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.

The best looper for IAA apps

So I have accepted the fact that some of the apps would be never updated to AUv3 and started to explore IAA apps (Drumjam is great). The question is what is the easier way to capture sound from them and create loops? So far I have tried Looperverse but it has too many issues (changes pitch after loading IAA apps, crackles), AUM is out of the question because of complexity.
Do you have any recommendations?

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Comments

  • Could I urge you to reconsider AUM? It can record properly synced loops by itself (and play them back as a loop launcher. Yes, you can make AUM do complicated stuff, but you can also use it in a simpler way. You’d probably need to invest in AudioShare as well, as the pair work symbiotically. AudioShare gives you file management and basic audio editing.

    Here’s a demo and tutorial:

  • edited June 2021

    The flexisampler in Drambo +Aum has all you need :-)

  • Yes AUM would be good.
    You should also have a look at Blocs Wave - that could well be what you are looking for. Or maybe Enso would be the thing.
    Loopy Pro is due for release in the bearish future.

  • Grouptheloop, Loopy or Enso (AUV3).

  • Thanks for the tips guys. No doubt drambo and AUM are capable of many things, but I am hoping of having just one simple app which can handle this. Will try Koala Sampler first and later perhaps AUM :wink:

  • AUM and Koala are the best music apps for iOS. Hands down. L7 looper is a pretty decent looper if you haven’t tried it yet.

  • Loopy. It's built for this.

    There are no FX built in. Michael considered adding them but decided to go big and developed AudioBus instead. ;)

    Host your IAAs in AudioBus. Point them at Loopy in AudioBus. Enjoy the use of full screen apps and the still-delightful AudioBus app switcher. You rarely even need to look at the Loopy UI, for instance.

  • wimwim
    edited June 2021

    ^This. Maybe add AUM into the setup for some extra utility. There's an excellent thread around here on that subject if interested.

    Group the Loop is also real good for this, and I think can host IAA's directly if you want to work within just one app.

    I don't favor any of the current AUv3 looper apps at the present due to memory limitations and stability issues. ymmv.

  • @syrupcore said:
    Loopy. It's built for this.

    There are no FX built in. Michael considered adding them but decided to go big and developed AudioBus instead. ;)

    Host your IAAs in AudioBus. Point them at Loopy in AudioBus. Enjoy the use of full screen apps and the still-delightful AudioBus app switcher. You rarely even need to look at the Loopy UI, for instance.

    For anyone interested, this wiki page has info about this:

    https://wiki.audiob.us/doku.php?id=loopy_aum_integration_with_audiobus_3

  • I'm kinda new to loopers, but is there one that I can also link the loops together to play in order, like a song mode. Something similar to a gr-16 song mode, or even a chain mode like on elektrons or drambo?

    I'm attracted to loopy cause it can do odd signatures, but I'm wondering if it's just live trigger and record or if I can have it autoplay loops in a specified order to build a full track.

    I could probably do it in cubasis, but I'm wondering if there's a more fun way...

    Thanks ahead, you guys are always on point with your suggestions

  • @GeorgeL909 said:
    I'm kinda new to loopers, but is there one that I can also link the loops together to play in order, like a song mode. Something similar to a gr-16 song mode, or even a chain mode like on elektrons or drambo?

    I'm attracted to loopy cause it can do odd signatures, but I'm wondering if it's just live trigger and record or if I can have it autoplay loops in a specified order to build a full track.

    I could probably do it in cubasis, but I'm wondering if there's a more fun way...

    Thanks ahead, you guys are always on point with your suggestions

    Loopy doesn't do sequencing but provides extensive MIDI control. You could use another tool to trigger loops in sequence via MIDI.

  • @GeorgeL909 said:
    I'm kinda new to loopers, but is there one that I can also link the loops together to play in order, like a song mode. Something similar to a gr-16 song mode, or even a chain mode like on elektrons or drambo?

    I'm attracted to loopy cause it can do odd signatures, but I'm wondering if it's just live trigger and record or if I can have it autoplay loops in a specified order to build a full track.

    I could probably do it in cubasis, but I'm wondering if there's a more fun way...

    Thanks ahead, you guys are always on point with your suggestions

    Group the Loop

  • Thank you so much! This might be exactly what I'm looking for!

  • wimwim
    edited June 2021

    Zenbeats is a nice hybrid between a looper and a DAW. While not as seamless for improvised looping as a dedicated looper, it is a great middle-ground for building loop based songs.

    No good for IAA though. It only supports AUv3 apps.

  • @GeorgeL909 said:
    I'm kinda new to loopers, but is there one that I can also link the loops together to play in order, like a song mode. Something similar to a gr-16 song mode, or even a chain mode like on elektrons or drambo?

    I'm attracted to loopy cause it can do odd signatures, but I'm wondering if it's just live trigger and record or if I can have it autoplay loops in a specified order to build a full track.

    I could probably do it in cubasis, but I'm wondering if there's a more fun way...

