MIDI interface for iOS

[Dana.]

I'm looking to get one to use with my iPhone 4 for (what I hope) will be simple keyboard + iPhone plug and play. Are there any I should be considering besides the ones below?

 

IK Multimedia iRig MIDI

Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer II

Yamaha i-MX1

Yamaha i-UX1

[miden]

Griffin MidiConnect

[mate stubb]

Griffin MidiConnect

 

Is this MidiConnect core midi compatible?

[miden]

Yes

 

[miden]

If you get a camera connection kit from apple, then pretty much any USB midi interface will play nicely as well. You don't need to stick with those that use the 30 pin connector. iOS 7 has made things musical so much easier

[Dana.]

I don't have an iPad, nor am I upgrading to iOS 7.

[DulceLabs.com]

It applies to iPhones as well. Mike posted something a while back on FB about iOS7 adding core MIDI to the iPhone. I haven't upgraded to iOS7 yet either, but with the MIDI functionality it will probably be sooner now rather than later.

 

[AnotherScott]

Mike posted something a while back on FB about iOS7 adding core MIDI to the iPhone. I haven't upgraded to iOS7 yet either, but with the MIDI functionality it will probably be sooner now rather than later.

CoreMIDI came to the iPhone a while ago... iOS 5, I think. What's new is a standard protocol for apps to talk to each other, with "Inter-App Audio." There is a MIDI component to that as well. I'm not sure of the details there, though.

[DulceLabs.com]

Mike posted something a while back on FB about iOS7 adding core MIDI to the iPhone. I haven't upgraded to iOS7 yet either, but with the MIDI functionality it will probably be sooner now rather than later.

CoreMIDI came to the iPhone a while ago... iOS 5, I think. What's new is a standard protocol for apps to talk to each other, with "Inter-App Audio." There is a MIDI component to that as well. I'm not sure of the details there, though.

 

Hi Scott.. Yeah I may have missed part of something.. I am very new to iOS in general. Apparently they had something in iOS 5 that was left out in iOS6 and then added back to iOS 7. I will try to find the post on FB.

 

I am looking forward to getting more into iOS and Mac stuff. My wife is getting an iPad and MacBook for her business and, being a wonderful spouse, will let me use them for my musical endeavors whilst she slumbers.

[miden]

@ OP - doesn't matter if it is the iPhone you have, same for either. Even if staying with iOS 6 same - as pointed out iOS 7 added the inter-app functions so no 3rd party app is now really needed.

 

iOS 5 will still run with camera connection kit and a USB midi interface, or the Griffin device or those others you mentioned. IIRC, iphone 4 came standard with iOS 5.

[Dana.]

My wife is getting an iPad and MacBook for her business and, being a wonderful spouse, will let me use them for my musical endeavors whilst she slumbers.

Hope she doesn't find evidence of you looking at gear p0rn!

[AnotherScott]

iOS 5 will still run with camera connection kit and a USB midi interface

That's definitely true on an iPad, but last I checked, you couldn't get the cck to work on an iphone unless maybe you jailbroke it. So one of the adapters made for iPhone would be the way to go.

[miden]

iOS 5 will still run with camera connection kit and a USB midi interface

That's definitely true on an iPad, but last I checked, you couldn't get the cck to work on an iphone unless maybe you jailbroke it. So one of the adapters made for iPhone would be the way to go.

 

Good to know, I was not aware of that iPhone restriction on iOS 5..

[AnotherScott]

Good to know, I was not aware of that iPhone restriction on iOS 5..

To be clear, it's wasn't an iOS 5 restriction, it was an iPhone restriction. From the start, Apple made the CCK an accessory that would work on an iPad but not an iPhone. AFAIK, that's still the case.

[miden]

Good to know, I was not aware of that iPhone restriction on iOS 5..

To be clear, it's wasn't an iOS 5 restriction, it was an iPhone restriction. From the start, Apple made the CCK an accessory that would work on an iPad but not an iPhone. AFAIK, that's still the case.

