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.

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Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

What are your Audio/Midi interface solutions for working with hardware and iOS?

edited July 2019 in General App Discussion

I'm looking to upgrade my interface setup to something with more inputs and a better DAC.

Currently using an iconnectaudio4+ with a 9.7" ipad pro plus a whole pile of hardware and midi controllers.
The iCA4+ excels at audio and midi routing, and I love that it can handle all midi and audio over a single cable, route audio to another ipad or computer, all with very low latency...
but I need more inputs, the DAC isn't anything to write home about, and worst of all, it sometimes drops all usb midi connections for no apparent reason, requiring a hard reset.

My setup relies heavily on the 8 port usb midi host capability of the ica4+, and as I'm shopping around for better sounding interfaces with more channels, I'm realizing that none of them have the midi capabilities that I'm looking for.

Anyone else working with hardware and routing midi and audio to and fro the ipad? What are your solutions? What are the best interfaces, boxes, and hubs for doing so? A lot of the really nice interfaces don't support midi at all. Can you get good results plugging into a usb hub for audio and midi?

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Comments

  • My setup is:

    Motu 16A or Steinberg UR22 for audio interface and soon an ES-8
    Korg Padkontrol, Arturia Keystep & Beatstep are used for MIDI over USB and are all connected to a powered hub.

    My plan is to ultimately switch to the ES-8 with Audulus to sequence and sync my equipment.

  • I'm looking at the K-mix, as it's very compact, has 8 ins and 8 outs, and seems like a slight step up in quality. Anyone here have experience with one?

    The midi expander is where I'm underwhelmed. it can only host one usb device and one 5 pin i/o. :|

    The other option I'm considering is an Audient iD14, with an adat for another 8 channels in. That box has the absolute best DAC for the money and really nice preamps to boot. But no midi to speak of.. so this is where I need help!

  • @BroCoast said:
    My setup is:

    Motu 16A or Steinberg UR22 for audio interface and soon an ES-8
    Korg Padkontrol, Arturia Keystep & Beatstep are used for MIDI over USB and are all connected to a powered hub.

    My plan is to ultimately switch to the ES-8 with Audulus to sequence and sync my equipment.

    cool, thanks for sharing! Do you plug the interface into the hub? or is there a host on the interfaces that support multiple devices?

    ES-8 with Audulus 4 will be amazing! Saving my pennies.. but it's all midi synths for me at the moment.

  • edited July 2019

    @palm said:

    @BroCoast said:
    My setup is:

    Motu 16A or Steinberg UR22 for audio interface and soon an ES-8
    Korg Padkontrol, Arturia Keystep & Beatstep are used for MIDI over USB and are all connected to a powered hub.

    My plan is to ultimately switch to the ES-8 with Audulus to sequence and sync my equipment.

    cool, thanks for sharing! Do you plug the interface into the hub? or is there a host on the interfaces that support multiple devices?

    ES-8 with Audulus 4 will be amazing! Saving my pennies.. but it's all midi synths for me at the moment.

    Everything gets plugged into the hub. It's a generic powered hub as seen here:

  • edited July 2019

    Got the Zoom UAC-8 and it sounds & works great with the iPad in Class Compliant mode for MIDI and 8 audio i/o channels.
    ADAT is unavailable in CC mode, have to use it on Mac/Win using the Zoom driver for ADAT.
    @BroCoast Can you use all ADAT channels of the Motu 16A in Class-Compliant mode?

  • Focusrite 18i20 or on the cheaper side Behringer UMC1820. I have both actually so ADAT can pass audio from Behringer to Focusrite. Focusrite is connected to USB hub which is connected to CCK.

    I'm looking for something battery powered though because sometimes I don't to be tethered to studio setup and prefer something more ad hoc. Leaning towards Zoom H6.

  • Focusrite iTrack dock and Korg NanoKey studio ...

  • @palm said:
    I'm looking at the K-mix, as it's very compact, has 8 ins and 8 outs, and seems like a slight step up in quality. Anyone here have experience with one?

    I use a Kmix, aggregated with an iConnectMidi4+ (and soundflower), the kmix also controls my Logic Project. I am very happy with the converters (but am no audiophile by any means..). I can‘t comment on the 5pinMidi possibilities concerning kmix, but this setup runs reliably for the last 3 years for me... . Good luck, cheers, t

  • .

    @BroCoast said:
    My setup is:

    Motu 16A or Steinberg UR22 for audio interface and soon an ES-8
    Korg Padkontrol, Arturia Keystep & Beatstep are used for MIDI over USB and are all connected to a powered hub.

    My plan is to ultimately switch to the ES-8 with Audulus to sequence and sync my equipment.

