Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Any way to have audio interface on my ipad, with the ipad connected to ableton via studiomux?
I tried having the interface on my computer, while ipad was connected and running the sound to ipad(and back again) through bias fx, but it just has bit too much latency that way, crashes quite often etc and isnt really useable that way. So the only solution seems to be to connect the interface directly to my ipad(which i usually do, but im trying to use ableton with the ipad, not just the ipad itself), but there is just one out port on the ipad..
I also tried irig2 i bought long time ago before i had an interface, but it sounds so thin, lifeless and noisy, that i dont want to use it(its so bad that id rather listen to silence than anything going in from its input) and id rather not do any extra analog-digital conversions anyway.
I wouldnt want to spend money on some powered usb hub if i dont know if it has any chance of working. Because now the only way i could imagine it working out would be if i had a powered usb hub on the ipad, then first connect the interface to it, and then connect the computer. But knowing how ios and its apps work, it seems quite unlikely to work. Has anyone tried this or is there some other solutions?
Using macbook pro and steinberg ur22 mkII interface.
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I'm not sure exactly how you're wanting to use the iPad but the best solution I've found (having tried studiomux and a couple of iOS interfaces) is:
Laptop runs UR44 and Oxygen 61 over USB
iPad Air 2 runs Komplete Audio 6 via CCK
MIDISport UNO on laptop sends/receives MIDI to/from iPad via KA6 MIDI I/O
UR44 MIDI is then free for other tasks (including sending MIDI out to hardware synths from my sequencer, or even from the iPad like lemur or whatever)
Then lastly I direct monitor the KA6 through the UR44 so I don't add the latency of the two devices together. It's a total beast setup for guitar (Amplitube 4 is incredible) and I can send everything everywhere; Oxygen 61 or sequencer data to iOS synths. iOS control surfaces to laptop DAWs. Haven't figured out how to route audio from UR44 to KA6 without introducing a feedback loop yet though. But I'm sure there's a way!
Downside is obviously that it's an expensive solution. But it's the last one I'll ever need. The iPad now has DIN, dual mic/instrument pres, line in, aux out and SPDIF!
Crazy!
Well, basically i would like to use the ipad like when its connected to computer normally(using its synths triggered by both ableton and internal midi, using touchable to control ableton, modstep as a secondary sequencer besides ableton), but having the audio(guitar and bass) going in ipad straight(as routing it first to computer then to bias fx on ipad causes too much latency). So that i could easily record loops to blocs wave and then just record the loops to ableton via studiomux. Currently if i want to record guitars and bass through bias fx to blocs wave without latency, i need to take the interface and ipad off from computer and put interface to ipad alone, and then put it all back to computer, which is just too much hassle.
Gotcha. Well I think with this setup you could achieve that. Ableton could send MIDI over UNO (or whatever) to iPad, and iPad could control Ableton with Touchable by the same interface.
Guitar and bass, you could basically set your iPad to the lowest latency it can handle and then direct monitor that signal with your main DAW interface, so virtually zero latency.
But of course there will be some things that aren't so easy. You wouldn't have access to multiple audio streams like with studiomux, and like I said I still haven't quite figured out the best way to get audio from my UR44 to my KA6 yet but I'm sure it's very simple. I'm just being an idiot haha.
But like I said, it's obviously not a cheap solution. As it requires a CCK, UNO, and another audio interface (assuming your primary interface allows for direct monitoring of line inputs; not all of them do).
I really wanna do a video of my setup some time. It's really great now. I was controlling a Korg Volca FM with Lemur over a sound bed of Borderlands last night and my tiny little mind just couldn't handle it haha.
you might get all that functionality with 1 iConnectAudio4+
cheers, Tom
Using ipad as a real time audio fx with guitar that goes through computer first simply doesent work, even with the low latency settings. Everything just keeps crashing, still not low enough latency and pops and clicks due to too low buffer size. So thats pretty much out of question. The audio interface i have has midi ports in it btw. But i dont really see what using UNO would help, because i need to get audio from ipad to computer as well and have those coming through multiple streams, so i need to have the ipad connected to computer via usb.
How?
cheers, Tom
Oh yeah sorry this is why I had to get the UR44 specifically. Because it has 0ms latency on line inputs when monitoring (with built in DSP for dynamics, EQ and reverb too!). It's basically like having a POD/Axe FX/etc.
The UNO only handles MIDI between my controllers, my sequencer data and the iPad. So controller keyboard goes into laptop, out the UNO, into iPad. Or iPad can go into UNO, out the UR44 and into a hardware synth.
But you are quite right that multiple streams are impossible with this setup unless you use a class compliant interface with the iPad that has as many outputs as you have instruments. I guess I'd need a second UR44 then I could run three things in stereo or six in mono? But that's expensive as hell!
I'll wrack my brains and see if I can think of a way but AFAIK it's either studiomux/lightning connection to computer or interface. But not both.
It has direct monitoring on inputs, but that wont help because it monitors input, not processed signal, which i need to monitor if i want to hear the processed sound
@ToMess
the iCA4+ supports 2 hosts at the same time, the iPad and the MacBook by 2 USB connectors
all io-ports are usable by apps on both systems
additionally there are (10 iirc) virtual ports that can be assigned to apps or DAW channels
same applies to Midi, both DIN and USB
Oh man, just looking at the specs on that ICA4+. That looks/sounds amazing!
