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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visualizer driven by MIDI ?

Hi there,

something that makes it possible to create slowly moving & evolving visuals, as this will be for chillout and ambient kind of music … that creates something like this (could be way slower though) :

I guess this is based on shaders (hence heavily working on the GPU and done + rendered on the PC/mac), because it’s so fluid, even when the shape transmutes and moves fast … but that’s not need – just to give a rough idea for what I am looking for (NOT that psychedelic, kaleidoscope kind of thing).

Why MIDI and not Audio? … I want to decouple the sounds from the visuals, still reflecting the tonality & rhythm with the visuals though.

I will pipe the MIDI information (the basic tonality & rhythm) of the “main instrument” that should stand-out in the video, onto a separate MIDI lane on which end the visualizer will receive its input – in between I could place MIDI effects (most probably create Mozaic scripts & UI panels for that) with which I could control parts of the visuals … let a LFO or envelope curve operate a MIDI CC, which is then mapped to the brightness or a blur effect of the visuals e.g.

This is just about playing with some visuals in between the composing process … when the musical flow (the auditive capacity of the creative centrum 😉) needs a rest and let the visual creativity take over for a while ... just for a few moment focus on a musical segment in a visual manner.

It’s not about creating a master piece of music video – for that I use Magic Music Visuals (https://magicmusicvisuals.com/) on the PC, which operates on audio … this software is awesome, but you are forced to work quite logically, which also makes fun, but for myself it gets me out of my musical flow.

Just for the sake of completion – going the MMV way, I would render out a stem of the “main instrument” in AUM and work on that, to create a pleasing visualization.

I looked around the web and this forum and found some apps, but none did what I am looking for. My favorites, which still do not fit my needs:

Wizibel: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wizibel-audio-visualizer/id1169944763, easy to use, but has very limit set of templates.

K-Machine: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/k-machine-audio-visual-engine/id1095617380, which I think will burn out the CPU & GPU 😉 – but you can import shaders that are accessible on a community website, to give another example for what kind of visuals I am going for, I like this one : https://www.vertexshaderart.com/art/Sx3Sk35wbBx2sGAxM

Comments

  • https://apps.apple.com/us/app/visual-synth/id1493237895
    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/glitch-clip-vj-for-everyone/id1487987092

    Here are a couple of midi based video mixer apps.

    Visual synth is mainly video editing type controls for existing clips.
    Glitch clip is more of a video FX app.

    Neither generates the visuals, but both allow midi control over many useful parameters that can integrate your visuals and music in many cool ways. Maybe these can help. If you have other ways of generating clips, or have sources for clips to download or whatever, these apps can help you expand the usefulness of these clips, and get them matched up to your audio/ music.

  • this doesnt create visuals, but effects clips you load in quite well. Midi, touch and audio reactive.

    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vfx-music-video-editor/id1484391766

  • this one is nice - although lacking the feature of creating the visuals, I could imagine it can be inspiring while giving the “auditive creator” a rest.

    To get the right videos (they should have some symmetry to make use of the morphing features of Glitch-Clip) I think this classic VJ software for desktop maybe a good source … I come back to this later – hoping to find an intuitive and visually inspiring way for creating simple visual for music along the way.

  • Glitch Clip wants very short animations and fortunately it is integrated with an endless supply of free Giphy. I think it's a lot of fun.

    There was a discussion about music visualization needs started in this forum with the Glitch Clip developer. MIDI integration in particular. The dev is now looking for someone to take over development.

    TouchVIZ has MIDI control.

    Pixel Nodes is starting to get some MIDI control. It's kind of fun and reminds me of MMV.

    I wish STEALLA had MIDI control.

    In case you hadn't noticed, Generate just got a reboot.

  • edited June 2020

    @mojozart

    Pixel Nodes got me too ... I am wondering how much it pulls on the CPU & GPU – although I am on an iPad Pro 1st generation, so I think this should do it for lower resolutions … what are your experiences?

    They state 1000 x 1000 pixel resolution in app store and in the basic intro video on their website something I could not understand … but anyways, does this thing get ultimate hot on the CPU & GPU when in HD resolution?

