KVR Audio

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Wed Nov 02, 2022 4:34 am

Hi everyone,

As you can see above, next June I will have been on KVR for 20 years. I've been a desktop guy all that time. I just picked up an iPad Mini 6 for some productivity things - amateur content creation, graphics, and video. I'm hoping to also use it for some programming and sketching of songs. Creating audio and MIDI parts to export to my desktop DAW.

One guy I found on YouTube says he's concerned that manufacturers have stopped making as much hardware for iOS. My impression is actually that as Apple devices move to USB C and more and more interfaces and controllers move to USB C, there is less need for dedicated iOS hardware. What do you think?

Aside from this forum, where do you go for information about iOS music making? Should I expect a deluge of Black Friday deals on apps? If so, where should I look to find them? I've been spoiled by KVR. It's always been a firehose of information to my face any time I needed it. I feel like I have some catching up to do. I haven't even picked a host app!

So, if you don't mind, tell me everything! I mean, what do you wish you knew when you began your iOS music efforts? What would you do differently today? What are your favorite hosts, instruments, effects, and controllers?

And... are there bundles?

Skyblazer · Post by **Skyblazer** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 1:20 am

I started on iOS, and I've been using desktop more often lately. I use the AudioBus forum to stay up to date on iOS music production news. There's also a thread there where sales are posted.

Skyblazer · Post by **Skyblazer** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 1:21 am

Favorite host: AUM
Other hosts worth looking into: Drambo, Loopy Pro, NanoStudio 2, Cubasis 3

All of the following have an AU plugin version, unless otherwise noted.

Favorite interesting tools that are exclusive to iOS:
TC-11 - Experimental multi-touch synthesizer. Parameters can be tied to how many fingers are on the screen, how far apart they are, where they are, etc. It makes good use of the touch screen. Standalone only.
Drambo - Modular synthesis playground and groovebox.
Animoog Z - Moog's 3D vector synth is one of the best-sounding synths on iOS.
Mozaic - Scripting environment for MIDI plugins. I started learning programming with Mozaic.
Fractal Bits - Randomly generate and build kits from synthesized drum samples.
Loopy Pro - Design your own looper. Currently only loops audio, but MIDI is planned.
GeoShred - Virtual lead guitar plugin, also offers other instruments.
Velocity Keyboard - Similar to GeoShred, but MIDI only, and with velocity sensitivity.
InfinitumDelayriumOne - It has something to do with delays feeding into each other and creating resonance. Very unique sound.
Mononoke - Drone synthesizer that you can play with the touch screen.
Bit Maestro - Bit crusher that allows you to remove specific bits. Or something like that.
Physicles - Physics playground that sends MIDI messages.
Musyc - Physics playground that does not send MIDI messages, but allows for sample import. Standalone only.

Favorite generators for iOS:
Zeeon - Basic VA synth with a great design, a great sound, and a powerful mod matrix.
Lagrange - Synth with a basic interface, and a lot of different oscillator algorithms.
Mela 3 - Synth with a great interface, and a powerful mod matrix.
Sunvox - Synth and FX module with a very low footprint. Also available on desktop, but not as a plugin.
Sitala - 16 pad drumkit with some basic built-in tools for modifying the drums.
FAC Drumkit - 16 pad drumkit with some basic built-in tools for modifying the drums.
SpaceCraft - Granular synth plugin with a great touch interface.

Favorite effects for iOS:
FAC Alteza - My favorite shimmer reverb. Provides a very smooth, airy, pad-like shimmer.
FAC Chorus - Very thick and clear-sounding chorus.
Stratosphere Cloud Reverb - Great cloud reverb.
Velvet Machine - Another great ambient reverb.
WOOTT - An OTT clone with some added features.
Thafknar - Impulse Response loader.
RRS Polyivoks Filter - Great low pass filter.
MIDI Tape Recorder - Created as a way to accurately record MPE data, but it can record all MIDI.
Tube Audio Unit - Load YouTube in an audio unit plugin.
Radio Unit - Load internet radio stations in an audio unit plugin.
Nembrini amps - Best guitar amp sims on iOS.

Drambo is my favorite choice for MIDI sequencing. Other piano roll options are Atom 2, and Helium.

