Ability to Make BB Changes on iPad

Hang with me here -

Yes, I know that you can control BB in OnSong with a midi/BT connector/converter.

My question is - is there an iOS app that allows you to control the song/style of BB your playing from the tablet? (Think UAD OX and the associated app if anyone here is an OX user.)

If there’s another topic on this that I’m missing, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m happy to learn, just couldn’t find this in my interwebz searches.

I think the only way right now would be the. BeatBuddy stuff you mentioned.

Actually I would hope the next version of BB manager would work on a iPad. Because… I use an iPad for most things now.

And any developer using modern dev tools could do that easily using a tool that could easily support windows, Mac, android, iPad. If they had that setup it might not be hard to connect it directly to Bb using the same midi/bt setup as OnSong.

But I don’t expect that. Actually I think just a good update with autopilot might be all we get.

Any iPad app that can send CC (control change) and PC (program change) messages can do that.

I use Camelot Pro to control BB, as well as my other gear (keyboards and effects). Camelot Pro calls up the BB song and sets the tempo via Midi Clock.

I also use a midi pedal (mine is a KMI Softstep 2) with a BomeBox midi controller to include intro/pause/outro/fill directly in my workflow. I don’t touch my BB while playing.

Again, most any app that sends CC and PC will do

Thanks DovJ - my use case would be to more easily peruse the drum library residing on Beat Buddy, but from my iPad and make song changes from the tablet. Would that use case be included? I’m looking into the app now.

Ed Saxman wrote an app for Midi Designer Pro that might be what you are seeking.
BeatBuddy Wireless MIDI Controller - Premium MIDI Layout for MIDI Designer Pro (IOS) - BeatBuddy / General - Singular Sound Forum

Thanks LeeMo! Just sent Ed a DM. :slight_smile:

@JRad, BeatBuddy has no MIDI function to “dump” its songs via Sysex or any other format, so third party control apps can’t read the songs on the device.

I have created my own library in Camelot Pro with the appropriate MIDI messages to select songs. You can do the same with apps like BandHelper and OnSong, or Ed’s nice-looking iPad MIDI layout.

Unfortunately, you do have to manually create a representation of your BB content on your iPad in one of these apps. There is no automated way of transferring the song names.

Ed’s BB layout is extremely well executed. That said, it shows you folder and song numbers, not song names. It doesn’t “know” the names unless you manually put them in (actually, I’m not sure if Ed’s solution can store song names).

This is in contrast to synthesizers and some effects pedals which can dump patch data via Sysex. Camelot Pro communicates directly with my Yamaha CP4 and YC61, as well as my Waldorf Blofeld. Camelot Pro actually retrieves these devices’ patch data. Again, this is not possible with BeatBuddy because it does not support any kind of Sysex patch dump function.

I hope that makes sense.

I think I follow what you’re laying down, @DovJ - I’ve gone ahead and bought Ed’s app - having troubles opening/installing it - waiting on an email back - I wouldn’t mind updating song names, etc. manually - simply trying to navigate the BB from the iPad where I do my practicing. Now that I’m starting to explore the world of MIDI control in this capacity tho - I’m wondering if I could take my Tempo metronome app I use from Frozen App and if it would serve as a master to BB - IE - I have my practice regimens that are on auto - think tempo increases every 2:30 minutes - but it’s driving the BB as the device off preference.

@JRad you can drive the tempo on your BB from an iPad or other computing device with an app that sends MIDI clock, as long as the connection is very stable (the exceptions will be wireless connections of various kinds, which can be made to work well if you play with the parameters).

The alternative would be to send the tempo using BB’s tempo command sequence.

I use the tempo function in Camelot Pro, which is very convenient as from the iPad I am able to adjust BPM.

I suggest you think through your BB settings to match your playing style. The 3 settings in “System Real Time” including Sync, Start and Stop, as well as “Output Type,” “Start” and “Stop.”

As I control my BB entirely from a midi pedal, I had to try a bunch of combinations before I found it comfortable.

I found this post! I recently (re)joined after buying Beatbuddy. I received it today

@DovJ, I am excited to see you use Camelot Pro as well. I use it on my iPad. Any tips and suggestion/resource you are comfortable to share is appreciated. :slightly_smiling_face:

I use Camelot as the heart of my keyboard rig when gigging. Our drummer may have lots of conflict so I am preparing to setup a drummerless band in case he can’t make it. :slight_smile:

So far, I use it to manage my smartmapped Yamaha MODX6 and AUV3 plugins as needed. The beatbuddy is my new MIDI device in the chain. Still learning…