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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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

5 Reasons Why iOS Music Production Is The Future

Like producing on the iPad? So do we! In fact we like it so much we'd like to share our 5 main reasons why we think iOS music production is the future of making music.

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Comments

  • Price/Affordability, physical space, accessibility, easier learning curve(for most part). Those are basically the reasons it took off for me.

  • Thanks.. great video..

  • A screen. So you have synths that only work with screen and any synth or effect can utilise screen. Even with the 5th midi controller soon. I can still switch midi input via screen for synths. Still tweak drum machine and still use apps that are only on ios. I think its like being a pilot of a massive plane with additional AI handling/landing etc vs Indiana Jones pulling off special manovers before landing in a forest to where they are suprised its the location of the next part of mission/story anyway.

  • edited March 2021

    I’ve been using an iPad Pro exclusively (no more desktop system) for more than a year and I love it. Yes, not all things are possible with an iPad only (main limiter is file size and RAM limitations for large multi-track productions), but there are always alternatives to get around limitations. And when the new iPad Pros come out (possibly next month?) I’ll be getting one of those.

  • @NeuM said:
    I’ve been using an iPad Pro exclusively (no more desktop system) for more than a year and I love it. Yes, not all things are possible with an iPad only (main limiter is file size and RAM limitations for large multi-track productions), but there are always alternatives to get around limitations. And when the new iPad Pros come out (possibly next month?) I’ll be getting one of those.

    Same for me , after working with Cubase, Digital performer, Logic I give them up and use exclusively the iPad only.Mainly Beatmaker and now AUM more and more

  • It’s inevitable. Apple is leading the mobile processor charge! Continuity is desirous for all experiences: computers, healthcare, and overall customer experiences. Most people like the ability to start where they left off. Preferences, settings, workflows, states, scenes...

  • @Jeezs said:

    @NeuM said:
    I’ve been using an iPad Pro exclusively (no more desktop system) for more than a year and I love it. Yes, not all things are possible with an iPad only (main limiter is file size and RAM limitations for large multi-track productions), but there are always alternatives to get around limitations. And when the new iPad Pros come out (possibly next month?) I’ll be getting one of those.

    Same for me , after working with Cubase, Digital performer, Logic I give them up and use exclusively the iPad only.Mainly Beatmaker and now AUM more and more

    👍

  • @Stuntman_mike said:
    It’s inevitable. Apple is leading the mobile processor charge! Continuity is desirous for all experiences: computers, healthcare, and overall customer experiences. Most people like the ability to start where they left off. Preferences, settings, workflows, states, scenes...

    Absolutely.

  • edited March 2021

    @Jeezs said:

    @NeuM said:
    I’ve been using an iPad Pro exclusively (no more desktop system) for more than a year and I love it. Yes, not all things are possible with an iPad only (main limiter is file size and RAM limitations for large multi-track productions), but there are always alternatives to get around limitations. And when the new iPad Pros come out (possibly next month?) I’ll be getting one of those.

    Same for me , after working with Cubase, Digital performer, Logic I give them up and use exclusively the iPad only.Mainly Beatmaker and now AUM more and more

    Word up! I like that I can use apps like MagicDeathEye, Mixbox, Reelbus, TriceraChorus, Lo-Fly Dirt, and RX950 to add grit, dust, funk, and heat to my sound. There is always a way to beat up my tracks so they have soul other than just turning off quantize...

  • Portability - I love to take my music making outdoors. I’ve built my whole setup around that. Everything can be bus powered and powered by power banks.

    Touch UI - it’s so much better to tweak synths, draw curves, move sliders etc. with your fingers.

    Prices - I started from zero and I could afford many apps in a relatively short time.

    Community - I love the iPad musician community where developers and youtubers are an integral part of the community.

    DAWless - The vision of the DAWless modular approach became reality on the iPad

  • edited March 2021

    Such awesome responses here! So glad to hear so many others agree :) Nothing is constant and absolute and will stay the same forever but I really do see the trajectories we're on as leading to a place where the iPad really is the future.

  • edited March 2021

    I can only think of 2 reasons. It wouldn't bode well for me to say them though. But I agree with the will be the future, or at least a part of it statement.

  • @krassmann said:
    Portability - I love to take my music making outdoors. I’ve built my whole setup around that. Everything can be bus powered and powered by power banks.

    Touch UI - it’s so much better to tweak synths, draw curves, move sliders etc. with your fingers.