 

all good I knew what you meant.

[Six-string-man]

Some people have reported badly fitting connectors (ie they are prone to falling out) with the IK Multimedia gear.

 

SSM

[Dana.]

I'm inclined to get one of the Yamaha interfaces. In my experience, their products are reliable.

[uncledunc]

The Griffin Midi Connect will also charge an iPad while it's running. That's a very handy feature.

[AnotherScott]

The Griffin Midi Connect will also charge an iPad while it's running. That's a very handy feature.

The iRig MIDI and Griffin's StudioConnect can charge the i-device while connected, but as far as I can see not the MIDIConnect. If you don't need that, the MIDIConnect looks nice.

 

Originally I didn't like the idea of a whole external "box" as opposed to something that simply plugs into the i-device like the others... one more piece to bother with, more clumsy looking. But actually, that box could act as a kind of strain relief on the connector device (especially if velcro'd down), reducing worry about something pulling the connector itself out of the i-device.

 

That extra box provides another advantage, it uses standard MIDI jacks. The other small interfaces use mini connectors on the box side (or are hard wired), which introduces one more complication if the supplied cables aren't the length you want (i.e. if you want more length, you have to use extension cables, which you are less likely to have around, and introduce one more possible point of failure compared to just being able to plug in a longer MIDI cable). If the MIDIConnect did permit simultaneous charging, that's probably the one I'd go with, since I think it would provide for the most reliable setup.

 

Assuming it doesn't allow charging, though, if you'd be relying on it at a gig, even if you chose that one, I'd consider also buying something that permits charging, like the iRig, and keep that in your bag. I would hate to get to a gig, and for example, suddenly realize that the iPad I thought I had fully charged was barely charged at all, and then have to worry about whether it was going to last the set. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has found his i-device unexpectedly low on charge, whether it's forgetting to plug it in, or thinking you had plugged it in but something was loose, or whatever. (The iRig also gives you some bonus software.)

 

BTW, there's also a unique advantage to the old original version of the Line6 MIDI Mobilizer. If you use it in conjunction with MIDBridge, you have more control over what apps are seeing what if you're running multiple MIDI apps at once.

 

[EscapeRocks]

I have found the iRig connection more solid on an iPhone than on an iPad.

It may be due to the flat area around the connection on the phone, compared to the curved area on the iPad.

 

Regardless of what I used on the iPad, iRig, or Apple CCK, I always ended up using a small piece of gaffer tape to secure it.

I never had to do that with my iPhone.

 

I have never tried the Griffin model

[Six-string-man]

The Griffin Midi Connect will also charge an iPad while it's running. That's a very handy feature.

The iRig MIDI and Griffin's StudioConnect can charge the i-device while connected, but as far as I can see not the MIDIConnect. If you don't need that, the MIDIConnect looks nice.

 

Originally I didn't like the idea of a whole external "box" as opposed to something that simply plugs into the i-device like the others... one more piece to bother with, more clumsy looking. But actually, that box could act as a kind of strain relief on the connector device (especially if velcro'd down), reducing worry about something pulling the connector itself out of the i-device.

 

That extra box provides another advantage, it uses standard MIDI jacks. The other small interfaces use mini connectors on the box side (or are hard wired), which introduces one more complication if the supplied cables aren't the length you want (i.e. if you want more length, you have to use extension cables, which you are less likely to have around, and introduce one more possible point of failure compared to just being able to plug in a longer MIDI cable). If the MIDIConnect did permit simultaneous charging, that's probably the one I'd go with, since I think it would provide for the most reliable setup.

 

Assuming it doesn't allow charging, though, if you'd be relying on it at a gig, even if you chose that one, I'd consider also buying something that permits charging, like the iRig, and keep that in your bag. I would hate to get to a gig, and for example, suddenly realize that the iPad I thought I had fully charged was barely charged at all, and then have to worry about whether it was going to last the set. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has found his i-device unexpectedly low on charge, whether it's forgetting to plug it in, or thinking you had plugged it in but something was loose, or whatever. (The iRig also gives you some bonus software.)

