# Anyone use an Alesis I/O Dock with an iPad for backing tracks?



## Timelesseer (Mar 21, 2013)

Thinking about picking one up to use with my iPad to run my bands backing tracks live. I watched a few videos and it seems like it would be pretty feasible. We're currently using an iPod through the headphone jack..it works, but it's not ideal. I'm not sure I would trust running a full blown Pro Tools rig on a laptop with an interface either. The I/O Dock seems like a cheap, solid alternative.

Anyone here have an experience using them for backing tracks?


----------



## BenSolace (Mar 21, 2013)

From my research, the only thing I can see it providing would be a neater means of connecting the unit up to FOH, and of course a dock/stand. You're still stuck with the mono backing left/click right method that you are probably using already, and none of the iPad DAW's that I've seen can use MIDI signals to control equipment like FX units, amps etc.

It's basically a neater way of doing what you're already doing, and wont provide anything to improve the method of supplying backing tracks to FOH/click to drummer.

If I'm wrong, someone please speak up!


----------



## Timelesseer (Mar 22, 2013)

That's pretty much what I was expecting. Nothing drastically different than what we're doing now other than it being neater like you said. One positive over the iPod though is that we could do stems for the ambient parts and layered guitar parts and be able to have individual level control over each of them to fit whatever venue we're playing.

Think I may pick one up and try it out since they're only $150 now.


----------



## BenSolace (Mar 22, 2013)

Yeh I almost went that route, but the amount of layers and instruments that my band uses on our backing tracks turns to mud in mono, so we use stereo (no L/R specific sounds or FX though). I ended up caving and doing something I've been itching to do for a long time... using a laptop!

I'm sure one day the iPad method will work as well as the laptop method - someone just needs to invent an iOS DAW and a hardware dock with multi-outs & MIDI out that can interface together and allow creative audio routing/MIDI CC messages etc.


----------

