Is it possible to retrofit an Alesis IO Dock II with an internal USB hub, just like I did with my IO Dock 1? TL;DR: Some have tried and failed – seems like Alesis deliberately switched the code for this hack off.
This photo was sent to me by Blek in the Czech Republic who asked that very same question. He has taken a look inside his IO Dock II and noted that it features an all-new PCB, so my original hack won’t work. And of course there is no guarantee that the prerequisite for the original hack is still implemented in the IO Dock II: the ability to function not only as a USB bus host for the iPad, but as a USB bus slave device, with the iPad working as the bus master.
The good news is: It is simple to give it a go, as Alesis took extra care to label the locations of the USB bus signals:
So here is what you do to try it:
- Get a male-female pair of plugs matching the connector in question. Possibly a 12-pin version of these connectors, so as in the original hack, 2mm pin grid stripes could work. They are a bit hard to come by, but it is possible.
- Solder connections from male to female for all lines but 6 and 7 – the D- and D+ USB data signals.
- Get a suitable UBS2.0 hub – I used a Belkin F5U404; you might have to try a couple of hubs if that one does not work.
- Take the cable that is meant to connect the hub to the computer – it should have a standard USB plug on one end and a USB mini connector on the other end – and cut it in half. This is the only non-reversible action you are taking, but as it is easy to buy a replacement cable, there is not much harm done if it does not work.
- Take the cable half with the USB A-type plug, for connecting it with the computer. Solder the cable wires to the connector that goes into the IO Dock side as follows: Red (Vcc) -> pin 1, White (D-) -> pin 6, Green (D+) -> pin 7, Black (GND) -> pin 8.
- Take the other cable half with the USB mini-B plug for connecting to the hub and solder it to the iPad side, i.e. to the connector that is leading to the iPad connection cable. Once again, solder red to 1, white to 6, green to 7, and black to 8.
- Do some checking for connections and possible short-circuits. Believe me, it’s worth the effort.
- Unplug the IO Dock board connector for the iPad. Insert your freshly-made adapter.
- If it works, make a video of it. Become world famous. :)
Wiring the USB hub connector: Once again, the trick is having the iPad work as USB host rather than as a slave device, and the IO Dock as the slave rather than as the host. Use your hub’s connector cable, cut in half, and solder the color-coded wires to the connectors as shown.
Just to be sure:
- I’d strongly advise you to solder and try out the adapter rather than soldering any wires to your IO Dock. It is a good thing to keep that sort of stuff reversible. For this reason, don’t start dremeling before proving that it actually works…
- …which I won’t guarantee you. Mind you, I don’t even own an IO Dock any more. If you start doing this, you should know what you are doing.
- Please understand that the base for this hack is a feature that Alesis seems to have implemented deliberately into the first IO Dock (see Dan Radin’s comment): the ability to work as a USB slave to the iPad, in addition to normal operation, where the IO Dock works as a host for the iPad. If the IO Dock does no longer do that, you can try to rotate the USB hub, but that’s about it.
- Please write me back with your experiences. Please don’t get on my tits with any attempts to make me do this hack for you, or repair your IO Dock if anything went wrong. (Oh my god – I just realize that bullshit warnings are obviously contagious.)
It’s worth giving it a try, isn’t it?
Thanks to Blek for allowing me to use his pictures.
Verwandte Artikel:
- Tech Hack: Alesis IO Dock with USB Hub (Wednesday, 2. January 2013; Schlagworte: Alesis IO Dock, Hacking, iPad, Midi, modification, soldering, USB, USB Hub)
- Proof-of-concept: Alesis IO Dock bekommt einen Hub (Sunday, 30. December 2012; Schlagworte: IO Dock, iPad, Modding, Musik, Synthesizer, USB Hub)
- Insert ___ here – new connections for an old mixer (Friday, 23. May 2014; Schlagworte: Behringer MX 1604A, Inserts, Modding, Retrofitting, Schematics)
Hallo untergeek,
ich habe mich mal am iDock II versucht mit einem ipad Air der neuesten Generation.
