![]() This sort of spoils the mental ideal of sitting next to a swimming pool with your iPad and Fast Track, knocking out the next Grammy-winner – you’re going to need mains power. You also need to connect a standard USB cable from the iPad AC adapter to the USB input, effectively powering the Fast Track (which are buss-powered by a normal computer). The aforementioned cable goes between the iPad and the interface’s tablet port. Something to know is exactly how the iPad connects to the Fast Tracks. Avid say that the Fast Track interfaces will work with any iOS recording app worth its salt and I had no problems with several. Getting a genuine adapter from Apple eventually solved the issue instantly and my iPad apps were up and running. Of course, I tried a third-party adapter and after much experimenting had to accept it simply wasn’t going to work. Avid supplies the 30 pin to Fast Track cable and I certainly don’t expect Avid to include a Lightning-to-30 pin adapter, too – I’m keeping that beef exclusively for Apple and the iPad 4. ![]() What can possibly go wrong?įor a start, you can own an iPad 4 like I do and have a Lightning connector, not a 30 pin to contend with. For me, this made the Fast Track Solo a great solution to my iPad interface problem – you get a quality preamp, instrument input, headphones, phantom power and RCA outs for your iPad, all for a RRP in Oz of $197 ($329 for the Duo)… it’s almost like you get Pro Tools Express and a USB interface for your computer chucked in to seal the deal. ![]() There are also some other significant differences – it’s not just a matter of extra inputs – but before I go into details let’s look at what I reckon is the real attraction of these interfaces.īoth the Solo and Duo are MFI, meaning Made For iPad (or iOS, take your pick, but these only work with iPads), and have a tablet connection on the rear which lets you hook up your iPad through the 30 pin connector without any drivers required. We’ll assume the Solo and Duo bit is a suggestion of how many musicians need apply, not inputs. To confuse everyone the Solo provides two inputs via a balanced, standard XLR preamp and a second high-impedance instrument input, while the Duo gives you two of each for a total of four. Something you can stuff in your laptop bag and it’s not going to get broken. Avid’s new Fast Track Solo and Fast Track Duo USB interfaces are the kind of tough, mobile devices we see a lot of now – aluminium chassis, re-enforced controls and a scratch-resistant finish.
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