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Advantages of using an audio interface on ios
It might sound like a weird question for obvious benefits:
Line Ins/Outs (but these matter more or less on what you wanna achieve in music production )
What about sound latency?
All the ios apps will run through the sound core processor of the audio interface?
Is there a substantial improvement in the number of apps I could use at the same time? ( ex. more channels in Aum)? or that will simply depend on my Ipad cpu specs.
Is there a setting inside ios where you choose your external audio interface as the main sound processor?
Is Korg Plugkey considered an audio interface? Does it have inside a dedicated cpu to handle all the job of an audio interface? Can I select different sample rate and stuff?
I am asking, because I never used my Ipad with an audio interface
Comments
First of all, you can only seriously use external interfaces if they are class-compliant and if the app you're aiming to use with it supports selection of audio inputs and outputs.
For interfaces with many i/o options like 8-channel interfaces with optical ADAT i/o etc., make sure that the ports available in class-compliant mode cover your needs. I say that because it's not always the case.
Second, there is no such thing as an external, class-compliant interface that would offer something like a sound processor that could relieve your iPad CPU by taking over audio processing tasks. If your iPad is too old, the CPU (and iOS version) will always be the limiting factor in synth choice and polyphony.
With quality interfaces (even with the Behringer UMC404), latency has never been a problem for me.
There is no such thing as an iOS-level choice of audio interfaces and ports.
iOS only provides access to the interface ports. Which ones your app uses is completely up to the app (or the host it's running within).
i'd say that it's about time that Apple finally provides something like MacOS Audio/MIDI setup and OS-native dialogs mandatory for any audio app to choose audio i/o ports but for now, it's all up to the app developer.
If you don't know why an external audio interface would be useful, you probably dong need one. One reason that people use them is that a decent one will provide much better audio quality for the inputs and outputs. Some interfaces offer choices of sample rates not available on the iPad or iPhone. Some interfaces offer more inputs and outputs than the built-in stereo.
My IPad is not my main and only production center .
Personally , I use it as a side fun alternative.
I mentioned already ins and outs, I’m aware of that. But the sample rate you cannot select from within your audio interface ... only inside each app( I suppose)
I guess I should consider latency, since I don’t sample and don’t really need line ins.> @espiegel123 said:
It sounds like you have a misconception about what an audio interface does and what it's for.
An audio interface is just to get audio in and out of your computer/iPad.
The only processing of audio it does is turning analog signals into digital signals (inputs) and vice versa (outputs). The sample rate of an audio interface is all about that conversion. That is, many samples does it make when turning an analog signal into a digital one?
It doesn't influence the audio processing within your iPad at all, so wouldn't affect sample rates between apps or give you extra audio processing power.
If you don't need inputs, you don't really need an audio interface. A good audio interface can give you better quality audio output too, but just because it does a better job converting the digital audio signal than the chip inside your computer/iPad, not because of any extra processing power or anything like that.
I have an interface with audio and midi in/out. When plugged in to my iOS device I can record from synths, microphones, guitars and at the same time drive monitor speakers with a proper monitor level control and also control external MIDI devices. I can also use a MIDI keyboard to play iOS devices. I can also plug in wired headphones.
If you are driving monitor speakers an audio interface is extremely useful as it is better quality than using the iOS devices headphone output (it you have one!) and also the monitor output is only for your audio apps. System sounds don’t get routed through the audio interface outputs. You also have more control over the level with which to drive your monitors and get a monitor level pot which is independent of the idevice’s volume controls. This is a good thing.
It can also be useful when you want to use your iOS device as a self contained instrument. You get line level output and MIDI in just like a ‘real’ synthesiser allowing you to connect it as part of a larger set up.
However having said all that I rarely use my iPad with the interface as when I have the time to be sat at a desk with monitor speakers I use my Mac. I use my iPad and iPhone in situations where I can’t or don’t want to use my Mac. For example I can plug in some headphones and make some tunes sat on the sofa when the missus is watching strictly.
If I still had the space (children stole my studio 😂) , I’d be happy to have the iPad as the centre of the setup and in that case the interface would be indispensable as it would allow me to keep most of the gear wired permanently and just require one lead to be plugged in to ‘dock’ the iPad to the studio.
