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.

Using ABF to report Bugs to developers?

We all love developers that accept bug reports and feature enhancement requests and respond here. There are some amazing developers that use the ABF to create a feedback loop and expose the process in a thread.

But some just avoid having that exchange here. Many start by requisition an email to their "support" team.

I find these "Look. This is broken" comments to be annoying and unfair to developers in general.
Some of the best developers don't have a "support" department or a "tech writer" to generate documentation or prepare video tutorials. We tend to know who they are are some of them make
the best apps you can buy in a variety of application categories: @Virsyn, Audio Damage, etc.

I expect this might be a controversial topic and I welcome your feedback. It helps pass the time while I wait for the Eschaton which will probably get here before Drambo.

Comments

  • wimwim
    edited January 2020

    I don’t understand the topic. What is the question you’re asking?

    For me it’s simple. Find out the developer’s preferred way to communicate and be as thorough as and helpful as possible about how you report the issue.

    I will often check here first regardless to see if I’m the only one seeing the issue. A good portion of the time it’s user error, already been reported and acknowledged, or I get suggestions about where best to report it. That’s just part of doing due-diligence before flooding a developer’s inbox with unnecessary emails that they then may have to feel obligated to respond to.

    No harm in that. It would be stupidity to shy away from discussing here just because someone’s feelings might get hurt. Of course, as you’ve said yourself, how that is done is important, IMO.

  • @McD said:
    We all love developers that accept bug reports and feature enhancement requests and respond here. There are some amazing developers that use the ABF to create a feedback loop and expose the process in a thread.

    But some just avoid having that exchange here. Many start by requisition an email to their "support" team.

    I find these "Look. This is broken" comments to be annoying and unfair to developers in general.
    Some of the best developers don't have a "support" department or a "tech writer" to generate documentation or prepare video tutorials. We tend to know who they are are some of them make
    the best apps you can buy in a variety of application categories: @Virsyn, Audio Damage, etc.

    I expect this might be a controversial topic and I welcome your feedback. It helps pass the time while I wait for the Eschaton which will probably get here before Drambo.

    With only a few exceptions, one is best off reporting bugs via email or through a developer’s web site rather than here. There are a few notable exceptions (but only a few). I can’t tell you how many developers have asked that people send them bug reports directly because they don’t regularly check the forums.

  • wimwim
    edited January 2020

    Simply reporting here and assuming a developer will read it, then getting mad when the issue doesn’t get addressed right away is self-defeating for sure.

  • wimwim
    edited January 2020

    Another advantage of airing things here is saving others the frustration of figuring these things out themselves. Many hours of frustration, anger toward developers, bad App Store reviews, and even refunds, can be saved by just a few posts pointing out the bug and updating on whether it’s being / has been addressed.

    Sensitive feelings aside, this side of it is actually good for developers.

  • @wim said:
    Another advantage of airing things here is saving others the frustration of figuring these things out themselves. Many hours of frustration, anger toward developers, bad App Store reviews, and even refunds, can be saved by just a few posts pointing out the bug and updating on whether it’s being / has been addressed.

    Sensitive feelings aside, this side of it is actually good for developers.

    Was about to post the same thing. This forum is chock full of people working as de facto help desk for iOS music making. "Issues" that are user error, or a misunderstanding of how a feature works can be steered around.

    When a problem is found, several people exploring the issue can guide the troubleshooting and either find a resolution or help pinpoint the root cause, potentially saving the developer some time. Typically, work-arounds can be suggested while the developer is working on a fix.

    Bitch sessions aren't particularly useful, but typically people posting here are just looking for help.

  • Step 1: do some research
    Step 2: don’t be a dick

  • @wim said:
    I don’t understand the topic. What is the question you’re asking?

    For me it’s simple. Find out the developer’s preferred way to communicate and be as thorough as and helpful as possible about how you report the issue.

    I will often check here first regardless to see if I’m the only one seeing the issue. A good portion of the time it’s user error, already been reported and acknowledged, or I get suggestions about where best to report it. That’s just part of doing due-diligence before flooding a developer’s inbox with unnecessary emails that they then may have to feel obligated to respond to.

    No harm in that. It would be stupidity to shy away from discussing here just because someone’s feelings might get hurt. Of course, as you’ve said yourself, how that is done is important, IMO.

    You answered my question with your preferred way. Makes sense.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @McD said:
    We all love developers that accept bug reports and feature enhancement requests and respond here. There are some amazing developers that use the ABF to create a feedback loop and expose the process in a thread.

