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.

Guitar Effects and Amps - Share your rig - iOS devices

I thought it would be a cool idea to consolidate in one spot a discussion about what Guitar Effects and Amps people are using right now on their iOS device and what hardware you use. This should hopefully give some inspiration to others about what apps people are using, as well as give some notice about any new guitar effects and amps coming to iOS.

I'll kick the ball off:
1. BIAS AMP 2/BIAS FX - I use this as my main rig - I really like the amp match presets you can get access to in BIAS AMP, and host it inside BIAS FX. The effects in BIAS FX aren't amazing, but I'm only really picky about reverb and more about that below.
2. Tonestack - I think most of us here will know what this is. Very solid all in one rig. I would put it on par with BIAS (I just prefer BIAS' interface).
3. Tonebridge - I haven't actually used this to build my own preset, I just find it really fun to load a song preset, hit play and play along with it. The tones are suprisingly good. If you haven't tried this app yet - it's free - just get it and have fun!
4. Audiobus - I use this to keep all the IAA together (the floating panel helps).
5. Crystalline - This is the reverb app. It is amazing. Basically can do the neunaber wet / shimmer effect reallllly well.
6. Cubasis LE - Recording (steinberg UR22mkII so this is free for me)
7. Loopy HD - I use this for looping, love to loop, and the USB 3 CCK allows me to loop mic + guitar

Honourable mentions: Amp ONE (just downloaded this recently yet to really explore), Amplitube (waiting for a sale on the Fender 2 collection)

Hardware: iPad 6, Steinberg UR22 MKII, USB3 CCK, iRig Blueboard

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Comments

  • edited October 2019

    Another vote here for Crystalline. I used it on the bass parts for this track on a session job a few years back:
    https://open.spotify.com/track/5ngP9evfj5XVwARnANoi3u?si=Aj4vQ1_4Td--37jttL13-w
    (and also on the improv at the start of 'Edith's Song' on that same album).
    Added a lovely layer of subtle, shimmering ambience.

    I get a lot of use out of the distortions in WOW too.

  • I'll add a few more since your list covers 75% of the field:

    More Hardware: The $40 Joyo Amp Simulator pedal series (Vox, Fender, Mesa/Boogie and Marshall models). They have analog electronics and the signals are really close to the intended Amp models with a broad range of tone/amp model settings.

    AUv3 Effects: Rooms! Reverb with the IR file loading IAP (or Fiddlicator free) and the free demo guitar cabinet IR's from OwnHammer.

    The Kleverb "ReAmp" amp simulator

    Reverbs/Delays - So many great options: AudioReverb, ADverb2, ToneBoosters Reverb and 4Pocket's Shimmer (very close to Chrystine which really is an awesome IAA).

    DC-9 Overdrive(s) - use 2 in a row for the SRV crunch tone.

    Magic Death Eye compressor for more tube-i-ness in the tone.

    FluzzPlus3 and 4Pockets Overdrives for extra grunge in the mix

    AND to use the Guitar as a controller for all your synths - MIDI Guitar 2. Really mind-blowing... turns your guitar into a Roland Guitar Synth with a million sounds possible.

  • I am keeping my set-up as simple as possible these days, and my spaceship like guitar rack from the 90's, with a half wall of speakers are thus no longer in use.

    Currently it is my guitar (Ibanez Universe UV7BK) into a Roland Duo-Capture EX, which via a powered USB hub goes into a Macbook Pro, where it joins up in an aggregate device with my iConnectivity ICM4+, which has all my midi peripherals connected to it, but of more importance, it has my Roland FC-100mkII pedalboard along with an EV-5. Those all get routed, via Logic (so I can push audio/midi between my iPad and my MBP in any direction) and goes into my iPad.

    In the iPad I currently mainly use AUM when fiddling with ideas, and then I use Auria Pro when it is time to put the ideas in to a more permanent state. In there I pretty much only use BiasFX (along with presets made with Bias AMP, which I also have but rarely need to open). If I record now it will be a "dry" guitar, which is good for doing things with later (re-amping etc). If I wish to record the already effected audio I host BiasFX in AB/AUM instead and lead the audio to Auria directly instead. I really would like BiasFX to be AU though.

    I too am currently putting MidiGuitar2 to heavy use, and in my current project I'm trying to make as much midi input as possible via my guitar. Playing things on the fretboard that might have started out as an idea on the midi keyboard puts a nice twist to it, where I pick completely different tones and patterns when I'm using my strings compared to my keyboard. I really would like MidiGuitar2 to be visible in a host somehow, but it is how it is right now I guess, and the manual routing every time I start it up is rather quick still.

