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Audio Interface for New IPad Pro
I had a read back through previous threads discussing the best audio interfaces and thought I’d make one with my needs. I’d be really grateful for help on this as its a bit of a headache.
I had been using a first gen iPad Pro 12.9 with lightning and an Iconnectaudio4. However, I’ve heard they’ve stopped or are stopping being supported and I’m now able to buy a new m1 iPad Pro 12.9 inch (I’m getting the 512 8 gig ram version, if anyone has any comments on whether they think 16 gig ram is worth the upgrade for iOS music).
Here are my needs and uses:
I’m a singer songwriter, and use iOS synths, swam instruments Etc, as well as a Rhodes n whatever it is mic, to record acoustic instruments and vocals. So the interface needs to have phantom power
I don’t care about number of inputs. I don’t use hardware synths. Just record individual tracks at a time. However, i feel that single input interfaces are usually lesser quality and I am looking for the best quality possible at my price range
I read somewhere the ica4 doesn’t have the newest shiniest preamps or something. And things like the motu interfaces do. I can spend between £100-300.
on reading up, I came away with teh impression that the motu ones seem the Best Buy. I did however read that the m2 needs a powered usb hub. I’d rather one that doesn’t need that as it’s just hassle. Not sure if the m4 has this. Or better options people know work well with new iPads
so options seem to be roughly, motu, iconnect audio, focusrite (i feel like this isn’t teh best option I had one before, maybe im wrong), and then the revered uhh what are they called, that brand of expensive interfaces that called them stuff like duet etc. If they had a very good inexpensive one that’s nice but I felt they’re overkill considering I’m not using a grand worth of neumann mics etc and I’m not a hardware guy so the difference in what they offer will most likely be the most unimportant part of teh setup for me.
it needs to be connected via usb-c for teh new iPad, phantom power and headphone sockets.
I’d really really appreciate advice here, i don’t know why but cursory reading made me feel motu sounded best within my range. But I hate powered usb hubs.
Thanks so much! This forum is so much help
Comments
I'd take a close look at the Volt 276 (2 inputs) or 176 (1 input)
The m2/4 need a powered hub if your using a lightning connector. You're fine with usb-c directly powering the motu.
https://motu.com/techsupport/technotes/m-series-ios-power
I don't have any experience with them, and I don't know if the above is still correct when using phantom power.
It's well worth checking out Julian Krause reviews as per Samu's post - they're very good. No bullshit, lots of measurements and objective data.
Personally in your shoes I would strongly recommend the 3rd gen Scarlet Solo, it's got one of the quietest preamps out there and is cheap and reliable. Works perfectly with iOS. It's currently £93 on Amazon UK and honestly for a singer-songwriter it's got everything you need.
I bought a 1st gen Scarlett back in 2014 and the preamps were very noisy, but the 3rd gen is much better. I was given a Scarlett Solo 3rd gen by a client and was really impressed how much better it was compared to the older model.
I bought a 3rd gen focusrite scarlet 4i4 used from guitar center for $170. Works perfectly and has 4 ins and 4 outs. I use it with my iPad on a powered hub. Happy with it.
Thanks everyone i really appreciate this - keep em coming
@Samu and above, ive never heard of them, im sure they’re great, its just i want something thats from a company with a bit of security re continued support and in my ignornace that kind of looks a bit like something that might be great but disappear?
Also sorry to ask, but can someone clarify what was meant by the ‘newer preamps’. I cant rem the details but someone gave. Number like 2.0 or something - i will have that wrong - in the context of saying the iCA4 didnt have these new preamps. You may have guessed im not into hardware much so just need a bit of guidance re this kind of thing and which have it. Its a necessary evil for me as im not into that side of things so try to just have the right amount of knowledge for my use case
I'm in the same boat, looking for my first audio interface.
Because my workflow uses a Macbook Air M1 and an iPad Pro M1, I originally thought in the iConnectivity Audio4c.
