Best Way to Get Midi Out From the iPad Air?

[Kalamata Kid]

Hi,
Can't comment on the lightning to multi-usb option - never tried it. The iConnectMidi2 does have 2 DIN and 2 USB midi ports. The usb ports are the "square" side of the USB cable with full usb connectors (not mini or micro). It does support 16 channels and you can configure them pretty much any way you want with the software.

I need 16 ports and 16 channels. Well actually 9 ports will be fine. I am using seven of the eight Midi Ports on the MOTU Midi Express 128, Midi Patchbay going into my PC but still have 8 to 16 available in the PC.

[BiancaNeve]

Why do you need 16 ports? One midi port can handle 16 channels

[Kalamata Kid]

Why do you need 16 ports? One midi port can handle 16 channels

This is off topic.

Each midi controller has its own port.

The MOTU Midi Express 128 http://www.motu.com/products/midi/128 can input and output 8 Midi ports. The inputs in the Midi Express are the old DIN type. I have 7 controllers going into the Midi Express. The Mid Express connects to the Windows 7 PC by USB. When in the PC I designate the channel for each port.

Since I will be using the iPad as a midi controller I will need another port. Then I can choose the channel it will be on. Keep in mind that often instead of Port number of the Midi device, the device name such as Roland A-88, BCR2000 or other is shown on the list and then the channel is assigned.

[Kalamata Kid]

Just in case you missed my earlier question I re-post it here:

From what I gather here is that the iPad can transmit just about any data through the Lightning port but not midi. Why is midi excluded? There are no apps that can convert whatever needs to be converted to a midi stream to the out at he lighting port? From there to the provided Lighting to USB cable adaptor? Just wondering.

I know the answering will be very embarrassing to me.

[ZenPunkHippy]

The USB / Lightening bolt interface to iOS devices is strictly controlled by Apple. 3rd party developers do not have access to it. It transmits whatever Apple think is necessary, no more no less.

The *best* solution is iConnectMIDI2+ - I have the original, it works great. Waiting patiently for the 4+.

I would still check out rptMIDI because it's free, and might do what you want - network latency is fairly low.

Peace,
Andy.

[Kalamata Kid]

The USB / Lightening bolt interface to iOS devices is strictly controlled by Apple. 3rd party developers do not have access to it. It transmits whatever Apple think is necessary, no more no less.

The *best* solution is iConnectMIDI2+ - I have the original, it works great. Waiting patiently for the 4+.

I would still check out rptMIDI because it's free, and might do what you want - network latency is fairly low.

Peace,
Andy.

Now I am beginning to understand that no app is allowed to send their data out if it is MIDI to the Lightning port. Apple controls the data and disallows MIDI (and perhaps other data) from going out from the Lighting port. That explains why no app exists that converts the gibberishmidi to midi and out to the Lightning port.

So:

The iConnectMIDI can understand the gibberishmidi from the Lighting port and make it midi in their device and then send it to the PC as midi. An entrepreneur programmer can make a driver for the PC that can convert the gibberishmidi sent to it from the Ipad Lighting which then goes to the Lighting to USB adaptor to the PC. In other words for the PC driver to do the task done by the iConnectMIDI. Perhaps it is not so easy but then again making the iConnectMIDI was not easy also.

If I find no alternative to the iConnectMIDI then I will certainly spend the money to purchase it especially since you and other musicians I which have previously given good accurate advice recommend it.

On the other hand I would like further information about this limitation as an "academic" exercise.

[ZenPunkHippy]

I don't have much technical info for you, sorry. With the original iConnectMIDI it's a class compliant USB device so automatically recognised by Mac / Win. Just plug it in and the MIDI ports are accessible.

The iConnectMIDI2+ and 4+ can also act as a digital audio interface to transfer output from iOS to Mac/PC, and I think that might require a driver but not 100% sure.

