Auria 48-Track Audio Recorder For iPad Now Available – Here Are The Details

Auria 48-track audio recorder for iPad

WaveMachine Labs has announced that Auria – the 48-track digital audio recording system for iPad – is now available.

We’ve got screen captures, full specifications, the official demo video and some exclusive details from Auria’s developer.

Auria has generated a lot of buzz since its introduction at the 2012 NAMM Show. Auria is a 48-track digital recording system, designed from the ground up for the iPad. Offering advanced features like AAF import/export, and third-party plugin support from names like PSPaudioware, Overloud, Fab Filter and Drumagog, Auria challenges people’s notions of what you can do with an iPad.

Highlights:

  • Up to 48 tracks of simultaneous playback of stereo or mono files.
  • Up to 24 tracks of simultaneous recording
  • Supports sample rates of 44.1KHz, 48KHz and 96KHz
  • Third party VST effect plugin support available via in-app purchase (only iOS-version plugins are supported. All plugins must be purchased through the in-app store)
  • 8 Assignable subgroups and 2 aux sends
  • Powerful waveform editor
  • Full automation

We knew a lot of readers would be interested in Auria, so we checked with developer Rim Buntinas, founder of WaveMachine Labs, to find out more and to get some of our questions answered:

Synthtopia: How does WaveMachine Labs ‘position’ Auria. What’s the customer need that Auria is targeting?

Rim Buntinas: We’ve designed Auria to be both easy to use and powerful at the same time. So we hope Auria will appeal to both audio professionals and home recording enthusiasts.

Auria’s got high-end features like a 64-bit mixing engine, AAF import and export, and third party plugin support. At the same time, a beginner can record enable a track, press record and begin recording right away.

Synthtopia: What sort of scenarios has Auria been tested with – or what sorts of things have beta testers been doing with Auria?

Rim Buntinas: Our beta testers have used Auria in all sorts of scenarios.

Some have recorded full bands at venues, using multichannel USB interfaces. Others have recorded at home, in churches, and even mixed on tour busses.

A few of our testers are video professionals, and have used Auria’s optional video import feature to sync music they’ve created on Auria to a scene.

Synthtopia: We’re amazed that Auria can run 48 tracks on an iPad. Will Auria work with the first generation iPad. If so, what can the iPad 1 handle with Auria?

Rim Buntinas: Auria works with all iPad models, but we highly recommend an iPad 2 or later. iPad 3 is best, due to it’s larger amount of RAM

On an iPad 1, Auria’s track count is reduced to 24, with only 4 subgroups (instead of 8), 96Khz sample rates are not available, and the GUI updates are more sluggish on larger projects (the iPad 1 only has a single core processor).

Synthtopia: What can you tell me about workflows with Auria? What options are there for moving projects back and forth to desktop computers?

Rim Buntinas: Auria has an extensive import and export capability.

It imports WAV, AIF, MP3 and AAF files (AAF allows you to move entire sessions from other DAWs like Pro Tools, Logic and Nuendo, including automation and edits).

For moving files in and our of Auria, we support DropBox, SoundCloud, and Audio Copy/Paste. iTunes file sharing is also supported.

Since iTunes file sharing doesn’t allow folders to be copied, Auria gets around this limitation by supporting zip files. You zip up a folder and drop it onto iTunes. Auria automatically uncompresses it when it receives it.

Synthtopia: Are there future plans or a timetable for additional features that you can share? What’s at the top of the list?

Rim Buntinas: Since Auria supports a special iOS version of VST plug-ins, we’re in talks with several plug-in vendors at the moment. You’re likely to see more great plug-ins becoming available in the near future. MIDI support is also something on our list for a future version, along with virtual instrument plug-ins.

Read on for screenshots, full specifications, a demo video and more!

Features:

