Nanostudio 2 in 2023. Buy or pass

ecou

@aoverflow said:

@ecou said:

What would you use for longer audio track ? Loopy ?

Honestly if this is a priority I’d rather not use NS2 and stick with a DAW with proper audio track support. Nanostudio is a different kind of tool

Interesting thank you!

Can AUM host long audio files?

espiegel123

FWIW, NS2 can handle time and tempo changes and has a great synth and nice sampler built-in and can render the mix directly to audio files. If you mostly works with synths, > @ecou said:

@aoverflow said:
I would buy NS2 again in 2023. I’d rather not update the OS in case I read online that an update breaks NS2. For an older device the benefit of running a convenient piece of music software outweighs additional features from newer OS versions (there are probably not a lot left for a 2017 device anyway) in my opinion. I believe the developer will try to fix any issues caused by OS updates but I don’t think there are any guarantees here.

Also, A10X might already start showing its age, but all the built-in stuff in NS2 is super resource efficient (you probably won’t be able to get any stutters with ANY amount of tracks and effects if you stick with the built-in ones).

For small pieces of audio (a few seconds long) I use Slate and Koala. This is sufficient for fx sounds, risers, chopped speech samples, bouncing small parts from AUv3 instruments to save CPU. If your genre regularly requires longer audio parts (whole vocal chorus or a 2 minute long guitar solo performed on a real guitar) you might find such tools inconvenient, but for many EDM styles this should do it

P.S. Obsidian is my favorite synth to learn synthesis. I use it for all on-your-own parts in Syntorial.

The iPad pro 2017 still as way enough power for me. II can run a dozen midi tracks in Cubasis with soft synths and Effects no problem.

What would you use for longer audio track ? Loopy ?

Loopy Pro works for this. turn on link in both apps to have them synchronized.

drez

@ecou what type of music do you normally write? Do you have a style or genre you stick with? Do you NEED audio tracks?

ecou

@espiegel123 said:
FWIW, NS2 can handle time and tempo changes and has a great synth and nice sampler built-in and can render the mix directly to audio files. If you mostly works with synths, > @ecou said:

@aoverflow said:
I would buy NS2 again in 2023. I’d rather not update the OS in case I read online that an update breaks NS2. For an older device the benefit of running a convenient piece of music software outweighs additional features from newer OS versions (there are probably not a lot left for a 2017 device anyway) in my opinion. I believe the developer will try to fix any issues caused by OS updates but I don’t think there are any guarantees here.

Also, A10X might already start showing its age, but all the built-in stuff in NS2 is super resource efficient (you probably won’t be able to get any stutters with ANY amount of tracks and effects if you stick with the built-in ones).

For small pieces of audio (a few seconds long) I use Slate and Koala. This is sufficient for fx sounds, risers, chopped speech samples, bouncing small parts from AUv3 instruments to save CPU. If your genre regularly requires longer audio parts (whole vocal chorus or a 2 minute long guitar solo performed on a real guitar) you might find such tools inconvenient, but for many EDM styles this should do it

P.S. Obsidian is my favorite synth to learn synthesis. I use it for all on-your-own parts in Syntorial.

The iPad pro 2017 still as way enough power for me. II can run a dozen midi tracks in Cubasis with soft synths and Effects no problem.

What would you use for longer audio track ? Loopy ?

Loopy Pro works for this. turn on link in both apps to have them synchronized.

Thank you! Good tip.

@drez said:
@ecou what type of music do you normally write? Do you have a style or genre you stick with? Do you NEED audio tracks?

I write dark synthwave I guess you could call it. Music with typical song structure. Here’s a exemple.

Do I need audio tracks? Only if the song I am working on requires guitars. Maybe vocal samples soon.

aoverflow

@ecou said:

@espiegel123 said:
FWIW, NS2 can handle time and tempo changes and has a great synth and nice sampler built-in and can render the mix directly to audio files. If you mostly works with synths, > @ecou said:

@aoverflow said:
I would buy NS2 again in 2023. I’d rather not update the OS in case I read online that an update breaks NS2. For an older device the benefit of running a convenient piece of music software outweighs additional features from newer OS versions (there are probably not a lot left for a 2017 device anyway) in my opinion. I believe the developer will try to fix any issues caused by OS updates but I don’t think there are any guarantees here.

Also, A10X might already start showing its age, but all the built-in stuff in NS2 is super resource efficient (you probably won’t be able to get any stutters with ANY amount of tracks and effects if you stick with the built-in ones).

