Using Maschine Plus with an iPad

Wilmar Boer

I'm wondering if it is possible to use the Maschine+ with an iPad to get a small recording rig. I want to record all midi and backing tracks in Maschine+ and the put audiotracks (guitars, Vocals) in Cubasis on the iPad on top to cover the fact that Maschine doesn't support song-long audio tracks with slicing and editing.

Is it possible to have a computerless compact setup like that? That runs in sync, like pressing play on the maschine will start the DAW app on the iPad?

I've a Zoom U44 as a battery powered iPad audio interface also.

Any tips or experiences with this kind of setup are welcome. Also any tips on recording song-long (not pattern based) guitar and vocal songtracks away from the computer are also welkom.

ozon

Have you considered using Clips to record audio?

Jef Gibbons did a couple of great tutorials:

https://youtu.be/J70R5SHSgrc

https://youtu.be/O-bSfWv3Vhk

D-One

Ozon's suggestion is very valid if you don't require too much editing of the audio and such.

@Wilmar Boer

Is it possible to have a computerless compact setup like that? That runs in sync, like pressing play on the maschine will start the DAW app on the iPad?

Sure... If it's another computer, tablet or standalone doesn't make any difference. Maschine has both MIDI Clock sync (via MIDI) and Link.

Link is the most hassle-free way of syncing and wireless but unfortunately, NI has an implementation of it from 2017 before it had start/stop sync, so if you use it you have to press Play on both devices... I have no idea why they don't update Link.

Flexi

Link is not what you want here anyway, while v3 does have start/stop, it doesn't have SPP because it is designed for more of a live jam scenario, so getting longer files to sync would be a massive pain.

MIDI sync/clock should work fine.

Kubrak

IMHO, what ozon has suggested is better solution. You avoid synchronization issues (everything is recorded in one place) and you may add better audio interface, if needed....

And if you do not insist on iPad and would accept Win, Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (i5) might make excellent portable setup. There is also Surface Pro 8, but it is not fanless like Pro 6/7 (i5).

It runs Win10/11 Home/Pro, using pen one may draw modulations.... It also runs Traktor 3 very well.

Flexi

Yes sell the ipad and buy a Surface Pro to run Cubasis, oh wait, it only runs on iOS or Android.

MIDI will work fine ;)

Kubrak

Yes, but he may run Cubase. ;-) Or Ableton, or .... I just wanted to point out, that Surface Pro and Maschine/Maschine Plus make pretty nice combo. (Unlike MK3/M+ and iPad)

And I recomended to record into Maschine+ (or Maschine 2 run on Surface Pro), not to DAW (Cubasis/Cubase/....).

And I said nothing about selling iPad. ;-) One may have the both (Surface/iPad), if needed. I already have two Surfaces and seeking for the third... And beside that I have about five other computers. One has numerous synths/guitars/.... For reason. I have numerous computers for the same reason.

Wilmar Boer

Thanks for the reactions. And yes I've seen all Jef Gibbons tutorials on Clips. Actually I've watched almost all Jef Gibbons Maschine material. That guy is a great teacher with professional videoproduction skills.

Clips are nice for the occasional bits that need to go beyond the pattern boundaries. But not being able to punch in/out, edit specific parts, combing/lane editing etc... it's not going to work to get a song down with a few vocal (including backing vocals) and guitar tracks. In a DAW or Cubasis that's just so much easier.