IZotope Spire Studio

Got a hit song in your head? This portable music studio helps you create high quality multi-track recordings instantaneously

$496 spire.live

Back in the day, it was harder to make music than it is now. Musicians and producers would often have to rely on specialised equipment to get the sound they wanted, and were tied to traditional recording studios. These days, most computers or an iPad can act as an audio workstation for recording tracks anywhere. Audio tech brand iZotope hopes to make the process even simpler by packing handy multi-track recording into this portable, user-friendly gadget.

Line ’em up

The Spire Studio records up to eight tracks, one after another, with a few simple button presses, and is powered by battery or from the mains.

The interface is stripped to the bone, making it a doddle to navigate. In fact, there are only five buttons to contend with: New Song, Volume, Soundcheck, and two giant record and play buttons. The buttons are easy to hit even when you’ve got a guitar or cello in front of you.

The circumference area is comprised of a touch-sensitive circular LED pad that serves as a VU (volume unit) meter, a guide to the amount of tracks used, and as a means for raising or lowering the monitoring levels in your headphones. It has an omni-directional condenser mic built into the front, and has other professional XLR inputs.

The device works best when used with the free iPhone, iPad or Android app, which enables you to add effects such as reverb and echo (which are impressively adjustable, but can only be added during recording), and has some limited editing features. The device can also be used in a basic form without the app if you just want to capture a sound quickly, then export to the app or a full audio workstation tool later.

The built-in mic is excellent for the price and sensitive enough to capture the nuances of vocal and instrument recordings. Alright, so it can’t compete against a high-quality third-party condenser mic, but that’s what the inputs are for. Same goes for plugging in an electric guitar. As long you have a decent-sounding instrument and voice, and you hit the Soundcheck button first, it’ll produce exceptional results.

All in all, the Spire Studio is a brilliant tool for bands and songwriters, or for anyone who wants to record themselves in a high-quality, flexible way. It’s so easy, you can quickly record your next hit riff before it melts away.