iRig Pro questions

[Mark R.]

The iRig Pro looks like something I'd get, but...

How does one use one of the current small midi keyboards (Korg, Akai, etc.) that have a usb B (printer style) or usb Mini jack? This iRig is only set up, via a custom cable, for the standard 5-pin midi.

And, if one wants to plug one of the above small keyboards into an iPad the iPad will power it. If you need a larger keyboard you also need a powered USB hub. The iRig Pro ads only show a typical synth (presumably a/c powered) into the iRig via the custom midi cable. No mention of how to use one of the newer keyboards at all, large or small. This kind of limits the portable aspect of the iRig concept.

Mark

[Phil999]

for what purpose do you intend to get the iRig Pro?

[Mark R.]

I have two iPads in my live music set-up. I'm using an Alesis IO2 into one of them, just for a mic input. To run it along with my M-Audio keyboard I have to use a powered usb hub. To do so with the 2nd iPad means yet another hub, etc. If I can run a mic AND the keyboard through an iRig for the 2nd pad that would be great.

(I presume the 9-volt battery option is just for supplying phantom power, and not helping provide usb power.)

[ObiWonder]

The iRig Pro looks like something I'd get, but...

How does one use one of the current small midi keyboards (Korg, Akai, etc.) that have a usb B (printer style) or usb Mini jack? This iRig is only set up, via a custom cable, for the standard 5-pin midi.

And, if one wants to plug one of the above small keyboards into an iPad the iPad will power it. If you need a larger keyboard you also need a powered USB hub. The iRig Pro ads only show a typical synth (presumably a/c powered) into the iRig via the custom midi cable. No mention of how to use one of the newer keyboards at all, large or small. This kind of limits the portable aspect of the iRig concept.

Mark

iRig PRO wasn't designed to work with USB keyboards. It was designed to work with the 5 pin MIDI Din connector that most professional MIDI gear uses.

[Phil999]

bigger keyboards have a MIDI out port. The smaller keyboards haven't, but some can be equipped with 5-pin MIDI ports (KMI QuNexus). But they don't need to have 5-pin ports because they can be attached directly (via CCK). Only disadvantage is that the iPad is not powered in this setup.

Off-topic, but related to the USB-MIDI thing: the Apogee Duet 2 has a USB MIDI port. This port has been proven to be very useful. And, on top of it, the iPad is constantly powered. It would fulfill what you need, but it's a different price range.

[mrufino1]

Novation xio, if you can find a used one, will be very much to your liking. Controller, mic input, line input, plus great internal sounds and easy programming that record directly through the USB connection. It can be powered from its AC adapter or batteries. Mine was $250 new a few years ago and I've done hundreds of gigs with mine.

[Mark R.]

The iRig Pro looks like something I'd get, but...

How does one use one of the current small midi keyboards (Korg, Akai, etc.) that have a usb B (printer style) or usb Mini jack? This iRig is only set up, via a custom cable, for the standard 5-pin midi.

And, if one wants to plug one of the above small keyboards into an iPad the iPad will power it. If you need a larger keyboard you also need a powered USB hub. The iRig Pro ads only show a typical synth (presumably a/c powered) into the iRig via the custom midi cable. No mention of how to use one of the newer keyboards at all, large or small. This kind of limits the portable aspect of the iRig concept.

Mark

iRig PRO wasn't designed to work with USB keyboards. It was designed to work with the 5 pin MIDI Din connector that most professional MIDI gear uses.

Yes, I can see that. But some of us professionals also use usb keyboards, especially when we're trying to keep our gear footprint small (I do a lot of workshops in schools and so need to keep things small, tidy, and quick to move). Given that some adapter cables are nicely supplied with this iRig how much trouble would it be to supply one for usb keyboards?

[Mark R.]

bigger keyboards have a MIDI out port. The smaller keyboards haven't, but some can be equipped with 5-pin MIDI ports (KMI QuNexus). But they don't need to have 5-pin ports because they can be attached directly (via CCK). Only disadvantage is that the iPad is not powered in this setup.

The charging issue is not as important for me as it is for some. What I find curious is that this product is marketed partly for its portability, but it won't permit small portable keyboards to be used!

Off-topic, but related to the USB-MIDI thing: the Apogee Duet 2 has a USB MIDI port. This port has been proven to be very useful. And, on top of it, the iPad is constantly powered. It would fulfill what you need, but it's a different price range.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have a look at it...

Mark

[Phil999]

What I find curious is that this product is marketed partly for its portability, but it won't permit small portable keyboards to be used!

maybe they should do a second version of iRig Pro with USB MIDI. But no, there's the problem with power.

For minimal footprint, I recommend to use the headphone out of the iPad or the built-in loudspeaker, and the CCK for USB MIDI input. If you need audio input, there are interfaces that attach to the headphone socket. Or you can build yourself a cable using a TRRS plug.

A very good solution is the mentioned Duet 2. But it needs external power to run.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

bigger keyboards have a MIDI out port. The smaller keyboards haven't, but some can be equipped with 5-pin MIDI ports (KMI QuNexus). But they don't need to have 5-pin ports because they can be attached directly (via CCK). Only disadvantage is that the iPad is not powered in this setup.

The charging issue is not as important for me as it is for some. What I find curious is that this product is marketed partly for its portability, but it won't permit small portable keyboards to be used!
Mark

We're definitely looking at the mentioned issues and concerns and will continue to evolve our mobile interface line. The portability is not just for keyboards, as the MIDI connection is a strong factor for guitar players that want to use their MIDI floorboard. Though something like iRig BlueBoard is far more portable some rightfully feel they do better with more buttons, etc, there too. That's just another use case though and I do see your point.

[Mark R.]

Thanks Peter. I'm already using a basic iRig (for, of all things, using an e-drum pad to trigger an app called Impaktor), and I recently got a BlueBoard to use with LoopyHD, and it works great. I could buy the Pro just to run my mic if nothing else. I was just hoping for a device that could run both my mic and my mini-synth without the need for a powered usb hub. (I even have a mini 4-channel stereo mixer that runs on 9-volt.)

Oh, and yes, a Blueboard with twice as many switches would be awesome!