Drambo on Mac?
I’m buying my first macbook (m3 max) soon and I have years’ worth of iPad music apps on my account. I want to use them as much as possible on the new macbook. I will probably eventually get into Bitwig or Ableton Live, but right now I love Drambo, so I want to still use it as my stand alone main “DAW” on my new macbook. How well does it run? Does the interface work well on the macbook? Can it host auv3s?
How many iPadOS auv3s are usable on the MacOS? I love things like Blackhole Reverb, Rymdigare, Harmony Bloom, Piano motifs, Zeeon, Dagger, Grand Finale, Klevgrand stuff, Moog stuff, Bleass stuff, will those work as they do on the iPad?
Finally, what are some good alternative workflows to integrate my iPad/Drambo with the macbook? I don’t have an audio/Midi interface. So I was thinking of using iDam and using the entire iPad running Drambo as an instrument inside Ableton/Bitwig. So I can keep working on my iPad for the optimal Drambo experience and also learning and adding new stuff from the Mac DAWs.
Comments
My main reasons for using Drambo on Mac are the big screen, more CPU horsepower and much better file management. I wouldn't say it's a bad experience compared to Drambo on iPad, just a little bit more fiddly with the touchpad clicks but then you have to scroll much less because the screen is very wide (at least on the 16" mbp).
Integration with other apps is kinda hit and miss, and don't expect it to run perfectly because the main focus is still on iOS development.
It does host AUv3s though, and it works quite well for me in most cases. Unfortunately, many iOS apps are not available as native MacOS apps, and when they are, developers often decide that you need to purchase the app again, sometimes for a much higher price.
Integrating iPad with desktop has caused some headaches in the past (no total recall, no full sync support, no way to continue the project on the iPad/iPhone only etc.) so I've mostly stopped using them together, except in some quick and dirty Ableton LINK sessions (yeah, no wires!). I'm usually exchanging Drambo and Gadget projects and samples between Mac and iPad/iPhone and keep the boxes separate otherwise.
Starting projects on the iDevice and doing the more advanced editing and sound shaping (including Kontakt libraries and virtual instruments) on desktop has been the most rewarding and liberating workflow for me.
@lala may chime in here, seems like he's working with Drambo and Ableton on Mac more than I do.
Nimgwen, awesome that you're getting a MacBook! Drambo runs pretty well on macOS,, especially on a big screen. You can use AUv3s, but not all iOS apps will be available on macOS, so check compatibility. Integrating your iPad with the Mac can be tricky, but using IDAM to send audio from your iPad to Ableton/Bitwig is a solid idea. Rmember, you can start projects on the iPad and then move th em to the Mac for more advanced editing. It's also great to exchange projects between devices for extra inspiration.