    In my current set-up I also have the option to record the dry guitar signal in Logic on the MBP, as it already is in the chain so to speak. I had a plan with it previously, but I have never actually felt the need to record there too.

    I own Tonestack, Amplitube and most of the others, but don't have them installed any longer. I also have THM in Auria, but I've never really made friends with it, so it is largely unused.

  • I also messaged Positive Grid a couple of days ago and they said they were working on Bias FX 2 for iOS devices. I'm excited for that as well. Another forum member also posted this with respect to overloud TH-U for iOS: Yes i messaged them about it on facebook and they said they are working on it (TH-U for iOS).

  • I really like Amplitube. My main ampsim is the '65 Super Reverb from the Fender 2 bundle. Second one - the Mesa/Boogie Transatlantic which sound very good with Les Paul. Also I use T-REX Moller overdrive and Tape Echo from Amplitube.

    My main practice tools on iOS are:

    • Loopy HD
    • Drum Loops HD
    • Audiobus

    I have a short video where I explained how to use Loopy HD for guitar practice.

  • I actually forgot to add that I do use Logic X on my MBP in my chain for certain things: adding some gain and some compressor in Logic X to the raw (from Roland Duo Capture EX) tone makes the guitar tone a lot more usable in MidiGuitar2.

  • Hardware:

    And:

    The pedals help to get a nice guitar tone into the iPad, so that there is a solid foundation to work from. The reverb is optional since there are some really great reverbs on iOS, but the Joyo pedal is way better than any of the iOS amp sims IMO, and it's £36. The compressor pedal is nice to have in the signal chain before the amp pedal which is why I have it in hardware.

    I do also sometimes use BIAS Amp, where I made my own version of a Fender Twin Reverb (available on Tonecloud, see video below), and BIAS FX and Tonestack.

    But with the pedal setup above I can also completely bypass the amp sims and run the Joyo into the iPad and then use any number of AUv3 effects to mangle the tone in a million possible ways, which is actually what I prefer to do these days. For example using Klevgrand Modley set to delay on eighth notes can give a really great Shoegaze guitar sound.

    I made a video showing how to get a nice ambient guitar tone using nothing but iOS apps:

  • @richardyot said:
    I made a video showing how to get a nice ambient guitar tone using nothing but iOS apps:

    Excellent, thanks for that. Very clear and informative, as always in your case, so thanks for that as well in general. :)

  • @hellquist said:

    @richardyot said:
    I made a video showing how to get a nice ambient guitar tone using nothing but iOS apps:

    Excellent, thanks for that. Very clear and informative, as always in your case, so thanks for that as well in general. :)

    My pleasure :)

  • I became disabled last year. My tube amps only get played at home now. For gigs I use my Ipad Pro 12.9 (first gen). My audio interface is a 3rd gen Focusrite Scarlett solo. I use a powered usb hub to connect to and charge my ipad via CCK.
    Appwise it's Bias Amp/Bias FX through AUM. I add some Eventide Blackhole sometimes. Because I can't move my feet I use a Guitar Wing bluetooth midi controller to mainpulate the software above. If I am also playing keys I use AUM as a softsynth host.

  • @dafrimpster said:
    I became disabled last year. My tube amps only get played at home now. For gigs I use my Ipad Pro 12.9 (first gen). My audio interface is a 3rd gen Focusrite Scarlett solo. I use a powered usb hub to connect to and charge my ipad via CCK.
    Appwise it's Bias Amp/Bias FX through AUM. I add some Eventide Blackhole sometimes. Because I can't move my feet I use a Guitar Wing bluetooth midi controller to mainpulate the software above. If I am also playing keys I use AUM as a softsynth host.

    Sorry to here that. Can I ask what you use for gigs amp/ speaker wise? I have a Yamaha DBR 15 powered monitor/ pa speaker I mess about with, usually go with the Kantana v2 100, which is pretty good. Might have a go with the Joyo American sound through the Yamaha/ iPad. May be to much faffing about. Interesting thread.

  • @Wrecked said:

    @dafrimpster said:
    I became disabled last year. My tube amps only get played at home now. For gigs I use my Ipad Pro 12.9 (first gen). My audio interface is a 3rd gen Focusrite Scarlett solo. I use a powered usb hub to connect to and charge my ipad via CCK.
    Appwise it's Bias Amp/Bias FX through AUM. I add some Eventide Blackhole sometimes. Because I can't move my feet I use a Guitar Wing bluetooth midi controller to mainpulate the software above. If I am also playing keys I use AUM as a softsynth host.

