Turn your iPad into a MIDI controller in 3,700 easy steps
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 7th 2010 1:23PM
posted April 7th 2010 1:23PM
It was only a matter of time before someone took a look at that 9.7-inch display and decided they wanted to do some serious dancefloor damage with it. Not to be outdone by the likes of Looptastic HD or iElectribe, our man Ryan Noise (dot com) has just posted a video detailing his experiments with the iPad as MIDI controller and, as long as you don't have your heart set on your instrument providing some sort of tactile response, it looks like things are working out pretty well. Using a combination of the TouchOSC open sound control app, Osculator, a Python script, and Ableton Live 8, we've seen this basic setup before: the iPad (or iPhone, or iPod touch) sends open sound commands to the Mac, which translates them into MIDI commands for your instrument / DAW of choice. But why read when you can watch? Peep the video after the break for the gist, and hit that source link for technical details.
@eko2 doesn't the status of "Fanboy" mean that you no longer use logic or reason for your comments?
@ThreadAbort depends on your definition...
I like the Urban Dictionaries "A person who is completely loyal to a game or company reguardless of if they suck or not. "
Even though I am completely loyal, I can still realize when they suck :)
@ThreadAbort Were the puns intended?
woot
@pitnefor
Now this is more like it. Too bad its just one use, and not all that efficient...what with taking so long to actually get working...plus requires not one but two overpriced gadgets. iPad + iMac. Really great work though, Finally an iPad turned into a MIDI...but just doesnt have that JUST WORKS feel to it you know?
@abedinthehouse
They're only overpriced if you ain't got the money to buy them
@suicidebob actually they're even overpriced if you have the money :) live works just as good on a win7 machine (that can have more powerful options.. even i5 or i7 right now, in a laptop.. just imagine!! :)), and you could even have the touch control right on the laptop if you want. or cheap external screens exist.
i got the pricy solution, though. i got a lemur :) now that's much money, but it's well spent anyways :) great fun that thing.
@(Unverified) hahahaha. It seems like there is a new app story every day.
moar!!
no way.........this is awesome!!!!!!!!
WOW!!! i can't believe this! nice one Ryan!
The iPad just get's better and better!
@LeeRecon While I hate apple/ipad, I never doubted the ability of its fans to make it awesome. That is why I eventually purchased an iPod -Jailbreaking and the limitless apps that come with it.
@eko2 I agree mate!
While i am an Apple fan, even though they are great devices, the way apple limit the iPhone and now iPad is totally ridiculous.
It is the great work by the developers and the jailbreaking community that make the devices truly great!!!
Only 3700!? I bet the number of the steps makes it hard!
He didnt say how to connect it...wifi? BT? USB? Some sounds wouldve helped..still pretty cool though.
@CHICHIgetdaYAYO
He did, and if you download TouchOSC you will quickly pickup on the fact that it uses WiFi.
It actually looked like there was a big delay between when he touched the iPad buttons and the Mac registering them
@null
From personal experience, I can tell you that there is very low latency. The video had a rather low frame rate, so I would blame it on that.
Woot! Enjoy it as long as the interface latency and the latency of the screen itself don't bite your a**. Wonder how many pros will use 'cause of this issue.
This is in no way a slap on the work this guy has done. Only if more of such motivated people worked on open hardware and software. Sigh!
Oh come on, it was only like 6 steps or so
Everyone does realize we have been doing this on the iphone for a while now, right?
TouchOSC is actually the only way I can justify buying an ipad. I will just tell myself I am buying a touchscreen midi controller. If someone put out a mini lemur for $500 I would be all over it.
ENGADGET MUSIC!! EPIC WIN!
More posts please...
What is thy Bidding my Master?
Oh what the Hell? Where did Palpatine go?
@Lord Vader The Force doesn't take kindly to folks who stray too far off-topic in these comments
hmm, I underestimated the power of Engadget comment deletion, Join me Joseph L.Flatley, and we can rule the entire Engadget Metaverse!
@Lord Vader
IT'S A TRAP!
@micktwo and a complete closed environment. that limits quite on what sort of apps one could develop.
pretty cool toy for sure.
but latency is gonna be prohibitively high so I assume this will be unsuitable for professional use.
Lets be honest, you want a MIDI controller, then you buy one with buttons and not just be cheap and use iPad/iPhone. I don't see anyone getting the precise settings that they want because it's touch controlled and you could be off by so many miles. Get real and get something that works!!
Is it possible to run a real sequencing programs like Logic or Digital Performer on the ipad?? I am thinking, with a good sound-isolating headphone+Ipad+Logic, you'll be able to work on new tracks anywhere.. you'll actually be able to get something done during long flights.. now that would be really awesome..
Both Logic and Digital Performer are Mac Exclusive.. I really hope they can somehow optimize it for the Ipad... if they can, the Ipad would replace my PC for sure
@etcetra
I agree! If they could just make the ipad useful, I would totally get one.
@etcetra As sweet as it sounds, i don't that would be possible any time soon.
@Kiwi Flake
Yea the more I think about it, the more it seem less likely that its going to happen. It's kind of sad that a tablet that is more than 5 years old (tc1100) can do something like that and the Ipad can't.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-RgCGoANj0
In the end Ipad is great for casual entertainment stuff, but not something you can do any .. It's all flash and no substance (pun intended)
@etcetra
More like no flash, no substance...
Ok guys, I've just read this article and still don't know what a MIDI is?? Somebody explain please,
lol. "i hope this information was.. valuable?"
neat tho
There's always these two apps I've currently on the App store:
http://www.tradlessons.com/MIDIKeys.html
and
http://www.tradlessons.com/Miditina.html
Both work great as wireless MIDI controllers.
Now things are getting interesting.
Reeeaaaalllll interesting.
The iPad is going to make an amazing surface controller and instrument(s).
Watch some videos of ThumbJam for iPhone/iPod Touch on youtube.
now imagine that ability on the wide open space of the iPad!
The developer of ThumbJam is working on making that happen.
I knew someone will do this as soon as I heard of iPad. Nicely done! Although I'm worrying about latency, since it has to go thru WiFi. I guess with right quantization in Ableton session, one shouldn't have too many issues using it as launchpad.
or you could just buy this App, and save all the steps
http://mxnm.jamesonproctor.com/
This controller works for Abelton Live, and the programmer is coming out with a mix and match sound controller in the near future. More details here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/441164978/jp1971-mxnm-ipad-audio-midi