But then, studiomux was updated to its version 5 this summer. And it does all the things that the iConnectivity does, but much better. You can route the same number of audio channels between iOS and Mac OS. But the MIDI implementation and the iOS app for configuring the parameters are much better. It even works via a Wifi connection. And it's only 10 bucks.
So I decided to go for an audio interface that integrates the best DAC possible. And while I plan to use the interface connected to my Mac, routing the audio via studiomux to Ableton Live, I also need that it's compatible with iOS. Because when I'm traveling I need a more minimal setup, only with my iPad.
My first option was the RME Babyface Pro FS. But priced at 700, it's much more than the 300/400 euros that I was planning to spend. And it seems out of stock in every store that I have looked for.
But then, the last night I found this review of the Motu M4.
https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-m4-audio-interface-review.15757/
And honestly, in this price range, nothing can actually compete with the quality of its DAC converter or with the audio volume of its headphone jack. It has separated phantom power for each input. And it's compatible with eurorack modules, sending CV signals through its outputs.
The only caveat is that its loopback function is not compatible with iOS.
But the only three audio interfaces with loopback feature on iOS that I have found researching in this forum are the RME Babyface Pro FS, that by the way, it's out of stock everywhere and it costs the double. The Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 3rd Gen, whose DAC is much worse than in the Motu M4. And the Audient iD14 MKII, that it's a nightmare to work on iOS. Because you previously need to connect this to a Mac to configure the channels, and then, connect to the iPad. And repeat this process every time that you disconnect the power of the interface.
The Volt is made by Universal Audio, they're not going anywhere.
I'm not really sure what you mean here. Maybe go and watch the Julian Krause videos I recommended above, they will clear it all up for you. Trust me on this one.
Regarding your choice of iPad, I recently bought and subsequently returned a 1TB/16GB M1 unit having not been overly impressed with the gains from the much-hyped processor or extra RAM. I saw maybe a 10% improvement over my 2018 unit which was not worth the extra money to me. I kind of expected it to handle anything I could throw at it but sadly I was able to cause it to glitch without too much effort. Maybe it’s my choice of apps, but ultimately I ended up getting a 256GB 2020 model for less than half the cost and am quite satisfied. YMMV.
That sounds super interesting. I'm going to look into it.
If you go hub-free the main problem you're going to have in choosing a single or dual-channel device is that most don't allow you to power them so you'll end up draining a lot of power from your iPad Pro for the audio interface.
The good thing about Universal Audio Volt audio interfaces is that even the budget devices can be powered, although you'll need to purchase a 5v dc power supply, as I don't believe they're bundled with the UA Volt 2 or UA Volt 276.
The core difference between the 2 and 276 is that the UA 276 includes a built-in analog compressor based on the Urei 1176 (UA are also responsible for the best in class Urei 1176 plugin emulation). Both have the same great bundle of desktop plugins (if that's of value).
Guitar Centre has both in stock with decent discounts. The Volt 276 is £239 and the Volt 2 is £149.
Guitar Centre Universal Audio Volt interfaces.
The Scarlett 2i2 gen3 is sonically inferior to the Motu M4, which is sonically just short of the Audient id14 mk2. The Audient id14 mk2 however has less preamp gain and has weird power issues, so a powered hub is kinda ‘must have’ with it. The Audient and Apogee duet 3 have a similar sound profile to my ears. Apogee Duet 3 ALSO has powering issues (hence the extra usb-c port for additional power) and has problems on iOS going past 48k sample rates. Lots of distortion at 96k, 88k etc. I’ve heard great things online (YouTube) about the UA Volt, but until I have one in my hands, I can’t speak to it.
Out of curiosity, what are you basing this statement on? Subjective listening tests or measurements?
Tons of reviews and opinions are often based on numbers rather than listening IMO, including those Jason Krause ones on YT.
He said negative things on Scarlett Solo Gen 3 preamp, and all I can say is that it works really well. Sound quality is amazing, one of the best audio interface I’ve owned. Preamp is very good with low impedance ATH-M50X. Latency is super low on iOS including measured RTL. Build quality is really excellent. Stable on Mac and Windows too.