It is
the only thing that isn't possible is having touchable control things over the USB cable. But it still works wirelessly so pretty much everything will work.
Sounds good. Too bad it costs bit too much and i have a priority of getting ableton push first
Doesent any of their cheaper models support 2 hosts? So i could use this so that i trigger sounds from ipad using push thats connected to computer, and route sound going to ipad straight from instrument inputs, but sound going from ipad to ableton? Just kinda sucks that the controls on the ica4+ are kinda crappy. No direct monitoring(especially would like a knob that can balance between both direct and processed signal), no headphone out and no separate knobs for all different stuff, but one for everything 
Not a real deal breaker if its the only thing that can connect ipad to computer the way i want to, but definitely sucks, and i would expect all that stuff in interface that expensive..
well, I'd also prefer a full analog layout for the iCA4's mixer... but that would drive price into (really) unaffordable regions.
All analog settings on the iCA4 are controlled digitally, like in most interfaces today.
It supports direct monitoring for each channel via it's mixer control panel with individual level settings and there's a dedicated page for the headphone output.
It certainly takes a short time to get used to the multi-functional dial, but it's not that bad as I perceived it originally. 'This sucks big...' was my first impression as well.
Afaik noone else has released and interface with a double host feature and full routing between all channels - it performs really well considering various caveats like energy saveing modes, disconnectiing devices deliberately etc.
There's a lot that would drive even a single host interface nuts in a desktop OS environment.
Imho iConnectivity put enormous amount into developement - the price is reasonable for a 4-channel unit or even great if it saves you another interface (let alone the cable mess).
Btw I just compared it with the full analog Audient ID22, playing a bass riff through the instrument input on each device (plain Audioshare tracking).
Later the tracks were played back on both interfaces with AKG K501 headphones.
Actually the iCA4+ performed better than I had expected.
Since the iCA4 became my main monitoring device, I was curious if I might miss something essential using the ID22 for tracking with microphones and instruments only.
There is a difference for shure, but not really a showstopper.
Which rather applied to Apple's Lightning connector... just pain in the rear.
Obviously not made for frequent connect/disconnect action, an accidental touch at the cable may tap it into off, the interface isn't immediately recognized and such crap.
Iirc that worked much better with the 30pin thing on the ioDock...
Ok cool. I was looking at the ica2+ and it seems to do everything that the 4+ does, but just has 2 inputs instead of 4. Or am i missing something? Like does it have some internal limitations with its audio streams or something? I dont really need more than 2 inputs, and the ica2+ is quite a bit cheaper
The 4+ has usb midi host.
I dont know what this means in practise. Care to explain?
Sure, you can plug a usb midi interface (midi keyboard) that has no physical midi IO straight to 4+.
But if you use the macbook you don't need that ,since you can plug your usb midi interfaces to your macbook.
The usb midi host is very useful when you connect 2 ipads and use some usb midi interfaces without the need of computer.
The host is also great to share these midi controllers between the 2 devices connected.
There's an advanced midi mapping/remapping soft for that. (but it takes time to understand it...)
yeah, the 'let's make a budget version' is like the plague...
Audient did with the ID14 and then even reduced it to the ID4.
Imo it's the wrong way, as it never will stop the 'hunt for bargain... and then a bit less please' attitude. Don't spoil your portfolio and just leave people on crap.
The downward spiral won't pay off in the end anyway, but you lost your reputation.
An ID22 is already bargain for such preamps and output stages plus a full interface.
The channels are likely close to API or Neve, just lack transformer colorisation.
(at least that's my impression when I compare my own stuff recorded with a Telefunken V676a to similiar takes with the ID22)
Audient sold 2 preamp channels for years as the MICO unit for $500.
Then they threw in an interface, additional routing and an Adat 8-channel expansion for literally free (the ID22)... and people complain: too expensive... wtf
RME did it right: re-housed their Babyface, called it Pro, set it to $800. Period.
(and those Baby's preamps are sub-Audient according to my personal taste)
Sorry for the rant, but we only can expect quality stuff in the future if the manufacturer can make a living somehow.
The parts of an iCA4 are cheap, the software is the expensive part.
If it would be easy, someone else would have done it already - but not even RME dared...
From what I've read I don't consider the iCA2+ identical in software and handling.
(the company is shurely interested in compatibility to keep efforts as low as possible)
Iirc 'workarounds' were mentioned frequently.
As far as I'm concerned I find the 2nd pair of line-Ins extremely convenient: let's me monitor a 2nd DAW on the same cans/speakers.
And of course this DAW's output is routable between IOS and DAW-1, too.
I'm convinced the folks at iConnect will improve their IOS control panel.
(not the most brilliant surface on the planet... but does the job)
They are on rather difficult ground from a software/hardware technical viewpoint.
In any case you should like (or at least be able) to handle a routing matrix.
That matrix is a crucial part of the system and if you start out with no idea what such a thing might do, it can be a steep curve...
Basically. You connect a hub to the USB port. Then upto 7 devices plugged in there are available to BOTH devices (iPad/iPad or iPad/PC). This is incredibly useful. It's a bit difficult to wrap your head around initial routing but once I understood I never want to go back.
I dont really need that stuff. Im planning of just getting the ableton push(i also have midi keyboard, but its the old school type with normal midi output, not usb) and using it with ableton and ableton triggering ipad. Also since the push only works as a general midi controller with ipad, and id like to use it with the ableton features, it wouldnt make much sense to connect it to both.