Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

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oevboev
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Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by oevboev » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:13 pm

Hi All,

I'm doing a class with 10 students. They all have an iPad. They're all using the drum-machine app Patterning and I intend to sync them via Ableton Link. That's straightforward and working well.

However I'd like a way of transferring their outputs to my mac or a mixer in a wireless way. Is it possible to send audio in a latency-free manner?

Hope someone knows something!

Best wishes!

Andreas

redglass
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by redglass » Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:39 pm

oevboev wrote:Hi All,

I'm doing a class with 10 students. They all have an iPad. They're all using the drum-machine app Patterning and I intend to sync them via Ableton Link. That's straightforward and working well.

However I'd like a way of transferring their outputs to my mac or a mixer in a wireless way. Is it possible to send audio in a latency-free manner?

Hope someone knows something!

Best wishes!

Andreas
Hi!

due to latenzcy with Bluetooth I would consider using the headphone out of the iPads if available. If so use a Interface or a mixer before recording to your laptop. There used to be a mixer called jamhub, offering a headphone matrix plus a recording output. But unfortunately jamhub stopped producing their jamhub. Maybe try to get a used one....

Cheers and good luck,

Bastian

oevboev
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by oevboev » Fri Sep 15, 2017 5:17 am

So there is latency on bluetooth... What about sending over wifi?
Best
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redglass
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by redglass » Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:24 am

oevboev wrote:So there is latency on bluetooth... What about sending over wifi?
Best
I would use the headphone output.

oevboev
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by oevboev » Fri Sep 15, 2017 6:49 am

Yeah so would I in a lot of situations.

But in my specific case I need to find a wireless option to succeed with my project. My students need to move around. Also they're young and sometimes careless. If all ten of them are connected via headphone jack it will become a spiderweb of flying iPads Im afraid.
Any other suggestions?
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oevboev
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by oevboev » Sat Sep 16, 2017 8:13 pm

Any other suggestions?

Best wishes Andreas
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by yur2die4 » Sat Sep 16, 2017 8:41 pm

Other option is to give them all little speakers.

Basically, there is no wireless solution.

You either need to have the sound come out of the built-in speakers, headphone jack, or through audio interfaces connected to the devices.

To connect even one device wirelessly while also syncing using Ableton Link would defeat the purpose of using Link, as the audio would be offset. To connect multiples not only means offset audio, but finding a way to invite multiple connections when most wireless audio connections are usually designed for one single device to a single other device.

So this leaves you resorting strictly to the audio only coming directly from each tablet device either via speaker or some kind of cable. Nothing else.

Edit: midi over wifi might be a little more feasible. Setup depends on what's out there and what OS your computer has. This means Patterning would only generate midi, not send actual audio of the kits.

oevboev
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Re: Ableton Link - Sending audio from iPad apps wirelessly

Post by oevboev » Sat Sep 16, 2017 10:43 pm

Thx for your detailed and thorough reply.

Ive tried sending the audio from the iPad to a bluetooth radio. There was a latency about 45ms. I then put a track delay on Ableton at 45ms so the sync was spot on. Result: great audio sync, but the visual side of patterning is behind by 45ms.

If the bluetooth latency could be made shorter I could send a bluetooth signal from each iPad to Bluetooth receivers that was inserted in various tracks on a mixer couldn't I?

But how low can iPad to Bluetooth receiver-latency go?

Edit: midi over wifi is not an option in this case. I need the kits from patterning.

Best,
Andreas
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