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Alesis iO Dock
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Alesis iO Dock

Audio or MIDI interface for tablet/iDevice from Alesis belonging to the iO series

Public price: $199 incl. VAT
Encelade Encelade

«  Interestingly, pending applications and control now ... »

Published on 08/16/11 at 08:52
Best value: Excellent
Hello,

I have just receive (one hour, but I have a lot tested).

No other model tested before as is the first of its kind.

What I like most:
- The potential: to have a solution for embedded multi-track recording, and a native solution to connect the iPad easily home studio and use it as a touch controller (here the potential of tactile surfaces is huge, because it s 'acts of virtual controller and therefore malleable customized using touchOSC or other ...), and then as a processor or effect (very good potential here as well);
- The opening to the video (though it is necessary that the application allows it. This does RiEnd e that the use of an adapter iPad / VGA depusi already exists a while - this is not a copy function screen, we will not have to navigate the iPad for example);
- The ability to route input signals to the outputs Jack in monitoring bypassing the iPad, it can be considered for a dock station connected permanently in the audio, making that mode "listens music only, excluding home-studio work "we do not necessarily need to plug / unplug cables;

What I like least:
- The slightly cheap for all, but it goes it goes. This is especially the plastic side, touch, of all ... but really it goes
- The fact that this product is a little ahead, I would say on the applications. Well of course there's plenty to do already. But for example:
1. in Garage Band, not possible to use two separate entries for now. (To do again, I've just receive it ....). There are other limitations for Garage Band, the kind not possible to send a MIDI line of the iPad to a DAW, for example.
2. All apps using the microphone input of the iPad are not necessarily compatible with the Jack connections (eg Moog Filtratron. When the iPad is in the Dock, the function sampler makes no signal).
- That there is only one exit for the audio stream ... the multi-track output, at least 2 stereo, would be a real bonus.
- The number of entries. Two is good, but a minimum of minimum, because it limits the potential for embedded use. With two additional entries, there would be a super interesting solution that would register several simultaneously, using a A / D + computer processing of low weight and volume.

The price / quality ratio is good.

To see in use, but I'm pretty, yes, I would do the same choice. It's really interesting, the MIDI works well in both directions, via USB or DIN.
However the limited number of input-output, and the fact that I do not connaissae application that allow for the time to record multi-track, limit the potential for use. We can not make it a virtual studio board meeting, but it will come.

I put a 7, but I think soon it will go to 8 or 9 ... to see the software environment that follows, and in use. Maybe wait for version 2, with more routing capabilities?
(Again, I tried quickly, but all routing possibilities I think, with the apps I have: a lot of keyboard, sampler, most free. Garage Band, TouchOSC. Applications Management MIDI .) I'd do an update of the notice as soon as possible, and I'll start a topic in the forums around the application, it could be interesting?