If you have a MacBook plugged in on stage with you, you could hypothetically route the iPad Pro audio to it (and power the iPad Pro) by plugging it into the MacBook (iPad Pro USB-C port to MacBook).
You would add the iPad to your audio device I/O via Audio MIDI Setup. You could then route it out a pro audio interface (or, sigh, the headphone out of the laptop) into the stage sound system.
This eliminates the problems of a headphone-style jack (loose, noisy/crackly, analog connection) AND solves the need to power the iPad, all through one connection. It should also give you MIDI control over the iPad from whatever MIDI devices are attached to your MacBook.
Of course, why have the damned iPad at this point?
This docking port product makes a lot of sense. It’s too bad it’s not just a little more cost-effective. But hey, Apple was able to make the iPad thinner [rolls eyes] for people who don’t need to connect anything.
But where will I plug my USB-C headphones when this is plugged in? ;-)
Too bad it doesn't offer a Lightning port.
Did you not notice there’s a pass-through USB-C port on the hub? As with all USB-C hubs?
Well I read it as a power input (USB-C PD). If it's a passthrough (which makes sense), then I guess more dongles to plug in a pair of USB-C headphones while powering it?
But where will I plug my USB-C headphones when this is plugged in? ;-)
Too bad it doesn't offer a Lightning port.
Did you not notice there’s a pass-through USB-C port on the hub? As with all USB-C hubs?
Well I read it as a power input (USB-C PD). If it's a passthrough (which makes sense), then I guess more dongles to plug in a pair of USB-C headphones while powering it?
You're right, Chasm misunderstood. The USB-C connector on the adapter is not a data port, it's just a place to plug in the power cable. I didn't see where or if it says how much power the port will pass. If it's like the ones I have, it's not enough to power the 15"MacBook Pro, but it's probably enough for an iPad.
If you have a MacBook plugged in on stage with you, you could hypothetically route the iPad Pro audio to it (and power the iPad Pro) by plugging it into the MacBook (iPad Pro USB-C port to MacBook).
You would add the iPad to your audio device I/O via Audio MIDI Setup. You could then route it out a pro audio interface (or, sigh, the headphone out of the laptop) into the stage sound system.
This eliminates the problems of a headphone-style jack (loose, noisy/crackly, analog connection) AND solves the need to power the iPad, all through one connection. It should also give you MIDI control over the iPad from whatever MIDI devices are attached to your MacBook.
Of course, why have the damned iPad at this point?
This docking port product makes a lot of sense. It’s too bad it’s not just a little more cost-effective. But hey, Apple was able to make the iPad thinner [rolls eyes] for people who don’t need to connect anything.
Thinner and lighter for an iPadPro makes a lot of sense because it is a computer designed to be held. I would have preferred if Apple headphone jack on the larger Pro. I would have also liked them to keep the 10.5 screen size on the smaller one and made it a little lighter (14 oz).
Referring to the 3.5mm jack as a headphone jack is a misunderstanding. The 3.5mm jack is a two channel analog audio output. Headphones are just one specific example for how that 3.5mm jack can be used.
There are too many examples to list as to how this elimination will affect users. Here’s one that would affect me regularly. You’re having a music rehearsal. You pull up some Apple Music, You Tube videos, whatever, as a group is working out a song. The audio MUST be fed into a sound system for this to be useful. Okay. So I buy a USB-C to two channel analog audio output adapter and guess what! My iPad is running low on charge! Oops. Better have a dock so I can charge and have a two channel analog audio output at the same time.
Hopefully I am making a point. The 3.5mm two channel analog audio output cannot be worked around like a floppy or optical drive could be.
Guess what! What if there are no power outlets near your rehearsal space. Oops.
My point is we can all invent scenarios to defeat any other scenario.
Yes indeed, but they are not equal in the practicality of a solution.
Who's to say not having an outlet nearby your iPad in a rehearsal space is less of a reality than boneheadedly not charging your iPad before rehearsal and needing a dedicated charing port in addition to the audio port? Seems just ask likely to me.
I would like to wish a nice day to everyone who is better off by not having a 3.5mm analog audio output on their iPad. Apple has finally done the one thing that could make you happy.
Referring to the 3.5mm jack as a headphone jack is a misunderstanding. The 3.5mm jack is a two channel analog audio output. Headphones are just one specific example for how that 3.5mm jack can be used.
There are too many examples to list as to how this elimination will affect users. Here’s one that would affect me regularly. You’re having a music rehearsal. You pull up some Apple Music, You Tube videos, whatever, as a group is working out a song. The audio MUST be fed into a sound system for this to be useful. Okay. So I buy a USB-C to two channel analog audio output adapter and guess what! My iPad is running low on charge! Oops. Better have a dock so I can charge and have a two channel analog audio output at the same time.