    But some just avoid having that exchange here. Many start by requisition an email to their "support" team.

    I find these "Look. This is broken" comments to be annoying and unfair to developers in general.
    Some of the best developers don't have a "support" department or a "tech writer" to generate documentation or prepare video tutorials. We tend to know who they are are some of them make
    the best apps you can buy in a variety of application categories: @Virsyn, Audio Damage, etc.

    I expect this might be a controversial topic and I welcome your feedback. It helps pass the time while I wait for the Eschaton which will probably get here before Drambo.

    With only a few exceptions, one is best off reporting bugs via email or through a developer’s web site rather than here. There are a few notable exceptions (but only a few). I can’t tell you how many developers have asked that people send them bug reports directly because they don’t regularly check the forums.

    True. I see some dev's check at app release and then just stop reading the thread. It amazes me that she dev's are as productive as they and still follow the ABF: @brambos, @SevenSystems and @j_liljedahl as examples.

    @SevenSystems is really late with Xequence HD Audio Masterpiece MK I. He's been dropping hints for years.

    @Michael just delicates reading the forum to @LinearLineman and keeps working on his
    Masterpiece which will probably beat Drambo to the iTune Store.

  • edited January 2020

    More than a few bugs reported naming apps/developers in thread titles on here don't actually traceback to the correct app.

    Some of those bug reports are assuming the app does something it doesn't do and/or contain unreasonable demands and hostile language.

    I would recommend contacting the developer directly. If something is genuinely broken and they aren't interested in fixing it there will be a thread on here about the issue.

    The above situation has happened before but not very often and never silently. In that case the refund system is your friend.

  • edited January 2020

    I really regret not having more time to spend joining in here! It's a great community. For me, I find it so hard to prioritise anything but actual development on my non-parenting days though – it's amazing how spending half of your days parenting makes the other days so precious. I don't even really meet up with friends any more, except those who also have kids.

  • edited January 2020

    I think it’s good to talk about bugs publicly on a forum of (generally) well informed people.

    Sometimes a bug isn’t a bug but a ‘feature’. Sometimes it’s user error. There’s no point in spending time putting together a bug report when it’s a well known bug the developer knows all about already; or you find out you’ve assumed a feature works differently to how it was actually designed and you’re ‘doing it wrong’.

    As has been mentioned above though, there’s no need to be a dick about it.

    Frequently the person calling out the OP for being a dick does so in an even more dick-ish way. If you’re not the developer, why do you think you’re entitled to speak on their behalf?

    I’m sure some developers are very happy to discuss their products On a forum. I’m sure some are vehemently opposed.

    And let’s face it, bugs can be hard to pin down. The developers can’t have every combination of device, OS and list of apps can they?

    But as a group we can help pin down bugs to specific combinations of apps or devices.

    Just because it works for you doesn’t mean it works for me. And vice versa.

    Getting together a bit of extra knowledge before contacting a developer is surely beneficial to everybody?!

    And also, to be honest, if you hate an app you’re better off admitting defeat. You’re not obliged to let every developer know you’ve found a bug.

    But hats off to the developers on this forum such as Bram, seven systems, our gracious hosts, Jimmy Acid etc who are very engaged and put up with a lot but I’m sure get lots back from this community.

    To echo others here, just try not to be a dick and at least try to live and let live.

    A little empathy goes a long way.

  • @Michael said:
    I really regret not having more time to spend joining in here! It's a great community. For me, I find it so hard to prioritise anything but actual development on my non-parenting days though – it's amazing how spending half of your days parenting makes the other days so precious. I don't even really meet up with friends any more, except those who also have kids.

    FYI: @Michael is our Host and the developer of AudioBus and Loopy. 2 impressive achievements.

    Without @Micheal's work the world of IOS music making would be 5 years behind the current capabilities. Apple did replace his inter-op standards. They competed with him
    and yet there a situations where we still need AudioBus to solve Inter-Op problems or to
    use older product that still run on IOS but need his products to be connected to current
    products.

    Thanks and keep coding and enjoying your parenting obligations... when these years are over you will be very glad you made them a priority. And you still can't do enough, IMHO.

  • McDMcD
    edited January 2020

    @iOSTRAKON said:
    Step 1: do some research
    Step 2: don’t be a dick

    Nice "To Do" list for when you find a bug.
    Step 2 then Step 1 also works well.

    I hate it when I realize I've been Dickish.

