Group Test: iOS Studio Accessories

If you want to make the most of your iOS device’s audio and MIDI capabilities, a made-for-iOS peripheral is the way to go

IK Multimedia iRig Pro I/O 1

IK Multimedia’s iOS, Android and Mac/PC compatible iRig Pro I/O is not only the most expensive in our group test, but also the best equipped. Features include combo XLR/jack input, input gain, line/headphone mini jack output, headphone level, 48V phantom power, and up to 24bit/96kHz conversion. There’s also an impressive bundle of IK software.

For use with iOS it incorporates a battery booster (2 x AA), but there’s also an add-on PSU (49 Euros) that rather handily also provides feedthrough charge to your iOS device.

iRig Pro I/O ships with a plethora of cables, and with it firing on all ports it can look a bit messy. Even so, you’re getting excellent flexibility.

www.ikmultimedia.com

VERDICT 9.0

Shure Motiv MVi 2

Shure’s compact and metalcased MVi is designed for both iOS and USB (Mac/PC) use and provides audio I/O via a combo XLR/jack and a minijack headphone output. Primarily designed for mic, line and DI recording, the MVi routes the input to the headphones for zero-latency monitoring. There’s also phantom power, although at +/- 12V when hooked up to an iOS device, you’ll need to check your mic can handle a lower than typical voltage.

Gain and headphone levels are adjusted using the flat touch sensitive controls, and there are also five DSP modes that incorporate EQ, compression and limiting. If you install Motiv (the companion iOS app) you have further control over the processing settings.

www.shure.co.uk

VERDICT 8.6

Focusrite iTrack One Pre 3

As the name implies, the One Pre is designed for input duties and in fact includes no output capabilities at all. Nevertheless, this super stylish cube looks and feels great, and rather impressively can deliver 48V phantom power just from your iOS device. What’s more, to accommodate more demanding condensers there’s also a micro USB input so you can plug in a USB sourced power boost should you need it.

Despite its modern visuals One Pre’s two controls (Gain and 48V Phantom) are traditionally tactile, with the Gain knob also providing green or red illumination for basic input level metering. Finally, as you might expect from Focusrite, the mic pre offers excellent fidelity. All told, One Pre is a simple but decent device.

www.focusrite.com

VERDICT 9.0

Korg plugKey 4

Korg’s mobile MIDI/Audio plugKey is the smallest of our group test devices, and designed for audio output and MIDI input duties. Despite its diminutive size, you still get a pair of 1/4 inch jacks and a separate minijack headphone output. Both follow the master Volume knob on the side. Device connection is via a short captive lightning cable, and MIDI input is via 5-pin DIN. There’s a micro USB input on the side, providing through-charge to your device.

Pair the plugKey with a regular MIDI keyboard and you’ve got a super compact programming setup. Or hook it up to an unused iOS device to create a nifty sound module.

All told, our only minor gripe here is the lack of bundled cabling.

www.korg.com/uk

VERDICT 8.8