Btw, dixie, I've found that a lot of audio cards using the camera connection kit will get flaky if plugged/unplugged multiple times. Sometimes you actually have to unplug everything and restart the iPad to get it to see an external audio interface again. This is probably either a bug in some implementations of class compliant audio or a bug in the core audio drivers. For this reason, when I'm using the iPad in the studio (I do exactly the same thing as you - SPDIF into Ableton Live), I set the auto lock screen saver to never and leave it turned on the entire session. The iPad battery is 10 hours easily so I've never run out of juice, and this prevents losing a connection and having to go through a painful reboot process.

Another small nitpick I've had with class compliant audio is that sometimes when initially plugging in the camera connection kit, you get high latency, like 200ms between a key press on a virtual synth and the sound.

So...Amazon kept showing me lower and lower prices on the iU2, and one thing lead to another...

Tell me if you don't mind, having the other interfaces worked fine with the CCK (leaving aside the fact of re-plugging the little devil from time to time, for instance your Zed10FX, what are the main points that lead you to purchase the IU2?

Btw, dixie, I've found that a lot of audio cards using the camera connection kit will get flaky if plugged/unplugged multiple times. Sometimes you actually have to unplug everything and restart the iPad to get it to see an external audio interface again. This is probably either a bug in some implementations of class compliant audio or a bug in the core audio drivers. For this reason, when I'm using the iPad in the studio (I do exactly the same thing as you - SPDIF into Ableton Live), I set the auto lock screen saver to never and leave it turned on the entire session. The iPad battery is 10 hours easily so I've never run out of juice, and this prevents losing a connection and having to go through a painful reboot process.

Two main things: 1) FULLY portable, without need for AC power--my other solutions both require it;

2) Digital (SPDIF) output, for high-quality capture of some of the output of non-export friendly apps (Garageband, i.e.).

Turns out 2) is really a moot point--I can open .band files on a Win7 PC and access the .aif files inside. Combine this with Garageband's "merge" function (really a render + bounce facility), and there is no need to record track by track over the SPDIF as I had originally envisioned.

Too bad I figured this out yesterday.

Ah ok thanks for the insight. Number 2 indeed could sound pretty nice but as you say if the high-q files can be taken from the guts then that's a pretty workaround that won't require any audio interface.

I was thinking also MIDI but then other people convinced me to just use the CCK and I think it was you who first (and probably only one?) who mentioned the ZED10 way back on this topic so I already have a working killer solution for my needs without the need for the IU2.

Good thing. Also it's kinda big which I did not like (not like we did not know that since its announcement).

Apparently the ipad is finicky as to which hubs work. I dunno, since I bought one from a list of known to work models on one of the IOS sites.

I'm also waiting for hands-on reviews on MIDI performance, guitar and bass connection, stability, total I/O latency ...

There are some user reviews on Amazon but they are mostly not favourable to say the least;

http://www.amazon.com/TASCAM-iU2-Channel-Audio-Interface/pro duct-reviews/B0073AJ39E/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_summary/189-056 1877-7429567?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDat eDescending

Apparently the ipad is finicky as to which hubs work. I dunno, since I bought one from a list of known to work models on one of the IOS sites.

By the way, which one you got?