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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sampling, samplers and app recommendations

Hi all you fabulous ABers. I'm calling on you for your expertise and advice.

My long story - I've never been into sampling, well not since the 80s and a pal had one of those Casio keyboards with the tiny keys. Alot of fun with the burps and various bodily noises. We used it in a group for various "color".

Fast forward to the present day. I acquired an Ensoniq Mirage in a trade. Needed lotsa work. I almost trashed it and offered it up for trade. Finally decided to have it fixed once I found the guy to do it, somewhat locally. My guy did a marvelous job and got it going. Yesterday was my first chance to really get into it and explore some of the preset disks that I acquired online.

In a word the thing is glorious. I love it. It is haunting, spooky, funny, odd, gritty (overused word) .

Well, it crapped out on me after about 3 hours and it needs to go back for repair. I suspect the power supply this time. Crestfallen, yet determined to have it fixed because it has THAT sound.

Now, I'm pretty much stoked and psyched on exploring sampling. So, naturally I look to ios and you guys and gals to educate me to the apps that I need. I could just wait to have my Mirage fixed but I want to see what I've been missing on this platform too.

I'm interested in my own sampling. Though not exclusively. The thing that the Mirage has is low sample rate (8 bit) and a really nice filter. What apps would you all recommend for getting some of that mojo - full well realizing that the Mirage is it's own thing and unless someone has done a full emulation I won't be getting the real deal or THAT sound. But, I'd like to explore more of "the art of noise" if you will.

TLDR - kinjujin discovers sampling. Please to help him.

Thanks!

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Comments

  • Koala baby!

  • Hard to fake the sound of the old sub-16 bit, variable sample rate samplers like the Mirage, EPS, or the S900, FZ10m on modern samplers. But a ring modulator and bit crusher can help. And pitch shifters. Or sample something at twice the speed, then slow it down later.

  • AudioLayer

  • edited March 2020

    There's a number of things you can do.
    Reduce bit depth to emulate 8bit,
    Reduce the sample rate to match the mirage's,
    Experiment with different low pass filters to get close to the Mirage's antialiasing filter response (Jens Guell's JAF Collection is great for this purpose),
    Add a parametric EQ if the sound still doesn't convince you,
    Add an audio shaper to emulate slight compression and ADC/DAC nonlinearities,
    Add filtered noise.

    You need love and patience and a working Mirage for comparison but it's possible.

  • For emulating older samplers it takes a bit of tinkering. It's not just about slapping a bit-reducer or decimator on a clean sample on playback but rather processing the sample when it's recorded thus burning in the 'reduction'.

    When the 'source' is already decimated the effect of the decimation and bit-reduction can be smoothed out with filters.

    Most modern samplers lack the option to set the interpolation mode when pitch-shifting thus the 'aliasing grit'(which is actually more like saple'n'hold/skip) that is present on the old hardware is lost.

    SunVox is one of the few 'samplers' (well it's not a sampler but so much more) offers 3 interpolation modes, Off, Linear and Spline which cover a lot of ground.

    But yeah Koala is nice for quick sampling.
    Personally I do most of my sampling on iOS with BM3...

  • edited March 2020

    Cool re: SunVox @Samu. Love the lofi bittiness of it's sampler.

  • @auxmux said:
    Cool re: SunVox @Samu. Love the lofi bittiness of it's sampler.

    Drambo will be heaven here too since it's possible to add modules before actually recording the sample :)
    (The input can be processed thru decimator and bit-reduction before it's even recorded, yummy!).

  • Also take a look at Fieldscaper, Soundscaper, and Synthscaper as those have sample address masking tools.
    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/368372#Comment_368372

  • edited March 2020

    Haha @Samu, while you wrote this I already whipped up a quick demo:

  • Thanks to you all, so far.

    @Samu and others re: Sunvox. Any examples of what you've done in the sampler?

    Is AudioLayer the be all and end all? Are there bit reducers in it? I read some of the megathread on it but sort of checked out thinking it was too much for my uses, back when it was released.

