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.
Comments
@JuniorPops: Yep, I use the Roland Duo Capture Mk2 (see my post four up lol) If you only need a couple of inputs, this is a great little interface. Light as a feather and fits in the palm of your hand and is totally powered from the ipad.
Does any Audio/Midi interface charge the ipad, other than the IO Dock or the new Behringer dock?
I have been playing around with Amplitube and I really think I can sell my POD HD500 and use Amplitube instead, with an FCB1010 controller. And that would open up tons of options for my keyboard playing as well.
But I really want to get the right interface. And I really don't want a box sitting next to my ipad on the music stand. I'd rather use a dock, but I'm not sure if any of the docks out there will work with my ipad mini.
Griffin Studio Connect charges ipad, not sure about ipad mini.
That's true. I forgot about that one.
I've seen on their website a new lightning version, so I'm sure it would work with the mini.
I don't know though. I'm really liking that Focusrite Scarlett 2i4. It has better I/O connections. But it doesn't charge.
Will any interface that works without a powered hub, also work with a powered hub?
The reason I ask, is even though the 2i4 might work off of the ipad's battery, I'd rather let the hub power it, so it doesn't drain the ipad's battery.
Theoretically yes, but not positive.
Yes. Required by Class Compliance. But I've only had success running MIDI devices off a hub chained to another hub before hitting the CCK. Audio seems to only go one hub away. Especially Class 2 (multi-channel).
I use a Belkin 7port high speed USB and have had good success hooking up multiple devices with it. I think the key is the wattage. The Belkin is 17.5 watts.
Woundn`t the Apogee Duet be a good alternative for an interface for the iPad/iPhone? It is a bit pricy but charges the iOS device, and has both MIDI and Audio at the same time.
I ordered the Behringer UCG-102 yesterday.
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCG102.aspx
I saw a video of someone using it with an iPad.
And the price was a lot better than an irig HD or Apogee JAm.
It's probably not as good, but it's probably good enough for me.
Also it has a headphone out, so I can also use it as a DA converter when I'm using my ipad for keyboard.
Hooraaaayyy!
:-P
The Griffin iStudio is working great for me, and the 30-pin version can be had for quite cheap! Sure there are interfaces with fancier converters, but this $79 interface allows me to cue directly and sync to external MIDI - it will do quite nicely while I wait for a more perfect interface to be released.
@mgmg4871 or @dubhausdisco are you guys able to plugin multiple MIDI controllers into the Akai EIE? about to pull the trigger on one, but was wondering if that was even possible.
@hypoetical Yes. You can plug 3 in at a time. Works flawlessly.
@mgmg4871 perfect. i think i just found the perfect audio interface for my needs. thanks for all the valuable info
Not only does it work it looks great. Also as a reminder it must be the 16 bit model.
can the zoom r16 work in auria as a control surface...if so....can anyone tell me how to do it....thanks
just got the 18i8 Focusrite...wanted it primarily for ipad usage...maybe i'm in the minority, but a couple things i don't like right off the top----(1) no way to charge ipad while using it that i know of...(2) when you want to change behavior of the inputs ie. line/mic, you need to connect to a pc or mac to set it up in their MixControl appplication it seems like the ipad compatibility may be a bit of an afterthought...i'm looking for an interface that will let me have a recording setup which is primarily ipad-driven...it almost seems like the industry isn't quite there....I love the idea of 4 pre-amps...are there any better choices out there right now which address these concerns?
I'd love to have an audio interface that had native lightning connector or something like that...
@kennyrox R16 is reported to be incompatible with auria
check http://www.auriaapp.com/Support/auria-audio-interfaces for more info
Did you use Auria dude? Does it really worth the buck?
@jazzy1 Just wait for around 1-2 years, you will find a lot of audio interface with direct lightning connector
And then Apple will go to a different connector. :-)
@jazzy1 - 18i6 here, but same issues. However, in practice, I have found I have yet to actually need to change the iPad configuration, although I think I tweaked theirs a litte before I saved it to the hardware. Quality in practice is excellent.
The big positiv deals for me are all my ins are belong to ME, and independent level controls on the FP for Control Room and Headphone outs, with S/PDIF going to my main DAW for capture there. Auria seems to be able to control what gets routed to all the outs too but I have not yet done all the experiments to suss out any limitations. One route Auria can do that really surprised me is it will detect if you plug headphones into the iPad and give you a separate routing to them, outside of the main stereo going out to the interface. You'll see the headphone column show up at the extreme right of the output matrix with a little headphone icon at the column top.
I think the lack of an iPad control program may have to do with the control part being outside of Class 2 compliance so CoreAudio won't pass it. I may be w0rng. I think it could be really cute if they could implement a control path using a MIDI HUI interface to get past that limitation.
@jazzy1 Apogee Quartet does all of this :-) You can control input gain and routing with the Maestro app.
Apogee Quartet is $1400! I got this 18i8 for a steal of a deal online of $260! i think it's pretty darn bang for the buck...I guess I can live with the current lack of charging ipad limitation given this....though i dream that Apple would add a real USB port to the next ipad...why can't they have a "Ipad Pro" ? that would be great...time to email Tim Cook!
Thanks for the info Dwarman! maybe we should all contact focusrite and hound them to port MixControl to ipad! thats the only way it will happen...
also, forgot to mention...does anyone have any info about why 96k PLAYBACK on ipad is currently a problem using Focusrite audio interface with Auria? is it being addressed by Focusrite?
Thank you to everyone for the responses. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger soon on an Akai EIE 16 bit. It sounds great. But, just to clarify, could I get audio FROM the 30pin of the pad (or several pads) INTO the Akai, and then to a house PA from there, while using a midi controller?
The USB is bi-directional (4 audio channels) on the Akai to computer connector. I'm not sure about the other three USB ports on the Akai. I haven't tried using audio coming back into the Akai though, and I'm not sure where you would connect it to your PA, aside from the headphone jack.
The other 3 USB slots function like a USB hub. I'm not sure about connecting iPads to those 3 USB slots though theoretically it should work. The midi controller definitely will work in one of the other 3 USB slots and then you would route audio from output jacks on EIE.
Hi, Im interested in both Akai EIE and Focusrite 18i8...
Seen an EIE cheap, but even Akai website says 2 track simultaneously only! Can anyone confirm full 4 input audio? Only need to hear, not record.
Also can anyone confirm usage of external usb midi devices with scarlett series?
18i6 performs flawlessly with multiple external physical MIDI devices plugged into the MIDI port, also alongside multiple USB controllers via USB hub. USB controllers will also work on a chained hub, but the FOcusrite needs to be on the hub going direct to the CCK.
Also all ins and out audio ports accessible to DAWs like Auria, multiple Ins only for Multitrack DAW.
18i20 also same results.
18i8 would be as versatile I would think.
(you might guess I like Focusrite - I have 2i2, 18i6, and an 18i20 at work:)