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.

Remind me I don’t need an MPC. Solo iPad users?

J_BJ_B
edited June 2020 in Other

I’ve gone from all hardware samplers and synths to selling a lot cause the iPad literally does everything they do and significantly more usually. Still getting the urge to buy an MPC one or something though. I’m looking more for some people who use just iPads for some validation I suppose, before all the hardware heads start shouting about tactility and how iPads just aren’t the same.

We got some pure iPad users in here? I really think I’m getting over the hardware bullshit after a lot of gear bought and a lot more money lost. If there wasn’t such a big driving force of people justifying their huge purchases online I might have even done better to just use a DAW all along. I think I’m just bored of people acting like there’s some huge primal difference between using a midi controller/iPad vs a hardware synth because you have to press literally one more button to midi learn. This thread isn’t a dig at people who like hardware, it’s more of a testament to how good the iPad actually is now. Anyone else becoming disillusioned with hardware? Cheers

Ps I’ll never ditch the DAW, it all ends up there anyway. Too much ridiculously good stuff in the computer to miss

«1

Comments

  • I'm one of those big fans of tactility, as mousing through stuff entirely takes the fun out of things and just feels like work. I find the iPad very tactile, so I guess there's 2-D vs. 3-D tactility. Sure, I like knobs better, but the iPad's multi-point touch is what makes it equally or even more tactile, though a lot of us tactility-lovers just can't accept fingers on glass. Multi-point tactility makes moves possible that can't physically be done with knobs, so it comes down to if an app is designed to exploit what the iPad uniquely does best. I really like Jamm Pro as a groovebox/sample mangler because each of those multi-touches is also an X-Y, so using a nice big iPad Pro makes working with Jamm Pro as immersive as playing an OT or a piano. There are a couple of others I like, like Zenbeats, but Jamm Pro seems to me a true instrument.

  • There's nothing on an MPC, that couldn't be done on an iPad...
    (if properly implemented) o:)
    Sidenote: imho the last true MPC was the 3000.

    The current Akai (and IOS Retronyms stuff) is just the proof for the real difference of hardware versus software: in software you can do everything and people fall into the trap of trying to do exactly that.
    Hardware implies limits and you're forced to a tight plan for usabilty (as this kind of gear is driven by software anyway). Roger Linn had such a plan...

    Modern MPCs act as extensions to a (supposedly) limitless PC/Mac/Tablet, driven by the software paradigms of those system.
    Regardless if physically connected or as all-in-one boxes.

  • All I know is that I have been buying music hardware since 1980, still do, but it was only two years ago when I started experimenting with music apps on the iPad that I ever, in all that time, took some noodling around to a final piece. And since then I’ve made over 20. And I can make those pieces in bed at 5 am, in the living room watching tv at 7, or in the garden at 3. If I want to use my hardware, I have to go the the room I keep it in, turn everything on, wait for computers to boot, remember how to patch things right, and then, maybe, be ready to do something which I turn into a wav loop. And put it on my iPad.

  • @J_B said:
    I’ve gone from all hardware samplers and synths to selling a lot cause the iPad literally does everything they do and significantly more usually. Still getting the urge to buy an MPC one or something though. I’m looking more for some people who use just iPads for some validation I suppose, before all the hardware heads start shouting about tactility and how iPads just aren’t the same.

    We got some pure iPad users in here? I really think I’m getting over the hardware bullshit after a lot of gear bought and a lot more money lost. If there wasn’t such a big driving force of people justifying their huge purchases online I might have even done better to just use a DAW all along. I think I’m just bored of people acting like there’s some huge primal difference between using a midi controller/iPad vs a hardware synth because you have to press literally one more button to midi learn. This thread isn’t a dig at people who like hardware, it’s more of a testament to how good the iPad actually is now. Anyone else becoming disillusioned with hardware? Cheers

    Ps I’ll never ditch the DAW, it all ends up there anyway. Too much ridiculously good stuff in the computer to miss

    ⏰ Reminder: You don’t need a MPC ⏰

    😜

  • Funny , I ordered and waiting my MPC One :p
    Will sell it when Zenbeats gets a sampler , or a dev will clone Ableton simpler as AU :)

  • edited June 2020

    Nope, you don't. There's so many great AUs, that you can do a lot more than an MPC could. iPad has replaced my Analog Rytm in terms of ease of use, file transfer and more. I transferred all my Maschine expansions to my iPad too. And I can use them anywhere, in BM3 or EGPulse.

