the ipad as instrument, and recording it.

[kurth]

I've got a normal ipad running about 30 apps of instruments from geoshred to thumbjam. It's a very playable instrument on it's own, without using a midi controller. ifretless sax, for instance. But the problem is how to integrate this instrument into a pc world full of daws. It's alot easier if you're on the applechain, but recording the ipad to pc's is the subject of doctorates.

There are interfaces made by iconnectivity i believe, and there's the new interface by lewitt that allows communication between a pc and a second ios device, but usually the choice is between recording over the headphone jack, or recording digitally thru the camera adapter. It's kinda of a rabbithole. there's studiomux, which is in failing. If you have an audioface with adat, it can be adapted, bypassing the converters of the headphone output. Recording straight from the headphone output is the least desirable. But there could be ways to assuage the sound.

Regardless, it's a completely new kind of instrument, like an infinite chameleon. I'd like to try a tactile transparent surface next, to heighten the playability. There's been some rumor of a larger ipad model in the future. It could rival and surpass the Linnstrument. Already a 10inch playing surface is dynamic.

Anyone one else playing the ipad ?

[egordon99]

I think your best bet is to pickup a second interface (I have good luck with the SSL2+) to plug directly into the USB-C (assuming it's the latest iPad ) of the iPad and send the audio output to the interface. Then just plug an OUT of the interface into an analog in of your regular DAW's interface.

If your iPad is older and only has the lightning port, you'll basically need something to get an analog signal (such as https://www.apple.com/shop/product/H...harge-rockstar ) but you might as well just use the headphone out at that point. Not sure if the latest USB-C interfaces (such as my recommended SSL2+) work with Lightning devices.

[kurth]

thanks gordon. That device looks like it couldn't possibly have better ad converters than an ipad. Besides the hardware solutions like iconnectivity and lewitt, which are rather expensive solutions, and the software solution which was studiomux, but it died....some other solutions might be usb to adat converter , then adat into an interface with adat. The cheapest interface with adat I've found is the zoom u44. The usb/adat converter costs about $50. That keeps the signal pristine. Or using something like a rapco to balance the headphone output into a xlr. There's also the Art USBDI. I think that looks like it could do thejob. I wrote their company to ask if that works with the usb audio on an ipad, and is the output better than just using the ad converters in the ipad. They themselves should be interested in that, considering how many ipad musicians there are. I've used the headphone out, recording geoshred cello, and it's not optimum. Hence the search for alternatives. thanks
...for those that haven't tried ....Velocity Keyboard running Swam, or geoswam, or Thumbjam produces a dynamic playable scenario. I haven't encountered an app that doesn't run on a standard ipad. thanks
ps....but I haven't tried recording the balanced output of an interface (ipad) into another interface. My second interface is firewire...oops. When I get another usb interface,I'll give that a try. That sounds like it might be better than the headphone amp in the ipad.

[kurth]

geoshred now has a strum mode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi_WQHf9agM&t=56s