    I think of a simple circle based creation with lots of transformational effects & smooth color transitions … I think this could be done with Pixel Nodes, curious about how far the MIDI in feature goes, the docs about that are funny : https://pixelnodes.app/nodes/node/node-val-content-midi.html

    +++

    Short clips for Glitch Clip – that’s a very valuable information!

    Don’t know about “Generate”, do you mean this one : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/generate-generative-drawing/id1302796925

    Thought about another app of the developer https://apps.apple.com/us/app/entangle-geometric-drawing/id1211168808 ... could be a great base for creating own short GIF’s ... what’s missing though is a timeline based animation feature … although it can export in vector format, but in the moment no handsome desktop software comes into my mind that can pick it up to create a small animation (Blender 3D got a 2D vector add-on that might do it I think, but that thing is a beast ;)).

    There are some cool processing “generative art” code snippets out there (flow fields are my all-time favorites), that could be used as sources for short “GIF videos” … http://www.generative-gestaltung.de/, I got the old book (English version), great source for getting into it.

  • edited June 2020

    I meant the Generate app that Perplex On has used:

    It's almost impossible to find in the App Store by searching, so don't lose this link :smile:

    https://apps.apple.com/app/generate-video-photo-effects/id808563377

  • edited June 2020

    I started a discussion about Pixel Nodes here:

    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/39065/pixel-nodes-2-has-audio-reactive-potential

    I was able to use MIDI control with this setup:

    1. Audio source or performance
    2. AUv3 host such as AUM, apeMatrix, AudioBus, or even GarageBand
    3. FAC Envolver (envelope follower) to convert audio to MIDI CC
    4. MidiFire app to provide virtual MIDI ports for Pixel Nodes
    5. Pixel Nodes

    And it's free, right?

  • @mojozart ... will hook on your discussion in a few days - Pixel Nodes seems to deserve some deeper dive and hence an appropiate "time frame" for exploration, just fiddling around for some minutes will not dig down to the treasures it might deliver.

  • @mojozart said:
    I meant the Generate app that Perplex On has used:
    It's almost impossible to find in the App Store by searching, so don't lose this link :smile:

    https://apps.apple.com/app/generate-video-photo-effects/id808563377

    Thanks for that link.. Generate looks like 🤪 fun!

  • @mojozart said:
    I started a discussion about Pixel Nodes here:

    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/39065/pixel-nodes-2-has-audio-reactive-potential

    I was able to use MIDI control with this setup:

    1. Audio source or performance
    2. AUv3 host such as AUM, apeMatrix, AudioBus, or even GarageBand
    3. FAC Envolver (envelope follower) to convert audio to MIDI CC
    4. MidiFire app to provide virtual MIDI ports for Pixel Nodes
    5. Pixel Nodes

    And it's free, right?

    Pixel nodes is subscription isn’t it?

  • Pixel Nodes is free.

    Higher resolution up to 3000x3000 is available as a subscription. iPad Pro is recommended for that, but I'm getting 1920x1080 on my iPad Pro without a subscription.

    At the moment the biggest issue is stability.

  • edited June 2020

    @mojozart said:
    Pixel Nodes is free.

    Higher resolution up to 3000x3000 is available as a subscription. iPad Pro is recommended for that, but I'm getting 1920x1080 on my iPad Pro without a subscription.

    At the moment the biggest issue is stability.

    I’m on iPad Pro. Says 1080HD needs a subscription of $9.99/yr on mine

    This seems extremely buggy. Has promise but I think I’ll wait for an update before exploring anymore. Thx 🙏

  • edited June 2020

    @skiphunt said:

    @mojozart said:
    Pixel Nodes is free.

    Higher resolution up to 3000x3000 is available as a subscription. iPad Pro is recommended for that, but I'm getting 1920x1080 on my iPad Pro without a subscription.

    At the moment the biggest issue is stability.

    I’m on iPad Pro. Says 1080HD needs a subscription of $9.99/yr on mine

    This seems extremely buggy. Has promise but I think I’ll wait for an update before exploring anymore. Thx 🙏

    To see what I'm getting without a subscription, I added a render node. 1080p was the default, but I can select up to 2048x2048.

  • edited June 2020

    @mojozart said:

    @skiphunt said:

    @mojozart said:
    Pixel Nodes is free.

