iLounge

Following Monday’s release of iOS 4.2 Apple has now begun to approve third-party applications that provide support for its new CoreMIDI functionality. CoreMIDI allows applications to send and receive Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) commands directly from an iOS device without requiring specialized third-party hardware. Developers can instead use a standard set of API calls to communicate with external MIDI devices through the Dock Connector using Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit to interface with MIDI devices over USB or interface with wireless MIDI transceivers over Wi-Fi. The new CoreMIDI technology provides a simpler way for developers to leverage the iPad and other iOS devices in a wide variety of professional studio applications ranging from digital music composition to complex lighting control. Luminair for iPad ($130) by Synthe FX is among the first such professional-grade MIDI applications to be released with the new CoreMIDI functionality, transforming the iPad into an advanced yet intuitive multitouch console for lighting designers.