What is Audiobus? — Audiobus isan award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you useyour other music apps together. Chain effects on your favouritesynth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app likeGarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface outputfor each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive asynth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDIkeyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear.And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
edited September 2014 in General App Discussion
GB update notes state:
Nov 06, 2015 Download BT Bluetooth MIDI Pedal Editor and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. NOTE: PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BT4 PEDAL TO LATEST FIRMWARE. The BT Pedal Editor is an application for Positive Grid BT-4 and BT-2 Bluetooth MIDI Footswitch. Positive Grid BT pedal allows you to control your mobile guitar effects, keyboard presets and music. Aug 09, 2018 The pairing process for a Bluetooth keyboard varies from model to model, but on the iPad (or iPhone), you will find the keyboard in Settings Bluetooth. Just put the keyboard into pairing mode. Use a Bluetooth MIDI device with GarageBand for iPad. You can connect a compatible Bluetooth® MIDI device to your iPad, and use it to play and control Touch Instruments in GarageBand. Note: MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol that allows computers and electronic musical instruments to communicate with each other. When you press a key on your keyboard, a sustain pedal, or use any other controller that your instrument has, you generate MIDI messages that tell which key was pressed, how much pressure was used for it, how long a note was held, etc.
Use MIDI over bluetooth to wirelessly connect compatible musical keyboards and controllers.
This could be really cool. I only know of blueboard which requires the app to translate the data. Anyone know of any compatible controllers?
Comments
- I guess any midi device if you use these...
- I think bluetooth will be a big deal for mobile musicians in the near future. Especially with the capabilities already built in to the OS. Audio/Midi devices, bluetooth controllers and Keyboards. In my home studio I'm constantly fighting to get rid of (and hide) cable spaghetti, but it's almost impossible. Everything wireless, given that it all plays nice together would be a game changer.
- edited September 2014@funjunkie27 said:I guess any midi device if you use these...I'm surprised Apple already added this to GB if that is the only one out there at the moment. Hoping for a similar device at some point that works with MIDI over USB instead of just standard 5 pin MIDI, or controllers/keyboards with bluetooth pre-built in. Only main issue is that without bus power you will still need a cable to power the device or batteries.
- I got the Apple MIDI over Bluetooth working today, going between Logic on OS X Yosemite, and GarageBand on an iOS 8 iPad. It does in fact work -- but to my knowledge, they have not published details about the protocol, making it hard for software and hardware developers to use it. I don't know if the Quicco team has been given info or not (and the same goes for Miselu). The contacts I have at the MIDI Manufacturers Association don't know much.I'm feeling better about the prospects for Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth than I was a few days ago. Unless Apple has a lot of stuff up their sleeves that they have not revealed, I think it's going to be slow going for their approach....
- Considering how daft they've been with IAA, you may be safe, Patrick!
- If there's no discernible latency then I'm excited.
- edited September 2014I just got iOS8 bluetooth midi working with pretty much any app that already supports midi Because all you really need is a suitable app on your devices that allows you to set one of the devices as a bluetooth midi peripheral, and the other device to be the master/central device.So I found the stuff in garageband that let me set it to be the central device and discover & connect to peripherals. On my iPhone I used mitosynth to set the iPhone up as a bluetooth midi peripheral. Then I connected to it in garageband on the iPad. Then I ran other apps on both devices, and bluetooth shows up in the standard list of midi controllers in these apps, so bingoThe only problem I had really is that mitosynth seems to have a bug that stops either bluetooth config page from loading when used on an iPad, the app just crashes. So right now I lack an app for the iPad that will let me use it as a peripheral, so cannot connect 2 iPads together at the moment.
- We might also see a new range of midi Bluetooth keyboards in the near future
- Quick...someone build a midi bluetooth to USB adapter to hook up to our cheap midi controlers!
- When was this GB update posted? I have received no update notices from the App Store concerning GB...
- @Brain said:For the record I got the GB update on my phone which I updated to iOS8. I haven't updated my iPad yet.
- I was hoping we'd see the drummer from the desktop GarageBand in iOS, but gb updates do not happen often, so I guess it won't happen anytime soon (if it is ever planned to happen at all).
- Next question: IF I wanted to update to iOS 8, how would I do so? I assume that - as before - I will get a notification for the update. What's the word on when it is officially available?
- @Brain said:Next question: IF I wanted to update to iOS 8, how would I do so? I assume that - as before - I will get a notification for the update. What's the word on when it is officially available?It's publicly available now, just check for iOS updates in iTunes or in the settings app of your device
- After today's double whammy of Apple news, I ain't doin' nuttin'!
Here in North America the NHL playoffs are now in full swing and perhaps you're inspired to play some rocking organ! With GB on the iPad we get some great keyboard sounds with nifty screen controls! N
Here in North America the NHL playoffs are now in full swing and perhaps you’re inspired to play some rocking organ! With GarageBand for iPad we get some great keyboard sounds with nifty screen controls! Not only can we use these keys in our songs that we’re recording, but as I explained in a recent tutorial, live use is also a possibility!
Setup and Equipment Needed
There are a few things we need.
- Controller Keyboard with power supply - There are many to choose from and I use an Axiom Pro 61. You will definitely need the power supply as the iPad does not provide power through it’s dock port. If you want to use the Korg Nano series, you will need a USB hub with power supply.
- Camera Connection Kit - Our keyboard controller communicates with GB through this device.
Axiom Pro 61
Apple's Camera Connection Kit
Controls
Each instrument has it’s own layout (organ with drawbars, synths with filter controls) but also there are some functions just above the keyboard and these will vary with the instrument selected. For example, “Sustain” will be on piano but not organ, organ will have the “Rotary” switch for the Leslie, all depending on the instrument.
