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Need help with getting the Focusrite 2i2 to work with my 6th Gen iPad

edited October 2021 in Support and Feedback

Hi all,
I'm having an issue with my Scarlett 2i2 AI. I have a powered USB hub, but when I connect the AI to the hub (which is obviously connected to my ipad), the lights on the 2i2 flash a couple of times but then nothing. Similarly, the little blue light next to the USB socket flashes, as though they're all trying really hard to start up, but nothing... Any thoughts? Suggestions? I'm thinking of getting either a Volt, or one of those new Arturia AI's which both have 5 pin din connectivity - but will I encounter the same issue with those? Thanks in advance

Comments

  • Hi @Kashi . Could you please identify the powered hub, maybe a link to a sales site? It sounds like the hub is not providing enough power.

  • What iPad model are you using?
    I've noticed that even when using a powered usb-hub it's a good idea to power the iPad using a CCK3.

  • edited October 2021

    It's a 2018 6th gen ipad @Samu . Sorry for my ignorance, but what's a cck3 compared to a regular cck?

  • What happens if you connect the interface to the powered hub while disconnected from iPad, and then connect the hub to the iPad?

  • @Kashi said:
    It's a 2018 6th gen ipad @Samu . Sorry for my ignorance, but what's a cck3 compared to a regular cck?

    CCK3 has an extra lightning port that can provide power to the iPad, CCK only has a USB port.

    CCK3

    CCK

  • @0tolerance4silence said:
    What happens if you connect the interface to the powered hub while disconnected from iPad, and then connect the hub to the iPad?

    Not sure @0tolerance4silence - just off out for an hour, but will try that when I get back...

  • @Samu said:

    @Kashi said:
    It's a 2018 6th gen ipad @Samu . Sorry for my ignorance, but what's a cck3 compared to a regular cck?

    CCK3 has an extra lightning port that can provide power to the iPad, CCK only has a USB port.

    CCK3

    CCK

    Oh, yeah, that's what I have then. A CCK3

  • @Kashi said:

    Oh, yeah, that's what I have then. A CCK3

    Nice, in that case there should be no problems when you provide the iPad with power thru the lightning port.

    It can be tempting to power the iPad from the powered hub but I would not recommend that.
    It's better to hook it to the wall and save the power the hub provides to the other gadgets you may need to connect.

    It's also worth checking if the 2i2 works when directly connecting it to the CCK3.
    If it does it could be that hub doesn't provide enough power to the 2i2

    Some Novation/Focusrite devices boot into 'mass storage mode' (to ease the install on the desktop), when connected to the iPad it could be that you get a device in the Files.app (ie. the usb storage device on the 2i2).

    I had to disable to the mass storage thing on my LaunchPad Pro Mk3 in order to get a smoother experience...

    I guess there's quite a few 2i2 users here in the forum so adjusting the topic 'Audio Interface' to reference the interface in question could potentially lure more 2i2 users to help with the troubleshooting. (Like 'Need helpwith getting the Focusrite 2i2 to work with my 6th Gen iPad' or something similar?).

    Hope you'll get it to work!

  • @Kashi said:

    @0tolerance4silence said:
    What happens if you connect the interface to the powered hub while disconnected from iPad, and then connect the hub to the iPad?

    Not sure @0tolerance4silence - just off out for an hour, but will try that when I get back...

    Ok tried that. Same thing; nothing happens other than the hub light and the 2i2 lights flash a few times but then disappear...like they're trying to get power but just can't.

    @Samu said:

    @Kashi said:

    Nice, in that case there should be no problems when you provide the iPad with power thru the lightning port.

    But there are (problems)........ Still no joy.
    Thanks for trying @Samu - really appreciate it! And yes, good advice to change the discussion title to a more specific one :)

  • @Kashi said:

    @Kashi said:

    @0tolerance4silence said:
    What happens if you connect the interface to the powered hub while disconnected from iPad, and then connect the hub to the iPad?

    Not sure @0tolerance4silence - just off out for an hour, but will try that when I get back...

    Ok tried that. Same thing; nothing happens other than the hub light and the 2i2 lights flash a few times but then disappear...like they're trying to get power but just can't.

