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How? Audio from iOS synths controlled externally on iPad with just a usb-c hole (Circuit Tracks)
Hi.
I want to send midi into synths on my iPad Pro (usb-c, no separate audio-out hole) from a Circuit Tracks (standard 5-pin DIN midi-out) and then take the audio from the iPad synths and do stuff to it outside of the iPad. I'd like as minimal a setup as possible, but cost isn't really an issue.
I looked at this video (the only one I could find).
Questions:
(A) At 0:44 he says you'll need a usb to midi adapter. So what is that? A cable? An interface? An adapter? Is this what he's talking about? https://djcity.com.au/product/roland-um-onemk2-usb-midi-interface/?gclid=Cj0KCQjww4OMBhCUARIsAILndv4wvC0mHJEZxvbjUbDNAsGkfUi9RJclEGqcXmb7K9WWxLZ3QE4I484aAqX-EALw_wcB
(B) The powered hub he's using is no longer available. Will any powered hub be ok as long as it has headphone jack?
(C) The Circuit Tracks can run off an internal rechargeable battery. Could I possibly use a non-powered hub for super-portability?
(D) I'm totally new to this kind of system. Are there any other tips? Do you agree with the video? Can you point me to other vids/articles?
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Comments
Okay I don’t own a Circuit Tracks but I‘ve looked into its manual
A) You don‘t need the USB to Midi cable. The Circuit USB connectivity is class compliant. If you connect it to the iPad via a USB-C cable, the iPad will see it as a Midi device that can send and receive Midi data. But the USB connection won‘t transport audio data.
B ) Basically you can use any USB-C hub. There might be cheap ones that can cause you trouble, maybe not being recognized. The absolute safe bet is to buy MFi (made for iPad) Apple certified hubs, but they are expensive. There are several threads here in the forum about USB hubs. Stay away from these hubs that sit on the iPad like a dock - with some of them you can fry the iPad. Be sure to buy a hub that has got a USB-C PD (power delivery) port of min 40W. Then you can power the iPad and the Circuit from it. The power source can also be a USB-C PD power bank - I’m also doing this for mobile music making.
C) Even if you have a USB hub with PD you can use it not powered. In the manual is written that the Circuit is bus powered that means it will take power from USB if it delivers power. That means the iPad will power the Circuit and then draining the iPad battery if the hub is not powered. The Circuit will also charge its battery by USB if it is not fully charged. So that means the Circuit might drain the iPad battery quickly. Better get a powered hub. Use a charger at home and a power bank an the go to power the hub. As I say for a minimal setup you could still use the hub without power.
Better get an USB audio interface, because these headphone jacks of the USB hubs very often have a terrible audio quality. If you don’t want to get the Circuit audio into the iPad you can also get a very simple USB gamer audio device for $20. I made good experiences with Sharkoon DACs. You could feed its output into the Circuit audio input and then be able to hear both, iPad and Circuit synths through the Circuit headphone out. More flexibility would give you a bus powered USB audio device with 2 input channels, e.g. the Behringer UM22.
@krassmann Great reply, but I have one little niggle. I believe MFi only applies to the old, proprietary Lightning connection. There's no such certification for USB-C adapters, hubs, etc.
For your Circuit Tracks+iPad setup I’d use something like this in the photo.
Note: Since the Circuit Tracks does Midi over USB you can skip the Mio interface as i use it for my MPC One or OctaTrack when using a minimal setup.
The key here is the Apple designed usb-c to audio dongle which will allow you to feed the audio from the iPad to the Tracks or anywhere else.
I like this rig as it doesn’t require an audio interface…and gets audio out of the iPad to other sources. I don’t hear any loss in quality from my usage like this, but everyone’s ‘ear’ for details is different.
Oh yeah and here’s the photo of Kingston Nucleum😉
Let me know if you have any other questions.
This is my current setup that I’m testing out as well:
I do have an audio interface here hooked up since i want to capture the Circuits output on the iPad but i could just remove it and feed the iPad Audio into the Tracks and it would be routed to the Rhythm for some proper FX mangling and sampling.
Nucleum:
https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Nucleum-Adapter-Charging-Chromebook/dp/B076BGJXTG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=ZX9VTGSW096A&dchild=1&keywords=kingston+nucleum+usb-c+hub&qid=1635934907&sprefix=kingston+nu&sr=8-3#
I'd keep it simple and just use a class compliant audio and MIDI interface.
Audio from iPad goes from interface to wherever it needs to go, control the iPad with the circuit with 5 pin DIN cable.
Something like this:
https://zoomcorp.com/en/jp/audio-interface/audio-interfaces/u-24
Other interfaces are available, but I have the Zoom and know it works perfectly with the iPad.
The zoom works on batteries so can be used with the iPad and Circuit all without external power. It can also be powered by USB or power adaptor.
The interface just plugs into the USB-C port and nothing else is required other than audio and midi cables. The Zoom also works perfectly with an iPhone, using an Apple camera connection kit.
I frequently use a Zoom U24 with a Circuit (OG) as described above to get circuit jams into the iPad (or more frequently a Mac). I record the MIDI and audio separately for each channel when I want to use a Circuit idea and expand it in a DAW. I much prefer using MIDI cables as that means I only have to plug one thing into the iPad. What I tend to do is record the MIDI from each channel first then play the MIDI back to the Circuit to get the audio as this takes any clock sync issues out of the equation and it's quick.
I do the same with a Mac, I don't plug the circuit in via USB as I've already got an audio interface plugged in to get the audio into the Mac, and it's far easier to use the MIDI built in to the interface.
I personally hate using hubs with iPads. I never use my iPad plugged in. If I have enough time that I can drain an iPad battery I'd rather be using a mac anyway. I use the iPad because I can use it anywhere any time I have a spare 30 mins or so without being tied to a power outlet or tons of additional crap that only works well at a desk.
As you want to use the audio from the iPad, an audio + MID interface just makes much more sense to me. One box. Done.
The setup with the zoom audio interfaces is also a good idea. When connected to power supplies and having a complex USB setup oftentimes leads to the dreaded USB ground loop humm. Actually I suffer from it. I guess you won’t have this with the zoom setup.
If you want to go the USB hub route, the setup iof @echoopera is a good example. This would enable you that could power your mobile setup with a power bank if you want to play longer than some hours. And yes, you can really skip the Midi adapter.
Bottom line: The zoom offers better audio options, the hub can power everything.
I thought the official Apple USB-C dongle is also MFi. But probably I’m wrong.
But it's just an Apple product, like all the other Apple dongles. And it's just an adapter, not a dock or hub. MFi refers to 3rd party devices with Lightning connectors, because they can get permission to use the proprietary connector safely.
@echoopera do you have any videos describing your 2 circuit setup? I’m not familiar with the circuit at all, but it looks cool. Why 2 in this case?
I’ll see what i can do.
In a nutshell, the Tracks is for 2 synths+2 Midi Tracks and 4 drums/one shot sample tracks and the Rhythm is an 8 track Sampler so they pair nicely for a complete stand alone rig.
Thanks for the replies @krassmann, @uncledave, @echoopera, @klownshed. I'm going to go over them with a fine-tooth comb asap, currently snowed under by life.