Modstep vs AUM

mannix

Still haven't got both. Both have unique feature. Modstep seems to be buggy though, on the other side with modstep you can do so much more. Question is do I have enough with modstep and are there feature that AUM doesn't have. I have at the moment no budget anymore to buy them both. Any advise for which one I should go?

AndyPlankton

ModStep is primarily a midi sequencer and AUM is an audio mixer...they are different things.

in very simple terms

Modtsep can do (that AUM can't)
Send MIDI to apps and devices
Arrange MIDI Clips and trigger them
Piano Roll and Step sequencer editing

AUM can do (That ModStep can't)
Audio in from external Source
Bus channels

Hansson

But do note, that whats playing in modstep can be recorded in modstep also... so its not only a sequencer.

Hansson

i would go for modstep since you can start making funstuff rightaway and as soon as the budget allows grab AUM also, but, ofcourse it depends on your workflow and how you make music, if you record liveplaying i think AUM is the better choice, but for serquencing... Modstep

AndyPlankton

@Hansson said:
But do note, that whats playing in modstep can be recorded in modstep also... so its not only a sequencer.

That's why recording wasn't on the list of what AUM can do that Modstep can't

lukesleepwalker

@AndyPlankton nails it in his first sentence, noting the word "primarily". Whatever aligns better to your workflow...

mannix

@Hansson @AndyPlankton @lukesleepwalker Thx all! Maybe important is that I want to do fast setups. Midi is an important thing for me, but workflow of for example Cubasis (which I own but hardly use anymore) is just to slow for me. I rather do this kind of stuff on a computer than tablet. I was under the impression that Modstep is the DAW with a much faster workflow (easy setup sounds and synths to make small sketches). And besides that that it could do more or less do anything that AUM does. I get the impression that AUM is just a mixer and things AUM can do you can also do with Audiobus (which I also own with IAPs) except that Audiobus doesn't support IAA and AU. But that will probably change in the (near) future with AB 3.0. Any thoughts on this?

AndyPlankton

What is it that makes it slow for you using Cubasis ?
What are you controlling using MIDI (IAA/AU or external hardware or both) ?
Are you using MIDI controllers ?
Are you using or wanting to use Audio tracks ?
Do you want to 'post process' your work...i.e delve deep into mixing or mastering ?

Your answers to these questions will probably invoke very different responses.

Just to clarify a little for you...
ModStep is not a DAW, there is no real timeline, and it doesn't support audio tracks. It is an excellent sequencer with brilliant CC control that can host IAA/AU and mix and record their output

AUM is not only a mixer (it is an excellent mixer with great flexibility as you can use as many AU or IAA instruments or FX that your device will allow), it can also playback audio files, and will route MIDI as well.

AB does host IAA, it is really about routing audio (and soon MIDI) between apps and saving the setups as opposed to mixing the audio signals.

mannix

@AndyPlankton said:
What is it that makes it slow for you using Cubasis ?

The whole process of setting up everything. If I are on a iPad I just want to sketch rapidly and have fast results. Simply just put some instruments up, ad some miditracks to them and mix it.
If I what to make and finetune compositions I will go to my computer.

What are you controlling using MIDI (IAA/AU or external hardware or both) ?

IAA/AU or some external midi if needed. I have korg volca sampler

Are you using MIDI controllers ?

No

Are you using or wanting to use Audio tracks ?

Yes

Do you want to 'post process' your work...i.e delve deep into mixing or mastering ?

Not really.

I think I can do most things with Audiobus. Only I think also here the proces is complex working back and forward and in the end mixing the whole thing with Mimix Mixer. I think if AB would have volume control it would make the think less complicated. I look for a faster workflow to produce something fast. And thought AUM or Modstep could sped up the whole process.

AndyPlankton

tbh, as you want Audio tracks then I think your best bet would be to setup templates in Cubasis with your usual IAA/AU already loaded onto tracks to avoid having to set them up all the time. All you need to do to create a template is setup a project with what you want in it, then using iTunes or iFunbox rename the project file (.cpb) to have the extension for a template (you can find this by looking at the templates already there)

If you want to stick with AU/IAA and want to work in a clip based fashion with no Audio tracks then ModStep will help.

If you want to work in a similar fashion to what you do now with AB, then AUM could help with the mixing aspect.

If you can do without audio tracks, and are not fussy about your IAA/AU then Korg Gadget is by far the quickest way to throw instruments together and mix them.....you cannot get it to send midi out directly, but you can export a midi file for import into your PC software for further work.

gonekrazy3000

I use both. Don't understand this versus business.
modstep+AUM is awesome.

