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IK Multimedia’s Uno synth packs big sound on a small budget
The affordable-synth trend of the past few years has been outstanding for anyone wanting to dip their toe into soundscapes and dance music. IK Multimedia, known mostly for instrument accessories for iOS, seems to have noticed there's money to be made in the expanding market. Two things could have happened: The company could have done a money grab and released a low-cost digital synth that beeps, boops and whirs just enough to appease new musicians. Or it could have built a solid inexpensive analog synthesizer that's not only portable but also powerful. Lucky for us, it did the latter.
iRig Micro Amp delivers classic guitar tones with your phone
IK Multimedia is making it easier to bring a mini music studio on the road, especially if you have a newer iPhone. It just introduced an iRig Micro Amp that produces 15W while touting a USB interface, giving you a reasonably powerful yet portable amplifier with tone processing on iOS devices, Macs and PCs of all stripes. You don't need a headphone jack here, folks. It's larger than the company's earlier Nano Amp, but still compact enough that you can toss it in your backpack for impromptu practice sessions.
The $200 Uno synth crams a ton of features into a small package
IK Multimedia is known for its wide variety of music gear, including MIDI controllers, mixers and instrument interfaces. Now the company has just launched its first analog synth, a compact little machine named Uno. The company's own Erik Norlander (one of the designers behind Alesis' Andromeda synth) collaborated with Italian boutique synthesizer maker Soundmachines to create the Uno. The device has a small footprint, though it packs a ton of manual controls for easy programming. It's made to serve both newbies and veterans: Uno has a two octave touch-sensitive keyboard and 100 different presets, along with selectable scales and an arpeggiator to make getting up and running easy.
iRig Keys I/O packs in a full audio interface for $200
IK Multimedia has years of experience making audio products and software for the mobile musician. From microphone preamps to audio mixers and MIDI interfaces (and more), the company seems dedicated to its niche. The music device manufacturer has just announced a brand new entry, the iRig Keys I/O: a compact, travel-ready MIDI controller with a built-in 24/96KHz audio interface. It comes in two compact models; you can pre-order the 25-key version for $200 and the 49-key configuration for $300 right now. The final release is set for October of this year.
Your Apple Watch can help you tune a guitar
The Apple Watch is handy for a lot of things, and now you can use the wearable when you tune your axe. Thanks to the folks at IK Multimedia, when you employ the company's UltraTuner app for iOS, note info is beamed to your wrist while tuning that stringed instrument. The software's Stage mode offers a full-screen interface for maximum visibility, and when this setting is selected, a smaller version of the chromatic tuner is displayed on the wearable. IK Multimedia claims that UltraTuner is ten times more accurate than mechanical strobe options -- down to +/- 1/100th of a cent. As you might expect, those figures make it the most accurate tuner available for iOS. If you've already splurged for the $5 app, you'll need to update to the most recent version to pair it with the Apple Watch.
The iRig 2 wants to replace your guitar pedal board with a phone
IK Multimedia has been cranking out new versions of its iRig guitar adapter for phones and tablets for nearly five years. Here at CES 2015, there's yet another update. The iRig 2 still allows you to connect that axe to an iOS, Mac or Android device, but this time around, there's a 1/4-inch output jack, so you can use the company's mobile apps (like AmpliTube) alongside an amp with ease. It also means that, if you so choose, you could make that mobile device part of an effects loop, or replace it entirely. Sure, the sound of individual pedals is hard to beat, but this setup aims for convenience. There's also a headphone jack to keep from annoying bandmates, and while the onboard gain control returns, a new toggle switch will bypass the connected mobile device entirely. If you're considering giving it a go, the accessory will be available during Q1 for $39.99/€29.99.
The iRig HD-A equips Android users for mobile guitar recording
IK Multimedia's iRig series of mobile recording wares have long be an option for the iOS faithful, and now its guitar-minded add-on is prepped for Android. The iRig HD-A is a $100 accessory that allows you to plug your axe into a mobile device track riffs while on the go. Just like previous efforts, this Android version is very much a plug-and-play setup for guitarists to use the company's AmpliTube amplifier and effects simulator app to toy with sounds and virtual rigs. It packs in a 24-bit 48kHz analog to digital converter, and can be paired with a computer via USB when you're stationary for a while. As you might expect, other entries in the iRig line can be used alongside the HD-A for a more robust mobile arsenal. However, there's one important caveat: the device only works with gadgets running Samsung Professional Audio. This means that the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge can sort the goods now, and compatibility for the Galaxy S5, Note 3 and others is said to be on the way. The aforementioned AmpliTube is available as a plug-in for Samsung's SoundCamp app, so you can record tunes with whatever setup you come up with while toying around.
