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Help Me ~NOT~ to Mess Up my iPad - (Please) (Kindly)
Hi,
I am an AUM user on an iPad Pro 2021. I have a 'pedalboard' of sorts to provide:
a) audio interface
b) MIDI controller
c) power
to my iPad. Now of course - the iPad has one, and only one, input which is a USB C. Therefore - I purchased the USB hub shown below in the picture.
QUESTION A: Is it possible to provide all three (audio, MIDI and power) using this hub?
QUESTION B: [if and only if question A is a yes] where do I route the cables from my 3 pedals (as shown) to the inputs on the hub. I am about 112% sure a power cable from my Aetos power brick will go into the input labeled as 'power'; but I am not at all clear on the audio and MIDI - if I can even get both to go into the hub.
FINALLY if it is possible to send both Audio and MIDI messages separately into this hub; what kind of cable do I need out from my Morningstar MIDI controller. The MIDI cables aren't typically a USB, they're uh well 7pin or 5pin MIDI.
Thanks So Much!!
AJ
Comments
First, important point: Does that dock attach directly to the end of the iPad? Some similar gadgets have caused pain to their users, apparently shorting the power input to data contacts and requiring replacement of the iPad. Seems like they put unexpected stress on the tiny USB-C connector. Edit: Here's one long sad story on this topic.
Could you please post a link to data on this dock adapter?
Yes, your power source should connect to the USB-C PD port. The power supply should support the USB-C Power Delivery standard. That allows it to use more than 5 volts to supply more power (watts) than conventional USB supplies.
If you have more than one USB 3.0 port, you can use them for your other gear. For 5-pin MIDI, you can buy an in-line USB MIDI adapter that looks like a big cable. I believe you were doing all this before, maybe with an earlier iPad. How did you handle the 5-pin MIDI connection then?
I notice that the dock has a headphone jack. iPadOS can only support one "audio interface" at a time, so the headphone jack may fight with the audio interface. If the interface is input-only, it might just work. Otherwise, results may depend on the order in which devices are connected (detected by iPadOS).
Edit: This is a sample USB MIDI adapter. You can find many variations.
@uncledave - thank you as always for replying.
This 'hub' I have connects to the one and only USB port at the bottom of the iPad. There are some 'adjunct' connectors to assure the hub doesn't wiggle. You can kind of see them in the picture. I put a link to the 'hub' on Amazon below.
I do NOT want to ruin my iPad for sure.
As far as the power goes - I'll use an Apple power adapter and plug it into my Aetos power brick, which has an auxilary or a pass through A/C outlet. So the Apple power will be the real 'offical' Apple product.
How did I do it before? I used a product called Xtone from a company called XSonic; however it combined both an audio and MIDI interface into one 'pedal' or box on my pedalboard and so one cable provided both audio and MIDI. HOWEVER, it has an audio latency of around 12 or more ms. I need something closer to studio specs, so I am swapping out the Xtone for 2 pedals: the Omec (for the audio) and the Morningstar (for the MIDI) - now I need 2 inputs into the iPad.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087BTVJX6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
SoooOOOooo - does it seem safe?
You need another USB port on your hub to connect your 2 pedals.
2 pedals need 2 USB ports.
You can run audio and midi through the hub at the same time.
The built in headphone will only activate when you plug something in to the jack.
If you can, maybe return the one you have and get this similar, but better option.
I have it, and no problems so far (4 months). I use it with an Air4.
OK. This picture shows the iPad lying flat on the table, so the dock is fully supported by the table. The concern is that, if the iPad is closer to vertical, the weight of the dock is pulling down, and the cables are dragging, trying to pull it off the iPad. These forces are not very big, but they are continuous. Even if the dock is firmly attached to the iPad connector, how well is the connector connected to the iPad case? I believe something failed in tahiche's similar situation, causing 2 iPads to fail. So this will be a concern.
Edit: Here's a recent summary posted by tahiche.
I see that your dock has only one USB 3.0 port, while including a totally useless SD card reader. So you'll still need a conventional USB hub to connect two USB devices. You might be able to connect one to the USB-C Data port, but that might be configured to work only with a storage drive.
Have you tested the dock with your audio interface? You'll need to be sure that the headphone jack does not cause problems for the interface. Are you planning to use the heaphone jack when performing?