  • 48 tracks of simultaneous playback of stereo or mono files. (24 tracks on iPad 1)
  • Up to 24 tracks of simultaneous recording when used with compatible USB audio interfaces (Camera Connection Kit required)
  • Supports sample rates of 44.1KHz, 48KHz and 96KHz (iPad 1 supports only 44.1KHz and 48KHz)
  • Vintage-inspired ChannelStrip on every channel by PSPAudioware includes Expander, Multiband EQ and Compressor
  • MasterStrip on all subgroup and master channels featuring PSPAudioware BussPressor, EQ and Mastering Limiter
  • 64 bit double-precision floating point mixing engine
  • Third party VST effect plugin support available via in-app purchase (only iOS-version plugins are supported. All plugins must be purchased through the in-app store)
  • AAF import and export allows transferring complete sessions between popular DAWs like Logic, Pro Tools, Nuendo, Samplitude and more
  • Convolution reverb plugin with included IR library
  • ClassicVerb reverb plugin included
  • StereoDelay and StereoChorus plugins included
  • ReTune plugin included for auto pitch correction of vocals
  • 8 Assignable subgroups and 2 aux sends
  • Powerful waveform editor with features like cut/copy/paste, crossfade, duplicate, separate, gain, normalize, dc offset, reverse, and more
  • Flexible snapping tools allow snapping to events, cursor, bars, beats and more
  • DropBox, SoundCloud and Audio Copy/Paste support
  • Track freeze for minimizing CPU usage
  • Full automation support on all controls with graphical editing
  • True 100mm faders when used in Portrait Mode
  • Optional video import feature allows sample accurate sync of video to an Auria project with adjustable offset times and video export capability
  • Timeline ruler options include minutes:seconds, bars:beats, samples and SMPTE time
  • Auto-punch mode
  • WIST support for wireless syncing of other compatible music apps
  • AuriaLink allows two iPads running Auria to play and record in sync, allowing for 96 tracks of playback and 48 tracks of recording
  • Full delay compensation on all tracks, subgroups, and aux sends
  • Adjustable metering modes, including pre or post fader, RMS and peak
  • Adjustable pan laws
  • Sample accurate loop function
  • Automatic sample rate conversion
  • Built-in metronome
  • Auria includes a demo song mixed by David Kahne

Here’s the official intro video for Auria from NAMM:

Here’s producer David Kahne offering his thoughts on Auria:

FInally, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the Auria demo song, tracked entirely on an iPad:

Tracks recorded via Camera Connection Kit and Presonus 1818VSL. Guitar overdubs via Apogee Jam.

Requirements:

  • iPad 2 or later recommended.
  • Compatible with all iPad models (iPad 1 has only 24 tracks, 44.1KHz and 48 KHz)
  • Requires iOS 5.0 or later
  • USB audio interfaces require Camera Connection Kit. A list of tested interfaces is available at the Auria site.

Auria is available now in the App Store for $49.99. See the WaveMachine Labs site for more details.

If you’ve used Auria, let us know what you think of it!

Update: We’ve posted an Auria review video.

114 thoughts on “Auria 48-Track Audio Recorder For iPad Now Available – Here Are The Details

    1. Technically, it’s more on par with a mid-90s ProTools system. I had a Pro Tools 3 nubus system in the early 90s, and this software on an iPad 1 does far more.

  1. I’m excited by this, but will be waiting for some reviews.

    The $49.99 price gets you started, but there are also over $120 worth of in app purchases available ranging from 5.99 to 29.99 so when maxed out this gets in the range of full DAW prices.

      1. Since the company has said they are considering MIDI, and it already has (custom) VST, I think “never happen” is not that accurate.

        1. I meant VSTi’s will never happen on IOS, I guess its just a matter of time for MIDI.

          I’m much prefer to be able to use the VST’s I already own, the only “custom” thing about these VST is that they will be available in the Appstore, in reality they are similar to their plugin version.

          Looking at how little VST developpers jumped on IOS (Except IK and NI), I wouldn’t expect too many of them to join Auria.

  2. I know it’s wrong but somehow increasing app prices also increase my desire to jailbreak my ipad. I am willing to pay current average prices out of pure laziness. Am I the only one who feels this way?

    1. Yeah, I understand and appreciate the hard work put in to creating this app but considering that this developer is delivering the product 2 months later than they said you’d think the price would have been dropped a hell of a lot more!

      Can’t warrant spending $50 for an app when I can get something like Mulitrack DAW for about $20, that’s with the 24 track in-app purchase.

      1. it amazes me the self entitlement people have today. putting an app two months later then scheduled (unofficially actually, since no exact date was given) has no relation to the price. how could it have? yes it is more pricy but none of use have any idea of the effort put into this groundbreaking app. man, internet crowd annoys more me by the day. fucking reminds me of a monty python sketch.

        1. If you had been tracking this apps release you would know that it was officially given a MAY release date!

          Get your facts straight!

          And ‘use’ is not plural for ‘you’!

