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.

Sensel Morph Demo and Overview

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Comments

  • It been a while since I have had a good hardware GAS attack. After the @ipadbeatmaking demo and now this additional level of detail, I'm hooked. But I've been coveting Roli products forever so this just bumps Roli to #2.

  • Yeah this is much better price than Roli products for MPE. I might wait until Christmas for this. But I do have Roli Lumi on the way.

  • Nice comprehensive review.

    Recently got a second one with the Innovator overlay this time, definitely worth looking into if you want to make custom layouts.
    I'm making some custom overlays for BM3, NS2, Group The Loop, and various combinations of those apps to fit my workflow. Prototyping a new design with paper and the Innovator overlay is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. I've found the custom layouts work best when the Morph is connected via USB.
    Hopefully pretty soon I'll be prototyping overlays out of thin neoprene craft sheets.

    Glad to see the Morph building steam in the iOS musician community!

  • wimwim
    edited November 2019

    This is definitely the big one on my Christmas list this year. Gonna wait to see if it goes on sale for Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

    I'd love to see a two-row keyboard overlay though!

    I'm thinking I could make something like that by sticking some kind of tactile barrier to delimit keys onto a custom overlay.

  • @wim I’m working on a couple of 4 octave designs, they feel pretty good with the Innovator overlay, but it’s definitely worth making something more tactile once a layout fits your workflow. It’s like a Roli for DIY types 😄 If Sensel ever sells unique magnet strips separately then prototyping will really get interesting.

    Octave up/down and CC buttons along the top, sustain bar at the bottom, default range is C1-B4. Working on a version that starts with F as well, sort of like a 4 octave OP-1 setup.

  • That looks great @3sleeves. I’m really looking forward to this thing.

  • It’s tons of fun, bang per buck ratio is really good!
    Here’s my latest NS2 layout:

    Covers 3 octaves so I can play a full Slate, also has 8 knobs and a slide bar for Obsidian performance controls. So many options with this thing!

  • Thanks guys for the kind words about my video.

    @3sleeves man, that makes me wish I would have asked for that overlay too. looks fun.

  • How's the latency on these? Is it fairly noticeable while playing?

  • @3sleeves said:
    It’s tons of fun, bang per buck ratio is really good!
    Here’s my latest NS2 layout:

    Covers 3 octaves so I can play a full Slate, also has 8 knobs and a slide bar for Obsidian performance controls. So many options with this thing!

    i have a morph. how did you make that overlay? also, how did you program it? i’d love to here how and give it a try myself.

  • @3sleeves Overlays looks cool, how are you making them?

  • Yeah, very tempted by this too, although wish it could give a continuous visual feedback of knobs and fader positions. Maybe this might be in a future iteration. The light feedback at the top helps though.

  • edited November 2019

    @TheAudioDabbler Appreciate your videos man, glad to see you got the Morph! The Innovator overlay is quickly becoming my favorite.

    @Sonicflux Over bluetooth with a just one Morph hooked up I don't feel the latency on 2017 Pro or Mini 5, but when 2 Morphs are connected wireless I've had note sticking issues in BM3 and NS2. I've tried both wireless, both USB, and one wireless with one USB...both connected wireless to the same device is the only time I've had issues. I've yet to experiment with routing them on separate MIDI channels over bluetooth to the same iPad, but for now I'm happy with the other options.

    @eross @auxmux In the Sensel App on a computer you can set the "no overlay" state to act like an Innovator overlay. Send that to the Morph first.
    Then press "add overlay" in the bottom left menu, add an Innovator and you'll see "custom design" in the list under "Innovator's" on the left. Click on that and you'll see Layout/Map tabs at the top of the screen...Layout is where you can add shapes, Map is where you assign their functions. Beware, the layout process is almost like using MS Paint at first. When the map is ready, send it to the Morph.
    To print it, you can "Export 2D/3D file" from the menu in the top right. I save as SVG so I can edit the file in Affinity Designer, then print without scaling, cut it out and affix it with low-tack painters tape.
    This weekend I'll try to post my files in this thread so you can mess around with them.

    The nice thing about the Innovator overlay is that you get thin silicone layer that feels similar to the other overlays. I'm considering a second one of those and the Buchla Thunder overlay next. The Buchla somehow has the capability to store/switch between multiple map presets, which I hope gets integrated into another iteration of the Innovator (a man can dream).

  • @3sleeves said:
    @TheAudioDabbler Appreciate your videos man, glad to see you got the Morph! The Innovator overlay is quickly becoming my favorite.

    @Sonicflux Over bluetooth with a just one Morph hooked up I don't feel the latency on 2017 Pro or Mini 5, but when 2 Morphs are connected wireless I've had note sticking issues in BM3 and NS2. I've tried both wireless, both USB, and one wireless with one USB...both connected wireless to the same device is the only time I've had issues. I've yet to experiment with routing them on separate MIDI channels over bluetooth to the same iPad, but for now I'm happy with the other options.

