Team member Alan Sallabank has just updated to Pro Tools 2018.12, which automatically updated the Eucon software. His old iPad, which worked fine for Pro Tools Control until this point now won't talk to Pro Tools or Eucon, as it's stuck on iOS 9.3.5. So beware if you have an old iPad like Alan and I do.
You may not be aware that Pro Tools now requires Eucon 2018.3 to run any Eucon equipped control surface including the free iPad app PT Control. However there is contradictory information about what version of the iOS is supported with the Pro Tools Control app.
On the Pro Tools Control pages on the Apple iOS Store it says…
Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPad.
See the image to the right…
At the top of the entry on the iTunes store it says this under System Requirements…
Qualified Mac or Windows-based computer running any supported EUCON-enabled application and EuControl 18.3.0 (NOTE: EuControl 18.3.0 software must be downloaded from account.avid.com and installed before using Pro Tools | Control
See the image below…
Turning to the PT Control app specification pages on the Avid website it says this…
Pad Air or iPad mini 2 or later running iOS 8.3 or later
Qualified Mac or Windows-based computer running any supported EUCON-enabled application and EuControl 3.3
See the image below…
The latest Pro Tools System Requirements pages say this…
Pro Tools | Control - EuControl 2018.3
See the image below…
In the Avid Knowledge Base Pro Tools | Control - Support and Setup article it says this…
Note: Earlier iPad models have not been qualified by Avid. Pro Tools Control may work with older iPad versions but performance may vary.
Pro Tools Control v2018.3 requires iOS 12
See the image below…
Avid Need To Update All Their Pages To Say The Same Thing
Based on Alan’s experience, it would seem that the iTunes Store pages and the PT Control app specification pages on the Avid website are out of date with the information on what version of the iOS is supported with the current version of the Eucon software 2018.3 and the current iOS app.
If like Alan and I, you also have an older iPad that is stuck on iOS 9.3.5, you should be aware that if you update Pro Tools to the latest version, Eucon will be updated to Eucon 2018.3 and that requires iOS 12 and you will no longer be able to use the Pro Tools Control app on your old iPad.
What iPads Can I Use With Eucon 2018.3?
According to Avid’s Pro Tools Control - Support and Setup Knowledge Base article these are the only officially supported iPads for use with the Pro Tools Controls app.
Model | Release Date | Fits in Dock |
---|---|---|
iPad Air | November 1, 2013 | Yes |
iPad mini 2 (Retina display) | November 12, 2013 | Yes |
iPad Air 2 | October 22, 2014 | Yes |
iPad mini 3 | October 22, 2014 | Yes |
iPad mini 4 | September 9, 2015 | Yes |
iPad Pro (1st, 12.9'') | November 11, 2015 | No |
iPad Pro (1st, 9.7'') | March 31, 2016 | Yes |
iPad (2017) | March 24, 2017 | Yes |
iPad Pro (2nd, 12.9'') | June 13, 2017 | No |
iPad Pro (2nd, 10.5'') | June 13, 2017 | Fits with Dock adapter |
iPad (2018) | March 27, 2018 | Fits with Dock adapter |
iPad Pro (3rd) 11" | October 30, 2018 | Fits with Dock adapter |
iPad Pro (3rd) 12.9" | October 30, 2018 | No |
To be fair to Avid there are iPads on this list that are 5 years old. It’s just that our iPads were even older, which surprised me.
Avid then point out that Pro Tools Control will work on the newer Hi Res iPads, but where the screen aspect ratio is different you will get small black bars on the sides making up the space.
But the next statement could probably do with some clarification now…
Note: Earlier iPad models have not been qualified by Avid. Pro Tools Control may work with older iPad versions but performance may vary.
Update 1
All May Not Be Lost…
It would seem that the error message and Pro Tools no longer seeing the Pro Tools Control app may be a different issue.
Eddie Jones, who is Avid’s Product Manager for all EUCON surfaces, has responded that the Pro Tools 2018.12 installer should not trigger a Eucon update. But Alan is sure that he did not do anything except run the Pro Tools 2018.12 installer. So what happened? Eddie Jones said this in the Avid Control Surface Users Facebook Public Group…
“That error message has nothing to do with PT. I have seen it occasionally though, a full restart of everything usually gets rid of it”.
Alan replied that he had tried the reboot loop twice before he posted. Alan continued…
“However, I've just tried it while Pro Tools is doing an offline bounce, and after initially complaining that it had duplicate ipads, it then let me add it. After the offline bounce finished the iPad sprang back to life. It seems that if you do something to Eucon while it's distracted, it lets you get away with it”.
So it would seem for now Alan is OK albeit using an iPad that is no longer supported by Avid for use with Pro Tools and the free Pro Tools Control app.
Nevertheless, this doesn’t get away from the confusion about what iOS the Pro Tools Control app supports. Eddie Jones has also commented saying that…
“Apple that forced us to update our App with later API's, it is their (wrong) message in the store about IOS 8. They are even giving us warning messages right now saying we need to further update our App to later code!”
But which is it? iOS 8 or iOS 12? Avid can you clarify this please?
Update 2
Eddie Jones has continued to be very helpful on the Avid Control Surface Users Facebook Public Group…
With regard to the iOS 8 on the Pro Tools Control app page on the iTunes Store, Apple have told Eddie…
“Apparently that so older versions of the App are still available in the App Store for people with unsupported iPads. Confusing, yes, helpful yes (in your case)”.
To be honest we should have removed all the old unsupported versions from the Apple Store. It then would say iOS 12 not 8. But then that would hose people like you ;)
When we do the next release in Jan....I'll add the physical iPads supported into the description on the Apple Store to help.
Anyway...you may want to update to the latest code/iPad next year as we have a couple of nice things coming with the Control/Dock and latest PT
Santa, Can I Have New iPad Please?
Although Alan is working again, we may still be on borrowed time so It looks like both Alan and I will be asking Santa for a new iPad for Christmas. If you have an old iPad that doesn’t support iOS 12, you may want to consider asking Santa for an iPad that is on Avid’s list of nice iPads that will play nicely with Eucon 2018.3 and the latest version of Avid’s Pro Tools Control app.
The new features for the Pro Tools Control app and Pro Tools Dock sounds interesting….