    Higher resolution up to 3000x3000 is available as a subscription. iPad Pro is recommended for that, but I'm getting 1920x1080 on my iPad Pro without a subscription.

    At the moment the biggest issue is stability.

    I’m on iPad Pro. Says 1080HD needs a subscription of $9.99/yr on mine

    This seems extremely buggy. Has promise but I think I’ll wait for an update before exploring anymore. Thx 🙏

    To see what I'm getting without a subscription, I added a render node. 1080p was the default, but I can select up to 2048x2048.

    I get this. Anything else it says it requires the subscription

    I also can’t get it to record video for output. It says it has, but the resulting video saved to the camera roll is only 2 seconds long. And, not even the same effects node settings I set up.

    Already tried delete and reinstall with no luck. Might abandon for now. Revisit if there’s an update soon.

  • @mojozart I got Pixel Nodes to kind of work... somewhat. It didn't like the video source I was using was actually 4k. It still won't output 1080 for me though. Best I can get is 720. And I was able to control the parameters of effects using Roseta LFO in apeMatrix and connecting them via midiflow.

    It's just that this is a really buggy app. Some of the effects work, sometimes they don't. Sometimes you get a preview in the node, and sometimes not. It crashed a few times as I was feeding it midi. I tried disconnecting and deleted fx, then swapping them out for different effects to try, but the output still used the deleted effect nodes.

    It's very promising, but for me... this build feels like a very early stage beta. Will revisit at a later date once it's been updated a few more times I think. Worth keeping an eye on for sure though. thx

  • @skiphunt yeah, stability is the biggest issue with Pixel Nodes now

  • Another interesting software for generating visuals that can react to MIDI – Mac OS only, but it’s got a free community editon: https://vuo.org/download and is under active development (stability & alike 😉) ... its magic music visuals alike – node & cables based .

    This basic introduction gets you going:

    What the MIDI node can do : https://doc.vuo.org/2.0.3/node/vuo.midi/

    Hooking up the iPad via a “lighting cable to Mac USB Port”, activating the IDAM (Inter Device Audio Mode / + Midi) feature of MacOS, which creates a virtual MIDI Port (1 in & 1 out) … and let the MIDI flow 😉.

    The documentation looks pleasing too – comfortable to read : https://doc.vuo.org/2.0.3/manual/.

  • wimwim
    edited June 2020

    O.M.G. what a fantastic find!! I am definitely going to try this out.

    It can send midi out as well as process midi in. So many possibilities, and not having to struggle with the UI limitations of a small iOS device. B)

    Nice one @sounda!

  • (Sorry for the slight variation on the topic, but if anyone has any suggestions for a visualiser that’s works off an audio file rather than midi that would be much appreciated too)

  • wimwim
    edited June 2020

    @drcongo said:
    (Sorry for the slight variation on the topic, but if anyone has any suggestions for a visualiser that’s works off an audio file rather than midi that would be much appreciated too)

    The first idea that comes to mind is you can do that any time you want by using FAC Envolver to turn the audio dynamics into midi messages. (Drambo too.)

  • @ChrisG said:
    This app reacts to audio and/or midi (and more).

    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vfx-music-video-editor/id1484391766

    Holy wow, how did I not know this existed? That looks great

  • edited July 2020

    @ChrisG said:
    This app reacts to audio and/or midi (and more).

    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vfx-music-video-editor/id1484391766

    Thanks @ChrisG and @shinyisshiny it bears repeating because it didn't register the first time

  • Just to give an impression what an intelligent visualizer can create out of a simple shape like a circle in response to MIDI … immersive visualization does not have to be complex – it is said that humans first recognize contour & shape and then color … reduce the amount and you got their attention without stressing their mind 😉.

    The tools shown in the video are for audio visual art installations & stage illumination (projection mapping software), so their actual purpose and field of application is a little bit different (and hence their price) … but the creative vision behind are based upon the same idea : give evolving sound a reactive shape

    ... hope it inspires

  • A currently free, very good, audio reactive VJ app. Super handy now that Spotify has enabled canvas for everyone.

  • edited November 2020

    NB: "We will be ending the distribution, in-app purchase, and support of the Visual Performer effective November 30, 2020 (JST)". Former IAPs are now included in the free version.

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