Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
IRig Pro Duo
Wanted an interface to record more than one mic at a time. I already had the iRig Pro, which always worked great and sounded good. I liked the fact that I could do XLR, guitar jack, or midi, and wanted the same. I posted a question here a little while ago about multi input interfaces, and got lots of suggestions, came back to the Duo.
It arrived last week. I'm very happy with it. Improvements over the single channel model:
- Two inputs instead of one.
- Built in headphone amp, with the ability to direct monitor. Much better than the iOS headphone jack, for more even response.
- Ability to use a power adapter instead of batteries.
- Mains out to direct output to a board or amp.
It's bigger of course, but still very compact. Waiting for the second mic to come in the mail, so I can do dual mic recordings of the acoustic, and I'll use my iPhone with the iRig Pro to record the pickup as well. Thanks to @richardyot for that suggestion again. Saved me a bunch of cash.
I honestly don't know what some folks problems with IK Multimedia is. Another great product at a solid price for the arsental.
Comments
Well basically the issue with some people is that you can get for example steinberg ur22 mkii, roland duo capture-ex or focusrite 2i4(and almost 6i6) for the price, so people think that their products are bit overpriced, as those products i listed have superior preamps and pretty much everything else too. However its a bit more hassle if you want to use batteries with them, so the irig pro duo definitely shines on that. But often people dont actually need that superior portability so much(and you can just hook an external battery to at least some of those, ur22mkii and 6i6, and maybe the roland too, not sure without having to need an usb hub with the battery), and just buy it because salesmen have recommended them, and because they made name on getting early on ios audio game(and made shitty, but affordable products like the irig2 early, pro duo is ofc completely different).
Duo is cheaper than the 2i4 Scarlett. Not sure what four out includes, if it includes the monitor out, then it doesn't add anything the duo doesn't have. Quality of preamps, I really don't know. Irig preamp sounds pretty fine to me. I paid 220 for the duo, 2i4 id's 289.00 at Amazon.
I have the iRig HD 2 and a Blueboard. I'm very impressed with both of them. Even the packaging was very nice.
It's generally the marketing wing of IK, not the products themselves, that causes folks to have 'problems'. I've got over $1000 of their stuff on the PC side, and probably $350 in iOS apps and hardware, and I'm happy with almost everything. (Though I did rage-delete all their apps after a round of in-app pop-ups... not my proudest moment, but it drives me nuts). I have the iRig HD, and it's a nice piece of kit: I've been tempted by the HD 2's duel input and headphone amp. Thanks for sharing your experience.
On the downside, many resent IK's overly hype-y product announcements (everything redefines and sets new standards), and their increasingly hard sell sales approach. (For example, visit their homepage: a video pop-up, followed by a slide-up box to sign up for a newsletter that most have already subscribed to. And if you're visiting in iOS, an app install banner for an app that has nothing to do with the general information offered on the site. And it happens every time you visit. They give off a vibe like they'll soon be slipping 'free' PC cleaner software into future downloads. It all just starts to grate.
I picked one of them up from Amazon warehouse deals for £115 the box was a bit tatty but otherwise it works fine
Lol @Tovokas, can't disagree.
I've been using the Pro Duo for almost a year now with their power bridge for the iPad and a stomp box power supply for the Duo. It's pretty ridiculous that IK doesn't include a power cable for the Duo, but I do think the mic pres in the Duo sound better than the pres in the 2i2. I'll also add that I think the Duo sounds a bit better on guitars than my original Apogee Jam. It's been a good purchase for me at $150 on sale.
IK makes good things. Their support has been very hit or miss in my experience.