IPad Pro (2018) based production environment

It’s ridiculous that apple choose not to at least put an extra usb-c port on the iPad. Obviously it would reduce the need for their MacBooks as well
I really don’t like Apple, pissed off their IMac for Windows, ditched my iPhone for a Samsung, though I need to keep a friggin iPad around as I use certain business apps that aren’t available on Android :expressionless:

If your only requirements for external audio are 2x2 I/O, I’d save yourself some cash and get one of these to plug into CCK:

https://www.musictribe.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Interfaces/UCA222/p/P0A31

You can then get one of these for MIDI so you don’t have to run a USB hub off the CCK:

https://au.yamaha.com/en/products/music_production/accessories/md-bt01/index.html

This is how I’ve got mine set up.

If you want to integrate with an existing computer based setup, get Studiomux to stream 8x8 audio i/o plus MIDI via lightning cable.

They done one step in that direction with Files and iCloud… With dropbox or iCloud now it’s more easy to exchange, import, export files…

iConnect Midi 4+ is the essential piece of gear to get so you can use your iPad in very possible way by audiopass thru and use it as a FX Chain, it has its drawback I didn’t like as no gain when you work with it with headroom so it would be only for me a connection to PC-MAC for making more of the couple computer + iPad things you can’t done with other audio-midi devices… iConnect gives you so many possibility in terms of routing midi and audio (But AUDIO4+ can do it also depends if you need to record audio with ipad too, then I would go to the audio4+)

If you don’t need to make FX Chain, or integrate your iPad in your computer session, a simple and cheaper audio interface can be sufficient. But really there’s nothing better than iConnect here.

Essentials iPad apps to me :

  • Dropbox - iCloud storage (monthly fee)
  • Audioshare
  • AUM
  • Fugue Machine (eventually)
  • Impaktor, Paterning 2
  • TC11 (it’s crazy powerful but also a bit complicated)
  • Animoog (love that simple one)
  • Synthmaster (because you can exchange with desktop app)
  • Thor (if you use Reason as well on the computer)
  • Borderland Granular
  • Samplr
  • Effects (there a few holderness media are nice, Amazing Noises)
  • app for elektron devices (Collider, SDS Drop, Strom)
  • TouchAble Pro (if you need it I find it very nice…)
  • Affinity Photo & Designer (because it’s cheap and very powerful on iPad Pro only)

To me nothing else.
(Rode NT-USB is cool too if you don’t have a Zoom for Field Recording but less portable hahaha iPad Pro + rode NT-usb outside is a bit huge…)

Hi fellow 'nauts,

thanks a lot for your feedback and I’m sorry I won’t be able to respond to it all, but I’ll try to address some of the points you raised:

@AdamJay: you have a fair point, even though I disagree with regards to the necessity of having file system access under IOS. I work in an Apple only environment and for most tasks storing stuff in iCloud and having it available in the appropriate app works fine for me. The lack of pro level apps, such as Logic bothers me more. Selling the tablet is neither a necessity nor an option. It excels at what it does well (even though it may be too pricey for that) and as long as I stick to that it gives me nothing but joy. It’s a very well designed piece of hardware, albeit with an OS that has limitations. Also, I have a MBP 15" with Live 10 which is probably better at recording and mixing than the iPad will ever be.

@William_WiLD: good to see you back here and thanks for your recommendations, I’ve used some of the apps you mention in the past but by far not all of them and will check some of them out.

@papertiger, @xidnpnlss I’ve realized that I’m not yet ready to start messing around with dongles, adapters, trying to work around the limitations of having just one USB-C port, so I’ll defer using an audio interface with the IPad for now. Thanks a lot for outlining the capabilities of the different hardware solutions to me anyway.

I think for now I’ll stick to playing and recording synths/FX using my KeyStep and transferring samples/stems to Ableton Live on my Mac and then see if/how I want to build on that.

Thanks a lot ladies and gents. This has been really helpful.

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