Garageband Compatible Keyboards
Although we’re going to be using a keyboard controller, if you want to use the onscreen keyboard, you get different controls for how your screen keyboard responds. On the far left is an “Octave” plus and minus. A middle button for “Glissando”, “Scroll”, “Pitch” which vary again depending on the instrument selected and the right side has a “Scale”, “Arpeggiator” and “Keyboard Layout”.
“Glissando” lets you slide across the keys like a real keyboard would. Think of the piano player using the back of his hand and sliding up or down the keys.
“Scroll” allows you to play a note and while holding it, slide the keyboard up or down. Useful if you need to get into different octaves of the on screen keyboard quickly.
“Pitch” is a like a pitch bend wheel but lets you pitch up or down between notes simply by sliding your finger. Great for the vintage synths!
“Scale” is great for solos if you want to try different sounding scales in a piece of music. Once you pick the scale you want to use, the keyboard becomes more like a single row marimba minus the #/b keys. If you use a kb controller, you will still have all the notes available but you can learn what notes are used by playing them on the iPad and matching them on your keyboard. You’ll soon be playing “Klezmer” with ease!
“Arpeggiator” is your freedom to play multiple notes with one chord held down. You can choose note order, rate, and octave range. Great for dance tunes or your version of “Teenage Wasteland”! Unfortunately, the arpeggiator does not work with a KB Controller.
“Keyboard Layout/Velocity/Key Controls” - You can choose how you would like the onscreen keyboard to be set up with choices for one or two keyboards and octave range.
“Velocity” on and off is simple enough but you also can control the velocity range depending on the instrument (no velocity for organ since there is none!) left to the middle of the screen.
“Key Controls” simply turns on and off the view of the middle button for “Glissando”, etc.
There is also a hidden feature that is very cool and similar to an aftertouch on a KB controller. Load in the “Vintage Lead” preset under “Synth Lead” and strike a note. Now move your finger up and down that note... instant filter sweep!
Keyboard Controller
Plug your keyboard into your Camera Connection Kit and make sure it’s secure as I find it can pop out easily. If it does, you may need to restart your iPad to get control again. Open up GB and navigate to the “Keyboard” instrument. Once this opens you can then select from pianos,organs, synths, etc. by tapping on the instrument in the middle of the screen. You can even store your own presets.
Again, think of the iPad screen as the controls for the organs drawbars or synths filters. Unfortunately GB won’t record this data during recording. Pitch bend and Mod wheels will respond on your controller as will velocity and after touch. Also, there are no ways to assign a KB controller’s sliders or knobs to say, organ drawbars or synth knobs, although I did find my “master” slider with MIDI CC#7 controlled instrument volume.
Using “Smart Instruments”
One feature I wish GB would allow is the use of “autoplay” but controlled via the KB controller. But there are some interesting ideas you can do by combining the “autoplay” feature and your keyboard. For example, select “Smart Keyboard” and choose one of the 4 “autoplay” modes. You then will see 3 bars with a chord on the top bar. The bar with the chord plays both left and right hand accompaniments, the middle bar is right hand only and the bottom is left hand bass. If you hit the top bar, you could solo on the KB controller. The middle bar could allow you to try bass combinations such as G-G/F-G/E or perhaps a piano bass line with a distinctive melody. Be careful though as the sustain is used most likely and can mush up your sound in the bass line. Using the bottom bar would allow you again more right hand solos or your own accompaniment.
If you want any electric or acoustic bass instruments, you will need to use “Smart Bass”. Using the acoustic bass gives a feature that is hard to emulate on the KB controller unless you get good with the pitch bend wheel... sliding your finger along a fretless neck. Simply select Acoustic Bass, switch the “Chords” to “Notes” and tap on the screen. It adds some realism to the bass line and with some practice, can give some convincing results. Further editing can be done on GB on your Mac.
“Smart Guitar” is very similar to the smart keyboard and bass features with one additional feature. If you use your KB Controller, you can strike chords on your keys!Now you can use the “autoplay” feature for arpeggiated chords and “strum” chords on your keyboard. Great too for having ostinato picking patterns with multiple chord changes.
Recording Tips
First and foremost... PRACTICE! Yes... I said that again as I did in the last tutorial. GB on the iPad does not allow editing like GB on a Mac . Not even MIDI editing for wrong notes. Maybe in version 2... BUT... you can slow down the tempo, unlike the Guitar/Audio recording section, and speed it up after. If needed later, you can open up the song on your Mac and edit it there. You also can save time by recording repetitive parts and then looping them. Simply record your part, double tap on the track region and select “Loop”.
If your timing is not that great or you need to tighten up a section, “Quantization” will help. Simply tap on the top right “Mixer” in the Track view and select your quantization value. Use the fastest value you played. For example, if a lead synth line played as fast as 16th notes, use the 1/16 Note value. Quantization will also affect all of the tracks regions in a section! But... you can have different quantization on each section if a part gets moved from one section to another. Confused? Yeah... me too at first. If you quantize a part in Section A to 1/8 notes but then move it to Section B that is quantized to 1/16 notes, the new part will show “Multiple”. This is something I seriously hope Apple fixes as it’s frustrating if you need multiple quantizations within a section.
Also, don’t be afraid to record a part and try different instruments as your song may take on a whole new flavor choosing a clav instead of a piano for example. Try duplicating the track with a similar synth but with a different filter cutoff and panned hard left and right. Or use two totally different synths. Bass lines can get really fat with this idea! Slow your song down and play in your own idea of an arpeggiated pattern... speed up and loop!
Stay tuned for more GarageBand for iPad tips and tutorials. Till next time...don’t drive your neighbors nuts with the Minimoog playing Axel F or Tom Sawyer synth leads.