    When it is in stock, same pain in Europe too. I'm seriously thinking of getting one but i will still keep my ICA4+.

  • edited July 2019

    @animal said:

    @palm said:
    I'm looking at the K-mix, as it's very compact, has 8 ins and 8 outs, and seems like a slight step up in quality. Anyone here have experience with one?

    I use a Kmix, aggregated with an iConnectMidi4+ (and soundflower), the kmix also controls my Logic Project. I am very happy with the converters (but am no audiophile by any means..). I can‘t comment on the 5pinMidi possibilities concerning kmix, but this setup runs reliably for the last 3 years for me... . Good luck, cheers, t

    Oh, I see. so this is a desktop setup with the k-mix. That's promising that it's solid in that setting.

    How does it work with an ipad? I've read that there may be performance issues with older devices. Is there a way to use the k-mix and iconnect box simultaneously without problems?

  • @dendy said:
    Focusrite iTrack dock and Korg NanoKey studio ...

    Have you made custom scenes for NS2 in your K-NkS ? If so...do share.

  • edited July 2019

    @WillieNegus no, nothing special, just mapped default NkS knobs to Obsidian and saved it as default mapping in NS for both Obsidian and AU instrument - so every new Obsidian or AU track i add to project has automatically mapped knobs ..

  • @dendy said:
    @WillieNegus no, nothing special, just mapped default NkS knobs to Obsidian and saved it as default mapping in NS for both Obsidian and AU instrument - so every new Obsidian or AU track i add to project has automatically mapped knobs ..

    Cool. Pretty much how I use it. Very underrated device. Haven’t found an app it doesn’t enhance.

  • Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

  • edited July 2019

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    The ICA4+ audio quality is pretty good for the price range IMO. I had a Steinberg UR22 and it does have a better sound (I love the yamaha chips) but there is not a big difference.

    I also had a UMC 1820 and that was mud city but I can't knock the price.

    The ICA4+ is one of the best bits of music gear I ever bought, if they release a 8 analogue input version I wouldn't need to look at sound cards ever again (unless i became rich)

  • edited July 2019

    Duplicate

  • @WillieNegus said:

    @dendy said:
    @WillieNegus no, nothing special, just mapped default NkS knobs to Obsidian and saved it as default mapping in NS for both Obsidian and AU instrument - so every new Obsidian or AU track i add to project has automatically mapped knobs ..

    Cool. Pretty much how I use it. Very underrated device. Haven’t found an app it doesn’t enhance.

    This ! Like it much, very handy.

  • My Roland Duo Capture EX has served well, despite its quirks (needs driver to run on Mac, but works with iPad - so, kinda-sorta class compliant?) .

    Looking at a Roland Go Mixer Pro as part of my grand plan to achieve Youtube stardom, as it allows simultaneous video and multi-track audio recording. But apparently audio devices don't aggregate on IOS so I have to get another MIDI interface - thinking of iRig 2 MIDI for that.

  • @[Deleted User] said:
    .

    @BroCoast said:
    My setup is:

    Motu 16A or Steinberg UR22 for audio interface and soon an ES-8
    Korg Padkontrol, Arturia Keystep & Beatstep are used for MIDI over USB and are all connected to a powered hub.

    My plan is to ultimately switch to the ES-8 with Audulus to sequence and sync my equipment.

    When it is in stock, same pain in Europe too. I'm seriously thinking of getting one but i will still keep my ICA4+.

    For some reason I could only order the Bitwig version too. They couldn't get the standard one, but are letting me have it cheaper. :)

    Hopefully not too long to wait.

  • edited July 2019

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    Thanks for the info! this is really helpful. That's really a shame about the configuration! That's one thing iconnect has going for it. you can store settings and it retains them. ios configuration software exists, but it's pretty wonky.

    and to be fair, the overall audio quality with the ica4+ isn't bad. Very neutral and usable. But I did have a chance to A/B with an iD14 using the same monitors a while back and was reminded at the difference a high quality DAC can make. The low end was round and full whereas the ica4+ was missing a fair amount of bass and sounded brittle in the upper mids.

  • @palm said:

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    Thanks for the info! this is really helpful. That's really a shame about the configuration! That's one thing iconnect has going for it. you can store settings and it retains them. ios configuration software exists, but it's pretty wonky.

    and to be fair, the overall audio quality with the ica4+ isn't bad. Very neutral and usable. But I did have a chance to A/B with an iD14 using the same monitors a while back and was reminded at the difference a high quality DAC can make. The low end was round and full whereas the ica4+ was missing a fair amount of bass and sounded brittle in the upper mids.

    It would be great if they updated the firmware on the id series to work better with iOS.

    I had one for a minute but only used it on mac. The fact that I had to go into the software and bring the level up each time I used it was a dealbreaker at the time.

