Up until recently, recording half-decent songs on Android devices was a huge trouble, as most musicians would know. Hearing about IK Multimedia’s plan to release the its famous iRig for Android sure was a boost, as the guitar adapter was only had an iOS existence before that. Enter the the new iRig UA and the iRig Mic Studio, which promise to make digital recording and processing for guitar music on Android devices that much easier and several notches more exciting than ever.
The iRig UA allows universal near-zero latency guitar processing via the AmpliTube app on all devices with Android 4.0 or higher. It features high-performance 32-bit DSP, 24-bit A/D converter, 44.1/48KHz sample rate, crystal-clear low-noise instrument preamp, and an ultra-compact enclosure to provide you with the best sound possible.
With the processing done on the iRig UA unit and not on the Android device, you get to enjoy consistent near-zero latency regardless of the make and model of your smartphone or tablet. This was the problem with Android before — the issue of Android platform fragmentation and OS latency. With that resolved, it is now possible for you to churn out excellent plug-and-play performances on the fly using only your Android device (which is pretty helpful when you’re put on the spot and you left your favorite effects at home).
Meanwhile, the iRig Mic Studio adds an exciting dimension to your personal music recording. Sure, you’re an accomplished musician, you’ve written a few songs and you want the world to know how good you are. The easiest way to go about it is to have your Android device record a clip of you playing your guitar and crooning to your online subscribers. The iRig Mic Studio gives you a large-diaphragm, digital condenser microphone that works nicely with your Android device (you might need Android 5.0 Lollipop to run this, though). With a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter and built-in low-noise HD preamp combining to produce a 133dB SPL rating, you can basically capture and record everything, ranging from the subtle nuances of your voice to the full-blast of an amplified electric guitar.
The iRig UA will be available to the market at Q2 of 2015 at a price point of USD$99.99, while the AmpliTube UA app will be available at the launch of the device as a free download. The iRig Mic Studio will be available sooner, this Q1, at a price point of USD$179.99. This may well raise the quality of your recordings, but as for crappy lyrics, well, that’s another matter entirely.
SOURCE: IK Multimedia (1), (2)
