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.

Hybrid setup: Hardware with IPad

Wondering how others have found the experience of combining the ipad with hardware gear.
Tips, pros and cons?
-thx

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Comments

  • Honestly, it's a truly a great experience. With Drambo and AUM so much of what was impossible is now a reality. The iPad is now my mobile OctaTrack for however I want to create music.

  • I’m stoked on my rig for sure. I have a fairly simple setup (iPad with shure mv88 and a 1010 Blackbox) but the hardware and the iOS device are homies for sure.

    Really any hardware device that can either sequence the iPad, sample/Resample the iPad , or allows for easy transfer of audio files to and from is most likely going to be a huge boost to your workflow. YMMV of course

  • edited May 2020

    Circuit and Audiobus work perfectly together. I press a session load in Circuit and the associated preset loads automagically in Audiobus. Dream come true for stage use. Also sync works well but I’ve only ever tried syncing circuit to Audiobus.

  • It's an awesome experience. I use AUM as a mixer and recorder, with tons of great effects AU's, Xequence 2 as sequencer, and Audiobus to glue it together. It's a good modular set-up in the spirit of hardware.

    My hardware set-up is: a polysynth (doubles as MIDI controller), two monosynths, a drum machine, and an Elektron box. Also guitar and bass.

    I've tried a number of the iOS DAWs, but they're inferior to Logic, my main DAW. Nothing beats AUM for jumping right into making music.

    What's your set-up look like, and what are you hoping to do with iOS?

    Pete

  • for integrating ipad with eurorack is someone using a dc couples interface for getting cv into mirack, drambo or zmors modular?

  • All good things to hear. @pete12000 ive tried many different setups hence this post. Went full hardware, full soft, and tried both mixed with imac/ableton which was too much for my needs.
    Currently replaced my analogue mixer and outboard effects with aum and audio/midi effects. Hardware is a minilouge xd, digitone, and mic’ed up ethnic/world instruments. Very pleased so far :)

  • edited May 2020

    @hibjshop said:
    Currently replaced my analogue mixer and outboard effects with aum and audio/midi effects. Hardware is a minilouge xd, digitone, and mic’ed up ethnic/world instruments. Very pleased so far :)

    I packed my Mackie into its box last year and haven't looked back. The biggest surprise for me was in iOS instruments...really high quality stuff. For some reason, I don't get overwhelmed by choices in AUM like I do in Logic. I just pick something and go. Sometimes I play software, sometimes the hardware, usually a mix, but the experience kind of blends together. It's cool.

  • Octatrack, and I suppose other Elektron sequncers have rock solid midi clock. MPCs too. Slaving of apps hosted in AB is tighter in AudioBus than in AUM, And in any case you need AB to get AUM to receive midi clock / transport. You can route the audio outputs of apps hosted in AB to AUM. If you need transport in AUM for clocking effects etc., you just clock AUM in parallel with other apps (on the midi setup page). Like @pete12000 I don't bother with iOS DAWs. The ability to record individual outputs of AUM into Audioshare is great. Then export those individual tracks from Audioshare into a desktop DAW.

  • edited May 2020

    I decided in the lockdown to try and use all my hardware I collected over the years. So I bought a Behringer 12 channel mixer and a 12 midi thru box. I connected my hardware to the mixer. My hardware is: Roland jdxi, Electribe sampler 2, Volca keys, Circuit, Yamaha reface cs, Behringer Neutron and Behringer Model D. My master keyboard is a Nektar LX88+ which I am very pleased with. For midi I used my ipad. The Nektar has a built in usb to midi interface. On the ipad I used gadget which is my sequencer (plus synth gadgets of course!). The way I got to use gadget on the ipad to sequence everything is to add 16 instances of tampei midi gadget. I set each of these to different midi channels with midi in as the nektar and midi out on separate channels. Eg for the jdxi I used 4 midi channels (for 2x dig synth, 1 x drums and 1x analog) and for the circuit I used 3 (2x synth and 1 x drums). I have used all 16 midi channels with my set up.
    So now I can control each device (ios or hardware) by simply changing global midi channel on nektar and playing on the nektar which is really nice. I like the fact that gadget has arpeggiators for tampei so each hardware device can be arpeggiated. Another good feature of the nektar is that it can send on up to 3 midi channels at once so I can get a really good layered sounds really easily when jamming. I haven't finished the set up yet but already it is great fun.

