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iPad as Octatrack replacement?
Currently I have my MBP connected to a Scarlett 18i20 interface. I have a stereo out pair going to my monitors, another going to AB on the OT, and a pair going to CD on the OT. Using the OT as a performance effects mixer.
Curious if I can replace the OT with my M1 iPad Pro. I hook it up via USB. Is there a way to get 4 channels of audio IN and 2 channels OUT? Perhaps through Loopy Pro or Audiobus? I’m not sure if this even achievable via straight USB.
Comments
Hi. If I understand correctly, no, I don’t think you’re going to be able to this with your current set up. With IDAM (over usb-c), you can send audio from your ipad to your MacBook Pro but not the other way around. You could hook your audio interface up to your ipad and then take the stereo out of the mbp audio jack to 1/4” ins of the interface, but you’ll need a y-cable or an adaptor for that. other options are getting the iConnectivity interface which can connect to two devices simultaneously and route audio between them, or get a second audio interface for your ipad. There may be other options folks on the forum who are more informed than I am might be able to suggest.
You could try Sonobus if your wifi is fast enough.
There will be latency but you can do it.
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/sonobus/id1523236365
and here's another from Secret Base Design.
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/wireless-audio-auv3/id1597851234
you need anther audio interface like arturia minifuse4，connect to your ipad and open drambo,it will do almost everything OT can do
If another company will take over Studiomux ,it will work
Sonobus has high latency even using ethernet
I don't think SecretBaseDesigned app supports Mac , maybe it runs on Mac M1/2 chipsets and might worth trying over ethernet . Try contacting the dev to ask him
Had success with ModMuplat app and writing a PureData patch in the past , but only 2 channel I/O , plus locked to 64/128 buffer size (and never made a proper GUI) , although the latency was fine over ethernet
You can do what you want with a USBStreamer B https://www.minidsp.com/products/usb-audio-interface/usbstreamer-box
Connect it to your 18i20 via toslink optical cables. This will give you 8 channels in and out via ADAT. Super tiny and reasonably priced device. I use one and it works perfectly.
And then we the other person said, add some Drambo.
I was guessing it'd require another interface/box but wanted to make sure before taking the plunge. Will investigate all these methods.
Thank you all.
Why another interface? After connecting the 18i20 to your iPad, using a DAW / Drambo / AUM, you should have the inputs and outputs available.
Give us some more info about the "performance effects mixer" thing so we can continue to chat about more possible options.
I think GeonTone is using the 18i20 for their MacBook.
@GeonTone You could look into an iConnectivity Audio 4+ or 4c. Lets you hook up two "computers" (iOS/Laptop) and share audio between the two with no Digital to Analog to Digital latency. You can create 10+ virtual outputs from one device to the other. Also lets you share MIDI. It has 4in/6out (2 for headphones) analog as well. I use one sometimes to process audio from one iPad on another (for transitions during a performance) and it will work the same with a laptop.
wait you can have up to 10 audio pora available on ipad and stram them between ipad and mac with iConnectivity ??? wow
I have Ezbot’s OT performance template: https://ko-fi.com/s/ab45b130a3
Drums can run into AB, everything else to CD. I can use for example Live’s session view and playback effects in real time. Let’s me for example play a kick/clap loop, live low pass it with the OT’s fader, bring in some hats, and use the fader to come out of the low pass. Or I can take a simple tonal loop, run it through his custom effects scenes like the “Daft Punk effect” and boom: instant variation.
Mainly did this with a bunch of hardware, but recently have moved like 95% in the box. It dawned on me that I could create way more sophisticated effects scenes with the iPad than what the OT is capable of.
Exactly.
Been studying Sweetwater’s options. I think iConnectivity is my answer. Had no clue that any interfaces offered a dual computer mode. Really cool! Thanks for this info.
Oh, then there are many options. One is to do all the mixing and FX processing in Live and use the iPad as a remote control. That may be how I'd approach it.
Another option is to add a multi-input audio interface (a cheap and fairly good one is the TC Helicon Blender) and use the iPad as FX processor and mixer. If you're using Drambo, you can control and build quite any combination of effects, set up your own preferred slider/knobs/buttons layout, use the A/B crossfader and scenes to X-fade between any two snapshots and sync everything via LINK if needed.
Lot of options, none of them will be immediate and easy to train muscle memory like the one around Octatrack :-)) Especially with EZBot template .. My predicition - you spend lot of time by fine tuning and setting it all up just to realise you want to go back to Octatrack :-))
Exactly because of need for performance mixer/effector/looper to pair withnmy digitakt/digitone/syntakt i just gave up on researching all other more cheap options and decidd just to sell some gear, save some money and when my bidget will reach needed value, i’m just going into Octatrack. There is no second best.
The experience of working with the Elektron sequencer is really hard to replace on the iPad, even if the results are comparable.
On the other hand, the iPad is a much more flexible tool (just add an app). I eliminated by interest in an Analog Heat by adding Saturn 2 and using my iPad as an effects processor. Cheaper and space-efficient, too.
I find Drambo to be better, as its sequencer is more like the OP-Z than the Elektrons. For me, the advantage of the hardware is that it crashes almost never, and has dedicated knobs etc. Also, proper I/O.
Certainly if the Elektron sequencer isn't your favorite, then replacing it with Drambo should be easier (or at least, not as hard). I've found this transition uninspiring.
Important factor which was not mentioned in this discussion is audio latency.. may be especially important for live performance when used as looper/resampler in sync with other gear ..
Octatrack latency is 1.5 ms (buffer size 64) .. for example Drambo lowest possible buffer size is 128 but if you have not enough powerful CPU and/or you add more plugind to your project, you may need go up to 256 or even 512 .. that’s quite difference to 64 …
In a OT project you get 16 banks, each bank has sixteen patterns and four parts (kits or soundsets of samples), so 256 patterns and 64 kits. Switching parts on the OT is seemless. In a Drambo project, you're limited to the single set of racks you have and there's no way to switch projects via Midi PC, so for playing longer sets with seemless transitions, OT cuts it where Drambo can't.
Octatrack can’t run Auv3s though!
But you can sample them. On the fly.
🤩
iPad as Octatrack replacement? Nah.
iPad as Octatrack add on? Oh yes!
Realized I had an error in my thinking. Getting audio in/out for performance effects is a hangover from my dawless days.
Just discovered Live’s effects racks. What I really need is a dedicated controller like a Midi Fighter. Then there is no limit to the complexity of effects that can be created.