If you don’t have monitors and don’t need to record external audio you don’t need an interface.
That’s up to the host I think. When you plug in an audio interface that is class compliant the host should let you select from the available sample rates as declared by the interface.
For example If you have a 44.1Khz audio interface then that’s what the host should output. The interface can’t change what a plug in Within the host does. Apps such as NanoStudiio 2 have a fixed internal sample rate and then upscale for output depending on the hardware sample rate. At least that’s how I think it works.
So to avoid problems where plugins are expecting 44.1 and the hardware is 48khz, using an audio interface with a hardware sample rate of 44.1 will prevent the sample rate mismatch if that’s what you’re referring to?
For some hosts that could be a bit pointless. The hosts will be upscaling the output so you won’t be magically getting extra resolution.
NS2 for example uses a fixed internal sample rate of 44.1 and will scale the output to suit the hardware. Also A lot of plug ins still don’t respect the host’s sample rate and run at 44.1 regardless and then you can get pitch/timing issues if the hardware is set at 48khz. Which is probably the main reason NS2 upscales at the last possible moment.
The audio interface will have certain sample rates that it is capable of converting at. Depending on the app you're using you can choose inside the app what sample rate you want the interface to work with. e.g. if using AUM as your hosting app the available rates and buffer size will be available to you in the settings of AUM and you can select which one you prefer.
So, the possible sample rate range is a combination of what the app is capable of and what the hardware is capable of.
Aum and Bm3 for example can run at 96khz if your audio device supports it, the apps you host in AUM will be forced to run at this sample rate, some ios apps do not upscale correctly like AD quanta and so that app will pitch the audio incorrectly. Other apps like spacecraft granular can run at 96khz no problem.
no misconception... that's exactly the way digital audio interfaces started (Digidesign Pro Tools TDM and HD, Creamware Scope) and is still a standard with all UAD Interfaces.
These did (and do) process any audio stream with dedicated DSPs.
Today a lot of interfaces use onboard DSPs for mix/monitoring, signal routing and some aux effects, but these have limited access compared to the afforementioned 'big' systems.
RME, Audient, Steinberg come to mind, but there are more. While RME supplies an IOS app (Total Mix), Audient interfaces ignore the onboard DSP in IOS mode. They work as plain class compliant devices that expose all in/out channels to IOS, though.
This isnt the case, RME offers DSP in a lot of their interfaces, and full routing, all via an iPad app.
@Telefunky: I stand corrected! Thanks for educating me.
I don't think that was the question.
You can't offload iOS synth or FX DSP to the RME DSP, you can only have the audio output be processed externally.
Do you have a Mac?(Idam)
I agree with the Original question here: what if any benefit is there to the CPU?
(Unfortunately, no one had actually answered that)
There is a point to be made, if the interface is doing the D/A conversion, then yes there is some small amount of processing that the iPad is no longer responsible for, as it is handled by the external interface. I don’t know the answer to this since I’ve never really considered the question.
( I do know for a fact that there was a time I was working on a live keyboard rig using Mainstage on an old 2007 MacBook Pro. And without a doubt, when I ran a single stereo output thru a focusrite 2i2 the machine ran way better. When I just used headphones in the built in 3.5mm port, it resulted in more crackles, had to select higher latency,etc. so yes it did make a difference, at least on an old laptop. So the question is valid for iOS in my mind. )
I think he isn't asking for dedicated DSP solutions more than an answer to why could it be better use an external audio interface with the iPad instead the included.
Obviously (as some many pointed) the better interface the best user experience in latency response. So usually external audio interfaces have better latency response than internal iPad card and any doing opposite should be ditched as useless (not an option) but at low latencies it could be even irrelevant...
About general improvement in AUM/AB is most related to iPad Cpu itself than audio interface... but keep in mind the issues involved in iPad pro units that you can find in some posts at the forum. These are flaws in design (termal throttling) not the desired behaviour... so decide first your needs before update due maybe a non-pro 2019 iPad could perform better than a pro at the moment (I'm not aware if the throttling problems are resolved yet). Research wisely...