Hopefully I am making a point. The 3.5mm two channel analog audio output cannot be worked around like a floppy or optical drive could be.
Sound tech here... while I agree with you on convenience, I don’t agree with you on the tech. Analog signal paths are preventing the live sound industry from leapfrogging forward. Digital is the state of the art and the future. While your sound system may require analog inputs, not all do. Many consoles have USB interfaces. Guess what? Connect that to this hub and you get multiple channels of audio, or input digital audio directly into your digital console without decoding/encoding with possible loss of quality.
Pulling audio from a headphone jack has some issues. For starters, the left and right channels are not well shielded on iOS devices causing the channels to mix. You don’t get proper channel isolation. You also have to set the level so you don’t get distortion by overdriving the channel. You have to worry about noise in the line, etc.
When you use a professional audio interface, you get a better DAC (digital audio converter) to analog, or you keep the audio digital through the signal path which is much cleaner. Plus you can accomplish something around 96 channels of I/O with USB 3.0.
Excellent, well thought out response. Careful though... injecting logic and clear thinking in this forum is (apparently) against the rules. :-)
Referring to the 3.5mm jack as a headphone jack is a misunderstanding. The 3.5mm jack is a two channel analog audio output. Headphones are just one specific example for how that 3.5mm jack can be used.
There are too many examples to list as to how this elimination will affect users. Here’s one that would affect me regularly. You’re having a music rehearsal. You pull up some Apple Music, You Tube videos, whatever, as a group is working out a song. The audio MUST be fed into a sound system for this to be useful. Okay. So I buy a USB-C to two channel analog audio output adapter and guess what! My iPad is running low on charge! Oops. Better have a dock so I can charge and have a two channel analog audio output at the same time.
Hopefully I am making a point. The 3.5mm two channel analog audio output cannot be worked around like a floppy or optical drive could be.
Referring to the 3.5mm jack as a headphone jack is a misunderstanding. The 3.5mm jack is a two channel analog audio output. Headphones are just one specific example for how that 3.5mm jack can be used.
There are too many examples to list as to how this elimination will affect users. Here’s one that would affect me regularly. You’re having a music rehearsal. You pull up some Apple Music, You Tube videos, whatever, as a group is working out a song. The audio MUST be fed into a sound system for this to be useful. Okay. So I buy a USB-C to two channel analog audio output adapter and guess what! My iPad is running low on charge! Oops. Better have a dock so I can charge and have a two channel analog audio output at the same time.
Hopefully I am making a point. The 3.5mm two channel analog audio output cannot be worked around like a floppy or optical drive could be.
Bluetooth is most definitely NOT a workaround. Apple doesn't support aptX or low latency. Without that, there will be audible lag in audio response time, making synchronizing tracks accurately impossible.
Referring to the 3.5mm jack as a headphone jack is a misunderstanding. The 3.5mm jack is a two channel analog audio output. Headphones are just one specific example for how that 3.5mm jack can be used.
There are too many examples to list as to how this elimination will affect users. Here’s one that would affect me regularly. You’re having a music rehearsal. You pull up some Apple Music, You Tube videos, whatever, as a group is working out a song. The audio MUST be fed into a sound system for this to be useful. Okay. So I buy a USB-C to two channel analog audio output adapter and guess what! My iPad is running low on charge! Oops. Better have a dock so I can charge and have a two channel analog audio output at the same time.
Hopefully I am making a point. The 3.5mm two channel analog audio output cannot be worked around like a floppy or optical drive could be.
In some circumstances yes indeed. When timing accuracy is required I find Bluetooth not able to keep up due to latency. I cannot speak for Bluetooth 5 which may be better.
I know I may come off as being obsessed with this 3.5mm omission but I think a lot of people don’t realize how many people like me rely on it.
Here is another every day circumstance for me. I practice about 2 hours a day piano on an 88 key digital piano. An iPad sits on the music rack. I have USB from the piano into the iPad lightning port for MIDI input. The 3.5mm audio jack feeds a line input back into the digital piano as a practice sound system. All my sounds are generated on the iPad. I have some great apps. The Korg apps sound as good if not better than their hardware synths. I can have drum track apps working at the same time. I can open GarageBand and record/edit, whatever. This is a simple elegant practice/study environment. If I had the new iPad without the 3.5mm jack, this setup would be history. Now I would like to have the new iPad Pro as much as anyone and I probably will. The problem is that a simple solution to how I use an iPad is no longer there. And this is a product that focuses on users like me in the professional art community. I also use this setup for live performance. It sets up and is running in less than a minute with no clutter.
