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Connect your electronic drum kit

Connect your drum kit to your iPad or Mac with a USB cable so iQuantize can detect what you play. This guide covers iPads with Lightning or USB-C ports, and Macs.

Updated 2 October 2026

What you need

Your deviceConnection
iPad with a Lightning portUSB-A to USB-B cable + Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter + iPad charger
iPad with a USB-C portUSB-A to USB-B cable + USB-C to USB-A adapter
MacUSB-A to USB-B cable + USB-C to USB-A adapter (not needed on a Mac with USB-A ports)

Use a data cable. Charge-only cables do not carry MIDI.

Note

iQuantize connects to electronic drums by cable. Bluetooth MIDI is not supported. For audio, use wired headphones or speakers: Bluetooth adds latency.

A black USB cable with a flat USB-A plug at one end and a square USB-B plug at the other.
USB-A to USB-B cable.
The square USB-B plug inserted into the socket labelled USB on the back of an Alesis drum module.
The USB-B plug goes into the USB port on the module.

Option 1 of 3

iPad with a Lightning port

You need
  • USB-A to USB-B cable
  • Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter
  • iPad charger and its cable
  1. Plug the USB-B end of the cable into the drum module.
  2. Plug the USB-A end into the USB port of the adapter.
  3. Plug the iPad charger into the Lightning port of the adapter. This powers the adapter so the drum module can be detected.
  4. Plug the adapter into the iPad.
  5. Turn on the drum module.
  6. Open iQuantize.
The white Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter: a short Lightning cable on a square body with a USB port and a Lightning port.
Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter.
The square USB-B plug inserted into the socket labelled USB on the back of an Alesis drum module.
The USB-B plug goes into the USB port on the module.
The drum kit USB-A plug inserted into the USB port of the white camera adapter.
Kit cable in the USB port of the adapter.
The camera adapter with the black kit cable in its USB port and a white charging cable in its Lightning port.
Kit cable and charger connected to the adapter.
The camera adapter plugged into an iPad on a stand, with the kit cable and the charger both connected and iQuantize on screen.
Adapter connected to the iPad.

If the iPad shows “The attached accessory uses too much power”

  1. Check that the charger is connected to the adapter and plugged into the wall.
  2. If you still see the message, connect a powered USB hub between the adapter and the module.
Headphones

Plug wired headphones into the iPad headphone jack. Bluetooth headphones are not suitable for practice because they add latency between your hit and the sound.

Option 2 of 3

iPad with a USB-C port

You need
  • USB-A to USB-B cable
  • USB-C to USB-A adapter
  1. Plug the USB-B end of the cable into the drum module.
  2. Plug the USB-A end into the adapter.
  3. Plug the adapter into the USB-C port of the iPad.
  4. Turn on the drum module.
  5. Open iQuantize.
A black USB-A to USB-B cable and a small grey USB-C to USB-A adapter, not yet connected.
USB-A to USB-B cable and USB-C to USB-A adapter.
The square USB-B plug inserted into the socket labelled USB on the back of an Alesis drum module.
The USB-B plug goes into the USB port on the module.
The USB-A plug of the kit cable inserted into a small grey USB-C to USB-A adapter.
With an adapter: the USB-A end goes into the adapter.
An iPad with a USB-C port on a drum pad, the grey adapter in its USB-C port and the kit cable connected.
Adapter in the USB-C port of the iPad.

If the kit does not appear, connect a powered USB-C hub between the iPad and the module.

Headphones

The USB-C port is used by the kit. Choose one option for wired headphones. Bluetooth headphones are not suitable for practice because they add latency between your hit and the sound.

  • Connect the module and wired headphones to a powered USB-C hub.
  • Plug headphones into the drum module. Note: the module jack plays only the module’s sounds. The app’s click and backing track play from the iPad speaker.

Option 3 of 3

Mac

Requires macOS 14 or later.

You need
  • USB-A to USB-B cable
  • USB-C to USB-A adapter (not needed if your Mac has USB-A ports)
  1. Plug the USB-B end of the cable into the drum module.
  2. Plug the USB-A end into the adapter.
  3. Plug the adapter into a USB-C port of the Mac.
  4. Turn on the drum module.
  5. Open iQuantize.
A black USB-A to USB-B cable and a small grey USB-C to USB-A adapter, not yet connected.
USB-A to USB-B cable and USB-C to USB-A adapter.
Mac with a USB-A port

Plug the USB-A end directly into the Mac instead of steps 2 and 3.

The square USB-B plug inserted into the socket labelled USB on the back of an Alesis drum module.
The USB-B plug goes into the USB port on the module.
The USB-A plug of the kit cable inserted into a small grey USB-C to USB-A adapter.
With an adapter: the USB-A end goes into the adapter.
A MacBook on a drum pad with the kit cable connected through the adapter and iQuantize open on the drum pads screen.
Adapter in the USB-C port of the MacBook.
Note

No driver is needed for class-compliant drum modules.

The kit does not appear

  1. Check that the drum module is on.
  2. Reconnect the cable and restart iQuantize.

More checks: Electronic drum kit plugged in but not detected

Related

Requires an electronic drum kit or MIDI drum module.