    Thanks ahead, you guys are always on point with your suggestions

    I personally go to Drambo for that. :D

  • edited June 2021

    These comments are incredibly helpful.

    I never gave zenbeats a chance cause I was sort of drifting away from the traditional daw workflow, but I might look into it! I do love the Roland workflow on the mc101.

    I feel like a newborn every time open drambo. I just haven't quite figured it out yet, despite picking up gr-16 and elektron workflows without too much trouble. I think I'm just lazy, but one day I'll dive in deep.

    I appreciate the responses as always.

  • @israelite said:
    Thanks for the tips guys. No doubt drambo and AUM are capable of many things, but I am hoping of having just one simple app which can handle this. Will try Koala Sampler first and later perhaps AUM :wink:

    Koala is phenomenal... Were you able to get it to loop a set number of bars, or are you just trimming the audio? I imagine there might be a way if you have the samurai update: to set the loop length/ bars in the sequencer page, lay down a single note, and then record into the slot of that note whatever audio you want to loop in one shot mode but I haven't tried this yet.

  • Thanks for all the tips. Audiobus could be a more appropriate and less complicated option. Anyway I try to dig in and check all available options. That's the only way to find out which one works the best :smile:

  • edited June 2021

    @GeorgeL909 said:

    @israelite said:
    Thanks for the tips guys. No doubt drambo and AUM are capable of many things, but I am hoping of having just one simple app which can handle this. Will try Koala Sampler first and later perhaps AUM :wink:

    Koala is phenomenal... Were you able to get it to loop a set number of bars, or are you just trimming the audio? I imagine there might be a way if you have the samurai update: to set the loop length/ bars in the sequencer page, lay down a single note, and then record into the slot of that note whatever audio you want to loop in one shot mode but I haven't tried this yet.

    As far as I know koala offers only manual chopping. What you have mentioned is easy to achieve in looperverse, with its DAW like interface. If you can make it work in your setup.

  • @israelite said:

    @GeorgeL909 said:

    @israelite said:
    Thanks for the tips guys. No doubt drambo and AUM are capable of many things, but I am hoping of having just one simple app which can handle this. Will try Koala Sampler first and later perhaps AUM :wink:

    Koala is phenomenal... Were you able to get it to loop a set number of bars, or are you just trimming the audio? I imagine there might be a way if you have the samurai update: to set the loop length/ bars in the sequencer page, lay down a single note, and then record into the slot of that note whatever audio you want to loop in one shot mode but I haven't tried this yet.

    As far as I know koala offers only manual chopping. What you have mentioned is easy to achieve in looperverse, with its DAW like interface. If you can make it work in your setup.

    I don't mean to hijack the thread as it's been super helpful, but I have one last question:

    Is there a way to automatically have a loop group progress to the next loop group once it completes so that you can chain loop groups together automatically to create a "song mode" in either looperverse or group the loop? Or something similar... Or do you manually have to launch or switch to each loop group?

    Imagine the way korg gadget organizes itself, where it has groups of midi in a set number of bars that can loop, but if you turn the loop function off, it will automatically progress to the next series of loops in sequence. I'm thinking of something like that but with audio files essentially.

    I'm leaning towards GTL, but I'm curious if you always have to launch each loop group manually, or if you could have it automatically play through all of them in sequence to record the whole track at once.

    What a tongue twister loop the loop-group in group-the-loop! Thanks in advance.

  • Quantiloop pro is great too. Quantiloop is a free version to try. Loopy pro should be released soon so that may be worth the wait…

  • If anyone needs to edit their loops I can recommend Auditor from Living Memory.

    Yes the interface can be crowded. Yes there are other editing options like Twisted Wave etc.

    Highlights

    • cross fades
    • Layers
    • Zooming
    • Copy paste between pass w system clipboard
    • time stretch
    • Format conversion

    Create your own Apple loops. Comes with its own AU3 file player which can be triggered as one shot or loop.

  • edited June 2021

    @GeorgeL909 said:
    Is there a way to automatically have a loop group progress to the next loop group once it completes so that you can chain loop groups together automatically to create a "song mode" in either looperverse or group the loop? Or something similar... Or do you manually have to launch or switch to each loop group?

    Imagine the way korg gadget organizes itself, where it has groups of midi in a set number of bars that can loop, but if you turn the loop function off, it will automatically progress to the next series of loops in sequence. I'm thinking of something like that but with audio files essentially.

    I'm leaning towards GTL, but I'm curious if you always have to launch each loop group manually, or if you could have it automatically play through all of them in sequence to record the whole track at once.

    What a tongue twister loop the loop-group in group-the-loop! Thanks in advance.

    That's exactly how workflow on MPC One is organized and I am also looking for anything that resembles this on iOS. Nanostudio 2 could easily have this feature. Then it would be the most ergonomic song creating environment on iOS. But I guess we can only dream about this.