If I had to start over, I would spend less time trying to develop a workflow for finishing music on the iPad, and just buy an iConnectivity Audio4C, so that I can connect my iPad or iPhone to the PC. Drambo and NanoStudio 2 are not bad for finishing songs, but they both have their limitations.

Bundles you might be interested in: The FAC bundle. FabFilter and Audio Modeling both have bundles on iPad.

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Thu Nov 03, 2022 4:26 am

Holy cow, skyblazer! Thank you so much!

Skyblazer · Post by **Skyblazer** » Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:27 am

You're welcome. I only listed apps that are exclusive to iOS, aside from the two aforementioned bundles. There are a lot of plugin companies that release on both iOS and desktop. Best of luck with your iPad music journey.

kidslow · Post by **kidslow** » Sat Nov 05, 2022 7:33 am

Good place to track app prices and sales. https://appsliced.co
Good place to research iOS music apps. https://synthyfrog.com

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Sat Nov 05, 2022 11:03 am

Thanks, kidslow!

kidslow · Post by **kidslow** » Sat Nov 05, 2022 5:54 pm

You're welcome. Yes, you can expect sales regularly and especially this time of year. In fact they've already started. I use appsliced to create alerts, and then I'm notified by email any time there is a sale on one I track. And there are app bundles. For those, you have to go to the app store and look at offerings from a vendor to see if they bundle any of their apps. Usually cheaper but bundle pricing is a bit opaque. Bundles can also go on sale.

I also recommend AUM as a first host. Takes full advantage of the touchscreen capabilities. Watch some videos of Doug from the Soundtest Room, and you'll quickly make sense of how he uses it. It's more DAWless than DAW, but a good first choice. The only gotcha is that you'll need AUv3 supported apps in there. The synthyfrog site is a good place to figure out which are.

Ease into buying. The prices are so much lower than on the desktop that it's easy to overbuy. There are plenty of free AUv3s to get started.

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Sun Nov 06, 2022 5:39 am

Thank you so much. I have been going slow for exactly the reason you mentioned. Well, that and wanting to see if there will be sales. I'll look into AUM. I've bookmarked a couple of sales threads at Audiobus and I'm comfortable using their database to learn a little about anything that looks interesting, including app formats (the differences of which I am still currently ignorant of).

I'm still trying to figure out which desktop companies are really into iOS. I was delighted to see Klevgrand is. I noticed Fabfilter. Then I thought Waves was but it turns out those are iap for one particular host? So I'm gulping information and trying not to buy anything until I know for sure I want it.

I really appreciate the guidance!

kidslow · Post by **kidslow** » Sun Nov 06, 2022 4:51 pm

Hewitt Huntwork wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 5:39 am I'm still trying to figure out which desktop companies are really into iOS. I was delighted to see Klevgrand is. I noticed Fabfilter.

Klevgrand is one of the best crossovers, because their interfaces work really well on touch screens. The prices of iOS apps are so much cheaper than desktop too. I picked up the whole Fabfilter iOS suite for like $90.

Here are some more devs who develop on both iOS and desktop: Audio Damage, Audiomodern, Bleass, Eventide, Imaginando, K-Devices, Moog, Nembrini, Sugar Bytes ... seems like more crossover all the time in both directions. You can also find good free offerings from Chow DSP and Youlean.

Skyblazer · Post by **Skyblazer** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:16 am

Regarding app formats, there are only a few categories.
1. AUv3 plugin
This is the standard format for a plugin. Anything that can run windowed in your host is an AUv3 plugin, often shortened to "AU plugin". There are audio instruments, audio effects, and MIDI effects. These categories allow DAWs to put them in separate lists. There are no VST plugins, AAX plugins, CLAP plugins, etc. on iOS.

2. Standalone with Inter App Audio (IAA) support
This is an app that can integrate with your host, but you can only run one instance, and you have to use Apple's app switcher to see the user interface. Inter App Audio is Apple's "deprecated" standard for connecting apps. From what I understand, "Deprecated" means, "We can't promise that an update won't break it, and if that happens, we won't fix it." So a lot of people either don't update their old devices, or they ask around to see if IAA still works on a new version, before updating. Because a lot of those older apps are also no longer being maintained.

