Best iOS-Compatible Audio Interface for Both Live and Studio Use?

eustressor

(I also posted this to the iPad Musician Facebook Group, so apologies upfront to anyone seeing it a second time.)

I'm preparing to update my audio interface from my old Griffin StudioConnect.

I would love an interface that I can use live with my iPad to handle a midi keyboard (5 pin), guitar, bass and two vocal mics without notable latency. Any suggestions? Anyone already using a similar setup, and if so, what interface/iPad do you use?

I have a new 2nd gen 12.9 iPad Pro, and the interfaces I am looking at are the Focusrite Scarlett 18/20, Tascam US 20/20 and Tascam US 16/8. Basically looking hard at the 8 mic pres at $500 or less offerings ...

Any thoughts/feedback welcome

Will

On the lower end, the Alesis IO/4 would have your requirements covered. Mic pres are almost assuredly not as good as the Focusrites but it does what you're looking for a lot less. You can monitor directly from the inputs (so zero latency) and/or set a blend of inputs and USB inputs. Has 5 pin MIDI I/O. Bonus: can be used as a stand-alone 4 channel mixer.

Gaia.Tree

I use a Zoom U44 with the 2x extra xlr connection Add on. This gives me 4 inputs and a Midi I/O , all the while being battery powered and perfect for iOS

thumbslapper

The focusrites are great interfaces - I have the 18i8 & it sounds great - but you will need a pc or mac to configure the mixer inside, you can't configure it from a iOS device.

Telefunky

Same pity with the Audient ID22, probably even worse because it looses it's setting once power is turned off (no flash memory to save it - bummer).
It's a full studio grade preamp and monitoring device and with an additional ASP 880 extension adds 6 regular + 2 vintage designed preamps. Best price/performance ratio.

The only interface of similiar quality is the Apogee Quartett, RME interfaces very close behind, but that may be a matter of taste.
RME uses the same integrated preamp stages as the UAD Apollo and supplies a versatile routing software with Totalmix.

eustressor

@syrupcore - Thank you for your feedback! Especially grateful you pointed me back towards Alesis ... I've had good experiences with their gear. My current 61 key midi controller/unused synth is actually an old Alesis Q6.1. Unfortunately, I don't think my new 12.9 iPad Pro is compatible with their IO/4, although I think that would have been a beast in the pre-lightning days. Also, I'm looking for multiple outs as well (scowls in the general direction of the Focusrite 18i8). But there are other Alesis audio products I then came across that might help me with signal flow ...

@Gaia.Tree - I've heard nothing but good things about the Zoom U44. Reports indicate latency is not an issue at all, so it's still on my radar, as I resign myself to the distinct possibility that combining my recording rig with my rehearsal rig in one big happy signal chain may be largely impossible. Could be the interface would be the only common element, so the Zoom is still on my Amazon wish list if I decide to go for portability. Neat how such a humble interface has SPDF/ADAT connectivity. So at my desktop, the UR flies solo, but when it's time to jam, I click it into a Behringer or Focusrite 8 channel beastie? Thank you for the feedback!

@thumbslapper - thank you for the vote of Scarlett confidence ... Focusrite still has a good chance of being involved in my final setup, although it really should be called the 8/2 ... need more than two outputs and can't afford both the 18i8 and the OctaPre ... But may run with an 18i20 before it's all said and done. They boast about their latency, and most reports I've found on the web, including your feedback, seem to back that up. As an interface that could handle round trip latency at 10ms or less for live signal processing, in my current state of over-researched, burnt out confusion, if I had to pick just one interface for all my needs, if a gun was put to my head, I'd get a refurbed 18i20

@Telefunky - Yeah, I've come across the Audient name in a number of "top interfaces" vids and posts. I was pleased to see them post round trip latency speeds including software processing, right there in the tech specs.

Man, that unit is a sexy beast. But it might be a touch too Jaguar for my VW budget. Or, the more time I spend on that page, maybe it's time I buckled down and just got that Jaguar The price on that ASP880, though ... I would almost have to go Behringer on my additional I/O just to get away with getting the ID22 ...

Sorry it took me so long to respond ... I've been waist high in Safari tabs for weeks researching how to make the perfect "Eustresstudio" and rehearsal space (already have my PA, still in boxes until I get the gear/layout stuff sorted )

eustressor

Oh, while I'm here, another interface I've been eyeing is the iConnect Audio 4+ ... particularly with an eye towards using it with two iPads (so my wife can play her ripping bass guitar patch on her iPad, and I can play patches in JamUp Pro, too ). So, for anyone that's interested, I stumbled across some good info for the ICA4+ over on the VI control forums, from late 2015:

---

iCONNECT AUDIO 4+

CONCERNING INPUTS:
(From the iConnectAUDIO 4+ Manual):

"The iConnectAUDIO 4+ hardware Front Panel 1 & 2 Analog In Jacks 1& 2 XLR - ¼" Combo unbalanced mic/line/instrument inputs .
Connect Hi - Z instrument inputs (electric guitars, basses, etc.) with ¼" plugs; they go through a - 20dB pad, with a gain range of - 20dB to +40dB in 1dB increments.
Connect microphones with XLR plugs. The gain range is 60dB in 1dB increments.”

