Using iPad as input source

[Brad2Tama]

I’m trying to record music from a MMO/play-along iPad app onto the DP-32. From the iPad, I’ve attached a lightening dongle and then split that out to L/R 1/4” connectors into the back of sources G and H. It records OK, but the levels seem very low, despite having the app controls all the way up, the iPad volume all the way up and the DP-32 trim controls maxed out, too. Any suggestions for a better way of doing this?

 

[-mjk-]

Hi @Brad2Tama and welcome to the Tascam Forums. It sounds like you hooked everything up correctly. If there was a headphone jack on the device I would try to use that, otherwise it looks like you may just have to record it that way and raise the gain later.

 

[Brad2Tama]

Thank you for the suggestion, MJK. Tried it, but unfortunately the results are unchanged, so unless there’s some other way to amplify that inbound signal I’ll experiment with the mixdown options. Ideally I could have it louder for playing along. Not giving up just yet!

 

[-mjk-]

As long as you have a clean recording and it's reasonably above the noise floor you can always increase the gain since it's digital audio.

 

[BazzBass]

you may want to try a cheap headphone amp to put between the ipad and the dp, Behringer do one that is cheap and relatively good. Like $20 cheap........or if u have a small mixer lying around......

 

[Brad2Tama]

Solved! Took the iPad headphone jack output into the CD inputs on my old Sony stereo receiver. Then, from the 1/4” headphone jack coming out of the receiver, I split the signal an took it into the G and H inputs. Input levels are largely adjusted through the receiver volume, allowing input levels on the DP-32 to remain at minimum gain, I get a nice, clean, and undistorted input signal. So now I can listen through the stereo monitor using the headphones on the DP-32 and play drums while recording it all. After one play-through, I’ve got the MMO tracks isolated and now I can work on my drumming, just as I had envisioned.