3. Standalone with AudioBus support
Functionally, for the user, it's pretty much the same thing. AudioBus is a third party standard for connecting music apps which predates IAA. AudioBus is also a very simple plugin host. If Inter App Audio breaks...then I guess AudioBus support will still work? I don't know for sure. But if you see a music app that hasn't been updated in a long time, and it doesn't say anything about AudioBus support in the description, then you might want to steer clear, unless you don't plan on updating your device.

4. Standalone with no connectivity
I think Musyc is the only app from my list that can't be loaded into a host; all it can do is import samples, and output the audio through the speakers/headphone jack/headphone dongle. You will see apps like this, but it's often kind of like "outsider art" in the sense that the app creator may not even be using their iPad to produce music. Lots of toys, a few sampled instruments like iGuzheng.

Another important thing to make note of: If the developer of an app stops paying their annual fee to Apple, you will be unable to download the app. The apps can still be downloaded if the original developer removes them from sale, but not if they stop paying their fee. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen without warning. So if you have a beloved app from an indie dev, you might want to use the free version of iMazing to extract your ipa file for it.

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 3:38 am

Skyblazer wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:16 am Regarding app formats, there are only a few categories.
1. AUv3 plugin... an AUv3 plugin, often shortened to "AU plugin".

This alone is invaluable to a newcomer like me (I had begun to suspect they were the same, but nobody came out and said it, until now), and your whole post was extremely helpful. You and kidslow both. I actually feel like I'm asking questions at the right time, so many sales have begun just since the other night when I posted. I'm taking the advice to go slowly.

I know I want Chordjam and Sitala, and I bought Splat To Clat in one of those "OMG the desktop version is $150 and this is $7.99!" moments. I'm trying not to have too many of those. I put a few others on my list after reading your recommendations. Velocity Keyboard.

I still don't know what I want to run them in yet. But I know I'd love to just do programming to send to my desktop and if I love the sound, export audio, and if not, export midi. I'm a singer/songwriter so I tend to want to work/think in a linear way, but I'd love to surprise myself. I'm leaning toward Cubasis but, again, I'd love to surprise myself. The only looper I ever had any great results with was ACID back in the late 1900s!

nanostream · Post by **nanostream** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 7:53 am

Hewitt Huntwork wrote: ↑Tue Nov 08, 2022 3:38 am I still don't know what I want to run them in yet. But I know I'd love to just do programming to send to my desktop and if I love the sound, export audio, and if not, export midi. I'm a singer/songwriter so I tend to want to work/think in a linear way, but I'd love to surprise myself. I'm leaning toward Cubasis but, again, I'd love to surprise myself. The only looper I ever had any great results with was ACID back in the late 1900s!

Give GarageBand a try, if you haven’t done so already. It’s free and pretty powerful.

Branis · Post by **Branis** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 9:00 am

Hewitt Huntwork wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 5:39 am I'm still trying to figure out which desktop companies are really into iOS. I was delighted to see Klevgrand is. I noticed Fabfilter. Then I thought Waves was but it turns out those are iap for one particular host? So I'm gulping information and trying not to buy anything until I know for sure I want it.

I really appreciate the guidance!

Yes, Waves are only available as iaps for Cubasis.

Make sure to check out Imaginando, Tone Boosters and Audio Damage. Their iOS apps are equivalent to their desktop offerings, but with a lower price tag. You could even check out their desktop demos and then head out to the app store and purchase the ones that you liked.

As for the audio interface it's not a bad idea to get one that can be powered with batteries, for mobility and to avoid draining your iPad battery. I got one from Zoom (U22), I think IK Multimedia also makes battery powered ones.

GospelMusicians · Post by **GospelMusicians** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 5:45 pm

I know I want Chordjam and Sitala, and I bought Splat To Clat in one of those "OMG the desktop version is $150 and this is $7.99!" moments. I'm trying not to have too many of those. I put a few others on my list after reading your recommendations. Velocity Keyboard.

Thanks so much for the support! How are you liking the Splat-to-Clat?

Just Starting On iPad... Thoughts And Questions