    Sorry to here that. Can I ask what you use for gigs amp/ speaker wise? I have a Yamaha DBR 15 powered monitor/ pa speaker I mess about with, usually go with the Kantana v2 100, which is pretty good. Might have a go with the Joyo American sound through the Yamaha/ iPad. May be to much faffing about. Interesting thread.

    In my main band both myself and the other guitar player go direct to PA which Behringer XR18 feeding two Bose L1 Model2's. With that system monitors aren't necessary. We all hear what the audience hears which is good since I also mix the band from my IPad.

  • Too much latency for me in all the iOS guitar software. My approach is more like @richardyot where I use outboard amp modelers to get the sound I want into iOS. I do use the effects in iOS once the amp sound is there to start with. I regret all the money I've spent on guitar apps to figure this out but you live and learn.

  • @dafrimpster said:

    @Wrecked said:

    @dafrimpster said:
    I became disabled last year. My tube amps only get played at home now. For gigs I use my Ipad Pro 12.9 (first gen). My audio interface is a 3rd gen Focusrite Scarlett solo. I use a powered usb hub to connect to and charge my ipad via CCK.
    Appwise it's Bias Amp/Bias FX through AUM. I add some Eventide Blackhole sometimes. Because I can't move my feet I use a Guitar Wing bluetooth midi controller to mainpulate the software above. If I am also playing keys I use AUM as a softsynth host.

    Sorry to here that. Can I ask what you use for gigs amp/ speaker wise? I have a Yamaha DBR 15 powered monitor/ pa speaker I mess about with, usually go with the Kantana v2 100, which is pretty good. Might have a go with the Joyo American sound through the Yamaha/ iPad. May be to much faffing about. Interesting thread.

    In my main band both myself and the other guitar player go direct to PA which Behringer XR18 feeding two Bose L1 Model2's. With that system monitors aren't necessary. We all hear what the audience hears which is good since I also mix the band from my IPad.

    Cheers. I’m going to have a go with the Joyo Into the Yamaha and click it on to monitor
    15 inch speaker might be to dark but the Joyo American sound has eq

  • @yowza said:
    Too much latency for me in all the iOS guitar software. My approach is more like @richardyot where I use outboard amp modelers to get the sound I want into iOS. I do use the effects in iOS once the amp sound is there to start with. I regret all the money I've spent on guitar apps to figure this out but you live and learn.

    Me too. Kantana into IPad or the Joyo. Don’t think it would all work live, latency as you say may be a big issue, plus it’s more work.

  • Saturday gone,
    I was playing an Ibanez Artcore AGS73T
    using Tonestack for effects and Altispace for subtle reverb.
    A Behringer xenyx 802usb mixer as input/output for iPad Pro 9.7 into a Session 75

    It was almost the sound that I have at home.

    It was very clear as the Session 75 has an almost full range speaker.

    My annoyance is that all of these guitar amp
    simulators add extra noise onto the amp sims
    so I used the zMors Eq and after that it was sweet.

    No complaints at all and my greatest possible critic
    for sound and tone was playing bass that night.

    He supplied the amp.

  • @Gravitas very cool. How do you use zMors to clean up the sound?

  • @Wrecked said:

    @yowza said:
    Too much latency for me in all the iOS guitar software. My approach is more like @richardyot where I use outboard amp modelers to get the sound I want into iOS. I do use the effects in iOS once the amp sound is there to start with. I regret all the money I've spent on guitar apps to figure this out but you live and learn.

    Me too. Kantana into IPad or the Joyo. Don’t think it would all work live, latency as you say may be a big issue, plus it’s more work.

    When I record my Katana (via its direct out) into my iPad, I find that adding a speaker cabinet IR radically improves the quality. The Katana sounds great in the room, but the direct signal is (in my opinion) lacking something.

  • @espiegel123 said:
    When I record my Katana (via its direct out) into my iPad, I find that adding a speaker cabinet IR radically improves the quality. The Katana sounds great in the room, but the direct signal is (in my opinion) lacking something.

