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.

Best material(s) for creating custom hardware shelf/cabinet/holder

Wood seems like a natural choice for making custom hardware/gear shelves, cabinets, holders... but I worry it likely requires tools I'd don't have. I've been using some heavy cardboard, but it's not optimal. Are there any 'easy as legos' materials for building custom desktop setups?

I'm thinking of holding things diagonally like Launchpads, FX pedals. And desktop holders for 61key midi controller +/- other various things. WDYT?

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Comments

  • Wood is flammable for more warmth :smile:

    How about pvc pipes?

  • What are you building, Is it good?

    ;P

    Instructables website and others creations posted here on the forum are you best bets for ideas. Try and borrow or find a maker-space for tools and advice.

  • Depending on your space and budget, peg board with shelf hooks might work well.

    Heavy cardboard might work well too if you have access to a lot of it. You can re-enforce it by gluing two pieces together.

    If you prefer wood, I wouldn't sweat the tools too much. You can get a hand saw and a hammer for next-to-nothing on your local craigslist or decent thrift shop. And that's really all you need. Same for an electric drill (the kind you plug into the wall).

  • Try getting easel style cookbook holders.

    They are normally adjustable and
    much more sturdy than cardboard.

    If you are going to use cardboard, here's a suggestion.
    Get some sturdy cardboard tubing and either
    doubled up cardboard or some form of flat
    width that will be suitable to hold your equipment,

    Take the cardboard and cut four supports.
    Two are front supports and the other two are going to be the back supports.
    This can be expanded upon but let's stick to two for now.
    The back ones are going to be taller than the front ones
    to give you the diagonal.

    Make a diagonal cut upwards on the front two pieces and
    make a diagonal cut going downwards on the back two pieces.

    The diagonal cut must be the equal and opposite
    and the thickness must be the thickness of the flat length.

    I'll see if I can do a diagram so that you can see for yourself.

    The card tube supports should be able to fit onto
    the flat length and then it's a matter of adjusting it to taste.

    I quite like the idea myself.
    I may developer it further.

    My current stand for my iPad was made from
    a wooden box and a piece of wooden bezel
    and then painted copper with blue undertones.
    Very simple, effective and great for travelling.
    I maybe getting the cookbook style easels myself but thinking
    this through has given me some food for thought.

    Thank you.

  • edited November 2019

    Here's a quick sketch to give you an idea.

  • and there is this if you don't want to roll your own.

    https://loci.life/

    A complete modular system designed for studios with limited space.
    Came across them the other day.

  • Thanks for all the awesome ideas! Just getting started, but I went to home depot and looked up-and-down every aisle. Pretty conveniently, I found a single board that's actually a pretty awesome size. Take a look! :)

    right on top

    a little cardboard love

  • edited November 2019

    @Gravitas said:
    Try getting easel style cookbook holders.

    Hey this is pretty interesting:

    I guess it'll be at least a little tricky to figure out if the gear will fit? The holes here would be nice for cable management.

  • edited November 2019

    @Gravitas said:
    and there is this if you don't want to roll your own.

    https://loci.life/

    A complete modular system designed for studios with limited space.
    Came across them the other day.

    These look really interesting. But doesn't look like they sell to the US? Prices also look a bit obfuscated, so I'm guessing pricey? Really neat idea though. Are you going to grab some?

    ~$50 a stand, it seems?

  • @inakarmacoma

    Definitely pricey for what they are.
    Quite feasibly you could look through children's
    toy stores and get something quite similar.
    It's basically wooden lego at an angle.

    I like the board that you got.
    I see what you're saying about cardboard.

    Yep those easels are cool.
    Most of the descriptions for the easels will have the measurements there.
    I've come across a few and they can hold one 12.9" iPad in
    landscape position which will give you an idea of dimensions.

    I would say that if they have the holder things
    in the first picture then remove them.
    They simply get in the way.

  • @Gravitas said:
    Most of the descriptions for the easels will have the measurements there.
    I've come across a few and they can hold one 12.9" iPad in
    landscape position which will give you an idea of dimensions.

    Makes sense! :) Does the depth matter much? For example, the iPad is very thin. A guitar effects pedal is quite a bit fatter on it's resting edge. (I'm pretty terrible with geospatial visualization, unfortunately, without really being able to try things out in reality. :]

    Maybe I should start using some of the iPad CAD/Architecting apps? hehehe

    I also may be able to find access to a laser cutter. Perhaps I could re-create the original diagonal-legos using that tool and some tap-plastic or similar... ideas, ideas....

  • @inakarmacoma

    I was thinking the same thing in regards
    to iPad CAD/architecting apps
    when I was doing the sketch last night.

    I don't think the depth will matter as much
    as the angle when using an easel/easels.

    If you can get access to a laser cutter definitely go for it.
    Those Loci things are so simple to make.

    What I would say is layout all of your gear
    on a table in the way you need it to be.
    That will give you the size for the board
    or flat piece and then figure out the angle by
    what you think would be the most
    comfortable to create at.

    Here's what I did with my iPad stand.




  • @Gravitas said:
    Here's what I did with my iPad stand.