    If you have a good workflow going with an iPad, then you don't another device to learn / interface with.

  • @Korakios said:
    Funny , I ordered and waiting my MPC One :p
    Will sell it when Zenbeats gets a sampler , or a dev will clone Ableton simpler as AU :)

    Never sell your toys. The itch always comes back.

  • @ecou said:

    @Korakios said:
    Funny , I ordered and waiting my MPC One :p
    Will sell it when Zenbeats gets a sampler , or a dev will clone Ableton simpler as AU :)

    Never sell your toys. The itch always comes back.

    Too late ! But true , I do miss a specific combo
    SP606 with VP9000 samplers and a cheap Casio XWG1 synth with a kp3 fx . Best jams ever !

  • @Svetlovska said:
    All I know is that I have been buying music hardware since 1980, still do, but it was only two years ago when I started experimenting with music apps on the iPad that I ever, in all that time, took some noodling around to a final piece. And since then I’ve made over 20. And I can make those pieces in bed at 5 am, in the living room watching tv at 7, or in the garden at 3. If I want to use my hardware, I have to go the the room I keep it in, turn everything on, wait for computers to boot, remember how to patch things right, and then, maybe, be ready to do something which I turn into a wav loop. And put it on my iPad.

    Exactly how I feel, that is just what I needed. Thanks man

    @blipson said:
    Jamm Pro seems to me a true instrument.

    Jamm pro is the bomb, I’d love to see them add more updates and do things rather than just adding more paid preset projects though as if they’re any use to anyone

    @auxmux said:
    Nope, you don't. There's so many great AUs, that you can do a lot more than an MPC could. iPad has replaced my Analog Rytm in terms of ease of use, file transfer and more. I transferred all my Maschine expansions to my iPad too. And I can use them anywhere, in BM3 or EGPulse.

    If you have a good workflow going with an iPad, then you don't another device to learn / interface with.

    I did the same with my expansions, all in the cloud ready to go whenever I need them. It’s just crazy cause it feels like it shouldn’t be as good as all this expensive hardware but it’s usually even better

  • edited June 2020

    The only thing the mpc has that I miss on the ipad is tactile feedback, but a midi controller gets you covered for a fraction of the price.
    I have an Mpc1000 and I haven’t turned it on in ages. What’s the point?
    Sure it’s a lovely machine, but so much more hassle...
    Btw, I could be persuaded to part with it, it’s in mint condition, anyone has any idea how much it might be worth asking for? Don’t have the JJ OS but that’s easily fixable

  • Ipad is cool, but a MPC is a complete unit. It has real 1/4” outs, actual DIN MIDI and USB, a built in “controller”.....pads, dedicated buttons to switch modes. You don’t have to deal with some cobbled together mess for connections to the outside world. The workflow is just better IMO. Doing more isn’t always better.

    For drums and sampling, 100% MPC. But for synths, ipad has it beat by a mile. Soooo many awesome synths in iOS. It’s not an either/or type thing. You can sequence and control iOS synths from the MPC (or visa versa).

  • edited June 2020

    What I like about iPad as a drum machine is instant access all my kits. Cloud backups like @J_B said. I created a workflow that faster than using an MPC, granted I don't have one but I don't want to learn it either. :) It's more fun learning how to create my own system.

    EG Pulse or Poly2 and SEGments + AUM have me covered for modular polyrhymthmic slicing and dicing. Swapping kits on the fly with AUM presets. It's magic.