There are other solutions for MIDI via the lightening dock such as iRigMIDI or get a dock dedicated to audio + MIDI. My preference is for the iConnectMIDI devices 'cause that's what I have experience with and they have not let me down so far - built like a tank, extremely reliable interface.

Peace,
Andy.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

cheers zen. good info

been looking into this the last couple of hours, trying to find something animoog like in the vst/au world. it dawned on me that rather than looking for alternatives, i might be better off trying to get animoog (and other apps) running as plugins

turns out this iconnect does this and so much more

[Aural Chaos]

I don't have much technical info for you, sorry. With the original iConnectMIDI it's a class compliant USB device so automatically recognised by Mac / Win. Just plug it in and the MIDI ports are accessible.

The iConnectMIDI2+ and 4+ can also act as a digital audio interface to transfer output from iOS to Mac/PC, and I think that might require a driver but not 100% sure.

There are other solutions for MIDI via the lightening dock such as iRigMIDI or get a dock dedicated to audio + MIDI. My preference is for the iConnectMIDI devices 'cause that's what I have experience with and they have not let me down so far - built like a tank, extremely reliable interface.

Peace,
Andy.

The iConnect doesn't use drivers on the iPad OR PC side (for either MIDI or audio)- they are class compliant.

Kalamata, I think you are missing the point here. The issue isn't drivers or software. You need a MIDI interface to transmit MIDI. It's not about Apple refusing to allow it, it's about needing a device that performs the function. There are dozens of USB devices that can plug in to an iPad and receive and transmit MIDI and audio. But there is no hardware INSIDE the iPad to send and receive MIDI or audio through the 30 pin/lightning port.

[Kalamata Kid]

I don't have much technical info for you, sorry. With the original iConnectMIDI it's a class compliant USB device so automatically recognised by Mac / Win. Just plug it in and the MIDI ports are accessible.

The iConnectMIDI2+ and 4+ can also act as a digital audio interface to transfer output from iOS to Mac/PC, and I think that might require a driver but not 100% sure.

There are other solutions for MIDI via the lightening dock such as iRigMIDI or get a dock dedicated to audio + MIDI. My preference is for the iConnectMIDI devices 'cause that's what I have experience with and they have not let me down so far - built like a tank, extremely reliable interface.

Peace,
Andy.

Yes we agree that the iConnectMIDI it's a class compliant.

The good part is that the iConnectMIDI also does audio. Will not be using audio but it's there If I ever need it.

I have not doubt that is will do what I need it for especially since you use it and recommend it.

[Kalamata Kid]

I don't have much technical info for you, sorry. With the original iConnectMIDI it's a class compliant USB device so automatically recognised by Mac / Win. Just plug it in and the MIDI ports are accessible.

The iConnectMIDI2+ and 4+ can also act as a digital audio interface to transfer output from iOS to Mac/PC, and I think that might require a driver but not 100% sure.

There are other solutions for MIDI via the lightening dock such as iRigMIDI or get a dock dedicated to audio + MIDI. My preference is for the iConnectMIDI devices 'cause that's what I have experience with and they have not let me down so far - built like a tank, extremely reliable interface.

Peace,
Andy.

The iConnect doesn't use drivers on the iPad OR PC side (for either MIDI or audio)- they are class compliant.

Kalamata, I think you are missing the point here. The issue isn't drivers or software. You need a MIDI interface to transmit MIDI. It's not about Apple refusing to allow it, it's about needing a device that performs the function. There are dozens of USB devices that can plug in to an iPad and receive and transmit MIDI and audio. But there is no hardware INSIDE the iPad to send and receive MIDI or audio through the 30 pin/lightning port.

There are well over a hundred midi controllers that send out midi via DIN or USB. My desktop PC sends out midi through the USB port. I am sure many other desktops and laptops do this also. From what I gather here tablets like the iPad do not or cannot send midi out unless it is in a cryptic form.

