FAQ: 30 pin Extension Cable Recommendations

[Oddeotek]

I have the cable connected to an original iPad 1 as an emergency backup and run everything wirelessly with a new iPad mini.

[RoadRanger]

I have the cable connected to an original iPad 1 as an emergency backup and run everything wirelessly with a new iPad mini.

I'm curious why you don't just dock it?

Oh, and for the curious here's the cable being discussed:
http://www.cablejive.com/products/dockXtender.html

[Oddeotek]

I have the cable connected to an original iPad 1 as an emergency backup and run everything wirelessly with a new iPad mini.

I'm curious why you don't just dock it?

Oh, and for the curious here's the cable being discussed:
http://www.cablejive.com/products/dockXtender.html

I have the DL1608 tucked under a bench seat in front of me (I am using it in a courtroom) and the 6 foot extension allows me to have the iPad 1 clamped to the seat in front of me in case my wireless link to the mini goes down. In the cover band that I sometimes play in, I have the IPad 1 clamped to my mic stand with the extension cable running down to the DL1608 on the floor next to my stage monitor. When I go out into the audience to check things out, I just take the iPad mini with me. I am a bass player/singer and have a Line 6 g30 wireless on my bass.

[RoadRanger]

I am a bass player/singer and have a Line 6 g30 wireless on my bass.

Kinda funny, over on the Live Sound forum on Harmony Central most of us are bass players .

[Kevin]

FWIW - Enabling background mode in GarageBand made it connect to the DL a lot more reliably using the bargain Patazon cable - still not 100 percent though. It now drops out every 10 - 15 minutes, which is annoying but I can live with it until the cableJive cables show up. I ordered both the 2 and 6 foot versions, planning to keep the longest one that works reliability for all apps and send the other one back.

I'm just getting my feet wet with GarageBand, but I gotta say that just playing around with the smart drums is the most fun I've had for 5 bucks in a while, even with the dropouts. I havent owned a drum machine in years. This one sounds pretty good though a pair of monitors and is easy enough to use.  Another win for the DL.

EDIT >> The CableJive cables arrived this afternoon. Yep, their 6 foot cable works great.  I've been playing around for a couple hours with MF, GarageBand and the JL RTA running at the same time and no dropouts.  I havent opened the 2 foot cable yet and hopefully I wont need to. Besides not having to take the case off the iPad now, its really nice to have that extra 6 feet when using the dock connection

[Kevin]

Hmmm...... I've been using the 6 foot CableJive extension cable for about 10 days with no issues or hiccups - about 10-12 hours of use total, mainly to noodle around with GarageBand. This afternoon, I plug in the DL with the extender cable and it quits after about 15 seconds. I retried a few times, then cycled power on the DL and iPad, and turned off everything I could think of that might be a possible interference source, but still no dice. I tried the Patazon cable, which used to be able to keep a connection for 10-15 minutes at a stretch, and same thing - quits after 15 seconds. Luckily, I havent got around to sending the 2 foot CableJive cable back, so I try that one and presto, everything is working. After noodling around for a bit, I set up a stress test by turning off the router (so DL/iPad comm goes though the cable) put GarageBand in a repeating play loop and use AKlite to monitor - so the cable is handling input and output audio, plus control/status from the DL. Two hours later and everything is still running. Go back to 6 foot cable, quits within a few seconds.

This has me baffled. It looks like the 2 foot CableJive is solid, but 10 days ago I thought the same thing about the 6 foot CableJive. My setup hasnt changed (still running 1.3). No obvious interference sources

I suppose the takeaway from this is that the 2 foot CableJive is more reliable that the 6 foot version, but I cant understand why the 6 foot version started flaking. Especially after Oddeotek reports 3 months of reliable daily use. Something seems fishy here.

edit >> actually there is one thing that changed - yesterday I updated IOS to v6.1.3 - which I wouldnt think would make any difference, but who knows.

[Oddeotek]

Now I'm getting worried as well. My 6 foot cable Jive extension has worked perfectly for over 3 months now but all I am asking it to do is charge the iPad 1, record occasionally and maintain the operational connection between the DL1601 and the iPad. I guess the big test will come tomorrow morning when I load 1.4 into the DL. I will try it using the iPad 1 and the Cable Jive cable first and, if that fails, I'll connect the mini with the short apple adapter cable. I will report back tomorrow after its done.

[Kevin]

Oddeotek - what version of IOS are you running? I'm wondering if maybe the diminished communication on my cable has anything to do with me installing 6.1.3 yesterday.

