Midi from an iPad to Maschine+ with only a usb cable (tested and working)

LostInFoundation
LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert
edited April 5 in Maschine

I just made a huuuuuuuuge discover (at least for me) thanks to an iPad developer. Maybe you all guys already know it, but I’ll post it anyway if someone hasn’t tried it yet.

It is possible to plug an iPad to a Maschine+ with a single usb cable and send midi from iPad midi apps (sequencers, chord generators, keyboards and so on and so fort) to Maschine+. Therefore there is no need of something like the iConnect Audio4+ (at least for midi). Someone wants to buy mine? (Joking 😂)

The only secret is that the cable must be an usb C to usb B (C for the iPad, B for the Maschine). If you plug the iPad into the usb A ports of the Maschine+, it won’t work.

If someone needs assistance to setting this up, feel free to ask 😉

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Comments

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert

    What does this mean?

    As an example…. Scaler 2 (free on iPad, with eventually a 19 bucks IAP for the complete set of functionalities) on a separated touch screen controlling Maschine+ instruments!!!

    This isn’t possible even with Maschine software on a windows desktop!

    Huuuuuuuuge!!!!

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert

    Btw: if you have an older iPad model with lightning connector, don’t be desperate: this is working too.

    USB B to USB A cable and cck to transform A to lightning 😉

  • Peter Harris
    Peter Harris Member Posts: 462 Pro
    edited April 4

    Great tips!

    I tried the cable thing too but I love the Bluetooth MIDI standard on iPad, which I use wirelessly for a few peripherals Seaboard, Lumi, Blocks, etc ) so I didn't want to go back to wires if I didn't have to.

    Then I recently picked up a couple of cheap ($40) Bluetooth MIDI adapters that come with both USB dongles and double-headed 5-pin MIDI ones) and to my pleasant surprise they work great with both M+ (plugged into a USB-B and my PC connected to my KK S49.

    So now I've got wireless MIDI between both of those and my iPad which has built-in Bluetooth MIDI. And there is no latency to speak of because MIDI data is very low bandwidth unlike audio. Loving it! 🥳

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert
    edited April 4

    Yes, this is a good solution too, but it comes at a cost, having to buy the adapters.

    But you already know the sad thing (since you commented on the thread): Maschine+ has already a BT card built inside, but differently from MPC Live 2 or Force, NI decided not to activate it…

    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/9628/bluetooth-on-maschine-plus

  • Peter Harris
    Peter Harris Member Posts: 462 Pro

    Actually Akai hasn't implemented Bluetooth MIDI internally either. Though this option would likely work for either platform.

    Now that I've seen how nicely it works, I'm stunned it isn't used more broadly. Though considering neither company makes Bluetooth MIDI gear, maybe not surprising. Apple has been alone among the majors with it.

  • Jean Voyage
    Jean Voyage Member Posts: 29 Helper
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/61847#Comment_61847

    How do wireless Bluetooth controllers (eg Korg) work on the MPC Live? Because they do…

  • Peter Harris
    Peter Harris Member Posts: 462 Pro

    No idea. Didn't know they did for sure. But unlike the MPC One, the Live has standard Bluetooth so that kinda makes sense.

    Apropos of nothing, MPC One's lack of wifi always annoyed me but I gather they wanted to differentiate it from the more "premium" versions. Wouldn't surprise me if Akai did something similar to NI and included the components for wifi but not enable it. 🤯

    Ahh, to be flies on the wall at our favorite hardware companies...

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert
    edited April 4
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/61847#Comment_61847

    I wrote Live2 and Force have it cause I use it every time in both of them. And exactly in the way we were talking about: ipad midi apps sending to them.

    So, I can confirm: they DO have BT midi (probably MPC One doesn’t cause it’s cheaper). Akai DO make Bluetooth midi gear. NI too (as we said, the BT card is already in the Maschine+) but then…locks it for users…

  • Impermanence
    Impermanence Member Posts: 105 Advisor
    edited April 5

    All I’m saying is that if you connect M+ to a laptop you have working Mk3.

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 3,748 Expert
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/62168#Comment_62168

    Well…this is well known. But…if you don’t use it also standalone, paying double the price to have the same functionalities is quite absurd.

    Can you elaborate about the pertinence with what we were discussing? I don’t understand

  • MDM43
    MDM43 Member Posts: 1 Newcomer

    It's better that it can act like an MK3 then can't. Though the + was created for a certain market. Ipads got many nice apps and sounds very good. It would be better if NI got things working (and hopefully they manage it) but if you like exploring ideas, there's lots to try

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