# Still no iOS-macOS USB tethered connection possible in 2019?



## Olfirf (Nov 25, 2019)

It is a long time ago, when I tried to get a cabled network connection between my iPad and my Mac. I remember, though, I had to use a jailbreak and an app called MyWy to get it to work. Meanwhile, I used an iconnect interface, which I won't use (and cannot recommend) any longer, as the company have broken certain function with the introduction of a new software. So, I thought, I might go back to using OSC instead of midi to communicate between Lemur on the iPad and Max MSP on the Mac. Because there is the option to create a USB connection to the Mac, I thought this would be a piece of cake, by now! But I have two iPads without cellular, because I never use them on the road. And without cellular, there is no Hotspot option available ... which of course makes sense, if the only reason to create a Hotspot is to share cellular. But I just want to make a network connection to the Mac via USB. Apple ... really??? 

So, the way I understand this, with my Wifi only iPads, I only have these options:
- use Wifi instead of a more reliable cabled connection (hate that option ...)
- buy a camera connection kit and ethernet to USB adaptor for each iPad and connect it to the switch or router (VERY clunky and expensive option)
- jailbreak my iPads (which I actually don't want to do ...)

Is there any other way to integrate the iPad in a cabled fashion with USB?


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## vitocorleone123 (Nov 26, 2019)

What are you trying to accomplish by connecting them?


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## Olfirf (Nov 26, 2019)

Just send/receive OSC from/to the Lemur app on the iPads to the Mac via cabled connection vs Wifi. It is more stable.


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## vitocorleone123 (Nov 26, 2019)

Have you checked out studiomux? It works.... except when it doesn't 😀


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## Olfirf (Nov 26, 2019)

Thanks for the reminder. I actually have this app, just forgot it will also send OSC! But, ... yeah ... I used this to send midi before I got the iconnect midi interface ... wouldn’t have had any reason to buy that interface, if this would have worked reliably! 
Hm, other alternative?


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## Alex Fraser (Nov 26, 2019)

Touch OSC works over WiFi and cable.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Nov 26, 2019)

You can send MIDI over Wi-Fi.

If you prefer a hardware solution, iConnectivity's hardware interfaces can do that (they support more than one computer/device at the same time).


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## Olfirf (Nov 27, 2019)

Thanks Guys!


Nick Batzdorf said:


> You can send MIDI over Wi-Fi.


Sure, I just want to send it via cabled connection to avoid latency and dropped out midi signals. If you move fader continuously and something like every 1000th CC message is dropped, you won't notice it. But that is a different story, if you send key switches and other messages that rely on a single message to be sent. Also, I want to start working with OSC again.



Nick Batzdorf said:


> If you prefer a hardware solution, iConnectivity's hardware interfaces can do that (they support more than one computer/device at the same time).


As mentioned: I want to start using OSC (send it to Max MSP and convert it to midi there). 
Also, I do have the iConnectMidi4+ ... but this company's bad support of their devices brought me to this step of redesigning my controller data flow. The iConnectMidi4+ could route midi freely between up to 1 iPad and one Mac/PC. But with their new software, that is not possible any more! I would advice anyone to stay clear of any of their products, because, to me, that is a no go! You cannot change the feature set of your hardware devices sold earlier by a driver update. I certainly won't buy from them anymore after that experience. They also did not reply to all people asking about that problem on their own forum.


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## Olfirf (Nov 27, 2019)

Alex Fraser said:


> Touch OSC works over WiFi and cable.


Thanks, but I need Lemurs intensive scripting features. I have TouchOSC. It is great, if you wanna have it easy, but it does not develop anywhere close to the feature set of Lemur.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Nov 27, 2019)

Olfirf said:


> The iConnectMidi4+ could route midi freely between up to 1 iPad and one Mac/PC. But with their new software, that is not possible any more!



I should have mentioned - as I have before - that they were a writing client of mine for a while, and I wrote the manual for the original iCM4+ (but I don't know anything about their latest software). It used to be one of my duties to help people on the forum, but I haven't kept up with how they handle it now.