    Prices - I started from zero and I could afford many apps in a relatively short time.

    Community - I love the iPad musician community where developers and youtubers are an integral part of the community.

    DAWless - The vision of the DAWless modular approach became reality on the iPad

    Just for some context, none of that has so far lead to a place where people are making music on iOS that I listen to more than once. I can honestly say there is not a single song. That may change and I'd be happy to checkout some more music but that's how it is right now.

    I know how bad that sounds but hopefully readers can cope by remembering it's just my worthless opinion.

    The music I love listening to regularly can't or at least to date hasn't been recorded outdoors (except for the odd brilliant live performance here and there, e.g. Ocean, John Butler, St Gallen).

    I find a mouse or track ball on the desktop and pen on the iPad to be the only accurate way of working. All the double, triple tapping with fingers is a real killjoy. Prices to get a heap of get in you hand is great but I found it better to learn a few things really well, figure out what you want, add that etc etc. I think pointless GAS and people forgetting the apps they have is a pretty good indicator of the cost aspect. Obviously there is a point though where the value can put gear in your hand to make music and have a great time and that is fine.

    Community is great and ABF is an awesome way to throw ideas around. And though I spend a lot of time here and appreciate every bit of help I've had, I think I benefit more when I have someone to ask but but work it out myself before I see them next week. Like I want to ask what waveform is used on the bass of someone's bass patch but I find something that sounds like it to me, is my own creation and works where I need it to.

    The DAW is the greatest musical invention after multitrack recording to me (excluding the obvious). I don't work or think in a DAWless approach so thankfully there is Cubasis etc etc.

    Hopefully that is not seen as an evil attack. Just another perspective.

  • edited March 2021

    @Ailerom said:

    @krassmann said:
    Portability - I love to take my music making outdoors. I’ve built my whole setup around that. Everything can be bus powered and powered by power banks.

    Touch UI - it’s so much better to tweak synths, draw curves, move sliders etc. with your fingers.

    Prices - I started from zero and I could afford many apps in a relatively short time.

    Community - I love the iPad musician community where developers and youtubers are an integral part of the community.

    DAWless - The vision of the DAWless modular approach became reality on the iPad

    Just for some context, none of that has so far lead to a place where people are making music on iOS that I listen to more than once. I can honestly say there is not a single song. That may change and I'd be happy to checkout some more music but that's how it is right now.

    I know how bad that sounds but hopefully readers can cope by remembering it's just my worthless opinion.

    The music I love listening to regularly can't or at least to date hasn't been recorded outdoors (except for the odd brilliant live performance here and there, e.g. Ocean, John Butler, St Gallen).

    I find a mouse or track ball on the desktop and pen on the iPad to be the only accurate way of working. All the double, triple tapping with fingers is a real killjoy. Prices to get a heap of get in you hand is great but I found it better to learn a few things really well, figure out what you want, add that etc etc. I think pointless GAS and people forgetting the apps they have is a pretty good indicator of the cost aspect. Obviously there is a point though where the value can put gear in your hand to make music and have a great time and that is fine.

    Community is great and ABF is an awesome way to throw ideas around. And though I spend a lot of time here and appreciate every bit of help I've had, I think I benefit more when I have someone to ask but but work it out myself before I see them next week. Like I want to ask what waveform is used on the bass of someone's bass patch but I find something that sounds like it to me, is my own creation and works where I need it to.

    The DAW is the greatest musical invention after multitrack recording to me (excluding the obvious). I don't work or think in a DAWless approach so thankfully there is Cubasis etc etc.

    Hopefully that is not seen as an evil attack. Just another perspective.

    You know, your post inspired me to think about Apple’s part in the music production process. Seems to me it would make complete sense for Apple to step up and “own” the whole production process chain by offering to their customers a means to master and package music made with their apps into albums, collections, NFT’s, iTunes downloads, the whole thing. If any company could do this, they could.

    They’ve helped create an entire economy for developers who make iOS apps, why shouldn’t they do the same for music, podcast and video creators?

    A person or small studio should be able to create content and then logically package it and sell it using their tools.

  • Not to mention all the double dipping. Circa 1 to 2k for the device. 30% on purchased apps. High cost for peripherals. 70% (if we are lucky) royalties. I can see reasons why it would make sense to do that. They could create a whole new genre or sales line in iTunes.

  • edited March 2021

    @Ailerom ... “i find a mouse or track ball on the desktop and pen on the iPad to be the only accurate way of working.”