  • @palm said:

    Oh, I see. so this is a desktop setup with the k-mix. That's promising that it's solid in that setting.

    How does it work with an ipad? I've read that there may be performance issues with older devices. Is there a way to use the k-mix and iconnect box simultaneously without problems?

    There is no way on ios to use more than one Audiointerface at the time, ios always automatically chooses the audiodevice that gets attached last..., so i guess you could use both (via an active USB hub), but lose the audio pass through of the iconnect audio. Neve tried this with ios only. Kmix did run reliably with iPad Air/Air2/Pro9,7/Pro10,5 though in my tests.
    Cheers, t

  • @animal said:

    @palm said:

    Oh, I see. so this is a desktop setup with the k-mix. That's promising that it's solid in that setting.

    How does it work with an ipad? I've read that there may be performance issues with older devices. Is there a way to use the k-mix and iconnect box simultaneously without problems?


    There is no way on ios to use more than one Audiointerface at the time, ios always automatically chooses the audiodevice that gets attached last..., so i guess you could use both (via an active USB hub), but lose the audio pass through of the iconnect audio. Neve tried this with ios only. Kmix did run reliably with iPad Air/Air2/Pro9,7/Pro10,5 though in my tests.
    Cheers, t

    ah, ok. I was wondering about them paired as an audio interface and a midi hub. That would be sufficient for me if it could reliably run off of a powered hub.

  • @[Deleted User] said:

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    The ICA4+ audio quality is pretty good for the price range IMO. I had a Steinberg UR22 and it does have a better sound (I love the yamaha chips) but there is not a big difference.

    I also had a UMC 1820 and that was mud city but I can't knock the price.

    The ICA4+ is one of the best bits of music gear I ever bought, if they release a 8 analogue input version I wouldn't need to look at sound cards ever again (unless i became rich)

    Yeah, I'm not trying to trash the ica4+ at all. It's done me very well. The main concerns are:

    • occasional complete midi failure requiring a hard reset. so performing live with it is out.
    • not enough analog inputs
    • could have better DAC

    if they made an 8 channel version I'd buy it simply because there's nothing else quite like it. and it allows things like routing audio from hardware being processed by AUM over to Ableton.

  • edited July 2019

    @palm said:

    @[Deleted User] said:

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    The ICA4+ audio quality is pretty good for the price range IMO. I had a Steinberg UR22 and it does have a better sound (I love the yamaha chips) but there is not a big difference.

    I also had a UMC 1820 and that was mud city but I can't knock the price.

    The ICA4+ is one of the best bits of music gear I ever bought, if they release a 8 analogue input version I wouldn't need to look at sound cards ever again (unless i became rich)

    Yeah, I'm not trying to trash the ica4+ at all. It's done me very well. The main concerns are:

    • occasional complete midi failure requiring a hard reset. so performing live with it is out.
    • not enough analog inputs
    • could have better DAC

    if they made an 8 channel version I'd buy it simply because there's nothing else quite like it. and it allows things like routing audio from hardware being processed by AUM over to Ableton.

    The closest I've found to it was a combination of

    • Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 connected to the iPad via USB
    • USBStreamer ADAT interface connected to 18i20 via ADAT and Mac via USB
    • iConnectivity mio4 connected to 18i20 via DIN MIDI

    It worked, but it was way too cumbersome for the limited space I have now. I too would get an 8-input version in a heartbeat, though having only 4 inputs has kept my buying impulses in check :P

  • @jipumarino said:

    @palm said:

    @[Deleted User] said:

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    Just some info/potential warning regarding the iD14 with iOS, which is a damn shame because I absolutely love how this thing sounds. The JFET DI converted me from miking tube amps to going direct with amp sims when I needed high quality guitar tones as my previous lesser interface sounded plain flat direct, audient’s preamps are crystal clear/clean, and the ben burr converters sound pristine to me, even if I’m not that into the technical stuff.

    However, while being core audio and operating perfectly, it’s control software is limited to the desktop...and the unit defaults after a power cycle with no saving/recall available. Often even changing USB connections from desktop to iOS while powered via AC avoiding a reboot, it still defaults and rarely retains its settings. And the unit itself offers essentially zero digital control except output volume and headphone volume, along with the analog gains.

    The biggest issue with this is that both outputs default to output 1-2, essentially disabling output 3-4, meaning headphone monitoring of a unique signal cannot be achieved with this device on iOS. It’s a near fatal flaw for me as I’m wanting to audition tracks and settings while bringing tracks in, and even more so now that I’m running 2 iPads (one into the other) and would very much like to be able to DJ style monitor things. So once I can replace it, it will live with my desktop or be used only when necessary to add inputs to my second iPad.