    Wow, just... wow! That's fantastic. Really nicely done!!!

  • This is probably the sixth attempt at making sense of the gear and how I want to use it vs. the length of cables I have on hand. The tiered approach is definitely helping in the patch jumping when rerouting midi or audio through the boxes. Every bit of “furniture” in the photo is scraps and shipping crate material from the trash. Most of cutting is done with a skill saw, and all of it is held together with random screws.

  • @TheDubbyLabby said:
    Ikea Brada!

    Ikea is great for building stuff. The standard fittings and sizes they use mean that you can mix and match some of the kits, and you rarely need special tools or a workbench. In a way it kind of is the grown up Lego/Meccano.
    https://www.ikeahackers.net/

    The real challenge is to figure out where and how things need to be in the space that you have so that you’re happy and flowing, rather than stressed and frustrated.

    And don’t be shy about selling gear. Fewer, better things.

  • You’d think cheese would be a good material

  • @colonel_mustard said:

    @TheDubbyLabby said:
    Ikea Brada!

    Ikea is great for building stuff. The standard fittings and sizes they use mean that you can mix and match some of the kits, and you rarely need special tools or a workbench. In a way it kind of is the grown up Lego/Meccano.
    https://www.ikeahackers.net/

    Be careful with Ikea, they’ve recently started changing the materials from particle board to some kind of ground up cardboard mass. It doesn’t hold screws very well. I bought additional shelves for a used cabinet and the new ones were about 4x lighter than the old particle board shelves. I don’t have much love for particle board but that new cardboard stuff is just awful.

  • @Stiksi said:

    @colonel_mustard said:

    @TheDubbyLabby said:
    Ikea Brada!

    Ikea is great for building stuff. The standard fittings and sizes they use mean that you can mix and match some of the kits, and you rarely need special tools or a workbench. In a way it kind of is the grown up Lego/Meccano.
    https://www.ikeahackers.net/

    Be careful with Ikea, they’ve recently started changing the materials from particle board to some kind of ground up cardboard mass. It doesn’t hold screws very well. I bought additional shelves for a used cabinet and the new ones were about 4x lighter than the old particle board shelves. I don’t have much love for particle board but that new cardboard stuff is just awful.

    A fair point. Flimsy crap aside, it can be a good (or at least accessible) source for machined, treated wood, and they sell a few sturdy things. Most of my workspace is from Ikea. The riser at the back is a (solid, wooden) wall shelf, on sofa legs.

  • I can see how the desire for a finished looking surface can come into play when setting up inside the home, or if one is going for the insta look. I spent a decade in the basement metal scene in Detroit/Kalamazoo in greasy spaces with moldy carpet and sticky lacquered wood, so literally anything is an improvement over that. These days I prefer raw untreated woods, plywood, metals, glass, and laminate/melamine as material.
    If you have the means to hire a cabinetmaker, the beauty and utility of your space will be optimized. Going DIY, the results will very greatly depending on work space and tools at hand. There is also a safety risk depending on one’s experience with shop equipment. It seems like many people are getting by with the precut closet shelving and various versions of standing desks or purpose built desks like the Output kits. https://output.com/studio-collection
    In general I’ve found that building things for individual instruments is not a great use time or material in the long run, as those stands and tilts take up space and can lock up the instrument access & location.
    There’s also the T-Slot type of systems, https://www.tslots.com/ that can be fully designed, cut, shipped and assembled at home an Allen wrench. Oh man that’s expensive though.

  • Lots of good ideas here. For those without wood tools (or a truck) at the hardware store they will chop up plywood for you.

    Getting started with wood can be inexpensive- you can do most cuts with a skilsaw and drill holes and put in screws with a corded drill.

  • Thanks! I just went to IKEA and got a few of these!

  • @Gravitas said:
    and there is this if you don't want to roll your own.

    https://loci.life/

    A complete modular system designed for studios with limited space.
    Came across them the other day.

    can't find these in the US anywherez. bummer

  • @kobamoto said:

    @Gravitas said:
    and there is this if you don't want to roll your own.

    https://loci.life/

    A complete modular system designed for studios with limited space.
    Came across them the other day.

    can't find these in the US anywherez. bummer

    Mail them and set a deal with near to you fablab. Then convert yourself in its dealer for your zone almost.
    Where you see problem, I see opportunity :wink:

  • BTW...
    https://www.thingiverse.com/Dubbylabby/collections/music

    I’ve collected some 3D things from/for musicians but everyday now get designed by worldwide community... so take a look and once again fablab and that’s it!
    :wink:

  • @TheDubbyLabby said:

    @kobamoto said:

    @Gravitas said:
    and there is this if you don't want to roll your own.

    https://loci.life/

    A complete modular system designed for studios with limited space.
    Came across them the other day.

    can't find these in the US anywherez. bummer

    Mail them and set a deal with near to you fablab. Then convert yourself in its dealer for your zone almost.
    Where you see problem, I see opportunity :wink:

    Good idea.
    Not everyone wants or needs an iKea Brada or
    even a custom modified box like the one I've done.
    Roll your own and make it as distinctive as the music you create.

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