I used gibberishmidi so let me use a more proper term non-complaintmidi, scrambledmidi or… Let me use crypticmidi. Crypticmidi carries midi data but uses a different "language" than Midi. Sorry for my non-techno lingo.

The iPad sends out midi through Lightning, I call it crypticmidi because the midi is not in a form that a PC would recognize, though iConnectMIDI does recognize it. Correct? Apple decided to send out crypticmidi instead of midi for who knows what reason. So the Ipad does send out midi but in the form of crypticmidi. Just checking to see if my reasoning is correct and not trying to be patronizing or insulting.

Ipad comes with a lightning to USB adaptor cable. If Lightning sent out midi then all one would have to do is plug in the USB adaptor to the USB port in the computer. So it must be that the Ipad sends out crypticmidi that a PC cannot decrypt and turn it into midi. Only the iConnectMIDI and similar devices can do this, PC's cannot.

[Aural Chaos]

If you were to plug a USB cable into your PC, and plug the other end into another computer ( either with an adapter or a cable with A connectors on both ends) would it automagically send and receive MIDI? Nope.
All those hundreds of class compliant controllers that send MIDI to and from a PC essentially have a MIDI interface built in to them.

I'm not at all an Apple fanboy or apologist- the only product of theirs I've ever owned is an ipad2- but this isn't about mean old Apple not letting MIDI flow directly out of the lightning (or in my case, 30 pin port). The hardware simply cannot do that, which is why you need to plug a MIDI interface into it- anything from a 10 buck USB MIDI adapter cable to the iConnect MIDI to any number of class compliant USB devices.

I have a Casio XW that is class compliant, so it can plug right into to the iPad. I have a Korg M3 that is not- it needs drivers to be recognized by my PC. One works directly with the iPad and one doesn't, not because something Apple is preventing from happening, but because the other devices were built differently than each other.

[Kalamata Kid]

If you were to plug a USB cable into your PC, and plug the other end into another computer ( either with an adapter or a cable with A connectors on both ends) would it automagically send and receive MIDI? Nope.
All those hundreds of class compliant controllers that send MIDI to and from a PC essentially have a MIDI interface built in to them.

I'm not at all an Apple fanboy or apologist- the only product of theirs I've ever owned is an ipad2- but this isn't about mean old Apple not letting MIDI flow directly out of the lightning (or in my case, 30 pin port). The hardware simply cannot do that, which is why you need to plug a MIDI interface into it- anything from a 10 buck USB MIDI adapter cable to the iConnect MIDI to any number of class compliant USB devices.

I have a Casio XW that is class compliant, so it can plug right into to the iPad. I have a Korg M3 that is not- it needs drivers to be recognized by my PC. One works directly with the iPad and one doesn't, not because something Apple is preventing from happening, but because the other devices were built differently than each other.

Aural Chaos,

I do appreciate you taking the time to explain things. If you can please answer the questions from my perspective no matter how flawed they are. If you can answer these questions perhaps it will clear up the matter in my mind.

The iPad can and does send "cryptic" midi information out to the Lightning port. Correct? The iConnectMIDI understands the "cryptic" midi information and that is why it works. It has a midi interface which sends the midi stream to the PC. Correct?

The iPad cannot send midi out. Correct? The reason being as you stated it has no midi interface to do so. No such thing as a virtual or software midi interface that can send midi out to the Lightning port. Correct? I suppose that Apple could have to added a real midi interface with very little effort and expense. There is always the cost/benefit ratio that all businesses have to contend with.

Edit: added four "correct?"

[Daedal]

We're near the end of 2014, and there still isn't a wired coremidi solution from apple without additional hardware. Lemur announced on android with a solid wired solution out of the box? See ya, apple.

[ezza]

My desktop PC sends out midi through the USB port. I am sure many other desktops and laptops do this also.

Can you plug your PC directly into another PC or laptop with a USB cable and send midi to a programme running on that PC or laptop?