You may need a larger USB-C power brick to power the dock, your gear, and the iPad. Testing will determine this for you. The web page says it can accept a 60 W power source, but doesn't say how much power the dock requires. I've seen other docks rated at 15-20 W, so that may affect your power budget. Just to clarify, USB-C PD uses voltages higher than 5 V to achieve higher power ratings, so we describe them in watts, not amps. The actual voltage used is determined by a negotiation between the source and the receiver.
BTW, I use the term "dock" for these gadgets that convert one USB-C port into multiple different connections. These docks include a small computer to wrangle the data to all those ports. To me, a "hub" is a simple device that converts one USB port into multiple similar ports, with none of the data conversion that a dock implies.
You can by usb c extension cables that take care of the hang problem.
I have a Kingston Nucleum with a UGreen USB C to USB Adaptor Type C Male to female which keeps the hub clear and away from the iPad they come in various lengths. Obviously this al, adds to less portability.
Again - Thank all of you for your comments
I do not intend to use the headphone jack; my audio interface (the Omec by Orange amps) sends audio in and receives audio out.
I see more clearly the concern; the hub here is so 'tightly coupled' to the iPad - and any movement of the hub (cables pushed in, cables pulled out) will start to wear the hub's USB connection to the iPad. WHEREAS - if the hub connects to the iPad via a cable (like the Kingston model mentioned) - the 'distance' allows you to plug things in and take things out of the hub and with much less stress on the iPad's single USB cable.
HOWEVER - one more question. Power. I do need two USB connections 1) audio interface 2) MIDI interface - but I bought this because I also want to power my iPad while I play. With this hub, my intentions were to use (literally use) the Apple Charger which on my pedal board connects to A/C power on the Aetos ===> this Hub which I bought has a separate and dedicated power port.
My audio interface (via USB A) will provide no power. My MIDI messages (via MIDI to USB C) will provide no power. So how can I also power the iPad if I get something like a Kingston Nucleum?
I love the idea of a hub that has a cable to remove the stress and tight-coupling. But I really need a hub that also provides an option to power the iPad; in addition to 2 USB C connections (one for audio and one for MIDI)
Thanks!!!
Many (most?) USB-C docks include Power Delivery through a separate and dedicated power port. There are several Kingston Nucleum models; I quickly found one with 60 W PD. USB-C PD is usually via a separate port on the dock, though I have seen one unit with a USB-C port that could be used for a drive or PD.
I want to emphasize that my concern with forces on your directly-attached dock is not related to connecting and removing peripherals. It's about the steady drag on the connector from the weight of the dock and the connected cables, which will certainly be pulling down and out. And, of course, any jerking of the cables will be felt by the device. All these forces are applied to a tiny connector which was designed for one rather thin cable plugged into it.
This Lention 6-in-one hub has a 1-meter cable, which is better than most others which have only dongle lengths. This uni hub has a detachable cable. You could get one long enough to put the hub in/on your pedalboard. Just be sure to get a cable specified for PD. It'll cost a bit more, but it will work. Bottom line: there are lots of hubs/docks that meet your needs in terms of USB ports and PD. The two I referenced were mentioned in this forum for meeting certain specific needs.
@uncledave
you've got me sold, from a safety and functional perspective; I kind of like the Uni hub, where I could put the hub on the pedalboard. I typically put my iPad on a music stand and I don't raise the music stand very high, so I could 'almost' acieve the same with the Lention.
If I go with the Uni, and I get a USB cable for iPad that's around 1 meter or so - the cable should state 'PD', correct? like the example below
I've labeled where I would put my Audio interface, my MIDI connection and my power in these two diagrams
Thank you!!!!
You're a life saver (or an iPad saver)
Yes, looks about right. Make sure the cable does data as well, not just a charging cable. That's likely stated in the ad. There are some cables that are data only, without PD; probably meant for storage drives.
Not sure what you meant by the note to the right of the Lention hub. The traditional flat USB plug is a USB-A plug that connects to the hub. The other end of the cable for your Omec interface must have what it requires, so hard to go wrong there. Traditional USB cables have different connectors at each end, with a few odd exceptions.
As I said, you might need a larger USB-C power brick to supply the dock, your gear, and the iPad. You'll be able to assess that when you test the setup