IRL: IK Multimedia's iLoud portable Bluetooth speaker
I've secretly desired a portable Bluetooth speaker for a while now, particularly the Beats Pill. But the problem was (and still is) that I can't justify adding yet another wireless music streaming option to my relatively small abode, which is already outfitted with an Apple TV and Pioneer SX-218. Sure, a Bluetooth speaker is handy for the occasional barbecue cookout on your front porch. But any other time, I'd rather just pop in a pair of 'buds and get the entire stereo effect. However, being the fan of IK Multimedia's Apple-centric iRig line that I am, I bit the bullet and opted for the iLoud.
iRig Mic HD brings a hand-held option to iOS and Mac recording for $99
We've seen our fair share of mobile recording gear, and IK Multimedia is certainly no stranger to the fray. For those who prefer a more hand-held approach to tracking with an iOS device, the outfit has outed the iRig Mic HD. The digital condenser microphone is capable of handling your best attempt at Freddie Mercury's vocals, instruments and good, ol' spoken word with a 24-bit digital converter and a shape that will sit cozy in standard mic stands. There's also a built-in preamp and LED status indicator to keep levels in check -- similar to what we've seen on some of the company's previous releases. Of course, the main selling point is the unit's compatibility with the iPhone and iPad via Lightning connector (an improvement over its predecessor), but the device also plays nice with Mac thanks to added USB connectivity. As you might expect, the iRig Mic HD works with IK Multimedia's stable of apps like AmpliTube and iRig Recorder for those mobile captures. If you're still sporting older iOS wares, a 30-pin cable can be purchased separately when the $99.99/€79.99 accessory arrives next quarter.
iRing adds gesture-control capability to iOS music apps (video)
This year's CES has introduced us to a number of devices that cater to specific people. That includes IK Multimedia's iRing accessory, designed for aspiring DJs who'd like to control their iOS music apps with gestures... and a dash of showmanship. So long as a user's wearing the iRing, the iDevice's front camera picks the gesture controls up, and the peripheral's accompanying app translates them to commands music software can understand. According to the company (the same one responsible for a few other music accessories for iOS), the iRing's capable of controlling not only basic music apps, but also advanced ones designed for those who mix their own tunes. It also comes with a couple of its own music-editing apps that one can use to add effects and create non-stop loops. Those who prefer waving their hands in the air over poking at on-screen controls can get the iRing in various music and electronic retailers worldwide for $25. Update: We've just gone hands-on with the iRing at CES and gave it a whirl with iRing Music Maker, one of two apps (the other is FX Controller) that it can take advantage of at launch. The iRing setup consists of two plastic "rings," which have an array of three dots on each side. One end of the plastic peripheral has the specks ordered into a triangle, while the other side has them in a line. An iOS device's camera recognizes the dot formation and controls the mapped function. Push one hand in and out to cycle through music effects or use your other paw to vary intensity. It works as promised, but we wouldn't consider it terribly useful -- unless, of course, you're a DJ only interested showmanship.
IK Multimedia ships iLoud wireless Bluetooth speaker for musicians with $300 price tag
We first got our mitts on IK Multimedia's iLoud wireless speaker (above left) back at NAMM in January and now you can do that same. If you're in need of a refresher, the Bluetooth unit houses a 1/4-inch input with the outfit's iRig circuitry, power and gain controls, an aux input and front-mounted volume knob inside a black soft-touch shell. You'll have to dish out $300 to score the 40W of sound and, unfortunately, there's no mention of when we'll see the smaller less expensive iLoud mini (above right) that should ring up for $200 when it arrives.
IK Multimedia unveils the iRig Pro digital audio interface for iOS and Mac, ships this month for $150 (video)
Looking to capture some vocals or record a few guitar riffs while you're out and about? Well, IK Multimedia has yet another gadget that looks to lend a hand. The outfit's iRig Pro serves up a digital audio and MIDI interface that connects to the full gamut of iOS devices and Mac machines via USB. Battery-powered and quite diminutive in stature, the device wrangles microphones, guitars, MIDI devices and other Hi-Z instruments for mobile recording -- with those audio and MIDI inputs able to be employed simultaneously. The connected phone, tablet or laptop actually powers the add-on, but that internal 9V kicks it when needed to provide phantom power to a mic. A smattering of the company's apps come packaged with the unit including AmpliTube, SampleTank and iRig Recorder. Folks with older Apple devices shouldn't worry: the iRig Pro ships with cables compatible with Lightning, 30-pin and USB connections. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, $149.99 will be the required investment later this month. For now, venture past the break and take a quick look at the setup in action.
