What’s your go to “jam” setup for iOS?

supadom

My live rig is very nearly ready for action. iPad Pro 11 3rd gen, audio interface and a bunch of controllers.

It’s mainly Loopy and Drambo.

Very easy to get a jam going. I have it set up in the way that each synth on each of 3 channels is super versatile so I can go from organ like to supersaw or simple to detuned and crazy in seconds. One knob for arp with 0 = off and turning clockwise activates the arp and goes through all the most desired divisions and octaves.

The same for percussive stuff. I have several percussive an drum kits on one knob and then just pitch and saturation/filtering/decimation/ reverb and delay for fx.

Tap tempo and a knob for global pitch.

Auto rhythms based on Euclidean sequencers driving a bunch of percussive sets.

All with a pinch of auto randomness.

To top it all I have my vocals running through Bleass voices and some Drambo made crazy delay/reverb/saturation effects.

Guitar and bop pad with electronic percussion is also available if I can be bothered to plug them in.

Could jam for days on end if desired.

No sweat.

And of course Samplr. 🙄

reezygle

Edit: Moved to “Does anyone here have a mobile all-in-one suitcase kind of setup with their iPad, hub, interface etc” discussion.

ecou

I use audiobus with Hammerhead, iBassist and Geoshred

HotStrange

@bluegroove said:
I have a Logic template with all my instruments set up with FX sends (a couple Pianoteq tracks, a couple SWAM, and then a few synths). I prefer Logic because I use it like Ableton's Session view with Logic's Live Loop mode. I have a bunch of drum loops already in there, so it's a nice blank slate for laying down new ideas and layering then with live looping.

True! Once I upgrade iPads and have the space again I’m gonna redownload Logic so I can use the live loop mode again. It’s surprisingly good.

HotStrange

@animalelder said:
Thank you for making this thread. It’s such a great idea! Once I figure out what I’m doing, I’ll share as well.

But as for now, my go to jam mode is on the couch with my phone and GarageBand iOS. I’ll open it in Logic if it merits my interest.

Hell yeah. Keep us updated

HotStrange

@klownshed said:
BlocsWave. On my phone.

I will jam out individual loops/stems in any number of apps. I may just spend half an hour with a single drum machine app for example.

Or I might jam with a bit of hardware like a Circuit or PO-32.

But BlocsWave is where I like to put it all together. I have it loaded with loads of loops I’ve made over the years and every now and put them together in ways I’d never intended originally.

I often get interesting results when I use loops at wildly different tempos and let BlocsWave transpose it too. Nice and grungy.

Occasionally a new song will get started but it’s fun to just play back stuff I’m working on too. I often export stems of current tracks to BlocsWave when I’m stuck with an arrangement and having a lightweight instant way to play back what I’m working on where I can piece chunks together is fantastic.

I use it exclusively with my own loops.

Blocs Wave (and actually all 3 Ampify apps) are basically idea generation stations. I use all 3 quite often.

HotStrange

@reezygle said:

@HotStrange said:
So one big positive of hardware is how easy it can be to just zone out and jam for hours. Or tweak patches endlessly on a modular rack. With gear like the Volcas, Bastl, POs all have the same sync standard for easily working together, or cv connections with semi-modular synths, etc, endless groovebox options, it’s so easy to simply just…jam out.

On iOS - and ITB in general - it’s usually more focused on the DAW workflow but with apps like Drambo, BAM, iElectribe, (and AUM of course), it’s still totally possible to jam out but you have to be more intentional about it where as with hardware you just turn it on and get going.

So it got me wondering, for those of you who like to create and play live on iOS, what is your go to workflow and apps for just jamming out? MiRack? Drambo?

I recently bought a case and made a solid rig that is suited for me. I can setup the whole thing literally in less than 2.5 mins at shows or at home. One of the biggest headaches at shows for me has been setting up and wiring my controllers. With this rig, I made it so the controllers are all wired up and setup on one side of the case that flips open. The rig consists of:

1. Akai MPK Mini
2. Launchpad Pro
3. Korg nanoKontol Studio
4. Roland SP404 MKII
5. 4 port powered USB hub
6. And of course, iPad Pro M1

The case is AnalogCases Unison, Performance Edition:
https://analogcases.com/products/unison-performance-edition

With this setup I have all the knobs and buttons I need for that tactile experience. And the SP404 is great because it works as an audio interface as well essentially giving me a sampler, an audio interface, and an effects box, all in one piece of equipment. I can also use the same setup using a laptop simply by replacing the iPad with a laptop.