DAC are much better these days than 20 years ago, everything sounds really good today.
Personally I trust measurements more than subjective reviews, which are notoriously unreliable in audio
As for the Scarlett Solo 3rd gen, Julian Krause gave a positive review regarding the preamp, his main complaint was that the headphone amp could distort when driving low-impedance headphones:
But I do agree with you about DACs, most people would be very hard-pressed to tell the difference between one DAC and another in a blind test.
This usb-c otg adapter was the missing link for me. It lets me power the iPad, which then supplies power through the same adapter to an unpowered usb 2.0 hub with several controllers and my audio interface (a zoom u24, which in lightning times would have required its own power source).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Delivery-Charging-Splitter-Thunderbolt-Chromecast-Grey/dp/B09J2MRL8S/ref=asc_df_B09J2MRL8S/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=534924801561&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3872090380386702594&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006567&hvtargid=pla-1461627355366&psc=1
Easily within your price range: Motu 2x2
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M2--motu-m2-2x2-usb-c-audio-interface
If you can spend an extra 100: Black Lion Audio Revolution 2x2
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Revolution2x2--black-lion-audio-revolution-2x2-2x2-usb-audio-interface
I sprung a little extra for the Black Lion after using all the cheaper ones and it is a MAJOR step up in sound quality. Especially for voice. It sounds so much richer, the pres and headphone amp are amazing for the price. It’s a brick as far as build quality and the knobs are a pleasure to turn (these little things matter to me).
—
A new contender I haven’t tested that released right after I bought the Revolution is the UA Audio 2x2 Volt interface. Has a built-in compressor as well. In between the Motu and BLA as far as price. Their reputation suggests very high quality.
iPad Pro M1/1TB - Universal Audio Volt 276 (background SSL 2+) 👍
How do you like the UA, and specifically the compressor?
For a basic but I believe decent sounding interface you could look at the Evo 4 (“by Audient”), so long as you don’t need MIDI. (I need lots of MIDI but covered with a separate interface alongside the Evo)
Would you mind explaining yourself? The M1 chip is clearly leaps and bounds more powerful than the “A” series chips which were used in the older models. If you had just said you didn’t want to spend so much money, I’d believe that. But when it comes to performance, the M1 destroys every other option in its class.
I meant HP amp. Thanks.
I own an M1 iPad (12.9, 1TB, 16GB) and I think it's fair to say that there isn't really any software in the App Store today that's making full use of the M1 processor or the RAM. You'll definitely see CPU benefits in Cubasis, which is (AFAIK) the only DAW on iOS that makes use of multiple cores.
If/when someone produces software that can fully leverage the M1 SOC (I'm still holding out hope for Logic Pro on iPad), then those of us with M1 iPads will be super happy and smug
Until that day, if someone is saying their 2020 iPad Pro performs just as well, I'd be inclined to believe them for the most part. I'm sure the M1 iPad performs incrementally better due to things like larger CPU caches and unified memory, but the huge gains have yet to be realized by software.
If you're doing a lot of I/O, it is worth considering the Thunderbolt interface on the M1 iPad Pro, which is significantly faster than the USB-C interface on 2020 iPad Pro and earlier. So if you've got like an 8x8 audio interface plus external storage or something, that's definitely something to think about.
My two cents on the Focusrite Solo: spend the few extra currencies and get the 2x2 version. The added flexibility and future proofing is worth the little extra cost.
I have a theory if Apple does in fact port a version of Logic Pro to iPad they might just call it “Logic” instead of Logic Pro.
I own the Motu M4, use it on the iPad Pro 11" (2021) and I am more than happy with it. Previously, I owned the M2, but I quickly had the desire for two more inputs.
I particularly like the fact that you can use the M2/M4 directly on the iPad's USB-C port without any hub. The latency is really low, the quality of the preamps great and it also works perfectly on my MacBook Air M1. On the Mac, you can also control the volume of the interface via computer keyboard. I find that very handy. Another nice feature is using the Loopback channels to record the computer´s audio (e. g. from YouTube) internally without any loss or hassle.
