hi! Is it possible record sounds from ipad synth apps to the percussa ssp directly? Or in any way… If yes, how please?!
depends what you mean by directly, and what hardware you have
note: my experience is with an iPhone, though iPad will be the same.
a) lo-tech / analogue. (not tried)
you can record using audio via ‘headphone’ jack if you have one, or an ‘adapter’. levels will be way out, but you should be able to get something.
b) usb audio interface
I used the camera connection kit, then cck usb (usb host) → usb b SSP (aka usb device)
(no idea what the deal is with newer usb-c iPads etc, not tried)
then iPhone shows SSP as an audio interface.for audio in and out.
so select that in the app, or I use AUM, which is a nice flexible way to combine audio and route on iOS.
as for recording, SSP has a recorder, so use that or you can do live input into GRA, or my looper. (both via INP)
ofc, ymmv, but I had it working fine for quite awhile, where I used AUM as a kind of mixer.
still seems to work fine - but I upgraded my main audio interface so I have a lot more channels, so just go directly now.
ok thank you! and how is the recorded sound? is it…hearable? when playback on media player in windows?
i mean to connect ipad to one of those usb inputs from the right? and record
To record the iPad’s output, I use the AV Multiport adapter. Mine is Lightning, but they have them in USB-C too. It has a USB-A port, HDMI port, and a power connector. The power connector is important cause then you can power the unit with a power wall wart, while recording out the other port. You connect the adaptor’s USB-A out connector to the rightmost USB-B port on the SSP. All 24 inputs will be available, though the app running on the iPad may not access them all. I use Loopy Pro and have full access. The SSP will record everything. You just have to use the input module, and arm all the tracks you need.
My main rig is now an iPad into the SSP and the SSP into effects modules (easier to dial up an effect, like Shimmer, instead of trying to make it on the SSP). I use 4 stereo channels at once processing them in the SSP (8 mono channels) and controlling them from analog joysticks. Ihave never had a problem.
as I said in (b) , use as an audio interface into usb-b (right most) socket
Thank you. Are your iPad-ssp recordings hearable audible when playback them on pc media player? And of good quality?
The ones I have made are totally fine when played in Audacity on a Mac. Remember that the files made may look like only one file, but every channel used will have its own track in the WAV file created. When you use an audio playback program, it should support multi-track audio if you want to see all the channels recorded. With editors like Audacity, you can separate the tracks into separate files to edit or master them. I’m going to be selling my Expert Sleepers ES-8 cause the SSP does the interface job so well. The recording part is frosting on the cake for me.
Remember to use a fast microSD card though. Slower cards may have problems with lots of tracks. If recording is the main use at the time, I would burn a microSD card with only the operating system and plugins you are going to use, and leave as much room as possible on it. Leave the folders there, but they can be emptied of samples, unused plugins, and unused presets.
Thank you sir! For your rich responds! This will be even more convincing if you have a video on youtbe, on how any ipad app being recorded to the module, and how it sounds. But… from your written words I understood that the recorded ipad sounds to the module are hearable. Because when im recording on the daw, they not. and of bad quality so looking something to do this.
Im a bit confused what issues you think exists? does it not work for you?
there is no ‘quality loss’, if you use the SSP as an audio interface via USB, as its a digital connection. the recorder records wav files, so yes are playable on a pc, and don’t use compression (so don’t have compression artefacts).
probably one of those cases where its best to just ‘give it a go’…as its pretty much plug n’ play. ( just make sure you use the ssp usb-b socket!)
anyway, give it a go, then let us know how you get on, and we can go from there IF you have issues.
tip : the only oddity Ive seen when trying this, is sometimes if you plug usb cable in when the iPhone is on, the iPhone will not show the ssp audio interface. simply, turn iPhone on/off again, and it’ll show up.
I have an ipad. In the ipad i have a synth app. Its a modular synth. Im making different sounds there. Good sounds. And they sound good in that synth app. When im recording these sounds to the pc DAW, issues begin. Their gain level is very low. And i cant hear them. And when im recording them in the DAW, using the motu audiointerface, they loose from their quality and they dont sound like they did in the synth. So, im searching some dawless/pc-less recorders, to avoid pc drivers factors…etc. And also to use some amps, eq’s to increase their volume level.
agreed
if you are connecting Motu → PC (for daw), how are you connecting iPad to Motu? … I suspect thats your issue , not the ‘pc drivers’. Im assuming using the ‘headphone output’ on iPad, - but It just that headphone outputs have very low output levels, so poor Motu is using way to much gain to compensate - hence noise.
if you want to solve that you could use any audio interface compatible with an iPad to connect to your Motu/PC.
so iPad → audio interface 2 → Motu audio interface → PC.
that would be noise free too.
you could even use something like a zoom recorder, pretty cheap , does recording, and also acts as an audio interface. etc etc.
anyway… lots of options.
but back on topic, yes an SSP could do this.
Not connecting ipad to motu. Only motu to pc. To record the sounds. These sounds are pre-recorded to the daw, from the ipad synth directly. Using the iconnectmidi 2+.
Not using headphone output only the usb.
ok, so you’re using the iconnectmidi2+ (didnt mention this before) - I assume using audio passthru , which is basically an audio interface . in which case, you should not have had any gain or noise issues…
personally, Id dig into that, figure out whats wrong - no reason that should not work. id be wary of throwing more tech at it, without know what was wrong with a setup you already own.
ofc, if you are already into eurorack, want to do more sound processing, create voices - SSP makes sense, but its an expensive/complex solution just to record usb audio (imo)
I expect from this 2k device to do this basic work. Need it to sound the way it should. Also I can integrate eqs, amps to the process. I would buy this thing, if it sure does good ipad recording. What is your experience about this topic?
as I said, Ive used it as an audio interface connected to both my Mac and also iPhone (mainly when doing video).
but in both these cases, I was using the SSP mainly for synthesis or effect processing, often integrating other eurorack elements - the recording/audio interface side was just a (very) useful / convenient way to get the audio where I needed. e.g. when going to the phone, it meant I had high quality audio in sync with the video I was shooting - so no ‘extra steps’.
honestly, its a bit overkill if all you want is a bit of recording w/ eq. etc, which you could do on a simpler device or one that was specialised to recording etc.
e.g. you dont have an EQ module on the SSP, but you could construct something similar using filters, very flexibly, but not as quick /simple as using something that designed to just be a mixer/recorder.
but then again, if you are using a modular on your iPad you know what modular is good for, and not … so if the recording is just one part of your needs, then why not
so, whilst Ive used it with iOS, so know it works in the way Ive needed (at certain times) - I don’t use an iPad for music making, I prefer using laptops… so ymmv.
I need those sounds to finish my track…
Also sir, possible to record from the daw to ssp? If yes what ports on the ssp for the pc connection?
yes, you can record from SSP to daw (via USB) using the same (ubs-b) port, i.e. to use the SSP as an audio interface. but given its the same port, you could only do one at a time. (i.e. iPad OR daw).
(thats true of most devices that present themselves as a usb audio interface)
ofc, given you already have 2 audio interfaces, you could record via the IO jacks too. the SSP has a good quality codec. so assuming a decent setup (cables etc), there should be no issue with noise etc.
note: to be very clear, the 2 usb-a ports cannot be used for audio, as they are hosting ports. the SSP does not support hosting of usb audio interfaces.
(ok, technically, the SSP could host audio interfaces… but you’d need specialist technical knowledge to do this, and its not ‘supported’ by Percussa)
And from daw to ssp?