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Crazy app idea
Let me start with the fact that I'm not a programmer, nor do I play one on TV, so my idea may not be feasible.
If any of you are familiar with Elektron, they have Overbridge which let's their devices send individual track outs via USB to a computer. What if someone made an app that could do the same thing for the iPad so you could hook it up via USB to a Mac or PC and run the individual channels out there. That way there's no analog conversion until you hit your own soundcard instead of having to go back and forth. Plus, your IO would no longer be limited to your hardware interface.
Thoughts?
Comments
On the Mac we already have IDAM (2 Channels iPad/iPhone -> Mac) and there have been a few other cross platform apps that have done this as well (Music I/O and StudioMux) but I don't think they are that well supported nowdays...
There is something about new Macs releasing imminently that can run iOS apps alongside the usual Mac apps.
Would this fill that void?
Not a crazy idea at all, and it seems like it should be doable. Unfortunately, the only efforts other than IDAM have been disappointing. Maybe it's harder than it seems.
I'd like to see this between iOS devices as well.
Since you need an audio interface anyway to make the noise audible, the iConnectAudio2+ and 4+ have exactly that kind of digital bus (of 20 channels capacity) as a big bonus.
(and unique feature... no other manufacturer supports 2 USB hosts on 1 interface)
You can define your own setup of in/out lines as long as the sum of in/outs doesn‘t exceed 20.
It also can do 2 IOS devices. One is fully charged, the other is supplied with power to not draw from the mobile unit.
Well I have my focusrite 18i20 on my computer, but with Overbridge and the Elektron boxes, I can stream the digital signals directly into my daw and route them to any fx, busses, and audio outs. It's not about the iPad putting out the audio itself, just the audio data as a digital output to the computer. Getting the interface defeats the purpose.
Sorry, my bad... the comment was meant in a general context, not referring to your specific situation with a relatively „big“ interface already present (not mentioned in the initial post).
Usually an interface is simply needed... and purchased after the computing device(s).
In such cases (with an iCA) the digital bus comes as piggyback, but one might call it the main feature equally well.
I have better interfaces and preamps than the iCA4+ and still it‘s a keeper because of that.
Anyway, your idea isn‘t crazy at all and it exists in a very reliable implementation, considering there are 3 different OS environments with (probably) 3 different versions supported on each platform.
The main point isn‘t the IOS app, but the software for the other 2 client environments, in particular Windoze...
Not even Apple got the IDAM thing bi-directional, let alone (true) cross-platform and neither the driver wizzos from RME. Go figure
ps: the whole process only works with an interface because that‘s the location where the digital streams are synced in a sample accurate way.
Otherwise a Dante style network connection is required (imho).
Yah when it work(ed)(s) Studiomux was magic but alas the windows server side at least seemed flakey, I think it has to do with maintaining the Apple Bonjour thingy that they were seemingly constant changing, I assume for security reasons. You can’t even install the native apple itunes/drivers on windows anymore I think (?).
so IDAM but with the possibility of more than 2 channels?
A multichannel IDAM would be great.
And two-way. And not just to a Mac. Preferably between iOS devices and to Windows as well, if you ask me.
What sort of crazy future are you on about? It's not like it's 2020 or something. The first consumer digital audio connections only came out 37 years ago. Give it time, Mr. RushyMcRusherstein.
True. We don’t even have flying cars or ray guns yet.
StudioMux
Although it doesn't work for some people
I was more thinking about the way Elektron did it with their devices and have Overbridge working as a standalone and VST on PC and Mac. Hell, if Elektron found a way to make an iOS app that communicated with Overbridge, that'd basically be it. You'd just need hardware that is powerful enough to help handle the conversions and transfer, right? Regardless of what interface I have, the idea is to completely bypass that and have the digital audio outs go directly from the iPad via USB into the computer. Whether or not it's using a standalone bridge of some sort or a plugin for a DAW, the idea is the same. I guess, in essence, it's turning the iPad into exactly what Elektron did - an interface and generator at the same time without a need for an external unit to handle any analog IO between the two devices.
You have to distinguish between a distributed app which Elektron is doing with their external device connection to a PC/Mac host and a digital mixer like setup with unknown clients.
Elektron is in full control on both sides of the connection, in a „universal“ application that wouldn‘t be the case.
As mentioned there are networked audio architectures in professional studio/live setups, but the expense is rarely worth a 2 client environment, unless you have a lot of gear and channels to manage.
But with your Focusrite interface you‘re at least half-way through:
add an interface with both Adat in/out to your IOS device and you have a completely OS-independant solution for digital transfer. Sync on Adat connections is very reliable and consistent (sample accurate, too).
Afaik there are pure USB-Adat devices (with no analog section) probably in the $200 range.
That‘s a common approach in studio connection and I‘d never trade it for any software based solution.
Possibly one of the reasons that few developers dive into that domain.
Yeah, what Elektron is doing specifically works with their hardware and software only - it would need to be two plugins that communicated with each other over USB. Luckily, things like AB3 allow for apps to be thrown into the output slot (like Samplr) for recording, so that could be an option.
I like the ADAT idea, but I'd need an even bigger soundcard as right now the ADAT is already spoken for with an Octopre for all my hardware. I could use SPDIF for at least 2 channels, but my iPad soundcard doesn't actually have that and I'm not in the market for a new one at the moment. I've looked, just in passing, at the networking stuff, but I don't have the real need for it overall - it'd literally be for just the iPad.
I dig all the knowledge your dropping, btw. Thanks!
Just one question: How do you set up your iC4+ with 20 IO?
I have it set up with 8I and 8O, but no real option of adding 4 more IO
In control panel under Audio Info you can set the number of channels for Port1 and Port2.
(between 2 and 18 per port)
You may need to swipe vertically (if the list stops at 8 at the bottom of the screen) to see all items.