Littlewoodg

@gonekrazy3000 said:
I use both. Don't understand this versus business.
modstep+AUM is awesome.

True this.

AndyPlankton

@gonekrazy3000 said:
I use both. Don't understand this versus business.
modstep+AUM is awesome.

@Mannix said he can't afford both and is trying to see which will give him the best benefit, if any, to his workflow.
Geeez !

mannix

@AndyPlankton said:
tbh, as you want Audio tracks then I think your best bet would be to setup templates in Cubasis with your usual IAA/AU already loaded onto tracks to avoid having to set them up all the time. All you need to do to create a template is setup a project with what you want in it, then using iTunes or iFunbox rename the project file (.cpb) to have the extension for a template (you can find this by looking at the templates already there)

If you want to stick with AU/IAA and want to work in a clip based fashion with no Audio tracks then ModStep will help.

If you want to work in a similar fashion to what you do now with AB, then AUM could help with the mixing aspect.

If you can do without audio tracks, and are not fussy about your IAA/AU then Korg Gadget is by far the quickest way to throw instruments together and mix them.....you cannot get it to send midi out directly, but you can export a midi file for import into your PC software for further work.

Many thx for your comprehensive answer! I'll take your advise and will try to setup Cubasis templates. Maybe in the future will go Modstep also because you can run external hardware with it. Also waiting for AB 3.0 that is around the corner, and probably will make AUM obsolete for my uses. Although of course AUM could come up with new killer features.

AndyPlankton

@mannix said:

@AndyPlankton said:
tbh, as you want Audio tracks then I think your best bet would be to setup templates in Cubasis with your usual IAA/AU already loaded onto tracks to avoid having to set them up all the time. All you need to do to create a template is setup a project with what you want in it, then using iTunes or iFunbox rename the project file (.cpb) to have the extension for a template (you can find this by looking at the templates already there)

If you want to stick with AU/IAA and want to work in a clip based fashion with no Audio tracks then ModStep will help.

If you want to work in a similar fashion to what you do now with AB, then AUM could help with the mixing aspect.

If you can do without audio tracks, and are not fussy about your IAA/AU then Korg Gadget is by far the quickest way to throw instruments together and mix them.....you cannot get it to send midi out directly, but you can export a midi file for import into your PC software for further work.

Many thx for your comprehensive answer! I'll take your advise and will try to setup Cubasis templates. Maybe in the future will go Modstep also because you can run external hardware with it. Also waiting for AB 3.0 that is around the corner, and probably will make AUM obsolete for my uses. Although of course AUM could come up with new killer features.

You can run external hardware with Cubasis too as far as I know, just add a MIDI track and set the MIDI output and channel accordingly.

Both modStep and AUM are great apps, but i think you would end up in a situation similar to where you are now, just on different apps, which wouldn't be helpful, or good use of your funds

And you're welcome...

mannix

@AndyPlankton Many thanks for taking the time and advise

soundshaper

@gonekrazy3000 said:
I use both. Don't understand this versus business.
modstep+AUM is awesome.

Interested to know how you use them together. Do you host the instrument plugins inside Modstep the send track audio into AUM? Or do you host inside of AUM then send the MIDI from Modstep? And what are the pros and cons of each? Ideally I’d like to open a master project and not have to load presets within the plug-in apps (state saving).

gonekrazy3000

@soundshaper said:

@gonekrazy3000 said:
I use both. Don't understand this versus business.
modstep+AUM is awesome.

Interested to know how you use them together. Do you host the instrument plugins inside Modstep the send track audio into AUM? Or do you host inside of AUM then send the MIDI from Modstep? And what are the pros and cons of each? Ideally I’d like to open a master project and not have to load presets within the plug-in apps (state saving).

Host in Aum. Modstep only sends midi. Checkout my modstep template tutorial.
While there I used gadget the benefits still apply. You can automate parameters for both au instruments and effects using aums midi mapping abilities. Something modstep cannot do by itself. Plus as you can see in the video you can use dummy clips for automation completely separate from your note data.

(Watch on a PC Mac otherwise you won't see the text explanation)

Sadly you don't really get state saving in modstep+Aum. I get around this by naming the projects in Aum and modstep with exactly the same name. And by sticking to AU only all the plugins effects etc will remain intact.

soundshaper

That’s cool. I’m going to give it a try. I actually haven’t had any issues with MIDI CC in Modstep which is the main reason I like it. I can just turn the knob on my hardware and the appropriate CC is recorded to the track. But Modstep’s mixer and audio routing is kinda lacking. Was hoping to use BM3 more but it doesn’t do this.

gonekrazy3000

@soundshaper said:
That’s cool. I’m going to give it a try. I actually haven’t had any issues with MIDI CC in Modstep which is the main reason I like it. I can just turn the knob on my hardware and the appropriate CC is recorded to the track. But Modstep’s mixer and audio routing is kinda lacking. Was hoping to use BM3 more but it doesn’t do this.

