KVR Audio

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:10 pm

I just got my very first iDevice, a spanking-new iPad, and on paper (and from the glowing Sound-on-Sound and MusicRadar reviews) the I/O Dock looks like a no brainer.

However, I've noticed some less than glowing feedback in the Amazon reviews regarding audio hiss and some comments here at KVR which speak ill of its quality. Is it worth checking out, or waiting to see what Behringer comes out with?

What sort of issues have people had with it (and I don't plan on using iAmpliTube with it, so CORE audio/midi only is fine by me)?

Aural Chaos · Post by **Aural Chaos** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:27 pm

To bad you werent reading Alesis's own site up until a few weeks ago when they started censoring critical posts. People were pissed off! I've read a tiny handful of positive reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, but it is hard to find people that don't hate it. It does seem
Iike there are less problems with OS 5.1 though.

I've wanted one myself for months, but think I'll wait till the Behringer one comes out and see people's opinions.

As far as issues, they've ranged from hiss, deafening bursts of noise, failure to be detected by the iPad, and inability to transmit sysex ( which they say they are working on).

thebaggytrouseredone · Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:38 pm

I've had no problems with mine. I've used it as a USB midi interface to record midi from an electric kit to DAW and I also recorded the audio with the Electric Kit triggering sounds from Xewton Music Studio.

I've used it to get audio out of my iPad for live performance and for recording live into a DAW.

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:13 pm

Thanks for the feedback! I can't get anything for another few months anyway. Maybe the Behringer dock will have cleared its regulatory hurdles by then. I can't imagine that it'd be BETTER than the I/O Dock, though, given that it's Behringer's first try at such a thing...

But it sounds like Alesis should take their lumps and release an I/O Dock v2. I notice that their newer docks, the amp, drum, and mixing docks all have a little door to keep the iPad secure in its dock. Maybe they can bring some of those improvements to a v2 of the I/O Dock.

Peter - IK Multimedia · Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:14 pm

DrApostropheX wrote:I just got my very first iDevice, a spanking-new iPad, and on paper (and from the glowing Sound-on-Sound and MusicRadar reviews) the I/O Dock looks like a no brainer.

However, I've noticed some less than glowing feedback in the Amazon reviews regarding audio hiss and some comments here at KVR which speak ill of its quality. Is it worth checking out, or waiting to see what Behringer comes out with?

What sort of issues have people had with it (and I don't plan on using iAmpliTube with it, so CORE audio/midi only is fine by me)?

Well, at least you can use AmpliTube with it soon too, if that floats your boat because it will have 30-pin support after we release the update we're currently testing. MIDI control too. We have some of them here, I don't have one personally but it is not bad and fairly well-regarded in the office. I don't know if that opinion would change if used for more than testing, but they seem to work pretty well.

BDeep · Post by **BDeep** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:18 pm

I haven't got any hands-on experience with the iodock, but when I learnt that it doesn't support sysex, I quickly lost interest. I still quite like the idea of a dedicated dock which turns your iPad into a hardware synth or controller. But I would definitely want to use it as a control surface for some hardware synths, for which sysex just is mandatory.

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:58 pm

I don't need sysex, just something with some quasi-decent mic preamps, midi I/O, and can keep the thing powered while it's plugged in. I'll keep my eyes peeled for reviews, though. If nothing else, it looks better than that Griffin studio dock.

polaris20 · Post by **polaris20** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:10 pm

Peter - IK Multimedia wrote:
DrApostropheX wrote:I just got my very first iDevice, a spanking-new iPad, and on paper (and from the glowing Sound-on-Sound and MusicRadar reviews) the I/O Dock looks like a no brainer.

However, I've noticed some less than glowing feedback in the Amazon reviews regarding audio hiss and some comments here at KVR which speak ill of its quality. Is it worth checking out, or waiting to see what Behringer comes out with?

What sort of issues have people had with it (and I don't plan on using iAmpliTube with it, so CORE audio/midi only is fine by me)?
Well, at least you can use AmpliTube with it soon too, if that floats your boat because it will have 30-pin support after we release the update we're currently testing. MIDI control too. We have some of them here, I don't have one personally but it is not bad and fairly well-regarded in the office. I don't know if that opinion would change if used for more than testing, but they seem to work pretty well.

