Any update on available way of connecting an iPad to a PC?

Is there any update about that?
I'm always looking for the most reliable and easy one!

Thanks

asked Nov 1, 2018 in Basic by unguitar (690 points)
edited Nov 4, 2018 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)

I'm assuming you have already been here since you are asking for an update? - http://mididesigner.com/help/connecting-to-windows/

Nothing newer that I know of, rtpMIDI via wifi still seems to be the best option at this point. I'll keep you updated here if I find a better option in the future! Thanks,
Mitch

commented Nov 1, 2018 by MIDI Designer Team (Mitch)

We're actually woefully out-of-touch on the Windows side, because the only Windows boxes we have in the Lab are virtual. @unguitar we'd love to hear anything you find out on this front. We're expecting that rtpMIDI still works, right?

The guy behind MidiMittr did an attempt on Windows at some point (http://www.s-r-n.de/midile/windowsfaq.htm) but it looks like he never got out of Beta, and musicIO MIDI might still be working on Windows.

Let us know what you find out, thanks!
Dan

commented Nov 4, 2018 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)

2 Answers

Best answer

Had very good success this week with the MusicIO app, and using a cabled connection. Wifi has always been a world of pain with me and audio in Windows, the cabled route is much more appealing to me.

The one thing you need to know that is you need to have iTunes installed - I lost an hour pulling my hair out til I found that tip. Once installed, it worked right away. You need to create one dummy audio and one dummy midi track in your DAW - the audio hosts the VST plugin used to connect to the iPad, while the midi is used to feed the midi coming in from MusicIO into your chosen instrument. MDP2 picks up the virtual connection from MusicIO immediately (BTW I just have the simple midi version of that app as I don't need the audio part).

I've gotten far further than I ever did with Lemur and wifi.

answered Jan 28, 2019 by noiseboyuk (790 points)
selected Mar 16, 2019 by MIDI Designer Team (Dan)

That rtpMIDI tutorial states "MIDI-driver for Windows operating-systems from XP up to Windows 7". The instructions really only go so far, I didn't get where I wanted to go...

Personally I just tried to connect my ipad mini2 to my Win10 1709 desktop tower over wifi. I spent the last hour trying to get it working, might be firewall which can be problematic with Win10. After I got the "session" (host) talking to rtpMIDI; I couldn't figure out which port address to use; I tried the "participants" IP address in rtpMIDI UI. Host and peer appeared in the Participants input field; host with 0ms latency and the peer with a "???" for latency. MDP2 config shows it is connected to host; but I get no driver showing in MIDI-OX and no listenable midi activity.

I have had BidgeOSC for TouchOSC working reliably on this machine and ipad mini2. The MDP2 method with 3rd party driver rtpMIDI I haven't found a solution with yet.

It just so happens my computer is a Win7/ 10 dual boot, so I may try with win 7 to see if it works.

Hopefully someone informs me what I missed. With these connectivity issues, one feels more like an IT certification is required rather than jumping through UI hoops.

answered Jan 17, 2019 by ctreitzell (350 points)

actually, digging a bit deeper today Mr Erichsen confirmed updates to his softwares to Win10 compatibility:
http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/windows-10-compatibility.html
this page essentially leads back to the MDP2 linked tutorial stating WinXP-7 compatibility...
I still don't have MDP2 talking to my computer via rtpMIDI yet...

commented Jan 18, 2019 by ctreitzell (350 points)

OK after a couple more hours trying to track down what is happening I am getting a reliable wifi connection =-D

I haven't tracked down exactly what is happening but I can report what I did to eventually yield some joy. In the past I have found that if you keep plugging away rather than give up you will get it working.

Windows 10 Firewall: IME this is where settings need a look over and toggle and they don't really take effect until after at least one reboot. The windows 10 Defender firewall pop-up dialog warning you typically get after installing new software that we typically always choose "allow connection" to doesn't tell the whole story. Whether Win10 automatically identifies a missing dll or driver and then downloads in the background, I am unsure of...but that is what it seems like it is doing to me. Ask to do something new with a new program and Win10 suddenly seems to do an update and you are suddenly in business. Black Magic mumbo jumbo that doesn't inform the user....ugh...that's what I think it is...but I don't know for certain.

