Korg plugKey for iOS devices

[TomKittel]

Is the Korg PlugKey available yet?

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/korg_plugkey_bk.htm?ref=search_prv_3

[dazzjazz]

Doesn't seem to be available at Sweetwater, Amazon or Musicians friend - strange!

[ElmerJFudd]

Very. Sweetwater did have a new product page with price and coming in August when it was announced.

[EscapeRocks]

I noticed the Midi Store lists it as "in stock" on their site.

 

The other players, such as Full Compass, B&H, etc.. all say "special order"

 

Zzounds/AmericanMusical, etc don't even show it exists.

[GovernorSilver]

Does it have any true competition?

 

I mean not necessarily a dock, but a similar device that does MIDI as well as the stereo audio I/O?

 

Roland Duo Capture EX. Price-wise, it sits between the PlugKey and the iConnectAudio. And yes, it does MIDI out as well as MIDI in.

[burningbusch]

Maybe Korg is throwing a bone to the smaller dealers. Maybe it's available at local shops. Camera companies will frequently do this, getting products to the local stores a few weeks before they give it to B&H and the others.

 

Busch.

[ElmerJFudd]

Kraft says they'll sell it but it's listed as out of stock.

[Rusty Mike]

Does it have any true competition?

 

I mean not necessarily a dock, but a similar device that does MIDI as well as the stereo audio I/O?

 

Roland Duo Capture EX. Price-wise, it sits between the PlugKey and the iConnectAudio. And yes, it does MIDI out as well as MIDI in.

 

Guess I'm not seeing it either with the Duo Capture or the iConnect device.

 

The scenario the PlugKey is ideal for is using your iPad/iPhone as a MIDI sound module on the stage, plus getting the benefit of an external D/A converter. I would imagine the PlugKey would produce better quality audio than the iPad headphone jack. although I'm certainly no expert here.

 

This would not be for studio use, as there are certainly alternatives there.

 

So, MIDI out of your controller to MIDI in on the PlugKey. Plug the Lightening connector to your iPad/iPhone, and then stereo audio out to your mixer/amp.

 

Am I missing something, or is there no other device this small and convenient on the market that can do this, even within $50? I thought IK Multimedia would have something, but I don't think I see it.

[PGR]

I would not use Roland Duo Capture EX.It does not charge the Ipad and you need the Apple Camera Connection Kit. IconnectAudio is the way to go if you want to have configurable audio paths and advance routing MIDI connectivity. It is the hub for connecting your MIDI gear and computing devices.

But if you just want to play apps from the Ipad then I guess the Korg PlugKey should be perfect

[TomKittel]

I would imagine the PlugKey would produce better quality audio than the iPad headphone jack.

 

 

This!

 

As far as I can tell Korg Module really sounds better through PlugKey. Korg seems to use a pretty good DAC converter in the PlugKey. The volume knob is a big plus too. The only thing I dislike is that it lacks a USB-Midi In. You can't use it with a USB only keyboard like Korg's own MicroKey. Silly, isn't it?

[burningbusch]

The PlugKey is as small as it can be and still deliver 5-pin MIDI and 1/4" stereo outs without dongles. The point of using the iPad/iPhone is the extreme portability so this thing fits that way of thinking. Charging is important when you arrive at the gig thinking you're at 100% charge when in reality you're almost dead.

 

Busch.

 

 

[AnotherScott]

Yup, charging is huge.

 

I would still rather it were a little bigger and had a MIDI OUT. If you're using the iPad, not just as a sound source, but as a patch selection device for your controlling hardware that also has its own sounds (using a program like iMidiPatchbay or Set List Maker), you need the MIDI Out. If your board is a Kronos with its own Set List screen that can handle internal and external patch changes, great, but a lot of people are using boards that aren't Kronos. ;-)If necessary, I'd even settle for one of those mini connectors that need an adapter cable, like on the original iRigMIDI. A nuisance, but better than not having the functionality at all.

 

Tom's suggestion of having a USB input for boards that don't have MIDI is cool, too, considering the (unfortunate) number of boards that don't have standard MIDI jacks these days. Maybe they could have a premium model that had both of these features added.

 

For now, if you have a USB controller, you can connect that using the new Apple Camera Connection Kit, which---hooray!--now allows you to charge while using! For a more solid audio connection with a convenient hard volume control, there's the LSP-1 or LSP-2 from DSAN (though it taps off the headphone port).

 

If you want to connect a USB controller *and* a standard MIDI controller to the iPad, I imagine you could attach a powered USB hub into the Camera Connection Kit (again, which you can now get with charging ability), and plug your USB controller and your regular MIDI controller (with a standard computer-style MIDI-USB adapter) into it.

 

That's also the one thing I think is missing from the iConnectMIDI2+, AFAIK it has no USB input (unlike the original iConnectMIDI). And even the "add a USB hub" method doesn't really do the trick, because one of the cool things bout the ICM2+ is that you can control two computer devices (say, an iPad and a Surface Pro), but your controllers then must all have standard MIDI jacks. I ran into that problem when I was thinking about assembling that kind of system... I want to connect two MIDI keyboards plus a Korg NanoKontrol (USB only). It's always something...

[GovernorSilver]

Does it have any true competition?

 

I mean not necessarily a dock, but a similar device that does MIDI as well as the stereo audio I/O?

 

Roland Duo Capture EX. Price-wise, it sits between the PlugKey and the iConnectAudio. And yes, it does MIDI out as well as MIDI in.

 

Guess I'm not seeing it either with the Duo Capture or the iConnect device.

 

 

You asked for something matching this description:

 

device that does MIDI as well as the stereo audio I/O

 

Both of them meet that description. If you're looking for something else, you might want to state it more clearly.

[GovernorSilver]

I would not use Roland Duo Capture EX.It does not charge the Ipad and you need the Apple Camera Connection Kit.

 

I would use it because I have one. Imagine that.

 

I have the latest Lightning-to-USB Connector, which allows charging of the iPad as well as connection to the Duo Capture EX or whatever other non-iConnect audio interface one might have.

[AnotherScott]

Somehow I missed this PlugKey alternative... Alesis Control Hub. In conjunction with the current Apple Lightning-to-USB (with charging connection), it would seem to provide the PlugKey functions plus the missing MIDI Out connection.

[aronnelson]

Has anyone used live audio when charging? I know the iPhone has weird scrolling and updating problems while charging. Wonder if it affects intensive audio?

[Heartbeat]

I've had a Plugkey for about 4-5 months. Works fine. The lightning cable should be longer but it works as described. I have the mini USB cable to keep it my iPad mini 2 charged up. It's very light weight so you need to tape or Velcro it to something. Volume control is very handy.