For apps, I’ve created an iPad shortcut which launches AUM, GR-16, Ampify Launchpad, Drambo, and GeoShred. The M1 has plenty of power to run all these apps at the same time. With the Apple iPad case with keyboard, I can easily control-tab between the apps when performing live. This allows me to seamlessly transition between the songs between these apps. I have all the midi mappings preconfigured for all the apps.

Sometimes I take my Minilogue XD to shows along with this rig. And hooking it up is a breeze. 1 Midi cable goes into the usb hub and 2 1/4 inch audio cables go to SP404’s input.

It’s perfect for me and I just love it now!

That’s a great looking setup and something I plan on doing as well. I’m saving now to buy a 404 to pair with the iPad. Then have that, my Minilab3, and the Korg for fading channels in and out. Looks like a ton of fun

How do you like the Launchpad?

reezygle

@HotStrange said:

@reezygle said:

@HotStrange said:
So one big positive of hardware is how easy it can be to just zone out and jam for hours. Or tweak patches endlessly on a modular rack. With gear like the Volcas, Bastl, POs all have the same sync standard for easily working together, or cv connections with semi-modular synths, etc, endless groovebox options, it’s so easy to simply just…jam out.

On iOS - and ITB in general - it’s usually more focused on the DAW workflow but with apps like Drambo, BAM, iElectribe, (and AUM of course), it’s still totally possible to jam out but you have to be more intentional about it where as with hardware you just turn it on and get going.

So it got me wondering, for those of you who like to create and play live on iOS, what is your go to workflow and apps for just jamming out? MiRack? Drambo?

I recently bought a case and made a solid rig that is suited for me. I can setup the whole thing literally in less than 2.5 mins at shows or at home. One of the biggest headaches at shows for me has been setting up and wiring my controllers. With this rig, I made it so the controllers are all wired up and setup on one side of the case that flips open. The rig consists of:

1. Akai MPK Mini
2. Launchpad Pro
3. Korg nanoKontol Studio
4. Roland SP404 MKII
5. 4 port powered USB hub
6. And of course, iPad Pro M1

The case is AnalogCases Unison, Performance Edition:
https://analogcases.com/products/unison-performance-edition

With this setup I have all the knobs and buttons I need for that tactile experience. And the SP404 is great because it works as an audio interface as well essentially giving me a sampler, an audio interface, and an effects box, all in one piece of equipment. I can also use the same setup using a laptop simply by replacing the iPad with a laptop.

For apps, I’ve created an iPad shortcut which launches AUM, GR-16, Ampify Launchpad, Drambo, and GeoShred. The M1 has plenty of power to run all these apps at the same time. With the Apple iPad case with keyboard, I can easily control-tab between the apps when performing live. This allows me to seamlessly transition between the songs between these apps. I have all the midi mappings preconfigured for all the apps.

Sometimes I take my Minilogue XD to shows along with this rig. And hooking it up is a breeze. 1 Midi cable goes into the usb hub and 2 1/4 inch audio cables go to SP404’s input.

It’s perfect for me and I just love it now!

That’s a great looking setup and something I plan on doing as well. I’m saving now to buy a 404 to pair with the iPad. Then have that, my Minilab3, and the Korg for fading channels in and out. Looks like a ton of fun

How do you like the Launchpad?

Tons of fun indeed. I love the Launchpad Pro. Launchpad Pro and and sp404 are must have devices for me. Launchpad Pro works with some apps out of the box without having to do midi mapping. GR-16 and Ampify LaunchPad are 2 of those apps. If you are thinking about getting one, make sure you get the Launchpad Pro, not the mini or X. For example, GR-16 only supports Launchpad Pro.

wim

@HotStrange said:

@bluegroove said:
I have a Logic template with all my instruments set up with FX sends (a couple Pianoteq tracks, a couple SWAM, and then a few synths). I prefer Logic because I use it like Ableton's Session view with Logic's Live Loop mode. I have a bunch of drum loops already in there, so it's a nice blank slate for laying down new ideas and layering then with live looping.

True! Once I upgrade iPads and have the space again I’m gonna redownload Logic so I can use the live loop mode again. It’s surprisingly good.

Did you ever try GarageBand's live loop mode? It's pretty damn amazing too.
It's hard for me to get myself to use GarageBand, but the live loop mode is a total hidden gem.

animalelder

GarageBand Live Looper is super easy to use and best of all free. I love playing with it. It’s so easy to open the app while sitting on the couch with phone in hand

HotStrange

@reezygle said:

@HotStrange said:

@reezygle said:

@HotStrange said:
So one big positive of hardware is how easy it can be to just zone out and jam for hours. Or tweak patches endlessly on a modular rack. With gear like the Volcas, Bastl, POs all have the same sync standard for easily working together, or cv connections with semi-modular synths, etc, endless groovebox options, it’s so easy to simply just…jam out.