  • @rs2000 said:
    Haha @Samu, while you wrote this I already whipped up a quick demo:

    Hehe, I play around a lot with the app but I don't make videos :D
    This is my 8-bit sampler with 6500Khz sampling rate....

  • @kinkujin said:
    Thanks to you all, so far.

    @Samu and others re: Sunvox. Any examples of what you've done in the sampler?

    Is AudioLayer the be all and end all? Are there bit reducers in it? I read some of the megathread on it but sort of checked out thinking it was too much for my uses, back when it was released.

    No bit reducers or downsamplers, only a few std fx inside AudioLayer. In terms of sample playback it's great though.

  • edited March 2020

    Just watched a couple of videos on SunVox. It has a sound, no? Is that inherent to it or is it coincidentally I'm hearing low bit examples only?

    I think for $5.99 I can take a chance.

  • @kinkujin said:
    Just watched a couple of videos on SunVox. It has a sound, no? Is that inherent to it or is it coincidentally I'm hearing low bit examples only?

    I think for $5.99 I can take a chance.

    Take the chance! Especially if you want to launch into trackers like I just did. The sound is lofi because the synth modules are pretty basic but that's what adds to charm especially with fx. Also, it's an AU.

  • @rs2000 said:

    @kinkujin said:
    Thanks to you all, so far.

    @Samu and others re: Sunvox. Any examples of what you've done in the sampler?

    Is AudioLayer the be all and end all? Are there bit reducers in it? I read some of the megathread on it but sort of checked out thinking it was too much for my uses, back when it was released.

    No bit reducers or downsamplers, only a few std fx inside AudioLayer. In terms of sample playback it's great though.

    Re: down-samplers, there are other FX you can add in chain after AudioLayer. Electrogene, Bit Maestro, ReelBus, and Kdevices Shaper, among others.

  • @kinkujin said:
    Just watched a couple of videos on SunVox. It has a sound, no? Is that inherent to it or is it coincidentally I'm hearing low bit examples only?

    I think for $5.99 I can take a chance.

    I'd go with Koala as it's more fun for quick sampling :)

  • edited March 2020

    Another question re: Sunvox. Does it run better on Mac OS or ios? Is it easier with mouse or finger selection?

  • @kinkujin said:
    Another question re: Sunvox. Does it run better on Mac OS or ios better? Is it better with mouse or finger selection?

    Mac version is free, for note input the Mac version is better with proper keyboard support :)
    Connecting module is easier on iPad (tap one module and tap another to connect, on the desktop it's select module shift-drag to draw a line to another module).

    Files are transferrable so the hard work can be done on the desktop and then drop the project to the iPad.
    (I lost most of my SunVox files when my laptops were stolen so I have nothing to share).

  • Thanks @Samu . I'm going to grab it. Might just grab Koala if I can't get on with SunVox.

  • edited March 2020

    I'll summarize as best as I can. The samplers and effects I've used, have, and can recommend. Note that the list increases in price.

    FREE: Sound Weaver + GarageBand (has a basic sampler) (Phase Delay Array +DubFilter + Frobulator + Nebulizer)

    1. Koala (for sampling sounds you record on the go). It's the most fun I've had on an iPhone and iPad and is a good, all round sampler. $5
    2. Blocs Wave - Despite being what I say is the weakest part of Blocs Wave, the sampler is okay. I use it to gain random chops I wouldn't have normally thought of, but I wouldnt use it for its precise sampling. Koala into Blocs is a killer combination. Free + $10 (sale) - $20
    3. Reslice: Just started using this app and, wow. I was looking for an app to replace Output by Arcade and this seems to be the one due to its simple design, but powerful sampler. I'd use this one specifically for raw samples, and loops but it could work as an instrument. Also, just thinking of using this with Effectrix is just crazy. Also an AUv3. It's a better Garageband sampler. $12- $35
    4. Samplr/Spacecraft- Still exploring this monster. I'm getting ambient atmospheres which I wouldnt have been able to pull off, that it almost seems like cheating. Combined with Blackhole Reverb, it almost made me cry due to how I was getting sounds off simple loops. $15- $45.
    5. Nanostudio 2 - This app has slowly creeped into my workflow and has given me the dream of one app that can be an all in one instrument. $10- 35. This app closely rivals Audiolayer in a LOT of things, while being an excellent synth, and DAW.
    6. Audiolayer:Insane app that @McD kept posting about in the forum until I eventually got it and saw why he loves this app. Used as an instrument sampler, but is an AUv3 app that can support large sample files. Wouldn't use it for loop sampling, though but it can certainly do it well. $15- $35.
    7. Beatmaker 3: If you're looking for the big brother to Koala, it's this app. Also a DAW.

