Author Topic: GarageBand connection to Command Kit  (Read 2167 times)

GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« on: March 29, 2020, 11:48:34 AM »
Having a problem getting GarageBand to find my Command kit through the midi connection. It provides an option for connecting Bluetooth midi devices but I have mine connected through a midi usb cable. Has anyone else connected a Command kit to GarageBand on an iPad?

Appreciate any help.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 12:38:24 PM by Gregsen »

Offline Chaser

Re: GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2020, 12:38:13 PM »
Having a problem getting GarageBand to find my Command kit through the midi connection. It provides an option for connecting Bluetooth midi devices but I have mine connected through a midi usb cable. Has anyone else connected a Command kit to GarageBand?

Appreciate any help.

iOS?...macOS?...OS versions?
You are using a 5 pin to USB MIDI cable?
The Command module is Class Complaint(drivers) using a standard USB cable.
It is not necassary to use a 5 pin to USB cable if that is what you are using.
If you are using macOS Catalina there was a compatability chart recently released and instructions on driver installation
https://www.alesis.com/kb/article/2480#classcompliant



« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 12:39:58 PM by Chaser »

Re: GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2020, 12:43:14 PM »
I am connecting an ipad(lightening to usb adaptor) to the Command kit ( usb to midi cord).

Offline Chaser

Re: GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2020, 01:44:52 PM »
I am connecting an ipad(lightening to usb adaptor) to the Command kit ( usb to midi cord).

A standard USB cable from the module to the Lightning/USB adapter is all that is necessary,provided the lightning/USB adapter you are using supports audio/MIDI like an Apple USB camera kit.
There are  a lot of cheap Lightning/USB adapters that do not support audio/MIDI..

Once connected you'll see the Command module listed as a MIDI device by name.
https://www.alesisdrummer.com/index.php?topic=8339.msg53428#msg53428
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 01:49:24 PM by Chaser »

Re: GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2020, 03:42:38 PM »
Thanks for your help. There is no where I can find on GarageBand that I can click on to see if I am connected. However, I am connected. My problem was that I thought the GarageBand sounds would come through the Command module so I had my headphones hooked up to it. When I hooked the headphones up to the iPad I could hear all of the drum sounds just fine. Operator error as usual.

Follow up question - can I save the GarageBand kits to my Command module?

Also for anyone following this post I saw a good article that said the BeatHawk app has some great drum kits and you could download them through GarageBand and use them on your drums.

Offline Chaser

Re: GarageBand connection to Command Kit
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2020, 05:32:44 PM »
Thanks for your help. There is no where I can find on GarageBand that I can click on to see if I am connected. However, I am connected. My problem was that I thought the GarageBand sounds would come through the Command module so I had my headphones hooked up to it. When I hooked the headphones up to the iPad I could hear all of the drum sounds just fine. Operator error as usual.

Follow up question - can I save the GarageBand kits to my Command module?

Also for anyone following this post I saw a good article that said the BeatHawk app has some great drum kits and you could download them through GarageBand and use them on your drums.

No audio is transfered through USB with the Command module.
Few modules have that capability...the Strike Multipad does.
You would have to export an individual instrument track (kick..snare..etc) one by one to wav
then transfer to USB Stick then import into module.You just have to be aware of file size.

Beathawk works well,it's been around awhile and has a decent folder structure you can setup instead of  having to place wav files all in one folder as you do with a lot of apps.
I recently setup an iPad/Beathawk/M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro for someone with the TFP being powered by the iPad.The two are a great match.They were unaware that it was still usable and had it laying in the closet for a couple years.

There are simple drum apps like X-Drummer which can me used with an external controller,you just have to match the MIDI Mapping and there are advanced apps that have velocity/multi layering like Arturia Spark(6 velocity layers),Drum Perfect Pro (16 layers) to name a few and more complex apps like AudioLayer which is SSE and can import multi-sampled EXS24 instruments including EXS24 instruments converted from AU (component) in Logic then Air-Dropped.
iPads are coming out with more and more Ram and storage and iPadOS has opened up a lot of possibilities.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 08:50:49 PM by Chaser »