  3. i bought this morning and had a tinker on my commute this morning. it’s a bit slow on iPad 1, but otherwise it’s astonishing. Multitrack DAW is super slick and quite a bit cheaper, but this thing comes with more processing, better routing, and a more familiar interface. Meteor with all the plugins is a similar price, and while it has a couple of instruments built in, the UI is a dog.

    This “feels” more like a desktop DAW. The UI is totally intuitive to any one used to protools, logic or cubase , and the built in effects are superior to anything else out there, and again, totally familiar When MIDI and instruments come, this thing will be the standard to beat.

    I mean, $50 for (in my case on my ancient iPad 1) 24 stereo tracks, a decent eq and compressor on every channel, a decent eq compressor / limiter on the output, a familiar and intuitive UI, a couple of decent effects (delay, chorus, and convolution reverb) and the possibility of expansion? That, my friends, is a bargain.

  4. First and foremost this is NOT A DAW! So stop calling it one. It is a 48 track recorder! Which is a nice addition to the app store but you have to pretty thick this would be your best option for mobile recording. How you record 24 tracks simultaneously on an ipad is beyond me. Most users would be better off buying some 350$ off the shelf laptop, reaper, a cheap USB audio interface, and use free vst plugs. The ipad is much better suited for intuitive multitouch control instruments or controllers.

    1. Yes but try using your field recorder to process audio.. I mean this app is the first one that actually has usable effects. (brickwall? Where else?) And the laptop etc. wont be much cheaper, or always reliable. And why reaper?? Is it better than ableton or logic? Sounds like personal prefs to me?

      1. I chose reaper because its the cheapest option, as in free, and can do unlimited tracking. Since you asked, my personal preference is ableton. But this app isn’t in the same league as ableton. My point was ipad + this + multitrack interface (which isn’t even available for the ipad) will be pricier and much less effective than cheap laptop + cheap interface + cheap real daw …

        1. Usb class compliant devices will work. There are a few models with multitrack capability. So lets say you get ipad wifi 16gig + auria + tascam us600 = about 700 bucks? Ok if you get cheap lappy and same interface you end up at 500 and have more options. I agree with your point, its up to the user.
          Btw my personal pref is ableton too.

        2. reaper free? again, way to support the developers and a business model based on ethics and moral. again. let me guess. you buy your stuff at piratebay. fyi there are quite a few multich. interfaces for the ios. get a clue.

    2. DAW – digital audio workstation
      It certainly is by definition.
      Man I feel bad for wavemachine labs when they have to start fielding ignorant stabs like this.

  5. It looks like it would be a great field recorder, but it needs MIDI to be a full-on DAW in my opinion.

    But anyone who thinks this is “just like a cassette 4-track” is smoking tape, and probably never had the joy of bouncing three tape tracks down to a fourth…

  6. Utterly fail to understand how this even works for live recording as mentioned in the write up – given that the current iOS only supports 1 stereo/2 mono input, LOL.

    1. for fuck sake it´s as much as night out drinking. moderatly. how about supporting a innovative independent developers?

          1. And so far its worth the price. For what im doing, i will be needing the pro Q though, so thats another 30 bucks. Wellwell. Def blows meteor and multitrack out of the water in terms of functionality.

      1. Did someone just wake-up from a coma? Multitrack recording on a computer has been out for a while now and is not the slightest bit innovative. Also no one is supporting my ass for being independent.

    2. I think the price is reasonable considering it’s more professional appeal. I.e., some apps have a more universal appeal (wider user-base = lower price); while more specialized apps like this won’t have the same volume of downloads.

      Ordinarily, in-app purchases bother me – first because I don’t like seeing elements in the interface that I can’t use, and second because it often feels a little like a scam. But in this case, it looks like that are getting really pro-level 3rd party plugs– which will make this a more powerful app.

      Folks who are pi$$y about the price can consider the resources that go into developing an app like this- which boils down to VERY skilled people devoting tons of time. They they have to determine a price point based on projected sales to cover their expenses. I don’t know about how those calculations are made.

  7. It’s also fucking annoying that the demo video is merely eye candy review and doesn’t follow the soundtrack. ffs.

  8. Midi and vsti’s will be great, but I find myself using audio clips more and more these days. This is a great app. I hope audiobus gets approved!

  9. My question is; can this record from other IOS instruments like Sunriser or Addictive Synth with automation like an ordenary VST? That is what I am waiting for.

    1. It looks like it is currently possible if the other app can either copy to pasteboard, or export to Dropbox or soundcloud, or any type of export. Wow, this app has a lot of import export possibilities.