For small pieces of audio (a few seconds long) I use Slate and Koala. This is sufficient for fx sounds, risers, chopped speech samples, bouncing small parts from AUv3 instruments to save CPU. If your genre regularly requires longer audio parts (whole vocal chorus or a 2 minute long guitar solo performed on a real guitar) you might find such tools inconvenient, but for many EDM styles this should do it

P.S. Obsidian is my favorite synth to learn synthesis. I use it for all on-your-own parts in Syntorial.

The iPad pro 2017 still as way enough power for me. II can run a dozen midi tracks in Cubasis with soft synths and Effects no problem.

What would you use for longer audio track ? Loopy ?

Loopy Pro works for this. turn on link in both apps to have them synchronized.

Thank you! Good tip.

@drez said:
@ecou what type of music do you normally write? Do you have a style or genre you stick with? Do you NEED audio tracks?

I write dark synthwave I guess you could call it. Music with typical song structure. Here’s a exemple.

Do I need audio tracks? Only if the song I am working on requires guitars. Maybe vocal samples soon.

I guess you can do 99% of your work in NS2. For specific situations you can then render individual track stems from NS2 and record some guitars/vocals in Auria (I can see you already own it) on top as a last touch if you are feeling like it.

ralis

I keep buying other sequencing and drum apps and end up back at NanoStudio2.
I was trying to use individual sequencers and drum apps in AUM but I could not do what a wanted easily, tempo and time signature changes as well as editing partial measures.

In NanoStudio 2 I am able to create drum tracks on the slate pads as I hear them in my head from start to finish, I tend to create in a linear fashion.

I can “record” midi notes from a Midi controller and I have found editing that in the piano roll is much easier and accurate that Cubasis

The internal synth is amazing

I also write sequences in midi and send them to my hardware synths and drum machines

After buying and trying many apps it is still my favorite Drum and synth sequencer

DMfan

Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

aoverflow

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

Thank you for the advice. I should probably give it a second try. When I installed Zenbeats I just couldn’t figure out how to do ANYTHING so I immediately removed it out of frustration. Whereas the first time I launched NS2 I immediately started producing a track and having lots of fun without needing to read the manual. Maybe Zenbeats clicks once you figure it out?

espiegel123

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

Does Zenbeats do tempo and time changes?

dendy

@DMfan said:
Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed,

true

does everything NS2 does

Not exactly true.. Synth like Obsidian (combining powerfull features with extreme CPU efficienxy) plus level of audio/midi routing is still something where ZB is behind NS2 .. question is if those features are crucial features for you (from my observations for most of people on ABF they aren’t lol)

ZB has it’s advantages before NS, but also NS has some atages in it’s own ..

Both are capable apps. It depends on what is crucial for your workflow.

aoverflow

@dendy said:

@DMfan said:
Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed,

true

does everything NS2 does

Not exactly true.. Synth like Obsidian (combining powerfull features with extreme CPU efficienxy) plus level of audio/midi routing is still something where ZB is behind NS2 .. question is if those features are crucial features for you (from my observations for most of people on ABF they aren’t lol)

ZB has it’s advantages before NS, but also NS has some atages in it’s own ..

Both are capable apps. It depends on what is crucial for your workflow.

How would you rate Zenbeats vs NS2 in terms of ease of midi editing and usability of the UI across the board?

DMfan

@espiegel123 said:

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

Does Zenbeats do tempo and time changes?

Yes.

/DMfan🇸🇪

dendy

@aoverflow said:

@dendy said:

@DMfan said:
Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed,

true

does everything NS2 does

Not exactly true.. Synth like Obsidian (combining powerfull features with extreme CPU efficienxy) plus level of audio/midi routing is still something where ZB is behind NS2 .. question is if those features are crucial features for you (from my observations for most of people on ABF they aren’t lol)

ZB has it’s advantages before NS, but also NS has some atages in it’s own ..

Both are capable apps. It depends on what is crucial for your workflow.

How would you rate Zenbeats vs NS2 in terms of ease of midi editing and usability of the UI across the board?

well in terms of UI/UX , sequencer editing, stuff like that i think (and it is just my subjective opiniton, doesn't want to argue about that) NS2 is absolute king on iOS.

It's just lacks some features ( audio tracks, posibility to automate other than just bundled plugins, possibility to sample only into bundled synth/sampler) - but what IS there, is crafted to the perfection..