So it looks from this like the two jacks go through different gain stages, with different characteristics, and this is NOT user selectable? So bringing a mic in through TRS will not give the full range of gain control.

CONCERNING LATENCY:
(From one of the hardware engineers):

MIDI latency is 1.4 ms (worst case).
Propagation delay from analogue input to analogue output is now FIXED at 1.7 ms (it will not get any longer regardless of how user has system set in iConfig).
Propagation delay from USB ports can vary between 1.5 ms to 3.0 ms in 0.5 ms intervals (which user can customize using iConfig).

I can’t measure these directly, but I can estimate these using my crystal ball.
Propagation delay from USB in to analogue out is 2.2 ms to 3.7 ms in 0.5 ms intervals (which user can customize using iConfig).
Propagation delay from analogue in to USB out is 1.7 ms to 3.2 ms in 0.5 ms intervals (which user can customize using iConfig).

---

Dunno if I'll be going with the ICA4+ just now - it's possible - but maybe somebody else would benefit from the latency and input info

Will

The ic4a is my primary iOS interface. Lack of knobs makes it less than ideal for quick capture of multiple mic'd instruments but I rarely do that these days so it works well for me. Or I use my mixer in front of it, feeding it line level signals.

The io4 still works great with my lightning air1.

Telefunky

Similiar here: the iCA4+ is my IOS workhorse and it's half the price compared to any other interface because it supports 2 hosts at the same time with even direct connections into the respective software. An app's output can appear on a Mac Logic track or or you can use an IOS effect in Logic. It (fully) charges one iDevice and can keep a 2nd charged if you buy another of their special cables (one is included).+ classic Midi (DIN) and USB Midi.

Sidenote regarding the Audient ASP880: it comes with 6 channels identical to the ID22's inputs and 2 channels with a special transformer setup. The regular channels were sold in pairs in their former Mico preamp, which has a very good reputation for about 500 bucks.
Quality is significantly above the Behringer AD.

mrufino1

@eustressor io4 works fine with the lightning cck and I have no sound complaints. I don’t have an iPad Pro but I don’t think there’s a difference on that front, is there? Io4 has no issues with my air1. I happen to be selling one very cheaply on reverb because I have a Focusrite 18i6 arriving today that I bought on reverb, needed the Adat in for a situation to do some live recording.

mrufino1

Also, just a heads up, the zoom u44 does not have adat, that's optical spdif, which is 2 channels, it offers a choice between optical and coax for spdif. Same connector as adat but different function.

eustressor

Thanks to everyone for their feedback. These suggestions led me to reconsider the interfaces I had been considering and double down on my research for a one size fits all recording/live interface solution. Again, my needs were:

• 4 ins/outs for two mics, guitar and bass, with stereo outs for backing tracks for live use
• The ability to also record up to 192/24, keeping the signal chain digital for recording

Ideally, both scenarios would utilize a bouncing new iPad Pro, with the flexibility to switch to a MacBook Pro running Mainstage as an alternative for the live side of things.

So here's what I came up with:

An ART Voice Channel tube preamp/compressor that can run a digital out via S/PDIF at up to 192/24:

https://www.amazon.com/ART-VoiceChannel-Channel-Strip-Digital/dp/B0012MIVUQ

This runs into the optical in (preserving the digital signal) of a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, and thence into my iPad Pro:

https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T50GY/ref=pd_sbs_267_1

And, as it happily turns out, the Focusrite can simultaneously serve as the interface for my 4 live inputs, with all 4 plus stereo backing tracks sent to my old, rusty, trusty Yamaha MX 12/4 mixer, then out into powered PA and Sub for rehearsal and, potentially, gigs.

On paper, in theory, this does everything I need except for one thing ... tear apart my old studio rehearsal space and install itself, with everything mounted in the correct rack unit (one for live/rehearsal, one dedicated to the recording signal flow) with a new recording desk, etc.

So, until I completely renovate my studio, everything sits in boxes for now, staring at me with soothing promises that it all should work just perfectly. Perfect being where I can leave my vocal recording mic plugged into the ART for easy recording, and my guitars/live mics and Midi keyboard plugged into the Focusrite for easy rehearsal, with guitar plugged into the ART as needed for recording, and keys available for recording anytime, bypassing the ART and running straight through the 6i6.

Should. Work. I will report back once studio renovation is complete - it's a shambles at the moment ... and I still need to order my acoustic treatments (rolls up sleeves).

Thanks again, everyone, @syrupcore, @Gaia.Tree, @thumbslapper, @Telefunky, and @mrufino1 for your feedback. It helped steer me towards a dedicated rehearsal and recording studio that will (probably/maybe/hopefully) totally kick ass.