Multitrack units with iphone 6?

[Evan]

Would people pleEeeease post your results with the scarlett 18i8 unit, or any multitrack more than 2 track units, with the camera connection kit with the iphone 6?? Realize almost no one is using the iphone successfully with 4 or greater channel input units.
there must be a software hack that could be done do Un-break the iphone 6 as they most certainly have intentionally limited it's bandwidth or Class compliance

[pwnified]

I haven't tried the 18i8, but just did a test using a Fireface UCX into an iPhone 6S+ with iOS 9.1, was able to record 8 stereo tracks (16 channels) at 24/44 no problem whatsoever, and this is a debug build
I've tested the iPod touch 5th generation not too long ago with iOS 9.0 and was able to do the same.

What exactly is the issue you are having with the 18i8?

[Evan]

I have been using android to record u_s_b audio but of course I cannot input monitor because of the bad latency. I am forced to buy a new device and I want it to fit in my pocket, the iphone 6 is about the right size the 6 + it's a little too big. So I am just interested weather I can record multiple track with it before I buy one. I don't know if the 6s + would be that much different than the regular 6 (edit, its technically different alright, at least in chipsets).

[Evan]

You tested the 6s plus, the newest, larger, faster iphone? Just checking, as after some research I'm about to drop $1k (Canadian dollars) on that model, after realizing it isn't actually 2 large and has 2 gigs of Ram like my android device... and I have a presonus 1818vsl which ill be testing first as it is designed directly for ipad

[pwnified]

The iPhone 6S+ is a pretty sweet device. Best I've ever owned. But multitrack will work on much lesser devices, with all 16 tracks recording. I just tested my iPod touch 5th generation (about equivalent to an iPhone 5) with 16 separate mono tracks all recording simultaneously. No problem.

Here is a comparison of models:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_i ... ces#iPhone

[Evan]

do you have any other multitrack interfaces you can test on 6s+, ie, the scarlet 18i8 , presonus 1818vsl? because the fireface ucx that you tested is exceptional being a top quality german product. others may implement there u_s_b audio poorly.
I just emailed dennis konicki at sweetwater sound to see if they can test the scarlet unit too

edit: alright, i just found out the scarlett 18i8 is in stock here in Victoria, BC, so assuming i can get a return policy of at least 7 days... ill be able get the phone and unit (on black friday) and test it myself...

[pwnified]

Very true about the fireface quality, but we have beta testers that have tested basically everything. I know in the case of some presonus products, sometimes you had to run a firmware update before iOS would recognize the interface. But the 18i8 is newer than that so it shouldn't be an issue, today's interfaces basically have to work with iOS. We would definitely hear about it if it wasn't working. But, good call on getting one with a return policy, you can never be too safe.

[Evan]

Well, your beta testers and youre site have resulted in *nothing* posted here on iphone 6 or 6s
Forums They all talk about IPad and ipod touch 5, no iphone 6 or 5 for >4ch interfaces.

I have had to buy everything without knowing and test it out (not done yet waiting for a $1100 iphone to come in the mail).

Your post below is the *first* and only confirmation of any interface meeting this criteria (thanks so much for testing what you have for us. However that unit is $1600 and still only has 2 mic inputs! (sure it has 6 more 1/4" but still...) We need affordable multi track like the 18i8 or even the tascam 2020).

The interfaces page really doesn't tell us if they actually work with specific devices:
http://www.harmonicdog.com/inputoptions/
your 2009 started thread on specific interfaces has no info on iphone 6 or 5 devices at all!!! It skips from ipad, to iphone 4.
Once I test the 6, at least please add it to that page here:
http://www.forum.harmonicdog.com/viewto ... 2&t=6There

In the'help' forum there ought to be separate threads for iphone/non ipad devices (like this one), as they are quite different than ipad in compatibility.


some initial notes about peripherals and the iphone (NOT ipad):
1) the camera connection cable:
It seems the official apple cable is different than some others claiming to be the same cable (thid parts ones do not recognize th same decvices)

2) 2 channel interfaces seem to work where other multi channel interfaces are not ever reported (except by pwnified) to work.

[Telefunky]

interesting - I wouldn't have expected so much difference between phone and pad at all

... However that unit is $1600 and still only has 2 mic inputs! (sure it has 6 more 1/4" but still...) We need affordable multi track like the 18i8 or even the tascam 2020)...

for a (somewhat) high-end converter in that pricerange it's acceptable to come with minimal mic-channels
usually one wants to connect (existing) external preamps of a specific quality/character
a Scarlett provides nice bang for the buck, but nothing extraordinary
there's a reason why Focusrite offers the ISA series... which some folks will still consider 'too clean'
others may prefer Warm Audio's WA12, Neve 1073, vintage gear... quite some options

cheers, Tom

[pwnified]

A bit of history. There's been some confusion over the years on whether the Camera Connection Kit works on iPhone. In the beginning it didn't, is was disabled for iphone 4 and was marketed for use on iPad only. The iPhone 4 and original iPad were the first devices to have digital 'USB' pins on the 30 pin connector. And that rendered all the MFi 30 pin analog audio interfaces obsolete. But the CCK didn't work on iPhone 4 so there were basically zero options for external audio for that phone at one time.

The disabling of the CCK and thus USB audio on the iPhone 4 was done completely in software as part of iOS. And it was a long time ago. I'm not sure exactly which iOS version started to enable it, but it has been working ever since, for all devices, even for iPhone 4 with the original 30-pin CCK.

Any audio interface will work for USB audio, on any iPhone/iPod/iPad, iPhone 5, 6, + whatever, these days, the only requirement being that the audio interface implements Class-Compliant USB audio specifications. Apple is very strict with this requirement. If an interface doesn't work, it is usually the fault of that manufacturer making that interface and how they wrote their firmware. If the manufacturer claims that they work with iOS, like the Scarlett 18i8 does on their website, you can bet that they actually do. It's actually in their best interest to follow the USB standard perfectly, props to Apple for this.

The number of channels supported is unrelated to the Class-Compliant status. An interface wins or fails completely on how well they implemented the firmware, and not on the channel count.

People tend to pop up when things aren't working, it's actually a good sign when it's quiet around here.