ZB is more feature rich, but i think UI in general is not that well crafted (don't get me wrong, it's not that bad like Logic for example, it has good basis, what frustrates me a bit is that i have tons of ideas how it shouls be drastically improved with little tweaks here and there but i am not the dev of ZB so all that ideas stay just in my head lol)

Are you from EU country ? Here you can return app up to 14 days after purchase and you get back all moneys.. so just try them, and decide for yourself.. people are different..

For me, if there wouldn't be NS2, ZB will be my choice. Also i am planning in future (when some for me crucial things get sorted in ZB) to use it as alternative daw (i just like switching between various music making enviroments) even through i technically doesn't need features which are in ZB and aren't in NS (audio tracks, sessiosn view). In some way, even through some not ideally designed details, i like also ZB UI.

There is no perfect daw. Every one has pros and cons. You just need to decide what is for you important and what isn't

AudioGus

I think the only major issue I seem to recall having with Zenbeats (and maybe it is no longer relevant) is that I was not able to record AU automation via the AU UI and was forced to draw in curves by hand (same with Logic currently for most AUs). If that has been resolved then that would be sweet. Didn't seem like a bad app really otherwise.

sigma79

@ralis said:
I keep buying other sequencing and drum apps and end up back at NanoStudio2.
I was trying to use individual sequencers and drum apps in AUM but I could not do what a wanted easily, tempo and time signature changes as well as editing partial measures.

In NanoStudio 2 I am able to create drum tracks on the slate pads as I hear them in my head from start to finish, I tend to create in a linear fashion.

I can “record” midi notes from a Midi controller and I have found editing that in the piano roll is much easier and accurate that Cubasis

The internal synth is amazing

I also write sequences in midi and send them to my hardware synths and drum machines

After buying and trying many apps it is still my favorite Drum and synth sequencer

If it had audio tracks. Id test the drum sequencing and send other ipads synths for arranging.

but I dont think it has midi for effects.

So no midi for swing modules per track and no midi for effects per track.

dendy

@sigma79 said:

but I dont think it has midi for effects.

So no midi for swing modules per track and no midi for effects per track.

ot sure what you mean but there IS midifx support in NS .. you can directly record output of midifx back into sequencer (there is simole workaround for that thoug) but zoucan defiitely use them, i use Bram's Rozetta midifx literally in every project

sigma79

@dendy said:

@sigma79 said:

but I dont think it has midi for effects.

So no midi for swing modules per track and no midi for effects per track.

ot sure what you mean but there IS midifx support in NS .. you can directly record output of midifx back into sequencer (there is simole workaround for that thoug) but zoucan defiitely use them, i use Bram's Rozetta midifx literally in every project

Maybe midi control and automation via controller and apps. Midi effects and fx.

israelite

Get it. U wouldn’t regret it

wim

@AudioGus said:
I think the only major issue I seem to recall having with Zenbeats (and maybe it is no longer relevant) is that I was not able to record AU automation via the AU UI and was forced to draw in curves by hand (same with Logic currently for most AUs). If that has been resolved then that would be sweet. Didn't seem like a bad app really otherwise.

The only way you can record automation at this time is by using an external controller. If you map a controller to an AUv3 parameter then it's possible to record the automation that way.

dendy

@sigma79 said:

@dendy said:

@sigma79 said:

but I dont think it has midi for effects.

So no midi for swing modules per track and no midi for effects per track.

ot sure what you mean but there IS midifx support in NS .. you can directly record output of midifx back into sequencer (there is simole workaround for that thoug) but zoucan defiitely use them, i use Bram's Rozetta midifx literally in every project

Maybe midi control and automation via controller and apps. Midi effects and fx.

still not sure i understand :-) can you give some example ?

ecou

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

I guess if I’m an going to be honest in my quest for a new DAW is should give Zenbeats a true run thru.

ecou

@ecou said:

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

I guess if I’m an going to be honest in my quest for a new DAW is should give Zenbeats a true run thru.

Update : Took me 2 minutes to crash it 🙁

wim

@ecou said:

@ecou said:

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

I guess if I’m an going to be honest in my quest for a new DAW is should give Zenbeats a true run thru.

Update : Took me 2 minutes to crash it 🙁

Doing what?

taeo

The only things In Logic I want are Beatbreaker, Alchemy, and Scripter. I can do without the rest of the DAW

Go with NS2. Make some Obsidian Patches. Get the ones from IPBM

I can’t get with the Ui in Zenbeats, I wanted to like it. My midi plugins weren’t fitting, I couldn’t play like that

ecou

@wim said:

@ecou said:

@ecou said:

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

I guess if I’m an going to be honest in my quest for a new DAW is should give Zenbeats a true run thru.

