Loopy Pro: Create music, your way.
What is Loopy Pro? — Loopy Pro is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive live looper, sampler, clip launcher and DAW for iPhone and iPad. At its core, it allows you to record and layer sounds in real-time to create complex musical arrangements. But it doesn’t stop there—Loopy Pro offers advanced tools to customize your workflow, build dynamic performance setups, and create a seamless connection between instruments, effects, and external gear.
Use it for live looping, sequencing, arranging, mixing, and much more. Whether you're a live performer, a producer, or just experimenting with sound, Loopy Pro helps you take control of your creative process.
Download on the App StoreLoopy Pro is your all-in-one musical toolkit. Try it for free today.
IDAM, Studiomux, no longer working. Any option in 2023? iConnectivity?
So I hadn't tried in a while, but spent the last couple of days trying to get IDAM to work. It works briefly but soon develops crackling and latency. Studiomux actually still exists in some form, and it works better than IDAM, but has bizarre pitch instability, and pitch and modulation cc's don't work.
Is there any option for using a desktop DAW with an iPad/iPhone as an external audio MIDI instrument nowadays?
I have an iRig Keys i/o, which will get MIDI to the iPad and return analog audio to its stereo outs, which could be routed to a computer DAW. But that still leaves me with no way to record the MIDI to the computer...
?
Comments
If IDAM isn’t working reliably, it sounds like there might be some configuration or hardware issue…maybe a bad cable or flaky port. Or some software on the Mac (maybe even a driver) that is interfering.
Nope. None of that, since Studiomux works with the same cable/port etc. (except for the weird MIDI cc issue, which obviously IS a Studiomux software issue). Cable/port are fine. Are you saying IDAM works for you? If so, what version of Mac and iOS? It would be nice to know it might work with more recent versions of macOS.
But really l grow weary of IDAM breaking with every other OS update. Maybe a hardware is the only long term solution? But l don’t know of anything other than iConnectivity that ever developed a hardware device for this, and that option always seemed expensive and overly complicated to set up. And l haven’t heard anything about them in years…have no clue of their current state and product line.
My macs run ancient os versions.
iConnect has always been rock-solid for me, and I like that once it's set up, it's set up.
I use Ableton, and I hook up my iPad (with Koala) to use a a sampler with Ableton, via my iConnectAudio. I have a send/return track with an External Effect device on it, so sending anything to Koala is done just by spinning the send dial on any track.
It's one extra box, but it's also my main audio interface, so it's on the desk anyway.
It‘s not overly complicated - it just got a terrible description
Once you get around this, it‘s actually quite logical.
They actually have trashed their iConfig configuration panel (which is the core feature for the interface‘s capabilities).
But they did a very unusual step by making the source code public and someone took care of it and released reConfig, a free app on the app store.
Like @mistercharlie I‘ve used the iCA4+ for years and it‘s always been a rock solid performer.
The price is rather humble if you consider it replaces 2 Adat interface and is easier to setup because you don‘t have to mess with digital sync.
To be precise: I did replace it by Adat connections, and that was a hell to get reliable, finally achieved by a dedicated clock unit (read $400 2nd hand).
With the iCA4+ I only exchanged 2 stereo pairs (the analog in/outs) with external gear because MacOS9 is of course NOT supported.
But it was was cool to have Pro Tools TDM fx (or some outboard) in IOS
OK, let me see if I understand this correctly... So I could buy a used iConnectivity iConnect MIDI2 (which is a discontinued (?) hardware device that depends on a discontinued iOS app (?), but which is supported by some volunteers from the general public), and this would allow me to do what IDAM does?
You see, I don't need multiple devices or routing. The iCA4+ seems like overkill for my needs. I just need to send MIDI from my desktop computer system to one app on the iPad, and then be able to record that MIDI (and audio) in my desktop DAW sequencer.
I'm watching this nearly 10-year-old video (iOS 7/iPad Air 1 era!)...
But whilst Gaz and Nick demonstrate recording audio on the desktop (at around 12:42), they don't show recording MIDI in the DAW. Before I invest funds in this I just want to make sure I understand if this will do what I need and how it works.
