New interfaces and accessories empower professional-grade music production on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
By Francis Preve
With tons of music apps available for Apple's mobile iOS, the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch have evolved from early-adopter toys into bona fide musical tools. Jordan Rudess of prog-rock heroes Dream Theater now uses iPad synths in his keyboard rig. For others, they are the rig: DJ and electronic music producer Rana June spins apps such as SoundTrends LoopTastic HD and Korg iElectribe at the tech industry’s most prestigious events.
We tested a slew of hardware accessories that help you integrate Apple’s mobile devices into your audio and MIDI flow with high-quality results and no fuss. These range from dedicated keys for playing Akai’s SynthStation app to a comprehensive audio and MIDI interface for the iPad to mic and guitar inputs for your gadget’s 1/8" audio jack to MIDI-only solutions. Finally, the mini keyboard controllers rounded up on page 76 give you maximum musical action in minimum space—though they’re not just for iPads and iPhones.
If the lack of a great-sounding and reliable path from your iOS device to the rest of your
musical world is what’s been making you hesitate to take advantage of all those incredible apps out there, hesitate no more. 
AKAI SynthStation25
Akai’s SynthStation iPhone app is a shockingly full-featured program, with analog-style subtractive synthesis sporting three oscillators, a multimode filter, two envelopes, an LFO, a four-track sequencer with three synth tracks plus a drum track, and effects.
The caveat here is that navigating all this on a smartphone screen—even one as nice as the Retina display on the iPhone 4—is a bit like repairing a wristwatch while wearing mittens. Akai has addressed this issue. The SynthStation 25 is a battery-powered, mini-keyed, two-octave controller with a built-in iPhone dock. It has dedicated switches for going between the SynthStation app’s various synths and modes, along with preset and octave up/down buttons. You even get miniature pitch and modulation wheels that feel pretty darned good for their size.
Stereo RCA outputs and a 1/8" headphone jack deliver the audio, and a micro-USB port connects the unit to your computer. While there are no iOS sync functions, a bonus is that the SynthStation doubles as a spare set of class-compliant USB keys for your computer. Plunk down two more bucks for the SynthStation app itself, and you’ve got a fun and flexible system that can go toe-to-toe with almost any hardware groovebox from a mere decade ago. On an iPhone. Yup.
PROS
Makes the SynthStation app a viable tool for live performance. Doubles as a class-compliant USB keyboard.
CONS
No CoreMIDI—only SynthStation and select apps work with it. AC adapter not included.
What about other apps?
Although you can’t use the SynthStation 25 with just any iPhone music app, a handful of developers have taken advantage of Akai’s free SDK, so their apps do work. These include VirSyn’s iVoxel vocoder, the virtual analog synth Nlog by Tempo Rubato, a ROMpler called 50-in-1, MusicStudio, and Blip Interactive NanoStudio.
ALESIS iO Dock
While iOS MIDI interfaces have been around for a bit, Alesis’s iO Dock is the first all-in-one audio and MIDI solution designed specifically for the iPad line. For a street price of around 200 bucks, the iO Dock’s feature set is surprisingly comprehensive. First of all, it’s a real audio interface with converters (audio resolution is 16-bit/44.1kHz per iOS’s current spec), not merely a docking station that passes analog audio. Its dual XLR combo inputs include individual trim pots, phantom power, and an impedance switch for plugging in a guitar. You get five-pin MIDI ports as well as USB for connecting the iO Dock to your Mac or PC as a MIDI controller. There are separate main and headphone outs with adjustable volume for the headphone jack. Other niceties include direct monitoring of the inputs and a footswitch jack that can be used by apps that are coded for it—though none I tried seemed to make use of it.
I tested the iO Dock with a variety of apps, including GarageBand, SoundTrends Studio.HD, and all the Korg apps. For recording audio, the iO Dock performed like a champ. I was rather impressed with the overall recording quality of the preamps and converters. With my Audio-Technica AT3035 mic, the results were crisp and clean with no errant buzzes or noise.
I also tried a bit of sampling with Jordan Rudess’ nifty SampleWiz app and everything worked as expected. However, when I tried the same sampling trick with my beloved Fairlight Pro (reviewed Sept. ’11), I was crestfallen to discover that the app doesn’t yet recognize the dock as an audio input device. Here’s hoping it does soon.
As for MIDI, the iO Dock was a star performer with any CoreMIDI-compatible app. Fairlight Pro recognized it, as did iMS20 and GarageBand. MIDI latency seemed dictated by individual app performance as opposed to the dock. Both GarageBand and the Fairlight felt extremely tight when played from the keys of my Dave Smith Prophet ’08. Oddly, Korg iMS20 felt a bit sluggish, which caught me off guard. I double-checked its configuration and settings, then compared it with the Fairlight app again, and yes, there’s a noticeable lag for note-ons. One thing is certain, the iO Dock is capable of very tight MIDI response—it’s just a matter of a given app’s coding.
All in all, the iO Dock really impressed me as a turnkey solution for adding an iPad to your studio, live, or DJ rig. It looks great, sounds great, has solid MIDI timing, and it’s a terrific value. Two thumbs up and a Key Buy!
PROS
Tight MIDI input latency. XLR-1/4" combo inputs with phantom power. Clean preamps. Direct monitoring of audio inputs. Tray insert for snug fit with iPad 1 or 2. Can charge iPad.
CONS
Can’t sync iPad via USB.
