Help! Trying to run a Keylab Essential 49 mk3 off an iphone or ipad

Lab KeyLab Essential
#1

I just bought my very first midi controller, a keylab essential mk3 and I’m very excited about it. It works perfectly with the included software as well as ableton live 11 off my computer. I’ve read on a couple of reddit pages that this thing can also run off an iphone or an ipad. I haven’t been able to get it powered up with either of these so far, I’m hoping for some help.

I have tried two types of lightning to usb-c cable (one apple brand, the other amazon brand) with my ipad (6th gen) and iphone 14 and nothing has happened. I’ve tried booting garage band and the korg module app - both don’t recognize the keyboard. I’m hoping you fine people can set me straight.

As I see it (from reading around) there are three options to solve my plight:

  1. I’ve missed a step and my setup will work if I tweak things in some way
  2. This setup won’t work and I’ll need to use a powered usb hub to get the keylab essential enough juice
  3. Better to just use the keylab’s usb-c for power and output using the midi to an audio interface like the behringer UMC202 - Behringer | Product | UMC202
  4. Something I haven’t thought of

Less gear and less additional spend is better - any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated

#2

You’re going to need a powered USB hub, at least. For a while I used a KeyLab 49 and an iPhone 6S to run the app ‘Korg Module Pro’ when that iPhone was still current. It was never possible to get them to talk to each other with just a basic lightning to USB cable. It’s asking too much. Even had it worked, the KeyLab would have drained the iPhone’s battery like a blood-sucking parasite.

#3

I run mine with a camera connector kit. The usb to lightning cable going into the camera connector. I also use the charger port on the camera connector so the ipad stays charged. My ipad (9 gen) powers the keyboard up even without the charger plugged in. Im sure the cck powers the Mkiii too. I use the audio jack out of my ipad to a mixer to run stereo.

I use moog, mellotron, korg, apps. I don’t use ableton. Just standalones. You can run aum and mix in any apps you want also.

#4

Thanks for the response - do you mean something like this?

1 Like
#5

Still no bueno over here - I tried running a powered usb hub

to female - female usb-c adapter

to usb-c - lightning (apple brand) to ipad with external power powering the hub and the keyboard also plugging into the hub and the keyboard got power but the ipad doesn’t recognize the hub or the keyboard.

Any ideas? Trying to find a way to do that that doesn’t need an audio interface.

#6

Here’s what I use running the USB cable to this connector
I use Moog, Mellotron and Korg apps controlled by my keylab essentials mk3

#7

Thanks - that did it, could never get the hub working but the camera connector kit will do.

#8

Yeah Mon~!

#9

I’ve got an iPad Pro with USB C connector.

To connect my Novation Launchkey midi controller, I bought the following.

Anker USB C Hub, 341. This allows a charger to be plugged into it to charge the iPad while in use.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BMXR7B2Q?

And this charger
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CD7HYGP8?

Everything works perfectly

If you’re on your iPad, I highly recommend the Audiokit synths for it, their King of FM is free, the others are very reasonably priced.