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.

I would like to ask some Egoist questions before I make the purchase

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Comments

  • @parallaxobject said:

    The Sugar Bytes apps really need Dropbox import ... or at least 'open in' export option from Audioshare and Dropbox.

    Egoist is great at grabbing parts of samples and longer audio clips and sequencing/re-sequencing those, and finding pleasant surprises through rolling the dice.

    But like iMPC Pro, it's so frustrating having to go through AudioCopy or iTunes, or resort to the iFunbox workaround, assuming that's possible in this case. At least with Effectrix and Turnado you can us AB and IAA, but this is a sampler, and it needs better access for samples.

    AudioCopy is slow (opening) and it doesn't handle 24bit (or 48K rate) samples, which is standard we are mostly dealing with in 2014 with DAWs and third-party packs. The pathway from DB-to-Audioshare-to-AudioCopy-to-Sampler X is tedious, and often requires the extra step of converting sample in Audioshare.

    I'll probably grab this while the sale is on (although I'm really not sure I need it), but Dropbox and Audioshare would make it a no-brainer. If I had a good way to jam something out in Sector and then have an easy option to take those slices and reform them into something useful with Egoist, it would be ideal. I'll still probably grab this because it is almost there, but Dropbox and Audioshare will make this a killer app.

  • Been playing with it all night. Loads of fun! Been importing random field recordings from audioshare and making things I feel are worthy of building full songs around. I highly recommend it, although I'd probably buy anything from sugar bytes.

  • one thing I haven't heard anything about are the export options, does Egoist export seamless loops?

  • razraz
    edited November 2014

    Is this more appropriate than the slicer in Gadget or samplr for a sampling beginner? I was looking at a video of samplr and it got me thinking about working with audio more. Looks quite fun, triggering and effecting samples...

  • edited November 2014

    @raz said:

    Is this more appropriate than the slicer in Gadget

    I was wondering that - how much better it is than a Gadget/Abu Dhabi setup which also slices, tunes and sequences samples. I guess with Egoist you get a bit more control over samples and more drum sounds, but then Gadget has all the synths.

    I'll still probably buy it today but wondering how much extra it'll provide, and more importantly how it'll perform on an older device.

    I don't want another iMPC Pro type purchase that doesn't fit nicely in my workflow, taking up a big chunk of disk space...

  • Two big items in favor of the Egoist slicer are transient detection with the auto-slicing--and, crucially, the sensitivity can be adjusted--and randomizing (dice) functions. Sector has randomizing, but it's more unwieldy, a little less useful, I'd say, compared to Egoist.

    Also, Egoist is better at uniquely shaping the individual slices (and controlling the sequencing) than Samplr, but also better at making one-click global adjustments to the loop than Abu Dhabi.

    Egoist chop points are easier to navigate than Abu Dhabi as well, if for no other reason than the sample section being larger on the screen.

    Egoist gets a check-minus for not having DB import or 'open in' compatibility like those others, but it does include a much more extensive collection of stock sounds for the slicer (even not counting the hundreds of drum hits) ... and you can quickly make those sounds quite unrecognizable from their original state. Still, no excuse for not having better import options.

    I don't recall Egoist doing any timestretching, which Samplr and I think Sector can do ... Abu doesn't timestretch either.

  • Also, I don't think Egoist has issues with sample time (the plugin version didn't, but I haven't pushed the limits of the app), whereas Abu is limited in that area ... Samplr isn't officially limited, but I recall it crashing when longer samples were loaded.

  • @JohnnyGoyou're agreeing on that r said:

    @supadom said:

    @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    After an hour I confidently say it's almost exactly like marriage; quite lovely but I don't know what the hell I'm doing...

    I think you'll need much more than an hour to fly this thing. Not that it is that complex it's just quite a lot of stuff going on.

    That's what she said. And she was right.

    Good thing you're in agreement there. ;-) that's why I'm in a non marriage relationship. There's at least an illusion of freedom...

  • @parallaxobject said:

    Thanks for the overview - I have Samplr and Sector as well so that's all useful info. I guess the sample time will be limited to what the device can handle, so probably not a lot on mine.

    I think I'll give it a go - the drums at least will fill the space in my workflow that I'd hoped iMPC Pro would have filled.

    Sample editing is definitely looking more user friendly than my other apps, and the slide fade in/out options are very welcome.

  • Of course, Abu and (especially) Samplr have more live 'playability' than Egoist.

  • razraz
    edited November 2014

    Abu has a big minus from what I've seen, you can't remove/add slices, you always have 16... Can one at least slide 14 slices full right and split the sample in 2? samplr looks awesome in Doug's vid, bit it hasn't seen an update in a year.

  • edited November 2014

    Yep

  • @parallaxobject said:

    Of course, Abu and (especially) Samplr have more live 'playability' than Egoist.

    Hmm...maybe I don't need Egoist then.

    I like the UI for Samplr, but I have difficulty getting a clean sound from it, and the buttons in Abu are a bit too small for accurate playing.

    I wish I could buy a single sampling app that did everything nicely, instead of 10 different apps that do some bits ok and others things badly..

  • I really like all of the random settings scattered all over the app. Definitely helpful bringing the old creativity to life. I can see myself exporting bass line loops to samplr.

  • edited November 2014

    @kobamoto asked: "one thing I haven't heard anything about are the export options, does Egoist export seamless loops?"

    Anyone know the answer to this question?

    Since it reportedly doesn't sync with Loopy, export may be the only option, if it works....

  • edited November 2014

    Yes it exports seeamless loops.

