Putting To Use Older iPhones?

puppychumful

As I expect a number of you are in a similar boat, I would be interested in knowing if ya'll have found interesting ways to utilize old phones. In my case, I have two older iPhones, a 6S Plus 64GB and a 6 Plus 128GB.

I've a got a ton of iOS music apps (synths, effects, etc) that I run on my three newer iPads, so the possibility exists for dedicating these two older iPhones to one main app each, except for the fact that the wiring / reliability gets rather iffy, and except for the fact that I already have the three newer iPads that are of course more capable, but more prone to being damaged or stolen at a gig.

I was thinking of selling the two older iPhones on Craigslist, but they won't fetch much dinero, for all the hassles of selling them.

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purpan2

In fact, a 6s plus is my only phone. It still works fine, running a variety of apps. FLSM, Gadget, Pure Acid, Ableton Note, iKaossilator and Caustic are on it at the moment.
I do use the ipad more for music, but the phone works fine.

el_bo

Like you said, I'm in a similar situation. Trying to figure out how to use 2 old iPads (2 and Mini 1) and an iPhone 7.

One thing I thought might be a possibility would be to use the iPhone 7 as a remote for controlling various DAW functionality (i.e more than just record and stop) when recording IAA instruments; the idea being to try and avoid all the screen-switching. Not sure if it'd be easy to do, nor whether it'd offer much extra utility.

Also, there're apps like Musikraken, for example. Not sure it works on older iOS. but smaller remote control devices might be where the smaller phone size is not an issue.

Also, when you talk about wiring this stuff together, do you mean literally? Had been thinking of using the iPad 2 and Mini 1 as self-contained IAA instruments (They still run Patterning 1, Borderlands, Samplr, Thumbjam etc.). If so, would love to know what you're using. Been researching interfaces, USB-mixers the last few days, but not sure the best route.

Pxlhg

I started out with an old 5s and that impressed me so much I (much) later got my first iPad. Now I just can't understand how I did what I did on that phone. Still have it but I don't use it.

robosardine

You could use it for keeping Pocket Operators / Korg Volcas etc in time with Ableton link using the Korg SyncKontrol app.

Gravitas

If you have a spare audio interface repurpose them
as effects processors or controllers.
Pair them with a usb hub and midi controller and
you have a standalone synth or guitar effects processor good to go.
I use my old phones for this purpose.

cokomairena

@puppychumful said:
As I expect a number of you are in a similar boat, I would be interested in knowing if ya'll have found interesting ways to utilize old phones. In my case, I have two older iPhones, a 6S Plus 64GB and a 6 Plus 128GB.

I've a got a ton of iOS music apps (synths, effects, etc) that I run on my three newer iPads, so the possibility exists for dedicating these two older iPhones to one main app each, except for the fact that the wiring / reliability gets rather iffy, and except for the fact that I already have the three newer iPads that are of course more capable, but more prone to being damaged or stolen at a gig.

I was thinking of selling the two older iPhones on Craigslist, but they won't fetch much dinero, for all the hassles of selling them.

Your older phone is better than my main phone xD

You can use them as midi controllers for sure, wireless midi works great between ios devices, and Ableton Note works fine.

scrape

I don’t have an iPad but get by using the zoom feature on my iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is still a pretty powerful phone, I intend to keep running it even if I get an iPad, or eventually an upgrade. Bluetooth midi from TC-Data out to hardware is my current plan.

michael_m

Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

Gravitas

@michael_m said:
Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

Agreed.

That’s a very good call.
I’ll bear that in mind from now.

Especially with the court cases involving the Met Police here in London.

JeffChasteen

@michael_m said:
Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

Great suggestion

robosardine

@JeffChasteen said:

@michael_m said:
Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

Great suggestion

So it is. Can you use a pay as you go set up on iPhone? I’m guessing you can and it’s not just contracts etc. I don’t know I only use iPads without the phone.

Gravitas

@robosardine said:

@JeffChasteen said:

@michael_m said:
Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

Great suggestion

So it is. Can you use a pay as you go set up on iPhone?

Yes you can actually, both contract and pay as you go,
as long as the phone is unlocked and Apple have recently provided
a way to unlock your iPhone to any network now do believe.
I read the latter in passing so I'll double check that.

puppychumful

I'm going to donate them to the local homeless shelter, thanks all for the fine ideas! Many men, women and children suffer from the simple fact that there's an obscene concentration of wealth and power among a tiny fraction of capitalistic oligarchs here in North America, while the underclass suffers needlessly. There has to be a more equitable redistribution of wealth and power. I've been donating financially to social justice and environmental causes for many years but overlooked giving electronics.

