I was excited to try the iRig 2 guitar interface from IK Multimedia, since I've used an older version of Amplitube in the past with nice results. However, the more time I spent trying to use the device and included "Free" software(which is a download from your app store of choice) the more frustrated I grew. This continued to the point that I simply do not want to use the device, or the software app any longer.
I'll start with the advertisements, since that was one of the issues that was hardest to overcome. Upon downloading "Amplitube Free" the user is bombarded with pop-up ads to purchase upgrades to the software which promise more functionality. Further, IK Multimedia uses these opportunities to inform you that you could be using better hardware than you just purchased, by relentlessly advertising their UA or HD lines of products. Beyond annoying.
Watch the video, you'll see 4 advertisements in less than 60 seconds. Ridiculous.
Moving away from the software for a moment, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the interface itself. The overall feel is not bad, the edges of the seams feel a little sharp. The gain knob which peeks through the side, isn't protruding far enough to confidently turn it up or down. The same goes for the FX Through switch.
The knob and switch are recessed too far...
My biggest complaint about the actual interface is that the cable is too short. It's about 6 inches, including the plug, which is about 1 inch long. Add the strain relief connecting the cable to the device, and now we're at about 4.5 usable inches of cable. That is incredibly inconvenient. When it was plugged into my phone, I was constantly concerned that the weight of the guitar and amp cables was going to pull the whole unit onto the floor. IK addresses this with an added mic-stand-velcro-strap for the device. But wait a minute, if my iRig 2 is connected to the mic stand, where is my phone going to logically sit less than 4.5 inches away? Also, how long before the short, somewhat stiff cable destroys the jack on my phone?
That's a pretty short cable...
The Marshall amp clone sounded fine in the app, but I could generally hear the pulsing of the phone CPU. The two included delays did a good job of masking that, and they sounded very good. I was able to coax some nice tape delay sounds from it. The included amp was also very noisy at most gain levels. True, a real marshall amp is sometimes hissy at high gain, but not like the app, which is a bit over the top. A noise reduction pedal is standard issue with Amplitube Free, it does a decent job of eq-ing out the noise.
The tuner was not great. It took a few moments to even register the note, and then it never really wanted to settle on the actual tune of the note.
A distortion pedal is available for people who wish to go through the trouble of registering the device. No, thank you.
Conclusion:
I think a device like this is a bit of a novelty to begin with. It could be a fun piece of gear, but IK Multimedia has instead made it difficult to use with the "Free" version of Amplitube in hopes that end-users might be coerced into buying an app or hardware thats better or easier to use. To me, that says: "Stay Away." And so, I will.