OK, what I actually did (sorry, it is a lot) btw Win10 Pro 1709 build 16299.846 (auto updates set to "off" as much I can):
1) install rtpMIDI and follow tutorial
2) in rtpMIDI: manually create a peer "device" using the "+" radio button under the "Directory" input field>
pop-up dialog "Add Remote Peer" requires a name and host/port. I used "CTs ipad" for the "Name" field and the ip address for the host, I had no idea what it should be. I didn't change the name for "Local Name" or "Bonjour Name" and just rolled with the automatically populated name in the "My Sessions" input field. Once "Enabled" radio checkbox is ticked> ip address is displayed in the UI between "Participants" and "Live Routings" on the same line which was "Address: "-host name-":5004. I used this ip address and port shown for the "My Sessions" host for the "Add Remote Peer" "Host/ Port" information.
3) select the Peer in the "Directory" input field> lftClk "Connect".
...Various things happened in the "Participants" input field: 2 entries for the host...then the second entry would disappear when navigating windows in other softwares. Disconnect: try again...CTs ipad now appears as participant with "???" displaying as latency...(*also, I note that there is some auto-connection happening here as the actual syntax of my ipad name (it is different syntax from the Peer syntax I had manually input) is showing as a second entry in the "Directory" and is the device that actually connects properly as a participant.)
4) Midi Designer Pro 2 settings. In Config-Connectioins spinning wheel as MDP2 tries to automatically conncet. I'd rather manually connect, oh well...but MDP2 is spinning away...when the rtpMIDI session is enabled, MDP2 should see the "network". Last night it connected fast...this morning the wheel for Wi-Fi Connections was spinning for quite a while. Turned on the Log screen to ensure midi is being sent out of MDP2 (it is)

5) I am using MIDI-OX to track midi messages. Upon first attempt, the rtpMIDI driver never appeared in MIDI-OX. Next morning...launch MIDI-OX and the driver is there...hmmm? ok, cool...no MIDI activity...but at least driver is there...
6) Windows Firewall...what else can it be, right?
so: Firewall & network protection> Allow an app through the firewall> opens "Allow apps to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall" dialog in the Allowed apps and features: scrolling... and verify rtpMIDISvc private and public is checked...(it was already checked from the original pop-up dialog when I first launched the software as described above)...which other program might it be?....searching...
I took a gamble on allowing "Windows Peer to Peer Collaboration Foundation"...close the "Allow apps to communicate through Windows Defender Firewall" dialog
7)...still no midi action in MIDI-OX and MDP2 Wi-Fi Connections still with "Searching + spinning wheel
8) reboot (I didn't close any open applications)
9) upon shutdown process Windows Update displays it is installing a Cumulative Update...oh really? when did that start?...percentage goes by...machine reboots...(did this firewall setting work? or did Windows 10 clandestinely install a missing driver?...I got no idea)
10) rtpMIDI now shows latency value for RT MIDI changes in MDP2 for the CTs ipad "Participants" entry! Hooray!
11) MDP2 now shows Host's "My Session" name in WiFi-Connections...still no MIDI activity MIDI-OX
12) On MDP2 UI: "No Connections" still displayed in upper right hand corner...go to Config>MIDI Designer Initiated Virtual MIDI switch on (blue highlight) MIDI In and MIDI Out and "No Connections" on MDP2 upper rhs has disappeared.
13) open and close MIDI-OX and reset the I/O drivers in MIDI-OX a couple times- still no midi action :-/
14) reboot and bang! midi activity in MIDI-OX. rtpMIDI is autolaunching in the background and remaining connected

15) Windows Firewall: so to try and understand if firewall setting was the fix: dis-allow / uncheck "Windows Peer to Peer Collaboration Foundation" to see if that is the culprit>reboot...hmmm, the connection is still stable (?) that's nice, but do I know what happened?: rtpMIDI showing latency values; MIDI-OX reporting MIDI activity...MDP2, tho, now shows a pop-up dialog stating a new connection whenever connect/ disconnect Participants in rtpMIDI UI.

16) also, MDP2 now automatically remembers this connection if the app is closed on ipad and reconnects next time MDP2 app is launched.

I hope this helps someone. I will report back here if I understand this better in future :-)

commented Jan 18, 2019 by ctreitzell (350 points)

Any update on available way of connecting an iPad to a PC?

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