Good News: Simultaneous Power and Data to iPad

Cubasis
1

There is some good news for anyone who wants to power their iPad while transferring data to it from a keyboard or an audio / midi interface for use in Cubasis. Until recently the main options have been:

  1. Use a device with an MFi interface. These are fairly rare, but devices with MFi include iConnectaudio4+ and Apogee Duet
  2. Use Bluetooth for midi input to the iPad and the lightning port for power

Last week Apple released a new lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter - Apple (UK)

This Adapter has a male lightning port at one end to connect to the iPad. At the other end it has both a USB port and a female lightning port. Using appropriate cables, the USB port can be connected to a keyboard or audio interface, and the lightning port to a USB power supply (mains powered or portable battery pack). In Apples own words “Add even greater capability and versatility to your iPad Pro by powering the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter with a USB Power Adapter. Then you can connect USB peripherals like hubs, Ethernet adapters, audio/MIDI interfaces, and card readers for CompactFlash, SD, microSD and more.” Note that the device works with:
• iPad with Retina display
• iPad mini
• iPad mini 2
• iPad Air
• iPad Air 2
• iPad mini 3
• iPad mini 4
• iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
• iPad Pro (12.9-inch)

2

Hi
Very thanks for information
Pejman

3

But the apple website say that this divice is only for ipad pro 12.9 inch,because ipad pro 12.9 is usb3 support

4

The device works with iPads in general, but only the 12.9 inch iPad Pro can use it to transfer data at USB3 rates, as opposed to USB2 rates. I have successfully used the adapter with two models: 12.9 inch iPad Pro; 4th generation iPad.

5

Finally, bought this also at once when I heard about it. Joke was that Apple didn’t mention anywhere (maybe changed meanwhile) that the second slot is lightning.

6

Interesting!

I’m slightly confused. I have a Lightning interface - could I charge using the USB port and use the Lightning pass-thru for the interface?

Your initial text suggests that the USB would be the data and Lightning would be charge.

Thanks for any insight :slight_smile:

7

The connection diagram on the box for the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter shows a mains power unit connected to the lightning input slot on the adapter, and data (from a camera) connected to the USB input slot on the adapter.

I don’t know if supplying power to the USB slot and data to the Lightning slot would work. I can’t test this arrangement because I don’t have the necessary cables and / or adapters.

8

Exactly this and more. I connected a 4 x USB-hub and into this a miditech 4xMIDI and my Zoom H6 as audio interface while I charged the iPad Air 2 via the lightning connection. Works for me. I didn’t expect this :mrgreen:

9

This opens up an enormous range of high quality USB interfaces for iPads on extended DAW duty! I’ve been using the iConnect Audio+4 and have forgotten what it was like to constantly mind power usage. The iConnect also has 2 iOS ports, which I’m finding rather indispensible for separate MIDI control. Anyway, this Apple charging adaptor is HUGE in terms of additional hardware options for iPad and Cubasis.