera is to backward engineer the patches it ships with. At first, all that horizontal scrolling will be a minor irritation but after a short while, you'll know the layout so well, that you'll be able to zip around with ease. I was especially happy that they gave the envelopes and LFO's their own page, as modulating the other modules is at the heart of Tera (and all synthesis for that matter).
There is a pretty nice collection of Audulus synths and easily chainable modules on their forum. Once one knows they are there, there is a nice playground even if one doesn't want to make one's own modules.
I didn't realize that at first and didn't use it much. Now, I am using it a lot as there is some great unique stuff that folks have built.
Didn't realize there was no direct access to those on desktop TERA, other than selecting a specific preset.
The simplicity of microTERA iOS appeals to me as I get older - I used to love spending hours designing a patch on a deep synth, but these days I just want to finish a song.
@ocelot TERA is really simple as long as you understand the fundamentals of the different synthesis techniques. But, and this is a big but, learning the fundamentals of additive, subtractive, FM etc, is something that takes a little time if you're new to systhesis. Learning how to use those different techniques together takes a little longer.
However TERA on iOS is a functional design masterpiece. And because it was originally designed for horizontal scrolling it works well in the confines of the standard AUv3 wrapper.
With regards to time spent noodling. I've got into the habit of separating sound design from composition. That way when I'm in composition mode I spend less time going through the sound design rabbit hole!
i deleted tera synth in an effort to trim the fat so to speak—ironic, because i think it sounds thin.
Well I never knew Virsyn was just a Mom n Pop operation, puts it into perspective why things sometimes take longer than one might like.
Can one do everything with Tera Synth that microTera can do of does microTera offer some synthesis capabilities not in Tera?
It sounds thin especially if you're not taking advantage of the multiple places to overdrive the virtual circuits or add saturation on the output stage. And with regards to the output stage, I've found that the AudioEffx has better saturation algorithms as they're the ones from Addictive Pro & Poseidon (oversampled, so there's no aliasing).
One word of warning about that multitude of places you can drive into distortion in TERA, much like all VirSyn's synths (for those that care about such things); the output has an invisible Limiter (without any user accessible controls). So if you fail to gain stage properly, overdriving in multiple places simply results in a muddy mush. I always ensure that I'm working with decent metering when using VirSyn's older synths (Cube, and TERA) as it's all too easy to get carried away.
Judged as a pure virtual analog simulation, TERA is bested by Model D, Model 15, Odyssei and Zeeon but TERA is so much more than a virtual analog simulation. And for pads and keys, quite often you're looking things that cut through a mix, not timbres that are so thick and creamy that they obscure or fight with the other instrumentation. But considering TERA's core algorithms were designed nearly 20 years ago it's surprisingly close in quality to the best of iOS's virtual analogs.
You'd be surprised just how many businesses that service the audio community on any platform employ 5 or fewer people.
So Virsyn is still sale...and I may have beat this to death already, but...
Addictive Pro, TERA, Poseidon, microTERA. Poseidon looks interesting (load your own wavs), simple, and the demos show that it can make from vanilla to wild sounds. Not too interested in TERA's complexity. Doug Woods likes microTERA as a lead synth.
Of these, which one uses use the least CPU?
Thanks.
@ocelot They're all pretty friendly on the CPU (on a modern iOS device). Poseidon can sound the most organic and warm and Addictive Pro is the pinnacle of additive synthesis on iOS (they're all flavours of additive synthesis other than TERA). microTera is very raw sounding but has quite a limited sonic palette compared to Poseidon and Addictive Pro.
I usually recommend Poseidon as ones first exploration of VirSyn but it all depends on what you're looking for. The resynthesis engine in Poseidon is capable of a warmer palette than Addictive Pro and much as it looks similar to wavetable synthesis it's a whole other thing entirely (the source file is converted to an array of sine waves that create a new version of the source that can be plated back at any pitch). Where it's similar to wavetable synthesis is that you control the scan position as a key element of timbral variation.
Addictive Pro is wonderfully intuitive but a little more difficult to master. The intuitive aspect is that you're effectively drawing harmonics and filter shapes to create sound, but getting a feel for the micro changes that make a huge difference to the timbral output takes time. A lot of people find that Addictive is characterised by thin digital sounding timbres but it is capable of a far wider palette (as the presets show).
The arpeggiator in all VirSyn synths is amongst the best on iOS but the pinnacle of the design is in Addictive Pro (Poseidon doesn't have an arpeggiator). And the same goes for the FX on VirSyn synths, which yet again is closest to the standalone VirSyn multi-FX in AudioEffx on Addictive Pro.
Back on the subject of CPU, Poseidon is effective a single oscillator sound engine without an arpeggiator and Addictive Pro is a twin oscillator, twin filter affair with an arpeggiator and the CPU is around the same for both (approx 20% of a gen 2 iPad Pro or 2018 6th gen iPad). Resynthesis is a more expensive synthesis technique.
@jonmoore to the rescue again! Thanks bud!
Two of the synths I've spent the most time programming were the Kawai K5000 rack and later Cameleon5000 (both additive). But these days, I don't care to spend hours programming 1 patch, so I think Poseidon is the one for me. Do you have microTERA? I think it's 3 sines into a waveshaper. Doug's video looked like it uses less CPU. Thanks again.
Addictive Pro looks interesting, but does anyone have experience with re-synthesis from samples?
