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Am I Missing Out?
I notice almost everyone (illegally 😄) is calling AUM their most used music app of 2022 in my previous post. I only use Audiobus 3. I’ve never used AUM. Am I missing out? What are the main differences?
(And isn’t saying AUM is your most-used music app a bit like saying the mixing desk in your studio is your most-used musical instrument 😄? Come on, folks...)
Comments
They have similarities and differences.
Main advantage of AUM is you can record directly within it, without needing a separate DAW or recording app, so more than just a mixer. You can pipe everything to an output bus and record direct to stereo (my preferred method), or record stems which you can import into a DAW later for final mixing/mastering.
The routing is very clear and straightforward, particularly for MIDI.
It just feels very clear and fast to work with, and doesn’t get in the way of your creative flow. Well, that’s how it is for me.
I know what you mean, it's fine to mention AUM in that list (as I did, while also mentioning a few others), but if AUM is the only app you mention, it's not a very interesting answer.
To be honest I couldn't even comment on the differences, as it has been so long since I used Audiobus. I don't think anyone mentioned Audiobus as their most used app in that thread, did they?
I'm tempted to say that this in itself shows that AUM is in some way better, but I don't necessarily think that the number of users proves much. I'd say, for example, that Doug's decision to use AUM as his main host app in his videos probably influenced a lot of people to buy and use AUM. If an influential youtuber like him had chosen apeMatrix instead, for example, that might be people's number one choice....
The direct recording sounds interesting, but I generally have Audioshare set up at the end of a chain in Audiobus, which I like.
Ah, I see. Mimesis is a powerful force indeed 😄. So is this genuinely an Audiobus forum? But everyone uses AUM? 😂
AUM is pretty tightly integrated with AudioShare so the recordings made in AUM end up in AudioShare by default. Sorted by session name too.
Pretty much. Back in the day everyone used Audiobus, it was the first option that allowed you to properly use multiple apps together in a sophisticated way, so was the start of the revolution and this forum is maintained by the lovely and big-hearted Audiobus / Loopy dev, Michael. There are some here who still prefer Audiobus to AUM or other hosts, but I'd pretty safely bet that they are a minority. You could add a poll if you want to check this.
I can probably save u the effort there though, as I actually posted a poll on my YouTube channel a few hours ago. That said, as I currently only use AUM, it is natural enough that most people who follow me or see my community posts are AUM users. If, say, Henny Da Bizniz made a similar poll, I bet there'd be a lot more ppl using Beatmaker 3 as their main host / DAW.
I started on the iOS with Gadget, but soon after that I wanted to add third part synths and fx. It was kind of an experiment how that would work out and I choose Apematrix as it was cheaper than AUM. It’s still my daily go-to, never worked with AUM, so far my workflow has been Gadget/Apematrix and it works very well. But I think I will add a DAW very soon to that for multiple track recording/mastering, most likely I’ll go for Audio Evolution.
I use both, AUM and AB. AB has in my opinion two big advantages over AUM: Better use of screen estate when showing a plugin UI fulllscreen, and last, but not least rock solid syncing to incoming MIDI clock.
For me, the big advantage of AUM over AB is the availability of sends and mixbusses. Afik, those features are only available with the MiMix app in Audiobus. You can also split and merge MIDI streams in ways not possible in AB. AUM also regularly adds new features, like the recent DSP use by Module feature.
Wow! I should have got my vote in. 😄 What i meanly use Audiobus for is adding effects to my apps like Koala and KQ Dixie and Pure Acid, cause I prefer my Eventude effects and Bitjuggler to the built in ones. I also use it to send midi to KQ Dixie and Zeon etc. And recording the results into AudioShare. Would I gain much from AUM in those specific uses?
This is great to know! Thanks.
The sends and outputs available do seem tempting.
What I like about AUM mixing: bus sends to make a complex mix, the possibility for audio feedback loops, also easy midi routing and lfo automation.
I bought AUM when it was released and never got on with the recording flow of the app. I’m apparently a linear DAW type person and I don’t like the routing for outputs on AUM..
I typically record one instrument at a time and it’s much easier for me to directly use AUV3 or IAA apps directly in whatever DAW.
I do like the Audiobus flow, for instruments, and effects into a DAW.
I got my AUM in the thread before the Edit that made them illegal, so I am grandfathered in.
😂😂😂 You are pardoned.
This sounds like me
I don't even understand why people buy Audiobus in 2022. Shit, i bought it in 2018 and it was an obsolete app back then.
No mincing words with you eh? 😂 😂 😂
They are similar but are really used for different things. Many of us use the Xequence + AUM + AB workflow for better syncing etc.
