Tried to do MIDI-softsynth #music with my M1 #iPad Pro last night. Forgot that there isn’t a headphone jack on “modern” devices. So how to send a USB digital piano MIDI signal to the iPad, and hear the iOS app’s softsynth? Don’t bother using AirPods, the delay is so high from key press to when the tone is heard.
So I’ve had to join Dongle Club(TM) and ordered a USB-C hub that has a USB A port and a headphone jack. Sigh. This used to be so easy on older iPads. So much for techno “progress”.
@chhopsky Good to know. That was my first and last try with that then! :D
@ellabellafull this is why i'm holding on to my older ipad, it has good old minijack out and the latency is amazing. but for generating 16 channels of different instruments i ended up using a #roland JV-1010 finally. highly recommended to check out if your sequencing does not need to happen on the ipad (eg using external hardware)
@ronald Cool. I have a setup for audio capture into Auria Pro, so that’s figured out. But I wanted to try some midi/softsynth scene building in Korg Gadget 2 next. I prefer to play my own melodies instead of tap-inputing so...
Loving your JV sound module reference! I had a blast in the 90s with a friend’s JV-880 and D-50 synth.
My first proper owned synth was an XP-60 workstation. It was beyond fun! :D
@ellabellafull it’s a great little machine. Only downside is it doesn’t remember settings so each time you power it up you need to select your preferred 16 voices again.
@ronald Oh noes! No storage for performances?
@ellabellafull no, probably cut due to cost reduction. Too bad because it’s not longer a “power on and go” thing. There was a workaround: program the setting using a MIDI SysEx dump. But it requires some software that no longer works unfortunately
@ellabellafull also that doesn’t work in a standalone or live environment. Unless you’re bringing devices that can send the right sysex somehow
@ronald Ah ok. When I was using the JV 880, it was with an Amiga 1200 and Bars n Pipes software. I remember configuring my own control changes (bank and program select I guess?) to set the right patches per MIDI channel.
I think. Lol. It's been 30 years 😅
I'm happy accepting what you say is true considering. You're experiencing it in the now.
@ellabellafull if you have more docs on how this would be done in 2023 i would gladly accept them! 😀
@ronald This is a technical look at the method I used back then: http://midi.teragonaudio.com/tutr/bank.htm . This doc even references the JV 90.
Ableton Live way: https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209070489-Sending-Program-Change-messages-from-Live
Logic way: https://support.apple.com/en-bn/guide/logicpro/lgcp2158a633/mac
The trick is to send these control changes at the beginning of the song like a “setup” step. But the sound generator needs to be multi-timbral and have enough polyphony for up to 16 separate patches playing back together. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/multitimbrality-explained
@ellabellafull thanks, this deserves trying out in Reaper (my weapon of choice). Decided to try ask ChatGPT and it seems helpful aswell
@ellabellafull yeah bluetooth is very slow, even low latency BT isn’t great for music creation