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.

Hello Audiobus forum. Is it worth going back to iOS?

Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

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Comments

  • edited July 2019

    Welcome back. It's good to see you again around these parts.

    I'm not sure how long away from iOS you were. I'm also not sure what kind of workflow you prefer, so I'm going to take a couple of shots in the dark.

    If you're a DAW type of person who has used Reason for over a decade, you may want to purchase Nanostudio 2. It doesn't have audiotracks, but in a sense it is like an earlier version of Reason prior to Reason gaining audio tracks. It also has a f-cking powerful synth in Obsidian. It can also host AU synths and effects and has plenty of great IAP sound packs available (sort of like how ReFills worked). Soon, much like how Record was merged into Reason, NS2 will have an audiotrack IAP and is currently being ported over to the iPhone/iPod. However, I've created vocal tracks where I used Slate to trigger my vocals, so it's not impossible.

    Another thing that's changed is the fact that FabFilter FINALLY released most of their plugins into AU format and have a bundle for it in the appstore. Disappointed that Saturn wasn't included in the AU releases, but NS2's waveshaper, DAW Cassette, etc are pretty great to make up for it in that regard. NS2's effects are excellent enough for mixdowns, but for mastering I still rely on my FabFilters, and it's great that I don't have to export to Auria Pro to do my mastering anymore (save for if I'm mastering an album, in which case Auria still reigns supreme until NS2 gains audio tracks).

    Also for mastering, DDMF released a sick af compressor called MagicDeathEye. It's an analog-modelled valve-styled compressor. Of course, if you don't master your own tracks, you could probably live without the FabFilters and MagicDeathEye. Not sure.

    That's about all I can say for the moment. :) I'm glad you're back mate.

  • If you value the "number of sounds and synths for money" ratio, then it's no question - there are now so many great sounding and deep synths on iOS that the only problem is to choose just few 😉. If you don't like touch interface and maybe expect being able to use hardware MIDI controller for eg live playing, then you may be disappointed. MIDI keyboards work fine though, basic stuff like pitch bend and mod wheels usually too.
    Also, if you look for all-in-one, yet extensible environment, you may be disappointed too. Currently, there is no "serious" DAW when comparing to desktop options like Ableton Live, FLstudio or the classic ones like Cubase, Pro tools, Logic... The feature rich ones are unstable and not much updated, the modular ones needs quote a lot of tedious setup for everything. If you don't mind closed environments, Korg Gadget is pretty polished (of course, nothing is perfect), probably closest to be compared with Reason.
    I recommend you to save money by buying older models with decent RAM and CPU. If you don't want to play many instruments at once, it would be a waste of money. Latest iPad pros have serious issues with audio, not worth the extra price at all, older Pros or latest regular ipad, or even air are much better choice.
    Hope that helped a bit.

  • edited July 2019

    Comment deleted

  • All these folks have great points. I’ll simply add that yes, it’s worth going back or forward to iOS.

  • "Get out". IOS is a trap... it will suck up every penny and line of credit buying new Apps and this forum
    will become an obsession that you all check right after a major surgery. You family will wonder if you have joined a cult and I guess I'm admitting I have. "Get out." before IOS consumes you're brain.

    Buy the hardware synth but be careful... some of them have similar cults. Modulars? Don't know, don't care. NEXT THREAD.

    If you have Reason how did you "Get Out"?

  • @IvanDj said:
    Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

    What would be the focus for it? Do you need synths? Loopers? Why an iPad instead a windows tablet? etc

    Since you don't have any Apple device (mac neither?) I'm not so sure about the worth or not... for the 300$€ of the cheapest you can buy something specific you can need...

  • @jwmmakerofmusic said:
    Welcome back. It's good to see you again around these parts.

    I'm not sure how long away from iOS you were. I'm also not sure what kind of workflow you prefer, so I'm going to take a couple of shots in the dark.

    If you're a DAW type of person who has used Reason for over a decade, you may want to purchase Nanostudio 2. It doesn't have audiotracks, but in a sense it is like an earlier version of Reason prior to Reason gaining audio tracks. It also has a f-cking powerful synth in Obsidian. It can also host AU synths and effects and has plenty of great IAP sound packs available (sort of like how ReFills worked). Soon, much like how Record was merged into Reason, NS2 will have an audiotrack IAP and is currently being ported over to the iPhone/iPod. However, I've created vocal tracks where I used Slate to trigger my vocals, so it's not impossible.