IK Multimedia intros AmpliTube 3.0 with timeline editing, ships iRig HD
Artists going all-out on mobile music editing have relatively few options -- GarageBand won't always cut it for the pros. IK Multimedia thinks its newly launched AmpliTube 3.0 could be the solution for those producers on the move. The $20 iOS app introduces a full, multi-track audio editor that can create a final masterpiece. With the help of a guitar rig and customizable drum loop, the suite is theoretically good enough to keep computers out of the studio. Even if musicians don't want to go that far, they may be happy to hear that IK Multimedia has shipped the iRig HD. The $99 interface gives iOS and Mac users a preamped adapter for instruments with quarter-inch plugs. While we're sure some performers would rather stick to traditional recording methods, those who've embraced digital with open arms can check out both AmpliTube and iRig HD at the source links.
iRig Recorder arrives on Android, ready for your broadcasting needs
Catching up to its iOS rival, IK Multimedia's iRig recorder app is now available on Google Play. Compatible with all your existing iRig mics and peripherals, the app is tailored to ensure all your audio is suitably organized by date or location -- it even saves a backup version for those all-important recording sessions. There's also a waveform editor available as an in-app purchase ($4.99), adding the ability to select, crop and loop on your phone. You can also reduce background noise as well as speed up (or slow down) your files without affecting the timbre. Recording time is dependent upon how much storage space available on your Android, so those phones with expandable memory are at a slight advantage here. If your audio needs a bit of work, you can pick up the app at the source starting today.
IK introduces Loop Drummer, built into the latest version of AmpliTube for iOS
IK Multimedia has updated its popular AmpliTube app for iPhone / iPod touch and iPad to version 2.9. It now includes a brand new built-in, loop-based drum module called Loop Drummer. Loop Drummer allows you to build custom drum tracks from a library of more than 500 loops (via in-app purchase) based on varying musical genres. With eight Style Packs (Rock, Country, Funky, Electro, Blues, Metal, Pop and Punk), there's plenty to choose from when arranging your drum track. Each Style Pack comes with eight Grooves, and each Groove has eight parts that allow you to build a drum track from beginning to end. For example, intro, main A, fill A, main B, fill B, var B, outro. Simply drag and drop the loop in the simple timeline to build your track. If you can't be bothered to build your own drum track, simply hit the Remix button and Drum Looper will use an intelligent algorithm to build a unique beginning-to-end drum track for you that has a coherent song structure. I've had a quick play with Drum Looper and it's very easy to use. It's well-implemented into AmpliTube, which means in no time you'll be putting drum loops together and having a jam session or recording your newest song! Drum Looper syncs automatically with AmpliTube recorder, so you can play along and record the drum track, too. The audio from Drum Looper will appear as a separate audio channel on the Amplitube's recorder. Additional features include custom-length loop sections, a Mixer section (allowing for independent drum volume setting and soloing), tempo setting and exporting drum sequences to your iDevice's clipboard or iTunes File Sharing. AmpliTube with Drum Looper is available as a free download from the iOS App Store now. With the free download you'll get the Rock Style Pack only. The other Style Packs are available via in-app purchase, similar to buying additional effects or amps in AmpliTube. To find out more about Drum Looper, visit IK Multimedia's website here.
IK Multimedia iRig BlueBoard and iRig HD hands-on (video)
Last year at CES, IK Multimedia unveiled its iRig Stomp as a foot switch controller for wrangling the outfit's Amplitube software for iOS. Here at NAMM though, the company has cast off the wired connection for the Bluetooth-sporting iRig BlueBoard MIDI foot pedal. In addition to managing presets sans cables, the device can access four effects / amp modeling combos via backlit selectors without the need to swipe the screen of your iPhone or iPad. The gadget is AAA battery powered and there's no power adapter or in-built power pack. It's a bit of a bummer that the BlueBoard isn't rechargeable, but then again, a lot of guitar pedals and stompboxes are either battery or adapter powered. Two 1/4-inch jacks fare along for the ride in case you need to add on volume or expression pedals to the $99 rig that's set to arrive in Q2. During our visit, we also took a look at the recently announced iRig HD guitar connector. The next-gen version of the original iRig touts higher quality sound (as the moniker suggests) and now connects via 30-pin or Lightning port for use with a mobile device or via USB for laptops and such. There's also a input level adjustment on the side in a form factor that resembles the Apogee Jam -- albeit with different connectors. Even with the help of headphones it was hard to tell just how good the captures were thanks to the painfully noisy show floor. However, in our brief time with the setup it worked like a charm for handling our feeble attempts at a few Taking Back Sunday riffs. Hop down past the break for a quick tour of the duo.
