1 Topic by zapyz (edited by zapyz 2012-06-10 13:37:19)

  • zapyz
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Topic: UCX iPad recording apps

Hello,

I have lately being considering dumping my laptop and using my iPad (first gen., but I might change if necessary) for recording with my Fireface UCX.
I'm a daily user of ProTools and I'm of course not considering any of those apps as a replacement, but only as a simple portable recording station.

After looking around here, it seems that no thread is open listing iPad app suited for semi-professional recording and light editing with our beloved UCX.
… and it also seems that the offer is pretty small.

Auria App
http://auriaapp.com/Products/auria
Seems perfect, but:
Announced for 1st quater 2012, not yet available
40€ / 50$

Multitrack DAW
44/16 8 track recording
Looks clean, the UI takes a little too much screen estate.
Honest price.
8€ / 10$

Garageband
(44/16 ?) Stereo only recording
Oriented to virtual instruments
Not really "professional" but seems efficient for the price if you don't look at limits like beat-oriented recording, etc.
4€ / 5$

Music Studio
(44/16 ?) Stereo only recording
Overall OK if you like virtual instruments and effects without really looking for the sound of expensive  "desktop" plugin, I personally don't care about "play around" effects.
Like Garageband, it doesn't feel very "pro".
Is it possible to scroll vertically in the track section?
12€ / 15$

FL Studio Mobile HD
No information about external sound interfaces.
Rather MIDI than sound oriented.
Otherwise it's quite similar to Music Studio.
16€ / 20$

We're still waiting for Auria App, otherwise the only real recording app seems Multitrack DAW.
I'm wondering if anyone got some experience with it?

As far as I searched, no app offers 24/96 recording.

Any suggestion, review of any recording app with the UCX?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: UCX iPad recording apps

We have some more short reviews here.

Music Studio will record 8 tracks.
The next version of Multitrack DAW will do 8 tracks of 24/96

n-track might get 8-track recording, too.

Auria looks interesting....


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • zapyz
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

Oh thanks, I didn't see the reviews! I'll read those right away.

It's also good to know about the 8 tracks in Music Studio, and the 24/96 in Multitrack DAW...

  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 105

Re: UCX iPad recording apps

Multitrack DAW 3.1.6 now supports 24 bit 96 kHz recording with 8 Tracks – the first app with this professional feature!

  • zapyz
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

That's a good news smile

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: UCX iPad recording apps

What I would consider less than ideal is the fact that recording time has been limited to 75 minutes... Apart from that, a simple straightforward software.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

I wouldn't consider that a limitation at all. I bet that 99.99999% of all users stop and restart recoding in-between anyway as they don't trust the whole thing handling so big files, or just want to be on the safe side and grab what they recorded so far. Or they simply don't need that long time.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • From: Berkeley, California
  • Registered: 2012-06-20
  • Posts: 8

Re: UCX iPad recording apps

I just downloaded Auria, and spent an hour exploring it -- it's AMAZING!  Highly recommended.  They've done an excellent job with this 1.0 release and it appears very solid and bug-free.  The feature set is just incredible -- great plug-ins and great editing features, plus the AAF export will allow me to track multiple takes of overdubs and dropbox them all over to Pro Tools for editing and inclusion in my studio sessions, without having to render multiple full-length WAV files from 0:00. 

And it supports up to 24 simultaneous tracks of recording!  Now if only I could use my UFX with it...

Sonic Zen's Website

9 Reply by nkf (edited by nkf 2012-07-21 03:47:08)

  • nkf
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

RME writes about CC: "The digital inputs are currently not operational. Not only will most apps not support more than two channels at this time, our tests have also shown digital synchronisation to be less than ideal in practice. Therefore, the use of these ports currently makes no sense in CC mode."

Auria allows to route any input to recording tracks - it even has a matrix for it. I could record from the S/PDIF in of a Focusrite Scarlett in Auria.
It should be possible to store a setting for digital input sync in the UCX for iPad use.
When it is not possible to control the UCX via iPad (why not?) then this seems straight forward.

10 Reply by Wiz

  • Wiz
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

well i downloaded aura and tried it with my iPad first generation.

I dunno.  I was able to export a project out of logic as AAF. I could import it.  Even with just three tracks, I am getting clicking stuttering etc.  I can see the CPU usage and Disk I/O on the iPad in auria, and its only 30-40%.  I put the latency up all the way. Still splutters.

I can't play the demo project that comes with aura without any spluttering.

I tried to mix on it.  I find it a little fiddly and cumbersome.

I was hoping, I would be able to use it, not to mix on, but to pair the UCX , the iPad running Auria, and say a 8channel adat i/o device running off the UCX and record my bands shows, using 16 channels, and then just export it out of auria as a AAF and import into logic for mixing.

I don't think the iPad first gen, would have anywhere near the amount of memory for recording 4 sets of live shows. Perhaps iPad 2 or 3, with 64 G of memory would.

But honestly, by the time I purchase a new iPad 2 or 3... and take the punt that it will all work. I think personally, I would rather just sell my UCX and upgrade to the UFX.

I think the future, may be bright for things like recording on the iPad... but at this point.. I think its pretty well an amusing thing to play around with.. not quite ready for prime time.  Still its very interesting.

11 Reply by zapyz (edited by zapyz 2012-07-22 10:24:11)

  • zapyz
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Re: UCX iPad recording apps

Thank you Wiz for this honest review.
When I saw the iPad2+ recommendation I decided not to buy it – for now.
Auria is probably a very strong base that is probably optimized for the RAM and CPU of the latest iPads, and will for sure perform even better in the future!

  • Registered: 2012-08-14
  • Posts: 1

Re: UCX iPad recording apps

...

auria is available & look (is) real great !

w.