Connect iPhone to Eleven Rack

[Pluck]

I just got an iPhone, and I want to record some of the music apps into Pro Tools through Eleven Rack. I tried connecting the iPhones headphone output to 11r´s Line in and the FX return. They both sound terrible. Does the iPhone have some kind of line out option? Has anyone here tried recording the iPhone through the Eleven Rack? If you have, I´d love to hear how you achieved it.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Pluck

I just got an iPhone, and I want to record some of the music apps into Pro Tools through Eleven Rack. I tried connecting the iPhones headphone output to 11r´s Line in and the FX return. They both sound terrible. Does the iPhone have some kind of line out option? Has anyone here tried recording the iPhone through the Eleven Rack? If you have, I´d love to hear how you achieved it.

Common iPhone docks give you stereo line out. Start there.

There are higher-end docks (e.g. from Wadia) that provide S/PDIF output. I have no idea if that will work OK with other apps as compared to iTunes. But that would be something to play with if there was a need to get a higher-quality recording.

Put your phone in airplane mode to avoid RF interference.

Remember each 1/4 inch guitar input or FX return is mono and you need to split from the mini-jack to two TRS plugs if you want to come into the Eleven Rack as a stereo return. Don't use the guitar input for line level inputs. If you plug a stereo TRS plug into a mono TRS FX return send jack it will sound like crap (you'll hear a distorted L to R difference signal).

Some iPhone music apps allow you to record to the iPhone. You would likely get much better results doing that and transferring the recorded file to Pro Tools.

Darryl

[Hotcrazyfruit]

Get a 1/8" male (stereo) to 2x 1/4" male (mono) plugs. Use the left and right line inputs on the back. Select Line Input L/R In protools to record from that source.

Nick

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by Pluck

I just got an iPhone, and I want to record some of the music apps into Pro Tools through Eleven Rack.

Out of curiosity, what format/s (file extensions) are the 'music apps' in the iPhone?

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by zedhed

Out of curiosity, what format/s (file extensions) are the 'music apps' in the iPhone?

Ah iOS apps are apps. The app file has a file extension .app. But I don't suspect that is really what you were asking...

iOS CoreAudio is very similar to CoreAudio in OS X and provides core file/format support for AIFF, (.aif, .aiff), CAF (.caf), MP3 (.mp3), MPEG2 or MPEG4 ADTS (.aac) MPEG4 (.m4a, .mp4), and WAV (.wav). What audio files, if any, an audio/music application supports if up to it. And remember you still have to suffer the walled garden/lack of true filesystem in iOS.

Darryl

[Pluck]

Common iPhone docks give you stereo line out. Start there.

I actually got a dock with the phone, but didn't notice the line out plug until you mentioned it. To bad it doesn't come with some kind of break out cable though; playing a keyboard on the phone screen is not very easy while it's docked.

Remember each 1/4 inch guitar input or FX return is mono and you need to split from the mini-jack to two TRS plugs if you want to come into the Eleven Rack as a stereo return. Don't use the guitar input for line level inputs. If you plug a stereo TRS plug into a mono TRS FX return send jack it will sound like crap (you'll hear a distorted L to R difference signal).

Yes, that's exactly what I heard when trying to connect the phones headphone out to a mono FX return. Very weak, distorted signal. I'll try splitting the signal and see how that works.

Some iPhone music apps allow you to record to the iPhone. You would likely get much better results doing that and transferring the recorded file to Pro Tools.

The Yumi:Synth app (Supposed to be a realistic sounding bowed instrument, but sounds more like a ribbon controlled mellotron) is the main reason I'm trying this. Unfortunately it doesn't have any built in recording abilities.

Get a 1/8" male (stereo) to 2x 1/4" male (mono) plugs. Use the left and right line inputs on the back. Select Line Input L/R In protools to record from that source.

Nick

I tried this as well, but I didn't split the signal. I just went from the headphone outs to Line Input L. It did not sound good. I can't really put my finger on it, but it sounds like it's loosing a lot of low end and top end. I suspect the iPhone headphone output is the culprit. I also noticed, when going the Line In route, that the sound is very delayed (after pressing a key on the phone, it takes a second for it to arrive in Pro Tools).

[Hotcrazyfruit]

Originally Posted by Pluck

I tried this as well, but I didn't split the signal. I just went from the headphone outs to Line Input L. It did not sound good. I can't really put my finger on it, but it sounds like it's loosing a lot of low end and top end. I suspect the iPhone headphone output is the culprit. I also noticed, when going the Line In route, that the sound is very delayed (after pressing a key on the phone, it takes a second for it to arrive in Pro Tools).

Ensure there are no eq's or compressors on the Line input channel, and make sure there are no sends.

The delay is most likely due to your buffer size.

Also, Mono does NOT sound very good if your trying to listen to music.
Your going to want to split the signal if you want it to sound proper.

Nick

[zedhed]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Ah iOS apps are apps. The app file has a file extension .app. But I don't suspect that is really what you were asking...

iOS CoreAudio is very similar to CoreAudio in OS X and provides core file/format support for AIFF, (.aif, .aiff), CAF (.caf), MP3 (.mp3), MPEG2 or MPEG4 ADTS (.aac) MPEG4 (.m4a, .mp4), and WAV (.wav). What audio files, if any, an audio/music application supports if up to it. And remember you still have to suffer the walled garden/lack of true filesystem in iOS.

Darryl

Thanks Darryl,

I like to try and understand the 'inner workings' of these things