    An all-in-one unit has its perks but I rather another iPad or two.

  • @Apex said:
    Ipad is cool, but a MPC is a complete unit. It has real 1/4” outs, actual DIN MIDI and USB, a built in “controller”.....pads, dedicated buttons to switch modes. You don’t have to deal with some cobbled together mess for connections to the outside world.

    I forgot about that. I use a Korg plugKEY with my iPad mini, which makes things work a lot more conveniently, but my powerhouse new, big iPad Pro is USB-C. You have to figure there will eventually be accessories, but currently I'm stuck with buying the expensive new iPad keyboard just to be able to have a free port and charge at the same time.

  • jusst get a BT controlsurface, drambo and bobs ur uncle

  • I know I’m not helping. But i love my iPad for what it can do and i love my hardware for what it can do.

    I find that hardware forces me to focus a lot more on what i am doing. I slow down a lot more which is a good thing.

    IMHO: It’s the difference between reading a physical book and an eBook as far as I’m concerned. Our brains process the information and experience in completely different ways. Plus you’re less likely to waste time looking up a random thought in a physical book. Curse you internet 🤨

    Also, the combination of hardware and software just looks cool 🤪

    I love my MPC One. First MPC I’ve owned. I’ve tried to achieve the same workflow in iMPC Pro2 and BeatMaker3 and both have let me down...in more ways than one.

    I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer here honestly. We should just use the tools which allow us to create the music in our souls. From a couple of spoons tapped on our knees to a couple synths wired up to a sequencing iPad using Drambo...it’s all food for the soul 👊🏼™️

  • @blipson said:

    @Apex said:
    Ipad is cool, but a MPC is a complete unit. It has real 1/4” outs, actual DIN MIDI and USB, a built in “controller”.....pads, dedicated buttons to switch modes. You don’t have to deal with some cobbled together mess for connections to the outside world.

    I forgot about that. I use a Korg plugKEY with my iPad mini, which makes things work a lot more conveniently, but my powerhouse new, big iPad Pro is USB-C. You have to figure there will eventually be accessories, but currently I'm stuck with buying the expensive new iPad keyboard just to be able to have a free port and charge at the same time.

    I’ve got my iPad Pro working pretty smooth as far as connections go...but... It’s a crazy concoction of cables, audio interface, USB hub (x2!!!), etc. It’s the antithesis of “mobile”. I had to make a visual chart just to remember how I got it all to work! 😂. If you’ve got one of the new MPC’s that has a battery in it, you can skip all that and still be portable. With a real headphone jack too.

  • edited June 2020

    @Apex said:
    With a real headphone jack too.

    Apple's brilliant elimination of the headphone jack: the gift that keeps on giving. I do love my AirPods Pro--too bad some apps (namely Jamm Pro) don't work with bluetooth (yet?).--but the absence of that headphone jack marks the iPad as a consumer device that's just not designed by Apple for pro audio (yet?). Still, the speakers on board my new iPad Pro 12.9 are pretty damn good considering what they are, so that can be convenient sometimes, and even the big iPad is less bulky than an MPC. One thing I used to like about my Deluge was that dumb little onboard speaker, and this iPad's are much better quality.

  • @ecou said:

    @Korakios said:
    Funny , I ordered and waiting my MPC One :p
    Will sell it when Zenbeats gets a sampler , or a dev will clone Ableton simpler as AU :)

    Never sell your toys. The itch always comes back.

    Very good. Have you seen Westworld?

  • @Svetlovska said:
    All I know is that I have been buying music hardware since 1980, still do, but it was only two years ago when I started experimenting with music apps on the iPad that I ever, in all that time, took some noodling around to a final piece. And since then I’ve made over 20. And I can make those pieces in bed at 5 am, in the living room watching tv at 7, or in the garden at 3. If I want to use my hardware, I have to go the the room I keep it in, turn everything on, wait for computers to boot, remember how to patch things right, and then, maybe, be ready to do something which I turn into a wav loop. And put it on my iPad.

