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.

Searching for: cheap, no nonsense interface

At the moment I’m sitting with my grandmother in the train. It’s been a long time ago that I owned an hardware synth but I could not resist her functions an funky colours. Bought her just to twist their knobs and having fun.

Only having one problem:
I still haven’t an interface to record the Grandmother in my iPad Pro (2018, with lightning and mini Jack connector).
Could someone recommend me a no nonsense interface for input (and maybe midi?)

Comments

  • @Bietfriek said:
    At the moment I’m sitting with my grandmother in the train. It’s been a long time ago that I owned an hardware synth but I could not resist her functions an funky colours. Bought her just to twist their knobs and having fun.

    Only having one problem:
    I still haven’t an interface to record the Grandmother in my iPad Pro (2018, with lightning and mini Jack connector).
    Could someone recommend me a no nonsense interface for input (and maybe midi?)

    Do you care about the audio quality? Some interfaces have better preamps than others.

  • Well it doesn’t have to be supergood but also not bad...No soundblaster but it also doesn’t have to be Aardvark (do they still exist?)

  • I don’t need multi out or in, just want to capture the peeping, squeeking and growling from the Grandmother. Maybe midi would be fine to, but it’s not necessary...want to use it for Radiophonic Workshop alike sounds....

  • edited May 2020

    Check out the Zoom U44. Pretty full featured, advertised for around £130 retail from here:

    https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/zoom-u-44-handy-audio-interface?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzZj2BRDVARIsABs3l9Ky1A3rJ_VBK5ft-hdPTacAHXainW1SXymxGYODetzz_BVBAFTB4zUaAg5mEALw_wcB

    But get it quick, I have a feeling it might be going out of production. Bird in hand and all that (I missed out on the 4 channel Iconnect by waiting too long.)

    There’s also a cheaper option, the U24, for around £90. Get the better one if you can...

    I’ve got a U44, it’s great for the portable/minimal IPad focussed option. Battery/mains via standard 5v adapter, MIDI, USB and audio, headphone monitoring and you can even plug their range of swappable mics directly into it to turn it into a field recorder when paired up. Here’s the blurb:

    “The U-44 features two combo inputs, allowing you to insert XLR or standard quarter inch jack cables for microphones, instruments or mixers. The U-44 also provides 48V phantom power to inputs 1 and 2, with input 1 supporting Hi-Z input for connecting passive guitars, bass guitars and other instruments. A MIDI I/O jack enables synchronisation with electronic keyboards, midi controllers and synthesizers among other devices. The Zoom U-44 audio interface also features a host of output options including quarter inch analogue, RCA and S/PDIF, allowing you to connect DJ mixers, speakers and more. Monitoring is made easy due to the integrated headphone output which has an independent volume control.”

    Pretty compact, pretty comprehensive.

  • edited May 2020

    I have an Audient Evo 4 and really like it. Anything I’ve recorded with it sounds very clean and it’s compact and easy to use. It has an automatic level set to prevent clipping as well if you choose to use it. No midi though

  • @Svetlovska said:
    Check out the Zoom U44. Pretty full featured, advertised for around £130 retail from here:

    https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/zoom-u-44-handy-audio-interface?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzZj2BRDVARIsABs3l9Ky1A3rJ_VBK5ft-hdPTacAHXainW1SXymxGYODetzz_BVBAFTB4zUaAg5mEALw_wcB

    But get it quick, I have a feeling it might be going out of production. Bird in hand and all that (I missed out on the 4 channel Iconnect by waiting too long.)

    There’s also a cheaper option, the U24, for around £90. Get the better one if you can...

    I’ve got a U44, it’s great for the portable/minimal IPad focussed option. Battery/mains via standard 5v adapter, MIDI, USB and audio, headphone monitoring and you can even plug their range of swappable mics directly into it to turn it into a field recorder when paired up. Here’s the blurb:

    “The U-44 features two combo inputs, allowing you to insert XLR or standard quarter inch jack cables for microphones, instruments or mixers. The U-44 also provides 48V phantom power to inputs 1 and 2, with input 1 supporting Hi-Z input for connecting passive guitars, bass guitars and other instruments. A MIDI I/O jack enables synchronisation with electronic keyboards, midi controllers and synthesizers among other devices. The Zoom U-44 audio interface also features a host of output options including quarter inch analogue, RCA and S/PDIF, allowing you to connect DJ mixers, speakers and more. Monitoring is made easy due to the integrated headphone output which has an independent volume control.”