    Another thing that's changed is the fact that FabFilter FINALLY released most of their plugins into AU format and have a bundle for it in the appstore. Disappointed that Saturn wasn't included in the AU releases, but NS2's waveshaper, DAW Cassette, etc are pretty great to make up for it in that regard. NS2's effects are excellent enough for mixdowns, but for mastering I still rely on my FabFilters, and it's great that I don't have to export to Auria Pro to do my mastering anymore (save for if I'm mastering an album, in which case Auria still reigns supreme until NS2 gains audio tracks).

    Also for mastering, DDMF released a sick af compressor called MagicDeathEye. It's an analog-modelled valve-styled compressor. Of course, if you don't master your own tracks, you could probably live without the FabFilters and MagicDeathEye. Not sure.

    That's about all I can say for the moment. :) I'm glad you're back mate.

    Thank you very much for answering. I'm glad to be here too;-) You have made an excellent summary. I'm from the pre-NS2 era:)
    I love Reason, I used it from 2.5 to 4 and now with 10, after being with others. I used iOS as my production center with BM3 and Gadget and now I would do it to have sound modules, a second DAW and why not, send midi to Reason and record there or in NS2, you know, with the flexibility of both worlds. Thanks for telling me the news. Surprised by Fabfilter and no idea of Rapid Death Eye, so I have to catch up!

    @skrat said:
    If you value the "number of sounds and synths for money" ratio, then it's no question - there are now so many great sounding and deep synths on iOS that the only problem is to choose just few 😉. If you don't like touch interface and maybe expect being able to use hardware MIDI controller for eg live playing, then you may be disappointed. MIDI keyboards work fine though, basic stuff like pitch bend and mod wheels usually too.
    Also, if you look for all-in-one, yet extensible environment, you may be disappointed too. Currently, there is no "serious" DAW when comparing to desktop options like Ableton Live, FLstudio or the classic ones like Cubase, Pro tools, Logic... The feature rich ones are unstable and not much updated, the modular ones needs quote a lot of tedious setup for everything. If you don't mind closed environments, Korg Gadget is pretty polished (of course, nothing is perfect), probably closest to be compared with Reason.
    I recommend you to save money by buying older models with decent RAM and CPU. If you don't want to play many instruments at once, it would be a waste of money. Latest iPad pros have serious issues with audio, not worth the extra price at all, older Pros or latest regular ipad, or even air are much better choice.
    Hope that helped a bit.

    Thanks for comment! The ratio of sounds for money invested is what is making me decide to invest in an Ipad again, that's why I'm glad you mentioned the models. It would be disappointing to invest in a device that had serious problems. Mainly I am going to require that it work as well as possible as a sound module and some light DAW. I think NS2, which has excellent reviews, can be ideal.

  • @McD said:
    "Get out". IOS is a trap... it will suck up every penny and line of credit buying new Apps and this forum
    will become an obsession that you all check right after a major surgery. You family will wonder if you have joined a cult and I guess I'm admitting I have. "Get out." before IOS consumes you're brain.

    Buy the hardware synth but be careful... some of them have similar cults. Modulars? Don't know, don't care. NEXT THREAD.

    If you have Reason how did you "Get Out"?

    I know exactly what you mean. LOL
    I was able to "Get Out" because unfortunately I had to sell part of my equipment, including the Ipad.

  • If you’re hoping just to recreate what you can accomplish on a desktop, and will be frustrated every time you run into a roadblock, walk away.

    If you’re like me, and have little fun at a desktop, perhaps because sitting in front of one is your day job, and are willing to put up with less streamlined workflow for the sake of creative liberation, maybe it’s for you.

    If you expect things to work seamlessly together and hate a challenge trying to figure out how to make things work. Not such a good idea. But if you have an accepting outlook and are willing to dig in, try new things, and understand some new concepts. Maybe it is.

  • @ipadbeatmaking said:
    All these folks have great points. I’ll simply add that yes, it’s worth going back or forward to iOS.

    Thank you!

    @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @IvanDj said:
    Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

    What would be the focus for it? Do you need synths? Loopers? Why an iPad instead a windows tablet? etc

    Since you don't have any Apple device (mac neither?) I'm not so sure about the worth or not... for the 300$€ of the cheapest you can buy something specific you can need...

