5 Cheap Alternatives To iRig 2

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Written By Sarah Barlow

Chief Music Officer

Guitar and bass players were able to utilize their iPhones to play, practice, and record for the first time in 2010, thanks to the first iRig, which enabled them to connect their instruments to their iPhone and use applications like as IK’s AmpliTube, Apple’s GarageBand, and hundreds more.

As the successor to the iRig 1, it expands on the success of its predecessor by adding significant new features — such as adjustable input gain, cross-platform compatibility, and a 1/4″ amplifier output — that will once again change the way you create music while on the move. But, if you’re looking for alternatives that somehow have the same characteristics as iRig 2, here’s a list that might interest you.

Behringer U-Phoria UM2

  • Instrument Input
  • 2-channel USB Interface
  • Phantom Power

We’ve paid more for takeout than Behringer’s UMC22, so we can’t fault it on pricing. But, of all, you get what you pay for, and the UMC22 falls short of its more expensive competitors in many areas.

For starters, the maximum resolution is 16-bit, which is still CD quality and should be acceptable for most people. The U-Phoria series also uses the ubiquitous ASIO4ALL driver (although this is still a free download). We wouldn’t count on the UMC22 outlasting the gadgets at the top of this list, either. Despite this, the flaws aren’t deal-breakers, and at this price, you couldn’t do much worse.

BandLab Link Digital

BandLab, well recognized for producing collaborative music software, is another brand with little experience in interface design. However, their initial hardware device is impressive.

This little enclosure fits a combination mic/instrument and gains control. Most costly choices have additional output ports, while Link Digital has just two. The primary output is a single stereo jack rather than a conventional pair of jacks or RCA output.

Apogee Jam+

Have you lived your whole life without recording anything? Jam+ from Apogee may be all you need to get started recording your creative endeavors due to its simplified feature set and straightforward “plugin and play” operation.

The little gadget has just one input — a 6.3mm jack that takes guitar, bass, and line-level inputs from keyboards and synthesizers, among other things. With the Jam+’s overdrive setting, you can either keep it clean or dial in a filthy tone.

There are two outputs: a 3.5mm headphone jack (which may also be used to power powered displays) and a micro USB connector for connecting to Mac, PC, or iOS devices. The inputs are as follows: And, once you’re up and running, you can experiment with different amp and FX models with the bundled BIAS FX Jam software from Positive Grid. There’s a lot to appreciate about this tiny bundle of features.

Mackie Audio Interface

  • High-Resolution Input
  • Bus-powered
  • Software Included

There’s not much that can be said about Mackie’s Onyx Artist 1.2 except reading the specifications. It has both mic and instrument inputs and a typical set of controls.

Overall, this interface does not stand out from its competitors, but there is also nothing to criticize. The pricing is also fair. It includes a stripped-down version of Tracktion Waveform, which really is excellent recording software.

PreSonus Audio Box USB 96

  • Dual Inputs
  • Pre-Amps
  • Studio Grade Converters

Presonus has cleverly packaged the Audiobox 96 USB with their Studio Magic plugin suite and Studio One DAW. Install the program, attach your guitar to the Hi-Z input, and begin playing in one of the most renowned DAWs available.

It’s bus-powered, so you can carry anywhere and operate it from USB. Anyone for a mobile laptop? Yes! In addition to dual mic/line inputs and MIDI I/O for expression pedals and external controllers, Presonus’ rugged tiny box has everything a guitarist could ever need!