Using iPhone as external hardware synth

[steviemac2000]

I'm looking for the best way to use virtual synths on my iPhone like Animoog or Cassini as external hardware synths with my DAW, i.e. feeding MIDI in and recording audio out with as little latency as possible. (Note I am NOT looking to connect my audio interface to the iPhone and run a DAW on it, I want to play MIDI in and record audio out from my iPhone into my interface which is connected to my PC)

The main issue seems to be that since the removal of the stereo jack, the lightning port is the only wired point for audio or MIDI, but not both at the same time. I thought I could get round this by using RTPMIDI, but even buying a wireless receiver to set up an ad-hoc network connection just to transfer MIDI, I still got unacceptable latency.

I find it hard to believe it's not easily possible to do something with an iPhone today that you can do with say, a rack unit from 1995. Any ideas?

[mindnoise]

This has been an issue since forever.

get the ORIGINAL Apple Lighting USB3-Adapter, without that you basically get nowhere.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W ... r?fnode=91
and ONLY this one!

and a cheaper audio/Midi interface like M-Audio AIR 192|6, Roland Rubix24 etc. to run into you main audio-interface.

There are better and of course more expensive options, like the iConnectivity Audio4c+ that routes Audio and MIDI digitally (= no AD/DA conversion loss) between iOS and Windows/Mac. This and and the Metric Halo 3d-Interfaces are the only ones on the market that do this (I use both of them). But also here, no luck without the Apple-adapter.

On the Mac you could use IDAM (InterDevice Audio/MIDI-Protocol = 1 MIDI-port, 2 Stereo outputs to the Mac) just with the Lightning docking cable connected to the Mac but this is no option on Windows.

There is however Studiomux iOS-App that costs €10 that does the same and more for Windows, too but experiences are mixed. Works fine for me, for others not but still, it's worth try, considering the other costs.

[Tj Shredder]

I just connect my iPad to my Mac and activate it in Audio Midi Setup. No extra app necessary. In Bitwig I have a HW instrument device to send Midi and receive Audio. Thats it. Works like charm…

[steviemac2000]

I was hoping not to have to use a second audio interface just to record into the first one.
I tried Studiomux but it is not supported anymore and I could not get it to work, so got a refund.
IDAM sounds ideal but unfortuantely it seems to only exist on Macs - is there any hope of this coming to Windows?

[vitocorleone123]

This has been an issue since forever.

get the ORIGINAL Apple Lighting USB3-Adapter, without that you basically get nowhere.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W ... r?fnode=91
and ONLY this one!

and a cheaper audio/Midi interface like M-Audio AIR 192|6, Roland Rubix24 etc. to run into you main audio-interface.

There are better and of course more expensive options, like the iConnectivity Audio4c+ that routes Audio and MIDI digitally (= no AD/DA conversion loss) between iOS and Windows/Mac. This and and the Metric Halo 3d-Interfaces are the only ones on the market that do this (I use both of them). But also here, no luck without the Apple-adapter.

On the Mac you could use IDAM (InterDevice Audio/MIDI-Protocol = 1 MIDI-port, 2 Stereo outputs to the Mac) just with the Lightning docking cable connected to the Mac but this is no option on Windows.

There is however Studiomux iOS-App that costs €10 that does the same and more for Windows, too but experiences are mixed. Works fine for me, for others not but still, it's worth try, considering the other costs.

Alas, Studiomux is %$*! - most likely a waste of $10 like it was for me. It worked only when I first bought it when it was pretty new. And then it stopped. And now the most recent beta stuff is also bad.

The easiest, most reliable way if a Windows user is to buy a separate audio interface for your iOS device and connect it to your PC audio interface. If you have a Mac, you can use the cable. Apple has no business interest in making this easy for Windows users.

I use my iPhone or iPad sometimes as a MIDI generator/controller, but I gave up on the audio processing part. I can also use it as an outboard synth, but not as outboard FX.

[mindnoise]

I was hoping not to have to use a second audio interface just to record into the first one.
I tried Studiomux but it is not supported anymore and I could not get it to work, so got a refund.
IDAM sounds ideal but unfortuantely it seems to only exist on Macs - is there any hope of this coming to Windows?

There is zero chance Apple's IDAM is coming to Windows, unfortunately.

[flori89]

I was hoping not to have to use a second audio interface just to record into the first one.
I tried Studiomux but it is not supported anymore and I could not get it to work, so got a refund.
IDAM sounds ideal but unfortuantely it seems to only exist on Macs - is there any hope of this coming to Windows?

Strange, I'm using Studiomux all the time and it works fine for me, what problems did you have?