Regarding AUM, it’s all about utility for me. Two of my favorite things are:
1) The in-built metering on top center. You can choose which channel input or group input/output’s signal to monitor as needed.
2) The Mix Bus/MIDI Routing
AUs such as Koala, Space Craft, or any AU that can sample audio, I don’t always load them with samples from a curated library.
Instead I’ll sample something inside my current session via send channels.
Where AUM shines for me, is that you can still route Midi to an instrument on a mix buss. I cannot seem to do this inside Loopy Pro, Zenbeats, or AEM on their return channels. But the latter three I’ve only purchased in the past month,
so if I’m wrong, somebody please correct me.
at first i didn’t cared for Aum which i bought it and and never used it for almost a whole year, but after discovering how great Aum works with Koala after that Aum became a most used app in my work flow, because to me when it comes to Koala Sampler, Aum its like koala’s mixer, Aum makes Koala a complete daw literally , Koala and Aum complements each other perfectly , You can make a complete track mix and master using both together without any distractions specially if you build a temple for koala with everything ready in Aum, which make them together feel like having a complete MPC Live 2, MPC One or an MPC Force on a mobile device, i wouldn’t want it to do it any other way,
but when when its comes to Aum by it self with any other app i don’t really care about it, because of not having an internal pianoroll and timeline sequencer even though Aum can become alive using xequencer, but again i just love using Aum together with Koala Sampler and that’s about it,
but anyway, so that is why AUM its a most used music app for me
I’m not saying don’t get it because it’s my main workflow. But if you’re not ready for it, maybe it’s not the right time. It’s a phenomenal app and my most used app. It’s the center of my favorite workflow, but if you’re not familiar with using CC’s, or PC’s or don’t know much about audio bus routing, or complex midi routings maybe it’s . Unless it’s on sale there’s no rush.
I’m not sure where you are on your adventure but I’d grab audiobus 3, it’s a great app, and perfect as a step towards AUM. I didn’t get AUM for almost 3 years while everyone raved about it. I used gadget, audiobus 2 then AB3, cubasis 2, imaschine 2, etc… for several years before I was ready. I knew I wasn’t ready in the early days because I didn’t understand all the fuss. Also in those early days I watched so many YouTube videos of other apps, while people used AUM, that by the time I got it I understood how to do almost everything.
I held off because I wasn’t sure I understood the benefits of it at that time. it wasn’t until I outgrew my previous workflows and started looking for something different. it went on sale, I said screw it, and it’s been 4 years now.
Maybe the purchase could speed up your learning process, but I’d say try to get there more organically. If you’re happy with your current workflow and set up, you can do the things you want to do, then you’re good, but as you learn more and start to understand why a AUM is such an amazing app in the iOS ecosystem then get it.
YouTube is your best friend. Watch videos of people using it, or demoing it. There’s a ton from @thesoundtestroom @jakoB_haQ @Gavinski and many more like @eylvy @TheAudioDabbler etc…
Don’t make a rash decision, when the time is right, or your workflow becomes limiting or mundane, then maybe it’s time.
PS it’s my most used app of every year in the last 4 years because it’s my main workflow app.
What functionality are you mainly using it to add to Koala? Sequencing?
Great points!
AUM makes all your auv3s play together in an essentially modular environment. Any generator can be routed into any type of fx chain you create. Switch routing order on the fly. Have a midi generator go through multiple crazy midi fx chains into different synths and drum machines.
In terms of sequencing...
Imagine routing just one midi generator like an atom 2 sequence to a synth.
Then route that same midi to a transpose module to get everything a 5th above the original.
Then route that 5th midi stream through something that will arpeggiate the stream.
Then route it through a humanizer midi module to randomize velocity and timing.
Then out it through a midi fx probability module to thin out the stream.
Then route it to another synth.
Take that same midi stream and now route it to another thing that will do cool things with it. So forth.
This is before even touching the audio routing. Imagine routing those 2 midi streams to 8 different instruments with their own fx chains, all set up in a way that each individual instrument sounds NOTHING like the other. Make each synth different semitones than the other. Turn on the arpeggiator on 2 of them. Route all of them to a big reverb for a wash of sound. Then route each individually to other fx busses. Etc.
I am a DAW type of workflow person. I own Audiobus but not AUM. I never found a way to work with in Audiobus. How do you guys make it work ? Are you more the jammer type that just record everything live?
The way I work is I write stuff playing on my keyboard triggering Auv3 instrument, then record/sequence in in my daw. Then add another instrument and build layer. I guess it’s more a traditional way of building music having played in bands.