Accessories to Make Your iOS iPhone and iPad a Pro Instrument

Date:2020/2/13 18:22:57 Hits:

Those of you who were the proud owners of an early Apple iPhone may remember some comically cheesy apps that played “humorous” burping sounds or a piano made from fart samples. And not only were the sounds terrible, but the latency (the time between when you hit a note and actually heard it) rendered the apps nearly unusable, however entertaining.

But times have changed, along with the internal processing chips and software, to the point that you can actually play your modern iPhone and iPad with the quality you’d expect from a professional musical instrument. (Blasphemy, I know!)

The key things that keep your iOS device from being an ideal instrument are the controllers and the audio interface. This article will point you in the right direction, but as with everything relating to musical instruments, there are many degrees of quality, convenience, and cost to consider.

Instrument iOS Apps for iPhone and iPad
instrument iOS apps
First, you need to find one or more iOS apps that will provide the audio tools you’re looking for. I won’t go deep into specific apps, but here are some of my favorites:

For various musical instruments, it’s hard not to include Apple’s GarageBand. It has lots of good-quality instruments and effects, along with very clever ways of performing drum, bass, guitar, and keyboard parts. IK Multimedia’s SampleTank also has a huge library of professional instruments. Korg has the iElectribe, which offers endless groove making, as well as surprisingly accurate reproductions of the Korg Mono/Poly, Arp Odyssey, Wavestation, Poly Six, and more. My favorite synth apps are Moog’s Model 15, Minimoog Model D, and Animoog. All of these and more can be found on Apple’s App Store from $4 to $29.

In/Out Hardware for Audio and MIDI
QuartetMost of the modern iOS apps are designed to allow audio, MIDI, and control information to be shared with other iOS apps running at the same time. The Audiobus format allows patchbay-style interconnectivity between iOS apps. [For a complete list of Audiobus-compatible apps, check here: audiob.us/apps/.] Most apps also allow for connection to the outside world via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and audio/MIDI interface hardware. You can transfer files via AirDrop, email, and text message.

Audio interfaces will allow you to get a more professional-quality signal than just coming directly out of the headphone jack (if yours still has one). If you don’t have a headphone jack on your iPhone, there are even headphone amps that have Lightning inputs.

You might be shocked by how many iOS-compatible audio interfaces there are, starting at a very reasonable $40 and going to over $1,000. Some of these also have MIDI in/out as well as audio in/out.

Plug KeyHere are some points you’ll want to consider as you shop for an interface:

How many audio ins/outs does it have?

Does it have both MIDI in and out?

Can it run from an iOS device’s power (for outdoor use)?
Can it charge the iOS device’s battery while using it?
Can it be a USB audio interface for computers as well?
There are numerous MIDI interfaces that work with iOS devices. They range in price from $50 to over $300.

iOS-compatible Keyboard and Pad Controllers
Akai There are lots of keyboard and pad controllers that work with iOS devices, ranging in price from under $80 to over $500, including the unique and intuitive ROLI Lightpad Block. If you are looking for a new tool to spark your creativity, check out the entire ROLI Lightpad Block system.
If you can deal with slightly smaller keys, I recommend that you consider a keyboard controller that can send MIDI to your iOS device via Bluetooth. (I personally use Korg’s microKEY AIR keyboard controllers and am very satisfied.) RoliNot having a wire between your controller and your device makes it far less likely that something bad will happen to your precious iPhone/iPad due to accidents or clumsiness. I can attest that the latency of Bluetooth MIDI is barely noticeable (unlike Bluetooth audio, which is pretty much unusable for live performance).

iOS-compatible Battery-powered Speakers
Using Bluetooth to get stereo audio from your iOS device to your speaker is not feasible if you’re playing your instrument in real time. The latency can often be between an 1/8 note and a 1/4 note. But if you’re using your device to play back pre-recorded or sequenced audio that you’re going to play along with live, then the latency doesn’t matter. Otherwise, just use an 1/8″ to 1/8″ TRS cable to get to your speaker.

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