    I ended up having all the apps on the list. Now which one would I recommend that is cost effective as a sampler? Depends on you, but I would say...

    TL:DR:
    For audio sampling, Koala into Garageband (as an IAA) . If they make Koala app AUv3, it'll be insane. As it is though, it is excellent.

    For instruments sampling, Nanostudio +Synthjacker.

  • Thanks @Samflash3 excellent write-up!

  • @kinkujin said:
    Thanks @Samflash3 excellent write-up!

    Appreciate. I don't regret any of the apps I got, although I didn't buy them all at once. I just got them based on what I felt I needed.

    I really should post my thoughts on YouTube. I have a lot of things to share but editing videos is so demotivating. Maybe I should find someone to edit them for me, or come up with a better workflow. Idk...

  • When starting to talk about sampling its important realizing that there's different_ kinds_ of sampling, and different kinds of samplers that are gear toward the various different kinds of sampling workflows. Very rarely do you get (even in software) one sampler that covers all the different ground. This is why I have multiple hardware units (and multiple apps). It helps to know what direction you want to go in. Tempo synced loops? Sustained keygroup instruments? Chopping? Drum samples and oneshots? Granular? The nice thing about iOS is you can buy stuff and experiment and most of the time it will cost you about what a cup of coffee is.

  • @kinkujin Give SunVox some time. Once you get it be prepared to receive the fruits for it.

  • @MrBlaschke thanks. Indeed this will need patience and perseverance. I do not think I can enter notes on the iPad. Oy!

  • @kinkujin said:
    @MrBlaschke thanks. Indeed this will need patience and perseverance. I do not think I can enter notes on the iPad. Oy!

    Use the internal keyboard in SunVox to enter notes and you have to „open the lock“ on the top right screen to enter notes to the internal sequencer. There are good tutorials over on the Tube. We can have a private class if you want. :smile:

  • I’ve finally got round to learning sunvox a bit lately and it is really quite good, the live recording works better for me than pure pattern entry, you can still edit those later as well... are there any text / non video walkthroughs anywhere? I’ve been trying to figure out the velocity drawing as well without much luck so far...

  • @Krupa The „xyz drawing“ is quite intuitive once you get it. I found a good video after which i was able to adapt it to several principles. I am not sure if there are good text-based-tutorials - never came across some. I think to learn SunVox is hard by reading only and the visually guided tutorials of the developer are really helpful. Maybe we can work something out if i got some spare time. Just PM me and if we get something together we might post it here.

    May i ask why no videos?

  • Cheers @MrBlaschke was just wondering really, sometimes find videos meander rather than get to the point, the old solarlune ones are pretty good though, brief and focussed...

  • edited March 2020

    @MrBlaschke said:
    @Krupa The „xyz drawing“ is quite intuitive once you get it. I found a good video after which i was able to adapt it to several principles. I am not sure if there are good text-based-tutorials - never came across some. I think to learn SunVox is hard by reading only and the visually guided tutorials of the developer are really helpful. Maybe we can work something out if i got some spare time. Just PM me and if we get something together we might post it here.

    May i ask why no videos?

    Adding:
    Just found this: https://www.warmplace.ru/wiki/doku.php?id=sunvox:manual_en
    In the „Controllers/Controller automation“ section is a description of that.

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