Apple today threw its weight behind AudioBus, releasing an update to GarageBand that supports the tool for routing audio between applications.
Here’s what’s new in Garageband for iOS 1.4:
- Play and record music apps supported by Audiobus directly into GarageBand
- Turn off grid snapping to get finer control over region and note editing
- Fixes an issue that resulted in feedback while connecting 3rd-party audio accessories into the headphone/microphone jack
This is a major milestone for AudioBus. Many will interpret this as an endorsement by Apple of the app-to-app audio technology. And, while the arrival of Jack for iOS is major news, today’s GarageBand update, and Apple’s support, makes AudioBus the de facto standard for routing audio between apps on iOS.
What do you think of Apple’s support for AudioBus? Leave a comment with your thoughts!
Just cant get into the iPad music making thing. Animoog is pretty epic, probably best iPad synth so far, and just a great sounding synth all round. But when it comes to creating a track, Logic on my Macbook will win over an iPad everytime. Its easier and quicker to do better work.
you can transfer files between garageband ios and garageband/logic osx. it turns the ipad into a very functional music sketchpad for when on the go.
at least thats how i do the “ipad music making thing”
Yeah, I love my iPad for the intention of music making in some capacity of another, maybe that is why I have one of each generation for different purposes (gen 1 for Lemur, gen 2 for vocal manipulations, gen 3 & 4 for a battery of synths)…but the iPad is NOT a replacement for Logic by any stretch of the imagination. I personally can’t stand the invisible audio copy and paste paradigm and other associated rig-a-mor-roo to try and get the job done; counterintuitive and saps the creative flow for me at least. I would gladly ditch my laptop for Logic running in the iPad (hopefully in the not to distant future once the power is there and all my plug-ins are there along side)…hell, the only reason I fire up my laptop is for Logic and for finishing touches on research papers…I almost use my iPads exclusively these days. I would like to see better (read practical) i/o solutions for future iPads along with a substantial power increase.
holy F***’ing S***. NEVER thought this would happen! Thanks Apple! and Audiobus! This is great!
Great news! I was afraid Apple would build their own version and roll it into iOS. They’ve done so in the past on their desktop OS.Seems like I was wrong and Audiobus is here to stay!
They still may try to do it… and it wouldn’t be necessarily a bad thing. It’s better to have competition between solutions so that they have to do their best to stand out, and often only the best do so.
Now we have Audiobus… for someone the De Facto Standard, but some big ones like Arturia decided to support Tabletop, and they don’t have Audiobus Support. Also Jack it’s new on the IOS scene.
But, Apple has an unfair advantage, they own the hardware side of the equation so they can optimize things to a level that may be impossible for developers… and we now that even the ipad 2 has a bit of difficulties just running a few apps…
Retronyms has made it quite clear in a number of places that they wouldn’t be opposed to working Audiobus integration into TableTop if it’s requested enough. They are not out to “compete” with AB at all. Likewise, Sebastian at the AB forum seems totally open to the idea… he may even have dropped a hint that it’s already in the works.
I’m sure that a TableTop/Audiobus solution will be here sooner than you think.
I love Audiobus and I’m happy with it. Nukai you suck.
You also suck beat
Thank you for your continuous support.
– Nukai
Well Hell just froze over didn’t it.
Thanks Apple for throwing in the towel and hopping on the Bus.
U gonna just buy it and incorporate it into the next OS, make it official?
CONGRATS TEAM AB
Works like a charm. I really appreciate the addition text prompts in GB helping to set up the connection. Very straight forward, and with the previously added background audio functionality, its easy to lay down tracks with Animoog.
Just noticed that an audio track from audiobus in GB uses the icon from the external synth used. So my Animmog tracks have an Animoog icon next to them in the meter bar. I always like those little touches Apple puts in…subtle nuances that make usability that much more transparent.
Wow, this is a bit of a shocker for me! Excellent news though. I think AudioBus is sick, even on my iPad 2. It’s nice to have a way to put the building blocks together.
Whilst it’s, well, both amazing and quite shocking that Apple have made this move, as it means they take Audiobus seriously enough to implement it, it’s a shame that it’s only available as an output.
It just proves that Apple take it’s iOS music making capabilities seriously – or maybe they’re testing the water, before including it (or something very similar) in a future version of the OS?
Who knows? But very exciting times, for sure!
Why are people asking for GarageBand to be an input? As an output, just pull up & use the GB instruments -WITHIN GB – the way you normally would !!! And please don’t say “yeah but then we can’t use any Audibus effects on them” because you know damn well you don’t use ’em anyway!!????????
For me, I have never liked Garageband as a workspace – it has always pretty much been a toy for non-musos. However, what it does have is a fine selection of quality instruments – the electric piano and hammond organ for example are second to none. I used these in Logic and I want to use them again via Audiobus in my chosen workspace (Nanostudio) so for me the ‘input’ option is the important bit, not the output. Come on Apple, swap em around!
Not sure why I put ????????? at the end of that brilliant rant……..????
I’m still shocked Apple even did this. I’d already resigned to the fact I’d be using Beatmaker 2 as my Audiobus output forever …..still might ( it’s that good), but at least now I have another very cool option.
Ok ,my smiley face emoticons are turning into ?????’s – mystery solved. As you were……..
When you’re done talking to yourself the rest of us will continue commenting! 😉
It only took 45 minutes but now I get it. People want to use GB as an input but ANOTHER APP as an output. Damn I’m slow. At least BM2 gives both options. I’d say its only a matter of time before GB is offered as an input.
Time to blow the dust off GB and give it another try.
This Is pretty cool, now they just need to add full midi support.
Well, with the official Apple support, that’s about seals the fate of Audiobus as the de facto standard for iOS.
Excellent news indeed 🙂
This makes my little heart purr with gladness. I have alot of synths and stuff on my iPad. But it’s been difficult to take on the fly ideas at a coffee shop and easily get them into Logic. I’ve hoped they would include AudioBus support inside Garageband, but kinda figured that was wishful thinking. Maybe I’m safe to wish for an iOS version of Logic. Or, at least MIDI sequencing of AudioBus sources from inside GarageBand. Seems like anything is possible with Apple at this point. Purrrr.
This update makes GarageBand a lot more interesting – but it needs to let you sequence other synths and record the output.
Unfortunately GarageBand lacks real external MIDI sequencing, perhaps to try to drive people to Logic Pro (which is, admittedly, a good piece of software and not a terrible deal for $200.) On OS X you can sort of hack around it by using an Audio Unit which does MIDI out.
So Apple, how about Logic Pro for iOS? 😉
Now only if Apple would get MIDI on the iPad and then resurrect the OSX Beta version of SoudDiver they got from Emagic when they bought them years ago to get Logic. Imagine then an iPad with Logic Pro, Garageband, AudioBus and SoundDiver for touch control routing of all your MIDI gear.
SIGH……
SoundDiver ! Ah well, one can dream….
I’m OK with third-party solutions like ReWire, AudioBus and JACK, but…. is there a good reason that Core Audio doesn’t include this kind of functionality already?
Does any OS do that?
Any advice on the best video tutorials for GarageBand? Particularly for the recording/mixing functions. I’ve used Live on PC extensively but not dug into GB yet. Thx!