    @Samu said:

    @Kashi said:

    Nice, in that case there should be no problems when you provide the iPad with power thru the lightning port.

    But there are (problems)........ Still no joy.
    Thanks for trying @Samu - really appreciate it! And yes, good advice to change the discussion title to a more specific one :)

    To me it sounds like the hub is unable to deliver enough power for the interface.
    If you have f.e a usb-midi controller or a usb hard drive to confirm this by plugging those in and see if they get powered/work properly.
    Additionally I would check if phantom power isn’t ‘on’ on the interface - some interfaces may work fine when it’s ‘off’, but require PSU when ‘on’.

  • If you have f.e a usb-midi controller or a usb hard drive to confirm this by plugging those in and see if they get powered/work properly.
    Additionally I would check if phantom power isn’t ‘on’ on the interface - some interfaces may work fine when it’s ‘off’, but require PSU when ‘on’.

    Bah! Thought you'd solved the problem for a sec there @0tolerance4silence ! Phantom power was on, but alas, switching it off didn't resolve the issue.

    Also, tried nanokey 2, that worked immediately. Then tried my Lacie external drive, and interestingly that did the same as the 2i2; intermittent flashing lights, but not actually coming on and staying on. So yes, it would seem that there's not enough power coming from the hub. Which kind of defeats the object no? I will be trying to get my money back for this hub. And now, I'm unsure about investing in a new Fuse/Arturia AI if I have the same problem....

  • I’m guessing nanokey would require less juice / probably can be powered directly from iPad.
    I’m not familiar with this brand, so don’t want to talk it down, but all my hubs are Plugable and never had such an issue. I’m sure there are several trusted brands that deliver what they say.

  • I remember Pete Johns mentioning that there was an issue with the Focusrite interface with iOS 15.0.1. Some people mentioned updating their iOS fixed it.

    From the Create Record Release forum on Facebook, by Pete Johns,

    Focusrite Scarlett + iOS 15 issue:
    I had a very helpful viewer Glenn provide this information from Focusrite showing how to change the Scarlett interface from MSD (Mass Storage Device) mode which is causing issues for many mobile creators. Hope it helps others.

    Here's how you can manually remove the Scarlett from MSD Mode:
    1. Power unit up like normal by plugging a USB cable into the iPad
    2. Unplug the USB cable
    3. Hold down 48V and again plug in the USB cable whilst continuing to hold down the 48V button for 10 seconds
    4. After 10 seconds unplug the USB cable again
    5. Plug the cable back in one more time and you’re good to go

  • @0tolerance4silence said:
    I’m guessing nanokey would require less juice / probably can be powered directly from iPad.
    I’m not familiar with this brand, so don’t want to talk it down, but all my hubs are Plugable and never had such an issue. I’m sure there are several trusted brands that deliver what they say.

    Sure. I just messaged them and asked if they would send another (it's still just in warranty period) - at least that way I can see if the hub is the culprit... Thanks again for everyone's help :)

  • @seonnthaproducer said:
    I remember Pete Johns mentioning that there was an issue with the Focusrite interface with iOS 15.0.1. Some people mentioned updating their iOS fixed it.

    From the Create Record Release forum on Facebook, by Pete Johns,

    Focusrite Scarlett + iOS 15 issue:
    I had a very helpful viewer Glenn provide this information from Focusrite showing how to change the Scarlett interface from MSD (Mass Storage Device) mode which is causing issues for many mobile creators. Hope it helps others.

    Here's how you can manually remove the Scarlett from MSD Mode:
    1. Power unit up like normal by plugging a USB cable into the iPad
    2. Unplug the USB cable
    3. Hold down 48V and again plug in the USB cable whilst continuing to hold down the 48V button for 10 seconds
    4. After 10 seconds unplug the USB cable again
    5. Plug the cable back in one more time and you’re good to go

    Thanks @seonnthaproducer but I'm still on 14 so it's not an issue with iOS15...

  • @Kashi said:

    @seonnthaproducer said:
    I remember Pete Johns mentioning that there was an issue with the Focusrite interface with iOS 15.0.1. Some people mentioned updating their iOS fixed it.

