Increased Live Monitoring Latency with USB Microphones After iPadOS 18.5 (Garageband on iPad)

After updating my iPad (model MK2L3NF/A, 10.9" iPad 10th gen) to 18.5, I’m experiencing noticeable latency during real-time input monitoring when recording with a USB microphone.

Details:

I’m using a "Devine USB-1" condensor USB studio microphone connected to the iPad via Apple’s official Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter, with power supplied through the adapter's Lightning power input or via a powered USB hub (TP-Link UH700).

Monitoring is done through wired headphones connected via the built-in 3.5mm headphone jack (not Bluetooth).

The issue appears in GarageBand, Ferrite, and other DAW-style apps.

The latency is only present during live monitoring while recording; the recorded track itself plays back without any delay.

This setup worked perfectly until recent updates — no hardware changes have been made.

The problem appears to be introduced by a change in iPadOS audio input or monitoring behavior.

Steps to Reproduce:

Connect USB mic (Devine USB1) via Lightning to USB 3 Camera adapter.

Connect wired headphones to the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Open GarageBand or Ferrite.

Enable monitoring.

Play a backing track while recording with the mic.

Expected Result:

Live mic input is routed to headphones with minimal (near-zero) latency.

Actual Result:

There is now a noticeable latency (approx. 100–200ms) in the monitored mic signal during recording, making it difficult to perform with backing tracks.

Has Apple introduced changes in USB audio input routing or buffer handling in iPadOS 18.5? Or perhaps changes in monitoring path behavior involving external USB audio input with an internal headphone output?

Any help greatly appreciated!