WAY COOL TOOLS

published by Dino on Sun, 02/14/2016 - 08:50

Traveling with Electronics :  Way Cool Tools

 

.....a pre-release look at AUM by Kymatica 

 

 

                                                              

KYMATICA - AUM - in beta - should drop within a month - this will be essential  

If you are doing music on the iOS platform you have two "essential" apps on your iPad - AudioBus by Michael Tyson and AudioShare by Jonatan Liljedahl - (if you don't it's time to wake up and smell the code). "These two apps are the work-flow of iOS" and these are two of the most respected developers in the world of music apps.

When I was presented with the opportunity to beta test Jonatan's new iOS mixer app called AUM, I did not hesitate.....and the interaction with him has been a pleasure.

AUM is a flexible audio mixer, plug in host, and recorder 

* Sample-Accurate transport clock 

* Ableton Link

* AudioBus (state saving) and IAA compatible 

* Flexible routing and sub mix ability (add as many channels as your CPU allows)

* Latency compensation 

* Effects can be pre/post fader

* Built in effects processing with multiple options for - Dynamics - Stereo Processing -   Filters & EQ's - plus plug in support for Audio Units (iOS9)

* Recording bit depths : 16 - 24 - 32

* Supports multi-channel audio interfaces 

* Each record enabled track will be recorded as a separate file into AudioShare         If you want to record a mix or a sub mix - set up a mix bus and enable that track

* Built in midi keyboard - midi matrix - midi control (NN - CC - MMC) 

* Unique and Powerful File Player (play any file from your AudioShare Library)

 

When loop & sync are on, in the File Player menu, the file is synced to the transport. 

By double tapping on the value tab of the file you can set the value to fractions of the beat - if there were 4 beats in the file and you set the value to 4.5 - it would loop every 4 quarter notes plus 1 eighth note (9/8).

This opens up amazing possibilities for both polyrhythmic loop juggling and precise  time phasing (ex: three instances of the same 4 beat loop, one set to 4.00 one set to 3.99 and one set to 4.01) - now that is a cool tool!  

 

February 24th AUM is live - get it now for 50% off - because you will get it! 

 

The first thing you notice is the clean, minimal elegance of the interface - with slide over menus giving access to deeper levels of control without cluttering up the screen

Here's a set up using a scarlett 2i2 audio interface and an mpk mini controller 

(I have been beta testing pre-release versions of AUM on an iPad 4 running iOS 8.2)

Chan 1 - SAMPLR is in the input slot of AudioBus so I can live sample from the 2i2 - the output slot in AudiBus is AUM which brings it up as AUM channel 1 - *note* I have the record button available on the AudioBus control strip so I can live sample with Samplr in the background.
 
Chan 2 - LOOPY HD (Link enabled) is also going through AudioBus (two streams - one stream is output 1 from AUM in the input slot and loopy in the output slot - the second stream is loopy in the input slot and AUM in the output slot which brings it up as AUM channel 2 with AUFX SPACE in AUM's effects slot.
 
Chan 3 - SAMPLE TANK (i'm into the miroslav philharmonik samples right now) is AUM channel 3 via IAA - it has a saturator in the first effects slot and a pre-fader send going to another (off screen) AUM input routed to AUM output 1 - feeding the loopy stream in AudioBus - I am playing sample tank via the mpk mini keys and doing recording and playback in loopy via the mpk mini pads - all in the background.
 
Chan 4 - FILE PLAYER - with loop on and sync on - playing a seven beat drum loop.
 
 
This is just one test set-up designed to be used in a performance situation where the ability to live sample into one app while playing another app and live looping that with another must all happen transparently in the moment.....AUM does this flawlessly! 
 
There is so much going on in this app with so much flexibility and possibility for using it in numerous situations (I have barely scratched the surface) - I really think that you will hit the limitations of your CPU long before you find any limitations in this app. 
 
This Brilliant app fills a gap in the iOS workflow and like AudioBus and AudioShare it is going to expand the functionality of every app you use in your creative process.
 
AUM is going to become another essential part of the iOS production workflow
 Sketching : Pre-Production : Capture/Construction : Recording : Performance 
 
 
 
 
 
FIGURE 53 - GOBUTTON - (run a multi-layered sound design on an iPad)

       

My experience with theatrical sound design goes all the way back to the 1975 (that would be the actual year not the band), when you had to run cues from multiple reel to reel and cassette machines to achieve a layered sound design. Now, In these ultra modern times, if you are designing for theater you are sure to be familiar with QLab by figure 53 (if you aren't, you should be). From the same company, comes a mobile version called - Go Button - another way cool tool for you to check out.

I have been looking for something that can fit in-between what can be done with a sampler and what can be done with a DAW, when you are working in a real time performance situation where you need to juggle beat based cues, ambience based cues and text based cues that need to follow a timeline and be able to over ride that timeline based on visual events and the breath of actors or dancers - this is it! 

 

 

UVI - BEATHAWK - (a fast and focused tool for realizing ideas in the moment)

   

I pulled your tail about this killing music production app last year shortly after NAMM, and I've grown very fond of it as an all-in-one tool. If you have access to the February 2016 print edition of Recording Magazine or happen to have an on-line subscription, be sure to check out my review of the the fabulous BEATHAWK by UVI.

 

 

KINGSTON - MOBILELITE WIRELESS G2 - (a swiss army knife for data transfer)

                    

Clearly, the weakest area for the iPad, as a serious music production device, is the issue of storing and transferring large numbers of audio files. Fortunately, for those of us who choose not to drink the cloud kool-aid, there is a very inexpensive and very clever solution from a company called Kingston - The MobileLite Wireless G2 - another way cool tool to add to your rig.  

 

 

: App Developers have turned a consumption device into a creative tool : 

 

* iOS 7.1.2 is super solid on my iPad 2 and I have no issues with any of the apps running on it

* iOS 8.4.1 - I missed the (safe) window to update so my iPad 4 is still on 8.2, but running fine

* iOS 9.2 "the big slow down" - latency issues with audio interfaces - 5 months since release

The only way to opt out of Apple's "involuntary public beta test program" is to turn off automatic updates and pay attention to the music app forums until it is clear that it is in fact safe to update remember.....you can't go back! 

  

 

tiny rig - electric ukulele (slammi-50g-ditto) - ipad (nanokey) - infinity looper 

  

I'm going to leave you with some music : my trio with

Farrell Lowe, guitar & Evan Mazunik, keyboard 

until next month then.....safe travels.....dino