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The author pictured with product.

 

First published in Examiner.com

IK Multimedia announces iRig PRO,

the “all in one” universal audio/MIDI interface for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac

By David Cox

IK Multimedia, iRig Pro

iRig PRO allows professional recording musicians to connect

microphones, guitars, line instruments or MIDI devices on the go

I recorded a song with iRig PRO with my iPad using Garageband. I chose a genre that in its day connoted a kind of ‘confidence of the street’. I called the song ‘Bending & Shutting Em’. For the job I used IK Multimedia’s new iRig PRO interface, which works exactly like a standard interface device for keyboard, microphone, guitar input etc, such as those put out by M-Audio and other famous brand names. The difference is that it is small. Very small. Small enough to put in your pocket. It is powered by its own 9V battery, and has inputs for phono and XLR mic, as well as adapter cables for MIDI via the connectors for iPhone/iPad, and the newer Lightening cables.

I used the MIDI attachment first; from my trusty Midiman keyboard (pictured) to the iRig pro via the multi-pin MIDI cable to the iPad. I used a Hammond-y organ sound with Leslie revolving speaker for the first track. Next came the real moment of truth. An actual organic, unbalanced unamplified 1991 MIM Fender stratocaster going directly in. I used one of the amps built into Garage band – the clean amp sound with a hint of tremolo and I admit I was very surprised how the LED indicator on the iRig pro kept its own around the orange level and never peaked. It seemed to ‘know’ to stay at the right level, with the gain knob on the device set to about 1 o’clock.

Next came the bass line. Again, usually going directly in with a bass guitar to any electronic device can be asking for disaster, but the iRig PRO did its job once again and held the levels true, with the same settings I’d used for the strat. Very nice.

The final track can be heard here:

Takeaways:

The pocket-sized, battery-powered and fully portable, iRig PRO is designed to give mobile musicians and songwriters an interface that can handle the widest variety of audio input signals, so they can create music and audio on the go anywhere, any time.

iRig PRO accepts virtually every type of audio and MIDI input, making it the most versatile compact interface on the market. Users can plug in a dynamic or condenser microphone; a guitar, bass or other Hi-Z instrument; or any line-level source.

Additionally, iRig PRO is equipped with a MIDI input for keyboards, pads and controllers, making it a truly universal compact interface for recording and composing on the go or in the studio. Its audio and MIDI inputs can be used simultaneously, for example, to control guitar or vocal software with MIDI foot controllers or pedals, for switching presets or controlling effects levels.

Plus, iRig PRO comes with a suite of IK’s best music-creation apps like AmpliTube, VocaLive, SampleTank, iGrand and iRig Recorder, and is compatible with most audio and MIDI processing apps for the mobile musician. Mac users will also enjoy the inclusion of premium software with iRig PRO, like AmpliTube, T-RackS and SampleTank, and will appreciate the unit’s compatibility with any type of music-creation software.

Universal Inputs

iRig PRO features a high-quality 1/4″-XLR combo input connector for connection with standard XLR cables, 1/4″ mono line or instrument signal cables, and a switchable 48V phantom power supply for use with studio condenser microphones. It has an ultra-low-noise, high-definition microphone-and-instrument preamp; a high-quality 24-bit A/D converter; a preamp gain control; plus LED indicators for device status, MIDI, phantom power and signal level.

iRig PRO is powered by the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or USB, when used with instruments or a dynamic microphone. A 9V battery (included) provides phantom power to compatible microphones. iRig PRO also features a standard MIDI input for connection of MIDI devices like drum machines, controllers and MIDI keyboards.

Universal Compatibility

iRig PRO comes with three detachable cables, compatible with Lightning, 30-pin and USB connectors, respectively, allowing for digital connection to every model of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac, out of the box, with no need for adapters. A MIDI cable with a standard MIDI jack is also provided to connect the widest variety of MIDI-compatible keyboards and controllers.

iRig PRO is class compliant and compatible with Core Audio and Core MIDI, so it can be used with any audio and MIDI processing apps for iOS and Mac OS, for true plug-and-play performance without additional hardware/software.

Universal Apps and Software Included

For iPhone and iPad users, iRig PRO comes with a suite of IK Multimedia’s most popular apps for mobile music creation on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, including AmpliTube FREE (the #1 app for guitar players) for guitarists and bass players, VocaLive FREE for singers, SampleTank FREE and iGrand Piano FREE for keyboard players and iRig Recorder FREE for recording engineers.

Plus, all these apps work together with Audiobus integration, offering a truly complete set-up for making any type of music. Additionally, exclusive AmpliTube gear and SampleTank sounds are available as free add-ons for iRig PRO users.

For Mac users, iRig PRO includes AmpliTube Custom Shop, the industry standard guitar-and-bass processing software; a free version of AmpliTube Metal; T-RackS Custom Shop, the mixing-and-mastering effect suite with a free version of T-RackS Classic; and SampleTank XT, a sound workstation that includes over 1GB of sounds. All these software titles are available both as plug-ins for the most popular digital audio workstations (including GarageBand), or as standalone applications for immediate plug and play.

Features

• Balanced input for a mic-, line-level, or Hi-Z source, via XLR/1/4″ combo jack connector
• Preamp gain control
• High-quality mic and instrument preamp, low noise, high definition
• High-quality A/D conversion
• MIDI IN, compatible with iRig MIDI cables
• +48V phantom power provided by included 9V battery
• Sturdy, durable construction
• Powered by mobile device or USB when plugged into Mac
• 30-pin, Lightning, USB, and MIDI cables included
• Comes with complete suite of music-making software and apps:
• For Mac: AmpliTube Metal, T-RackS CS Classic mastering suite, SampleTank XT sound workstation
• For iOS: AmpliTube FREE for iOS (including Metal W amp, Metal 150 amp, Wharmonator stomp, X-Flanger stomp after registration); SampleTank FREE, a sonic workstation with 48 additional exclusive sounds (after registration); iGrand Piano FREE (includes Grand Piano 1 with Upright Piano 1 and Rock Grand 1 available after registering the app and hardware, respectively). And with the FREE iGrand Piano app, registering your iRig PRO instantly removes the 4-octave range limitation giving you access to all 88-notes of the instrument as in the full version.

Pricing and Availability

iRig PRO will ship in September from music and consumer electronics retailers worldwide for $149.99/€119.99 (exc. taxes). iRig PRO can now be ordered from the IK Online Store and select retailers.

For more information on iRig PRO, please visit:

www.ikmultimedia.com/irigpro