    Mainly sounds is what I need most. I can buy a hard synth or an Ipad with the budget I have now.

  • Ignore@McD, he posts from his local asylum and owns a lot of Microsoft stock. Search Scott VanZandt here or on SoundCloud. He makes a lot of his epic music in Gadget! Also search Jakob Haq and thesoundtestroom on YouTube for any specific app in review. Most will say the best is a combo of iOS and desktop, but many do great stuff with just an iPad. I recommend a used iPad Pro2 256 gb, should cost what? $500?

    Welcome back and don't underestimate being part of this diverse community. You need an iPad for that! Also, what type of music do you make?

  • edited July 2019

    @IvanDj If there's one reference for how to do huge productions on the iPad in light speed then look above. @LinearLineman isn't exactly producing DJ style but what he does in a few hours is breathtaking. Check his releases here on the forum.

    PS: It really helps telling us what you're looking for. Otherwise everybody will have a different answer for you :D

  • @IvanDj Based on you already have Reason and use it I’d say it’s not worth it .

    Pick a nice hardware controller like Push, Maschine and explore new software :)

  • Here is a link for Scott’s music...

    https://soundcloud.com/scottvanzandt

    And the nine albums I produced in a year entirely with iOS..

    https://michaelalevy.bandcamp.com/

  • @IvanDj said:

    @ipadbeatmaking said:
    All these folks have great points. I’ll simply add that yes, it’s worth going back or forward to iOS.

    Thank you!

    @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @IvanDj said:
    Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

    What would be the focus for it? Do you need synths? Loopers? Why an iPad instead a windows tablet? etc

    Since you don't have any Apple device (mac neither?) I'm not so sure about the worth or not... for the 300$€ of the cheapest you can buy something specific you can need...

    Mainly sounds is what I need most. I can buy a hard synth or an Ipad with the budget I have now.

    If you enjoy dabbling with AB3 and state saving synths it could be a worth it option.

    There are some nice synths suitable for studio duties that maybe are cheap approach than hardware synth. Then you can also get profit from other tools in addition to the basic needs.
    I will advice you check the synths advices and once you are decided to buy the iDevice then look into the other news step by step.

    As spoiler I use my iPad for BlocsWave/Garageband to export into Ableton/Logic. Also for some nice music theory tools such Chords, Pensato, Chord Tracker to improve my keyboard skills.
    Some GTL (soon coming universal) but I have gone hardware for live gigs...

  • edited July 2019

    @IvanDj said:

    @ipadbeatmaking said:
    All these folks have great points. I’ll simply add that yes, it’s worth going back or forward to iOS.

    Thank you!

    @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @IvanDj said:
    Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

    What would be the focus for it? Do you need synths? Loopers? Why an iPad instead a windows tablet? etc

    Since you don't have any Apple device (mac neither?) I'm not so sure about the worth or not... for the 300$€ of the cheapest you can buy something specific you can need...

    Mainly sounds is what I need most. I can buy a hard synth or an Ipad with the budget I have now.

    If what you are looking for is just a variety of sounds, an iPad will give you exponentially more than hardware synths in the same price range.

    A couple synths to give you a sense of the range:
    Sugar Bytes Factory....subtractive with wide mod matrix implementation
    Tardigrain...surprisingly natural sounding granular synth
    Iceworks LaPlace...physical modelling synth stringy
    Iceworks Mersenne....mallet type physical modeling
    Aparillo...unique touchscreen modulation options

    Thats just five. Those and an ipad still under what many hardware synths can do in the range and way more versatile. For typical sounds, some of the big hardware names even make very convincing emulations, Moog, Korg, Arturia.

    All that said, if you dont want the form factor of a small hardware unit or the touchscreen interaction (iPad) you can also get plenty of amazing stuff in vst, even free ones. But you probably know that. If youre out of the loop on that, I could point you to some good places. Im very platform hybrid myself.

  • @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @IvanDj said:

    @ipadbeatmaking said:
    All these folks have great points. I’ll simply add that yes, it’s worth going back or forward to iOS.

    Thank you!