On iOS - and ITB in general - it’s usually more focused on the DAW workflow but with apps like Drambo, BAM, iElectribe, (and AUM of course), it’s still totally possible to jam out but you have to be more intentional about it where as with hardware you just turn it on and get going.

So it got me wondering, for those of you who like to create and play live on iOS, what is your go to workflow and apps for just jamming out? MiRack? Drambo?

I recently bought a case and made a solid rig that is suited for me. I can setup the whole thing literally in less than 2.5 mins at shows or at home. One of the biggest headaches at shows for me has been setting up and wiring my controllers. With this rig, I made it so the controllers are all wired up and setup on one side of the case that flips open. The rig consists of:

1. Akai MPK Mini
2. Launchpad Pro
3. Korg nanoKontol Studio
4. Roland SP404 MKII
5. 4 port powered USB hub
6. And of course, iPad Pro M1

The case is AnalogCases Unison, Performance Edition:
https://analogcases.com/products/unison-performance-edition

With this setup I have all the knobs and buttons I need for that tactile experience. And the SP404 is great because it works as an audio interface as well essentially giving me a sampler, an audio interface, and an effects box, all in one piece of equipment. I can also use the same setup using a laptop simply by replacing the iPad with a laptop.

For apps, I’ve created an iPad shortcut which launches AUM, GR-16, Ampify Launchpad, Drambo, and GeoShred. The M1 has plenty of power to run all these apps at the same time. With the Apple iPad case with keyboard, I can easily control-tab between the apps when performing live. This allows me to seamlessly transition between the songs between these apps. I have all the midi mappings preconfigured for all the apps.

Sometimes I take my Minilogue XD to shows along with this rig. And hooking it up is a breeze. 1 Midi cable goes into the usb hub and 2 1/4 inch audio cables go to SP404’s input.

It’s perfect for me and I just love it now!

That’s a great looking setup and something I plan on doing as well. I’m saving now to buy a 404 to pair with the iPad. Then have that, my Minilab3, and the Korg for fading channels in and out. Looks like a ton of fun

How do you like the Launchpad?

Tons of fun indeed. I love the Launchpad Pro. Launchpad Pro and and sp404 are must have devices for me. Launchpad Pro works with some apps out of the box without having to do midi mapping. GR-16 and Ampify LaunchPad are 2 of those apps. If you are thinking about getting one, make sure you get the Launchpad Pro, not the mini or X. For example, GR-16 only supports Launchpad Pro.

I was actually looking at the mini so I’m glad you said that! Doesn’t the Pro sequence external gear also or am I confused?

I use Launchpad quite a bit which is one of the main reasons I want one. Have you tried it with Logics live looper at all?

If it’s not too much to ask, I’m curious how exactly you’re using everything in tandem?

HotStrange

@wim said:

@HotStrange said:

@bluegroove said:
I have a Logic template with all my instruments set up with FX sends (a couple Pianoteq tracks, a couple SWAM, and then a few synths). I prefer Logic because I use it like Ableton's Session view with Logic's Live Loop mode. I have a bunch of drum loops already in there, so it's a nice blank slate for laying down new ideas and layering then with live looping.

True! Once I upgrade iPads and have the space again I’m gonna redownload Logic so I can use the live loop mode again. It’s surprisingly good.

Did you ever try GarageBand's live loop mode? It's pretty damn amazing too.
It's hard for me to get myself to use GarageBand, but the live loop mode is a total hidden gem.

I have! And yeah it’s fantastic. Especially for free. Plus you can use the very very VERY many included loops as well. I’m not sure if GB has less than Logic but both come with a metric ton of loops to use. If I wasn’t so keen to try Logics mastering assistant I’d just keep GB and not worry about Logic as much

klownshed

@HotStrange said:

@klownshed said:
BlocsWave. On my phone.

I will jam out individual loops/stems in any number of apps. I may just spend half an hour with a single drum machine app for example.

Or I might jam with a bit of hardware like a Circuit or PO-32.

But BlocsWave is where I like to put it all together. I have it loaded with loads of loops I’ve made over the years and every now and put them together in ways I’d never intended originally.

I often get interesting results when I use loops at wildly different tempos and let BlocsWave transpose it too. Nice and grungy.

