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Audio Units.. What's the deal...?
Hello all,
Would one of the lifers on here please explain what the heck these things are, what they do, how they differ from IAA or Audiobus inputs.
I'm sure there will be stacks of people that are new to Audiobus and/or iPad music making that just didn't get the memo.
Apologies if this offends anyone's intelligence, it's a straight question.
Thanks again!
Comments
An Audio Unit is a function that allows an app to be used inside an Audio Unit Host without the app itself being opened. The advantage of this is that you don't have to switch back and forth between apps to use them, as well as being able to use multiple instances of an Audio Unit app inside a host.
I think when an app is used as an Audio Unit it takes less of a CPU hit as well, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
AudioBus = first "protocol" or method of connecting two music apps with each other, for example sending the audio from a synth to an app that can record that synth. One instrument can only be bound to one source, though you can add effects in between the source app and the recipient app. Once you have chosen where the audio of one app (say, Thor Synth with pads) goes you can't use that app again (say Thor Synth Bass) in another instance, you have to pick another app (say iSEM Bass).
IAA (Inter App Audio) = Apples version of it, which kind of forced AudioBus to go down the IAA route too, and they by and large overlap these days. One instrument can only be bound to one source, though you can add effects in between the source app and the recipient app.
AU (Audio Units) = Apples version, and name, of what VST is on the desktop. AU on iOS isn't exactly the same, but the general idea is that in a recording capable app you can use, or "bind", as many AU's (or VST's on the desktop) as you like, one for each channel. Therefore you can add more than one instance of any given app, for example Poison 202, on (for example) 8 channels in (for example) Auria Pro.
So...AB/IAA = one of each instrument you can use. AU = many instances of the same instrument.
This description is vastly simplified, and I'm sure I have a few things wrong, which someone helpful here probably will help me to correct, but as it is described above is what the end-users see of it at least.
Neither of these "protocols" handle midi, though IAA and AU can send tempo and there is an automatic midi connection made if you want to use it. I think.
AU apps require an AU host app to run inside of. They can be synths or effects or both. They are controlled by the AU host app and their state is saved when you save a project in the AU host app. Unlike IAA, you can have more than one instance of an AU app in an AU host or multiple AU hosts depending on the available resources on your device. AU will not run on older devices or versions of iOS before iOS 9 or older iOS devices (e.g. iPad 2). They have a limited space they can take up on the screen whereas IAA and other apps can use the whole screen. There are also limits as to how much memory they can use. AU apps can sync to the AU host bpm (there are some AU apps that don't require sync as part of their function). Audiobus currently doesn't support AU.
AUM, Cubasis, GarageBand, Auria/Pro, modstep, midiSTEPs are some of the AU host apps.
Some apps have AU, IAA, and Audiobus support. There are some apps that are AU only.
AU is, in short, super stable and super convenient.
Working with IAA/Audiobus in a DAW (Cubasis or Auria i.e.) you must have a midi channel sending notes to the IAA/Audiobus instruments and record the audio but with AU you have your proper channel with the piano roll with your AU which is better to save projects (in theory)
Multiple instances basically.
Confusion on the part of new users such as yourself is part of what's slowing dev adoption, so now go forth and multiply!
Also, in theory, AU will not have some of the problems that have plagued IAA, which was famous for leaving "zombie" copies of executables in memory, eating resources and causing problems when trying to add the IAA app back in again. Whether AU will or has created a whole raft of other problems, who knows. But it's really the arrival of grown up audio plugins in iOS.
Is there an up to date database of all currently available AU plugins? I'd quite like to start my collection again and just use AU where possible.
If you are on Facebook you could join the "iOS AudioUnits" group, where Loran Pittman (are you in here but under another alias?) curates a list with the AU capable apps. It looks like this at the moment (and any credit for the list goes to Loran, I'm just copying and pasting/formatting here):
==============================
2017.02.09 iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3)
AU HOST
INSTRUMENT PLUGINS
EFFECT PLUGINS
Audio Unit extension requires iPad Mini 2, iPad 4, iPad Pro 1, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 6 or newer model and iOS 9 or 10.
==============================
I tried to post a list here with all AU apps, compiled by Loran Pittman in "iOS AudioUnits" Facebook group, which he so kindly curates for us. However, the forum software won't let me post it.