 

BTW, there's also a unique advantage to the old original version of the Line6 MIDI Mobilizer. If you use it in conjunction with MIDBridge, you have more control over what apps are seeing what if you're running multiple MIDI apps at once.

 

You can get a mains lead for the iConnectMIDI+ for less than £10. I have been told (although I don't know for sure) that if you use this, it will charge your I-device while in use.

 

SSM

[Dglavko]

Or you could just bring your regular idevice charger and charge it between sets if needed.

[dongna]

Is it me, or do all of these products come with the 30-pin connector as opposed to the new Lightning connector?

[AnotherScott]

You can get a mains lead for the iConnectMIDI+ for less than £10. I have been told (although I don't know for sure) that if you use this, it will charge your I-device while in use.

I don't see one with that exact name. But if you meant the iConnectMIDI2+, yes, it will support power, and seems like a great choice, in also having the standard MIDI connectors and what seems like a lot of other very interesting capabilities. Though as someone who at first was put off by the bulk of the Griffin MIDIConnect, this one looks kinda huge! Certainly compared to a little matchbook-sized plug-in piece that most of them are. But it does seem like a really nice piece, and not badly priced. I didn't think these had actually shipped yet, but it looks like Musicians Friend has it in stock.

[AnotherScott]

Or you could just bring your regular idevice charger and charge it between sets if needed.

Yes... though if you discover the problem too late, you might not have enough time to charge it enough to last through the first set before you have to start playing! And on some gigs, breaks are very short, or even non-existent. I had one of those last week, where the entire gig was a single two-hour set. Other times I've had just 10 minute breaks. That's not a lot of charge time, at least on some devices, like the iPad 3.

[miden]

The Griffin Midi Connect will also charge an iPad while it's running. That's a very handy feature.

The iRig MIDI and Griffin's StudioConnect can charge the i-device while connected, but as far as I can see not the MIDIConnect. If you don't need that, the MIDIConnect looks nice.

 

Correct, only the Studio Connect can charge as well.

[miden]

Or you could just bring your regular idevice charger and charge it between sets if needed.

Yes... though if you discover the problem too late, you might not have enough time to charge it enough to last through the first set before you have to start playing! And on some gigs, breaks are very short, or even non-existent. I had one of those last week, where the entire gig was a single two-hour set. Other times I've had just 10 minute breaks. That's not a lot of charge time, at least on some devices, like the iPad 3.

 

In my case, I just got into the habit of charging up the iPad every gig day, never had an issue with needing to recharge at a gig. Some,(new years for eg), can run to 5 hours, and even when running two VSTi's, the music player and a chart reading app, at the end the iPad still had near 3 hours left on it.

 

So unless it is a 3 day festival, I don't think one needs to worry too much re charging

 

PS: I also found that not running the music player at full volume and running the display at about 75% (plenty for a stage) also contributed greatly to onstage battery life.

[Six-string-man]

You can get a mains lead for the iConnectMIDI+ for less than £10. I have been told (although I don't know for sure) that if you use this, it will charge your I-device while in use.

I don't see one with that exact name. But if you meant the iConnectMIDI2+, yes, it will support power, and seems like a great choice, in also having the standard MIDI connectors and what seems like a lot of other very interesting capabilities. Though as someone who at first was put off by the bulk of the Griffin MIDIConnect, this one looks kinda huge! Certainly compared to a little matchbook-sized plug-in piece that most of them are. But it does seem like a really nice piece, and not badly priced. I didn't think these had actually shipped yet, but it looks like Musicians Friend has it in stock.

 

 

It's the size of a standard Boss pedal. (Guitarists will know what I mean),, For others, it's about 4" by 2.5". You are right about the name, my bad.

 

SSM