  10. FYI, we’ve posted two new videos. One with a behind the scenes look at how we recorded the demo song (using Auria), and another one with David Kahne talking about Auria.

    “Recording the Auria Demo Song – The Approach”:http://youtu.be/7jv6gXnRyNI

    “David Kahne talks about Auria”: http://youtu.be/D-83I1z96hI

    Auria does indeed support multichannel I/O. We recorded the demo using an 18-input interface connected directly into Auria through the Apple camera connection kit.

    1. Thanks for the feedback, Rim!

      I added these to the post – the videos do a good job of demonstrating how it works and how you envision musicians using it.

  11. I don’t think that this software is designed for field recordings 😉
    The list of supported interfaces is currently not too long :

    PreSonus AudioBox 1818VSL
    Up to 18 inputs
    Requires powered USB Hub

    RME Fireface UCX
    Up to 8 inputs

    Focusrite Scarlett 18i6
    Up to 18 inputs

    Focusrite Scarlett 8i6
    Up to 6 inputs

    Tascam US-800
    Up to 8 inputs
    All mic inputs are always on, and full volume, when monitoring through the unit
    In our testing, we found it easy to clip the unit’s outputs, and so we recommend allowing for additional headroom when mixing

    Phonic Firefly 808 Universal
    Up to 8 inputs (analog inputs only)
    Requires powered USB Hub

    Alesis iO Dock
    Up to 2 inputs
    Charges iPad while connected

  12. Well nice to see whats possible BUT

    Why buy an expensive IPad 3 when you can have a very good pc, laptop for making music for that money?

    I think this only makes sence for Ipad users who are on tour with their stems they made on a real daw, premixing and then export again to a real daw.

    1. ipad is a better interface for music than pc. 🙂
      if i sit at a pc i feel like a computer program. ipad sits better in a pile of instruments. (imo)

  13. Wow, the crazies are out on force on this one. Let’s review….

    A 48 track stereo recorder (so, actually 96 tracks in old money) is like a 4 track?

    This is not a daw? Uhhh, yeah it is. Look up daw. Just because it doesn’t have midi and instruments doesn’t mean it’s not a daw. The clue is in the acronym . D A as in digital audio. there were daws loooong before there was vst and software instruments.

    It’s expensive? Compared to what? My upgrade to pt hd 10 cost 500 pounds. Yes, the upgrade.

    Get a $350 laptop and reaper, which is a “proper” daw? Ahahahahahahaha. Reaper…..I’m still chuckling about that one.

    Only stereo in / out on iOS…uhhh, no.

    But basically, as someone (spot on) said earlier it’s the music dummies. If you don’t want to make / record music with this, don’t. If you do, do.

    I already am and it’s awesome.

    What a bunch of ******************************.

    (Personal attack deleted by admin – please keep comments constructive and on topic)

    1. Swarmboy – you had me nodding my head until you started with the name calling. Does anybody need that?

      Let’s give the developer credit for making a serious app and pushing the envelope – and recognize that it’s going to cost something to develop and maintain.

      And if a $50 app is pricey to you, you’re probably not the audience for an app like this. If you’ve got basic needs, there are apps out there that will probably do what you need. GarageBand will let you do basic recording and MIDI and it’s dirt cheap.

      For anybody doing any serious recording, though, $50 is nothing if it buys you reliability, saves you time or just gives you redundancy.

      1. my apologies. you’re quite right of course, but really, why is everyone so cross? these people have poured months of time into a (for the platform) pretty awesome thing and people are just complaining and complaining, like they’re personally affronted that someone has the audacity to charge all of £35 for an app?

    2. Reaper makes you laugh? Well, you may think I’m an idiot, but Sound On Sound, Electronic Musician, Computer Music, and Music Radar reviewers were all duly impressed. It does quite a lot quite well for such an inexpensive program.

      Now if someone already has an iPad for some reason, and are doing a lot of recording where battery life and an extra couple pounds is of paramount importance (field recording perhaps), I’m sure this is quite keen.

      I was commenting on the all-in cost (in a snarky way, intended to rankle, which it did). That all-in cost quite a lot relative to what you get, unless your specific use case is one where the three things the iPad is good at (touch,weight,battery life — and UI for SOME people) outweigh all the rest.

      Sure, it’s a lot of nice work by talented people. But there are other options which may be better for vast numbers of use cases. Since I was being a jack about how I stated that, fair play to do it back, but the point still stands.