    Pretty compact, pretty comprehensive.

    +1

    Yep, got mine from Zoom UK.
    I don’t think they’re going out
    of production, I think they’re
    changing distributors because
    of Brexit etc.

    I gig with mine when I’m
    needed for guitar, bass or keys
    and I use it almost everyday in
    my music room.

    No complaints.

  • wimwim
    edited May 2020

    One low cost option is the UCA-202 or UCA-222. $30-$40 US.

  • edited May 2020

    Having my eyes on the Zoom....but what’s the main difference between the U24 and 44? Only S/PDIF and 10 pin support? It’s just to record sounds from one synth, so I guess I would rather go for the U24. Thanks a lot for the advice!

  • Look at the MOTU M2. I have the M4 (2 additional inputs) and it's an excellent interface.

  • Thanks Schmotown but just ordered a Zoom U24. Motu M2 should be great/better but is also in a different price category.

  • Don’t worry about preamps. They only apply to mic inputs. The line-ins on most mixers bypass the preamps, so you’ll never be using them anyway.

  • edited May 2020

    Buy used if you want to be n a budget. These low end audio interfaces are usually from people who didnt use them much and they are the type of gear that doesent break easily anyways.

    Focusrite, steinberg, roland are some good brands to look for. As long as it has an input and midi interface and some decent brand, it doesent matter much.

    We are talking here comparing the lowest end model new vs much better used or the low end model near half the price. You can get steinberg ur22 mkii for like 70€ used for example and used doesent differ from new one really. New similar interface you are looking at 130€+. Or you might find an focusrite 6i6 mki for like bit over 100€, which would beat any around 160€ interface hands down. You could even find some interface for like 50€ or maybe even less. Class compliant usb means it will work on ios and you obviously want midi ports. Or you could get some usb to midi converter for few euros and some 30€ interface instead, but cheap usb-midi converters arent as reliable as dedicated midi interface built in audio interface.

    Reason for something like 6i6 mki if you can find one would be that you will likely end up wanting more inputs at some point and if you can get one for the same price or only like 20€ more than something else used with less inputs, it could very well be worth it in the long run. Its common that people buy interfaces with too less inputs than they will need very soon. This is why the used markets are flooded with cheap interfaces in good shape that havent been used much.

  • The prices on the zoom interfaces have gone up recently, even used. It is tough to find the U-24 at $100 like you used to be able to. I guess quarantiners are driving demand up?

  • Also recommend Audient.

  • Hopefully the Zoom will arrive tomorrow. Years ago (about 15/16 I think) I had spend quite some money on a specially build PC with an external Aardvark card. In that time it was quite something that it was outside your computer :) I have sold all my stuff (too early, Juno’s, MPC60, Prodigy etc.etc.) but about three years ago I started again with an iPad. Still astonished what we can do with that alone.

    It’s just a hobby, I’m never ever going to release something professionally and am quite realistic about that. The reason I bought the Moog is because it’s a Moog, it looks funky, it sounds fat etc. Just want to “sample” some of the Moog and process it further in the iPad. I can understand that there are much better interfaces than the Zoom, but this should be enough for me. Just simple, no nonsense. Audio in and midi as a bonus, I’m fine with that. But thanks for helping me out, really appreciated.

  • @Bietfriek said:
    Thanks Schmotown but just ordered a Zoom U24. Motu M2 should be great/better but is also in a different price category.

    The Zoom will be perfect :-)

    The Battery power option means it’ll work great without ever needing a powered hub.

  • Received the Zoom today, hooked it up and it’s fine for me! Audio and MIDI from/to Grandmother is 👌

Sign In or Register to comment.