    Precisely. I have a lovely room now with things in it (Maschine especially), but I find the formality of it almost off-putting at this point. It's like making an appointment with my creative self etc. Of course, the converse is that a thousand years ago we used to save up for a few weeks to buy four or five hours of studio time and then demand creativity (and prior practice) on demand between 9pm and 2am that Wednesday night :) And, yes, the constraint usually worked. Had to :)

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @ecou said:

    @Korakios said:
    Funny , I ordered and waiting my MPC One :p
    Will sell it when Zenbeats gets a sampler , or a dev will clone Ableton simpler as AU :)

    Never sell your toys. The itch always comes back.

    Very good. Have you seen Westworld?

    No but it’s on my must watch list.

  • This +1

    @Apex said:
    Ipad is cool, but a MPC is a complete unit. It has real 1/4” outs, actual DIN MIDI and USB, a built in “controller”.....pads, dedicated buttons to switch modes. You don’t have to deal with some cobbled together mess for connections to the outside world. The workflow is just better IMO. Doing more isn’t always better.

    For drums and sampling, 100% MPC. But for synths, ipad has it beat by a mile. Soooo many awesome synths in iOS. It’s not an either/or type thing. You can sequence and control iOS synths from the MPC (or visa versa).

  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • edited June 2020
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • I started with an iPad and an mpd ...nope!
    It never feels connected there’s something missing that doesn’t work out for ME

    I bought the mpclive and I love it.... I used to make everything on beatmaker3 and gadget...now the iPad kinda sits out, unless I need a synth part or a sound effect or a sequencer gimmick or three.

    I love the form factor of the mpc1, but I much rather have the battery in the live...it’s just so easy to sit anywhere and make beats. Is the MPC more powerful than ios....no, but it’s more together and the iOS platform lends to it. I would say WHEN Apple makes the OS X and iOS/iPadOS one and the MPC software comes over ...oooooh lalalaaaaa.

    After the MPC I purchased the force...I also love that as well, feels like an instrument! Once the next update drops for it, I may use iPad even less.

    And...even though roland is releasing the ZEN-Core pro engine in the fall for OS X and windows...I still bought the mc-707. I love it as well. So I am not the guy to talk you out of making a move like that.

    There’s a big difference between phone sex and real sex...

    iPad is dope, but it’s still through the looking glass

  • @Svetlovska said:
    All I know is that I have been buying music hardware since 1980, still do, but it was only two years ago when I started experimenting with music apps on the iPad that I ever, in all that time, took some noodling around to a final piece. And since then I’ve made over 20. And I can make those pieces in bed at 5 am, in the living room watching tv at 7, or in the garden at 3. If I want to use my hardware, I have to go the the room I keep it in, turn everything on, wait for computers to boot, remember how to patch things right, and then, maybe, be ready to do something which I turn into a wav loop. And put it on my iPad.

    Brilliantly described👍👏👏👏.

  • edited June 2020
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • Every software, no matter if on an iPad or in a hardware box, has a different workflow and although the functionality is often similar, using it can feel very different.

    Common to all of them is that it will help a lot to spend enough time with only one software and getting it to know very well.

  • @Max23 said:
    Im not sure about the zen core
    Why buy anything when everything sounds the same
    Im not sure what Roland is thinking 💭
    It’s just different interfaces

    Yes, and that’s the key here, interface. Integrated interface in fact. As much as I love me some iPad, it’s not really made specifically for music. The lack of I/O is a major PITA if I’m being honest. Something like a MC707 has besides the “sounds”: Audio and MIDI interface, sequencer (and physical sequencer interface), Pads, physical knobs and slider interface. Screen. Whether or not thats even import to you personally is an entirely different matter, but they’re there. You show up with it somewhere, plug in and go. It gets a lot more complicated with an ipad. Unless you’re just using iOS 100% ITB.

Sign In or Register to comment.