Making Music with the iPad and an iRig

I talked a little about this amazing setup in an earlier post, but only briefly touched upon the many possibilities. With your iPad and an iRig, capturing your music on the fly has never been easier or more convenient. Just plug you guitar or mic in, choose an amp head, some effects pedals, and let it rock.

There are several iRig products available from IK Multimedia. The guitar interface and the microphone rig are the most useful. The microphone even comes with a mic so you're ready to go, but you can use it with your own microphones as well. Both packages come with cool software and some great effects, and you can purchase a seemingly endless number of add-ons as you need them.

Using an iRig is easy, Plug your instrument and headphones into the iRig and the iRig into the iPad, and bingo, you're ready to lay down some hot tracks using your favorite recording studio app. I talked about a few of those in an earlier post. There are some decent choices available today in a variety of price ranges. Garage Band will do if your price range is free.

Now, when I talk about effects and amplifier heads, you guys and girls know what I'm saying. There are apps you can use with your iRigs (such as AmpliTube and VocaLive). Add these to Garage Band or any of your favorite DAW (digital audio workstation) apps and you have all the effects, instruments, and studio time at your disposal you'll need to record your tunes. With some of these tools and a little time, you can fine tune and distribute your stuff straight from the iPad.

How's that for technology? I come from a time when I got giddy with a four track studio machine. I could never afford a lot of effects at a time, so I had to get the best amp I could and choose between one or two effects pedals that I could get the most out of.  Now I'm a kid in a candy store, experimenting with so many great sounds and techniques  it makes my head spin.