• just what you needed

  
  As reviewed by Noah Montena on 7/4/2011

  If you've been hording audio apps on your iPad in the hopes that some day you'd be able to use it as a take-along project studio, your "crazy" dream has come true. Remember trying to set the levels while holding the crappy built-in mic up to your guitar amp? Did you have less-than-awesome results tickling the touchscreen ivories on your favorite rendition of Chopin? Well, get yourself a StudioDock, break out your Neumann and your Axiom, and try it again, because those terrible projects you had in GarageBand are going to get a lot better. The iPad is like a netbook whose drivers don't need to be updated every Tuesday, and that's why you've got 20 analog synth apps in a folder on the fourth page. Why aren't they on the home page? Because you break a knuckle every time you want to play more than two sweet octaves, that's why. But with an Alesis StudioDock you could plug in your best hardware keyboard or MIDI controller and romance it like Greg Hawkes, recording either the stereo out from that gorgeous Fantom G you bought last Christmas, or just the numeric control code. Or both, because the StudioDock has hardware MIDI in and out, balanced/line left and right inputs (with individual gain, phantom power, and switchable impedance for direct guitar), USB MIDI out, composite video out (for looking at a bigger screen), a fat 1/4" headphone out with its own volume control, main 1/4" L and R outs for sharing your masterpiece with the neighbors on an amp (whether they appreciate your genius or not), and all the touchscreen control afforded by hundreds of music apps designed to run on the front end of the StudioDock - the iPad. Many rock. Many still suck. But, finally, with a good I/O dock to design for, you can bet the best apps available today are only the tip of the development iceberg. Overall, the StudioDock provides solid, and much needed, professional quality I/O for the iPad. It will also prove to be a turning point for the quality of music apps. At the time of this review, the StudioDock has proven its MIDI and/or audio chops on my iPad1 with the following apps: Akai SynthStation, Korg iMS-20, GarageBand, the entire suite of Alex Wiltschko audio tools, and pocketRTA HD. It is so sweet to be able to use a real condenser mic with an iPad spectrum analyzer, if only for the isolation, but also for the better dynamic range and lower noise. Be warned: not every synth or effects app in its current revision knows what to do with a MIDI or audio input that isn't the headphone jack (I'm looking at you, IK Multimedia Amplitube, with your "input: unsupported"), but give it time! Also: if you own an iPad2, you will need to send away for a free adaptor. The iPad1 fits great in the StudioDock, but the "2" does not. If you rush home to use your iPad2 with your new dock, you will have to use some cardboard or something as a shim until your bracket comes from Alesis.

  6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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• AMAZING, but...

  
  As reviewed by JOSIAN GATTERMEIER on 11/6/2011

  First of all, it's great, simply great to have so many connections in one place. It's wonderful, and NO OTHER product in the market will give you so much as of NOVEMBER OF 2011. It's all you would expect it to be like you can read in other reviews, but none of the reviews will tell you some flukes, which I am going to. So again, it's AMAZING, and I will only alert you of the not so great things... Many people complain that they only have the RCA video output for video, and yes, they could do an HDMI since the IPAD supports it, or even VGA, but this is for music, not video, so honestly, the RCA is a plus... BUT WHAT KILLS ME is the fact that the USB port cannot be used in a USB MIDI keyboard. AGAIN, IT WILL NOT WORK WITH A USB KEYBOARD. You need to have a keyboard that has the old school MIDI port, or else it WILL NOT WORK. MIDI port is a MUST. I truly hope they can change the firmware. It's a shame, since even the USB camera adapter of the IPAD supports USB MIDI, and this thing will not. That's why it got a 3 star only. This is basicly my main complaint with it. I also wished that you could use the keyboard while on a different application, like for example, reading a text of PDF with the chords/notes of a song (which I use my ipad for as well), but unfortunately I did not find a way to do this, and I don't think that is possible due to IOs... Lastly, I truly wish they woulg make the bottom of this thing bezeled or something, so you can use an ipap klip, or something that would hold this in a Mic stand or something. What I mean is, if you are playing a keyboard on a keyboard stand for example, where are you going to place this? You can even try a sheet stand, but I would not trust on top of it without being secure... so yeah... nothing is perfect, but NOT BEING ABEL TO USE A USB KEYBOARD!!!! Give me a break, that is just nonsense! What is that USB for then??? The problem is, they advertise that (go look in Alesis website) 'The USB connection on the iO Dock provides MIDI connectivity between the computer and anything connected to the iO Dock.' NOT TRUE. Don't try it, I have tried 6 different keyboards, including ALESIS QX49 and Q49, M-AUDIOS, KORGS, it just will not work. Other than that, which to me is NEW TECHNOLOGY only working with OLD OLD OLD stuff, this thing is amazing! Have fun!

  2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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• Great Interface

  
  As reviewed by Allan Zieser on 8/29/2011

  Ok, if you are looking for an interface to get better quality sounds into your Ipad this is the device for you. It has a variety of ports with individual volume adjustments plus a separate set of output jacks as well as a video out RCA plug. A bit of a warning though, this device comes with no apps, nor is there a really good write up on the Alesis site. However They do mention using StudioTrack on the site. I would avoid this app, first of all it is 19.99 and has some serious latency issues. The delays on the notes are horrible using this software. Because of StudioTrack I almost returned this device. Now I have found that the app MultiTrak DAW is an amazing solution to this problem, it has the ability to go to 24 tracks with a paid upgrade, 8 tracks without. MultiTrak DAW has no latency issues at all. If you like the flexibility of the old school digital recording software for the pc then you will find MultiTrak DAW to be a great tool when used with this device. I have been recording grooves off of my Roland V-Drum kit and This device combined with the above mentioned app has proven to be an amazing asset. I have recorded up to five minute multi-tracks so far with no problems at all. Overall if you have an iPad and don't wish to spend six hundred on a Tascam recorder, of equal value then this is a great option. Be aware of the lack of written documentation from Alesis on this device and look to the forums online for assistance. I have been using this with my iPad one and I am loving it! If you have an iPad 2 you will need to order the free adapter off of Alesis's site, before you can use this. So expect some delays in getting started. I also purchased a second set of headphones with 1/4" plug for use with this as well. This device also charges your iPad while you have it on. The only real issue is that you have to have a 110 volt power supply wherever you go with this device as it has no battery support. Also this device does not work with the app Amplitude, but only because amplitude uses the headphone jack instead of the apple port on the device. So it is really an issue with Amplitude not using the current standards and not an issue with this interface at all.

  2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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