    @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @IvanDj said:
    Hello again everyone. After having some headaches, now I find myself quite stable working and I have some money that I can allocate to some device. I need to know your opinion because at this moment I do not know if it's worth investing in an Ipad or a hardware synth. I have Reason and a bunch of VSTs. I do not have any iOS device right now and I have more or less clear advantages or disadvantages, but I would like to know your opinion before deciding. BIG thank you. I miss this forum a lot.

    What would be the focus for it? Do you need synths? Loopers? Why an iPad instead a windows tablet? etc

    Since you don't have any Apple device (mac neither?) I'm not so sure about the worth or not... for the 300$€ of the cheapest you can buy something specific you can need...

    Mainly sounds is what I need most. I can buy a hard synth or an Ipad with the budget I have now.

    If you enjoy dabbling with AB3 and state saving synths it could be a worth it option.

    There are some nice synths suitable for studio duties that maybe are cheap approach than hardware synth. Then you can also get profit from other tools in addition to the basic needs.
    I will advice you check the synths advices and once you are decided to buy the iDevice then look into the other news step by step.

    As spoiler I use my iPad for BlocsWave/Garageband to export into Ableton/Logic. Also for some nice music theory tools such Chords, Pensato, Chord Tracker to improve my keyboard skills.
    Some GTL (soon coming universal) but I have gone hardware for live gigs...

    Interesting. That's why I think an Ipad can be an important device to add to my studio

  • iPad OS is coming this fall. With a better OS and cheaper devices we’re going to see a lot more consumers flock to it and following that people at Propellerhead and Ableton etc are going to have to reconsider their mobile app business models.

  • Music production isn't depending on any OS... unless you consider the constant struggle of a producer with those OS releases or updates a 'feature' o:)
    (self using MacOS9, OSX, Win98, XP, 7, IOS 5 and 9)

  • I’d stay where you are for a year or two, the latest iPad Pro models for the last couple of years have been beset with problems. My 10.5 Pro is utter rubbish. Given Apple are moving to iPad OS I’d also be a little wary, unless you like being a ‘tester’.

  • edited July 2019

    @knewspeak said:
    I’d stay where you are for a year or two, the latest iPad Pro models for the last couple of years have been beset with problems. My 10.5 Pro is utter rubbish. Given Apple are moving to iPad OS I’d also be a little wary, unless you like being a ‘tester’.

    What kind of problem? I have a 10.5 Pro and it as been pretty solid.

    All the problems I had where never pro specific.

  • Thanks for comment. I am more inclined to an Ipad at this time. Maybe it's the fun factor or the immediacy of the apps ... Does anyone know of bugs or issues in the new Ipad air?

  • @IvanDj said:
    Thanks for comment. I am more inclined to an Ipad at this time. Maybe it's the fun factor or the immediacy of the apps ... Does anyone know of bugs or issues in the new Ipad air?

    It sounds like a compilation of older tech so seems already fairly vetted/tried and true. 10.5 Pros still seem to be available. Walmart seems to have a sale!

  • @ecou said:

    @knewspeak said:
    I’d stay where you are for a year or two, the latest iPad Pro models for the last couple of years have been beset with problems. My 10.5 Pro is utter rubbish. Given Apple are moving to iPad OS I’d also be a little wary, unless you like being a ‘tester’.

    What kind of problem? I have a 10.5 Pro and it as been pretty solid.

    All the problems I had where never pro specific.

    I had the sound ‘breakup’ massive latency problem initially when it was first released, and now the light spots on the screen, which appeared at about 18 months after release.

  • I chose iOS because I no longer have the room for "gear". I have a Korg M3 that sits on the top shelf of my closet and no place to set it up. Now that I have such a wide range of iSO synths, I don't even miss the M3 (except for it's awesome great keybed which is the only reason I'm hanging onto it) .

    More than anything else, I like the efficiency and the portability of working from an iPad. I don't like the desktop restrictions for working on music. The idea of sitting at a music computer workstation and having that be the place where I'm "supposed" to be inspired, makes me feel creatively constricted. With the iPad I can have an idea anywhere, and work on it in the locations where inspiration flows best. My wireless bluetooth keyboard controller is a great companion to my iPad.

    But I don't see why anyone has to choose between one or the other so long as they have the resources and the space to set up a music area. Why not use both?