      1. I absolutely do not think you’re an idiot. You’re making music and reading synthtopia which means we’re basically on the same team. My “whiny idiots” comment earlier was more a general feeling of frustration at people’s seeming anger that someone’s developed a £35 app, and the usual volley of “wealthy hipsters with iPads”, “iOS is a toy” stuff that follows, together with basic factual errors about what the platform is capable of.

        Reaper, well, i dunno. Whatever works for you. Probably is great, and i shouldn’t laugh, but my blood was up (i really need to drink less coffee). I don’t really read the reviews in SOS, FM, etc, because they never really criticise anything except in terms of price, and most of their reviewers aren’t people who make music for living but rather people who write about people who do. so maybe it is great. Never seen it used by anyone i know or work with, but had a tinker and it wasn’t for me.

  14. People aren’t complaining about the $50 itself. The $50 price point is reasonable if that was it. But this is a platform for sales, and the ultimate price to get what you want will really be hundreds of dollars by the time you buy a bunch of plug ins. For some this is reasonable. For others, it’s exactly what iPad music apps have liberated them from. It’s also very “traditional” in it’s approach to giving you a lot of tracks to record things “outside” the box, and not much else, and many musicians have other needs. Even though it’s technically impressive, this is not going to be an app for all people.

    1. That’s pretty much what the developer said – “we hope Auria will appeal to both audio professionals and home recording enthusiasts.”

      This seems like it will be a great option for bands wanting to record on location. Patch the audio outs of your mixer into the audio interface and go. No hard drives performance or reliability problems to deal with.

      1. No performance or reliability problems?

        Do you actually use an iOS device? Sorry, but while they’re very well designed devices for what they are they’re far from problem free, and they have very limited performance.

        1. I said “No hard drives performance or reliability problems to deal with.”

          But my iPad has been extremely reliable. I’ve never once had to reboot it in 2 years, which I can’t say for either my PCs or my Mac.

          I think the use of SSD for storage is one of the reasons why.

    2. It seems like about the same thing as Propellerhead Reason add-ons or VST’s in general. If it does what you want out of the box, great, but it’s nice to be able to add on stuff you want without having to pay for everything.

  15. I’ve spent more money in one night on sushi. Or beer. Or weed. Fuck I’ve spent more money on a pair of pants. Which didn’t take a team of people months of developing and beta testing and troubleshooting to create.

    I seriously think you are all a bunch of ************************.

    (Personal attack deleted. Please keep comments constructive and on topic).

    1. You are using flawed logic. $50 buys a whole lot of music software on an iPad, so just because you like to blow $50 on anything under the sun doesn’t make someone’s software a value proposition for everyone across the board. It’s like the dumb arguments in the mid 90s where some brick and mortar wants you to pay $1000 more the same keyboard from him rather than buy it online. Sure, he needs to pay for rent and lights, but why should we? The need was on him to stay competitive, and the market has proven that out. Also, relative prices really, really matter. You should read up on economics and human psychology before you make any more jackass comments.

      If you are recording live stuff, this daw is for you, and is clearly the best option by far. For those who do a lot of in the box stuff, it’s offers almost nothing, and does so at a premium price.

    2. I wish more people had this perspective! The average app costs less than a roll of duct tape or a cappucino and it gets used for weeks or months. People should just move on if it’s “out of price range”, rather than “ransoming” the app in the ratings until the rating crashes and the price comes down. The idea that you can make up for infinitesimal prices with infinite volume (or in-app purchase nagging, or advertising) also implies that you can’t build anything with the slightest learning curve (tools versus toys) because you will get killed by the support costs when you manage to sell in large numbers of mostly unskilled users (having trouble with some MIDI device or some app that you don’t even own). Part of the pricing’s job is to keep out high-maintenance users.

      Prices are going up because there are about 8000 other apps in the store that either compete with yours, or simply bury your presence with their volume. If you sell for a few dollars, then you are expecting hundreds of thousands of people to just find (a fraction of whom may buy) your app. If people want tools (not toys) to continue to be $5, then they will only get the work of hobbyists and people making things for their own needs (ie: never bothering to put in features demanded by users).

