Hey, folks -- we've rolled out a new app, which sends MIDI between a pair of iOS devices, or between iOS and a Mac, using Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides low latency connections. The iOS version is in the app store now, intro at $3. The OSX version is still waiting for Apple to give the thumbs-up, and will be free. If you're in a hurry, we've got the OSX version on our web support page, and you can grab that instead.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apollo- ... ?ls=1&mt=8
Give me a yell if you've got any questions!
Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth (iOS and OSX)
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 Jul, 2012
I'm looking into a PC version. Yeah, lots of people have asked… Can't promise when it would happen, but it's certainly on the list of things to chase after.
Patrick H. Madden/Secret Base Design
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- KVRian
- 729 posts since 27 May, 2012 from Vermont, USA
Patrick:
The video specifically mentions sending MIDI from iPad to Garageband…..but does not state it will work with any MIDI device. Please clarify whether it is in fact limited to Garageband.
Thanks.
The video specifically mentions sending MIDI from iPad to Garageband…..but does not state it will work with any MIDI device. Please clarify whether it is in fact limited to Garageband.
Thanks.
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- KVRian
- 729 posts since 27 May, 2012 from Vermont, USA
This links to Midimorphosis, not Apollo….
fessaboy wrote:Hey, folks -- we've rolled out a new app, which sends MIDI between a pair of iOS devices, or between iOS and a Mac, using Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides low latency connections. The iOS version is in the app store now, intro at $3. The OSX version is still waiting for Apple to give the thumbs-up, and will be free. If you're in a hurry, we've got the OSX version on our web support page, and you can grab that instead.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/midimor ... ?ls=1&mt=8
Give me a yell if you've got any questions!
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 Jul, 2012
Whoops -- fixed the iTunes link above!
To see if your Mac supports Bluetooth LE -- I'd suggest grabbing the OSX version of Apollo (available on our support web site, while we're waiting for Apple approval), and giving that a go. If you click "scan" and it says "scanning," it found Bluetooth that it likes. If it says that you need Bluetooth LE support, you know that too.
Apple upgraded their Bluetooth in the Mac line very quietly (actually, it was pretty quiet on iOS too). It was a significant change, but they didn't play it up.
WRT GarageBand -- the App sends incoming MIDI messages (whether received as CoreMIDI or Virtual MIDI) over Bluetooth, and then the other end will forward them to the destinations you choose. I found a bug in the release yesterday, and will have an update shortly -- I broke CoreMIDI output, and that's what GarageBand needs.
So -- for right now, MIDI to GarageBand on iOS is broken. It should be fixed in very shortly (I'll submit the update tomorrow, and it'll probably take a week for Apple to approve). MIDI from iOS to GarageBand on a Mac works fine.
Sending MIDI into Logic (or sending MIDI from Logic) requires a little bit of wrangling with the Logic "MIDI Environment" -- I'm going to try to put together some documentation on that, as the Apple documentation is fairly cryptic.
To see if your Mac supports Bluetooth LE -- I'd suggest grabbing the OSX version of Apollo (available on our support web site, while we're waiting for Apple approval), and giving that a go. If you click "scan" and it says "scanning," it found Bluetooth that it likes. If it says that you need Bluetooth LE support, you know that too.
Apple upgraded their Bluetooth in the Mac line very quietly (actually, it was pretty quiet on iOS too). It was a significant change, but they didn't play it up.
WRT GarageBand -- the App sends incoming MIDI messages (whether received as CoreMIDI or Virtual MIDI) over Bluetooth, and then the other end will forward them to the destinations you choose. I found a bug in the release yesterday, and will have an update shortly -- I broke CoreMIDI output, and that's what GarageBand needs.
So -- for right now, MIDI to GarageBand on iOS is broken. It should be fixed in very shortly (I'll submit the update tomorrow, and it'll probably take a week for Apple to approve). MIDI from iOS to GarageBand on a Mac works fine.
Sending MIDI into Logic (or sending MIDI from Logic) requires a little bit of wrangling with the Logic "MIDI Environment" -- I'm going to try to put together some documentation on that, as the Apple documentation is fairly cryptic.
Patrick H. Madden/Secret Base Design
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- KVRian
- 729 posts since 27 May, 2012 from Vermont, USA
Thanks for the clarification. I would love to download the Mac software to check for Bluetooth LE compatibility, but there is no obvious "support" page link I can find on your website…..
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- KVRian
- 1276 posts since 30 Apr, 2004 from Louisville, KY
Direct link:jc_vt wrote:Thanks for the clarification. I would love to download the Mac software to check for Bluetooth LE compatibility, but there is no obvious "support" page link I can find on your website…..
http://www.secretbasedesign.com/apps/ApolloOSX.app.zip
(Looking forward to the PC version. A Bluetooth USB adapter costs about $15 on Amazon)
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 Jul, 2012
Version 1.1 is out now -- had a glitch with CoreMIDI interfaces in v1.0. Also, iOS 6 devices were having trouble connecting to OSX, and that should be taken care of. Let me know if you run into any problems!
Patrick H. Madden/Secret Base Design
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- KVRian
- 503 posts since 19 Apr, 2009
That would be greatly appreciated if you couldfessaboy wrote:I'm looking into a PC version. Yeah, lots of people have asked… Can't promise when it would happen, but it's certainly on the list of things to chase after.
Thx
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- KVRAF
- 37444 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
What midi apps can it send midi from on iOS? Would it work with the Animoog keyboard for example, or Konkreet Performer?
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 Jul, 2012
Apollo can send MIDI to any app that receives either Virtual MIDI or CoreMIDI. GarageBand is really the only major synth that is still using CoreMIDI; pretty much everything else uses Virtual MIDI. You can toggle on multiple destinations, so incoming MIDI messages can be sent to multiple apps.aMUSEd wrote:What midi apps can it send midi from on iOS? Would it work with the Animoog keyboard for example, or Konkreet Performer?
You could, for example, set up Animoog to respond to MIDI channel 1, Thor to respond to channel 2, and Magellan on channel 3 (and then maybe a drum app on MIDI channel 10). Incoming MIDI messages would be relayed to all the apps, if you toggle them on. You would then sequence different tracks on different MIDI channels, and it all works -- very much like a traditional wired MIDI network.
For sending MIDI out -- that should work too. Any CoreMIDI message will get forwarded. If the app sends out Virtual MIDI, just target Apollo, and the MIDI messages will be forwarded over Bluetooth. MIDI out is an IAP for Animoog, and it's only available in the pro version of SoundPrism, but in general, MIDI out (and particularly, MIDI out with Virtual MIDI) is common.
At the moment, the app effectively acts as a MIDI cable -- any messages that come in, get sent across Bluetooth to the other side -- and then are relayed on to whatever destinations you indicate. I'm planning on adding some filtering and routing features, but that won't happen for a while.
Patrick H. Madden/Secret Base Design
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- KVRAF
- 37444 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
Thanks - unfortunately it doesn't appear to support my iPad 2