Wired connection Windows <-> iPad

Question

I need to remove my reliance on Wifi for use on stage. I need a wired connection between iPad and PC.

Following a search I tried musicIO, but it's unreliable and has caused some horrendous crashes. Looking at the last time it was updated I also wonder if it has been abandoned by its developer.

I don't want to have to use another piece of hardware, if I can avoid it. I have an old Behringer is202 iPad dock, but it's bulky, it doesn't have a lightning connector (I have to use an adaptor and prop the iPad up in the tray) and my PC refuses to see it from a USB connection.

Ideally I'd just use a lightning/USB cable.

What are others using?

Comments

Best option now is the built-in Apple stuff: basically you enable your iPad as an audio device under Audio/MIDI Settings on your Mac and then it magically appears as a MIDI destination. It's a tiny bit annoying to set up every single time, but it's solid and built-in to the OS on both platforms.

Regarding musicIO: we're 1/3 of the development team, and we're coordinating to get an update out sometime in 2020, but the audio stuff requires a lot of work etc. etc.. Hit me up at dan [at] mididesigner [dot] com and we can discuss the crashes as it would be good to know what's up.

Thanks!
Dan

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I'm Windows, not Mac, so that's not an option. Plus I need the iPad as a source *and* destination to make my MD Layouts work. I've had really bad crashes trying to use musicIO that have require complete re-boots. Sometimes I can get it working one way, but never both in and out together. TBH I'm not at all interested in the audio, only MIDI, which I think would go for most people here? Quite honestly I'd drop the audio side altogether for the sake of a working MIDI solution for MD.

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Windows... it's a really, really hard nut to crack. musicIO project has given up on trying to tackle Windows entirely. Best way to go is to iConnectivity or even a regular MIDI USB dongle plugged in to the iPad. There are many options, but you're going to need real hardware, not just a Lightning cable. There are some cheap options too. I don't know if any of the software solutions out there will work for you. The good news is that there are solutions.

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I just tried again. I could get MIDI going from MD, via musicIO *to* the PC, but nothing back to MD from the PC, despite everything looking right. Then as soon as I tried to create a new Cantabile song there was a huge crash, requiring a full PC re-boot. TBH I think I'll just give it up. I just don't think I'm going to be able to use my MD panel live - I don't want more hardware, and I can't rely on Wifi. One day I'd love to see a one-cable solution built right there into MD, but I sympathise that it's probably a tough one!

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you probably use an audio interface that has midi ports. So you get a MIDI adapter like the iRig 2 for you iPad and done.

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Yep, that is probably as good as it may get. I'm already running on hardware with MIDI ports, but I was hoping for a one-USB-cable solution. I really don't want to take yet more hardware to gigs. Really appreciate the advice, my friend.

Answer 1

I got myself a iConnectivity MiO. One cable with DIN MIDI in/out. Although I have to use a 'camera' adapter (thanks, Apple...) it works fine, and means no additional hardware. So I have a one cable(+adapter) solution.

I guess if I buy a second MiO and a couple of back-to-back DIN sockets I would have a cabled solution from Lightning to USB, albeit with a few joins in the line.

Thanks all for your help. It steered me to a solution I can live with!

Answer 2

I got myself a iConnectivity MiO. One cable with DIN MIDI in/out. Although I have to use a 'camera' adapter (thanks, Apple...) it works fine, and means no additional hardware. So I have a one cable(+adapter) solution.

I guess if I buy a second MiO and a couple of back-to-back DIN sockets I would have a cabled solution from Lightning to USB, albeit with a few joins in the line.

Thanks all for your help. It steered me to a solution I can live with!