      Look at the market rate for programmers, designers, and electrical engineers. That is roughly how much they need to be making before they run screaming back to corporate day jobs. Note that Apple takes a 33% tax, then your government takes another tax on top of it, and what remains is split among all the developers working on the project. Sales numbers generally follow an exponential drop from the hype of being ‘new’ down to some ambient per/day level. You have to sell about a hundred thousand units of some combination of apps at the prices users are used to, and do it by quickly putting out new apps as existing ones disappear from being ‘new’. It’s a recipie for a store full of hastily produced stuff that doesn’t do much beyond showing you screenshots that will induce you into buying with a minimum of functionality to avoid horrible reviews. You won’t ever get more than you pay for in the end.

      So people, gripe about their right to a firehose of below-cost stuff that’s also great… It doesn’t work like that.

      1. This is the best response to all the above yet.. and It is right on the mark.. As a professional engineer and member of AES BMI and ASCAP for 30 years, I agree with every sentence.. Learn how to apply the tools that are purchased and dont expect a 6 inch brush to paint whiskers on a kitten painting.

  16. And let’s not forget that what, 15 years ago, to
    mix 96 mono tracks of digital audio (16 bit, at that) with automation effects etc. You’d have needed two sony 3348s and a 96 input ssl or neve. Cost : about a million dollars.

    Be grateful.

    1. Things have *definitely* progressed a lot in 15 years.

      But I think maybe you’re overstating your case a bit here.

      MOTU released the 1296 in 12 years ago, and before that you could stack 2408s on a PCI-324 card up to 144 channels and go into them using Mackie mixers (I still use a similar setup, albeit with only 36 channels). Put that into a box running Logic and a UAD-1 or Waves and you were doing pretty well. Sure, you had to move your sliders by hand and there were other differences as well, but those were small tradeoffs for the $980,000+ in savings over your stated price tag…

  17. It’s not about money it’s about practicality. It’s good for mobile stuff (monotribe and other limited mobile devices), and recording the in house music you make on the iPad. Especially with the audiobus thing, but when you start buying specific audio interfaces and investing all that head scratching and frustration in something you could already do well with a laptop and mbox (for example), that’s where you gotta draw the line.

    The cuteness and cool factor of a app can really blind people. Think before you buy twice.

    1. beat –

      If you don’t think this app is for you, fine. But don’t imagine that people are buying it for the ‘cool factor’, whatever that might be, or that people are some how ‘blinded’ by it.

      Other people may have more sophisticated needs than you – or may have different perspectives on the economy of using an app like this.

      Spending $50 on an app – even if you add in the cost of an iPad and your audio interface – is cheaper than getting a dedicated control surface for recording with your DAW and much less cumbersome.

      The appeal of Auria is that the software cost is dirt cheap, the audio interface is something that I already have and can use with my desktop, laptop or iPad and the iPad is a tool that I can use for a dozen other things. That makes a lot more sense to me than spending money on a custom, niche piece of hardware like a multitrack audio recorder or getting a DAW controller and pairing it with a laptop. I’ve been down that path before and been burned!

  18. The current model iPad is $499 for a system with 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, and a 2core 1Ghz CPU with a 4core GPU. There is no USB, so you are at the mercy of whatever IO you can get through the Apple dock connector, or over WIFI or Bluetooth — or use the headphone out jack.

    A low-end Dell laptop is $499 for a system with 6GB RAM, 500GB storage, a 2core 2.4Ghz CPU, and a 12core GPU. It has the same Wifi, Bluetooth, and 1/8″ audio jack, plus USB 3.

    And you can put Reaper on it for $50.

    But for wealthy hipsters who want an underpowered DAW in their Timbuktu bags, it’s awesome.

      1. Incorrect. I said you’re at the mercy of whatever you get. PC and Mac laptops have the full range of (generally much better quality) USB interfaces. PC and Mac desktops have the full range of real audio I/O devices, including expansion cards.

        None of the connectivity devices on the iPad review very well. You’re paying a lot for first generation stuff that is unstable and underpowered.

        And once you add a USB connector, and then add a decent audio I/O device to it (if you even find a reasonable one with stable iOS drivers), you’ve just paid how much to get a basic setup built around a DAW without MIDI on a device whose performance per dollar is less than 50% of a low-end laptop?

        In a few years when the DAW is fully featured and the platform more robust, this might be great. Until then, I hardly see the point unless you’re an early adopter type who just likes fiddling around with gear for its own sake.

          1. Hey guys.

            Well of course there are device drivers. But in iOS-land Apple controls them very tightly, and you write to their spec. It’s a bit of a hair-split, but there is a manufacturer part of the driver is on the device side. Even on Windows there’s less installation of traditional drivers now, thanks to plug-n-play. The relevant part for iOS is USB class compliance.