    No disrespect , but does lack of precision in the recording process create unlistenable music? Does it disqualify listening to Robert Johnson?

    “Just for some context, none of that has so far lead to a place where people are making music on iOS that I listen to more than once. I can honestly say there is not a single song.”

    I can honestly say I never listen purposely to a song twice by other people no matter how it’s recorded... other than A Whiter Shade of Pale and Nessun Dorma. Too much music out there.

    Maybe I’m taking this out of context. But it sounds like you’re saying art can not be made out of soup cans.

  • @Ailerom said:

    @krassmann said:

    Just for some context, none of that has so far lead to a place where people are making music on iOS that I listen to more than once. I can honestly say there is not a single song. That may change and I'd be happy to checkout some more music but that's how it is right now

    Wait huh? Can you please tell me what music you listen to??

  • @LinearLineman said:
    @Ailerom ... “i find a mouse or track ball on the desktop and pen on the iPad to be the only accurate way of working.”

    No disrespect , but does lack of precision in the recording process create unlistenable music? Does it disqualify listening to Robert Johnson?

    “Just for some context, none of that has so far lead to a place where people are making music on iOS that I listen to more than once. I can honestly say there is not a single song.”

    I can honestly say I never listen purposely to a song twice by other people no matter how it’s recorded... other than A Whiter Shade of Pale and Nessun Dorma. Too much music out there.

    Maybe I’m taking this out of context. But it sounds like you’re saying art can not be made out of soup cans.

    I guess we are just different then. I have a lot of music I love and listen to many times over. Have been listening to a lot of Django Reinhardt (some of of those 3 or 4 times each just in the last week) and a few rounds of Cold Fact by Rodriquez.

    Regarding the mouse use, that's a misunderstanding and not what I meant at all. And for the record Robert is essential listening.

    I've used tupperware containers, slammed doors and most of the contents of my recycling rubbish bin to get various things needed for a song, so no, anything can be used to make music. I'm not a fan of a whole song made of loops but there are people that use them creatively which is a different thing altogether.

  • @Ailerom, sorry I must be misunderstanding. It’s just hard to figure why Robert Johnson recorded on iOS wouldn’t be worth listening to twice. Unless you are saying such high end musicians wouldn’t use the platform. It’s a bit confusing.🙏

  • Ios will rule the future for music making no question ... but it's not just down to the portability and technical capacities of ipads I'd suggest ... it's the quality, the ingenuity and cleverness of these apps you folks keep churning out. Ios apps are amongst the best instruments and effects available - far better than most desktoppers.

    Much easier to use too - desktop apps design remains bolted to imitating hardware by and large -knobs everywhere many rarely touched - but iOS imposes a cruel economy for screen realestate and devs have been rationalising, stripping back and maximising the usable value of every pixel. There is far far more inventive design in iOS apps and it creates a new, more interactive, way of playing.

    But it really comes as a shock to hear ios apps running on an M1 mac in company with Omnisphere, Serum and the like ... I don't know if folks realise just how bloody good these little critters are.

    IOS music making will triumph not because of Apple's technical innovations - despite it in some cases - but because ipads are an excellent platform for innovative apps and very clever developers who are not prisoners of history and old approaches.

  • @Soundscaper said:
    Ios will rule the future for music making no question ... but it's not just down to the portability and technical capacities of ipads I'd suggest ... it's the quality, the ingenuity and cleverness of these apps you folks keep churning out. Ios apps are amongst the best instruments and effects available - far better than most desktoppers.

    Much easier to use too - desktop apps design remains bolted to imitating hardware by and large -knobs everywhere many rarely touched - but iOS imposes a cruel economy for screen realestate and devs have been rationalising, stripping back and maximising the usable value of every pixel. There is far far more inventive design in iOS apps and it creates a new, more interactive, way of playing.

    But it really comes as a shock to hear ios apps running on an M1 mac in company with Omnisphere, Serum and the like ... I don't know if folks realise just how bloody good these little critters are.

    IOS music making will triumph not because of Apple's technical innovations - despite it in some cases - but because ipads are an excellent platform for innovative apps and very clever developers who are not prisoners of history and old approaches.

    Incredibly well said. Cheers.