IK Multimedia iLoud and iLoud Mini hands-on (video)
IK Multimedia got a jump start on NAMM with the announcement of its iLoud speaker duo just before the proper start of the show. Today, we swung by the company's booth to take a closer look and spend a few minutes with the Bluetooth-wielding wireless duo. The first thing that we noticed was the build quality. Both the iLoud and iLoud Mini sport a soft-touch rubber-esque coating on the top and bottom that we've seen in other Bluetooth audio units. The pair also has an adequate amount of heft without being overbearing when added to the weight of an already packed rucksack. In terms of the Mini, a single volume control rests on the right side, both USB port (for charging) and aux inputs reside around to the left and the power button is at home up top. For us, the real star of the show here is the regular iLoud. In addition to the same wireless capabilities as the smaller sibling, this unit packs a 1/4-inch input that houses the outfit's iRig circuitry. Essentially, one of IK Mulitmedia's adapters is crammed right into the speaker. Said jack along with controls for power, gain and Bluetooth pairing hit the backside in addition to an auxiliary port for connecting a handset or tablet via cable. The volume knob is around front on this beefier model, encircled in a glowing red light. One of the main selling points is the advertised studio-grade sound quality -- especially in the 40W iLoud -- which we were unfortunately unable to confirm due to the overly noisy show floor here in Anaheim. Jump down through the gallery to take a gander at the pair that is set to arrive in Q2 for $300 and $200 respectively.
IK Multimedia outs iLoud and iLoud Mini speakers, supplies mobile jam sessions
If you've been looking for a wireless speaker that is capable of outfitting your music gear, IK Multimedia is looking to oblige with its latest offerings. The company has announced the iLoud and iLoud Mini Bluetooth speakers ahead of the official start of NAMM 2013. In addition to that wireless connectivity, the duo sports rechargeable batteries for supplying jams on-the-go and a 1/8-inch jack for connecting those trusty peripherals the good ol' fashioned way. Boasting big volume in rather small frames, the larger unit touts 40W RMS of power and the smaller clocks in at 12W RMS. The larger of the two units, the iLoud, tacks on a full-sized 1/4-inch jack complete with iRig circuitry for connecting that axe should you feel the need offer up your best Stevie Ray Vaughan. While both are set to arrive sometime in Q2 of 2013, the iLoud will sport a $299.99 (€239.99) price tag and the iLoud Mini is set to dock wallets for $199.99 (€159.99).
iRig HD will soon support Lightning iOS devices
We've told you about IK Multimedia's myriad music-making accessories, but those of you that are musically inclined and have an iPhone 5, iPad 4 or iPad mini might want to take note now (get it?). IK Multimedia has announced the iRig HD. The plug-and-play, high-quality digital guitar/bass/instrument interface features a 24-bit A/D ultra-transparent converter that the company says is capable of preserving all the nuances of your instrument. Best of all, it comes with a native Lightning to 1/4" Hi-Z instrument input jack cable so it's compatible with all the latest iOS devices. The iRig HD also ships with 30-pin and USB to 1/4" input jack cables so it's also compatible with older iOS devices and Macs. Currently, however, there is no pricing details and no firm launch date. Check out the press release below for all the details. [Via Engadget] Show full PR text CES: iRig HD Announced The sequel to the most popular guitar interface of all time 8 January 2013 The new iRig HD, the sequel to iRig – the most popular guitar interface of all time – is now being shown at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, at the IK Multimedia booth (located at North Hall, Booth 5625). Just one day after the show floor opened, iLounge awarded it Best of Show 2013! With over half a million units sold worldwide, iRig has revolutionized the way guitar players jam and record, allowing them to play anywhere using their iPhone or iPad and the virtual effects and amplifiers of the range of AmpliTube apps. AmpliTube is the all-time bestseller when it comes to guitar sound processing, and includes dozens of legendary pieces of gear from world-class brands such Fender®, Ampeg®, Soldano®, and T-Rex®, as well as the sounds of iconic artists like Slash and Jimi Hendrix. iRig HD improves on the characteristics that have made iRig the standard for connecting your guitar or bass to the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and rocking out. Together with its ease of use, plug-and-play convenience, ultra-portability and universal compatibility, iRig HD offers a superior digital sound quality that's comparable to that of high-end interfaces used in computer-based studios.
IK Multimedia's iRig HD adapter for iOS, Mac lets guitars ride the Lightning port
IK Multimedia spent a lot of time at CES 2013 courting Android musicians, but we neglected to mention equal attention spent on iOS at the show through the iRig HD. The company's new adapter pipes audio from a guitar or other instrument with a quarter-inch plug into Lightning-equipped Apple devices, keeping them in IK's musical world (and inviting terrible Metallica puns). It's not exclusively built to jam with an iPad mini or iPhone 5, either, as a modular approach brings the analog-to-digital conversion both to earlier iOS gear and to Macs' USB ports through relevant adapters. About the only disappointment is the absence of firm launch details, although those should be coming "soon."