Occasionally a new song will get started but it’s fun to just play back stuff I’m working on too. I often export stems of current tracks to BlocsWave when I’m stuck with an arrangement and having a lightweight instant way to play back what I’m working on where I can piece chunks together is fantastic.

I use it exclusively with my own loops.

Blocs Wave (and actually all 3 Ampify apps) are basically idea generation stations. I use all 3 quite often.

They’re perfect iPhone apps. One of the best things about Blocs for me is it’s so blinking fast to get into. There really is no friction.

If I’m getting an arrangement idea from jamming in blocs I will export to Launchpad which makes playing a more or less complete song arrangement back even easier.

And then blocs can export all your stems ready time stretched and transposed which makes it easy to dump them all in you DAW and get things finished.

BlocsWave ended up being my gateway back into making music after a married-with-kids type break.

HotStrange

@klownshed said:

@HotStrange said:

@klownshed said:
BlocsWave. On my phone.

I will jam out individual loops/stems in any number of apps. I may just spend half an hour with a single drum machine app for example.

Or I might jam with a bit of hardware like a Circuit or PO-32.

But BlocsWave is where I like to put it all together. I have it loaded with loads of loops I’ve made over the years and every now and put them together in ways I’d never intended originally.

I often get interesting results when I use loops at wildly different tempos and let BlocsWave transpose it too. Nice and grungy.

Occasionally a new song will get started but it’s fun to just play back stuff I’m working on too. I often export stems of current tracks to BlocsWave when I’m stuck with an arrangement and having a lightweight instant way to play back what I’m working on where I can piece chunks together is fantastic.

I use it exclusively with my own loops.

Blocs Wave (and actually all 3 Ampify apps) are basically idea generation stations. I use all 3 quite often.

They’re perfect iPhone apps. One of the best things about Blocs for me is it’s so blinking fast to get into. There really is no friction.

If I’m getting an arrangement idea from jamming in blocs I will export to Launchpad which makes playing a more or less complete song arrangement back even easier.

And then blocs can export all your stems ready time stretched and transposed which makes it easy to dump them all in you DAW and get things finished.

BlocsWave ended up being my gateway back into making music after a married-with-kids type break.

Exactly. Being able to match the BPM and key or change the BPM and key of your sample is such a killer feature too. So you can chop samples and start making music with one less big thing to worry about.

Another thing I love about Launchpad (and BW) is the sample import and mixing that with the built in loops. Taking all of my weird drones and noodles and combining that with the (really amazing quality) drum and bass loops+one shot fx sounds and using the built in performance effects on top of that can lead to some really cool experiments.

Launchpad especially has some really cool experimental sample packs that fit perfectly with dark ambient and noisy drones. I’m honestly surprised I don’t see it used in experimental set ups more often. I’m glad someone else understands how cool these apps are lol. There’s a reason why Launchpad is one of the only subscriptions I’m happy to pay for.

Simon

@HotStrange said:
Launchpad especially has some really cool experimental sample packs that fit perfectly with dark ambient and noisy drones.

And Launchpad packs are automatically added to the list of packs in Blocs Wave. Buy 1 pack and you can use it in 2 apps.

HotStrange

@Simon said:

@HotStrange said:
Launchpad especially has some really cool experimental sample packs that fit perfectly with dark ambient and noisy drones.

And Launchpad packs are automatically added to the list of packs in Blocs Wave. Buy 1 pack and you can use it in 2 apps.

Yep this too! And then if you take them to blocs wave and make a project you can export that BACK to Launchpad to perform and record. Really great stuff.

BroCoast

Drambo & Loopy Pro.

Usually Loopy Pro as host because of it’s controller building and slick routing.

necrobyte

Don't have a fixed setup but for barebone I use AUM, Scaler 2, any Lumbeat perc (future drummer in most cases) and GeoShred. Any other fx and instruments would rely on the listed above tools.

michael_m

I don’t really have a go-to. Often I’ll find something I like with one app, connect the iPad to a hub, then play something with a keyboard and/or LaunchPad. The piano is right next to my keyboards, so sometimes I’ll improve on that, or pick up one of the other instruments I play.

vdk_john

I also don't have a "default" solution yet, but wanted to mention KQ Sampei here as it's becoming a cornerstone for me, especially now that I'm trying to also have a minimal setup on my phone (not just on iPad)

The key features for me are:

• good and lightweight built in general midi sounds (the app is less than 20MB!)
• cloud sync of presets (iCloud)
• Sf3 files support

