Connecting Audio Interface to Lightning

Hardware
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1

Hello, all. Now that I am working from home and need to produce additional educational content, I was hoping to use my new iPhone for video production/livestreams/etc.

The problem:
My Focusrite 18i20 is not recognized by GarageBand when plugged in via an OEM USB C (interface) to Lightning cable on both my iPad Pro (2nd Gen, lightning port). I have a Shure iOS interface, but it is limited to one input.

Questions:

  • Do I need a camera connection kit?
  • For those who do live-streams or multi-channel audio into iOS, what are the best practices?
  • My other option for livestreams is to buy a $300 HDMI-USB converter and plug my DSLR and audio interface into my MacBook

Thanks,
Justin

2

Audio interfaces need explicit support for iOS. Your shure has that. For focusrite it seems the only interfaces supported by iOS are iTrack Solo, iTrack One Pre and iTrack Dock. Your interface is intended to be used with a Mac.

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3

I DuckDuckGo-ed Focusrite 18i20 ios and the first two hits were Focusrite support docs that answered your specific question about that devices’s connectivity.

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4

Thanks. It turned out the camera connection kit fixed everything. The newer USB-C iPads work with a direct plug, but the lightning iPads need a camera connection kit, even with a USB-C to A cable.

Multi-channel audio only works in GarageBand. Otherwise, only channel one and two (stereo) work in other apps.

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