  • edited March 2021

    @LinearLineman said:
    @Ailerom, sorry I must be misunderstanding. It’s just hard to figure why Robert Johnson recorded on iOS wouldn’t be worth listening to twice. Unless you are saying such high end musicians wouldn’t use the platform. It’s a bit confusing.🙏

    What if you don’t listen to Robert Johnson or the style of music of Robert Johnson? What if you listen to something like Junkie XL’s Snyder Cut Justice League soundtrack. Or what about the group Hybrid with songs like Numb, Long Time Coming, or Absinthe Tea Party? Or what about the soundtrack to Interstellar?

    Sorry, but you aren’t going to replicate those on an iPad.

    I really enjoy writing on my iDevice but it’s not ever going to be able to produce the type of music that “I” really listen to or want to create. It’s just not capable enough. Am I happy with the stuff that I’m doing? Absolutely...for something produced on an iPad or iPhone. But to write what I really want to write? ...going to have to be done on a desktop.

  • @drez, that’s fine, but it’s another thing to imply (if that was the meaning) that nothing was ever done on an iPad worth listening to.

  • @LinearLineman said:
    @Ailerom, sorry I must be misunderstanding. It’s just hard to figure why Robert Johnson recorded on iOS wouldn’t be worth listening to twice. Unless you are saying such high end musicians wouldn’t use the platform. It’s a bit confusing.🙏

    Mate I'm equally confused by what you are saying. I just turned 52. I swear I'm a pretty young 52 but still, we are not on the same page. I'm pretty sure you are cool so that's all I need.

  • In case I've missed something, I thought this thread was about music creation. All my comments are from the point of view of writing, recording, and making music.

  • @Soundscaper said:
    Ios will rule the future for music making no question ... but it's not just down to the portability and technical capacities of ipads I'd suggest ... it's the quality, the ingenuity and cleverness of these apps you folks keep churning out.

    How is any of that relevant to ruling the future of music making. I wrote every one of probably over 200 songs sitting down in my studio, on a bed, in the back yard, at the park, on a vacation using a guitar and a piece of paper or more recently an iPad to write notes, chords words. Are you saying that will no longer me a thing?

    Unless I misunderstand and the future of music will entirely exclude any instruments other than virtual?

  • Five reasons:

  • @drez said:

    @LinearLineman said:
    @Ailerom, sorry I must be misunderstanding. It’s just hard to figure why Robert Johnson recorded on iOS wouldn’t be worth listening to twice. Unless you are saying such high end musicians wouldn’t use the platform. It’s a bit confusing.🙏

    What if you don’t listen to Robert Johnson or the style of music of Robert Johnson? What if you listen to something like Junkie XL’s Snyder Cut Justice League soundtrack. Or what about the group Hybrid with songs like Numb, Long Time Coming, or Absinthe Tea Party? Or what about the soundtrack to Interstellar?

    Sorry, but you aren’t going to replicate those on an iPad.

    I really enjoy writing on my iDevice but it’s not ever going to be able to produce the type of music that “I” really listen to or want to create. It’s just not capable enough. Am I happy with the stuff that I’m doing? Absolutely...for something produced on an iPad or iPhone. But to write what I really want to write? ...going to have to be done on a desktop.

    Why couldn’t you make those on iPad? Genuine question btw to hear your views on limitations.

    Overall, the brain is where I’ve written my songs.

  • edited March 2021

    Soundtrack/orchestral workflow was once lacking on the iPad and is now much better served since StaffPad came along. Depending on the style you were after, you could have a good go at writing a soundtrack using only StaffPad:
    Mixing this style up with more of the ambient types of sounds that people are able to generate on their iPads could get you in the right ballpark of a modern soundtrack. You would need access to an orchestra to make it sound exactly like the movies though :smile:

    Are there many genres of music that would not be technically possible to create on the iPad with enough quality to fool the majority of Joe Public? (Edit: I used the word ‘fool’ here which thinking about it is unfair as it suggests the exact same sound is somehow fake or inferior if generated on an iPad vs recording studio)

    There is the question as to whether anyone with enough talent would choose or be permitted to create a song from start to end on an iPad when there are more efficient ways of working for some stages of the process at least. I could however see Hans Zimmer waking up at 3am to pick up his iPad and jot down the great new melody he just dreamed up.

  • Wow can’t believe I missed this thread.
    Very good answers i could use for my dissertation.
    I need a hand on ideas to put in my dissertation.
    So it’s in regards to creating music on an ipad and that you could achieve good results ,“industry standard” tracks.

    If you ever have to write a dissertation,what would be your key points?
    Has anyone created music that are on any streaming platforms? What do you consider to be a successful result?
    Would anyone be down for an interview?
    Thanks for the help in advance.

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