It’s also a false assumption that the analog signal from the 3.5mm output is a shoddy compromise. At least on the last 3 or 4 generations of iOS devices this output is a very clean unaltered signal. A quick search on the topic will take you to some very interesting articles on lab testing which lays this out. Of course it’s not going to match a $1000 standalone converter but it is an extremely good quality signal.
I know I may come off as being obsessed with this 3.5mm omission but I think a lot of people don’t realize how many people like me rely on it.
Here is another every day circumstance for me. I practice about 2 hours a day piano on an 88 key digital piano. An iPad sits on the music rack. I have USB from the piano into the iPad lightning port for MIDI input. The 3.5mm audio jack feeds a line input back into the digital piano as a practice sound system. All my sounds are generated on the iPad. I have some great apps. The Korg apps sound as good if not better than their hardware synths. I can have drum track apps working at the same time. I can open GarageBand and record/edit, whatever. This is a simple elegant practice/study environment. If I had the new iPad without the 3.5mm jack, this setup would be history. Now I would like to have the new iPad Pro as much as anyone and I probably will. The problem is that a simple solution to how I use an iPad is no longer there. And this is a product that focuses on users like me in the professional art community. I also use this setup for live performance. It sets up and is running in less than a minute with no clutter.
It’s also a false assumption that the analog signal from the 3.5mm output is a shoddy compromise. At least on the last 3 or 4 generations of iOS devices this output is a very clean unaltered signal. A quick search on the topic will take you to some very interesting articles on lab testing which lays this out. Of course it’s not going to match a $1000 standalone converter but it is an extremely good quality signal.
You know, I came here originally to say "just use XYZ" dongle, but I'm not certain you can do what you described today with the new Pro. If there was a USB-C to female Lightning adapter, it'd be pretty easy (the USB-C to Lightning cable won't help because it ends with a male Lightning connector), but since I can't find one of those, there is no straightforward way to power the iPad Pro and also use the USB-C port for anything. At least not today.
For completionism's sake, to do it on a Lightning only device (like an iPhone 7 or higher), I'd use the Belkin Audio + Power adapter to get the 3.5mm output as well as a port for the lightning connector. That would allow you to wire into the phone the same way you describe using your iPad in your example.
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You would add the iPad to your audio device I/O via Audio MIDI Setup. You could then route it out a pro audio interface (or, sigh, the headphone out of the laptop) into the stage sound system.
This eliminates the problems of a headphone-style jack (loose, noisy/crackly, analog connection) AND solves the need to power the iPad, all through one connection. It should also give you MIDI control over the iPad from whatever MIDI devices are attached to your MacBook.
Of course, why have the damned iPad at this point?
This docking port product makes a lot of sense. It’s too bad it’s not just a little more cost-effective. But hey, Apple was able to make the iPad thinner [rolls eyes] for people who don’t need to connect anything.
Excellent, well thought out response. Careful though... injecting logic and clear thinking in this forum is (apparently) against the rules. :-)
Bluetooth is the workaround. http://a.co/d/3aTXZjK
Here is another every day circumstance for me. I practice about 2 hours a day piano on an 88 key digital piano. An iPad sits on the music rack. I have USB from the piano into the iPad lightning port for MIDI input. The 3.5mm audio jack feeds a line input back into the digital piano as a practice sound system. All my sounds are generated on the iPad. I have some great apps. The Korg apps sound as good if not better than their hardware synths. I can have drum track apps working at the same time. I can open GarageBand and record/edit, whatever. This is a simple elegant practice/study environment. If I had the new iPad without the 3.5mm jack, this setup would be history. Now I would like to have the new iPad Pro as much as anyone and I probably will. The problem is that a simple solution to how I use an iPad is no longer there. And this is a product that focuses on users like me in the professional art community. I also use this setup for live performance. It sets up and is running in less than a minute with no clutter.
It’s also a false assumption that the analog signal from the 3.5mm output is a shoddy compromise. At least on the last 3 or 4 generations of iOS devices this output is a very clean unaltered signal. A quick search on the topic will take you to some very interesting articles on lab testing which lays this out. Of course it’s not going to match a $1000 standalone converter but it is an extremely good quality signal.
https://www.hypershop.com/pages/hyperdrive-for-ipad-pro
Add 6 new ports (4K HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, SD, micro SD, USB-A 3.0 and USB-C Power Delivery) to iPad Pro
，why？
EDIT: Or are you talking about using an adapter other than the one the article is about?
For completionism's sake, to do it on a Lightning only device (like an iPhone 7 or higher), I'd use the Belkin Audio + Power adapter to get the 3.5mm output as well as a port for the lightning connector. That would allow you to wire into the phone the same way you describe using your iPad in your example.