using Set List Maker with IOS music apps

[leeskeys]

Can SLM be used to control IOS music apps, for example, Sunrizer or iGrand? If so, how is this set up? Would be very cool to swipe to the next song and the correct app/patch pulls up.

[arlo]

Set List Maker can send and receive MIDI with other apps on the same device or other devices. I'd need to know exactly what you want to do to give a more specific answer. But this tutorial will walk you through the basic setup:

http://www.arlomedia.com/apps/setlistmaker/tutorials/sending_MIDI.html

[leeskeys]

thanks for the quick reply Arlo. I'll look at that link.

Here are some details about my setup and what I'd like to do. I currently use SLM for gigging to manage my set lists and switch associated midi settings for each song on my keyboards. I have two keyboards- a Kurzweil PC3 and Casio Px-5. The PC3 is the master midi controller and  receives midi messages from SLM, which are then transmitted to the Px-5 as needed. Virtual apps are run in Windows with Cantabile Performer as my VST host.

I would like to add iPad apps (e.g. Sunrizer, Nave, SampleTank) into the mix for specific songs. The iPad wouldn't need to show up in my VST host, although I understand that there are apps which can manage this (e.g. Music IO). I have two iPads- an iPad Mini 2 and an iPad Air 2, so I'm guessing I could run SLM on one of them and the music apps on the other.

I should also add that I'm currently using a setup with just the iPad, PX-5 to run IOS apps for my regular gig with the church worship team. iRigMidi is used to connect iPad to keyboard. I'm using an app called iMidiPatchbay to manage setlists.

But what I really want to do at this point is integrate iPad apps into my larger gigging setup.

Is this enough information? Thanks again for your help.

[arlo]

Yes, you can run Set List Maker on one iPad and the other apps on the other. You can also run them all on the same iPad if you the other apps will stay alive in the background and you don't need to see them. Generally, communicating with other apps works exactly the same as communicating with hardware devices like keyboards. The MIDI messages are all standardized, and Core MIDI on iOS eliminates the distinction between hardware and software.

[leeskeys]

thanks. Using one iPad would provide a more streamlined setup. I was thinking of using two iPads because that would permit viewing of the music app interface and SLM contents simultaneously.  In which case, midi messages would be transferred from the SLM iPad to the music app iPad via wireless network?

[arlo]

The network could be wired or wireless. The next update of my apps will support MIDI over Bluetooth directly between iOS devices, or you can use wi-fi if you have a host device that can set up the network. My app sends and receives MIDI messages the same way, regardless of how you structure your network.

[leeskeys]

So I created a midi preset. Korg iM1 was recognized as a port option so I chose that. Then I went to a song, added that Midi Preset, and adjusted the MSB, LSB and program numbers which should have selected a specific preset- but it didn't. I confirmed that iM1 is running in the background. Did I do something incorrectly?.....just realized that there's no where in SLM to set the midi channel that the app is assigned to....is there? In the past for VSTs I've done this on my external keyboard.

[arlo]

So I created a midi preset. Korg iM1 was recognized as a port option so I chose that. Then I went to a song, added that Midi Preset, and adjusted the MSB, LSB and program numbers which should have selected a specific preset- but it didn't. I confirmed that iM1 is running in the background. Did I do something incorrectly?

I recommend removing the port selection so the message is sent to all ports, then using an app like MIDI Wrench for iOS or MIDI Monitor for OS X to confirm what MIDI message you are sending (a monitoring window will be built into the next app version), then comparing that to what MIDI message the other app needs to receive.

.....just realized that there's no where in SLM to set the midi channel that the app is assigned to....is there?

I don't know what you mean here. Assign the app to a channel for what purpose?

[leeskeys]

thanks, I've worked this out

[arlo]

Okay. If you can explain what the problem was and what solution you found, that might be helpful to someone who finds this thread in the future.

[leeskeys]

Sorry for the delay in responding. I resolved the issue using my PC VST host and the Music IO app musicioapp.com