The YouTube user Vlaca X has posted a short but interesting video of one of the most helpful features (for us musicians) in iOS9 and OS X 10.11 El Capitan – Inter-Device Audio.
As you can see in this demo, integrating your iPad in your OS X DAW is now easier than ever.
A couple of clicks in the Audio Midi Setup to enable the iPad (connected via Lightning cable) and voilà… just fire up your DAW and it will recognize the iPad (as audio input).
This allows you to easily record the audio input coming from your iPad into your OS X DAW.
Note: there are already other options to connect your iPad to your Mac to make music (via software, with Audiomux and Music I/O – see our Audiomux review, and via hardware with the iConnectivity interfaces), but this new Inter-Device Audio method is definitely the easiest one.
If you have a more complex input-output setup (or you need to record MIDI events), the alternative options mentioned above offer all the flexibility you need.
But if you’re only looking for a dead-easy way to record/process your iPad stereo output into your desktop DAW, then the Inter-Device Audio will make your life much easier.
We’ll see if Apple will add more features (multi-channel audio, MIDI, etc.). That said, it’s a great time to be able to integrate all these tools (reducing at the same time the clutter on our desks!). Did you already try this feature? Anything you’d like to share with us?
Thanks, that’s a cool new feature of 10.11! I wonder if you can combine iOS devices with your main audio interface via Aggregate Audio Device in Audio MIDI setup. This would allow full integration with existing setups (rather than having to switch back and forth.)
Doesn’t seem to work for iPad 2 with a standard USB connector. Audio Midi SEES the device but there is a Red exclamation point on it so cannot “enable” Anyone else know about this or can get working. Would like to easily track Drum Genius in Logic Pro X using this technique without buying a new iPad 3…thank you
What OS are you running Jeff?