EDIT: Ok, so now it let me post it. It did the first time around as well, but the formatting looked like crap, and there was no preview when editing, so I guess it thought I was editing it too much or something. Now it is there in a pretty much unformatted fashion.
All credit for that list goes to Loran Pittman, I just copied/pasted it.
2017.02.09 iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3)
AU HOST
Audio Evolution Mobile Studio (Davy Wenzler) *effects only •iPad only
Auria (WaveMachine Labs, Inc.) *instruments & effects •iPad only
Auria LE (WaveMachine Labs, Inc.) *instruments & effects •iPad only
Auria Pro (WaveMachine Labs, Inc.) *instruments & effects •iPad only
AUM (Kymatica) *instruments & effects •universal
Cubasis (Steinberg) *instruments & effects •iPad only
Cubasis 2 (Steinberg) *instruments & effects •iPad only
Ferrite Recording Studio (Wooji Juice Ltd) *effects only •universal
GarageBand (Apple) *instruments & effects •universal
midiSTEPs (Arthur Kerns) *instruments & effects •iPad only
modstep (AppBC) *instruments & effects •iPad only
MultiTrackStudio (Giel Bremmers) *instruments & effects •iPad only
n-Track Studio MultiTrack Recorder (n-Track) *instruments & effects •universal
TIZE (Tize Music, Inc.) *effects only •universal
Twisted Wave Audio Editor (Twisted Wave) *effects only •universal
Twisted Wave Recorder (Twisted Wave) *effects only •universal
zMors Modular (mobile only) *instruments & effects •iPad only
INSTRUMENT PLUGINS
Addictive Pro (VirSyn) •iPad only
Baervaag - FM Synthesizer (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
BASSalicious (MIDIculous LLC) •iPad only
Colossus Piano (Christian Shoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte) •universal
CMP Grand Piano (Christian Shoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte) •universal
Enkl monophonic synth (Klevgränd produkter AB) •iPad only
FM Essentials (Yamaha) •universal
Heavy Brass (Crudebyte) •iPad only
iSEM (Arturia) •iPad only
iSymphonic Orchestra (Crudebyte) •universal
iVCS3 (apeSoft) •universal
Jussi - Vocal Synthesizer (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
KQ MiniSynth (Ryouta Kira) •universal
NS1 (Nikolozi Pty Ltd) •iPad only
Oriental Strings (Christian Shoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte) •universal
Pads - Lush Pad Synth (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
Phasemaker (Bram Bros) •universal
Phonem (Wolfgang Palm PPG) •iPad only
Poison-202 Vintage MIDI Synthesizer (Dmitrij Pavlov) •universal
ReSlice (VirSyn) •universal
Ruismaker (Bram Bros) •universal
Ruismaker FM (Bram Bros) •universal
Sensual Sax (Embertone) •universal
SwarPlug (Swar Systems) •iPad only
Tines (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
Troublemaker (Bram Bros) •universal
Turbosounds for Accordian (Reinhard Rieder) •universal
Viking Synth (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
WaveGenerator (Wolfgang Palm PPG) •iPad only
WaveMapper (Wolfgang Palm PPG) •iPad only
EFFECT PLUGINS
6144 equalizer by DDMF (Christian Siedschlag) •universal
apeDelay (apeSoft) •universal
apeFilter (apeSoft) •universal
AudioEffX (VirSyn) •universal
AudioMaster Pro (Future Moments) •universal
AudioVerb (VirSyn) •universal
Buttercup Bitcrush (Timothy Barraclough) •universal
DC-9 Overdrive (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
Envelope AU Reverb by DDMF (Christian Siedschlag) •universal
Esspresso de-esser (Klevgränd produkter AB) •iPad only
F-16 Filter (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
frekvens (Erik Sigth) •universal
FuxEQ (mattoncino software) •universal
Haaze- Stereo Tool (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
Korvpressor - smart dynamic hotdog device (Klevgränd Produktion AB) •iPad only
Lofionic Duplicat Delay (Chris Rivers) •iPad only
Lofionic Mani Chorus (Chris Rivers) •iPad only
MicSwap: Microphone Emulator & Recorder (Future Moments) •universal
MicSwap Pro: Microphone Emulator & Recorder (Future Moments) •universal
NoLimits Audio Unit Limiter by DDMF (Christian Siedschlag) •universal
Phlox Phaser (Timothy Barraclough) •universal
PressIt multiband compressor (Klevgränd produkter AB) •iPad only
Remaster (Audioforge Labs Inc.) •universal
Resampler (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
RF-1 (Kai Aras) •universal
RP-1 (Kai Aras) •universal
SquashIt (Klevgränd produkter AB) •universal
Svep phaser, flanger, chorus (Klevgränd produkter AB) •iPad only
ToneBridge Guitar Effects (Ultimate Guitar) •universal
Voice Rack: FX (TC-Helicon) •universal
Zero Chorus (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
Zero Reverb (Blamsoft, Inc.) •universal
zMors EQ (mobile only) •iPad only
@hellquist
Audio Evolution is also instrument host...