This makes it imho perfect for sketching and sharing projects between phone and tablet rather than having to install multiple AUv3 instruments on multiple devices

Edit:
The above is somewhat tricky for me as I’m trying to use “non-electronic” sounds / instruments (still MIDI though) for sketching purposes. So as a practical example, I made this Drambo template with basically just KQ Sampei and an amp sim: rock / metal Drambo template - appreciate this is an unusual use case; will create another thread in case someone is interested :-)

Slam_Cut

For a short jam session when I’m out and about with just the iPhone, I still like the quick and simple: Thumb Jam or Bebot.

ecou

I am surprised I dont see more iBassist mentioned. It is a great tool for jamming I been discovering it since it went auv3.

I had bought it but never learned it because it was IAA only.

scrape

Drambo or AUM normally then try out some apps that feel like they might lead somewhere. I sometimes seek to face down the apps I’m most afraid of. I spend a couple of hours with them, learn as much as I can, jam, screen record, then see them again in a month or so. Eventually you get to know them pretty well without getting overwhelmed. It’s how I work on an album too. Write as much as possible then go round and round, cycling through the projects, whittling them down as I arrange and develop. I need to be working on lots of different tracks at one time otherwise I get bogged down. Saying that, it’s a long and slow process but one I’m happy with. Screen record has been very liberating I have to say. I quite often jam on a solitary old IAA to make sample fodder.

HotStrange

@Slam_Cut said:
For a short jam session when I’m out and about with just the iPhone, I still like the quick and simple: Thumb Jam or Bebot.

Bebot is a classic! I still use it too

HotStrange

@ecou said:
I am surprised I dont see more iBassist mentioned. It is a great tool for jamming I been discovering it since it went auv3.

I had bought it but never learned it because it was IAA only.

That’s starting to become a big one for me as well. That and all the drummer apps (but especially Future and HipHop)

HotStrange

@scrape said:
Drambo or AUM normally then try out some apps that feel like they might lead somewhere. I sometimes seek to face down the apps I’m most afraid of. I spend a couple of hours with them, learn as much as I can, jam, screen record, then see them again in a month or so. Eventually you get to know them pretty well without getting overwhelmed. It’s how I work on an album too. Write as much as possible then go round and round, cycling through the projects, whittling them down as I arrange and develop. I need to be working on lots of different tracks at one time otherwise I get bogged down. Saying that, it’s a long and slow process but one I’m happy with. Screen record has been very liberating I have to say. I quite often jam on a solitary old IAA to make sample fodder.

If you haven’t tried it, Trinity is great for quick mastering of screen recorded jams! I love it.

HotStrange

@vdk_john said:
I also don't have a "default" solution yet, but wanted to mention KQ Sampei here as it's becoming a cornerstone for me, especially now that I'm trying to also have a minimal setup on my phone (not just on iPad)

The key features for me are:

• good and lightweight built in general midi sounds (the app is less than 20MB!)
• cloud sync of presets (iCloud)
• Sf3 files support

This makes it imho perfect for sketching and sharing projects between phone and tablet rather than having to install multiple AUv3 instruments on multiple devices

Edit:
The above is somewhat tricky for me as I’m trying to use “non-electronic” sounds / instruments (still MIDI though) for sketching purposes. So as a practical example, I made this Drambo template with basically just KQ Sampei and an amp sim: rock / metal Drambo template - appreciate this is an unusual use case; will create another thread in case someone is interested :-)

If I didn’t already have AudioLayer and Bs-16 I’d definitely get the KQ app. It looks really great

HotStrange

@michael_m said:
I don’t really have a go-to. Often I’ll find something I like with one app, connect the iPad to a hub, then play something with a keyboard and/or LaunchPad. The piano is right next to my keyboards, so sometimes I’ll improve on that, or pick up one of the other instruments I play.

What kind of piano is it? Upright or electric?

lasselu

@Gavinski said:
I don't tend to make much use of templates but that seems the obvious way to go: set up an AUM session, for example, that has everything you need ready to go. A few instruments, a few fx you particularly like on individual channels / master bus, a keyboard / piano roll / clip launcher etc you like, all pre-routed intelligently so there is minimal friction between opening the session and starting to make music.

That pretty much describes my approach...I have a template with a few MIDI generators (Particles and some of the Buds), a instance of Atom 2, some fx (can't do Ambient without Alteza) and a master bus...
I then add whatever synth I feel like at that moment and then while away the hours...

mojozart

apeMatrix for starters, of course

and Looperator for afters