    @eross @auxmux In the Sensel App on a computer you can set the "no overlay" state to act like an Innovator overlay. Send that to the Morph first.
    Then press "add overlay" in the bottom left menu, add an Innovator and you'll see "custom design" in the list under "Innovator's" on the left. Click on that and you'll see Layout/Map tabs at the top of the screen...Layout is where you can add shapes, Map is where you assign their functions. Beware, the layout process is almost like using MS Paint at first. When the map is ready, send it to the Morph.
    To print it, you can "Export 2D/3D file" from the menu in the top right. I save as SVG so I can edit the file in Affinity Designer, then print without scaling, cut it out and affix it with low-tack painters tape.
    This weekend I'll try to post my files in this thread so you can mess around with them.

    The nice thing about the Innovator overlay is that you get thin silicone layer that feels similar to the other overlays. I'm considering a second one of those and the Buchla Thunder overlay next. The Buchla somehow has the capability to store/switch between multiple map presets, which I hope gets integrated into another iteration of the Innovator (a man can dream).

    oh awesome! i’m gonna try that out right away. thanks!

  • wimwim
    edited November 2019

    @3sleeves said:
    To print it, you can "Export 2D/3D file" from the menu in the top right.

    Wait. Wut? 3D printing?!
    Oh bloody hell, checked the manual, and it's true!
    Now I need two things: a Morph, and a friend with a 3D printer.

    3D Print
    An Overlay design can either be 3D printed as an insert or a full Innovator’s Overlay.

    Insert
    With an insert, the design sits inside of the Innovator’s Overlay. This allows for rapid prototyping and does not require you to create a full Innovator’s Overlay. The Sensel App will export an STL file that can be 3D printed and fit inside the Innovator’s Overlay.

    We generally recommend printing inserts and not printing the entire Innovator’s Overlay, since this can significantly lower the cost of the 3D print.

    Full Innovator's Overlay
    To create a Innovator’s Overlay with your own custom design, you should start with this Innovator’s Overlay design model and document. Then, you will need to merge the design created by the Overlay Designer with the Innovator’s Overlay model to create your own custom Innovator’s Overlay. At this moment, we do not export a combined insert and Innovator’s Overlay from the Sensel App.

    In addition to your Custom Innovator’s Overlay, you will need magnets and two strips to hold the magnet in place. We will be providing more information about magnets in the near future.

    Materials
    We are currently evaluating available 3D printed materials in order to determine which materials offer an the optimal experience at a reasonable cost. If constructed of a base and buttons, like the STL created in the SenselApp, then the material needs to be thin and flexible to transmit the force to the Morph. Here are a few materials we are currently evaluating:

    Rubber-like Polyjet: This material with a low Shore Hardness, like 27A TangoBlack Plus, offers high flexibility and high resolution force transmission. The material may come out somewhat sticky, but fits nicely into the Innovator's Overlay.
    Shapeways Elasto Plastic: A flexible 3D printed material but may have some bends in the material so it will not sit flat against the Morph. Not optimal for high resolution force transmission.
    Ninjaflex: A flexible 3D printed material that comes in a wide array of colors. Ninjaflex is not as flexible as polyjet, so it does not transmit the force as well. As a result, we do not recommend Ninjaflex for custom overlays that require high positional accuracy.
    We will be adding more recommendations as we test available materials.

    Other Materials and Handmade Overlays
    In addition to 2D and 3D printing, there are many other ways to create a visual representation of a custom Overlay. You could cut shapes out of silicon/felt/construction paper, paint/draw on the shapes onto a flexible sheet, create a latex mold, etc. With all of these options, we recommend using flexible materials so that force can be transmitted accurately.

    NOTE: We do not recommend using adhesives, paints, markers, or any other unverified material on the Sensel Morph or Innovator’s Overlay. We will not replace a product if either is visually or physically damaged from creating or using a custom Overlay.

  • @wim Without access to a 3D printer a small plotter may suffice...neoprene craft sheets can be scored with a crafting plotter, like a Cri-cut. I'm cutting some by hand tonight, but hopefully a coworker may have a Cri-cut that I can borrow.
    Cyanoacrylate adhesives can be used sparingly to bond the foam to itself without hardening the material too much, stays flexible.

  • @3sleeves two Morphs attached via USB behave correctly? The Morph is such an incredible genius controller, I think about getting a second one like you.

  • @3sleeves said:
    @wim Without access to a 3D printer a small plotter may suffice...neoprene craft sheets can be scored with a crafting plotter, like a Cri-cut. I'm cutting some by hand tonight, but hopefully a coworker may have a Cri-cut that I can borrow.
    Cyanoacrylate adhesives can be used sparingly to bond the foam to itself without hardening the material too much, stays flexible.