Die Anschlüsse habe ich nach einiger Fummelei so verbunden wie Du aufgezeichnet hast. Ergebnis: Der Hub leuchtet, das Ipad lädt weiterhin, auch die Audiofunktionen sind unbeeinträchtigt. Wenn ich nun z.B. ein Akai Lpd 8 oder ein Korg Nano Kontrol anschließe, werden diese auch mit Strom versorgt.
Soweit so gut. Allerdings werden die Midibefehle in Loopy nicht erkannt, genauso wenig wie das angeschlossene Gerät.
Hast Du einen Tipp woran das liegen könnte?? Ein Vertauschen der Anschlüsse D+ D- am Hub haben nichts gebracht (hätten ja evtl. vertauscht sein können, weil ich diese direkt an den Hub gelötet habe, da mein Hub nur einen normalen USB-B Anschluss hat), Zunächst hatte ich statt dem nun verwendeten LogiLink UA0085 USB 2.0 4-Port einen 7-port mit mini USB verwendet, da ist mir aber unglücklich ein Anschluss abgebrochen.
Sorry für den langen Text, möglicherweise hast Du einen Tipp, oder meinst Du es kann nur an dem Hub liegen und ich muss andere ausprobieren!?
Viele Grüße vom Mittelrhein
Klaus
Hallo Klaus,
da Blek, der mir ursprünglich mal geschrieben hat, mit dem gleichen Problem kämpft, fürchte ich fast: das ist ein grundsätzliches Problem. Vielleicht wollte Alesis es so.
Schon verrückt: Das Dock wird erkannt, der Hub reicht die Signale weiter – aber andere Signale am Hub werden abgeblockt. Außer Rumprobieren fällt mir dazu nichts ein – zwei Ideen hab’ ich noch dazu:
Hallo Jan,
das Auftrennen von GND-Lines hat nichts gebracht.
Interessanterweise funktioniert alles weiterhin, selbst wenn ich die beiden Shield-Lines, die beiden gnd-Lines und sogar die direkten +5v- direktverbindungen zwischen iOS Dock und iPad auflöse.
Was meinst Du denn genau mit “hub umdrehen”?
Gruß
Klaus
I tried with the same result.
Ipad is working with the dock, but doesn’t see the keyboard.
I tried to connect the docking and the keyboard using the hub and the camera kit.
In that case it work.
It appears that the issue is related to the black cable with the lightning cable adapter.
Any idea?
hi there,
is there anything new on the situation?
i really like to do this mod on the iodock 2.
best,
daniel
Hi Daniel, have a look at the comments – seems like Alesis disabled the code that made the hack possible, so it does no longer seem to work with the IO Dock 2. Pity, really.
So I guess the best option would be to sell the IOD2 and get the Focusrite. (I’ve got no stock in this – just a humble nerd’s opinion.)
All,
Ack is possible but WITHOUT the power supply on the iPad.
I’ve add a parallel port usb B on the connector IO DOCK connector.
In that way I can use the ipad with the camera adapter, an usb switch, usb keyboard and the docking connected with usb cable too.
Is useful also when u need to move the iPad away from the docking in order to read tab.
That’s interesting news! To make it easier to replicate your hack – could you supply a simple wiring diagram and some photos? I’d love to write about it.
hi there,
thank you for your replies :-)
as we all know, the “Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter” seems to resolve the problem of connecting a usb device while also supplying the ipad with power. now for those using an io dock or the like, do you know if one could use this adapter along with the iodock or other docks with a lightning plug?
best,
daniel
Hallo,
ich habe nun auch ein wenig gebastelt und leider genau das gleiche Problem welches hier schon ausführlich beschrieben wurde… Stromversorgung funktioniert, Hub leuchtet, aber Datenaustausch nicht möglich.
Da der letzte Kommentar nun schon eine Weile her ist nun die Frage:
Gibt es irgendwelche neuen Erkenntnisse oder Möglichkeiten. Ich verzweifel hier :(
Hey Krischan, ich fürchte, dass Alesis die Möglichkeit zum Umbau tatsächlich per Software abgeschaltet hat :( Mir ist jedenfalls nicht bekannt, dass es jemand geschafft hätte. Schade und ärgerlich.