Poppadocrock

1. To split up some of the cpu load. Then pipe the audio to host inside your main device. For example you could have a few of the tracks in AUM on your phone, then use an app like AUv3 audio or sonobus, to pipe that Audio part of the song into your main AUM session on your main device
2. To use phone as a midi controller, or a sequencer sending Bluetooth midi to main device while
3. To use a midi controller to play a lead, or one part of a track while the rest in on main device.
4. As an oscilloscope. Spectrum Analyzer, tuner. Pipe audio out, and have it running to a phone that only has an oscilloscope running in AUM.
5. There’s more…

Poppadocrock

@puppychumful said:
I'm going to donate them to the local homeless shelter, thanks all for the fine ideas! Many men, women and children suffer from the simple fact that there's an obscene concentration of wealth and power among a tiny fraction of capitalistic oligarchs here in North America, while the underclass suffers needlessly. There has to be a more equitable redistribution of wealth and power. I've been donating financially to social justice and environmental causes for many years but overlooked giving electronics.

This is very true. That’s very cool of you. I’d recommend keeping one, as an mp3 player, and music tool.

5. Sample storage and mgmt, with airdrop you can house a bunch of samples and easily send them back and forth when needed.

Either way, I like the charitable thinking. Cheers!

Poppadocrock

6. Just keep a couple really big apps on the older device, to free up some storage. Stuff like Pure Synth with the IAPs, and Decent Sampler. Then when you want to use those, send the audio over to main session.

michael_m

@puppychumful said:
I'm going to donate them to the local homeless shelter, thanks all for the fine ideas! Many men, women and children suffer from the simple fact that there's an obscene concentration of wealth and power among a tiny fraction of capitalistic oligarchs here in North America, while the underclass suffers needlessly. There has to be a more equitable redistribution of wealth and power. I've been donating financially to social justice and environmental causes for many years but overlooked giving electronics.

Great to hear that. Whenever I get a new phone I usually get the option for a trade-in, but figure it’s far better to get the old one to someone who really needs it.

Fingolfinzz

I use my older devices as cv and midi sources usually and maybe as a sound or effects module when I feel like setting it all up

purpan2

They make a great alarm clock.

Simon

@purpan2 said:
They make a great alarm clock.

Yeah - I've got an old iPod touch as my alarm clock. It sits next to the bed all night and has all the radios (wi fi & BT) turned off.

dobbs

@Fingolfinzz said:
I use my older devices as cv and midi sources usually and maybe as a sound or effects module when I feel like setting it all up

How do you make a CV? Do you need a special interface? My guess is most audio ports block DC?

rs2000

@dobbs said:

@Fingolfinzz said:
I use my older devices as cv and midi sources usually and maybe as a sound or effects module when I feel like setting it all up

How do you make a CV? Do you need a special interface? My guess is most audio ports block DC?

IIRC the headphones ports of the iDevices are DC coupled indeed.

dobbs

DC coupled meaning they do allow for DC/sub-acoustic frequencies or they don’t allow for DC? 😅

Edit: ah quick google tells me you remembered right and they do allow DC. Wonder if the same is true for the lightning/3.5mm dongle (it probably isn’t)

And some good info in this thread: https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/39333/apps-plugs-that-send-cv-via-audio-out

Fingolfinzz

@dobbs yeah that thread covers it pretty well. And you can use a stereo splitter and get two cv signals with some apps by panning one left and one right. I’ll use Drambo with that with some nice success.

cokomairena

@puppychumful said:
I'm going to donate them to the local homeless shelter, thanks all for the fine ideas! Many men, women and children suffer from the simple fact that there's an obscene concentration of wealth and power among a tiny fraction of capitalistic oligarchs here in North America, while the underclass suffers needlessly. There has to be a more equitable redistribution of wealth and power. I've been donating financially to social justice and environmental causes for many years but overlooked giving electronics.

Agree!

cyberheater

@michael_m said:
Women’s shelters can always use old donated cellphones. The residents have usually left abusive relationships with nothing, and a means to contact their support network is extremely important.

I had never thought of that. Thanks.