            Learn more here:
            http://www.usb.org/developers/devclass_docs#approved

            Here is a site that tracks MIDI gear that works with iOS:
            http://iosmidi.com/devices/

            Lots of things work, lots don’t.

            I’m not sure what the point of that declaration about device drivers was, exactly, but clearly not all USB devices work on iOS.

            As for the overall argument — all platforms are great for some folks and not for others.

            Being into the new thing is just a matter if it fits your style or not — if it’s really all about the music.

            So if Auria works for you for recording or even hosting some plugins and whatnot, rock it.

            If you still record on an old Otari 8-track and your “plugins” are a Buchla 200e system and a GML DRC, rock that.

            And anything in-between.

            Both a $20 thrift store guitar and a million bucks worth of modular synths make sounds, so it’s all a matter of what is good for you.

            1. Come to think of it, if your “plugins” are a Buchla 200e system and a GML DRC, could I please come by your studio some time and check that out 🙂

    1. ahhhh. one of those $499 dell laptops with a 10″ touchscreen, that’s 9mm thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and has a 10 hour battery life.

      one of those ones?

      i’m neither wealthy nor a hipster, and i don’t know what a timbuktu bag is. i just want a sketchpad that’s small, light, easy to use, and will allow me to transfer my ideas effortlessly to my non-dell, non-reaper, non-windows desktop

  19. I think this is a great thing for people who rely solely on their ipad for recording. You do however have to take into consideration the cost and availability of 3rd party plug ins for this app. If you own a laptop and you already have a DAW with some decent plug ins I don’t see this being a big need. If you have a desktop or if your setup isn’t quite mobile this would be a great portable alternative. It would be very easy to record tracks into your ipad while on the go and then transfer them to your DAW for proper mixing using your existing arsenal of plug ins.

  20. i am at a loss. app gets introduced that does really nice things.
    buy it – don´t buy it. all good.
    telling me i should buy a laptop and a “real” daw, that the app is “wayyyy” overpriced without even an inkling what went into it in the first place, or discarding it all as hipster stuff. just makes me sad a bit.

    congratulations to the wavesmachine labs on a great app. i´m out.

    1. Well said.

      It’s sad to see electronic musicians – who I’d expect to be open to experimentation and new ideas – have the attitude “That’s a toy” or “That’s for hipsters”, instead of thinking about creative ways for using new tools.

      Do you think the Detroit producers that invented acid techno had the attitude that pawnshop 303’s were toys? Everybody else did. But they had open minds and creativity.

      I’m interested in finding out more about Auria, because it seems like you could use it for live recording but maybe also to do some really crazy music concrete type experimental audio.

  21. Wow, it’s clear that some of you have absolutely never used an iPad:

    Audio IN only allows for 2 mono or 1 stereo channel recording on the current iOS.

    So calling this an AUDIO RECORDER is a major FAIL.

    More like a mixer. lol.

  22. Incidently, iOS6 WILL allow inter-app audio routing, but no verified word on whether or not more than 2 channels can be utilized at a time for input/output.

  23. There seems to be some mis-information being tossed around here, that I wanted to clarify, for the record 😉

    iOS 5 and up does indeed support multichannel inputs (we’ve tested up to 24 inputs with no issues whatsoever). The video I posted earlier was an example of us using an iPad 2 going into an interface to record 16 inputs at once, for example.

    Multichannel outputs are limited to 2 channels across all iOS versions.

    iOS 6 we can’t comment on, due to NDA.

    1. Thanks for the info.

      Does this have time stretching capabilities? How much can you manipulate audio after it’s recorded?

      1. Auria doesn’t have any time stretching, but it does come with a pitch processor plug-in for automatically (or manually) tuning vocals.

        The editor built into Auria has a fairly complete set of non-destructive editing tools (cut,copy,paste,delete,split,separate,duplicate), plus some destructive processing tools (gain,normalize,dc offset adjust,reverse,silence). It has crossfading with several curve shapes, adjustable fades and trimming for each region, and more.

        Rim

  24. Hello Rim Buntinas

    I have a quick question regarding the introductory price, namely can you enlighten us on how long it will be available at the $49.99 price point?

    Regards
    Krzysztof

  25. Krzysztof,

    We haven’t decided on this yet, so I don’t want to mention any specific pricing yet. We’d like to see how the initial launch goes, then make a decision. We will allow plenty of time before we change the price.