Hi. Can anyone tell me if the usb hack to the io dock 1 works if you plug a lightning connector ipad to it using a 30pin to lightning adapter?
My Io dock 2 just died. Im thinking of buying a cheap used dock 1 and adding an adapter to use with my iPad 4. Since I have the top plate from the io-dock-ii I can just install the adapter inside and simply pass the lightning connector through the hole. But for this to be worth it, it would be nice if the hack worked through the adapter.
Yes, and yes: What you describe – hack an IO Dock 1, then use the 30pin/Lightning adapter to connect – has been tried successfully by Shep a.k.a. the ChurchNerd. :)
Cool thanks!
Another question. Has the hack been found to work with the cheap third-party 30pin-to-lightning adapters? Or must I buy the expensive apple version?
I’d give it a try with the cheap 3rd party adapter. No one is going to guarantee that it works but the chances are pretty good, and you won’t risk much this way.
your io dock is died ?
would you sell it ? for a cheap condition i would gladly test somthing
No, sold it on eBay years ago, sorry…
what did you think about windows tablet, would the io dock work with am windows tablet ?
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I know it is a pretty old post. But do you know if Dock II can be adapted to be used as a PC interface also?
I have a Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen. and it requires a lot of wiring to connect to my keyboard, to Ipad I want a straightforward stuff like io/dock. However I also want to have an interface that can be used to my windows pc (win10 64 bits).
I fear that this is not possible – a couple of guys tried it and did not succeed, look at the comments. Alesis seems to have disabled the code which enabled my haсk.
Hi,
I don’t think is an alesis issue but lightning vs 30 pin issue.
The old connector has more hackable pin out and no digital chip in the middle as lightning has. That’s the reason behind you can plug the CCK with the connector reversed. The internal chip takes control of the pins recognising the direction and adapting them to be whatever the iPad needs… but that makes an issue since we don’t know how Alesis (or Behringer in their is202) has implemented that digital communication in the news.
In my mind, after CCK3 release, the logical solution will be try transform the lighting connection of the dock into regular usb A connector, plug it into a regular hub and the hub into a CCK3. Fit all of these inside the dock enclosure and that’s it… or just buy a Novation Audiohub or similar (Akai EIE the red model, the m-audio air hub or Arturia Audiofuse, etc…) and 3D print an enclosure.
The original hack remains useful for 30 pin old iDevices btw…
Good ideas on bulding your own Dock, thank you – but I fear it is definitely an Alesis issue. Both the IO Dock, and the IO Dock II, feature (or: used to feature) the 30-pin connector, and connected Lightning devices via an adaptor.
In my view, Alesis simply removed the USB Bus Master code from their firmware in the Dock II, and this killed the hack.
Hi Sir well I’ve just found your post cause i broke the pins of cable/adapter female to lightning male of my dock 2, and the part is not easy or cheap to send it where i am right know. Is there any chance to just make a cable straight to lightning from the original cable, i mean if a cut an iphone lightning i dont know how to root it to the original cable, could you help me please, i miss my ipad on the studio and no technicians want or can help me with this issue.
really appreciate and vielen danke.
Hi D. I have the same issue, did you ever find a solution?
Thanks Dan
Hello Dan, well no reffactions available, and no electrical wire map available, i left it on a shelve until i found it again. Did you find a solution?
Thanks
Hi, I’m currently thinking of getting a ipad that has the usb c connector, and would like to use it with my Alesis io dock II, I notice the connector that the lightning or 30 pin adaptor connects to is a mini usb female, and i’ve seen a mini usb to usb c cable.. do you think connecting this cable to the mini usb connector on the Alesis io dock II’s adaptor connector will work to connect to an ipad with the usb c connection.. I was thinking to try it, but don’t know if anything would get damaged, or maybe someone here has tried this, i was thinking it might be a solution since i’ve read that the lightning connector won’t work with an adaptor to usb c for ipad peripherals, help appreciated.