Do we know of an audio interface that can both establish an audio connection to an iPad, and deliver the IPad power over a single usb connection?
Consider an artist at their studio desk, not in a poppy field or on a mountain top
Iām have a hub that enables me to connect the iPad to an audio interface and to receive power from the wall.
I see that the market demand seems to largely be for compact interfaces that can be powered by the iPad. I see why this is useful, but itās not exactly what Iām looking for right now.
Iām striving for minimalism when at home. I think it would be really nice if I could plug the iPad directly into an interface and have it connect audio and get power.
I know the iConnect +2 and +4 can charge an iPad while streaming audio and midi, but it needs a power supply which isnāt included. I donāt know about the later iConnect interfaces.
Thanks for the tip.
I donāt mind the āwall wartā / PSU - as long as thereās no NEW humā¦ (but that should go without saying). This is the functionality Iām looking for, though.
Iām not familiar with this manufacturer.
They donāt seem to get a lot of attention for their audio interfaces.
Good quality stuff? the Audio4C ticks the box, but Itās expensive enough that Iād keep looking for comps (or at least I need to find some reputable reviews) before buying this.
I own both iConnect4+ and Mio4 and they work flawlessly.
I got noise from OB-6, Micromonsta2 and Typhon but not from Peak or any Elektron.
I canāt say for the iPad unfortunately.
I havenāt yet bought a power supply for the iConnect Audio + 2 (two inputs, 4 outputs), but thereās no hum when powered via USB. IIRC, the interface allows for 16 outputs over USB to a computer, as well as the 4 physical outputs.
Has there been any new interface besides the iConnectivity Audio4c on the market since then? I have the Presonus 1824c to use with my iPad and it works very well except that it doesnāt charge the pad. Happened a few times that I wanted to do something only to realize that the battery is low and I would have to charge it first in order to be able to work for more than just a few minutes. Major bummer and needless to say that in such a situation nothing got done simply because by the time the iPad was charged it was too late to start anything.
Anyone using a Presonus 1824c as well and maybe found a solution/has any info if itās even possible? Since itās a wall powered interface it should be able to deliver power to charge the pad (theoretically). Since the iPad is USB C as well Iād like to avoid any USB C to A into CCK shenanigans. I have enough cables on my desk as it isā¦
Not what you want to hear, but I was looking for the same thing, an interface to charge the iPad.
I got a usb c hub that includes a charging port and now I have the capability to connect anything I want, including interface, midi controller, and even a display and a mouse if I want.
Your journey is your own. Whatās right for me might not be right for you.
But consider there are lots of ways to get to an outcome. Whatās really most important to you?
Yeah, I also ended up concluding that a USB-C hub with PD pass-through and a removable cable was the best option for me (Anker have a couple of models like this - though thereās a huge selection now).
Rather than compromising on the interface (and overspending) just to get one that has a PD output, I can use any bus-powered, class-compliant interface - and the setup is all powered by USB too.
As you say: it also gives me easy options to expand that setup since the hub has some extra USB ports (nice for USB MIDI devices), an HDMI output, and some of them include a card reader as well.
The removable cable was key to making this work for me: that way I donāt have a dongle or hub hanging off the iPad - because those things annoy the hell out of me.
I can keep the hub hidden away, so itās just a regular USB-C cable connecting to the iPad.
Thanks for your input. Could you guys link the hubs you are using and are you using USB C interface? If that would work for my setup that would be way more preferable than selling the Presonus and get the iConnectivity even though it has some additional options that are attractive.
This is the exact one I use on my m1 iPad Pro.
Itās worked fine for me. I checked and they have another model that has a 2nd usb c port in addition to PD.
Keep in mind, I already have 3 usb A interfaces that Iām happy with. So part of my decision was to minimize the expense of purchasing a usb C interface. (This purchase is bound to happen, but not where I want to invest right now.)
I use this one. I have my iPad on a stand, and I have the hub Velcroād to the back of the stand with the various cables routed neatly down the stand. That way nothing dangles, and all you see is a single cord going to the iPad.
Thereās also the company that makes the USB C splitter cables, one usb to two usb A, and a couple of other variants.
Someone posted a link in another thread (sorry canāt remember which one) and Iāve bought some but canāt remember if they charge or not as I didnāt try it. I can double check the brand later.
They did have some usb noise with an audio interface on one end and a midi interface on the other, so a hub might be your better option.
I have a hub similar to suspicious leaf man above, these are a good option but the cables are usually frustratingly short, and I think avoiding one with a headphone jack is a good idea as that will eliminate your ipad getting confused about which audio interface is connected.
The hub I use most for my ipad is actually my monitor, just move the usb c cable from the work laptop to the ipad and itās good to go. I have a usb hub plugged into one of the monitors usb hub ports, and I just plug stuff into that.
If itās an iPad Pro buy the Magic Keyboard., which not only functions as a keyboard and stand, but it also adds a separate USB-C data and power delivery port on the the hinge, in addition to the IPadās onboard thunderbolt port.
And if you flip the thing over with the keyboard in the air the iPad is propped up firmly at a relative flat angle eg for drawing etc. .
