ZenBeats 2.0 🤯| Do desktop 🖥 plugins transfer to iOS 📲 in projects? We tested many. It’s complicated

ipadbeatmaking

THANKS FOR WATCHING!

ipadbeatmaking

Very interested on anyone’s theory on why this is such a complicated thing across different plugin makers

Korakios

Zenbeats should render to audio the external plugins by default and allow transfer only on 100% working and tested ,to avoid confusion

Schmotown

@ipadbeatmaking thanks for another very relevant video. Though I’ve only been using Zenbeats for a week or so, it’s already becoming my favorite DAW. Incredible app. And just yesterday I loaded it up with all of your ZB drum kits. Thanks for those, too.

I have Zenbeats installed on an iPad, iPhone, and Mac and it didn’t take long to realize that there would be issues with plugins. I was thinking that I might stick with the native Zenbeats effects, which are quite good, until the final mixing stage but maybe getting Toneboosters for iOS and Mac would make sense.

Also, who knows how all of this may change with Macs built on Apple’s own processors.

wim

@Korakios said:
Zenbeats should render to audio the external plugins by default and allow transfer only on 100% working and tested ,to avoid confusion

The cost in plugins and time would be prohibitive, I'm sure. Desktop plugins are expensive. (Yes, I know sometimes developers share free codes etc. but all that takes time too). Plugins can have hundreds of parameters. Testing would mean having to go through every one of them to see if they transferred ... on every platform. And ... re-testing when apps are updated? Not a chance.

IMO users should manage that themselves, and freeze tracks they know or suspect won't transfer.

Korakios

@wim said:

@Korakios said:
Zenbeats should render to audio the external plugins by default and allow transfer only on 100% working and tested ,to avoid confusion

The cost in plugins and time would be prohibitive.

IMO users should manage that themselves, and freeze tracks they know or suspect won't transfer.

It could be an option in settings, like a whitelist where a user adds a known working plugin, else automatically render VSTs/AUs as audio track (which is different than a frozen instrument track).

wim

@Korakios said:

@wim said:

@Korakios said:
Zenbeats should render to audio the external plugins by default and allow transfer only on 100% working and tested ,to avoid confusion

The cost in plugins and time would be prohibitive.

IMO users should manage that themselves, and freeze tracks they know or suspect won't transfer.

It could be an option in settings, like a whitelist where a user adds a known working plugin, else automatically render VSTs/AUs as audio track (which is different than a frozen instrument track).

If they can make such a list they know what tracks to freeze anyway.

Freezing tracks is better than rendering, I think, because in theory when you transfer back you should be able to unfreeze.

Korakios

@wim said:

@Korakios said:

@wim said:

@Korakios said:
Zenbeats should render to audio the external plugins by default and allow transfer only on 100% working and tested ,to avoid confusion

The cost in plugins and time would be prohibitive.

IMO users should manage that themselves, and freeze tracks they know or suspect won't transfer.

It could be an option in settings, like a whitelist where a user adds a known working plugin, else automatically render VSTs/AUs as audio track (which is different than a frozen instrument track).

If they can make such a list they know what tracks to freeze anyway.

Freezing tracks is better than rendering, I think, because in theory when you transfer back you should be able to unfreeze.

I mean users can choose to whitelist a plugin. Freezing multiple tracks manually is a no go
You are right about the freeze vs render

ipadbeatmaking

@Schmotown said:
@ipadbeatmaking thanks for another very relevant video. Though I’ve only been using Zenbeats for a week or so, it’s already becoming my favorite DAW. Incredible app. And just yesterday I loaded it up with all of your ZB drum kits. Thanks for those, too.

I’m glad you found it useful! If you have any other vid topic ideas please don’t hesitate to suggest! Yes ZenBeats is really special. I’m kinda mad at myself for not really digging in sooner, but no time like the present as they say! My Sensel morph is loving having MPE again, and midi playhead control let’s me record without touching the screen. And I’ve always hated loopers/launchers, not anymore, since ZenBeats. Weird. But in a good way. Roland seems to be really in on its DAW, which was something I was concerned about after their initial acquisition.

You’re welcome, I hope you enjoy them!! Please share some of you’re creations with them when/if you feel comfortable doing so!

I have Zenbeats installed on an iPad, iPhone, and Mac and it didn’t take long to realize that there would be issues with plugins. I was thinking that I might stick with the native Zenbeats effects, which are quite good, until the final mixing stage but maybe getting Toneboosters for iOS and Mac would make sense.

Toneboosters is slowly feeling like a combination of a dark horse & the little engine that could. Their plugins are slowly but surely finding more ways into my sessions. The price points, universal (iPhone/iPad), and the fact that they work perfectly between the Mac and iOS realm on ZenBeats has me really favoring them.

I’m almost mad that audio unit is exclusively Mac/iOS because we’d get PC plugin compatibility also if they could use Audio Unit.

Also, who knows how all of this may change with Macs built on Apple’s own processors.

Yes, I just hope that after ‘the merger’ the iOS music app developer culture remains intact. There’s a certain love behind what they do and I hope that stays.

I actually much prefer our guys/girls apps to those on desktop. Exceptions of course being huge sampler library’s and romplers & omnisphere etc.

I love the irony in apps now being developed for iOS, and then ported to desktop, such as with FAC and AudioTune 😂