We’ve seen a lot of very interesting developments from Pioneer DJ, but here’s one we weren’t expecting at all: an iPad application designed around the FX workflow of their RMX-1000 hardware. The app allows producers to apply any set of Pioneer FX to audio that’s being routed within or through the iPad, using Inter-App Audio or Audio Bus. Read on for more details on how Pioneer DJ’s first major iOS app works.
RMX-1000 iPad App
Aside from the Rekordbox preparation app, we’ve never seen an app from Pioneer. But considering their foray into DJ software with Rekordbox DJ, they’ve clearly got a team of software engineers who are working to bring the best parts of the company’s hardware to a software experience.
The RMX-1000 iPad app feels like a combination of two things: the RMX-1000 hardware, which is a fun and quick way to add powerful Pioneer FX to a DJ set (particularly if you have Send/Return FX on your mixer) and the RMX-1000 companion VST plugin, which took the same set of controls and made them available for producers to use in their productions.
The app by default allows the quick loading in of music on the iPad to apply RMX-1000 style FX overtop of, but this then feels a bit too much like a toy – what’s really interesting to us is the ability to route audio into the application via Inter-App Audio (iOS’s built-in audio routing system) and AudioBus (which is a standalone app – purchased separately – that allows more advanced routing of audio between apps).
FX On The RMX-1000 iPad App
Right now there’s not a single “killer feature” that distinguishes the iPad version of the RMX-1000 significantly from either of its other iterations (hardware / VST), but Pioneer has brought all the familiar FX over to iOS in the app, including:
- Scene FX – Echo, Noise, Spiral Up/Down, Reverb, Crush, etc
- Isolate FX – FX applied with EQ to the Lows, Mids, or Highs; Cut/Add, Trans/Roll, Gate/Drive
- X-PAD FX – These are samples triggered in time with the track – the X-Pad allows your to repeat the samples at different rates. Use the standard drumkit included, or load in your own samples instead.
- Release FX – Escape out of the applied FX and back to the music using Backspin, Vinyl Brake, and Echo. We’re wondering when Pioneer is going to add a new type of Release FX as we’ve had these same three for a while…
There’s an advanced FX control section underneath of each type of FX that allows an even more advanced set of controls – this is similar to the VST version of the RMX-1000. For example, here’s what the section looks like for Scene FX, with control over three major parameters of the individual effect:
The same type of advanced controls are also available on Isolate FX:
Pricing + Compatibility
The RMX-1000 iPad app will run $19.99 – but as a launch special, they’ve reduced the price by half to $9.99 until November 11th of this year.
- iPad Air 2, iPad Air
- iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2
- iOS 9, iOS 8 (64-bit)
Interested in giving it a whirl? RMX-1000 is available now on the iTunes App Store.
Anybody been able to use a Midi controller with the iOS Pioneer RMX app? I find that it would be much nicer to use some knobs.
[…] loop is powerful because it can pass audio in and out – we used it with an iPad running the RMX-1000 app that launched late last year, and it was fun, but there’s a bit more potential here that we […]
Does anyone know a way to make it work with an Ipad Mini (first version)? Snif…
I got it, if a perfect replica of the hardware, then the hardware is well overpriced, you rather just play with your software built in effects
Interesting, iPad has revolutionized the game once again, first by making the Lemur touch screen obsolete and now this!
I’m excited to see what future updates will be applied to the new Pioneer RMX App.
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Thank you everyone who responded. My questions were answered.
So completely useless for “Actual” djing?
Could this be used via fx send/return on a external mixer for additional fx for vinyl? Or is it within the iPad only? Also can it be used with Traktor DJ?
My question too. Would love to use this through send/return on an external mixer for vinyl.
No it is not.
Q1. Can I assign any audio source to the sampler?
A1. No. Only internal audio source can be assigned to the sampler.
RMX-1000 for iPad FAQ
http://site2.pioneerdj.com/support/product.php?c=13&lang=en&p=RMX-1000_for_iPad&t=faq
If you have Audiobus you can route the audio through the app. I’ve just tested this successfully.
A bit of mixed signals here, Joe can you clarify your point? Thanks
The RMX app acts as an Audoibus effect. Audiobus natively supports Mic or external sound card input as an input source. Therefor, you can simply create a chain in Audiobus of ‘Mic Input -> RMX -> Out’. iOS support class compliant sound cards via the USB camera connection kit. I use a Behringer UCA202 for stereo RCA in/out. With this basic setup you could use your iPad to process stereo audio coming from a DJ mixer.
The Pioneer FAQ is poorly written. The FX app itself doesn’t work with external audio as in, it doesn’t connect to CoreAudio to capture Mic input. So I guess they’re answer is technically true if you don’t have audio bus or any other inter-app audio app capable of routing the Mic input. They should have added a footnote about this extremely simple work around.
Quite an idea Joe. I’m currently making a purchase plan based on your method. Before that, I got questions about.. noises and power
What was your experience with UCA?
It seems that your method can’t provide constant power supply into iPad. How long could you use it?
And for the noises sake, Your method uses USB(then Lightning) input which seems digital input. Heard any noises on high gain level?
and I’m considering an analog input by using stuff like iRig (for 3.5mm input and free lightning slot means power supplying) instead of UCA
What’s your opinion?
tried exactly same as Joe did
problem : too low output volume from uca soundcard
Did you try raising the volume with the headphone volume buttons? If the sound card is class compliant it may support volume controls from software. If not, the output gain might be whatever the last software set it to or line level if it doesn’t have memory or support volume controls.
Thx for the response. I tried raising volume dial but that controls only monitoring volume, not RCA output volume. than I tried to raise the overall iPad volume output by using another app, but that was not so great. So right now I’m using it anyway by turning on mixer’s gain in full degree. I wonder if there’s a software for setting uca… couldn’t find that for OSX. If you did, could you post with some link?
works with traktor dj with audiobus installed.
Is there a way to use it with traktor??
works with traktor dj on ipad.
Can this on an ipad be paired with an actual ddjsx
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is not compatible with ipad 3 ?