  • Drambo and xequence, synths.

    Volca drum and modular for live jams. Maybe volca drum for basses and as a template for audio recordings and use as a metronome.

  • My current set up is a hybrid set up. I’m in the middle of a cross country move and have no idea when I “real” studio set up will happen again? So, all my hardware synths went into storage.

    My set now consists of:

    • iPad Pro 12.9 (w/ various apps)
    • Sequentix Cirklon (sequencing everything over the USB busses, via a host, usually AUM)
    • Keith McMillen K-Mix for an interface
    • Genelec 8010A’s and Beyerdynamic headphones for monitoring

    That’s it. I’m actually really enjoy this set up. Drambo has really filled in a lot of gaps in for me. AUM is indispensable for routing & mixing. Still haven’t found a DAW I like but Auria Pro is what I’m using currently.

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  • @d4d0ug said:

    @supadom said:
    Circuit and Audiobus work perfectly together. I press a session load in Circuit and the associated preset loads automagically in Audiobus. Dream come true for stage use. Also sync works well but I’ve only ever tried syncing circuit to Audiobus.

    Wait, what!? Ok that I’m trying tomorrow.

    Wondering, same how?

  • @dreamrobe said:
    for integrating ipad with eurorack is someone using a dc couples interface for getting cv into mirack, drambo or zmors modular?

    MOTU interfaces are DC coupled but also please look up Expert Sleepers' modules. ES-8 or ES-9. I'm considering jumping into modular and currently mocking up a rack with interface in mind on modularack.com

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  • To the OP, my experience has been great. I run a Novation MonoStation through an M-Audio Air interface to an iPad 6 to AB3/BM3/AUM. Also connected a Keystep for and a Launch Control via usb/midi.

  • edited May 2020

    iPad Pro 9.7"
    SH-101
    O Coast
    Steinberg UR22

    Is my current small iPad setup. Gate out from MIDI channel B on O Coast triggers the SH-101. All battery powered

  • @d4d0ug said:

    @d4d0ug said:

    @supadom said:
    Circuit and Audiobus work perfectly together. I press a session load in Circuit and the associated preset loads automagically in Audiobus. Dream come true for stage use. Also sync works well but I’ve only ever tried syncing circuit to Audiobus.

    Wait, what!? Ok that I’m trying tomorrow.

    Also....qq do u use circuit as a sequencer / controller or as a source of sound and a sequencer/ controller. Curious to know.

    Circuit sends a program change message every time the session load button is pressed. If you save it with audiobus preset it will load the session.

    I use them in parallel because I don’t sequence on the iPad but at times I drive DerVoco vocoder app using midi coming from circuit routed in audiobus midi mixer.

    I couldn’t be happier with this combo.

  • edited May 2020

    iPad 2018 with a bunch of AUv3 apps both synth and effects (too many still...)
    Roland FA-06 as master keyboard, piano and Best of Roland sound legacy
    IK Multimedia UNO analog monosynth
    Novation Launchkey Mini Mk1 for the comfy couch duty

    Roland Zenbeats (earlier BM3 and NS2) as DAW handling both AUv3 and audio tracks (from the FA-06 and UNO)

    Presonus Audiobox iTwo audio interface
    Mackie CR4 monitors
    Sony (open DJ-style) and Sennheiser (closed) headphones

    🤓

  • @supadom said:

    @d4d0ug said:

    @d4d0ug said:

    @supadom said:
    Circuit and Audiobus work perfectly together. I press a session load in Circuit and the associated preset loads automagically in Audiobus. Dream come true for stage use. Also sync works well but I’ve only ever tried syncing circuit to Audiobus.

    Wait, what!? Ok that I’m trying tomorrow.

    Also....qq do u use circuit as a sequencer / controller or as a source of sound and a sequencer/ controller. Curious to know.