$399 list | $199 street | alesis.com
#1 with a Bullet
The Munitio Nine Millimeter headphones ($159) come in basic stereo as well as an “M” version ($179) that has an inline mic for phone use. The bullet design is either urban swagger or bad taste, but both have the best bass response of any ear bud I’ve ever used—we’re talking subsonic bombast here. They also have the smoothest, creamiest highs I’ve encountered. Plopping down $159 or more for ear buds is a decidedly pro purchase, but the Munitios are worth every penny.
munitio.com
IK MULTIMEDIA iRig and iRig Mic For on-the-go producers using iPad or iPhone versions of such apps as GarageBand, Image-Line FL Studio, or Sound Trends Studio.HD, getting quality audio into your iPad—and monitoring as you record—is key. IK Multimedia’s iRig and iRig Mic are quickly becoming the standard for the iOS set. Neither are audio interfaces in the sense of any analog/digital conversion going on. Instead, the iRig tools are essentially high-quality impedance matchers with built-in headphone jacks for monitoring. That said, both units are perfect for their intended purpose. If you have a guitar, bass, or keyboard with a high-impedance output such as a passive Rhodes, recording your axe is as simple as plugging it into the iRig and plugging the iRig into the 1/8" audio jack on your iPad or iPhone. No drivers, no fuss. The same goes for the iRig Mic: To record some vocals or an acoustic instrument quickly, plug it in, add headphones, and you’re in business.
As to latency, you’re at the mercy of your iOS device’s internal audio, which, frankly, is good enough for all but the most demanding applications. You also get “lite” versions of IK apps: iRig includes free AmpliTube amp and stompbox modeling goodies, and iRig Mic is bundled with a version of IK’s VocaLive four-track recorder and effects suite. Both will familiarize you with IK’s apps, but you’ll want the full, paid versions for any serious production work. All in all, we’re very pleased with the construction and affordability of the iRig hardware.
PROS
High sound quality. Hassle-free setup.
CONS Included apps are just teasers for paid versions—which you’ll need for real work.
iRig: $39.99 | iRig Mic: $59.99 | ikmultimedia.com
iOS MIDI INTERFACES
LINE 6 MIDI Mobilizer II
While Line 6’s MIDI Mobilizer has been available for the iPhone for some time, the new Mobilizer II delivers full CoreMIDI support in a case smaller than a pack of Tic-Tacs. Sporting a single MIDI in and MIDI out and a pair of mini-jack-to-MIDI breakout cables, it really couldn’t get any simpler. In our subjective latency tests, the Mobilizer II was extremely snappy. The Fairlight, SampleWiz, and GarageBand apps felt spot-on in terms of response, but Korg’s iMS20 felt a trifle sluggish. Since this was consistent with the response we got on the Alesis iO Dock, we’re chalking it up to the MIDI implementation on the iMS20, which should be addressed by the time you read this. We threw common continuous controller data such as pitch-bend and volume at the Mobilizer II and didn’t feel any noticeable lag in performance. All in all, this is an awesome little box.
PROS
Tiny size. Snappy response.
CONS
Can’t charge the iPad while connected.
$99.99 list | $69.99 street | line6.com IK MULTIMEDIA iRig MIDI
IK Multimedia’s interface arrives in a very similar form factor to the Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer II and includes identical MIDI breakout cables, but kicks up the spec by including a MIDI thru port in addition to in and out. In addition, there’s a micro-USB port on the side. This serves the handy purpose of sending power to your iPad or iPhone when the other end of that cable is plugged into a USB type A port or charger—a huge boon for live gigging. Thinking that this same USB port might allow the iRig to work with laptops, we fired up Ableton Live to see if it showed up as a MIDI device. No such luck. Even so, it’s a brilliant little interface. As for the actual performance, it was speedy and solid with all of our test apps.
PROS
Tiny size. Snappy response. Added MIDI thru port. Can charge your iOS device.
CONS
None significant.
$69.99 street | irigmidi.com
Klip It Good
Though the consumer products world is overflowing with mounts and stands for Apple gadgets, IK Multimedia is at the head of the class for taking them onstage. The iKlip (for iPad and iPad 2 with adaptors) and iKlip Mini (for iPhone and iPod Touch) attach to the stem or the boom of any mic stand and and securely hold your device in landscape or portrait orientation. Both are $39.99 at IK’s online store.  iCONNECTIVITY iConnect MIDIThe iConnect MIDI is more than twice the price of the other MIDI interfaces in this roundup, but then, this clever box delivers more than twice the functionality. The secret of the iConnect isn’t merely that it’s compatible with multiple operating systems (it worked without a hitch in iOS, Mac OS, and Windows), but the fact that its MIDI merge and splitting functions let it do tricks no other iPad/iPhone interface can currently touch. Want to connect two MIDI controllers—say, a Korg NanoKontrol plus one of the mini-keyboards rounded up on page 76—to your iPad? No sweat. Is one controller five-pin and the other USB? Easy. Want to send MIDI from your iPad to two devices at once? Done and done. I know that calling a product a “Swiss Army knife” can sound hackneyed, but for the iConnect, this truly is the case. This box solves problems you haven’t even thought of yet. While the iConnect is billed as an “ultra high speed” interface, the MIDI spec transmission rate has remained unchanged for nearly 30 years and USB bandwidth is higher than what’s needed. iConnectivity says the term highlights the absence of latency, even if you connect a USB hub and max out the total of 12 ports. Our iPad app tests bore this out, with the iConnect delivering very snappy and responsive results when multiple devices were connected. If you need a do-it-all MIDI interface to interconnect iPhones, iPads, keyboards, and your computer, the iConnect MIDI is the one to get. PROSTons of MIDI processing amenities. Compatible with Mac OS and Windows as well as iOS. Snappy response. Can interconnect USB and traditional MIDI devices. Solid construction. CONSLarger and more expensive than the other contenders. $199.99 list | $179.99 street | iconnectivity.com
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