It looks like iPad music software is about to take a big leap forward.
This video demos the iPad music app Electrify being controlled with an Akai APC40, via the iConnectMIDI hardware MIDI interface.
Yes – it’s a standard MIDI controller being used as a hardware interface to an iPad app.
Here’s what Electrify has to say about this:
Every function of Electrify (even the step parameters) can be controlled by the APC 40 making the APC 40 a real Groovebox with step sequencer and clip matrix! No need to touch the iPad’s display.
It’s just awesome to play around with it!
What do you need for that? a Midi Interface (iConnectMidi by iConnectivity when it’s released eventually) for connecting your iPad and the APC 40.
I used the MidiMobilizer, a USB-Midi Converter and Bome Midi Translator for testing.
This feature will be released in some weeks with an update for Electrify for free. And the best: it will work with your iPhone 4, too!
There are a lot of reasons that this is exciting. It’s clear now that there’s enough interest in the iPad as a music platform that developers are working to add hardware MIDI support.
It means that iOS apps are going to get a lot more playable.
It also means that developers will be able to use the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch as a relatively cheap “brain” for all sorts of music devices instead of developing custom hardware.
Tacking a MIDI cable onto the iPad may turn out to be an intermediate “horseless carriage” stage. I wouldn’t be surprised to see MIDI connectors before long that plug into your hardware and make them controllable wirelessly.
The Electrify + iPad combination, though, is an interesting taste of what’s coming.
Check it out and let me know what you think!
This is cool, much better that iPad/IPhone on its own. There are some things that the iPad can do better that a hardware MIDI controller and some things it does worse. So I think it's great that you will be able to combine both.
This is great news indeed!
"No need to touch the iPad’s display"- that makes sense
Absolutely awesome. Have been waiting for this to start since the first ipod touch launched. More than enough guts in ipod touch, iphone, ipad to do DSP and synthesis.
you better think at using the ipad as a controller i think…. it's so stupid to have an ipad and don't want to use his major feature, i.e. the touchscreen! lol
that's what i was thinking too
i want a zero touch ipad that needs a mouse and keyboard
Amazing issues here. I’m very satisfied to look your post.
Thank you a lot and I’m taking a look ahead to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?