    From the Create Record Release forum on Facebook, by Pete Johns,

    Focusrite Scarlett + iOS 15 issue:
    I had a very helpful viewer Glenn provide this information from Focusrite showing how to change the Scarlett interface from MSD (Mass Storage Device) mode which is causing issues for many mobile creators. Hope it helps others.

    Here's how you can manually remove the Scarlett from MSD Mode:
    1. Power unit up like normal by plugging a USB cable into the iPad
    2. Unplug the USB cable
    3. Hold down 48V and again plug in the USB cable whilst continuing to hold down the 48V button for 10 seconds
    4. After 10 seconds unplug the USB cable again
    5. Plug the cable back in one more time and you’re good to go

    Thanks @seonnthaproducer but I'm still on 14 so it's not an issue with iOS15...

    No worries. It’s still worth a shot...try testing the interface on another device and if the same thing happens, there’s a chance it’s on MSD mode, then the steps above should help resolve it.

  • No worries. It’s still worth a shot...try testing the interface on another device and if the same thing happens, there’s a chance it’s on MSD mode, then the steps above should help resolve it.

    So you think it's ok to try this anyway? Not gonna make anything explode? And , let's say it's successful, - will it then still be compatible with my Macbook Pro, which is what I use the 2i2 with on a daily basis? Am approaching a fairly big, important deadline, so don't want to do this if I then have probs using it with my laptop!

  • edited October 2021

    @Kashi said:

    No worries. It’s still worth a shot...try testing the interface on another device and if the same thing happens, there’s a chance it’s on MSD mode, then the steps above should help resolve it.

    So you think it's ok to try this anyway? Not gonna make anything explode? And , let's say it's successful, - will it then still be compatible with my Macbook Pro, which is what I use the 2i2 with on a daily basis? Am approaching a fairly big, important deadline, so don't want to do this if I then have probs using it with my laptop!

    If you have a deadline, I’d say get that done before doing any significant troubleshooting. Then you can focus on this problem.

    Now, assuming you’ve taken care of your deadline,

    Here’s what I mean

    1. Plug it to your Mac and see if it works. If it works, great. Means the interface is still working. Else, it may be the issue mentioned above, a software update, or something you may need to reach out to the manufacturer for.
    2. Connect it to your phone ( if you’re using an iPhone), and see if it works. If it works there, then it’s related to the iPad - software update, poor connection usually are the main culprits.
    3. If it does not work on the iPhone, then it’s the interface. Either it’s in MSD mode, or the device is defective. Either way, reaching out to Focusrite support would be the best route to take, especially if you’re not familiar with doing advanced settings on audio interfaces.

    Hope this helps.

  • Thanks @seonnthaproducer .

    Worth mentioning that I just found a reddit thread about this exact issue, and someone suggested plugging the USB hub into my laptop and then the 2i2 into the hub, to check that they were communicating with each other, and I had immediate success, no problems whatsoever. So the hub works, and the AI works, but it does seem like there's not enough power when I do it with the ipad...

  • @Kashi said:
    Thanks @seonnthaproducer .

    Worth mentioning that I just found a reddit thread about this exact issue, and someone suggested plugging the USB hub into my laptop and then the 2i2 into the hub, to check that they were communicating with each other, and I had immediate success, no problems whatsoever. So the hub works, and the AI works, but it does seem like there's not enough power when I do it with the ipad...

    Great, so you’ve narrowed it down. Are you using the correct power brick into the CCK3 port? And I don’t mean the tiny white brick that used to come with iPhones. I mean the original adapter that came with the iPad.

    This one I mean. Use this one that came with the iPad.

  • Am using this: It's the power pack that came with the ipad. I bought the ipad 2nd hand , but it was "like new". Looked like it had hardly been used, and I assume that this is the original power pack

  • @Kashi said:
    Thanks @seonnthaproducer .

    Worth mentioning that I just found a reddit thread about this exact issue, and someone suggested plugging the USB hub into my laptop and then the 2i2 into the hub, to check that they were communicating with each other, and I had immediate success, no problems whatsoever. So the hub works, and the AI works, but it does seem like there's not enough power when I do it with the ipad...

    Assuming you used the same hub power adapter in the laptop test, there should be no difference in hub power to the Scarlett when using the iPad.