    If the goal is having a broad range of sound to works with. The iPad can be paired with an midi/audio interface and essential act as a hardware synth in a hardware setup.

    if you look at a hardware keyboard like the Korg Kronos, it features a range of sound engines which pull up a dedicated interface for each. I sort of see this as analogous to the iPad running various Synth Apps each with it's own visual interface.

    But as others mentioned, iOS by itself may not offer a perfect all-encompassing solution, compared to the capabilities of desktop based DAW system.

    But for the cost, I think iOS is a crazy good deal because of the broad range of affordable synth apps, and if you pair the iPad with a decent Midi keyboard controller, an audio/midi interface, and mount the iPad on a stand so it hovers over the controller. To me that becomes a setup that seems like something very close to a hardware synth.

  • @knewspeak said:

    @ecou said:

    @knewspeak said:
    I’d stay where you are for a year or two, the latest iPad Pro models for the last couple of years have been beset with problems. My 10.5 Pro is utter rubbish. Given Apple are moving to iPad OS I’d also be a little wary, unless you like being a ‘tester’.

    What kind of problem? I have a 10.5 Pro and it as been pretty solid.

    All the problems I had where never pro specific.

    I had the sound ‘breakup’ massive latency problem initially when it was first released, and now the light spots on the screen, which appeared at about 18 months after release.

    Sorry to ear that. Maybe you got a bad unit. Quite a few have Pro 10.5 here and like them.

  • You can get 2017/2018 generic iPads pretty cheap and you can get quite a lot done with that from what I hear. Then you’ll probably need the $30ish USB to lightning cable. There are several free software that can get you doing neat things. A lot of other software is super cheap. Touchscreens add a new way to play. At this price range iPad will get you way more than any hardware synth, but it will be a different experience. IPad usually stops me from buying hardware frequently.

    If you are using Mac you can easily use IDAM to add to your desktop, Windows has some options too. You can take the iPad many more places than you’ll want to take your desktop (unless it’s a surface or something)

    If you are on the fence already, then just jump in with the basic iPad models, not much to lose and worse case you can display your lyrics, sheet music, etc. Or read recipes in the kitchen. Or get a better iPad if you want too.

  • @DMan said:
    You can get 2017/2018 generic iPads pretty cheap and you can get quite a lot done with that from what I hear. Then you’ll probably need the $30ish USB to lightning cable. There are several free software that can get you doing neat things. A lot of other software is super cheap. Touchscreens add a new way to play. At this price range iPad will get you way more than any hardware synth, but it will be a different experience. IPad usually stops me from buying hardware frequently.

    If you are using Mac you can easily use IDAM to add to your desktop, Windows has some options too. You can take the iPad many more places than you’ll want to take your desktop (unless it’s a surface or something)

    If you are on the fence already, then just jump in with the basic iPad models, not much to lose and worse case you can display your lyrics, sheet music, etc. Or read recipes in the kitchen. Or get a better iPad if you want too.

    I think I will go for the new Air. Thanks for posting!

  • @skrat said:
    If you value the "number of sounds and synths for money" ratio, then it's no question - there are now so many great sounding and deep synths on iOS that the only problem is to choose just few 😉. If you don't like touch interface and maybe expect being able to use hardware MIDI controller for eg live playing, then you may be disappointed. MIDI keyboards work fine though, basic stuff like pitch bend and mod wheels usually too.
    Also, if you look for all-in-one, yet extensible environment, you may be disappointed too. Currently, there is no "serious" DAW when comparing to desktop options like Ableton Live, FLstudio or the classic ones like Cubase, Pro tools, Logic... The feature rich ones are unstable and not much updated, the modular ones needs quote a lot of tedious setup for everything. If you don't mind closed environments, Korg Gadget is pretty polished (of course, nothing is perfect), probably closest to be compared with Reason.
    I recommend you to save money by buying older models with decent RAM and CPU. If you don't want to play many instruments at once, it would be a waste of money. Latest iPad pros have serious issues with audio, not worth the extra price at all, older Pros or latest regular ipad, or even air are much better choice.
    Hope that helped a bit.

    @skrat : I disagree somewhat in that within NS2 there lies an independent file system of sorts which remembers and displays your auv3’s as well as the presets.. So you can in effect build your own “all in one “ quite easily a d leave it there .

  • With the upcoming iPadOS, iPads (with 10-hour battery) are going to cost less than laptops for some people for their workflows.

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