    If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    Will be following this thread as I’m torn on what to get as well. Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    The ICA4+ audio quality is pretty good for the price range IMO. I had a Steinberg UR22 and it does have a better sound (I love the yamaha chips) but there is not a big difference.

    I also had a UMC 1820 and that was mud city but I can't knock the price.

    The ICA4+ is one of the best bits of music gear I ever bought, if they release a 8 analogue input version I wouldn't need to look at sound cards ever again (unless i became rich)

    Yeah, I'm not trying to trash the ica4+ at all. It's done me very well. The main concerns are:

    • occasional complete midi failure requiring a hard reset. so performing live with it is out.
    • not enough analog inputs
    • could have better DAC

    if they made an 8 channel version I'd buy it simply because there's nothing else quite like it. and it allows things like routing audio from hardware being processed by AUM over to Ableton.

    The closest I've found to it was a combination of

    • Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 connected to the iPad via USB
    • USBStreamer ADAT interface connected to 18i20 via ADAT and Mac via USB
    • iConnectivity mio4 connected to 18i20 via DIN MIDI

    It worked, but it was way too cumbersome for the limited space I have now. I too would get an 8-input version in a heartbeat, though having only 4 inputs has kept my buying impulses in check :P

    lol, so true. greed has got the best of me! :p

    I'm also trying to keep it as simple/compact as possible.

  • thanks for all the answers everyone!

    some very helpful info :)

  • anyone know if ipadOS will let you aggregate audio interfaces?

  • @dreamsaremaps said:
    ... If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    ... Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    Attention: the Audient interfaces propagate their ports by the USB connection - and these ports will show up under IOS and are adressable.
    But an internal DSP software controls the routing between ports and external connectors. There is absolutely no access from IOS to this control software.
    If digital io is set to S/PDIF you'll still see the Adat channels in IOS, but they don't work due to the internal mapping to S/PDIF. This also applies to channel muting etc.

    The ID44 adresses these issues with a firmware that saves settings internally, but all previous models lack this feature.

    I have an iCA4+ and an Audient ID22 (which may not handle control settings identical to the ID14 and the ID22's output stage is more sophisticated)
    The pure analog control of the ID22 is more precise and easier to handle than the iCA's digital touch-dial approach, but needs more space and drives costs up significantly.
    In fact I prefer the ID22 for microphone and DI recordings (and it's monitor section is outstanding in precision).

    Yet I rely on the iCA4+ a lot and don't want to miss it.
    It connects audio and midi between 3 different environments in a rather smooth way, which outweighs those minor signal flaws - while effectively providing 2 interfaces in 1 box.
    I also noticed the iCA4+ may loose it's mind occasionally (no obvious reason), but these are rare events. Requires power cycling of the interface and sometimes even the iPad.
    But the convenience and flexibility of the box is hard to beat.

  • @Telefunky said:

    @dreamsaremaps said:
    ... If you never need the second stereo out, it’s a great unit. I’ve only used s/pdif with it but it works as expected, though all 8 inputs appear so I’m confident the ADAT works just fine as well. Had great correspondence with their support but still wish they would release a unit that fixed these issues.

    ... Sad to hear about the iconnectaudio’s sound quality; their feature set is more what I’m looking for as well. Good luck.

    Attention: the Audient interfaces propagate their ports by the USB connection - and these ports will show up under IOS and are adressable.
    But an internal DSP software controls the routing between ports and external connectors. There is absolutely no access from IOS to this control software.
    If digital io is set to S/PDIF you'll still see the Adat channels in IOS, but they don't work due to the internal mapping to S/PDIF. This also applies to channel muting etc.

    The ID44 adresses these issues with a firmware that saves settings internally, but all previous models lack this feature.

    I have an iCA4+ and an Audient ID22 (which may not handle control settings identical to the ID14 and the ID22's output stage is more sophisticated)
    The pure analog control of the ID22 is more precise and easier to handle than the iCA's digital touch-dial approach, but needs more space and drives costs up significantly.
    In fact I prefer the ID22 for microphone and DI recordings (and it's monitor section is outstanding in precision).

    Yet I rely on the iCA4+ a lot and don't want to miss it.
    It connects audio and midi between 3 different environments in a rather smooth way, which outweighs those minor signal flaws - while effectively providing 2 interfaces in 1 box.
    I also noticed the iCA4+ may loose it's mind occasionally (no obvious reason), but these are rare events. Requires power cycling of the interface and sometimes even the iPad.
    But the convenience and flexibility of the box is hard to beat.

    ok, this is truly useful info! thanks!

    as I scour for other options, I'm finding that the iCA4+ is an absolutely unique piece of gear. If only they made a box with 8 line level ins..

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