  • @israelite said:

    @GeorgeL909 said:
    Is there a way to automatically have a loop group progress to the next loop group once it completes so that you can chain loop groups together automatically to create a "song mode" in either looperverse or group the loop? Or something similar... Or do you manually have to launch or switch to each loop group?

    Imagine the way korg gadget organizes itself, where it has groups of midi in a set number of bars that can loop, but if you turn the loop function off, it will automatically progress to the next series of loops in sequence. I'm thinking of something like that but with audio files essentially.

    I'm leaning towards GTL, but I'm curious if you always have to launch each loop group manually, or if you could have it automatically play through all of them in sequence to record the whole track at once.

    What a tongue twister loop the loop-group in group-the-loop! Thanks in advance.

    That's exactly how workflow on MPC One is organized and I am also looking for anything that resembles this on iOS. Nanostudio 2 could easily have this feature. Then it would be the most ergonomic song creating environment on iOS. But I guess we can only dream about this.

    I ended up getting GTL and while it does not have a "song mode" it is quite fun and easy to use coupled with aum. Queing up the different groups isn't that big a deal, much like scenes on the mc101 before the most recent update. I love to change patches frequently in tracks and have tons of variety in sound but that becomes tricky and finicky with cpu heavy synths like the moogs, and iaa only apps. But GTL let's me bypass these limitations by working with audio in a fun way (not just using loop markers in cubasis which feels like a chore). It's not perfect, but it's a damn good looper! +1000 for odd time signature support.

    If nanostudio implemented clip organization like what you suggested, I'd build a small cocoon, crawl inside with my iPad and pump out beats on nanostudio non stop until I evolve into my final form.

  • @GeorgeL909
    Thanks for the info about GTL. It is on my radar for some time. Seems to be quite a capable app. Just waiting for it to go on sale.
    Many new exciting apps appear in iOS universe. Perhaps one of the developers will see this market niche and create something innovative which will suit our needs. Till then, happy jamming :smile:

  • Another GTL fan. To keep it simple, I use midi mapped volume knobs on my keyboard and just turn up the volume on the app or interface channel that I want to loop. I use an airturn 6 for the GTL transport controls. The entire rig seems far easier to use than anything else I’ve tried.
    My next step is to incorporate a Launchpad pro to replace the keyboard and volume controls

  • @israelite said:
    Thanks for all the tips. Audiobus could be a more appropriate and less complicated option. Anyway I try to dig in and check all available options. That's the only way to find out which one works the best :smile:

    I am a loop based producer and new audiobus user, and I love it. It’s allowed me to resurrect a bunch of apps I left to the side. One such relevant one to this discussion is the aforementioned enso, which I stick in the effects slot on each lane to record loops coming from whatever I’ve got in the input slot.

    If you save the Enso audio buffer for each loop you’ve recorded, then you can open Enso (and said audio buffer with your loop) in any other AUv3 host (that can have AUv3 effects).

    L7, also mentioned already, works similarly in Audiobus, but lets you record more than one loop in its projects. (You can record in both an effects slot or output slot, but if you wanna bring it to another AUv3 host app, then record the loops with it in an effects slot since the output slot would use the standalone which saves its projects in a separate list inaccessible to the AUv3 one, though both versions allows you to export the separate loops in standard audio files, zipped up)

    In addition, or alternatively, I record into samplebot (which I got from the gracious @fprintf via the Claim a free app/pledge an app ) in an output slot (in Audiobus). I love samplebot’s sequencer, which makes it so easy imo to make loop-based arrangements/songs.

    But yeah, I don’t think you can go wrong with Audiobus, and of course it’ll let you use most other apps that are mentioned in this thread should you decide to try or add more of them.

  • By the way, I should mention that I seem to have a glitch when I use Enso in Audiobus where whenever I open an Audiobus session later that uses Enso, the Enso loop I recorded is slowed down. As long as you save each Enso loop’s audio buffer as a preset (like I mentioned to do if you want to open those loops in Enso in another AUv3 host), you can always open the preset to fix that issue. But yeah, that’s a little annoying thing (that maybe turns into a big annoying thing depending on how many instances of Enso are running—I would make sure in those cases to just record each loop to samplebot or wherever else just so I don’t need to deal with having to load presets in however many Ensos i open in said audiobus sessions).

  • edited June 2021

    Ok you loopers! I'm digging GTL but I have a serious question. Any tips for getting loops with reverb to sit nicely together? I'm running in to a lot of abrupt shifts in some when moving from loop to loop. I think if maybe I have a master loop of cymbals at the start of every 4 bars it will lessen the abrupt "loop-changing", but I'm open to ideas.

    The whole appeal of loops for me is laying on the cpu heavy effects and synths hard such as tons of reverb, but I lose the tail when the loop ends. Maybe I could add a little tiny reverb on the loop itself since GTL allows effects on loops 🦖

    Edit: throwing a subtle built in reverb over the loop in GTL helped quite a bit actually

  • Play sequence twice, loop the second set bars (so record 8 bars, loop last 4 etc) so you get the beginning and end of the tail. Perfect loop every time in any looper.

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