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.
ADAT USB adapters for using the iPad with the Push 3 (and other interfaces)
The Push 3 has ADAT connectors, which makes it possible to connect it to an iPad and a Mac simultaneously, like you can do with the iConnectivity stuff. But what USB-to-ADAT adapter to use for the iPad?
The miniDSP USBStreamer B looks great, but I can't find them for sale in Europe, or at least only on back-order. A full-on audio interface with ADAT, like the MOTUs, is overkill and too expensive just for this.
Any other ideas? Anyone using ADAT with the iPad?
Comments
The miniDSP USBStreamer B is by far the most affordable solution for a single Adat bus.
But it‘s marked as „sold out“ on their site, too.
The most crucial part of multi-host Adat connections is proper clock sync, as there can only be 1 master and there has to be a master.
Which may become tricky from more than 2 devices upward.
In your case: set the Push3 to master and iPad and Mac both to slave.
This is only easy in theory, because the respective interface software on Mac/iPad may not initialize automatically to be clock slave.
(I have an Audient ID22 (usually slaved) which in most cases does obey to that rule, but in random intervals it starts with it’s own 96khz clock in master mode)
In such cases one has to switch clock mode manually, a total pain in the rear.
To be precise I have 4 Adat devices and 1 control unit that all need to be clock synced.
The only solution was a dedicated master clock device.
(of course this would be overkill in your situation, it‘s just mentioned because you have to make sure that your units will work properly in slave mode... not all do)
Depending on your Mac model a 2nd hand Motu Firewire interface may be an option.
(they can be found as low as $100 and are still fairly well supported)
ps: you can adapt Thunderbolt to FW and the Motus are said to perform quite well in that environment. Do a search about your Mac model/OS version in that regard.
Other options if you're into Eurorack: Boredbrain Optx and Expert Sleepers ES6/ES3.
I use these with iPad in combo with ES8 audio interface. Depends on your use case.
Trying to stay away from eurorack's wallet-destroying capabilities
I use a Behringer UMC1820
Don’t know if that’s too much.
Afaik it‘s the most affordable „regular“ interface if you want Adat in and out.
Next up the (price) line is the RME Digiface (4xAdat io, no analog ports), but that‘s not IOS compatible.
The price is fine, but it’s huge! I can use my iConnect to hook up the Mac and iPad, but I was hoping to be able to just use the Push 3 as an audio interface, plus a small USB-to-ADAT box.
Yes it is large. Works well though,
@cyberheater 👍
I’m waiting for my p3 to arrive, and then will test it with a RME baby face V1. Bus powered, small, great stable/configurable software, no audio glitches (and 80% of the x4 audio interfaces I have tried, glitch out with some hardware due to ‘usb’ sync issues), low latency, built like a brick, and ok value 2nd hand. The breakout cables suck, and you have limited I/O.
Not sure if the P3 can be the child, I have asked on various forums and got mixed replies.. I know that the miniDSP USBStreamer can only be the master.
A bit pricy but you could look at a Motu 8A used? iirc mine was about 400 bucks.
DC coupled I/O. Can simultaneously connect to iPad via usb and mac via ethernet.
@BroCoast Looks cool, but my requirement is for something small and simple so I can plug an iPad into the Push 3 via ADAT. I already have the iConnectAudio4+, so my needs are already covered there. I'm just hoping I can connect my iPad to the setup with minimal adapters.
Ah yep, the Behringer UCA202 has an optical out that you could run into the push. That’s probably the smallest cheapest option.
The UCA202 uses the S/PDIF protocol, not ADAT. They both use the same optical port, but they aren't compatible with each other.
Oops! 😳
Just arrived!! It’s a lot bigger than I expected
Now need to test the adat with the rme baby face v1 & umc-1820 and see if I have 8chans all digital to the iPad from the two groove boxes.
@jollyDodger That’s a nice standing setup
@jollyDodger where did you get your wall slats? Were they an easy-ish install?
That’s an inspiring set up. Looks fun! Enjoy that Push!
How do you integrate the Maschine+ with it all? I have one of those and have yet to try and connect it up to other devices.
Rme babyface with adat> @audiblevideo said:
got them 2nd hand off ebay - lots of shops close down, and the hooks off amazon, and the synth arms from quicklok (again ebay), easy to install, but if you have plasterboard you will need to run wooden batons to connect to the joists.
Tests so far: Babyface
Some 'Class Compliant' devices when attached to the babyface via USB keep the interface in 'standalone mode' and ADAT input is limited
So what this means for me is that I can't daisy chain the adat, via two devices to get the m+ & p3 to mix into the iPad. i.e. I need an interface with at least two ADAT inputs.. meh I'm broke now.. lol
Next test will be seeing if the UMC1820 works with P3 and iOS (not that I need it with the babyface, but it's good to know and share)
The takeaway for most people here will be:
don't know -only got it yesterday - I'm a bit of a sucker for puzzles, but I will have fun working it out.
I’m using the 1820/iPad combo with mine. A bit of a learning curve getting it working right, and you need to keep the weird offset in channels mapped nicely in your head, I usually just watch which are peaking in the Push input monitor bit tbh… works well enough for a relatively cheap solution!
iPad with rme ufx+ and iPhone with rme xtc via MADI, it allow for mix 2x{24/24 ins outs} plus space for additional interfaces via adat analog madi or aesebu.
Correction: I didn’t know how to use the RME totalmix software. Now I’m getting the full x8 in & out between the iPad and the push3 now, using the original gen.1 babyface.
However, it appears that the ‘ext audio effect’ device in abelton does not access the ADAT channels (yet) in standalone. So the only way I can see of using the Adat for send/returns with an iPad is going out of one track and then returning on another, and that’s messy and slightly impracticable. So for now, afaik, one has to bus the returns back into the p3. The way I see it currently, the only reason for audio to go back to the P3 is to use it as an additional audio interface.
Maybe try creating a preset for ext audio effect in Ableton and open it on standalone?
When in the box with p3 connected as a controller the ‘ext audio effect’ does have the adat > 9/10 chans available. So alas no bananas.
But as some of the compression/drive/tape-sim/reverbs/synths are to my ears so more lush with apps available on iOS, than the stock abelton devices. So in my workflow, I currently see no reason not to sum down to a master mix in iOS.
Not helpful for this, but I’m really interested in the Polyend Play+ as that will be able to send out 14 tracks via USB. It seems like you’d be easily able to process the stems easily in iOS. And if Polyend can do that, why don’t more products have a similar feature?
Well, I’ll be interested to find out what you discover…you seem like you’ll do better than my attempts. But I didn’t try very hard.
I haven’t successfully integrated any devices in a way to was fruitful. I just play separately with what I have.
Hi! Thank you for your experiments so far! Have you continued them to know if you were able to send midi from p3 to iOS? Also, is your P3 standalone or just the controller?
I took the path of least resistance and plugged in all din midi into my midihub that then is connected to iOS via usb. Not had any issues so far. Sure I could do it differently, just not tried.
Push is’nt really working out for me, never had one before, and it’s chopping is very limited compared to abelton software, and I don’t like the pads ( they are too big to play chords with one hand when in chromatic mode). I can see how for other people it’s amazing, but it’s just not fulfilling my needs enough for it’s price point.