This is a big deal, since not only does that mean the iRig HD 2 gives you everything you need to get playing (save for a guitar of course), but AmpliTube is normally $150 which makes the iRig an amazing value for the money. Next, we needed to download AmpliTube 4 for our Mac, and we’re thrilled to report that it comes included with the iRig. It’s fully USB powered, meaning you’ll never have to worry about replacing any batteries. The iRig immediately came alive with a blue LED light. We grabbed the USB cable first, and hooked up one end to the iRig, and the other to the MacBook. Getting the iRig hooked up is fairly straightforward, so we dove right in. We flipped open the manual and love that IK Multimedia opted to show pictures of how everything works, as opposed to barely legible tiny print. In our test we tried the iRig HD 2 with the devices we had handy an Apple MacBook Pro, and an Apple iPhone 6. It feels like it could survive being knocked around or dropped to the floor, though to be honest we aren’t too eager to try and break it - we’d much rather use it! The casing is made of plastic, and the surface is a matte black, almost rubber-like finish. Luckily IK Multimedia includes a little clip and Velcro strap which you can use to fasten it to something. The light weight could be a slight issue, since all of the cables going in and out of it tend to easily move it around on your tabletop. It also remarkably weighs next to nothing, yet still somehow feels solidly built. This is a very compact device, measuring approximately 3.8” x 1” x 0.75”. Let’s talk a little bit about the iRig HD 2 itself. There’s some nice attention to detail in this packaging, and we like the immediacy of flipping open the inner box to reveal the very attractive looking iRig HD 2, just begging to be plugged in and used. You can see the entirety of the contents in the photo below (the guitar pick is not included, it’s just there for size reference). Exactly what you need, nothing you don’t. And that’s it! We love how elegant and simple IK Multimedia kept the packaging and contents. Another small box inside contains two cables: a Lightning cable to connect the iRig to an iOS device, and a USB cable to connect it to a Mac or PC. Opening the inner box reveals the iRig HD 2 in all its glory, neatly packaged and held securely in its little cutout. The booklets are the instruction manual and an IK Multimedia product catalog, while the sheet of paper tells you what URL to go to to register your product, and also has your unique serial number printed on it. Opening the iRig HD 2’s box reveals another box inside of it, with a cutout insert containing two booklets and a single piece of paper. but we’ll get to that later in the review. And sure, that all sounds great on paper, but rest assured the iRig HD 2 truly delivers the goods. It has 24-bit A/D converters and a 96kHz sample rate, and its super-transparent preamp ensures your guitar’s tone comes through with pristine clarity and no added noise or hiss. Not all guitar interfaces are created equal, and the iRig HD 2 is in a class of its own. It’s a gateway from your electric guitar to your computer/tablet/smartphone essentially like a full-blown audio interface, except this one is tailor-made for your guitar signal, and is designed with portability in mind. When IK Multimedia asked us if we wanted to take their new iRig HD 2 Digital Guitar Interface for iOS/USB for a spin, we jumped at the chance.Ī guitar interface like the IK Multimedia iRig HD 2 is essentially an analog-to-digital converter, taking your guitar’s analog signal and converting it to digital so that you can record and manipulate it using software on your computer or smartphone. To take advantage of such software, we need a way to send our guitar’s signal into our computer or smartphone Enter the guitar interface. Italian manufacturer IK Multimedia is in that mix, with their flagship AmpliTube amplifier and effects modeling software and plug-in. Several manufacturers have taken on the challenge of convincingly porting over hundreds of classic amps and effects into a single piece of software. While to many guitarists the digital world can never have the same allure as an all-analog setup, we have to admit things are advancing and improving so quickly that, if blindfolded, many guitar players would have trouble picking out an analog amp or effect next to a digital recreation of it. It’s amazing how rapidly the world of gear for guitarists is evolving.
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