Looking forward to 30-pin compatibility; I liked Amplitube better for mid gain and slightly broken up tones. Is there Audio Copy/Paste too?

mbncp · Post by **mbncp** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:22 pm

I have mine since a couple of months and I'm pretty happy with it. The main thing for me is that it has audio+midi+power. It's not perfect ( no sysex, needs a power supply, a bit bulky, can't connect the usb midi to another iPad using the cck) but beside that it does the job.
And currently the only choice for audio+midi+power, so ...

davide37 · Post by **davide37** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:31 am

DrApostropheX wrote:I just got my very first iDevice, a spanking-new iPad, and on paper (and from the glowing Sound-on-Sound and MusicRadar reviews) the I/O Dock looks like a no brainer.

However, I've noticed some less than glowing feedback in the Amazon reviews regarding audio hiss and some comments here at KVR which speak ill of its quality. Is it worth checking out, or waiting to see what Behringer comes out with?

What sort of issues have people had with it (and I don't plan on using iAmpliTube with it, so CORE audio/midi only is fine by me)?

I purchased an iodock soon after it was released. There were issues with MIDI timing but they seem to have been fixed with firmware updates. More of a problem is that every new version of the iPad requires a new adaptor for the iPad to connect with the iodock. The new iPad (3) is marginally too thick, so I can't use the iodock with the new iPad until Alesis produce a new adaptor.

Rgds,
David

darsho · Post by **darsho** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:45 am

I never used the Alesis IO Dock, but I would not want to put my iPad in there anyhow. I have a great stand for it already.

I get along fine with iRig MIDI and a cable from the normal headphone out.

Maybe I will get me the Tascam iU2, though. Hoping for better soundquality and louder output plus more overall convenience.

http://www.thomann.de/de/tascam_iu2.htm

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:11 am

davide37 wrote:I purchased an iodock soon after it was released. There were issues with MIDI timing but they seem to have been fixed with firmware updates. More of a problem is that every new version of the iPad requires a new adaptor for the iPad to connect with the iodock. The new iPad (3) is marginally too thick, so I can't use the iodock with the new iPad until Alesis produce a new adaptor.

Yikes. Good to know. I was curious about whether or not the new iPad fit, and i hadn't read anything about it online. My iPad is even marginally, marginally thicker because I have a Spark shell on the back of it. I like the idea of a dock that can keep the device powered (EDIT: according to at least one page I found, the IU2 can power the iDevice via a mini USB port), but that IU2 is looking better now. It's definitely less of a one-device pony, too.

polaris20 · Post by **polaris20** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:30 pm

davide37 wrote:
DrApostropheX wrote:I just got my very first iDevice, a spanking-new iPad, and on paper (and from the glowing Sound-on-Sound and MusicRadar reviews) the I/O Dock looks like a no brainer.

However, I've noticed some less than glowing feedback in the Amazon reviews regarding audio hiss and some comments here at KVR which speak ill of its quality. Is it worth checking out, or waiting to see what Behringer comes out with?

What sort of issues have people had with it (and I don't plan on using iAmpliTube with it, so CORE audio/midi only is fine by me)?
I purchased an iodock soon after it was released. There were issues with MIDI timing but they seem to have been fixed with firmware updates. More of a problem is that every new version of the iPad requires a new adaptor for the iPad to connect with the iodock. The new iPad (3) is marginally too thick, so I can't use the iodock with the new iPad until Alesis produce a new adaptor.

Rgds,
David

This is exactly why these companies need to stop doing these stupid docks and just make an audio interface with a dock connector. Like Tascam did.

martygras · Post by **martygras** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:05 pm

+1 more versatile.
The dock is probably fine for many though.

jjmcjj · Post by **jjmcjj** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:02 pm

Hope this isn't old news, but as an ipad newb I just found out about this recently--the ipad will work with many USB audio interfaces via the camera connection kit.

I am personally using an A&H Zed10FX as an interface to my new Ipad with excellent results. It's not exactly a portable solution, of course. Many other devices will work as well, but the key issue is the supply of power.

Does EVERYBODY hate the I/O Dock?