Three sines into a Waveshaper is about the some of it. But you'll find you'll spend a lot of time crafting the wave shape as tiny changes can make a huge difference to the output. Those dice often relieve frustration!
microTera is definitely cheaper DSP than Poseiden (about 50-75% of Poseidon) but offers nowhere near the timbral flexibility. In all honesty, I wish Harry hadn't separated microTERA out from TERA as it makes far more sense to me in the wider context of TERA's modular toolset, but that's just the way that I'm wired. It's a bargain, especially in the sale. Plus, it can make a raucous din, which is nice...
I think if I were only allowed one VirSyn synth I'd probably pick Poseiden. It's got so much depth via a minimal set of controls. It's one of those rare plugin synths that feels like an instrument, rather than an exercise in engineering. In many ways, it reminds me of Mersenne (even though they sound nothing like each other).
BTW I had a brain fade ref my earlier Poseidon info, it does also have an arpeggiator, it's just that I don't tend to use it for arpeggiated patches.
Thanks @jonmoore Poseidon should be a good re-start. Appreciate all the info.
@rs2000 Resynthesis of wav files tends to make that synthetic sci-fi robotic tone which I love. Sort of 'synthetic like a vocoder' in a way. I don't know the science behind it other than it analyzes the waveform, and recreates it using additive synthesis and possibly noise. Shorter samples are usually required with older hardware synths, but I'm not sure about iOS synths.
There were several old DOS apps for the Waldorf Microwave V1 back in the days of mailing lists, which Palm, Stenzel, Boele Gerkes, Till Kopper, and others used to frequent, and offer free apps extending the mWave's capabilities, like resynthesis, format/speech/text to wav, etc. The FS1r promised access to its hidden additive+resynthesis engine (and custom formant sequences), but Yamaha failed to deliver. Anyway, nice to see it still alive in Virtual ANS, Poseidon, and Synclavier-V.
An attempt at a 101 on Poseidon in 8 screen-grabs.
The core synthesis engine is broken down into 8 tabs.
The pitch tab.
This has the typical mono/legato/poly options but Unison shouldn't be missed as it's more powerful and rich than on most other iOS synths. But as is so often the case with VirSyn synths & FX, less is often more.
The LFO tab
Nothing of note here, it's simply a nicely separated place for the two LFO's
The envelope controlled Time tab
This is where things start to become really interesting. It's the place that controls how the source wave material is scanned before being resynthesized. The settings on show in this screenshot are scanning right across the source material as this is a mathematical model of a typical string ensemble synth. You'll see on the final screen grab that this has a notch running diagonally through it so it's perfect for a large loop length going first forward, then returning back (alt loop release).
The Spectrum tab
This is the actual resynthesis part of the engine where the source wave gets converted to sine wave partials (up to 512). Something to be aware of with the partials is that often you'll get better results with far less than the maximum number of partials, it all depends on the source material and how far from the original source material your destination timbre is. The modulatable Brightness setting is far more drastic than a typical 6dB per octave tone control, and can be a fantastically effective base tone shaping tool. Beneath it is the Spread setting. I use this a lot in combination with the Mix sine/residual setting. Spread adds inharmonic content and the Mix sine/residual brings filtered noise into the mix, but unlike noise on a subtractive synth, the noise is prefiltered to fit with the source spectrum after its base tone has been modulated by the Brightness. In many cases I make subtle use of inharmonicity and noise as this really brings the timbre to life, giving it a more organic analog sonic signature. And the final vital aspect of the mix, is the Blur settings. Mathematically, these are more sophisticated than the interpolation settings on a wavetable synth but you can think of their use in a similar manner. Depending on your end goal, you may want to use a lot, or a little blurring. There's no hard and fast rule.
The Filter tab
Like with most other synths the filter section is probably the most critical section of Poseidon, but you need to banish your preconceptions of how a filter section functions in an analog synth. The Frequency Domain filters are different to typical virtual analog filters as they calculate their results at the same time as the Spectrum calculations, they don't wait for the result of the Spectrum section to be passed on to them (although there is a typical 24 dB/oct lowpass if you want to use it). I find these F-Domain filters to sound the best of any VirSyn filter design, and think they're a match for 'ZDF' virtual analog filter designs. As well as the typical HP and LP, you get a couple of comb filters, an Antireson filter (does what it says on the tin, attempts to minimise resonances), an Inverse Filter, which does more than flip the expected behaviour and a really powerful 'roll your own filter' called a PoleZero filter. The really great thing with these F-Domain filters is that their variable slope (from 0-dB/oct all the way up to 73 dB/oct). The 'Bandwidth' setting is what we'd all typically call resonance. It's worth taking time to understand how these filters behave, where they're similar to typical VA filters and where they're something completely new.
The Pan tab
Something that wasn't immediately obvious to me when I first started playing with Poseidon is that the Pan settings are intrinsically tied to the Unison settings. These in combo with the excellent built-in modulation FX in the separate FX section make Poseidon a dream pad machine.
The Volume tab
This houses the typical VCA type controls and EG.
The Wave tab
Get used to navigating 3d display of the wave source as it provides a lot of clues as to the most effective strategies for working with the wave source. Enable Show Cursor in the global settings (even though it says cpu heavy, it has no real impact on Air+ iOS devices). Seeing the cursor scan across the 3d visualisation will help you set up loop points.
Before you start chucking source material of your own at Poseidon learn it's capabilities with the bundled source wave material. You'll be surprised by the wide variety of timbres you can achieve from a single source wave. And this over time will clue you in as to what type of material suites Poseidon best. The WAVs/AIFFs that you feed it can be as small as less than a seconds worth of composited single-cycle waveforms, and up to 10 seconds or so. I think I remember from the desktop documentation that there's no upper limit but the larger the source file the more expensive it is to process.
Hope this helps someone.