After some wrong purchases I finally have the good feeling of owning a truly uncompromising and future-proof audio interface.
I'm going to try this again, but the threading and multi-core processor use on iOS is basically different than the general perception seems to be. Even the most minimal AU has multiple threads going at once. Some of these don't take much processor to run, some take more. The UI thread is a fairly high priority thread. If you load down the UI thread, the audio will glitch at times even though the audio thread is higher priority. If you are really pushing the audio then any interaction on the UI thread is more likely to make this happen. iOS will move the the high priority audio thread from core to core whenever it thinks this will help performance. It's good at doing this optimization and having more cores makes it easier. Lots of audio applications actually have a high priority MIDI thread running alongside the audio thread. Even in the little bit of investigating I've done using Instruments, I've found AU's that I didn't expect to be using multiple realtime threads that are. The last time I did a bit of poking around I found that GarageBand on iOS was running more high priority threads than it was on macOS. Having more cores isn't going to hurt and even the efficiency cores on the M1 offload a ton of work to free up the performance cores to handle audio, MIDI, and UI tasks.
On the other hand, it is definitely possible for a given audio workflow that at this point the new iPad Mini is faster than the Pro.
Back to the subject of the thread, I have the M4. It is really good and the output DAC's and amps are great. Preamps are really good too from what I can tell. But, I also have a couple of the Behringer interfaces and the preamps are good on those and the outputs are good. Basically, if it's class compliant and it's a newer device, the audio is going to be perfectly good on iOS. On macOS, the drivers can make a difference. The MOTU drivers for the M2 and M4 are good and really reduce the latency. For me now, it's more down to workflow and other supporting features, especially on iOS where the manufacturers can't do anything about the drivers.
Both. According to JK the dynamic range is higher on Motu and Audient vs the Scarlet. Im sure there’s other things it lacks in as well, but I’m not a scientist, so I don’t necessarily lean on those findings as the be all end all. Especially as I heard both the scarlet gen3 and Motu prior to seeing those videos but always preferred the Motu.
Subjectively, to my ears the preamps are not quite there, I’ve ran several mics throughout including the EV RE20 Neumann, Gefell, Manley, and some handmade boutique mics and I wasn’t pleased compared to that of the Motu, which was still less ‘musicial’ compared to the Audient. The Audient however falls absolutely flat when driving a dynamic mic such as an sm7b or re20. Motu M4 is great and no cloud lifter is needed in that circumstance.
Motu is the best all arounder including podcasts etc, and Audient is the best for strictly music creation in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend the Audient for podcast etc due to its low mic gain pres and weird power issues with iOS.
I’m also not the biggest fan of its (Scarlett) D/A. The Motu is better to my ears and very transparent compared to the Audient which sounds more ‘musical’ almost Apogee-ish with some color. Audient is ‘funner’ to mix through and they translate better that the Scarlett for me.
I thought the Scarlett was amazing for the price prior to grabbing the Motu M4, it really opened up a new level of great affordable interfaces. The Gen 3 is definitely ‘good enough’ but I wouldn’t buy one today with the other options we have today. I’d spend the extra $50+ and get the ‘better’ (in my opinion) interface.
Logic Express iPadOS!!
TS I’m in the same boat looking for an interface for me new 11” m1
For now I can connect to my old Presonus audio box iTwo with Apple usb-c to usb dongle.
I’m saving for the RME babyface I think
RME stuff lasts forever and they stand behind their gear
Now looking at hubs and docks has been making my eyes bleed the last few days lol.
Waiting for the arrival of an Arturia Minifuse 2 which I ordered after scouting the market. For my use, spending 200 USD+ is out of the question when you can get good results for a lot less money. Reviews so far, including the Great Krause, say good performance for decent money including MIDI fullsize AND a USB port for example a MIDI keyboard. If interested, I will let you know when I have tried it out after arrival which is due in one or two days.
/DMfan🇸🇪