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Chris, although it's nice to play GarageBand using a USB MIDI keyboard connected via the CCK, this can be a bummer as well since the iPad discharges while you play, eventually bringing your jam session to an abrupt end!

However, if you have non-USB MIDI keyboard, I am happy to report that there is an excellent and relatively affordable ($64 on Amazon atm) option which actually charges the iPad while you jam, and that is the iRig MIDI. Core MIDI compliant so that it works with almost every music app, it even has MIDI Thru (though annoyingly it only comes with two of its rather unusual 5-pin DIN to 2.5mm TRS MIDI cables - fortunately I have another from my non-powered-and-soon-to-be-retired Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer 1.)

I am not on IK Multimedia's payroll - I have not been a huge fan of their other devices - but this thing drastically improves the usefulness of the iPad as a MIDI instrument and is utterly superior to non-powered iOS MIDI interfaces.

(Of course, if you don't mind spending a bit more, docks like the Alesis IO Dock will also charge the iPad while you play, and the IO Dock also supports USB MIDI)

My remaining holy grail iPad item is something like the CCK that can charge the iPad while you use USB devices.

Perhaps we can convince IK Multimedia to make this device? I would buy it instantly.

This post has been edited by blecch: 09 March 2012 - 06:41 PM

 Macworld, on 09 March 2012 - 03:16 PM, said:

This is absolutely right.