That aside, I haven't ever noticed any issues with RTP MIDI over Wi-Fi, and the latency is very low. But if you're not close to a router, that would explain it.


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## Olfirf (Nov 27, 2019)

Well, with their old setup software you could do any routing between all physical and further virtual ports of the interface. But some people didn’t get it - to complicated! They probabboy found out most people need something easier, so they made that happen and now it is easier, but they achieved it by cutting back essential routing options - especially if you use iPads and a Mac together ...


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## MIDI Kinetics (Nov 28, 2019)

On macOS Lemur supports USB connections out of the box. No secondary hardware needed. Just plug it in.

Edit, re: clarification: USB is supported for MIDI connections.


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## AlexRuger (Nov 28, 2019)

If you’re already using Max, why not use Mira on the iPad? Never had any stability issues, and the connection works even better over a cable.


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## bvaughn0402 (Nov 28, 2019)

MIDI Kinetics said:


> On macOS Lemur supports USB connections out of the box. No secondary hardware needed. Just plug it in.
> 
> Edit, re: clarification: USB is supported for MIDI connections.



Thanks for reminding me about this. I bought into it tonight. STEEP learning curve, but I've made a little progress. Haven't gotten it to fully work yet, but lots to learn.

I do own a Slate monitor, and that seems to be causing Lemur some issues opening up the Editor window.


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## chocobitz825 (Nov 28, 2019)

You set up USB connections via audio/midi setup in the utilities folder. No software needed.






Set up MIDI devices using Audio MIDI Setup on Mac


In Audio MIDI Setup on your Mac, describe the configuration of your MIDI devices.



support.apple.com





I assume this is the functionality you mean?


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## Cinebient (Nov 28, 2019)

Indeed all you need is the usb-charge cable to connect audio and midi from iOS to mac and vice versa.
As mentioned via IDAM (inside the Audio/Midi set-up i even think macOS Catalina now adds midi 2.0 to it......if ever anyone need this). I use it often with my iPhone since it is a great MPE-controller with 3D-touch and there are also some unique and cheap apps there is no desktop plug-in as replacement for to find.
But i think it doesn´t work with too old macOS and iOS versions. So if you are on very old version you might cannot use it.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Nov 29, 2019)

I have my ipad with lemur via wifi connected and I don' t notice any latency or dropouts. On the contrary I'm pretty astonished how reliable it works over the years. Very snappy and precise. Much better than the cheaper hardware controllers I tried out. It's pretty much the only software that never caused any issues for the last 4 years or so. But I also never got the usb connection working.


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## AlexRuger (Nov 30, 2019)

What exactly are you doing with Max MSP? I say again, Mira is very likely the solution you're looking for, depending on what you're doing with Max.


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## Olfirf (Dec 3, 2019)

Thanks guys, I haven’t been visiting the tread since a few days, so, sorry for the delay.
What some of you miss, though, I want to use OSC to talk, not Midi. But it is good to see that midi is working now, easily! The last time I tried the before the hardware solutio, it wasn’t that easy.
@AlexRuger I have Mira, but it does not offer me the same stuff as Lemur in terms of multitouch interfacing. I have not used it much since its release, but cycling hasn't done a lot to improve on it , either, as far as I can see ... no updated objects. It also crashed a lot on me, which is a no go for what I do. It's a bit complicated to explain, what I do, but it is close to what MIDI Kinetics does. Just my own version of it. Max works as some sort of communication hub in between Cubase and Lemur, which makes my full template sort of accessible on the touchscreen. Lemur is very good to provide you with these touch objects. With Mira the objects are not as advanced regarding touch. Short example: the faders cannot use acceleration.


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## AlexRuger (Dec 4, 2019)

Got it, all good points!


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## astreamproductions (Dec 5, 2019)

Midimittr is a great option too. I use it all the time and it’s been rock solid.


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## Olfirf (Dec 6, 2019)

astreamproductions said:


> Midimittr is a great option too. I use it all the time and it’s been rock solid.


Thanks, but -- again ... I am looking for OSCmittr!  Transmitting midi over USB connection already works without additional software, as we learned in this thread.


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