    Circuit sends a program change message every time the session load button is pressed. If you save it with audiobus preset it will load the session.

    I use them in parallel because I don’t sequence on the iPad but at times I drive DerVoco vocoder app using midi coming from circuit routed in audiobus midi mixer.

    I couldn’t be happier with this combo.

    In use, how many auv3’s or IAA’s can you use when changing sessions so there is no delay loading a new season after a programme change? I always imagined there would be some loading time depending on how hungry the plugin is or how many samples you are trying to load up. Do you have any recommendations for apps that work well or badly with this set up, I guess not many support state saving?

    Cheers

  • When using hardware with iOS apps, I prefer to keep things simple.
    These combinations work best for me (including tight MIDI clock sync from hardware to iOS):
    Hardware to Groove Rider, hardware to Korg Gadget 2, hardware to Beatmaker 3 and hardware to Loopy HD.
    Of course it's no problem to split MIDI clock and feed these apps on multiple iDevices.
    It's also no problem using Bluetooth MIDI for MIDI clock from my experience.

    Hardware can be any of Korg EMX1, Yamaha Rm1x or elektron Digitakt here while the Digitakt has the advantage of being a compact box that has eight polyphonic MIDI tracks that give me the freedom to choose whether I wand to sequence MIDI on the iPad or on the hardware or even a mix of both.

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  • @no1normal said:

    @supadom said:

    @d4d0ug said:

    @d4d0ug said:

    @supadom said:
    Circuit and Audiobus work perfectly together. I press a session load in Circuit and the associated preset loads automagically in Audiobus. Dream come true for stage use. Also sync works well but I’ve only ever tried syncing circuit to Audiobus.

    Wait, what!? Ok that I’m trying tomorrow.

    Also....qq do u use circuit as a sequencer / controller or as a source of sound and a sequencer/ controller. Curious to know.

    Circuit sends a program change message every time the session load button is pressed. If you save it with audiobus preset it will load the session.

    I use them in parallel because I don’t sequence on the iPad but at times I drive DerVoco vocoder app using midi coming from circuit routed in audiobus midi mixer.

    I couldn’t be happier with this combo.

    In use, how many auv3’s or IAA’s can you use when changing sessions so there is no delay loading a new season after a programme change? I always imagined there would be some loading time depending on how hungry the plugin is or how many samples you are trying to load up. Do you have any recommendations for apps that work well or badly with this set up, I guess not many support state saving?

    Cheers

    My software set up is very boring I’m afraid. I’ve been using the same one for a while but because of this I was able to work with respective developers to iron out bugs.

    All hosted in Audiobus 3

    Samplr going through Turnado instance A

    Loopy going through Turnado instance B

    Vocals going through DerVoco and Turnado instance C.

    Circuit clock slaved to Audiobus and going through Mini Kaoss Pad S2 to spice it up.

    It all works safely at 256 frames but if not switching screens too much at 128 frames.

  • Not that boring.. Nearly a beardytron :)

  • I’ve recently moved onto this setup, using Launchpad Pro and the Launchpad app as the iOS bridge. The LP Pro and circuits take care of sequencing duties, and the iPad is playing samples....it is working very nicely for me at the moment.

  • Until other day I thought id be selling midi controllers and volcas as my spine aches standing and sitting at desk. Now stool allows to sit and sequence, use keys. Use sustain from stool and stand up when track is good. Draws offer additional foot rests. Gear configuration hasn't been used but seems best. Would probably only swap a volca for an iPad for apps like shoom. Shoom and mononoke are good.


  • @sigma79: Nice! What stands are you using for the angled gear and the iPad?

  • Lamical iPad stands from amazon or ebay.

  • @sigma79 said:
    Lamical iPad stands from amazon or ebay.

    Thanks!

  • edited May 2020

    Heres my hybrid setup. I recently added the 2nd ipad. Both run AUM, but only one is a mixer/fx unit and other is a sound source, which sends percussions from one channel of headphone out and one channel works as a "oscilator" for the lil erebus. The 2nd interface is there for 2 to 1 mixer i need due to lack of inputs and is hooked on raspi to work as standalone like that.

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