Roger Linn Design

randybrown · Post by **randybrown** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:53 pm

LinnStrument can be powered directly from a lightning-equipped iPad or iPhone using LinnStrument's Low Power Mode: hold the Octave/Transpose button while powering up. While in Low Power Mode, the LED lights will be slightly dimmer than the default brightness.

I've followed the details in the docs, but have not been able to get the Linnstrument to run off iPad power yet.

I have the 'Lightning to USB Camera Adapter'. I hope the 'Octave/Transpose' button while plugging the USB connected tot he iPad into the Linnstrument. Nothing.

What step am I missing? TIA

gbevin · Post by **gbevin** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:58 pm

Make sure to unplug the lightning to USB adapter from the iPad. If it gets one warning about exceeding the power usage, it will block out the device for as long as the cable is connected.

So to make sure, disconnect the cable + adapter from both the iPad and the LinnStrument. Then plug the lighting adapter into the iPad, press the Octave/Transpose switch on LinnStrument and keep it pressed, and at the same time plug the USB plug into LinnStrument. That should do the trick.

randybrown · Post by **randybrown** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 8:03 pm

Thanks, Geert. Got it working. Plays great. Brings up some interesting opportunities for playing outside using my Behringer MAP40BT battery powered PA cabinets.

BTW: ThumbJam plays amazing thru the Linnstrument!

Jaself · Post by **Jaself** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:51 am

randybrown wrote:ThumbJam plays amazing thru the Linnstrument!

I agree. It is one of the few I have tried that seems to play well with channel-per-touch.

gbevin · Post by **gbevin** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:53 am

Great! ThumbJam is very cool. Some others that work well with Channel Per Note are WaveGenerator, WaveMapper, iFretless Bass/Brass and SampleWiz.

randybrown wrote:Thanks, Geert. Got it working. Plays great. Brings up some interesting opportunities for playing outside using my Behringer MAP40BT battery powered PA cabinets.

BTW: ThumbJam plays amazing thru the Linnstrument!

CubaseChris · Post by **CubaseChris** » Sat May 02, 2015 4:27 pm

Hi Roger/Geert,

After having waited 2 months for my order to arrive in the UK I finally received it today (no. 224). I can positively say after playing with it until the power died on my iPad Air 2 I noticed that by the end of my session I was definitely playing better.

Your amazing device is so intuitive and it makes an electronic musician really happy as I am now able to play more feeling into my compositions.

I have been using it via a USB hub so that I could provide power to the LS. No issues at all there but once I had put my iPad on charge for a while I wanted to try the LS connected directly. It is here where I am having problems.

It keeps saying that the accessory drains too much power. I have followed your previous advice Geert above, in which I am not able to get it to work. I have connected the LS directly to the USB adapter and purposefully checked that it is defaulting to low power mode after which I try the above guide and still no luck.

The only thing possibly is that I am using an apple manufactured Lightning to 30pin adapter and then my 30 pin to USB Camera adapter. Should this really make any difference? I don't want to go out and but a lightning to USB to find that this doesn't work either.

Your advice would be much appreciated.

In the meantime I shall power of external and I have yet to play with my Cubase 8 setup and my many instruments there.

Kind regards,

Chris G

CubaseChris · Post by **CubaseChris** » Sat May 02, 2015 4:32 pm

A quick follow up to my previous reply.

I have just tried the LS with my iPad 3 and directly connected to 30pin to USB camera kit and it still will not power up. Complaint of using too much power. A brief flash of some of the LED's occurs and then the iPad message follows.

I have also tried my iPhone 6 in which this does the same too.

Many thanks,

Chris

gbevin · Post by **gbevin** » Sat May 02, 2015 5:05 pm

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your kind words, wonderful hear that you’re enjoying LinnStrument so much. To run it off of the bus power of an iOS device, it needs to be a lightning connector since the 30 pin one doesn’t provide enough power. You also have to start it up in low power mode by holding down the octave switch when you connect the power for LinnStrument. You can find the details here: http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/hooking- ... ument.html

Note that once you activate low power LinnStrument will remember this across restarts, you can turn it back off through global settings (see midi IO here http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/linnstru ... tings.html)

Hope this helps,

Geert

CubaseChris · Post by **CubaseChris** » Sat May 02, 2015 5:17 pm

Hi Geert,

Thanks for your prompt response.

I looked at the link you sent to me and it appears to say the following:

Method 2: LinnStrument USB <--> Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adaptor <--> Lightning-equipped iPad or iPhone

To connect LinnStrument's USB port to iPad or iPhone, you'll need to use Apple's "Lightning to USB Camera Adaptor" (for devices with Lightning ports) or "Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit" (for devices with the older 30-pin connector). Make sure the MIDI I/O parameter (Global Settings) is set to the default setting of USB.

I think you need to reconsider this method statement as I have tried my 30 pin adapter with my iPad 3 and it would not work.

I will now check out the prices for a lightning USB adapter.

Thanks,

Chris

nlecaude · Post by **nlecaude** » Sat May 02, 2015 7:06 pm

I use my iPad 3 with the LinnStrument using the 30 pin cable but I power the LinnStrument from the DC jack. Perhaps it should be mentioned that it works but with external power.

Jaself · Post by **Jaself** » Sun May 03, 2015 8:21 pm

nlecaude wrote:I use my iPad 3 with the LinnStrument using the 30 pin cable but I power the LinnStrument from the DC jack. Perhaps it should be mentioned that it works but with external power.

What LS settings and apps do you use with iPad3? I am pretty sure I tried it with external power as you say several months ago and decided that channel per note was not playable. There has been a lot of improvement in the firmware since then, so perhaps I should try it again.

I think LS works pretty well with lightning adapter and iPhone 5 or iPad mini.

nlecaude · Post by **nlecaude** » Sun May 03, 2015 10:52 pm

I was using Animoog, I was in normal mode (not low power)

Roger_Linn · Post by **Roger_Linn** » Mon May 04, 2015 5:08 pm

I'm afraid the text in the Hooking It Up page on our site is not correct. It states that you can power a LinnStrument from an iPhone or iPad having a 30-pin connector. This is not true. Only a Lightning-equipped iPad or iPhone will provide sufficient power for LinnStrument's Low Power mode. I apologize for the error on the site, which I've just corrected.

When using LinnStrument with a 30-pin iPad or iPhone, you must use a power adaptor connected to LinnStrument's power input, or you can use a USB Y-adaptor cable that has 2 flat USB connectors at the computer/iPad end of the cable--one for data and another for power--like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013L ... UTF8&psc=1

matticharlton · Post by **matticharlton** » Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:02 pm

I have tried the lightning connector camera kit USB adapter with my linnstrument powered up in low power mode, did all of the things suggested, and it still is not powering up. I tried unplugging the adapter and then plug it in, and then plug in the instrument. No go. Very frustrated right now.

Roger_Linn · Post by **Roger_Linn** » Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:20 pm

As I write on the Hooking It Up page, Apple frequently changes the current output to the lightning port. Try another power source. If that works, you’ll know that your lightning iDevice or adapter is not providing adequate power.

Roger Linn Design

KVR Audio

Running off iPad power