Thanks!
according to app store description reConfig should also support the midi interfaces
the app I referred to is called reConfig4Audio
Let me get this straight: if IDAM would work as advertised, you‘d be happy and don‘t need anything else.
(1 stereo pair for audio, digital transmission, 1 midi channel)
You (for obvious reason) already have an audio/midi interface on desktop.
In that case I‘d go with the cheapest solution that pops up, but in any case an audio/midi interface is required on the IOS side (you don‘t want to go wireless for midi...).
Any interface should do, but you have to pay attention to latency.
Imho the performance of the iConnectivity interfaces benefits from the „central design“ of the main chip.
While this chip is running, it’s accessed by both host systems under a single control instance handled by the microcontroller on the interface.
ps: they probably don‘t show midi recording because the midi data already exists. In your case you could track midi (if played by keyboard f.e.) and the audio returned from iPad in the same step.
Yes, I have a desktop system with two MOTU MTPs (16 channels of MIDI i/o) and a MOTU 828mk3 (two banks of ADAT, 8 channels of analog, S/PDIF) for audio. Traditionally I used Studiomux to add an occasional iPad synth, which gave me audio and MIDI on a single charging cable. Also used IDAM for the same, but preferred Studiomux. I would record the iPad synth MIDI just as if it were a hardware synth. Once I got a satisfactory performance, I would arm a stereo audio track in the DAW, playback the MIDI, and record it as audio. This is all I need to do.
But various times over the years, IDAM, Studiomux (and before that Secret Base Design's Music IO) would get messed up one way or another by Mac, iOS, or DAW updates. I thought about buying an iConnect about 10 years ago, because it gives you MiDI + this "audio pass through" feature with the iPad. I don't know of any other company that ever made a similar solution.
I would gladly invest in a hardware solution like iConnect to just be done with things, but I guess even that is dependent on an iPad app, so not totally future proof!
So, that is basically the workflow I'm trying to achieve one way or another!
Seems like cheaper iConnect MIDI2 might be a way ... ?
Without routing requirements you don‘t need any special app (like reConfig).
And yes, the Midi2+ (Reverb says 33-65€ during last 30 days) looks quite affordable
@Lady_App_titude - I had baffling problems with iDAM until I learned to connect to the Mac through a powered hub. It seems that the MacBook Pro wasn't supplying enough power. I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to find that problem. Now it's completely stable.
It's worth a try if you've been connecting to the Mac straight to a USB port.
Definitely with checking out, as power requirements over USB has caused me multiple problems over time.
The last time (not that long ago) I tried IDAM it was unusable latency. It did used to work fine for me though, not a USB power issue.
Anyway I gave up and just run hardware midi & audio connections.
Interesting. However, I'm plugging into a Mac Mini. I'll give it a try anyway.. USB can be flakey sometimes.
Well, what do you know... Connecting to the Mac through a powered hub seems to have fixed IDAM!!!
At least for the last hour or so, it's been totally stable.
I don't think it's a power supply issue so much as maybe a USB 3 vs USB 2 issue. Before I was plugging directly into the Mac Mini's USB 3 ports. The hub has both USB 2 and 3 ports. I tried USB 2, and that seems to be working. I have had issues in the distant past where USB 2 worked better for some MIDI devices. Never seen it be an issue for audio, however. I'll keep testing...
Unfortunately, it has not fixed Studiomux. Studiomux, unfortunately, seems like abandonware.
I don't think it has to do with USB2 vs. USB3 because I'm using a USB3 hub, cables, everything. From what I read, it's about the amount of power that Macs in general output from the USB 2/3 port not being enough. It degrades when when battery charge is low and impossible at any charge level with a degraded battery. I have a suspicion that it began with some MacOs version update because iDAM used to be fine for me. But it could just be coincidental with my iPad battery getting old.
Yep. Probably more like "F*ck it. We still can't make this work right. Maybe let's try again for a bit in a few more years." It’s a pattern.
Been testing all night, many hours, both iPad Pro (usb C) and iPhone 7 (lightning), many different apps. All seems to be working well with IDAM and the hub! Wow! Who knew! Thanks so much @wim !
I still may invest in an iConnect hardware solution just to see how that goes.
Though it's already 2024, we've released NovoNotes SideRack. Hope it is of interest to you.
There's already a thread.