    Rim

  26. Hello Rim

    Thanks for that and best of luck with the launch (though it seems that luck will have nothing to do with it as it looks like you have a winner on your hands).
    Regards
    Krzysztof

  27. I am wondering if the Microsoft Surface tablet is going to catch Apple leaning the wrong way? It has a USB port, it will fit in a Timbuktu bag, supposed to have great battery life AND it will run full programs. Not apps. So in theory you could pack Reaper and all of your VSTs wherever you go. One sleek tablet.

    This is the direction the parade is heading. In a few years there will be no more laptops. It will all be touch screen tablets.

    Apple may have a battle on their hands for the portable music making dollar. Android is far behind and has nothing close to the capability of these two platforms. It is good to have these choices.

    1. Surface could really be something to watch out for. People like to write-off Microsoft as a bunch of stupid dinosaurs, but there are tons of really smart people there (if only certain elements of management would get out of their way).

    2. Surface is dead on the vine for many reasons. It’s exactly the wrong product at the wrong price point with the wrong features. Maybe business travelers will use it, but that will be it.

  28. LOL, ark at ye whingers about the price, I spend more on guiness in me local in one evening. For what it does and developers effort, u can be Shure it’s worth it

    But hear ye- no droid app will ever be able to do what this beauty can

    I just bought it so I did and it tinkers me eye and ear:)

    LOL! Death to android- long live Apple

    Well done wave machine! You have proven the iPad is a genuine musicians friend

    Now where’s the iPhone version? I’d like to tinker when I’m herding me sheep too:)

  29. The first question in the interview sort of nails it — “what’s the customer need that this is targeting?” After the buzz wears off, is it really going to become part of the work flow (and for how many people)? Is there anything that Auria does so much better than ProTools or Logic, that you’d give up the plug in libraries, endless disk space, MIDI, …, and switch?

    The app seems impressive, but I just can’t imagine myself using this instead of Logic on my Macbook. Yeah, the iPad has a nice touch-screen — but if I want to push faders, I can just use AirDisplay to drive my Mac. The iPad is more portable — but if I’m hauling the equipment to record 24 tracks, the difference in portability between my Mac and the iPad isn’t that significant.

    I wish them the best — it’s cool to see people take on ambitious projects. It will be very interesting to see how many people are actually using this as a serious tool a month from now.

  30. I bought it last night. It runs smooth and fast on my ipad 3. There is something about the workflow that just makes sense to me, and I’ve been an Ableton user for many many years. A lot of apps I use and then move on. This thing is going to serve me well for a while though. It’s the real deal.

  31. As I posted elsewhere, what this brings to the table is the touchscreen of the iPad. You have to play with it to see that the same tasks you do on a PC/Mac/Hardware DAW are now done differently, with a more hands on approach. A lot of the comments comparing prices are ignoring that you’re not comparing apples to apples (get it, Apples to… aw, forget it). Anyway. I have it, and remastered a whole album with it (not mixed, just mastered, for now). And I can tell you this is not a toy. Search youtube for “Auria mastering ipad” to get a (rough) idea of how cool using the screen is for using the parametric EQ.

  32. Oh man, this is ridiculous. The app is a brilliant app. I don’t see anywhere that the developers have asked anyone to get rid of their laptop or proTools?! Nor do I think they’re asking anyone to go out and buy an iPad specifically for it? Who the hell is buying an iPad for one specific app anyhow?! I’m pretty sure it’s designed for people who already have, or intend on buying, one!!

    Plain and simple… Don’t want the app? Don’t buy the fuckin’ thing! But don’t sit around slagging it off so nobody else buys it!!

    Brilliant music has been made on far more basic, less feature-rich programs than than this, using far FAR less powerful hardware than an iPad. If you think your laptop and “best DAW going around” are gonna compensate for your shit music-making abilities, then all the best with it! (that wasn’t aimed at any of you whingers in particular).

  33. I have been using Auria for a few days now and love it. It’s now my go to multitrack for assembling my many synth parts via audio copy and paste.
    The high track count, the ease of editing, and the quality of the plugins make this a no brainier for iPad music creation.
    Certainly worth the price.

    1. I’ve used and loved the old PSP Warmer in Logic 8, hard to let go of it for the output side of things really. So apparently I’ve gone iOS after me Mac keeled one horrible night. Got to imagine Auria could be sweet enough on an iPad Mini Retina with the A7 driving her. Personally, I build my tunes one track at a time…so if they’re planning to have the MIDI in next year, it could well be the final selling point!

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