    Edit: And Audioshare is on their radar already ( with the words looking optimistic )

  • @raz said:

    Abu has a big minus from what I've seen, you can't remove/add slices, you always have 16... Can one at least slide 14 slices full right and split the sample in 2? samplr looks awesome in Doug's vid, bit it hasn't seen an update in a year.

    Yes you can remove the slices in Abu - start with the slice furthest to the right and drag it right to the end. Repeat. I did this a couple of nights ago and had an Abu sample chopped into just 3 slices.

  • Can anyone tell if it has a steam export or just a complete mix?

  • Ha, I totally get the sentiment behind this separate thread. I did a bunch of work last night and then really just had the urge to sit down with my iPad and buy the app. But it's totally wrong for me and wouldn't run well or store well on my device. I think it's one of the more aesthetically pleasing art designs we've seen in any app, and that's hard-earned praise given that the other Sugar Bytes apps have some of the worst/laziest adaptations to an iPad screen.

    I just know that the initial fun of it would be gone after 20 minutes and it'd be like the equivalent of buying an expensive rear-wheel drive sports car in a frozen tundra - you'd never take out of the garage and spend more time admiring it than using it (while still paying the bills).

  • @StormJH1 said:

    Ha, I totally get the sentiment behind this separate thread. I did a bunch of work last night and then really just had the urge to sit down with my iPad and buy the app. But it's totally wrong for me and wouldn't run well or store well on my device. I think it's one of the more aesthetically pleasing art designs we've seen in any app, and that's hard-earned praise given that the other Sugar Bytes apps have some of the worst/laziest adaptations to an iPad screen.

    I just know that the initial fun of it would be gone after 20 minutes and it'd be like the equivalent of buying an expensive rear-wheel drive sports car in a frozen tundra - you'd never take out of the garage and spend more time admiring it than using it (while still paying the bills).

    I recommended this post because a man who can exert self-control over the prospect of even 20 minutes of pleasure (leave your money on the dresser) deserves our admiration and support.

    I can can see what you mean, especially with a vague notion of your areas of activity, but.....well, BUT there's the small problem of the awesomeness that I have personally experienced and thus wish to share/force on everyone else....like some folks and their Sky Daddy visions....truth be told my own rapture (which has lasted almost a day already :) is based on this being a sampler/slicer I CAN UNDERSTAND AND USE.

    OK commercial over. If the Sugar Byters wish to remunerate me for my endorsement I will take payment by way of Ausioshare and DopBox implementation.

    Thank you.

  • The best way I've found to stave off the craving for a new app is to partake heavily of some old apps that I haven't used much in a while. It's sort of like getting that dose of newness for free.

    As a tangent I'll say that I'm glad to have given up drugs, but sometimes I really, really, really miss weed. A good joint and a good app would be freaking fantastic. Fortunately I have an ocean's worth of good memories to dip into as a replacement, and old urges might have some value even if they're best left unfilled. That's my PSA for today. Don't do drugs, kiddies, but if you do then enjoy the good times and try to get out while the getting's still good.

    And now back to Egoist.

  • This is not just any old app. This is sugar bytes. If you are not into this kind of thing steer clear. If you like what sugar bytes have come up with so far just get it. This is one of those apps that you need to make it work for you or rather you need to learn how to make this app work to your advantage. It is all there.

  • edited November 2014

    @supadom said:

    This is not just any old app. This is sugar bytes. If you are not into this kind of thing steer clear. If you like what sugar bytes have come up with so far just get it. This is one of those apps that you need to make it work for you or rather you need to learn how to make this app work to your advantage. It is all there.

    I know we're droning on, but Mister Dom is right on point here. If I could add one other, maybe not so small thing, the series of five short videos made a HUGE difference to me. I am a savagely intuitive type, am terrible with manuals, and am tremendously impatient (poke, push, it's broken...), the videos put together by bassgorilla were/are exceptionally good of their kind.

    So, perhaps this note is more a matter of an example to other devs. Please emulate (for your own sake...).

  • I'm with supadom as well.. I've got Turnado and Thesys, And when i found out about this i only had to watch one of those videos before i decided i had to get it. I'm enjoying every min so far, brings new life to old unused loops i've made on various apps :) :)

  • I've already spent at least 4 hours jamming on this app and still absolutely love it, starting to realize the hidden powers it has :)
    Started using animoog as the bass synth and now it's just awesome, flicking over to animoog and using it's path and XY pad to make movement in the bassline.

    Also turning off the pattern switch quantize and just jamming by flicking quickly between pattern is very cool

  • edited November 2014

    @Buska It's a peach isn't it? Good ideas. How are you using animoog? Forgive my lack of immediate understanding, just got back from the gym and my higher senses (such as they are) have sweated away from me...

  • The randomization of all things in this app is awesome. I almost didn't buy it because it overlaps so much with my hardware grooveboxes, but now I wish my Elektron machines had the same functionality.

    That said, I wish the sample randomization button was a bit easier to hit. I have to repeatedly tap it before it actually does anything. It's a minor gripe, but even making the button a bit larger would help.

  • @JohnnyGoodyear said:

    @Buska It's a peach isn't it? Good ideas. How are you using animoog? Forgive my lack of immediate understanding, just got back from the gym and my higher senses (such as they are) have sweated away from me...

    Just go into the options in egoist and then hit the midi logo, then in there there's a option to enable midi out from the bass synths seq. now turn off the bass synth to mute it (it will still output midi), and then in animoog just choose egoist midi channel in midi options :) works great!

  • The great thing is all of the controls can be played live and you can switch presets, patterns, etc. on the fly without any issues. You can even play the slices like pads at the same time. The best Sugar Bytes app ever.

    Try driving it with FunkBox or vice versa.

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