    One thing that might help is to make the Lightning connection last. Connect the hub power, Scarlett, and USB to CCK. This will let the Scarlett power stabilize. Finally, plug CCK into iPad. If instead, you make the Scarlett connection last, iOS tries to connect to it while it is starting up, which can lead to confusion.

  • One thing that might help is to make the Lightning connection last.

    Thanks @uncledave Tried that - no joy :(

  • edited October 2021

    @uncledave said:
    Assuming you used the same hub power adapter in the laptop test, there should be no difference in hub power to the Scarlett when using the iPad.

    This is true if the hub delivers power as advertised - which seems to be the issue. But if not, with laptop it will draw more power fine from laptop, but will fail with iPad.

  • @0tolerance4silence said:

    @uncledave said:
    Assuming you used the same hub power adapter in the laptop test, there should be no difference in hub power to the Scarlett when using the iPad.

    This is true if the hub delivers power as advertised - which seems to be the issue. But if not, with laptop it will draw more power fine from laptop, but will fail with iPad.

    I suppose, assuming the "powered" hub is made to draw power both from the USB host and from the power adapter. I believe that's a little tricky to do, electrically, but it's possible.

  • @Kashi said:

    One thing that might help is to make the Lightning connection last.

    Thanks @uncledave Tried that - no joy :(

    Did the Scarlett power up properly when it was connected only to the powered hub? If it did, but failed when connected to the iPad, that could indicate a problem specifically with the iPad connection.

    Did you try different ports on the hub? Some may be configured to supply more power than the others.

  • edited October 2021

    @uncledave said: "Did the Scarlett power up properly when it was connected only to the powered hub?"

    No, didn't power up at all at this stage.

    "Did you try different ports on the hub?"

    Yes, no change

  • edited October 2021

    Note: There is a section in this description that mentions updating the audio interface. I can't determine if there is a problem interfering with the computer or not. It may be safer to do this after OP's current work(?) is complete.

    https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/115005430409-Can-I-use-my-bus-powered-Scarlett-with-an-iPad-Lightning-port-

    In the case of the 3rd 2i2, the linked official page says to update the firmware of the 2i2 before connecting it to the iPad.
    (Also, it says how to deal with both users if the iPad's port is Lightning or USB-C.)
    Reading the above link page, I was under the impression that all generations of 2i2, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, can be used on the iPad. I don't know which 2i2 OP owns, but it might be useful to take a look at the link. However, the example use video in the link is not CCK3. I don't know if the required power can be provided without CCK3 or not, as I am not a 2i2 user.
    Also, if OP has another USB hub with a power supply, it might be a good idea to try it with that.

    The following is a generic solution to the problem of connecting the iPad to various audio interfaces. This is not a solution specific to the 2i2. There may be some similarities with the solution for connecting a computer to an audio interface.

    Note: Some of my English expressions may be wrong. There may be incorrect descriptions of information related to electricity. There is a possibility of malfunction or accident. Please be careful.

    -If it does not work, use a USB 2.0 port. It may not work with USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 ports. (This may or may not be true for all audio interfaces. For example, the best USB port type may vary depending on when the product was released.)
    -If you have multiple USB ports, check every port individually.
    -Do not connect unnecessary cables or unnecessary hardware to the USB hub. (For example, unplug a portable hard drive.)
    -Power the USB hub itself directly from an electrical outlet. (If you need to use a power hub or USB hub, make sure to calculate the power requirements first. Be aware that accidents may occur in some cases)
    -Power the lightning cable connected to the CCK3 directly from an electrical outlet. (If you need to use a power hub or USB hub, make sure to calculate the power requirements first. Be aware that accidents may occur in some cases)
    -Make sure that the audio interface and CCK3 are powered on beforehand. If you turn on the audio interface or power the CCK3 after you have connected the iPad to the audio interface, the iPad may not recognize the external device.
    -Turn over the connection terminal of the Lightning cable. If it is not a genuine Apple lightning cable, it may or may not be recognized.
    -If the CCK3 or USB adapter is not a genuine Apple product, the external device may not be recognized after the iOS (iPadOS) update.
    -A certain audio interface has been unusable for a while after an iOS update. It is possible that other audio interfaces may have similar problems after an iOS update.

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