  • A message offering to join the beta is often the best solution for both sides in these kind of situations.

    That phrase about no such thing as bad publicity isn’t a universal truth.

  • @McD Thank you!!

  • @Michael said:
    @McD Thank you!!

    We all here should be thanking you for running a great place to discuss IOS music making and beyond... with reasonable limitations and effective management and support.

  • The only reason I found this forum is because I was looking high and low for information about what I believed to be a bug in a newly acquired app.
    What I found in these discussions was that it wasn’t really a bug but a limitation with iOS (that could’ve been handled more elegantly but oh well). In the process I leaned much more about the subject than I realized I didn’t know.

    Every time I have an issue with an app in my growing collection I check here first before bugging the dev. Anytime I don’t understand what a feature does I consult this forum rather than bothering the dev, who probably has little time or energy to hold my hand through learning the minutia of their work.

    And why not? That is the boon of the internet and collective knowledge. Nine times out of ten I find my answer here and much more.

    Of course don’t just shake your fist impotently at the sky and badmouth people instead of contacting the dev about a serious issue. But why take up their time making them answer a question that’s been answered a billionty times?

  • @Druzy said:
    The only reason I found this forum is because I was looking high and low for information about what I believed to be a bug in a newly acquired app.
    What I found in these discussions was that it wasn’t really a bug but a limitation with iOS (that could’ve been handled more elegantly but oh well). In the process I leaned much more about the subject than I realized I didn’t know.

    Every time I have an issue with an app in my growing collection I check here first before bugging the dev. Anytime I don’t understand what a feature does I consult this forum rather than bothering the dev, who probably has little time or energy to hold my hand through learning the minutia of their work.

    And why not? That is the boon of the internet and collective knowledge. Nine times out of ten I find my answer here and much more.

    Of course don’t just shake your fist impotently at the sky and badmouth people instead of contacting the dev about a serious issue. But why take up their time making them answer a question that’s been answered a billionty times?

    Nicely stated.

    I know we can reach a point where we feel so frustrated we get angry. Then anyone that can’t help can become entrenched in that anger if they don’t sympathize. Luckily the best minds in the user community are here and eager to share tips and solution strategies.

  • I do think it is fair to complain about bugs here, as it improves the quality of iOS software if people don’t support buggy software, but if you have a positive view toward the future of the software and developer it is cool to keep the bug reports direct and private. Bugs are embarrassing, and a good way to make someone lose face is by making their deficiencies public. That is fine if someone has screwed you (and there is plenty of badly written, unfinished, unsupported music apps that don’t work right in the world of iOS) but if you want them to succeed, and you want the app to get fixed and succeed, why start by subtly humiliating the only person in a position to fix it?

    It’s kind of a cheap shot way to get support, by complaining publicly in front of prospective customers, and should really be a last ditch, if they ignored private support. I think we see a kind of unfortunate culture developing on the internet of calling businesses out, at the first sign of trouble, and they have to scramble to preserve their public image, rather than just dealing with them one on one, like human beings that respect each other, and don’t need an audience to assure proper behavior.

  • wimwim
    edited January 2020

    Pointing out or asking about a bug isn’t necessarily the same as “complaining” about it.

    I’m not going to go to a developer directly every time I suspect there’s a bug. Once it’s verified and I can reproduce it, if it hasn’t already been reported and acknowledged, then I do the best I can to document it through the developers preferred method. Sometimes they don’t make that contact preference as obvious as they should.

  • @wim said:
    Pointing out or asking about a bug isn’t necessarily the same as “complaining” about it.

    True. I don't like (and usually push back) on "complaining" about bugs on a forum before
    1) asking for advice
    2) using the developer support link from iTunes to reach the developer and get in the queue
    3) seeing if the ABF has consensus on some "defect"

    Then I will join any committed "mob" and seek a refund. I do own a few products that Apple
    refused to refund. I still have some unresolved anger but that's usually my issue with Apple's model.

    When I go back to the dung heap of Desktop licensing and multi-website purchasing and
    no recourse for refunds I come back and appreciate the Apple Store and how efficiently it works for upgrades, loading new devices and sharing app with a large "family". It does tend fo fall apart with IAP's however. What a mess IAP's are. Especially when loading up a new product and loosing so much product due to a lack of disclosure.

    I really hate pushing BUY hoping my credit card isn't hit and waiting for the:

    You already own this... do you want it again?

    "I'm looking at You CrudeBytes." How hard is it to implement "download In App Purchases"?

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