The Death and Rebirth of an iPad Mini 1st Generation

Scottzilla82

So I’m sure there’s a lot of you out there like me… You’ve got that really old iPhone or iPad laying around that sounds crackly, moves slow, and literally wants to blow up after 3 apps in audiobus, etc. I really think that Apple is messing with their older devices to get people to upgrade, because this iPad was never this slow on iOS 8. One update later and I was left with an almost worthless piece of gear. I’ve almost sold that iPad several times, but I never could bring myself to do it. If it wasn’t for Ableton Link...it probably would have been gone awhile ago...
After lots of tinkering I realized that this iPad really can only run two (maybe three) apps with ableton link on before things went south. But hooking it up to a Launchpad Pro, with the Launchpad app in the background, Audiobus and something else in the foreground seems to be the best way that I can use this iPad to my advantage, because you can access the launchpad app with the pads while using another app on the screen. It brings this aging iPad mini back to life.
I have also tried...
1. LP > FluxFX
2. LP > LiveFX
3. LP > Soundprism
4. LP > TC-11
Anybody else out there that has a similar set up have any other cool app combos to try? This is not my main workflow, but it has proven to be an amazing addition to Ableton and my other iPads. This Mini 1st Gen lives to see another day.

mrufino1

I have an ipad1 that someone gave me but although there are still many apps that will run on it (usually older app versions) its been less useful than I thought. The main thing ive found that works really well is nanostudio.

But it's cool that you were able to make that work. It's a shame that my 2011 Macbook Air still runs really fast and runs most of the latest stuff (except air drop, which would be useful) and my Lenovo ThinkPad t410 still functions really well as my location recorder too streaming from an m7cl through ethernet, too bad that ability is windows only, but that laptop has been really solid, yet my 2013 iPad air 1 has slowed to a crawl and a 6 year old tablet has become fairly useless.

Scottzilla82

@mrufino1 said:
I have an ipad1 that someone gave me but although there are still many apps that will run on it (usually older app versions) its been less useful than I thought. The main thing ive found that works really well is nanostudio.

But it's cool that you were able to make that work. It's a shame that my 2011 Macbook Air still runs really fast and runs most of the latest stuff (except air drop, which would be useful) and my Lenovo ThinkPad t410 still functions really well as my location recorder too streaming from an m7cl through ethernet, too bad that ability is windows only, but that laptop has been really solid, yet my 2013 iPad air 1 has slowed to a crawl and a 6 year old tablet has become fairly useless.

Thanks man I forgot about Nanostudio...i’ll fire it up and see what happens. I’ve got to re-download it, I don’t keep much on that iPad these days....
Glad to hear your computers are holding up, one of my buddy’s has an old MacBook Air too that runs solid as a rock. I just had to upgrade to a 2017 13” MacBook Pro so I can run Ableton 10 no problems... 2018 is gonna be a blast!

mireko_2

Samplr still runs great on iPad 1 and the iPad one is a nice hefty device to run it

Scottzilla82

@mireko_2 said:
Samplr still runs great on iPad 1 and the iPad one is a nice hefty device to run it

I thought about that, but I typically use a microphone with Samplr… And I’m not trying to hook up anything other than the Launchpad to the already SLOW iPad (like an audio interface). And then of course there is the problem with Samplr not having Ableton link. I know it is possible to get Samplr synced with Link, but that’s another app or 2 to have running. The point is to have no more than three apps running, one of which can be a host.
Samplr is a fantastic app though, maybe I will give it a whirl with this setup.

mireko_2

@Scottzilla82 said:

@mireko_2 said:
Samplr still runs great on iPad 1 and the iPad one is a nice hefty device to run it

I thought about that, but I typically use a microphone with Samplr… And I’m not trying to hook up anything other than the Launchpad to the already SLOW iPad (like an audio interface). And then of course there is the problem with Samplr not having Ableton link. I know it is possible to get Samplr synced with Link, but that’s another app or 2 to have running. The point is to have no more than three apps running, one of which can be a host.
Samplr is a fantastic app though, maybe I will give it a whirl with this setup.

link to midi is a very low cpu way to link samplr to link

Mayo

I just found a great use for my lonely iPad2 - using it running mididesigner to control hardware...
Mididesigner still works even on IOS5 !!!
Very pleased about that .

brambos

I gave my iPad Mini 1 to my son when he was 2. He's now 5 and still uses it every minute of the day (mostly for Netflix, Youtube and some Toca Boca games). It must surely be the most intensively used iPad on the planet (and miraculously the battery is still going strong).

philowerx

BeatMaker 2 has Ableton Link and runs well on my old iPad 2, iPhone 4S and iPod Touch 4.

[Deleted User]

LoopyHd or old Alchemy...

Telefunky

my iPad One still does it's job on an ioDock first generation as a live recorder with Multitrack DAW or as a Midi sequencer with Genome.
SamplR, SampleWiz, M3000 Mellotron, the Fairlight CMI, Werkbench, and recently a terminal app for a Synology NAS get the most use and I like it as a typewriter.
Funkbox, iTabla Pro, iKoto, iElectribe, BeatVibe, DrumJam, LoopSeque, Beatspiral.
I also have a ton of topographical maps (ViewRanger) on it.
Most amazing: the battery is still in fairly good condition, so the device is far from useless.

Scottzilla82

@Telefunky said:
my iPad One still does it's job on an ioDock first generation as a live recorder with Multitrack DAW or as a Midi sequencer with Genome.
SamplR, SampleWiz, M3000 Mellotron, the Fairlight CMI, Werkbench, and recently a terminal app for a Synology NAS get the most use and I like it as a typewriter.
Funkbox, iTabla Pro, iKoto, iElectribe, BeatVibe, DrumJam, LoopSeque, Beatspiral.
I also have a ton of topographical maps (ViewRanger) on it.
Most amazing: the battery is still in fairly good condition, so the device is far from useless.

That’s awesome man...a few great oldies in there you reminded me of
I don’t know what it is about this iPad Mini… It does not handle multiple apps very well, and crashes Audiobus constantly, but the battery life is actually REALLY good, I will say that. My Pro 12.9 is also great on power with multiple apps/Seaboard sessions, while my Air 2 drains with the quickness even without a controller.

Hex047

I Recently started using my iPad mini with Nanostudio & Samplr, apart from a cracked screen, everything still works as brand new...

Telefunky

@Scottzilla82 your Mini is kind of a shrinked iPad2 (iirc CPU specs) and got more juice than the first iPad.
And it depends on IOS version. Had to update my iPad2 recently from IOS 7 to 9 for my wife's favourite video sites constantly failed. I still have a lot of oldies on this one, some unrecoverable (told her to not mess it up, but she's not interested anyway). Apple's policy is quite a pity... it feels much slower than before.
But the iPad 2 never was a good performer with Audiobus and IAA if at least one demanding app was running, for example the JamUp and Bias stuff.