Modstep cannot automate AU at all. This combo bypasses that. Plus aums mix busses are Miles ahead of the rudimentary mixing modstep has. Modstep's original vision was a pure midi sequencer. And as such it works fantastically. But when you start adding au instruments and effects. It's unstable. I've had projects not load at all. So I prefer to keep the midi data and audio completely separate now.

[Deleted User]

Here’s an alternative for quick setups on iOS:

Genome & AUM

Make a template in Genome of how many channels you want of midi. Keep this as is, then when used, rename and save to correspond with the AUM save being used (see below).

Now make your AUM setup of synths, FX etc

Remember to make each track in AUM accept only the corresponding midi channel from Genome

And remember to set the matrix up for each instrument.

Now just set up the midi output in Genome and save everything for future play.

It sounds more work than it is, but once you have set ups for midi and sound in AUM. It’s quite simple and easy to replicate it all later in a real DAW

Just an alternative

gonekrazy3000

@Fruitbat1919 said:
Here’s an alternative for quick setups on iOS:

Genome & AUM

Make a template in Genome of how many channels you want of midi. Keep this as is, then when used, rename and save to correspond with the AUM save being used (see below).

Now make your AUM setup of synths, FX etc

Remember to make each track in AUM accept only the corresponding midi channel from Genome

And remember to set the matrix up for each instrument.

Now just set up the midi output in Genome and save everything for future play.

It sounds more work than it is, but once you have set ups for midi and sound in AUM. It’s quite simple and easy to replicate it all later in a real DAW

Just an alternative

Your steps are pretty much identical to what I do with modstep lol. Already have an "init" project for both modstep and Aum. I just save the altered projects with the same name later on

[Deleted User]

@gonekrazy3000 said:

@Fruitbat1919 said:
Here’s an alternative for quick setups on iOS:

Genome & AUM

Make a template in Genome of how many channels you want of midi. Keep this as is, then when used, rename and save to correspond with the AUM save being used (see below).

Now make your AUM setup of synths, FX etc

Remember to make each track in AUM accept only the corresponding midi channel from Genome

And remember to set the matrix up for each instrument.

Now just set up the midi output in Genome and save everything for future play.

It sounds more work than it is, but once you have set ups for midi and sound in AUM. It’s quite simple and easy to replicate it all later in a real DAW

Just an alternative

Your steps are pretty much identical to what I do with modstep lol. Already have an "init" project for both modstep and Aum. I just save the altered projects with the same name later on

I think Modstep is much more reliable when just used to send out midi and maybe use the built in sounds. I don’t really trust it with AUs let alone IAAs. So, pretty similar setups really

gonekrazy3000

@Fruitbat1919 said:

@gonekrazy3000 said:

@Fruitbat1919 said:
Here’s an alternative for quick setups on iOS:

Genome & AUM

Make a template in Genome of how many channels you want of midi. Keep this as is, then when used, rename and save to correspond with the AUM save being used (see below).

Now make your AUM setup of synths, FX etc

Remember to make each track in AUM accept only the corresponding midi channel from Genome

And remember to set the matrix up for each instrument.

Now just set up the midi output in Genome and save everything for future play.

It sounds more work than it is, but once you have set ups for midi and sound in AUM. It’s quite simple and easy to replicate it all later in a real DAW

Just an alternative

Your steps are pretty much identical to what I do with modstep lol. Already have an "init" project for both modstep and Aum. I just save the altered projects with the same name later on

I think Modstep is much more reliable when just used to send out midi and maybe use the built in sounds. I don’t really trust it with AUs let alone IAAs. So, pretty similar setups really

It's never crashed on me in the last year when used for midi alone. So yea. It's pretty reliable when used in the way it was originally envisioned for

mrcanister

modstep has got a pretty tasty synth and sampler too

soundshaper

Great tips. I’m going to try this tonight with AUM and Modstep. I also have Genome. However after finding Modstep I feel it’s more my style, which is lotsa options. Now the only thing I wish AUM had was better track signal metering.

j_liljedahl

@soundshaper said:
Great tips. I’m going to try this tonight with AUM and Modstep. I also have Genome. However after finding Modstep I feel it’s more my style, which is lotsa options. Now the only thing I wish AUM had was better track signal metering.

What do you think is missing regarding level metering? If the 4-stage meters per input and output of each channel is not enough, you can tap them to bring them to the detailed meter at the top of the screen.