Sampling YouTube videos
I've seen this question asked more than once on various iOS music app forums: "how can I sample a YouTube video using just my iPhone or iPad?"
Well, I have a solution.
Apps you need to do this:
— GoodReader
— Hokusai
Both of these apps are very, very useful. I highly suggest buying Hokusai's in-app Pro upgrade, as it makes Hokusai the best sample editing app for iOS. With the exception of beat chopping, it does everything BM2's sample editing does (and more), only even better.
Once you have the apps, here's how to sample YouTube videos:
1. First, use these instructions to create a bookmarklet in Safari that will allow you to download YouTube videos with GoodReader.
2. Use the bookmarklet you made to save the YouTube video you want to sample.
3. After the video is done downloading in GoodReader, long tap on the video to access GoodReader's file management features. There's an option there to rename the file—tap it. A pop-up will appear. Although the video's file extension (.mp4) is hidden, you can simply change it by adding ".m4a" after the video's name (without the quotes, of course). Another pop-up will appear, asking if you're sure you want to change the file's extension. Tap "Use .m4a" to apply the change.
4. Now that iOS thinks the video is actually just an audio file, select the video and tap "Open In..." from the file management menu. Hokusai will be an option to open the video. Choose Hokusai.
5. Hokusai will open and import the video's audio stream. You can now use Hokusai to edit the video's audio and copy it to BM2, upload it to Dropbox, etc.
It's not the most elegant solution, but it saves you from having to use a regular computer to sample YouTube videos! I hope this how-to helps someone out there. Feel free to point others to this post.
Well, I have a solution.
Apps you need to do this:
— GoodReader
— Hokusai
Both of these apps are very, very useful. I highly suggest buying Hokusai's in-app Pro upgrade, as it makes Hokusai the best sample editing app for iOS. With the exception of beat chopping, it does everything BM2's sample editing does (and more), only even better.
Once you have the apps, here's how to sample YouTube videos:
1. First, use these instructions to create a bookmarklet in Safari that will allow you to download YouTube videos with GoodReader.
2. Use the bookmarklet you made to save the YouTube video you want to sample.
3. After the video is done downloading in GoodReader, long tap on the video to access GoodReader's file management features. There's an option there to rename the file—tap it. A pop-up will appear. Although the video's file extension (.mp4) is hidden, you can simply change it by adding ".m4a" after the video's name (without the quotes, of course). Another pop-up will appear, asking if you're sure you want to change the file's extension. Tap "Use .m4a" to apply the change.
4. Now that iOS thinks the video is actually just an audio file, select the video and tap "Open In..." from the file management menu. Hokusai will be an option to open the video. Choose Hokusai.
5. Hokusai will open and import the video's audio stream. You can now use Hokusai to edit the video's audio and copy it to BM2, upload it to Dropbox, etc.
It's not the most elegant solution, but it saves you from having to use a regular computer to sample YouTube videos! I hope this how-to helps someone out there. Feel free to point others to this post.
Comments
Find a YouTube video in Safarai and then press that bookmark while it's playing ( doesn't have to play) and it will start to download in GoodReader. Next hold on to the name and Manage Files will pop up. There is an option to rename the file. Rename it anything you want ,but make sure you add .m4a (dot Em Four A) at the end. After that tap on your file and press Preview it will have an option to Open In, open in your favorite app Like Hokusai which is a good one.
I had the most problem setting up my bookmark right, after I got it right it was all good!!!
Get creative with your ins and outs. Pandora can be run in the background too.
Hint hint. YouTube can be run in the foreground while bm2 is in the background. Do we see what this means? So many audio sources can be recorded into beatmaker now.
Sampling heaven lol
Audio tracks in 2.3 only record in mono, I think, which could be a problem when sampling.
Feel free to post some tips, Ben. Anything that makes sampling easier with iPads and iPhones would be really useful. I'm hoping AudioBus will take things to another level.
Thank you Kadath!
It works like a charm.
I also wasn't aware that audio tracks are mono only. I see both inputs with my io dock but can only select one. Not really a big deal since you can sample in stereo through the sample recorder but would have been nice for people who need it.
I still think jailbreaking then using apps like ifile, pro tube hd, pwntunes, and pandora downloader are the best way to get samples into BM2. Well either that or record directly into the sample recorder but of course you would need cords and another device to get the audio sample from. Not the most mobile solution but great when you don't need to be.
And don't sleep on using the djay app to sample and create from. Record whatever you want with the dj effects and sounds you want to add and the audio can be pasted into BM2.
Use the sample recorder because it records in stereo. Hit record, go to any program you want, play whatever you want, then go back to BM2 to edit as you wish.
This just changed my BM2 life.
Being able to record another app's audio output while BM2 is backgrounded without any external hardware would be killer, but I'm not even sure it's possible with the way iOS apps are sandboxed.
Being able to record another app's audio output while BM2 is backgrounded without any external hardware would be killer, but I'm not even sure it's possible with the way iOS apps are sandboxed.[/quote]
I don't think it is either unless it's from the built in mic but the Behringer is pretty small. That's probably the smallest hardware device that will allow you to resample into the iPad. Have you tried connecting the iPad headphone jack to the stereo input of the uca202? I haven't tried it but I'm curious. Hit record on BM2 then go to a YouTube video or whatever app you want and play it. Since the uca202 has a headphone jack you can still monitor the signal going into the iPad. Might not be of use for YouTube since I'm sure you always have your phone but iPad exclusive apps are worth giving it a try for.
I just using sites that let you convert the video into an mp3 and download the file with idownload or maybe there is some better downloading app. We can even go on the Akai website and download the mpc 1000 drums and open them in idownload open the files in Hokusai then copy paste to beatmaker.
Yeah I've seen those YouTube-to-MP3 converting sites, I just never bothered with them because YouTube videos already have compressed audio as it is, and I'd rather not degrade the audio quality any further. That's another thing about YouTube—always sample the HD version of videos, never the 360 or 240 versions, because the audio in those is highly compressed and sounds awful. If I remember correctly, HD YouTube videos use 160kbps AAC, and 360/240 use 64kbps AAC.
As for downloading samples using the iPad or iPhone, I download sample packs using GoodReader, which can decompress ZIPs and RARs. GoodReader allows you to connect to Dropbox, so I just upload all of the samples to my Dropbox and then use BM2's Dropbox integration to load them all into BM2 in one shot. I really can't recommend GoodReader enough.
Unfortunate, but I always have my iPhone with me anyway.
note* i will be trying the first post advice asap.
this is one of the most need features on the iso.
thx
...Man i wish BM had a audiocopy copy to pad direct.
Your right about the getting the bookmark thingy right...pretty tricky.
930J93 and The Savage..Yeah, So far,the only way I could get the wav to BM2 was through dropbox, but that was easy..I'm gonna upgrade Hokusai and see if that works with Pasteboard.
Edit...I Downloaded full version Hokusai..load wav..hold finger and drag to highlight section>tap "more">scroll to "audio copy" (ignore apps list, just tap done)>go to BM2 pasteboard etc.etc.
This is awesome !!!!!
Thanks again Kadath
Both of you are geniuses lol thank you.
Quote manual:"If you were working on a WAV audio file,
BeatMaker will ask you to save your sample as an AIFF file in order to keep the slices INFORMATION"
I am getting this too when trying to save as an AIFF.
Engine error: Could not save sample
What I did was then just save it as an AIFF, got the error, then from the little menu chose to save it in its original format. After you do that the Exporting Chop Preset window should pop up and you should be able to then save it as a pattern and load them all as presets.
If that makes sense.