Thursday I had some friends over and we played for a few hours with the iPad attached to the DL via the cable the whole time. No problems. Since then, the DL hasnt moved, so no way the cable could have got yanked or anything. I disconnected from the cable to try out a bunch of 3rd party music and RTA apps over the weekend, in addition to updating to 6.1.3, so maybe its some sort of software weevil that is causing problems?

I actually have a cable that used to work but didn't when I tried it earlier this week

RR - when that cable you had that was working stopped working - was it by chance after you updated to 6.1.3? Or maybe after checking out some other 3rd party apps? It seems strange that fairly new cables would just quit working

[RoadRanger]

RR - when that cable you had that was working stopped working - was it by chance after you updated to 6.1.3? Or maybe after checking out some other 3rd party apps? It seems strange that fairly new cables would just quit working

That's quite possible. Apple has a track record of adding in detection of third party devices and disabling them .

[Oddeotek]

"Oddeotek - what version of IOS are you running? I'm wondering if maybe the diminished communication on my cable has anything to do with me installing 6.1.3 yesterday."


I am using 6.1.3 on the iPad mini and 5.something on the iPad 1. I downloaded 1.4 onto the DL this morning using the 6 foot CableJive extension connected to the Apple Lightning to 39 pin adapter cable hooked to the mini. It all worked perfectly and the transfer took less than two minutes. I didn't want to do the download using the iPad 1 since I figured it would take more time due to the slower processor. I used the mixer for 6 hours today with no problems.

[Kevin]

I used the mixer for 6 hours today with no problems.

That's good to hear. I think there may be a more likely culprit for the dropouts I was seeing: the DL's battery charging circuit for the iPad.

This evening I plugged the iPad with the 6 foot CableJive cable and used it for about 20 min before it quit. Yesterday it would quit after just a few seconds. The main difference between yesterday and today is that my iPad is now at 93 percent charge, so the Lion battery is in constant voltage mode trickle charge and the charging circuit on the DL is not producing much power. Yesterday afternoon, I had been using the iPad without recharging for a couple days, and it was down around 50%, so the battery was charging in constant current mode, with the DL producing a lot more power, and possibly more noise as well. I've got the iPad charging now, and will test again when I get to 100 percent charge (at which point the DL will just be putting out a small float charge) and see if the 6 foot cable goes back to its ole reliable self. Then I will let the iPad battery drain down for a few days and see if I can reproduce the dropouts.

RR - if you charge your ipad to 100 percent, does the cable you had that was previously working start working again? If so, that would also point to a noisy charging circuit on the DL. This would also explain why Oddetek hasnt had any issues (and is unlikely to have any) with the iPad always on a cable.

[RoadRanger]

RR - if you charge your ipad to 100 percent, does the cable you had that was previously working start working again? If so, that would also point to a noisy charging circuit on the DL.

I'll try that tomorrow.

[Oddeotek]

This week I'll discharge the iPad 1 and let the DL charge it while I'm working. I am still running it all with the iPad mini wireless anyway. I will see if I have any connection problems with the iPad 1 while it is being charged.

[Kevin]

I just finished playing with the DL using the 6 foot cable for about an hour with no dropouts at 100 percent charge. I'm going to leave it overnight with Garageband, MF and AKLite all using the 30 pin cable and see if its still running in the morning.

edit > Just checked on the DL - its been running for 8 hours now with Garageband, MF and AKLite all using the 30 pin cable, with no problems. It is sure looking like it was the charging circuit causing the dropouts. I just swapped the 6 foot CableJive cable for the Patazon cable, to see if that cable does better when the iPad is charged to 100 percent

2nd edit > The Patazon cable has been running for over 6 hours now with Garageband, MF and AKLite all using the 30 pin cable, with no problems. Having a full charge on the iPad makes even a budget cable like the Patazon much more reliable.

[Kevin]

Yep, its the DL's iPad charging circuit.

When the iPad is fully charged, any of the cables are reliable. I saw 1 dropout in 12 hours with Patazon, no problem with either CableJive

After discharging iPad to 38 percent both the Patazon and 6 foot CableJive will drop out after 15 seconds or so.

At 38 percent, the 2 foot CableJive has no problems. It ran to full charge with Garageband, MF and AKLite all using the 30 pin cable. I also turned bluetooth on to see if I could make it drop. So far [knock on wood] the 2 foot CableJive is the one to get if you need an always reliable connection. I'm keeping the 6 foot one though, because the extra length is nice and I can usually keep the iPad above 90 percent charge, which seems to be about where the 6 foot cable starts having issues