If you need more power than pro iPads the consider buying a mac or dedicated hardware mixing solution (with dedicated fx). The less you ask for to the iPad the better perfomance you will get (theoretically).
First draw your needs, then you ask for solutions. If you ask for general questions you will get general technical information but maybe nothing related to your true needs which maybe are solved with iPad model update or just a mixer with onboard fx unit...
jm2c
Thank you all, I will buy an used audio interface and see how I feel about it . One thing though , I’m not sure if my ear will hear a difference in the audio quality ( ipad output) vs. audio interface output... maybe in volume but not sure about quality( I’ll have to check on that)
For those not recording any externals into the iPad, The D/A of a high quality interface makes it worth it if u plan on mixing on iPad. Interfaces are also useful for connecting pro monitors (speakers) with no hassle.
There is massive differences in the quality of the sound between audio interfaces. However this is a bit of a rabbit hole and in most cases price is a good indicator of what you are getting. I had a behringer umc 1820 which is a great price but sounds like mud compared to a steinberg ur44 and in turn something like a RME goes to another level of clarity and so forth. Now I have a iconnect audio 4+ which gives many audio and midi routing options and sounds pretty clear.
I see... I am thinking of a Zoom u24.
I already own the MIO10 from iconnectivity , i own a Soundcraft audio mixer ...Im just trying to justify the need of an audio interface for ipad in my case.> @[Deleted User] said:
Those zooms u24/44 look great.
I have a zoom U24. It has the option of battery, Mains or bus power and includes proper 5 pin din MIDI in and out too alongside decent audio in and out.
As a companion to an iPad it’s great.
In an ideal world I’d like it to be slightly smaller and less plasticky but for the price I can’t complain at all.
Another contender if u don’t have the 2018 iPad Pro is anything Apogee...one...duet...quartet. All great stuff.
The fact that it is plastic means that it is light for those who want portability. Anyway, I don't find it plasticky at all. When I think plasticky I think korg volca or m audio axiom 32 mini. To me u24 feels solid. I find it more solid than my tascam portable recorders which feel solid too.
Im just saying this so people who are thinking of getting it are not swayed away as I don't think it is plastiky by most people's standards.
Phew... Can anyone smell burning plastic?
I highly recommend the SPL Crimson 3, at least if you have to use headphones most of the time. Audio quality is superb and the included Phonitor Matrix works very well. It offers 2 independent very high quality headphone outputs, 2 mic inputs, 2 line inputs, AES/EBU compatible digital inputs, and much more. It’s not the cheapest one, but it’s worth every cent.
You may need an audio interface if you want to hook up and record external instruments like a Guitar or a microphone to record audio.
An audio interface is meant for a home studio kind of setup with multiple ins/outs (for analog to digital conversion and into a DAW for further processing).
A mixer is meant for a live stage performance, live streaming, podcasts with multiple ins and a single stereo out (you setup the levels and give the stereo out to the PA).
Yes, if you focus on practical application.
From a pure technical pov both are in fact identical, if proper analog to digital conversion is added to a mixer.
But to get the same audio quality and versatility an interface provides, a functionally equivalent mixer is at least 10 times more expensive.
You can get world class recordings from Antelope, Apogee, Audient, Metric Halo and RME interfaces.
Even entry devices like the small Steinberg, Focusrite, Zoom etc outperform most 'budget studios' from the reel-to-reel days that did cost a mid 4-figure amount back then.
That's why there are only few fully featured analog 'recording mixers' today.
(Most budget types feature only conversion of the master mixdown, not individual channels)
But there's also the reverse approach to put an interface into a mixer housing, add a display and computer control like the Presonus Studio Live series (for example).
(a brand starting with letter B intentionally not mentioned)
in live situation when I want to use vocal FX, in outs to send some playback - my multiout interface is a must have. In case when I can't use my PC for recording I can record through audio-interface also. I see that AUM is very powerful in routing. You can route audio to one bus, vocals to other. Of course you can also use only iPad with some midi controller. I also use iPad as a pad sampler with BM3 or Beathawk live.