iPad insanity

This is not an iPad site but I am an iPad user and think some of these things are pretty damn cool! Right now we’re really starting to see a revolution take form. At NAMM we’ll see microphones, DJ stuff, serious recording apps and even a mixer with iPad support. Let’s dig into what we know.

Starting with the video above, it’s a presentation of Wave Machine Labs Auria, in my opinion perhaps the first serious recording app for iPad. Just look at the video… it’s staggering. It actually comes with effects from PSP, overloud and FabFilter and supports VST! I guess VST for apps is something we’ll see more and more of. Auria will record from the iPad mic, but a compatible USB Class 2 audio interface and Camera Connection Kit is recommended.

While this device from Griffin Technology it is called Studio Connect, I fail to see the connection to studio (other than MIDI in/out). This is the reason why.

Audio in: 1/4? mono, 3.5 mm stereo
Audio out: Line-level stereo R and L RCA
Front-panel 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack with volume control

Sure, you can plug your guitar in there, but that’s about it.

What first appears to be one of the most wicked innovations since the iPad probably isn’t as cool as it looks. When I saw the Behringer Xenyx iX3242USB I immediately thought about a super cool combination with Auria. Well, I don’t think the press release is really clear, but now it appears to me like it’s “just” a mixer with a USB interface (for recording to your computer, not to your iPad) that uses the iPad to control inbuilt FX. Kind of cool in some ways, but not nearly as cool as what I was thinking when I first saw it.

MXL Microphones has announced yet another USB microphone (they have several, even a ribbon) specifically designed for iPad but works with your computer as well. There’s nothing about Trio, as it’s called, on their website yet but I guess it won’t be long before there is.

Actually announced earlier but I guess NAMM will be the first time many see them, IK Multimedia keeps releasing iProducts. Latest in line are: iRig Mix (a mobile mixer), DJ Rig (a DJ app), iRig Stomp (a stompbox guitar interface) and iRig Mic Cast (voice recorder).

Some thoughts

Just to be clear, while I claim this to be the early days of a revolution, I don’t think studios will ditch their DAW’s anytime soon. If anything, what we’re seeing is even further democratization of radio (in the form of podcast) and the new age portastudio.

I for one think it’s awesome. I would like to be able to connect an interface to my iPad and record with my own preamps and microphones. The Alesis I/O Dock was cool but I can’t help but think that the preamps will suck (at least compared to what I normally use) which completely kills it for me. I don’t trust the microphones either, after all I strongly dislike Chinese condensers and they appear to be just that.

Let me connect a Metric Halo ULN-2 or RME Babyface then we’re in business. Then let me export that project easily to Pro Tools (or not) and we’re really cooking. Guess we’re on our way there. Now how would I go about using Maschine with iPad…