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What is it impossible to plug multiple audio interfaces to an iPad?
So I don't understand: why is it so hard for Apple to make it possible?
Can we hope for multiple audiofinterfaces with a next iOS update?
Comments
I don’t think Apple cares. We don’t even have a headphone jack on high end models.
Probably not. The underlying API for software to get to the interfaces is completely different. The audio interface on iOS is aimed at consumer level usage and has to be able to have the phone part be in control. Also things like mapping software needs to be able to have control of the other audio happening when it needs to give directions. These things have a priority over pro audio usage or even things like running a presentation from your phone.
If they wanted to further differentiate iPadOS from iOS, they could bring the Mac audio subsystem to iPadOS. It'd be great if they did that, but I wouldn't be expecting it soon.
Would be no benefit for Apple, since they don’t sell interfaces themselves…so why should they? Just another coding and maintaining effort on their part leading to no revenue. Just my two cents.
/DMfan🇸🇪
Okay. I’m going to bite. Why do you need multiple audio interfaces connected to iPad?
I can think of lots of use cases. One I've often wanted is to be able to hook up my main interface for instrument input and then have the iConnectMIDI as an interface between my Mac, Raspberry Pi's, and other iPads. As it is now, I have to have my Mac as the device with multiple interfaces. Local interface with an AVB interface would be another. USB connected guitar with the main interface for output (of course this one depends on me finishing an 8 channel ADC/USB interface for my guitar, but I will want it some day). There's going to be more and more external synths with multichannel USB output in the future too.
I use two on desktop to pipe Maschine audio into Samplitude so I can constantly monitor in Tonal Balance Control. (Running TBC in Maschine does not let you have the vst window open all the time) A bit of a niche need (to work around a lame Maschine limitation) but was super happy when I thought of it. I imagine over time now that I have two I may find a bunch of uses for it.
Earbuds with a mic count as an "interface". Forget and plug them in after your guitar interface, and then spend the next half hour trying to figure out why levels are so low. Finally realize the guitar is coming through the earbud mic.
@cyberheater Lots of hardware has built-in USB audio now. You could hook up an OP-1, OP-Z, Digitakt, etc, all at the same time, and use AUM to route audio and midi between them.
🤩
Yeah, I wish someone had told me a long time before this year that a USB hub lets you pipe several different devices into an iOS device.
That being said, the results were not good for me with my guitar. The USB hub I have is too "dirty" for the guitar, which are noisy by nature and then gained up a lot for rock n roll.
So I use an iPad to take in the USB hub signals, and a separate old iPhone for my guitar.
Sounds good to me 😀
It's not what you want, but you can run an audio interface and iPad/iPhone device audio at the same time with multi route audio in Audiobus. It's a bit flakey though.
oh man I just got all excited, but turns out microfreak can't do that
if I could I would have two Behringer UMC404HD on top of each other...
*cheap
*finally enough inputs to leave all the volcas and synths and guitar and bass and mic connected permanently
*all knobs and inputs are towards the front
*and the form factor would match my desk...
I'm about to get a Microfreak. Any minute actually. One way or another, she's getting connected to the iPad.
Oooh kinky! Careful now, this is supposed to be a family friendly forum.
The secret is to try to configure things to run off of battery power. If I power the Apple CCK with a battery bank, I'm able to plug a non-powered hub and still run the devices I connect to the hub. If not, I just temporarily disconnect anything that uses too much power. This completely eliminates any AC induced noise.
I am able, under certain circumstances, to get guitar/mic in through one audio interface and then the audio out through the usb transmitter dongle for my Arctis 7 wireless headphones - I discovered that by chance when just trying to provide power to the headphone transmitter from my USB hub.
It needs the headphone mic to be off and, crucially, an audio input channel to already be open when starting an AUM session…plus a bit of occasional voodoo chanting and replugging. I realise that’s not perhaps particularly useful to anyone but me, I guess what it does demonstrate is that things could work if your second interface was an ‘out’ only.
No, things cannot work that way - interface clocks have to be synced to each other
(otherwise mix and monitoring will vary from take to take)
That's what Apple's aggregate device in OSX audio settings does.
Do you mean what I described with different in and out? It does work that way for me, however much bold type you choose to insist it doesn’t. If you are replying to someone else I apologise for any misunderstanding.
The emphasis was only used to show the general context.
But it wasn’t intended to prevent you (or anyone) from using it that way, if you are happy with the results.
Just imagine what would happen if IOS had the official feature to activate any interface connected and let them run unsynced.
There would be thousands of complaints that tracks drift from each other, there‘s phasing, the playback doesn‘t sound as monitored during recording, etc etc.
Drifting and phasing my speciality
Apologies for my tone.
EDIT: message tone that is, happy with my guitar tone.
No problem. There are indeed applications where such timing drifts wouldn‘t matter at all.
On the other hand there‘s almost any amount of io-channels available with single interfaces.
To save a few bucks by stacking bargain interfaces is not enough reason for such a system extension (imho). Let alone it‘s definitely dragging latency up and not all brands will reliably play together (as experience with stuff like Asio4All under Windoze shows).
Apple is marketing iPhones an iPads as mobile devices, not as pocket size workstations.
I'm gonna revive this thread with a legit use for multiple interfaces on an iPad. I have 3 Elektron devices that all can function as audio interfaces. It would be so much easier to be able to stream the audio from each one via USB into a USB hub than an audio interface with that many inputs.
You can't select multiple interfaces for output or input in Ableton on desktop without creating a Aggregate device.
You can create one easily on OSX. But not surprised you can't do this on iOS this time. Its not really a matter of Apple caring. Audio on iOS is pretty amazing at this point if you ask me.
About time they port the aggregate device to iOS
Was trying to get my TC Helicon Blender to play nicely with my iPad only 3 of the audio in connections in AUM where showing and the port numbers didn’t match up. Gave up in the end and I’m back with Bitwig and Logic on the MBP where all the audio ports show. Was contemplating a Tasman Model 12/16 but DAW support for multi track audio in is poor at present on iOS/ iPad OS and couldn’t justify the cash or desk space when I have a perfectly good working mixer. I have a MPC One, Microfreak, Roland MC 101 and Launchpad Pro/ Arturia Keystep now all Bluetooth up till the hilt with CME WIDI devices and use AUM as my midi matrix connecting devices together at will which works a treat and use IDAM between iPad and MBP. I created a aggregate device between the Blender, MPC One, Shure MV7 mic and iPad now have 17 ins and I forgot how many outs. Just wish the iPad gave us these options as wanted to get away from the MBP as a setup.