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.
Ipad Interface like the Behringer IS202
Is there anything out there like this for the newer generation (lightning connector) of iPads? This would be pretty nice if you ask me.
Comments
There's the Focurite iTrack which did a decent job of future proofing against the changing sizes, but is about to be made obsolete if/when the next gens change to USB-C. I quit bothering after the Alesis IO dock turned into a dust collector.
After the release of cck3 made most of them outdated, just perfect for few applications but not a must.
Alesis has also IO dock 2 compatible with lightning devices.
Agree most of the types are already pricedumped and unavailable.
Doubt if we see future generation of these kind of hardware. Apple keeps changing it's formfactors. Except of course of their budget model. But that's not the target group. These things are in my eyes too niche.
Agree, I believe the only succesful music input adapter for iOS devices was IK Multimedia's iRig. There were even quite a few Chinese copies available of that input adapters. Which says enough about the succes of this adapter. All other input adapters by ie TEAC or Focusrite were in my eyes nice put to big and complex. iOS device are meant to be mobile and thos adapters were anything but really handy mobile.
I have an IS 202 and used it with a mini 30-pin to lightning adapter no problems. But I switched to the Focusrite iTrack dock and I’m much happier. More headroom.
I bet that behringer dock is a lot shittier than real audio interfaces of the same price
Firstly, a lightning-to-30 pin adapter also works with the Alesis io dock 1 (It's quite a hardware hack though, including DIY mechanical work)
Secondly, if I had to purchase one again, it would most likely be the iTrack Dock, because it puts the iPad into a nice working angle, works with not all but enough class-compliant MIDI interfaces and the stereo audio input can not only be recorded but also monitored, making it a simple mixer with two stereo channels. A rather trivial but very useful feature, especially when you work with a second iPad to also sample from or any kind of hardware gear or if you want to daisy-chain docks.
One side note about the iTrack Dock: Although listed as compatible, connecting the Arturia Keystep uver USB will not work reliably, I've had hanging notes when playing instruments, no matter which iPad and which iOS version. Also, some class compliant multichannel audio+midi interfaces don't work. The MIDI port will show up but it just won't do anything.
Digitakt, Roland UM-One mk2 do work perfectly though.
For the Keystep, you'll either have to use a separate USB MIDI interface at its MIDI ports, or use Bluetooth MIDI dongles that connect with the iPad.
In fact is midas inside. I was studying it to add extra usb host like the hack for the Alesis and the component and design are superb.
The only drawback was usb host but when cck3 emerged make any workaround unnecessary. Now I have an iTrack dock and its great for what I need it but just one class compliant midi controller alloweed (so no hub). I usually use it with controllers which have also midi input output (ie edirols or novations sl) so I can chain other controllers into it.
if I should advice someone I will go for iTrack (now studio pack at 99€ at thomann) but if the focus isn't too niche then the cck+novation audiohub will be my bet. For home maybe the old Akai EIE (red one).
That's been my experience. Returned the first one under warranty due to noisy outputs. The second one had the channels wired up incorrectly so stuff panned left would end up on the right side (and vice versa). That said I did like the form factor and I now use it as an efficient charger for my 30-pin devices. The similarly priced Zoom U-24 sounds a LOT better in my opinion.
You made me remember it arrived a moment it need a firmware update due some changes in iOS or whatever making it start whistling... common request at forums!
For my old iPad 3gen was perfect.