Update : Took me 2 minutes to crash it 🙁

Doing what?

I added drums with the included module. I added King of bass.

I wanted to dirty it so the first thing I saw was audiodamage fuzz plus. Then it said plugin not found then boom.

I just tried Fuzzplus in Cubasis and Audiobus and it is not working at all. But at least they are not crashing

dendy

@wim said:

@ecou said:

@ecou said:

@DMfan said:
Pass!

I urge everyone in this thread to take a deep look at Roland Zenbeats DAW as well as other DAWs like NS2. Actively developed, does everything NS2 does and adds audio tracks! New update also on its way!

/DMfan🇸🇪

I guess if I’m an going to be honest in my quest for a new DAW is should give Zenbeats a true run thru.

Update : Took me 2 minutes to crash it 🙁

Doing what?

i got yesterday also crash, when i first time loaded my kick drum for my test of transients playback problem i mentioned in ZB thread (into audio track). Same thing second time without crash ..

But in general it’s pretty stable.. plugins management works very well, stable. Vastly better than Logic 🤣

dendy

@taeo said:
Go with NS2. Make some Obsidian Patches. Get the ones from IPBM

Speaking of Obsidian patches, little AD here 👹

selling some well crafted Obsidian patch banks here 😇 https://dendy.gumroad.com/

Slam_Cut

Isn’t Zenbeats a subscription app? The AppStore lists IAP for Zenbeats that are hard to understand: upgrade feature vs “store points” vs monthly/yearly fees… 🤨🤦‍♂️

NS2 (currently $16.99?) is a super deal on a rock solid app. The only way NS2 isn’t worth it is if one needs audio tracks, AUv3 FX automation, or prefer working in a loop-based style. Even then, as a linear music creation tool, why would music creators not have it when they probably already have a bunch of DAW-esque apps already. The only reason I can think of is to minimize app clutter and sticking to a known workflow and not wanting to step out of that. There are people who swear by GB or Gadget, etc. Anyway, creating Dark Synthwave in NS2 is super easy.

tyslothrop1

@Slam_Cut said:
Isn’t Zenbeats a subscription app? The AppStore lists IAP for Zenbeats that are hard to understand: upgrade feature vs “store points” vs monthly/yearly fees… 🤨🤦‍♂️

NS2 (currently $16.99?) is a super deal on a rock solid app. The only way NS2 isn’t worth it is if one needs audio tracks, AUv3 FX automation, or prefer working in a loop-based style. Even then, as a linear music creation tool, why would music creators not have it when they probably already have a bunch of DAW-esque apps already. The only reason I can think of is to minimize app clutter and sticking to a known workflow and not wanting to step out of that. There are people who swear by GB or Gadget, etc. Anyway, creating Dark Synthwave in NS2 is super easy.

There are subscription options, as well as one time purchases in ZB. I recently bought the full app without the IAP for 10 Euros/8 in-app credits. Maybe it is still on sale.

dendy

@Slam_Cut said:
Isn’t Zenbeats a subscription app? The AppStore lists IAP for Zenbeats that are hard to understand: upgrade feature vs “store points” vs monthly/yearly fees… 🤨🤦‍♂️

Nope, you can buy full unlock as one time purchase. I did it casue only with full unlock you have at least very basic track groups ..

NS2 (currently $16.99?) is a super deal on a rock solid app. The only way NS2 isn’t worth it is if one needs audio tracks, AUv3 FX automation, or prefer working in a loop-based style.

True.

Even then, as a linear music creation tool, why would music creators not have it when they probably already have a bunch of DAW-esque apps already. The only reason I can think of is to minimize app clutter and sticking to a known workflow and not wanting to step out of that. There are people who swear by GB or Gadget, etc.

People are different. . as i mentioned, even through NS2 is and forever will be my main workhorse, i love sometimes for short period switch to completely different production enviroment (either SW or even HW) just to force myself to change my workflow to get new ideas.

But of course, i always end back to NS2. It's my destiny for rest of eternity :-D

Anyway, creating Dark Synthwave in NS2 is super easy.

This exactly, for predominantly synt-based music NS2 is heaven .. especially becasue Obsician can vover 80-90% of sounds so even on older devices you can affort synth layering and having really a LOT of tracks in project without killing your CPU