Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Gylen · Post by **Gylen** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:53 am

Morning folks,

Apologies if this questions treads over tired old territory - I tried a search but can't find anything up to date and of course these things move so fast...

I have an Ableton-based setup running on a Mac (Yosemite at present but eyeing el Cap eventually) and would like to use my iPad running various synths (Thor, iProphet etc) within Ableton.

I've messed about with connecting over wifi within Apple's audio/midi setup and I'd describe it as 'OK' at best. Connection seems unreliable and latency is quite noticeable. It becomes more of a gimmick than a workable solution for me.

So what else is out there?

I've had a look at Studiomux and it seems to answer all the questions but how reliable is it? I can't find many reviews...

To give you an idea, my dream scenario here would be to sit on the sofa fiddling about until I get a nice sound or idea, wander through to the studio and plug it in (or wifi, whichever really) to my computer and be able to play via my proper keyboard into Ableton.

Thoughts?

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:04 am

https://www.ableton.com/en/link/

filter_7 · Post by **filter_7** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:58 am

My setup includes an iO Dock II (http://www.alesis.com/products/legacy/io-dock-ii) that is all you can ask about iPad and Live integration without sofa.

You can go with midi out to your audio card with no latency or wifi moods.

Give it a look.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:03 pm

This combined with Link is going to be very powerful I think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaZP1fi9aPE

Gylen · Post by **Gylen** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:06 pm

Thanks guys!

beats me: I might be missing something but Link is just to keep devices in time, is it not? Effectively timecode over wifi? I'm looking for something that will let me 'find' my iPad synth in Ableton and then control it with my main keyboard etc, as if it were a plugin. As I say, I think Studiomux does this but how well, I have no clue.

filter_7: That looks the business. Do you set that up as an External Instrument in Live? The only downside for me (and it's pure laziness, but in reality, that's what makes the difference between doing something or not) is it looks like I'd need to take the cover off for it to fit...

scheffkoch · Post by **scheffkoch** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:28 pm

....studiomux works flawless here...i read that they had problems with the windows installer but that should be fixed now...

filter_7 · Post by **filter_7** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:29 pm

Yes, I made an external instrument preset into a dedicated iPad track in Live, so I can record audio and sequence in both ways, that is very powerful.

For example if you have resampling apps like Samplr you can resample Live audio into it and then load the resampled recording in Live with a wifi folder.

There are many possibilities...

Gylen · Post by **Gylen** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:53 pm

scheffkoch wrote:....studiomux works flawless here...i read that they had problems with the windows installer but that should be fixed now...

Good to know, thanks. Maybe for £10 or whatever that's a good place to start.

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:55 pm

Tarekith wrote:This combined with Link is going to be very powerful I think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaZP1fi9aPE

I wanted to be

until I realized that's not much different than going from the audio out on the iPad to an audio in on the computer.

Since Apple is in control of iOS, OS X, and Logic they should step up their game and make it so when you plug in an iPad/iPod/iPhone it automatically appears in Logic as a plugin with the MIDI and audio configured. It can't be that hard. But they are probably wasting precious time trying to come up with a reliable wireless cloud option. Take 2 days off that project and just put the code into a wired option. FFS.

scheffkoch · Post by **scheffkoch** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:06 pm

"Good to know, thanks. Maybe for £10 or whatever that's a good place to start."

...just having a wired osc connection to my twisted tools reaktor templates (lemur) on the ipad is worth it imo...and it automatically reconnects!...

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:39 pm

beats me wrote:I wanted to be until I realized that's not much different than going from the audio out on the iPad to an audio in on the computer.

Except you get a nice clean digital transfer, and you can still access the iPad via midi over usb at the same time. Works great in Live, set up and audio track to record to, and a MIDI track to trigger whatever synth is loaded on the iPad.

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:59 pm

Tarekith wrote:
beats me wrote:I wanted to be until I realized that's not much different than going from the audio out on the iPad to an audio in on the computer.
Except you get a nice clean digital transfer, and you can still access the iPad via midi over usb at the same time. Works great in Live, set up and audio track to record to, and a MIDI track to trigger whatever synth is loaded on the iPad.

Ah! I stopped watching the video when they started playing and recording audio off the iPad. I've never tried MIDI to/from the iPad aside from some brief brushes with controller apps over wifi.

Gylen · Post by **Gylen** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 5:17 pm

scheffkoch wrote:"Good to know, thanks. Maybe for £10 or whatever that's a good place to start."

...just having a wired osc connection to my twisted tools reaktor templates (lemur) on the ipad is worth it imo...and it automatically reconnects!...

scheffkoch, thanks again for the recommendation. I've just downloaded and installed and it seems like it's almost there but I'm struggling with the setup. Perhaps you can advise? I find the setup guide on the studiomux site really confusing!

So, I've installed the app and the server and when I plug my iPad in, it can be seen. That's all good.

Now, let's say I want to run an instance of iProphet and let's say an instance of Thor on the iPad. I go into the Studiomux app and I can load an iProphet on channel 1 and a Thor on channel 2. That also seems all good.

Now how do I play these in Ableton? Do I use the 'Generator' Audio Unit? Or do I try and load them as an External Instrument?

If I load a Generator, then all that happens is that track 1 plays seemingly regardless of what I select in terms of routing. And if I go with the external instrument, I seem to be able to route the midi ok, but not the audio back into Ableton.

Does that make sense? Am I being too ambitious? Any help gratefully received...

F34TH3R · Post by **F34TH3R** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 5:30 pm

Yes on ableton link but lemur by liine is a great way to control ableton...I'd prefer lemur over link

scheffkoch · Post by **scheffkoch** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:00 pm

@gylen: just put the audiomux generator on an audio track, open the plugin and select your ipad and then the channel you'd like to hear...to get midi from ableton to your ipad you have to go to preferences within ableton and activate your ipad instrument under "midi"....
best
b

Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?

Re: Best way to integrate iPad into Ableton setup?