    Yes. Adding a cabinet IR completes the illusion of a physical guitar rig/amp when played through a great 12 inch speaker cabinet. Guitar speaker's add a magical EQ, distortion and reverberation to the bland IOS signal. To proof the case cheaply download the free IAA "Fiddlicator" app and some free demo IR's speaker files from OwnHammer.com. Ownhammer typically gives free 200 msec IR's away and sells the even better 500 msec IR's for $10 in a bunch with huge bundles for $30. You'll get more IR's than you can audition in a weekend of A/B testing. But everyone will sound better than not having one.

    The only AUv3 capable IR app currently available is Rooms! with an extra IAP fee to enable the feature of processing IR's in an AUv3 instance.

  • On the topic of practice set-up with a looper, or "noodling" various ideas, I've been having a lot of fun with Kosmonaut doing retrospective loops of late. Yesterday I created a video of how I set it up along with MidiGuitar2 (as I'm also currently using my guitar as the main midi input device, more as a test) playing LayR. I didn't make a perfect loop in the video (quite far from it) but I also didn't want to bore any viewer with several attempts in getting it right, and the set-up would be the same.

  • edited November 2019

    This is my setup)I’m using only cab in bias fx, vstomp amp is very good in my opinion. Tonestack is only for pitch shifting.
    There was more plugins in the chain,i’ve reduced it because of big cpu load with Quantiloop in recording sessions.



  • edited November 2019

    For me for practice it's drive pedals into Yamaha AG06 and for the AmpSim, drums etc. I use Korg Gadget.
    Once I have some time I will try to get real amp -> Two notes captor -> AG06 -> Cubasis with IR via Rooms! to work.

  • edited November 2019

    I love using ios amp sims. My favorite is by far,vstomp hd.
    I also use iconvolver for ir cabs.
    Then,i use other apps depending on my needs.
    My amps go through the rivera rockcrusher recording,then,in my apogee quartet,then,in my ipad.
    It works great!

    Sure,my favorite set-up is my real amps and my pedals.

  • @mjcouche

    Guitar amp speakers generally have a limited frequency spectrum
    so I place a low pass filter, in this case the z-mors eq at the end of
    the signal chain before it goes out to the amplifier.
    Enough to minimise the hiss.

    If the signal is going straight into a P.A which normally is a full range speaker/s
    then I don't need to do anything other than adjust eq to suit.

  • This is now my gigging setup without the guitar amp.

    Behind my iPad table top stand on the table
    is a behringer x air that served as mixer for the night.

  • That’s a lot of stuff there, looks like loads of wires involved. How long does it take to set all that up at a gig. That’s the thing here, less set up the better, for me at any rate
    Some of this stuff looks very complicated and the chance of a mishap looks probable. Great thread.

  • @Wrecked

    My set up is really simple,
    it's not as many cables as
    you can see in the picture.

    I need two powerpoints,
    one to supply power to the iPad,
    one for the powered usb hub and
    the rest of the cables including the
    usb midi interface come out of the box.
    One jack to jack going to the mixer
    One jack to jack going to the amp
    The usb hub is connected to the iPad using a CCK.
    I'm going to be getting a midi foot controller soon enough
    I didn't need one for this gig as I kept
    the same tone throughout each song
    and using the pickups and tone controls
    on the guitar to provide shape.

    That table has the mixer, visual laptop and my rig on there.
    It was in the a turret of a Victorian castle so we supplied P.A etc.
    Which you can see on the table alongside my rig.

    We had set up the entire thing the night before and did a run through.
    It took about three to four hours max, it could've been done much, much quicker
    but we were too busy socialising rather than being 100% professional.

    It was a networking event for a great friend of ours which was held in a castle.

  • Sounds great. I always end up putting the pa up, setting up the sound etc while the others socialise. I don’t trust them and I know it inside out. Just need a hand putting the speakers on poles then bye bye band for a bit. They turn up and turn up,I have the pleasure of turning them down! No guitar solo in this song is one of my faves. Thanks for the story, always good to hear band stories.

  • @Wrecked

    Yep, it was a great gig I must say.
    Normally I do what you do as in setting up for the gig
    but this time round they were all pro at setting up and
    performing which made things so much easier.

    Yeah, I like to hear about good band stories as well.
    You're welcome.

  • Great thread !! So many cool tricks ...something’s are still fiddly in ios world but surely there will be better apps like live loopers etc to simply this flow.
    Is anybody combining external pedals and amp sim from iOS and recording back to iOS ?
    I want to add my Blue Sky reverb in the chain so have to send the audio back into the iPad for recording or looping. We looking at behringer 404hd and perhaps utilize the fx send options to do it.

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