iPad Pro connecting both MIDI and Audio over USB with Macbook Pro?

[EoN604]

Hi all,

I have an iPad Pro 11" I'm hoping to connect to my Macbook Pro 2012 over a USB cable (USB-C to USB-A). Is it possible to do this and have both MIDI and Audio go across USB?

So for example, Cubase 8.5 could sequence an iOS Synth via MIDI over USB, then the Audio would play back into Macbook/Cubase as an Audio IN?) Even just the MIDI over USB would be good for starters!

I was able to get it working with MIDI going over Bluetooth, and then audio going from the iPad > USB-C > 1/8" headphone adapter > output. But the latency on the MIDI was not good, so hoping it can be done all over USB instead? Am I missing something?

(PS. I actually purchased a Satechi Adapter, but very disappointingly it seems the USB-C doesn't transfer data - only charging?! My Macbook doesn't recognise my iPad when connecting USB through the adapter.)

[festeringheap]

So for example, Cubase 8.5 could sequence an iOS Synth via MIDI over USB, then the Audio would play back into Macbook/Cubase as an Audio IN?) Even just the MIDI over USB would be good for starters!

Yeah, you can do this with IDAM protocal. MIDI will flow both ways. Digital audio from iPad to mac only.

You need iOS 11. And at least El Capitan OS.

Connect the two with cable, open up the AudioMIDI Setup in mac, click open the Window>>Show Audio Device

Enable the iPad that shows up and you can send your midi to iPad and send the audio back to Cubase.

[EoN604]

Yeah, you can do this with IDAM protocal. MIDI will flow both ways. Digital audio from iPad to mac only.

You need iOS 11. And at least El Capitan OS.

Connect the two with cable, open up the AudioMIDI Setup in mac, click open the Window>>Show Audio Device

Enable the iPad that shows up and you can send your midi to iPad and send the audio back to Cubase.

Thanks festeringheap - much appreciated! I managed to do that to get the MIDI working perfectly. But now have another challenge.

I'm using an external soundcard (Motu UltraLite mk3) as my main sound device which has all the 'audio ins and outs' that Cubase recognises. It seems that Cubase only really can see one 'audio device'. Is it possible to have Cubase recognise a separate sound device as an 'input' into the DAW? How do you configure the separate audio 'in' into cubase? Not sure if this is a Mac challenge or a Cubase challenge.

[mindnoise]

In the Audio MIDI App create an Aggregate Device (Leftside / bottom "Plus"-Button) - which is essentially a collection of Audio Interface - and add the Motu and the iPad to it. You also must enable the iPad specifically to be recognoized as audo device.

[CausticPuppy]

I just tried this a couple days ago (as a proof of concept) with my iPhone X, 2018 Mac mini, and Logic Pro X (using Scarlett 4i4 gen3).

I got the MIDI working, but audio over the aggregate device wasn't working... I could hear the audio when I selected my iPhone as an input device, so I still have something wrong with my configuration that I'm looking at.

However, the audio was LAGGY as hell. It was over half a second between playing a note on my iOS synth and hearing it on my speakers.

I'd love to figure this out, because I could use my Moog Model 15 app on my iPad as an instrument in Logic.

[CausticPuppy]

Update - well it seems to be working fine now with my iPad. Logic detected the aggregate device and switched to it as soon as it was created... but before I add the iPad. So logic was not seeing the two additional inputs from the iPad.

I had to manually change the input back to my Scarlett, save changes, and then BACK to the aggregate devices and save changes again. Now I can select the correct inputs and hear my iPad audio, playing my keyboard over the IDAM drive (which uses the USB cable).

And funny enough, no lag! Now I have a fully functional virtual Moog propped up on my desk.