    That’s a good idea. One could even score the lines then apply a black wash that would sink into the cracks but wipe off of the surfaces.

    I’ll have to think of another excuse to invest in a 3D printer.

  • @Phil999 So far I've had success with both plugged into a powered hub, the Novation Audiohub 2x4, using the USB3 CCK dongle (hub plugged into AC as well as iPad charger and lightning cable connected). I had some intermittent issues with BM3 and NS2 recognizing both Morphs, but AUM and Gadget had no problems. I forgot to make that distinction in my previous comments.

    That's when I tried one over bluetooth and one over USB, that worked flawlessly in all the apps mentioned above.

    Out of curiosity I unplugged everything and tried powering the iPad off and on, that seemed to correct the issues with NS2 but not BM3. And once I closed NS2 and reopened it, only the first Morph in the hub was showing up again. However, MIDI Wrench saw all the activity on both Morphs regardless of NS2 or BM3 seeing them, and again AUM and Gadget had no problems.

    That leads me to think there's a limitation in some apps accepting both Morphs simultaneously when connected in the same way. But an easy fix is to connect one over bluetooth and one over USB for those apps. I couldn't feel a difference in latency between the two with this setup either. If you work in AUM or Gadget you should be golden either way. I haven't tested them with one sending on a separate MIDI channel yet though, so that may also resolve this issue.

    @wim Oh man, that's a cool idea, I might have to try that! I've been thinking of using a ceramics detailing tool to make a relief pattern in the foam sheets instead of cutting and layering, then I could fill in the grooves with a contrasting color paint marker. In any event, you're not the only one thinking of excuses to get a 3D printer :D

  • edited November 2019

    I have a morph and love it. I find that it's way more reliable over USB than BT when you get a lot of MIDI data flowing. Sometimes when I really get jamming with MPE and all the bells/whistles I get some stuck notes. Never had a single issue over USB, though.

    Someone could make some good $$$ selling "alternative overlays" for the morph. I see so many creative ideas but I don't have time to do all the design work (both software and hardware).

    This is pretty cool (skip to the 1:00 mark to see the instrument in action):

  • yes that's a beautiful example of using a custom layout. I like it a lot.

    @3sleeves thanks

  • edited November 2019

    I’m tempted by this but....where the hell do you get this thing? All I’m getting in the uk is US sites or very scarce offerings second hand on eBay. I’m guessing they’re still spreading their wings as a company?..

    Also probably the case of demand being higher than supply...either way they’re definitely losing sales.

  • @supadom when i bought mine they shipped from a warehouse in EU (in Netherlands i think), which meant that there were no holdups in customs etc.
    I wrote them back when i bought mine as i was also unsure about shipping and customs, and they answered my emails quite fast. So drop them a note.

    BTW for the price it is a really fascinating device. Only think i really find it lacking is a proper grid style (ala linnstrument) overlay. I have one loaded on the overlay designer, but with tactile markings of notes missing it is not optimal... and i have yet to find a simple way to get layouts printed.

  • @supadom: I bought mine from their site, and they shipped promptly and reliably, without custom-worries or stuff. January 2019 they had some special deal, might be worth looking out for something like that in the future... . It‘s totally worth their full price, though! You should get your hands on one.

  • @3sleeves said:
    It’s tons of fun, bang per buck ratio is really good!

    It’s simply unbeatable

    Here’s my latest NS2 layout:

    Covers 3 octaves so I can play a full Slate, also has 8 knobs and a slide bar for Obsidian performance controls. So many options with this thing

    Nice

  • I think if they released a Linnstrument style overlay they would increase both sales of new overlays and base units.

  • @lukesleepwalker said:
    I think if they released a Linnstrument style overlay they would increase both sales of new overlays and base units.

    I just looked at this after your post, I have to agree, the morph seems perfectly suited in footprint and all for it. What would it take to create this from scratch with the innovators overlay?

  • edited November 2019

    it's already there. Linnstrument layout, hexagonal layout, 22-tone Indian layout. Just not available as silicone overlay from the company. Check out the Sensel forum. You can create your own layout. It's all there, but not exactly prefabricated like other controllers. The Sensel Morph is for musicians who like to play.

  • @Phil999 said:
    it's already there. Linnstrument layout, hexagonal layout, 22-tone Indian layout. Just not available as silicone overlay from the company. Check out the Sensel forum. You can create your own layout. It's all there, but not exactly prefabricated like other controllers. The Sensel Morph is for musicians who like to play.

    Yeah, love the forums and like a lot of the creative ideas. I simply don't have the time to create my own stuff. I'd be happy to pay Sensel or a third party for a silicone overlay though.

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