I update the iOS Audio Unit list on a regular basis over on FaceBook. Feel free to join: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1704410769839550?ref=bookmarks
THERE YOU ARE!!!
I copied and pasted from your list, hope you don't mind. I have the credits (to you) in the post just prior to the list as I had problems posting it (the list) in the first place.
Totally fine, thanks for giving me credit Mathias. I wish AUs were easier to find but for now I'll keep updating. If only Apple had given them a unique name. I had the same issue with IAA's and used to keep a list going of those too. Things got crazy complicated when Apple forced AudioBus to join IAA and all the AB apps started appearing in IAA Host list with basic, very limited and sometimes crippled IAA function.
Thanks guys!! I just joined
as I thought, there doesn't appear to be a FunkBox/DM1 equivalent in AU. Shame! They're such hassle to get working with hosts.
Good thread for us newbies. From what I've read here and in some other posts, my understanding is MIDI data can only be transmitted using IAA. So if I wanted to record some MIDI data into Auria Pro to trigger a patch in Poison202, I'd need to use IAA. If I opened Poison as an Audi Unit in Auria Pro, I'd only be able to record audio. Does this sound correct?
I just tested. If you open Poison 202 as an AU in Auria Pro, and you ensure you set the midi connection correctly in the FX->MIDI CONTROL tab, you will be recording midi, not audio.
Expanding the reply a bit, I guess when you load an instrument, Poison 202 in this case, via either IAA or AU, you still have to set the midi routing separately (from where to where). However, if you are using an app which has tempo sensitive controls, the sync signal will be sent via IAA too, which means the app will know what tempo the host is set to. You'd still need something to control the controls with though, be it a midi keyboard (virtual or physical) to get the notes to/from it. Those notes are then what are recorded. I think. Well, I know for sure the notes (not the audio) were recorded in my test in the previous post, and that it was completely silent at first (as I had Poison set to listen on midi channel 11, and Auria was set to send on channel 12 on that channel strip) until I ensured they were on the same midi channel.
That's really helpful, @hellquist, thanks a lot! I have to try it later on once the kiddies are in bed. A 3 year old, 2 year old, and 9 month old really put the limit on my testing time!
3 kids in 3 years? You are a hero!
@AlexB, no, I'm an idiot. But thanks for the kind words!
I have a lot of music apps, but it is surprising how few are yet AU enabled.
Not really when you consider the amount of time it can take to add to an existing app vs. how much payback the developer is likely to get for all that effort.
@philowerx - great list, thanks for putting in the time
You're welcome. Glad you find it useful.
I think the Desktop market had similar modest beginnings, I suppose that the hope is that the iOS market will grow to surpass it. But to get there commercial music records have to be more easily finished on Mobile than Desktops.
Which means the Mobile DAWs really need to grow up along with a robust plugin movement like Steinberg did with VST (AUv3 being less than 2 years old and barely even supported by Apple until a few months ago)
So I would challenge Steinberg to take the gloves off and release Cubase Pro for iOS (for $199) and become the defacto standard for AUv3
Cc: @LFS
Don't forget! Audiobus 3 is also an AU host, didn't see it in the lists above. It's to the point now where I won't buy a new synth or effect unless it support the AU format.
@hellquist you must have copied from an old post.... there are quit a few missing from that list that are in @philowerx latest post...