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IK Multimedia's iRig and iKlip STUDIO mobile peripherals learn to play nice with Android, stay friends with iOS
Ever since IK Multimedia released its mobile music peripherals, Android users have been left to look on their iOS-toting brethren with jealousy. No longer. Today at CES 2013, the company has announced that its iRig MIC, iRig MIC Cast, iRig PRE, iRig MIX and iKlip STUDIO devices will now work with phones and tablets powered by little green bots. The catch? If you don't have a Samsung Galaxy device, you're out of luck. It's unfortunate that not all Android users can partake in IK Multimedia's offerings, but judging by Sammy's sales numbers these days, there's plenty of you out there who can.
iRig MIC Cast brings podcast recording to your pocket
IK Multimedia has just released the new iRig MIC Cast (US$39.99), a tiny plug-in microphone for iOS devices that promises to make recording podcasts anywhere a reality. The iRig MIC Cast is a little bit larger than a US quarter, with a gold-plated plug, an output port for monitoring recordings, and a two-position gain switch. I was initially concerned that the plug wouldn't work with the Apple Bumper for the iPhone 4/4S, but it plugged in easily and was ready to go in a snap. IK Multimedia, the manufacturer of the iRig MIC Cast, offers free versions of two apps to anyone who buys the microphone -- iRig Recorder FREE and VocaLive FREE -- but the mic also works well with my favorite recording app, GarageBand. The iRig MIC Cast comes with a small folding stand for your iPhone or iPod touch, perfect for doing hands-off recordings. Once you've started the recording, that's where the magic of this device is really apparent. It's an extremely unidirectional mic, so background noises tend to be masked by the voice being recorded. IK Multimedia notes that the iRig MIC Cast provides "an incredibly flat frequency response with zero tonal coloration", a fancy way of saying that it does a really good job of capturing voice recordings. I found the iRig MIC Cast to be much better for making voice recordings than IK Multimedia's $59.99 iRig Mic, which I reviewed in March 2011. Here's a sample podcast recording done in one take with the iRig MIC Cast using Apple's GarageBand app for iOS: While I wasn't impressed with the iRig Mic, I have no such qualms about the iRig MIC Cast. I can easily see recording and editing podcasts from my iPhone or iPad using this microphone. IK Multimedia has created the perfect pocket mic for making podcasts or other voice recordings on your iOS devices. Pros Tiny and lightweight, easily pocketable Gain is adjustable for nearby and far away sources Earphone jack for monitoring your recording sessions Comes with free voice recording apps and a tabletop stand Affordably priced Very good sound quality Cons Small size might make it easy easy to lose
IK Multimedia releases iRig MIC Cast for recording, podcasting on the go
IK Multimedia today released the iRig MIC Cast (US$39.99), a tiny coin-sized microphone for iOS devices that is targeted at those who need to record interviews or podcasts. According to the company, the iRig MIC Cast was designed with "a tight unidirectional pickup pattern that minimizes background noise, making it ideal for single-source audio recording." As you can see in the image above, the iRig MIC Cast has a built-in stereo mini-jack headphone output so you can monitor while you record. There's a sensitivity switch (Lo-Hi) for recording close or distant sources, and the connector will work with most iPhone/iPod touch cases. IK Multimedia also sees the iRig MIC Cast as a great tool for phone calls and FaceTime chats, boosting your voice quality well over what the built-in microphone can do. Two free apps are included with the mic: iRig Recorder, which is used for voice recording and editing, and VocalLive, a "multi-effects processing app for singers." There's also a small tabletop stand included so you can record hands-free. TUAW will post a full review of the iRig MIC Cast in the near future.
IK Multimedia's iRig MIC Cast is now shipping for iOS devices, we go hands-on
Back at CES, IK Multimedia unveiled a trio of music / recording accessories for iDevices. One of which was the diminutive iRig MIC Cast to handle those on-the-go podcasting and voice recording duties. The outfit has announced that the ultra-compact microphone that plays nice with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is now shipping. Let's have a quick refresher, shall we? The kit plugs into your Apple device's 3.5mm audio jack and sports a headphone output of its own for monitoring purposes. Inside the kit, a unidirectional condenser capsule goes to work to isolate the audio you want recorded instead that pesky background chatter. If you're looking to snag one, it'll set you back $40 (€29.99) and includes a stand for your handheld inside the box. But before you take the leap, head on past the break for some of our hands-on impressions of the device. %Gallery-156531%
IK Multimedia reveals trio of iRig iOS accessories for mobile podcasting and music making
Its no secret that many musicians use their iPhones and iPads to help them craft their tunes, and go-anywhere podcasting holds great appeal for many others. To serve such folks, IK Multimedia has unveiled three new peripherals joining the likes of its AmpliTube adapter and iMic accessories: the iRig MIC Cast, iRig MIX, and iRig Stomp. The MIC Cast is a unidirectional mic aimed at mobile podcasters that hooks up to your iOS device through its headphone jack (and has a 3.5mm port for headphone monitoring). It has a compact form factor that matches the iPhones slimness, and comes with recording and voice processing apps to get things sounding just right. Look for it Q1 of this year for €29.99 ($38). Next up is the iRig Stomp, an electric guitar pedal crafted from aluminum that works with any iOS guitar, amp or instrument app. It connects to your iDevice's 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with a free AmpliTude app for adding effects and will cost €44.99 ($58) when it lands in Q2. Lastly, there's the dual-channel iRig MIX mobile music mixer, which can be connected to iDevices, CD players or other music sources using it's stereo inputs. It's got gain, bass, treble and volume controls along with a channel crossfader to tailor your tunes using the included apps: DJ Rig, AmpliTube, VocaLive, and GrooveMaker. Diplo wannabes can pick up the MIX in February for €74.99 ($96).
